A Case Study of Parents' School Choice Strategies in a Finnish Urban Context

Abstract

This article analyses how Finnish parents of sixth graders in a comprehensive school act in the local 'school markets' of the case city. The parents' subject positions as choosers are reflected on and explored in relation to the discourses and resources they use when discussing their school choices. The data were gathered in 2009 by administering a questionnaire (n = 374) and by conducting interviews with 76 of the respondents. The main data used here were thematic interviews, which were analysed using the discoursive approach. The analysis revealed that the parents used three different types of subject positions and discourses when having conversations about their choices and when considering their options. These discourses used were partly overlapping and unexpectedly social, and cultural resources were capitalised on less than previously assumed. Contrary to earlier European research on school choices, most parents in this study were not eager to choose any other school than their allocated local school, because they trusted the quality of Finnish comprehensive schools. The parents' thoughts and actions were notably guided and governed by the local school authorities, according to whom the local school is good enough.

School choice research in five European countries: the circulation of Stephen Ball's concepts and interpretations

“…In her analysis, Seppänen emphasizes both the connection between the educational background of the mother and school choices and the use of choice as a class strategy that produces and reproduces differentiation and inequalities, and introduces the idea of parentocracy, borrowed by Ball from Brown (2000) and later adopted by Rajander (2010). After Seppänen's pioneering work, Seppänen, Rinne, and Sairanen (2012), Poikolainen (2012), Kosunen (2012a) and Koivuhovi (2012) also developed similar perspectives. Bunar (2008Bunar ( , 2009Bunar ( , 2010Bunar ( , 2011 introduced Ball's work to Sweden, focusing mainly on the study of choice as an active process of social reproduction for middle-class parents in urban multicultural contexts.…”

Tomar de empréstimo o sucesso finlandês no PISA? Algumas reflexões críticas, da perspectiva de quem faz este empréstimo

“…At the moment we are seeing many weak signals and incremental changes that are changing the Finnish education system. After the introduction of school choice based on 'teaching with special emphasis', there is a growing diversification in practices of choice in major cities in terms of the socioeconomic background of families (BERNELIUS, 2013, KOSUNEN, 2012POIKOLAINEN, 2012;SEPPÄNEN et al, 2012). In urban areas specifically, parents are actively exercising school choice (VARJO et al, 2014;KOSUNEN, 2014).…”

PISA, TIMSS and Finnish mathematics teaching: an enigma in search of an explanation

“…Students, who not grouped by ability (Antikainen, 2006;Halinen & Järvinen, 2008;Reinikainen, 2012), are taught in small classes in schools typically construed as learning and caring communities (Aho et al, 2006;Sahlberg, 2007). So well regarded is the comprehensive school that despite the right to choose alternatives parents continue to choose their local school (Poikolainen, 2012) and, unlike those in other Nordic countries, remain positive about education policy irrespective of the politics of the party in power (Fladmoe, 2011).…”