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Case-Study: Secondary School in Latvia
Baltic Institute of Social Sciences |
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| The aim of this report is to give an overview of the main findings from fieldwork to identify educational practices, which increase or decrease academic results of secondary school students. The emphasis was put on the school level practices (by teachers, students, administrators, parents, community members) that help students to keep their motivation. Summary of the findings are analysed within the two sections – inclusive practices and community participation. The methodology used for data collection in the Riga Secondary school No. 94 included 11 open-ended interviews with teachers, relatives and students, one communicative focus group with six members of the school staff and five communicative observations in the classrooms, playground and meeting. The data were analyzed according to two research hypothesis on inclusive educational practices and community participation and along exclusionary and transformative dimensions. The case study reveals that there are many inclusive dimensions taking place in Riga Secondary school No. 94, but at the same time there are practices that might be classified exclusionary and should be improved to provide superior learning process and student results. There are inclusive practice that are functioning in a proper dimension - successful use of human resources, student heterogeneous grouping, provision of multicultural environment, to dispose disadvantaged groups of formation, successful practice to overcome cultural segregation, having high expectations for students. However, some of inclusive practices are in need of improvement, e.g., parent participation in decision making process and organization of community participation; consultative activities for parents; inclusion of multiculturalism in planning of instrumental subjects, inclusive individual assistance, assuring students to have high expectations. |
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