One theme of the Department of Early Childhood Education is “Education for All,” meaning that quality education should be provided to children of different gender, ethnicity, abilities, socioeconomic status, and other demographic characteristics. Exactly how such an ideal can be put into practice in the real classroom? Perhaps we could learn from educators from Finland.
The Departmental Research and Developmental Committee (DRDC) invited Dr. Henri Pesonen from the University of Helsinki, Finland, to share his work on how to enhance a sense of belonging among children with special educational needs (SEN). His research indicates that three factors predict increases in senses of belonging among children with SEN:
The seminar represented the Department’s continuous efforts to translate abstract ideas into achievable practices for the community.
