International Journal of Sociology of Education

Transforming Realities: Contributions to Contemporary Education from Dialogic Learning Principles

Milton Fernando Trujillo-Losada — 2025-10-24

This article analyzes the contributions of CREA (Community of Researchers for Excellence for All) to strengthening teacher education and promoting inclusive, high-quality learning communities through evidence-based educational strategies. Employing a hermeneutic qualitative design, the study reviewed 40 high-impact scientific publications, complemented by focus groups and interviews with teachers across diverse educational levels. Findings, analyzed with NVivo, reveal how dialogic learning—grounded in egalitarian dialogue, solidarity, and active community participation—drives educational transformation by enhancing social cohesion, equity, and academic achievement. Successful cases across Europe and Latin America illustrate the effectiveness of educational actions such as Interactive Groups and Dialogic Literary Gatherings in reducing inequalities, fostering family engagement, and generating sustainable change. This study highlights the pressing need to provide teachers with dialogic and collaborative methodologies that meaningfully link educational research with ethical commitments and the pursuit of social justice. Embedding these practices into educational policies can serve as a realistic path to uphold the right to an education that is both inclusive and equitable in the complex scenarios of the twenty-first century.

It is Very Clear what Improves Educational Results and What Does Not

Ramon Flecha — 2025-10-24

The scientific literature has demonstrated Successful Educational Actions (SEAs) as those that achieve the greatest success in instrumental learning, well-being, and overcoming violence. However, the longitudinal evolution of such actions in a set of schools implementing the same SEAs in one region has not been studied. This research addresses this gap by conducting two comparative analyses in Catalonia: 1) comparing the results in standardized tests from a specific school that has implemented SEAs since 2017 with the results in the same tests in all schools in Catalonia; and 2) comparing the results in standardized tests from schools that implement the same SEAs with the results in the same tests in all schools in Catalonia. Moreover, interviews have been conducted with teachers, family members and students from the specific school. Results indicate this school’s outcomes in mathematics and language have improved in time, exceeding the average in Catalonia despite being a low-SES school with a significant immigration rate. Similar improvements have been observed in the ten schools, but not in Catalonia. Furthermore, qualitative data reveal that the improvements in the specific school’s instrumental areas have coincided with a positive improvement towards achieving zero violence, also as a result of the SEAs.

On the Edge of the Profession: Examining Factors Influencing Teachers' Motivation and Retention in the Profession in Disadvantaged School Environments

Ágnes Hornyák — 2025-10-24

This study explores the sources of teacher motivation, factors supporting long-term professional commitment, and risks contributing to attrition in a primary school in a disadvantaged village in northeastern Hungary. Using a qualitative methodology, eleven semi-structured interviews were thematically analyzed, focusing on motivation, professional dedication, emotional burdens, supportive relationships, and signs of burnout. Findings indicate that teachers are primarily driven by intrinsic and altruistic motivations, including the joy of monitoring student progress, the moral dimension of their work, and feedback from the school community. Protective factors include faculty cohesion, supportive leadership, and student recognition, whereas burnout, lack of parental cooperation, and low social esteem present significant risks. Sustaining teacher motivation and retention requires multi-level interventions: beyond individual awareness, a supportive institutional culture, leadership recognition, and systematic professional and mental health support are essential. The study highlights that teachers in disadvantaged schools are central not only to equalizing student opportunities but also to safeguarding their career persistence, underscoring the need for targeted educational policy interventions such as mentoring, supervision, collaborative professional learning, and broader recognition of teachers’ social mission.

Overcoming Geographical and Social Barriers: Distance Education in Teacher Professional Development in Ecuador as a Response to Socio-educational Inclusion

Laura Terreros — 2025-10-24

This study analyzes how distance learning Teacher Professional Development (TPD) programs are configured as a strategy for socio-educational inclusion in Ecuador, through the experience of a Higher Education offering at the National University of Education (UNAE). The quantitative analysis of the sociodemographic profile of 3,725 teachers without a bachelor's degree reveals that this modality overcomes structural barriers: 84% lived more than 50 km from in-person universities, 39.8% self-identified as Indigenous, and 56.6% were women facing triple work burden. The results demonstrate that distance learning democratizes access in diverse and complex contexts, although challenges such as digital gaps among adults and gender role overload persist. The conclusion is that this modality transforms historical exclusions into opportunities for professionalization through the articulation of socio-educational and inclusive justice.