| dc.description.abstract | Each year, many immigrant children join the Norwegian society, and among them, there is a considerable number of children in need of special support due to disability, language barriers, or learning difficulties. However, the social and educational experiences of those children need further investigation. Therefore, the primary aim of this thesis is to explore, through conducting a qualitative study, the social and educational experiences (i.e challenges, motives) of Syrian children who are living in Norway and in need of special support. The thesis applies an understanding of children’s life stories following a qualitative approach, by implementing, interviews, observational and participatory methods. The overall goal is to investigate the motivations that aid in the development of a sense of belonging to a new culture and, adjustment to the educational system. By using children's voices as a guiding source of data, we can bridge the gap between children's lived experiences, parents' knowledge, and inclusive policies. The children's own perspectives and voices regarding their social experiences in terms of the sense of belonging; and educational experiences in terms of interventions, difficulties, and motivations, were examined through qualitative participatory research with Syrian children aged 10 to 18 in need of special assistance. Furthermore, the perspectives of children’s parents were further investigated by conducting semi-structured interviews. The thematic analysis approach was followed to analyze the data. Overall, children are having positive experiences at school but poor social life. Findings indicate that Syrian children and their families in Norway have varied emotions about their quality of life. The origins of these conflicting feelings appear to be related to language barriers, contradictory cultural traditions, a lack of understanding of how to accept and comprehend the Norwegian child welfare system, and a lack of transparency about some of the issues they experience owing to a fear of being misunderstood by the child protection services in Norway. The main contribution of this thesis is that it combines children's and parents' views in an attempt to get a thorough insight into children’s lives. It advocates for a greater understanding of how various institutional and cultural factors impact the lives of immigrant children in Norway, and it calls for open and transparent collaboration among children, parents, and stakeholders. | |
