Perceptions of Belonging and School Climate in Diverse Finnish Secondary Schools

• In Event: School Climate Measurement and Correlates: Findings From Around the Globe

Abstract

The Finnish core curriculum for basic education has a strong emphasis on cultural pluralism and students’ engagement in co-constructing the school community (EDUFI, 2014), however, previous research has highlighted discrimination faced by minoritized students. Herein, we investigate students’ sense of belonging and school climate. The data were collected through group-interviews of 55 students from two lower secondary schools in Finland. The results indicate that related to sense of belonging, students referred to both inclusion and exclusion, and that the school climate was experienced as highly positive but simultaneously chaotic. A strong presence of discrimination and bullying emerged, where students perceived diverse ethnicity as accepted and a marker of inclusion, whereas non-binary gender identity was reported as a reason for exclusion.

Authors

• Jenni Alisaari, Stockholm University

• Keith O'Neill, University of Turku

• Anna Kuusela, University of Turku

• Aleksi Seger, University of Turku

• Anuleena Kimanen, University of Turku

• Svenja Hammer, Norwegian University of Science and Technology

• Kara Mitchell Viesca, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

• Samaneh Khalili, University of Helsinki