Browsing by Author "Pulli, Annuliina"

With the reform of upper secondary education launched in 2017, the main goals of upper secondary education are to promote students' well-being and support students' studies. Special education in upper secondary schools is now a mandatory requirement and must be provided to students who need support, regardless of the reasons for their need. The latest national curriculum highlights the importance of considering the psycho-physical and social aspects of students alongside their education. The purpose of this study is therefore to review the well-being of high school students from a social support perspective. The study will explore the forms of social support in the lives of high school students and the role of social support in the well-being of young people. The study is a qualitative study, with data collected through interviews with six high school students. The data collection method used was a semi-structured theme interview. In particular, the voice of the high school students is heard: they were able to share their views and thoughts on social support. The data was analyzed using content analysis methods. The results of the study show that the social support received by upper secondary school students consists of emotional support, well-being support, informative support and sup-port for learning and studying. Emotional support emphasizes mercy and understanding of other people, compassion, and peer support. Well-being support is divided into support for coping, financial support, and support for social relationships. Information for students, constructive feedback and parental knowledge form the category of informative support. Support for learning and study includes both study skills and support for schoolwork. The results of the study show that social support is an important factor in the well-being of upper secondary school students: it contributes to mental well-being, physical well-being, and school well-being.