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Education Sciences
Special Issues
Migrant Integration in Schools: Policies and Practices
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Migrant Integration in Schools: Policies and Practices

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 18994

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Nataša Pantić

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Education, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 8AQ, UK
Interests: migrant education; teacher agency; educational diversity and change
Prof. Dr. Mirja Tarnanen

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Department of Teacher Education, University of Jyväskylä, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
Interests: immigrant students at school; multilingual and multicultural school; teaching communities and teacher education; pedagogical cultures and curriculum
Prof. Dr. Anna Lund

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Department of Sociology, Stockholm University, 114 19 Stockholm, Sweden
Interests: cultural sociology; ethnography; arts; gender; sociology of education; multicultural incorporation; youth studies

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This issue aims to understand policies and practices that facilitate or impede migrant integration in schools. Schooling raises several issues for migrant students, including adapting to a new language, curriculum and school system, as well as emotional issues, such as coping with loneliness and confusion over unfamiliar cultural and social norms. Within schools, teachers play an important role in promoting migrant students’ learning, socialisation and belonging in their school communities. However, teachers’ work is embedded in the institutional contexts of their school systems and cultures, which shape their discourses, practices and interactions. Teachers in some contexts have reported not feeling prepared for the challenges of cultural and linguistic diversity that coincide with the changing demographics of schooling. Policymakers have made attempts to facilitate the integration of migrants in schools by providing policy guidance and funding support systems, for example for language acquisition. However, systematic analyses that examine how different policy contexts create conditions for teaching practices that promote migrant integration are scant. For example, how do policies and practices differ in relation to the ways that we can deploy resources, e.g., by providing additional resources through targeted approaches that address the needs of migrant students, or developing inclusive approaches that support migrant students in the mainstream? What is the impact on opportunities for supporting migrant students’ academic success, cross-cultural socialization and a sense of belonging to the school community? Responses at school level are central, as they directly affect students, and mediate other influences.

This Special Issue focuses on policies and practices that facilitate migrant integration at individual, school community and national levels, as well as the interactions between them. In particular, we invite studies that aim to understand how migrant students are supported through professional collaboration between teachers, other professionals and families and how policies at different levels and across international contexts enable or impede such collaborative practices. Teachers can work with school counsellors, social workers, mental health professionals, or parents to facilitate migrant students’ integration, and shape the process through which they develop a sense of belonging in their school and community. We seek to understand how institutional, relational and individual levels of teachers’ work interact to create conditions for migrant integration.

Dr. Nataša Pantić
Prof. Dr. Mirja Tarnanen
Prof. Dr. Anna Lund
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • migrant integration in schools
  • sense of belonging
  • policy and practice
  • teacher collaboration

