Two Steps Toward a Creative School: School Organisation and the Teachers' Role at Eskola Txikiak

Abstract

An educational system should be a true reflection of the changing society in which we live. However, looking at current educational practices, this premise is unfortunately called into question, and an educational metamorphosis toward active, democratic, inclusive and creative pedagogical practices for children is clearly needed. Faced with this challenge, it is essential to reconsider and redesign school organisation and the work of educators. This research is an ethnographic study focused on four schools in the Eskola Txikiak educational network in the Basque Country of Spain, which are organised around pedagogical workshops. Thus, the objectives of this research are as follows: (1) To gain a deeper understanding and delve into the pedagogical keys that underlie this school arrangement based on workshops. (2) To contemplate the role of teachers and their challenges within a system of globalised didactics. Information was collected through 420 h of participant observation sessions, eight focus groups and documentary analysis. After categorising, coding and analysing the information, the results obtained indicate that reshaping the teacher's functions, giving pupils a leading role, as well as structuring and organising spaces and schedules according to their needs, encourages this type of educational change aimed at teaching practices that promote the overall development of the child.