Hello everyone! I hope you’re enjoying the summer. I am happy to share that Pedagogy, Culture & Society has recently published an article that I co‑authored with Olena Iamroz. The article is titled “Paradox of inclusion: Inclusion for whom and how? — Newly arrived migrant students’ experiences of social and educational inclusion in the transition to upper secondary education in Norway.” It is part of Olena’s PhD project.

During the fieldwork, Olena collected rich and insightful data, and in this article we examine how newly arrived migrant students experience social and educational inclusion within Norway’s Extended Basic Education Programme, which is designed to prepare and qualify students for upper secondary education. Drawing on the students’ own perspectives, we explore how the programme’s strategies and everyday practices foster inclusive educational and social environments. At the same time, by analysing their experiences and viewpoints, we identify gaps and areas where the programme could be strengthened.

The guiding research questions are as follows:

• How do newly arrived migrant students perceive the composition of students within the preparatory educational programme and in the entire school, and how does this composition influence their experiences of Norwegian language learning and academic inclusion?
• In what ways do newly arrived migrant students experience interactions with students in mainstream classes, and how do these interactions influence their social inclusion and ability to form meaningful social relationships?
• How do newly arrived migrant students express their educational motivations and future aspirations, and how are these influenced by their current placement and perceived opportunities for integration and academic success?

The findings show that after completing the Extended Basic Education Programme, many students express a desire to transfer to other upper secondary schools with more Norwegian‑born peers. They hope that such environments will help them improve their Norwegian, expand their social networks, and feel more integrated. These insights point to the need to re‑evaluate current inclusion policies and programme placement, and to consider models that support broader participation and more meaningful integration within the educational landscape.

The article is published open access.

What I don’t like about the school is that all foreigners are in the same class. I’ve lived here for four years, but I still don’t speak good Norwegian. But if you think about it, if I had spent three years with Norwegians, I would’ve been much better [now]. You practice and listen, for example, in class. In our class, almost everyone speaks Norwegian, but it’s just basic words; there’s no difference. At school, to be integrated, it’s nice to have Norwegian students … they can teach you language and culture.

Student 1

Iamroz, O., & Benediktsson, A. I. (2026). Paradox of inclusion: Inclusion for whom and how? — Newly arrived migrant students’ experiences of social and educational inclusion in the transition to upper secondary education in Norway. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2026.2694456