Elevers inflytande i grundsärskolan : Några lärares beskrivningar av grundsärskoleelevers inflytande vid utvecklingssamtal och i arbetet med IUP

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this study is to contribute to knowledge about the influence of pupils in compulsory school for pupils with learning disability in parent-teacher conferences and in the work on individual developing plans (IUP) by examining teachers´ descriptions about this topic. The study has been done through a qualitative research approach, and five teachers who teach in compulsory school for pupils with learning disability has been interviewed. Theoretically, the study is based on Pathways to participation by Shier. Five concepts have been used for analyzing the results of the interviews: openings, possibilities, limitations, obligations and scaffoldings. Through these concepts it has become clear how the teachers experience the pupils´ possibilities for influence, but also what can be understood as limitations for it. By analyzing openings for influence it has become clear that the teachers do want to develop the influence of the pupils, but it requires different forms of scaffoldings. Three different aspects of the participation for pupils were discerned from the teacher interviews; Pupils´ motivation for practicing participation, Pupils´ possibilities for making choices and Teachers´ sensitivity to make pupils participation possible. These three aspects of pupils´ participation has also been analyzed from the theoretical concepts. The results indicate that the possibility for pupils to have influence in parent-teacher conferences and in the work on IUP requires them having access to a functional communication and an understanding for what influence is and how it can be used by practicing in everyday school-life. Pupils´ communication difficulties and lack of understanding constitute the large challenges in enabling participation for pupils in parent-teacher conferences and in the work on IUP. The results also show that the teachers´ attitude towards pupils´ possibility to participate is crucial. The teacher to be responsive is also crucial for these pupils´ motivation to practice their influence in parent-teacher conferences. The concept of pupils´ possibility to participate is close to the concept of participation (influence), due to some of the teachers in this study. For other teachers, pupils´ possibility to participate is more similar to pupils´ ability to influence.