Browsing by Author "Paajanen, Miitta"

There is a growing concern over marginalization of people, which is also present in the current educational discourse. The issue is best tackled at an early age and schools offer a possibility for an early intervention before problems associated with marginalization begin to accumulate. Well-functioning cooperation between the school and home helps support children during difficult turning points in life and promotes healthy social development. Cooperation with homes can also pre-emptively prevent difficulties from piling up and the extended social circle acts as a safety net against current and future adversities. The aim of this study was to inspect different experiences from family class programs and reflect on the experiences from the early support point of view. Family classes are built to support cooperation between home and school and organized to help finding workable solutions to different kind of challenges pupils face. This study maps the experiences that are accomplished from family classes by interviewing different actors from school and guardians, who had partaken in the arrangement. This study was conducted as qualitative research. Four participants, acting in different roles in two different family classes from the year 2020 were interviewed. The interviews were done remotely and recorded. The method used was half-structured theme interviews with identical questions, which varied in the order and form of presentation. The recordings were transcribed, and analysed, and recurring themes were highlighted. Family classes aimed to improve understanding and trust between home and school and mitigate challenges in class and cooperation between home and school. Family classes were described as enhancing the cooperation significantly. The interviewees felt, the boundary between the two instances was lowered. The understanding at home on the methods and values associated with teaching and the multidisciplinary aspect grew and became more concrete. The atmosphere in classes improved, and pupils took more responsibility on their studying. The program enabled families and relatives to see new perspectives on how to work together with the pupil and supported the parents on upbringing. This study provides evidence on how family classes can improve the cooperation between home and school and support the pupils’ development.