The main objective of the three-year project (January 2013-December 2015) was to draw lessons from success stories of individual immigrant students and whole school communities at different levels that have succeeded in developing learning contexts that are equitable and socially just.

Learning spaces refer to school communities as well as other learning environments and practices than schools, which may be important or instrumental for the young immigrants’ participation and success. In the project, students’ success is defined as social as well as academic. By identifying success stories and good practices our aim was to provide guidelines for teaching and school reform based on these strategies.

Two main aims of the study are to:

1. understand and learn from the experiences of immigrant students who have succeeded academically and socially and
2. explore and understand how social justice is implemented in equitable and successful diverse Nordic school contexts and other learning spaces.

Extract 

Learning Spaces for Inclusion and Social Justice: Success Stories from Immigrant Students and School Communities in Four Nordic Countries.

The focus in this special issue will be on the findings of the research project Learning Spaces for Inclusion and Social Justice: Success Stories from Immigrant Students and School Communities in Four Nordic Countries. The main aim of the three-year project (2013–2015) which was conducted in Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden was to draw lessons from success stories of individual immigrant students and whole school communities at different levels that have succeeded in developing learning contexts that are equitable and socially just.

Learning spaces refer to school communities as well as other learning environments and practices than schools, which may be important or instrumental for the young immigrants’ participation and success.

In the project, students’ success is defined as social as well as academic. By identifying success stories and good practices our aim was to provide guidelines for teaching and school reform based on these strategies.

Two main aims of the study are to 1) understand and learn from the experiences of immigrant students who have succeeded academically and socially and 2) explore and understand how social justice is implemented in equitable and successful diverse Nordic school contexts and other learning spaces.

The project integrates the following four subthemes and main research areas:

A. Students: Experiences and aspirations of immigrant students

B. Teachers’ professional development, pedagogy and teaching practices: Teachers as agents and facilitators of inclusion

C. Leadership, collaboration and school cultures: Promotion of democratic participation and collaboration of students, teachers, and parents; and

D. Policies and curricula: Main criteria relating to equity, inclusion and social justice in educational policy, national curriculum guidelines, school policy and curricula.

(Hanna Ragnarsdottir, 2015)