Democracy and Social Cohesion in the School classroom: An Action-research in a Primary School of Chania

Abstract

As the character of modern education remains knowledge-oriented, its social and political function is neglected. Little attention is paid, after all, to the observation and interpretation of social interactions that occur between participants in a school classroom.

In the present action research, an attempt is made, with a practical and emancipatory character, to connect the application of alternative pedagogical methods with the redefining of the social dynamics of the classroom, the improvement of the interpersonal relations of the participants. Thus, by creating bonds of solidarity between them, to achieve our goal, namely the development of social cohesion. The general purpose of the research, therefore, is to create a coherent democratic school community. In the theoretical framework of action research, a connection is made with the fields of the theory of symbolic interaction and Critical Pedagogy.

The participants in the action research were a group: teachers-researchers, researcher-facilitator, and social partners were the students with their parents in the second grade of a primary school in the city of Chania. For data collection, the method of triangulation was applied, using participatory observation, qualitative informal semi-structured interview, and sociometry.

The results showed that gradually, after a constantly redesigned intervention program, the democracy, the cohesion of the group increased and the popularity of the socially excluded students slightly improved.