Equity in school‑age‑educare centres: action research on an equal and accessible learning environment in Sundsvall municipality's school‑age‑educare centres

This project ultimately aims to generate knowledge about how changes/improvements in teaching can increase the staff's knowledge of accessible learning environments and students' equal conditions for learning in four selected SAEC in Sundsvall municipality. The project will contribute to the staff in the four SAEC understanding and improving the practice (in issues/development areas) based on a scientific approach. By systematically conducting research work, the staff are given the opportunity to reflect on their actions and learning and pupils' equal conditions for learning, together with researchers, and to continuously document the work throughout the process. There is a lack of research in the specific area of equivalence and accessible learning environments in SAEC, which means that the project will constitute an important knowledge contribution to research. The project runs for two years so that changes over time can be studied and documented.

To achieve the above purpose, the following research questions are asked:
RQ1. How do the staff at the four SAECs perceive and describe the concept of "accessible learning environments" at their own unit?
RQ2. How do the staff plan and teach to improve and make accessible the learning environments at SAEC so that pupils' learning is stimulated?
RQ3. How can teaching be developed in accessible learning environments for equal conditions for pupils' learning?
RQ4. How can staff be supported to increase their competence in accessible learning environments? 
RQ5. What lessons can the four SAEC learn from each other's experiences towards increased equality and accessible learning environments?

The project's goal is for the staff at the four SAEC to gain increased knowledge about accessible learning environments so that the SAECs' teaching is strengthened, which benefits the pupils. Working to achieve equivalence in and between the four SAEC is also a goal. When the SAEC's unique potential for pupils' learning is exploited and maximised, it is an important step towards more equal education, as the SAEC constitutes an important compensatory arena for different pupils' learning. In the long run, it is also a goal that the knowledge from the project will be spread to other SAEC within the municipality. The scientific goal of the project is to generate new and usable knowledge for a field that is in the absence of such.