Iraqi Prisoners in Norway: Educational Background, Participation, Preferences and Barriers to Education

The article aimed to develop knowledge of the educational background, participation and preferences of Iraqi prisoners in Norwegian prisons and obstacles to participating in education. The study is based on interviews with 17 prisoners in three prisons. An important finding is that war and political unrest appear to have been significant causes for respondents to leaving education at various stages. As a result only half of them have as much as one final exam and only three respondents have a certificate of education. Even if the respondents want an education while in prison, and although education is offered in all prisons there is a lack of information about educational opportunities in an understandable language and long waiting time for a place at school. An implication of the study is that the criminal administration system and the educational authorities must take into account the multicultural reality by facilitating education and training offers accordingly

Being an Educator: Norwegian Prison Officers’ Conception of their Role Regarding Incarcerated Persons’ Education

Despite the fact that prison officers are close to the incarcerated persons in everyday life in prison, and therefore will have great impact and influence on the incarcerated persons’ understanding of and motivation for education and training in prison, we still know little about prison officers understanding of their professional role regarding incarcerated persons’ education. This article will investigate how Norwegian prison officers understand their importance as educational actors through the following research question: How do Norwegian prison officers understand their role as actors in incarcerated persons’ education? Building on qualitative interviews with 16 Norwegian prison officers’ the article analyses the role of prison officers from a broad educational perspective (Biesta, 2009; 2014; 2015; OECD, 2005; 2019). The analysis reveals that prison officers conduct work that enables incarcerated persons to master their own lives during the execution of and after completing their sentences. Although prison officers play a significant role in incarcerated persons’ education in prison, they are partly unaware of this role, and find that their own role is not in a collaborative relationship with other actors who facilitate incarcerated persons’ education.publishedVersio

Being an Educator: Norwegian Prison Officers’ Conception of their Role regarding Incarcerated Persons’ Education

Despite the fact that prison officers are close to the incarcerated persons in everyday life in prison, and therefore will have great impact and influence on the incarcerated persons’ understanding of and motivation for education and training in prison, we still know little about prison officers understanding of their professional role regarding incarcerated persons’ education. This article will investigate how Norwegian prison officers understand their importance as educational actors through the following research question: How do Norwegian prison officers understand their role as actors in incarcerated persons’ education? Building on qualitative interviews with 16 Norwegian prison officers’ the article analyses the role of prison officers from a broad educational perspective (Biesta, 2009; 2014; 2015; OECD, 2005; 2019). The analysis reveals that prison officers conduct work that enables incarcerated persons to master their own lives during the execution of and after completing their sentences. Although prison officers play a significant role in incarcerated persons’ education in prison, they are partly unaware of this role, and find that their own role is not in a collaborative relationship with other actors who facilitate incarcerated persons’ education

Prison as Site for Political Education: Educational experiences from prison narrated by members and sympathisers of the PKK

This article is based on a qualitative interview study among former political prisoners in Turkey sentenced to years of imprisonment due to their links to the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party). In the aftermath of the 1980 military coup in Turkey, the Turkish left was prosecuted – and nearly eradicated– by the military; accusing thousands of being sympathisers of the PKK. These detentions continued during the 1980ies and 1990ies. Since the foundation of the PKK in 1978, educational activities have constituted a major part of its political program, and PKK members were expected to educate themselves and others inside the prison walls. The four informants in this study, who were imprisoned at different stages of the struggle and served in various prisons in Turkey, narrate the impact political education has had on their personal development and life perspectives and also on the overall struggle of the movement

Education in a Political Context. A study of knowledge processes and learning sites in the PKK

This thesis focuses on educational practices within the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and how members of the organisation perceive the educational and personal outcome of their participation. The thesis consists of three articles and a longer text (a mantle); showing how the articles are thematically, theoretically and methodologically interrelated. The theoretical foundation of the thesis is Paulo Freire’s perspectives on education (critical pedagogy) and the way he uses concepts such as literacy, critical consciousness, transformation, liberation and change. These perspectives are supplemented with the work of the political theorist Antonio Gramsci who explores concepts related to resistance and collective action, recruitment and identity within the frames of social and political movements. The project is based on sixteen qualitative interviews with PKK members, residing in Europe and North Kurdistan (Turkey), and participatory fieldwork in one PKK camp. The practical and ethical challenges and specific constraints confronting the researcher in fields of political unrest are discussed both in the mantle and in the first article. The article discusses the term zone for deliberation to analytically understand how meaning is being negotiated and re-constructed between parties who struggle to understand each other’s political and cultural positions. The second article asks why thousands of youths during the 1980s and 1990s went to the mountains in order to fight with the PKK and presents what the informants claim to have learned from participation. It seems that in the struggle for personal, social and political change, transformative education represents a major force. In the context of a lack of a relevant educational opportunities for millions of Kurdish youths, the political education of the PKK takes place in a variety of non-formal sites such as the mountains, Diaspora, Kurdish communities and in prisons. Education in prison has had a major impact on the overall Kurdish struggle. The third article therefore discusses how former political prisoners in Turkey organised educational activities in prison in order to educate themselves and fellow prisoners. Historically, family and tribal relationships have been the core of Kurdish social life. In the late 1970s, however, the PKK began to challenge this traditional way of living in addition to liberating its members from Turkish oppression through transformative education. Political education and personal development became important in the struggle. The PKK education benefited not only those who joined the armed struggle, but also members and supporters working in the social, cultural, political or academic field. In addition, the PKK put major emphasis on gender issues, which explains why so many women attended. The women’s army and the women’s party of the PKK have been vanguards for female emancipation within the PKK and for Kurdish women in general. Transnational migration after 1980 strengthened the struggle, by providing opportunities to operate within Diaspora communities. New technology, media and TV channels have become important educational tools. By the use of e-mails, mobile phones, internet or TV, millions of Kurds could rapidly be mobilised for collective action in the streets. Funerals for PKK guerrillas, attacks and killings by the military or security forces are typical examples of incidents that call for Serhildan; popular uprising or mass mobilisations in favour of the PKK. Since the 1990s, even the streets have turned into educational sites where people learn how to communicate and organise. When people participate in emotionally-charged action, the atmosphere often reaches a high energy level, creating a sense of togetherness. In these collective moments, political meaning is created and collective memory established. Collective learning takes place when the “collective participant” discovers the relationship between collective action, political meaning and change, and is able to transfer these experiences to the next collective event. Political education and personal development are rarely mentioned as positive factors in research on the PKK. In this thesis, I have tried to nuance this picture. Even though members of the organisation refer to the PKK “school”, education is not institutionalised, but organised in the mountain camp, in prison, through different media, in the communities and on the streets. This is where the Kurds learn what it means to be Kurdish. Through literacy courses and the development of various skills, they also gain dignity and a sense of empowerment. The informants claim that because of the PKK education, they have become more than they were before, and perceive themselves as better persons. ‘Becoming’ entails the notion of transformation and is linked to ideas about human development, growth and potential. It is a dynamic process. Through participation in collective and individual educational activities, self-evaluation and evaluation by other members, the informants claim to have transformed their lives in ways that empowered them to do and to be through the process of becoming. Therefore, becoming [someone], who is capable of doing something for him- or herself and the people, seems to be the most important outcome of a transformative educational process. Practical educative activities, along with political education in the mountains, prison, streets and communities, have become a school for those who participate

