Browsing by Author "Räty, Virpi"

The subject of this study is flexible basic education, also known by the acronym JOPO®. Purpose is this study is to explain methods, principles and impacts of JOPO®. This study tries also find out differences between KUUMA-municipalities and how original JOPO® venture is currently used in each area. Included are insights from employees of JOPO® classes, school principals and high-level officials in education, on the future of JOPO® classes and how JOPO® fit into the new curricu-lum. The study was conducted in seven of the ten KUUMA-municipalities that surround the Greater Hel-sinki area. A total of nine pairs of JOPO® employees were interviewed for the study. The study also includes an email questionnaire that was answered by three principals of JOPO® schools and four high level officials in education. Research material was based to qualitative method which means that both theory and structured practice was in scope. The operation of the JOPO® classes in the KUUMA-municipalities did not differ remarkable from the original JOPO® venture, started more than ten years ago. The largest differences in operation be-tween the municipalities studied were whether eighth-graders were chosen as well as ninth-graders, what kind of educational background the teacher’s working partner had and how many opportunities the schools had to take advantage of learning environments outside the school itself. Differences between classes appear in general teaching practices, the participation level of the teachers and the amount of on-the-job learning. The most common outcome was that there should be more JOPO® classes, as well as flexible basic education should begin at the eighth-grade level in all the KUUMA-municipalities. The interviews re-vealed that the JOPO® classes had been ahead of their time in being in alignment with the new cur-riculum. The principals and the education officials also agreed that the new curriculum does not bring changes to the operation of the JOPO® classes. The people interviewed in the study explained that the JOPO® classes of the KUUMA-municipalities played a major role in enabling students to achieve graduation and move onto the secondary educa-tion stage. The importance of the system was especially well explained by one interviewee: “There has never been such a student who did not benefit from attending a JOPO® class.”