, « The international study “Feel good. Children views on inclusion at school » in BROEKHUIZEN., WOLF K., FRANCOT R., MOSER T., PASTORI G., NURSE L., MELHUISH E., LESEMAN P., Resources, experiences, and support needs of families in disadvantaged communities

The qualitative in-depth Children study presented in this section is the third empirical effort carried out in WP2 in 2018-2019, involving children in pre- and primary school settings and informal after-school contexts in areas characterized by high cultural diversity and social inequality in eight European countries: the Czech Republic, England, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Poland, and, in a later time, The Netherlands. The study was designed to complement the quantitative survey and the qualitative study involving parents, to enable a better understanding of the experiences, perceptions and opinions of young children from native-born low-income families and families with ethnic minority and immigrant backgrounds regarding inclusion and well-being at school.
The ISOTIS Children Study aimed at exploring children’s perspectives on inclusion and well-being at school and identifying facilitating positive elements at school within social, cultural, religious and linguistic differences, what children identified as quality indicators of school inclusiveness and their suggestions to make school more welcoming and inclusive. The study elicited children’s views on inclusion and well-being at school and, beyond this, the study explored a form of education through democracy, examining how a supportive democratic learning environment can be created.
The study intended to provide new perspectives and valuable ideas to inform policy-makers, as well as methodological suggestions to make research with and for children, to enhance inclusive environments through the active participation of children and to empower children in their roles as democratic citizens (e.g., Dürr, 2005; Himmelmann, 2001; Johnny, 2005; Osler, 2000; Osler & Starkey, 2006).