The atal as an inclusive learning environment

Abstract

The increasing arrival of immigrants in Spain over the last decades has led to the implementation of new educational policies for students of foreign origin. In the region of Andalusia, the creation of the “Temporary Class of Linguistic Acceleration” (“Aula Temporal de Aceleración Lingüística”, ATAL) must be highlighted as it is intended to promote the learning of the official educational language and the integration of foreign students. The work presented in this article is part of a I+D+I project (Ref. CSO2013-43266-R) on the trajectories of these mechanisms. The purpose of the article is twofold: on the one hand, examining the pedagogic variables developed in the ATAL of two public secondary education establishments in the province of Huelva; and, on the other hand, assess the similarities and dissonances between these classes based on an ethnographic study, identifying the conditioning factors with regard to three axes of analysis: physical-functional, temporal and regional. The results point to the recognition of the class as a space for emotional support and personal attention as well as a learning environment. This fact reinforces the need to reflect upon educational models that may constitute a framework for intercultural intervention as producers of inclusion for foreign students in educational establishments