Browsing by Subject "erityisen tuen opiskelijat"

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to find out the experiences of sense of belonging and participation of students with special needs in vocational education. I aim to increase understanding of the experiences of sense of belonging and participation of students with special needs with the research questions about how students with special needs feel they participate in their own studies, to the student community and in their educational institution in vocational education. There is not much previous research on sense of belonging and participation of special needs students in vocational education and it is partly contradictory. According to it, students with special needs are seen as a vulnerable group, even though they may have stronger experiences of inclusion than other students, e.g., influencing in student activities. The data of the research was gathered using thematic interviews. The interviewees studied vocational upper secondary qualification at a large vocational school operating in the capital region, and they had a special needs decision. Three of the interviewees were 18–19 years old and three were 25–34 years old. The interviews were recorded, the data was transcribed and analyzed using content analysis. Students' sense of belonging and participation in their own studies was divided into three dimensions; my study path is my own, go with the flow and others are deciding my study path. Students' participation in the student community was divided into four dimensions; I belong to my institution, I belong to groups, I do not belong to groups, and things do not always go as planned. Students' participation in the educational institution was divided into three dimensions; well-being and participation, varying opportunities to influence and the actions of staff affect sense of belonging and participation. Students’ special needs did not appear as a defining feature of the students' sense of belonging and participation, and the students' strengths and challenges influenced perceptions of it. The experiences of sense of belonging and participation differed in some areas with the younger and older age groups. The results of the study were in line with previous research, but some deviations were found. However, the work raised additional questions that were not resolved with the help of the data and sources used.