Participation of families, tutorial action and guidance from a social justice approach

Abstract

Participation or representation constitutes one of the fundamental dimensions that make up, together with redistribution and recognition, the concept of social justice, whose meaning has expanded during the last decades thanks to multiple theoretical contributions. Within the framework of our research, we have analyzed the patterns of collaboration and participation of families in schools, as well as the tutorial action and educational guidance, understanding that both aspects can contribute positively to an improvement of said participation and the achievement of social justice in education. It is particularly interesting to study in depth the critical analysis of teachers' discourse, as an indirect way of researching educational praxis, as well as the variations and divergences that appear between the normative and the factual. The basic objective of this work is to identify whether social justice, from the participatory dimension, is present in the educational practice and discourse of professionals. Methodologically, it is based on a qualitative approach that uses Grounded Theory as an analysis tool. Data has been collected from a sample of teachers and counselors, using in-depth interviews. The results show that participation does not take place meaningfully, but merely in a formal way, evidencing the gaps in the field studied. The conclusions suggest the need for greater involvement of teachers in the field of tutorial action, developing more participatory and inclusive techniques and dynamics. Some lines of action are suggested, in which teachers and educational counselors can play an essential role in improving current conditions.