Pedagogers upplevelser av specialpedagogens arbete

: Spindeln i nätet, flugan på väggen eller tuppen i hönsgården?

Abstract

The purpose of this study is partly to contribute with knowledge about which task assignment teachers in preschool and middle school believe that special educators should have in a municipality. This study also aims to compare the different experiences of teachers in the chosen school levels regarding the need for the special educators’ work tasks. Both qualitative aswell as quantitative approaches have been used in the research. The background facts were collected using a questionnaire containing both open and closed questions. The selection is goal-oriented, since the purpose of the study is to look into the experiences of teachers in preschool and middle school. Abbott’s professional theory is the theoretical foundation in this study. We have chosen to focus on the following perspectives: jurisdiction, formal arena, informal arena, division of expert labor, and workplace assimilation. The results of this research show that teachers in preschool feel that the special educator’s role is mainly to observe and consult. The teachers in middle school feel that the special educator has more of a teaching role, working with pupils individually or in smaller groups. In preschool, the special educator is usually responsible for more than one preschool unit. According to the preschool teachers, this complicates the opportunities for cooperation between teachers and special educators. On the other hand, the middle school teachers see the special educator as a participant in the daily activities of the school. In this study, we also recognise that both preschool- and middle school teachers wish for a clearer definition of which tasks the special educator should have. The principals and the management seem to be the ones who define the special educators’ work but, since there is no clear definition of what position and which tasks the special educators should have, the tasks vary between different schools. This leads to a risk of the special educators being given tasks beyond the jurisdiction of the profession.

Date of Award	2022-Jun
Original language	Swedish
Supervisor	Git Turunen (Supervisor), Daniel Östlund (Assessor) & Daniel Östlund (Examiner)