Are Finnish schools equal for all?:Finnish comprehensive school teachers’ perceptions about the role of parental socioeconomic status on a child’s schooling

Abstract. This qualitative master’s thesis explores the perceptions of Finnish comprehensive school teachers about the role of parental socioeconomic status (SES) on a child’s schooling, and teachers’ perceptions about how educational equality is implemented in schools, and teachers’ opportunities to support students of different socioeconomic backgrounds. The thesis is a phenomenographic research and data was collected through an open-ended narrative style online questionnaire. The participants are 36 comprehensive school teachers (grades 1–9) from all over Finland. The theoretical framework of the thesis discusses the role of parental socioeconomic status on a child’s school success and schooling in general. The theory also provides insight into exceptional and protective factors that allow children of low SES to succeed despite these factors. Additionally, the Finnish education system is examined in relation to success in PISA and the comprehensive school as a means for promoting educational equality. Lastly, teachers as agents of social justice is discussed. Three descriptive categories were formed through the phenomenographic analysis; the visibility of parental SES in school, the ways that the school/teacher can support the student, and teachers’ views on the equality of schools. The results indicate that most teachers perceive parental SES to have a role on a child’s schooling, such as learning/readiness for learning and parents’ resources and support, while a few borderline cases indicated that there is no effect at all. According to the teachers, teachers and/or the school can support the child for example through equal and sensitive treatment and being aware of one’s attitudes. Perceptions about the equality of Finnish schools were very divided very equally between schools being equal, schools being partially equal, and schools not being equal.Onko suomalainen koulu tasa-arvoinen kaikille? : peruskoulun opettajien käsityksiä vanhempien sosioekonomisen aseman vaikutuksesta lapsen koulunkäyntiin. Tiivistelmä. Tämä laadullinen pro gradu -tutkielma tarkastelee peruskoulun opettajien käsityksiä vanhempien sosioekonomisen aseman vaikutuksesta lapsen koulunkäyntiin sekä opettajien näkemyksiä koulutuksellisen tasa-arvon toteutumisesta koulussa ja opettajan mahdollisuuksista tukea erilaisista sosioekonomisista taustoista tulevia oppilaita. Tutkimus on toteutettu fenomenografisesti ja empiirinen aineisto on kerätty avoimella kyselylomakkeella. Tutkimuksen osallistujat ovat 36 peruskoulun opettajaa eri puolilta Suomea. Tutkielman teoreettisessa viitekehyksessä käsitellään sosioekonomisen aseman merkitystä lapsen koulussa menestymiselle ja koulunkäynnille. Viitekehyksessä perehdytään eri tapoihin, miten vanhempien sosioekonominen asema voi vaikuttaa lapsen koulumenestykseen, sekä siihen millaiset suojaavat ja poikkeavat tekijät voivat auttaa lasta pärjäämään niistä huolimatta. Lisäksi viitekehyksessä tarkastellaan Suomen koulutusjärjestelmää PISA-menestyksen näkökulmasta sekä suomalaista peruskoulua tasa-arvoisuuden ja oikeudenmukaisuuden edistäjänä. Lopuksi pohditaan, miten opettaja voisi edistää sosiaalisen oikeudenmukaisuuden toteutumista koulussa ja yhteiskunnassa. Aineiston analyysin kautta muodostettiin kolme kuvauskategoriaa: vanhempien sosioekonomisen aseman näkyvyys koulussa, koulun ja opettajan oppilaalle tarjoama tuki sekä näkemykset koulutuksellisesta tasa-arvosta. Tulosten mukaan suurin osa tutkimukseen osallistuneista opettajista näkee vanhempien sosioekonomisen aseman vaikuttavan jollain tapaa lapsen koulunkäyntiin, kuten oppimiseen/oppimisvalmiuksiin ja vanhempien resursseihin ja tukeen. Opettajien käsitysten mukaan opettajat ja/tai koulu voivat tukea oppilasta esimerkiksi tasa-arvoisella ja sensitiivisellä kohtelulla ja tiedostamalla omat asenteensa. Opettajien käsitykset suomalaisen peruskoulun tasa-arvoisuudesta jakaantuivat tasaisesti kolmeen eri kategoriaan: koulu on tasa-arvoinen, koulu on osittain tasa-arvoinen ja koulu ei ole tasa-arvoinen

The role of parents’ socioeconomic status on a child’s school achievement

This bachelor’s thesis is a literature review of the current research regarding the role of parents’ socioeconomic status on their child’s school achievement. The aim of the research is to provide insight into which factors affect the role of parents’ socioeconomic status (SES) on their child’s school achievement and how significant this role may be. This thesis has one research question, which is: What role does the socioeconomic status of parents have on their child’s school achievement? The factors related to the socioeconomic status of parents and the school achievement of the child this thesis deals with are the resources the parents can allocate to their children, the development of a child’s personality through SES, the genetics passed down via SES, the involvement of the parents in their child’s education, the educational background of the parents, the cultural and social capital of the parents, and finally protective factors that the child may have. These aspects are all based on what current research defines as the most significant factors. Special emphasis is placed on role of the educational background of parents, as it is seen to be one of the most significant determinants of one’s socioeconomic status and the parental involvement, as it has been extensively researched. This topic is important from both a societal and educational perspective. The aim of this thesis is to educate its readers, especially teachers and educators, about the impact of this topic on students and, by increasing understanding of the topic, to alleviate its effect on increasing inequality and social reproduction. The educational attainment of a child is an important determinant of a child’s future prospects and opportunities and it is important for educators to be aware of the multiple ways in which it affects the school achievement of a child