How are conditions for participation expressed in education policy documents? A review of documents in Scotland and Sweden

Abstract

This study approaches inclusive schools by looking at how conditions for participation are expressed for pupils with additional support needs in education policy documents in Sweden and Scotland. By using five dimensions of the environment – availability, accessibility, affordability, accommodability and acceptability – expressions of conditions for participation are explored in 41 documents. This is done in a vertical manner by analysing national laws, regional policy documents, and local‐level documents that directly influence classroom practices. A deductive content analysis approach using a protocol based on the five environmental dimensions is used to extract information and identify meaning units. In the meaning units, meaningful concepts are identified and linked to International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health: Child and Youth (ICF‐CY) categories. These are used as reference points. It is suggested, from the documents analysed, that conditions for participation are easy to express as available, accessible opportunities, or affordability issues, but not as involvement experiences linked to accommodations made and acceptability issues within a context. Documents in Scotland and Sweden also have different foci in terms of conditions for participation.

Keywords:

• education policy
• document analysis
• International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health: Child and Youth (ICF‐CY)
• environmental conditions
• participation

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the MURINET network, EC contract number MRTN‐CT‐2006‐035794 (MURINET‐Multidisciplinary Research Network on Health and Disability), MARIE CURIE ACTIONS, Marie Curie Research Training Networks (RTN).