The aim of the present study is to investigate the perception of Freinet’s pedagogy in Greece over the past decade. Specifically, it focuses on the multiple factors and parameters influencing this educational initiative, the specific characteristics of the Greek institutional framework, its limitations and possibilities. Additionally, it centres around the practical applications of Freinet’ s pedagogy in school classrooms in the way these emerge through the work of educational group “Skasiarhio” and through the interviews with eight teachers utilising Freinet’ s pedagogy.
The present study is not limited to educational characteristics and purely pedagogical approaches, but employs Foucault and Bernstein’s sociological and theoretical tools, which serve as the interpretive prism of the research. Specifically, Foucault’s work is utilised in order to analyse authority and discipline issues, as well as Bernstein’s theory of educational codes.
The sample of the study comprises eight active teachers of public schools in Athens, who participate in the educational group “Skasiarhio” and apply Freinet’s principles and techniques. Semi-structured interviews and qualitative analysis of data were used. Participatory observation within “Skasiarhio” group at the same time helped to create a better interpretive framework.
Data analysis is divided in four parts focusing on the recontextualization of Freinet’s pedagogy within the modern Greek educational and sociological framework, the techniques followed by teachers and the way these techniques are differentiated or not from traditional techniques, the structure and quality of relationships created between participants in the educational process and, finally, sociological and political characteristics of Freinet’s pedagogy.
In sum, the conclusions from the study point to the fact that in Freinet classrooms, as these are described by research subjects, appears to happen a change in authority and power structures as the roles of teachers and students take characteristics different to the traditional ones. The equal and active participation of everyone in decisions, the cooperation, the flexible framework of the educational process contribute to Subject formation with terms different to the traditional ones. However, Freinet’ s pedagogy seems to have adjusted in the modern Greek circumstances in order to successfully deal with the particular- and very different compared to Freinet’ s time-socio-political conditions. Additionally, a combination of Freinet’s pedagogy with traditional teaching is observed, as elements from one approach coexist and transform with elements from the other. Finally, research subjects’ socio-political goal seems to be clear and aiming to social change, especially during asocially and politically tense era as the one we are currently in.