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 251 KiB  
Article
Staff Members’ Professional Agency within the Staff Community and the Education Policies: Supporting Integration in Multicultural and Multilingual School Communities
by Eveliina Manninen, Päivi Hökkä, Mirja Tarnanen and Katja Vähäsantanen
Educ. Sci. 2022, 12(12), 900; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12120900 - 8 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2079
Abstract
In recent decades, increased diversity and migration have challenged school staff members’ ways of working. This study aimed to identify the challenges faced by Finnish school staff in supporting students with migrant backgrounds, and to elaborate on how they enact professional agency toward [...] Read more.
In recent decades, increased diversity and migration have challenged school staff members’ ways of working. This study aimed to identify the challenges faced by Finnish school staff in supporting students with migrant backgrounds, and to elaborate on how they enact professional agency toward these challenges. The data consist of 15 thematic interviews with staff members across various work positions in two Finnish lower secondary schools. Based on thematic analysis, the challenges within the staff community and the education policies were found to include the following: (1) the diversification of students makes tensions more visible in the staff community, and (2) inflexible education policies restrict support processes. In these challenges, staff members practiced professional agency via a focus on their own work level, relying on certain colleagues, and trusting their own professionalism, under strong autonomy tradition. However, outside of their own work level, staff members prefer to adapt to the conditions by compromising, and they seem have not strong participation in higher decision-making. As a conclusion, it would be valuable to resource time expressly for establishing new practices, strengthen head teachers’ ability to promote a culture of shared leadership, while clarifying the boundaries of pedagogical autonomy, and facilitate the participation in higher decision-making. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Migrant Integration in Schools: Policies and Practices)
19 pages, 287 KiB  
Article
Mother Tongue Instruction: Between Assimilation and Multicultural Incorporation
by Didem Oral and Anna Lund
Educ. Sci. 2022, 12(11), 774; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12110774 - 31 Oct 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3931
Abstract
For many students with migrant backgrounds and newly arrived students, their mother tongue is not only a knowledge and a school grade issue, but also a reflection of their identity and a sense of belonging, which are shaped by political structures. In this [...] Read more.
For many students with migrant backgrounds and newly arrived students, their mother tongue is not only a knowledge and a school grade issue, but also a reflection of their identity and a sense of belonging, which are shaped by political structures. In this article, we analyze the role of mother tongue in Swedish policy documents and the way teachers and students see the role mother tongue in two Swedish schools: how do school professionals and students view the importance of mother tongue? What measures are taken to encourage the mother tongues of students with a migration background and newly arrived students? What are the implications of and obstacles to studying one’s mother tongue? We will look at levers of integration where school staff, as well as policy documents, encourage modes of incorporation, but also do identify obstacles concerning the practice of mother tongue instruction. Our article shows that although students long for a double cultural belonging, the policy documents are ambiguous and create an unclear promise for migrant students and their mother tongue teachers concerning multicultural incorporation. In practice, they have little evidence that maintaining their cultural background represents a strong value in Sweden. Ambiguous attitude towards mother tongue can be seen as a symbolic response to Sweden as a country which took a turn regarding its migration policy. The integration of residents with a migrant background is constantly questioned in the media and became a central issue in political debates. The implementation of mother tongue instruction reflects Sweden’s current state of discussing migration concerning integration policies somewhere between recognition and stigmatization. The data are drawn from student interviews, interviews with mother tongue teachers, and field notes in two schools in one of the biggest cities in Sweden. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Migrant Integration in Schools: Policies and Practices)
15 pages, 277 KiB  
Article
Successful Transitions? Tracing the Experiences of Migrant School Leavers in Scotland
by Helen Packwood
Educ. Sci. 2022, 12(10), 703; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12100703 - 13 Oct 2022
Viewed by 1911
Abstract
This paper examines the experiences and aspirations of migrant young people in Scotland. It focuses on students approaching the end of compulsory education and presents findings from a study on the outcomes of young migrants in the transition to adulthood. The research is [...] Read more.
This paper examines the experiences and aspirations of migrant young people in Scotland. It focuses on students approaching the end of compulsory education and presents findings from a study on the outcomes of young migrants in the transition to adulthood. The research is based on empirical fieldwork carried out with students in two schools (n = 95 in depth interviews). It finds evidence of unique and distinct educational pathways for school leavers with a migrant background. Three themes emerge about the practice of transition for young migrants, (1) the significance of family support and expectations, (2) the impact of the migration process and (3) the changing nature of migrant identity through transition. The study highlights the need for local and national policies which support transition for young migrants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Migrant Integration in Schools: Policies and Practices)
16 pages, 275 KiB  
Article
Local School Desegregation Practices in Sweden
by Ali Osman and Stefan Lund
Educ. Sci. 2022, 12(8), 552; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12080552 - 15 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2033
Abstract
The focus of this paper is to examine the desegregation of hyper-segregated schools in Sweden. In this paper, our focus is on the practice(s) of desegregation in four Swedish municipalities. This study is based on interviews with municipal school politicians, school headmasters, and [...] Read more.
The focus of this paper is to examine the desegregation of hyper-segregated schools in Sweden. In this paper, our focus is on the practice(s) of desegregation in four Swedish municipalities. This study is based on interviews with municipal school politicians, school headmasters, and municipal school officials. Theoretically, the study departs from the theory of steering. This study shows that the municipalities use a strong belief in the peer effect to legitimise their decisions to desegregate hyper-segregated schools. Their decisions ignore a substantial research body that could lead to the development of different types of pedagogies that are relevant for these types of schools. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Migrant Integration in Schools: Policies and Practices)
16 pages, 318 KiB  
Article
Migrant-Background Student Experiences of Facing and Overcoming Difficulties in Finnish Comprehensive Schools
by Mervi Kaukko, Jenni Alisaari, Leena Maria Heikkola and Nick Haswell
Educ. Sci. 2022, 12(7), 450; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12070450 - 29 Jun 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4203
Abstract
This article considers what students with a migrant background in Finnish comprehensive schools report as difficult, and how they succeed in overcoming these difficulties. We draw on two sets of school wellbeing and learning surveys for migrant students, conducted in 2016 and 2021 [...] Read more.
This article considers what students with a migrant background in Finnish comprehensive schools report as difficult, and how they succeed in overcoming these difficulties. We draw on two sets of school wellbeing and learning surveys for migrant students, conducted in 2016 and 2021 in comprehensive schools (grades 1–9) in and around two major cities in Finland. We pay attention to student answers to three questions: What is difficult in school? How do you succeed in difficult tasks in school? and Who helps you in school? The datasets from the two points in time are compared to see whether changes in school demographic situation and the student length of stay in Finland had an impact on student experiences. Our findings show that theory-based school subjects that depend strongly on language, such as science subjects, maths, Finnish, Swedish and English, are considered difficult. Additionally, interaction with peers, which also relies on language, causes challenges. The students report turning to teachers, other professionals and peers for assistance and support, and also mention personal strategies they have developed to overcome school-related difficulties. Understanding what migrant students find difficult, as well as how, and with the help of whom, they overcome such difficulties is crucial for the development of effective and sensitive pedagogical practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Migrant Integration in Schools: Policies and Practices)
19 pages, 632 KiB  
Article
Connecting the Dots in Education for Newly Arrived Migrant Students in Flanders
by Laura Thomas, Britt Adams, Laura Emery, Thibaut Duthois, Ruben Vanderlinde and Melissa Tuytens
Educ. Sci. 2022, 12(6), 419; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12060419 - 20 Jun 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2702
Abstract
All over Europe, the rapidly increasing number of newly arrived migrant students (NAMS) not only transformed countries into ethnically diverse societies but also led to various challenges for the educational system in general and its schools and teachers in particular. In Flanders, education [...] Read more.
All over Europe, the rapidly increasing number of newly arrived migrant students (NAMS) not only transformed countries into ethnically diverse societies but also led to various challenges for the educational system in general and its schools and teachers in particular. In Flanders, education for NAMS has several limitations, such as an overrepresentation of NAMS in vocational tracks and a lack of interaction between reception and mainstream education teachers. The central thesis of this paper is that building up networks between the actors involved in the education for NAMS in Flanders may offer a solution for much of the formulated critiques. The paper starts off with an overview of the Flemish educational system and pays particular attention to reception education, its central actors, and the issues they are experiencing. Next, an argumentation for social networks as a potential solution for the critiques is built up, followed by a potential future agenda for education for NAMS in Flanders, riddled with network-related opportunities. The central aim of the paper is to generate fresh insight into education for NAMS, by linking its shortcomings to the strength of building up networks and collaboration, or put differently, connecting the dots. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Migrant Integration in Schools: Policies and Practices)
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