Browsing by Subject "yhteiskuntaluokat"

The school market has become a part of Finnish educational system. Previous research has indicated that the family background affects the operating of families on the school market. Especially high-educated families make school choices in Finland's big cities. The aim of this study was to examine families' school choices, arguments for the school choice and school choice orientations in comparison with parental educational level. The study was conducted when students were transferring to upper stage of comprehensive school. I examined these phenomena at the local level in two municipalities which have different school choice spaces (Espoo and Vantaa). The special interest was to study low-educated families. The research material was a part of the research project Parents and School Choice - Family Strategies, Segregation and School Policies in Chilean and Finnish Basic Schooling (PASC). The data was collected from families whose child was moving to the upper stage of comprehensive school in 2012. The data was analyzed with quantitative methods. School choice was measured in terms of special emphasis, choice of A1- and A2- languages and choice between the nearest school and another school. I also compared Espoo and Vantaa and examined arguments for the school choice. School choice orientations included four sum scores: comprehensive school-, school market-, student background- and future orientation. I examined these orientations with parametric analysis of variance and with nonparametric Mann-Whitney U- and Kruskall-Wallis tests. Low-educated families chose less often special emphasis and also applied less often school place for their child. The language choices and arguments for the school choice varied by the educational level of the families. At the municipality level the differences between different education levels of the families and the school choice existed especially in Espoo, which provides wide variety of school choice possibilities. The school achievements of the child were connected to school choices and the future expectations of the parents. The future expectations indicated in the survey for example the importance families give on school choice in relation to future educational possibilities. The educational background of the family had also an effect on the school choice, the arguments for the school choice and on the school choice orientations.