Security, structure and learner variability: core determinants of teaching processes in correctional education

Miklósi, Márta (2026) Security, structure and learner variability: core determinants of teaching processes in correctional education. EDUCATION AND NEW DEVELOPMENTS, 1. pp. 792-796. ISSN 2184-044X

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Abstract

Teaching in correctional institutions takes place in both an educational and a criminal justice environment. In correctional institutions, security dictates the daily schedule, making the situation more difficult for teachers, who face serious challenges due to the closed institutional environment and the specific characteristics of the target group (Malvaso, Day & Boyd, 2024). The diverse psychosocial and learning needs of students in correctional institutions require a pedagogical approach that differs from the strategies used in traditional schools (Flores & Barahona López, 2021; Gagnon et al., 2025). In my research, during autumn of 2025, I asked teachers and educators at four juvenile detention centers in Hungary (Budapest, Rákospalota, Aszód, Debrecen) using semi-structured interviews. I conducted 32 interviews with teachers and analyzed them using Atlas.ti software. In this presentation, I will present the main findings of the interviews, focusing on the differences compared to traditional teaching in a regular school. The interviewees' responses can be divided into four main groups: teachers expressed their opinions on the differences in the teaching process, the closed environment, the curriculum, and the characteristics of the target group. According to the interviewees, teaching in correctional institutions is fundamentally determined by a closed, strict set of rules and the primacy of security protocols. Security regulations limit the range of pedagogical tools available and the organization of student interactions and often interrupt the continuity of teaching. The results of the interviews coincide with the findings of the literature regarding the focus of correctional education. The interviewees confirm that education is often more important than teaching itself, that the nature of teachers' administrative and organizational tasks differs from that in traditional schools, and that the work of teachers in correctional institutions is primarily determined by safety regulations, which overshadow a significant part of the usual school administration. According to teachers, the level of the curriculum in reformatory education must be lowered due to the significant knowledge and skill deficits of the students, as young people who end up in reformatories have serious knowledge gaps. The extremely heterogeneous composition of the students also poses a serious challenge, as young people arrive with different levels of prior schooling, resulting in complex educational needs. Based on the results of interviews with teachers, I will present how teaching in a correctional facility differs from teaching at other schools and what pedagogical strategies can be successful in this environment.

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