Iraqi Prisoners in Norway: Educational Background, Participation, Preferences and Barriers to Education

The article aimed to develop knowledge of the educational background, participation and preferences of Iraqi prisoners in Norwegian prisons and obstacles to participating in education. The study is based on interviews with 17 prisoners in three prisons. An important finding is that war and political unrest appear to have been significant causes for respondents to leaving education at various stages. As a result only half of them have as much as one final exam and only three respondents have a certificate of education. Even if the respondents want an education while in prison, and although education is offered in all prisons there is a lack of information about educational opportunities in an understandable language and long waiting time for a place at school. An implication of the study is that the criminal administration system and the educational authorities must take into account the multicultural reality by facilitating education and training offers accordingly

A Zone for Deliberation? Methodological Challenges in Fields of Political Unrest

This article outlines certain problems and challenges facing the qualitative researcher who enters fields that are either extremely difficult to access or potentially hostile towards outsiders. Problems and dilemmas in such contexts are highlighted by reference to fieldwork research among PKK (Kurdistan Worker’s Party) guerrillas in North Kurdistan, Turkey. The article is part of a larger study on knowledge production and identity development in the PKK. The theoretical foundation draws on the Freirian tradition that is also labelled emancipatory or liberating research. The article discusses challenges within this particular line of research and presents the idea of a ‘zone for deliberation’ as a potential arena for developing intersubjective understanding in cases when the experiences of informants and interviewer are culturally and politically diverse

Norwegian prison officers´ perspectives on professionalism and professional development opportunities in their occupation

Despite increasing attention towards education as a quality measure for correctional services, little research attention has been paid to the qualification and training of prison officers. This article investigates how Norwegian prison officers understand their own professionalism and opportunities for professional development in their occupation. The analysis reveals that prison officers regard professionalism in line with a core value of loyalty, and guiding principles of humanity and equality for incarcerated persons. Further, the analysis shows that prison officers express pride and job satisfaction in their profession, and satisfaction with their education. Still, several of the officers highlight the need for continuing education in order to secure job mobility and further advancement within the correctional services. Knowing that the Norwegian education for prison officers is far more extensive than in other countries, significance of quality in prison officer education should be given more research attention

Lærerutdannerens digitale kompetanse

This case study focuses on how three teacher educators attempt to enhance their digital competence by participating in the project “Teach As We Preach (TAWP)”. At a policy level in Norway, high priority is given to information and communication technology (ICT) through the new educational reform (Læreplan for Kunnskapsløftet [LK06]). The ICT density is high in school, with one laptop per student considered desirable - a goal that is accomplished in upper secondary school. The main obstacle, however, seems to be the lack of digital competence among both pre-service and in-service teachers. However, the new White Paper No. 11 enhances digital competence to the fifth basic competence in teacher education. The study aims to enhance our understanding of how teacher educators’ develop their digital competence as part of their digital didactics and the research question is: How can students’ feedback in- and after plenary lectures contribute to enhance teacher educator’s digital competence? The empirical analysis shows that the informants, despite thresholds and challenges, find the strategy applied in this project constructive with regards to their professional development within the field of digital competence

Lærerutdannerens digitale kompetanse

This case study focuses on how three teacher educators attempt to enhance their digital competence by participating in the project “Teach As We Preach (TAWP)”. At a policy level in Norway, high priority is given to information and communication technology (ICT) through the new educational reform (Læreplan for Kunnskapsløftet [LK06]). The ICT density is high in school, with one laptop per student considered desirable - a goal that is accomplished in upper secondary school. The main obstacle, however, seems to be the lack of digital competence among both pre-service and in-service teachers. However, the new White Paper No. 11 enhances digital competence to the fifth basic competence in teacher education. The study aims to enhance our understanding of how teacher educators’ develop their digital competence as part of their digital didactics and the research question is: How can students’ feedback in- and after plenary lectures contribute to enhance teacher educator’s digital competence? The empirical analysis shows that the informants, despite thresholds and challenges, find the strategy applied in this project constructive with regards to their professional development within the field of digital competence