Education Sciences

This study explores the effectiveness of Baskin—an inclusive sport discipline—as a pedagogical tool to promote school inclusion, social cohesion and motivation in secondary school students. The intervention, conducted on a sample of 600 students in four Italian institutions, adopted an experimental design with pre–post measurements and a mixed methods approach. The quantitative results, obtained by means of validated psychometric instruments (PIQ, Classroom Cohesion Scale, AMS), showed significant improvements in all variables investigated in the experimental group compared with the control (p < 0.001). The qualitative analysis, based on interviews, focus groups and reflexive diaries, highlighted five thematic areas: revaluation of diversity, improvement of the classroom climate, development of self-efficacy, restructuring of interpersonal relationships and request for project continuity. Baskin emerged as a comprehensive educational practice, capable of integrating corporeity, citizenship and critical thinking. The systematic inclusion of inclusive sport in the curriculum and initial teacher training is suggested, as well as the promotion of school networks and longitudinal studies. Baskin emerges as a pedagogy of participation that contributes to transforming school culture, making inclusion concrete.

Swedish heritage language teachers have diverse educational backgrounds, and collaboration with mainstream and special needs teachers often fails. Consequently, many heritage language teachers must independently assess and support students with special educational needs. This study explores how their educational background shapes their reasoning about such needs in multilingual students. All heritage language teachers in one Swedish municipality completed a questionnaire analyzed through content analysis and from a communicative-relational perspective. Findings show that teachers with Swedish teaching degrees describe students’ needs in nuanced ways, using specialized language while considering individual as well as didactic factors. Those with non-didactic degrees more often generalize groups who need support and attribute their needs mainly to individual factors.

Background: The study’s purpose was to determine the impact of a workshop using comics as an inclusive tool on the perception of fifth-grade students regarding teaching practices applied (“learning for all students”, “classroom climate”, “collaborative learning”, and “participation” dimensions) by physical education teachers, because there is little scientific evidence. Particularly in this subject, a high level of cooperation, commitment, and teamwork is required among class participants to promote inclusion. Methods: A quantitative methodology was employed, utilizing a quasi-experimental, transversal design with pre- and post-test control group. The sample comprised 56 fifth-grade students in Chile (37.5% boys and 62.5% girls) and experimental group participated in an inclusive workshop using a comic. Results: The results show statistical differences between the control and experimental groups in “Participation” (p = 0.00) and in the total score (p = 0.001) after the intervention, favoring the experimental group. This group also showed statistical differences in the dimensions “Learning for all students” (p = 0.007), “Classroom climate” (p = 0.001), and “Total score” (p = 0.002) in pre and posttests. Conclusions: Comic had a positive effect on students in terms of overall results, learning for all students, and classroom climate.