‘Third-World’ solutions to ‘First-World’ problems? The Colombian Escuela Nueva Learning Circles as potential inspiration for refugee integration in Austrian primary schools
(2019) SIMV26 20191Master of Science in Development Studies
- Abstract
- ABSTRACT
This thesis explores the chances of learning from an educational model from Colombia, Escuela Nueva Learning Circles, to overcome issues with refugee integration in primary schools in Austria. It set out to understand the current challenges in Austria and a possible utilization of a pedagogical model of the Global South for empowering refugee children in a Global North context.
The empirical point of departure is taken from the insights of Austrian primary school teachers, as professionals in the field and a representative of the Education Council. Interviews, paired interviews and a focus group discussion were conducted to collect information about daily teaching life, the struggles of it and the perception of Escuela Nueva... (More) - ABSTRACT
This thesis explores the chances of learning from an educational model from Colombia, Escuela Nueva Learning Circles, to overcome issues with refugee integration in primary schools in Austria. It set out to understand the current challenges in Austria and a possible utilization of a pedagogical model of the Global South for empowering refugee children in a Global North context.
The empirical point of departure is taken from the insights of Austrian primary school teachers, as professionals in the field and a representative of the Education Council. Interviews, paired interviews and a focus group discussion were conducted to collect information about daily teaching life, the struggles of it and the perception of Escuela Nueva Learning Circles. In a first step, of examining the data, the needs of teachers nowadays are described and compared to the literature. In a following in-depth analysis, the theoretical lens of a critical pedagogy and knowledge transfer is applied to the empirics to investigate the creation of meaning about the Escuela Nueva Learning Circles in a local Austrian context. Based on these findings and interpretations, this paper attempts to gain understanding about the meaning of unconventional thinking about a South-North direction of knowledge transfer, within the prevalent North-South development discourse. The methodological nationalist critique of scholars on the prevalent position of nations in a global world is used to highlight the several dimensions of the discussion.
In the conclusion of this study, teachers are identified as actors of innovation in their field, not only because they have the ability to re-shape ideas (of the Escuela Nueva Learnings Circles) to their context, but also because they deconstruct boundaries between refugees and Austrian nationals in pedagogy. Hence, it is argued for a realization of the potential of teachers through establishing an idea collection and for the importance of thinking outside of borders in todays’ globalized world, in practice as well as in research. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/8983455
- author
- Schneeberger, Andrea LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SIMV26 20191
- year
- 2019
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- language
- English
- id
- 8983455
- date added to LUP
- 2019-11-21 10:51:15
- date last changed
- 2019-11-21 10:51:15
@misc{8983455,
abstract = {{ABSTRACT
This thesis explores the chances of learning from an educational model from Colombia, Escuela Nueva Learning Circles, to overcome issues with refugee integration in primary schools in Austria. It set out to understand the current challenges in Austria and a possible utilization of a pedagogical model of the Global South for empowering refugee children in a Global North context.
The empirical point of departure is taken from the insights of Austrian primary school teachers, as professionals in the field and a representative of the Education Council. Interviews, paired interviews and a focus group discussion were conducted to collect information about daily teaching life, the struggles of it and the perception of Escuela Nueva Learning Circles. In a first step, of examining the data, the needs of teachers nowadays are described and compared to the literature. In a following in-depth analysis, the theoretical lens of a critical pedagogy and knowledge transfer is applied to the empirics to investigate the creation of meaning about the Escuela Nueva Learning Circles in a local Austrian context. Based on these findings and interpretations, this paper attempts to gain understanding about the meaning of unconventional thinking about a South-North direction of knowledge transfer, within the prevalent North-South development discourse. The methodological nationalist critique of scholars on the prevalent position of nations in a global world is used to highlight the several dimensions of the discussion.
In the conclusion of this study, teachers are identified as actors of innovation in their field, not only because they have the ability to re-shape ideas (of the Escuela Nueva Learnings Circles) to their context, but also because they deconstruct boundaries between refugees and Austrian nationals in pedagogy. Hence, it is argued for a realization of the potential of teachers through establishing an idea collection and for the importance of thinking outside of borders in todays’ globalized world, in practice as well as in research.}},
author = {{Schneeberger, Andrea}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{‘Third-World’ solutions to ‘First-World’ problems? The Colombian Escuela Nueva Learning Circles as potential inspiration for refugee integration in Austrian primary schools}},
year = {{2019}},
}