Being included - experiences of social participation of pupils with special education needs in mainstream schools

The Finnish education system is based on equity, and the basic education act emphasises the inclusion and full participation of all pupils in education. Social participation of SEN students is a key issue favouring inclusive schools. Thus, SEN pupils' experiences of social participation indicate how inclusion policies work in practice. This study focuses on the narratives of four SEN pupils concerning their social participation in a mainstream school. According to the results, pupils' perceptions of social participation were strongly related to their experiences in their learning environment. In addition, although their experiences and emotions relating to the school environment were often negative, their personal strengths protected them from total social segregation. The results indicate that in order to create inclusive schools, we should actively improve learning environments to preserve pupils' diversity and to promote the social participation of all pupils. This is a matter of creating more collaborative learning environments, student centred pedagogics and recognising the individual strengths of every child.