Browsing by Subject "demokratiakasvatus"

Student boards aim to increase children’s participation and develop democratic competencies needed for active citizenship. However, not much research has been done on young children’s experiences on this topic. Previous studies suggest that use of representative democracy structures within school context provide students elected to the board with a space to practice e.g. negotiation skills. This qualitative case study aims to investigate the experiences of children elected to the student board government, focusing on the agency and participation narratives produced by the children, and instances of democratic competency. Research material was collected via questionnaire consisting of five open questions and a multiple choice section to examine the reliability of the answers. The study was partaken by nine students from a school actively developing their student board. All students were 4th or 5th graders elected to the student board either during the semester in which material was collected or the previous year. The material was analyzed and themed by qualitative content analysis. Themes were studied in the light of participation and growing into active citizenship discourses found from previous research. The children perceived the student board as a space where they have permission to speak out about school matters, be heard and partake in collective decision making. They viewed social skills and the ability and courage to express opinions and ideas as cardinal strengths and competencies. These skills are both needed and learned while being a member of the student board. The school democracy practiced by the student board appeared as a cooperative negotiation typical to deliberative democracy with the goal to advance common good. On the other hand, the student board appeared as a separate space from everyday school life the other students aren’t very interested in. Thus, social participation in the school community might not fully come true, and the agency in the context of the student board might not intertwine with other areas of life despite the skill-developing experiences it offers.