Konstitutionen av den speciella pedagogiken i en barncentrerad förskola för alla. Att analysera officiella styrinstrument utifrån diskursteoretisk ram

This study identifies and analyses what constitutes special needs education in the Swedish pre-school curriculum during the period 1998-2018, with particular focus placed on the 2018 revised version. The two research questions are: 1) How does special needs education manifest itself in pre-school steering documents, identified using a discourse theory and discourse analysis strategy? 2) How can special needs education in pre-school steering documents be analysed and understood based on this discourse theory and discourse analysis strategy, with particular focus placed on the 2018 revised version?

The analysis shows that the steering documents contain a dominant discourse about a pre-school for all children. The researcher believes that this inclusive and child-centred discourse is so firmly established that it is seen as natural and normal, and that it creates blurred boundaries between general education and special needs education. That which previously characterised special needs education is today more closely linked to general education due to the inclusive discourse about a pre-school for all children. As a result, special needs education in the 2018 revised Swedish curriculum has been reduced and limited to more management, more stimulation and more support. The consequence is that many Swedish pre-schools lack work methods and routines for working with children with special needs. It is unclear to staff in many kindergartens how special support differs from the general support that pre-schools provide for all children in the group.

The researcher analyses key Swedish pre-school steering documents with focus placed on what is stated regarding the topic of special needs education. She uses a discourse theory and discourse analysis approach, where she studies how the language used in the public documents can create, maintain or change the constitution of special needs education in pre-schools.

Palla, L. (2018). "Konstitutionen av den speciella pedagogiken i en barncentrerad förskola för alla. Att analysera officiella styrinstrument utifrån diskursteoretisk ram". Studier i Pædagogisk Filosofi, 7(2):36-57.