How to Research Educational Exclusion

Abstract

School failure and educational exclusion are complex issues that require complex approaches in order to be understood. In this article, we address this matter in depth. We define and delimit the research problem and propose a method that reveals how educators make decisions concerning students' failure and/or exclusion. The epistemological and methodological framework follows a procedure of dialogical construction based on the combination of reflections and learning experiences. Research diaries, researchers' theoretical knowledge, and participants' voices (teachers and students) are our main sources of data. For data collection, we used in-depth interviews, focus groups and document analyses; for data analysis critical discourse analysis and grounded theory methodology. The findings are discussed in relation to the existing literature on school failure and exclusion.

URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs170237