Quality of School Life of Adolescents in Different Edcuational Systems: East-Asian Model? Nordic Model? Comparative Study Between Korea and Finland

Author(s):

Junghyun Yoon(presenting / submitting)

Conference:

ECER 2014

Network:

21. Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference)

Format:

Paper

Session Information

ERG SES G 09, Education and Quality

Paper Session

Time:

2014-09-02

09:00-10:30

Room:

FPCEUP - 248

Chair:

Sabine Krause

Contribution

Since the OECD has implemented PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) in 2000s, Finland and Korea became well-known as their superior academic achievements and competitive educational systems. However, are Finnish and Korean students, who have maintained top level on PISA for the last decade, happy? How is the students’ quality of school life in these two highly rated nations in education?

According to PISA 2012 student questionnaire, only 60% of Korean and 67% of Finnish adolescents were revealed to feel happy at school (cf. OECD average: 80%). Similarly, only 65% of Korean and 72% of Finnish 15 year-olds appeared to be satisfied with their school life (cf. OECD mean: 77%) (OECD, 2013). Not only PISA 2012 but also several previous studies indicate that Korean students remained in the lowest level on affective domains; these results clearly show serious disparity between their academic achievements and happiness (satisfaction) at school (Kye et al., 2001; Park et al., 2010; Yoon, 2012).

It was also found that Finnish students showed low school satisfaction even though their general happiness and other subjective happiness were high (Park et al., 2010, p.148). In particular, some students seem to have relatively negative perceptions on their relationships with teachers compared to the other Nordic countries (Linnakylä and Malin, 2008; cf. Carlgren et al., 2006; Simola, 2005).

As John Dewey asserted, a school is a social place where students learn and share knowledge and construct experience. It is also a space where students experience their current life as a whole, not the place where they prepare only for the future (Dewey, 1897). In this sense, a school would influence the quality of student’s life significantly as much important as home, therefore students’ school life should be happy, satisfactory and meaningful.

Linnakylä (1996) defined ‘quality of school life (QSL)’ as students’ general well-being and satisfaction from the point of view of their positive and negative experiences, particularly in typical activities of school. In her study, QSL was categorized by six domains: general satisfaction, teacher–student relations, status in the class, identity in class, achievement and opportunity, and negative affect (p. 73).

In Korean research, ‘school life satisfaction’ and ‘school satisfaction’ have been used more commonly than QSL. Hwang (2005) utilized Huebner’s definition of school satisfaction, which refers to cognitive and emotional evaluation on the general satisfaction which students feel about experience during school life (p. 7).

In spite of common factors between Korean and Finnish educational systems such as 9-years’ compulsory education and track system starting at upper secondary level, they are still based on different political and social contexts: majoritarianism and market-based selective welfare vs. proportional representation and democracy universal welfare (Jang & Jeong, 2011). Thus, it would be interesting and meaningful to compare QSL based on different educational systems and social contexts.

Based on this background, this study will compare and analyze quality of school life of Korean and Finnish adolescents. Secondly, it will also identify and illuminate events and/or factors that influence the quality of students’ school life. By doing so, this research aims at suggesting implications on current process of Korean educational innovation related to quality of school life of students, also on Finnish education as well.

The preliminary research questions are as follows.

1. How do Korean and Finnish adolescents (6^th and 8^th graders) experience QSL and how is QSL different according to the two social contexts?

2. What are significant factors influencing QSL and how are the factors related to QSL?

3. What are the implications of QSL on the current process of the Korean educational innovation and Finnish education?

Method

1 Participants Student participants will consist of a sample of N=600 Korean adolescents and N=600 Finnish adolescents who are attending general public schools (N=300 6th and N=300 8th graders per each country). Schools will be chosen among public schools which follow the national core curriculum of each country. Secondly, socioeconomic status of the selected school districts in each country should be similar. It could be one choice to select schools that are located both in a low-income group town and a middle-class town in the capital areas of each country. Based on these criteria, total six lower comprehensive schools and six upper comprehensive schools (three lower comprehensive schools and three upper comprehensive schools in each country) will be selected. 2 Instruments Mixed-methods using both quantitative and qualitative data would elaborate QSL from both students’ and teachers’ perspectives. 2.1 Student questionnaire For this study, the questionnaire constructed by Linnakylä (1996) and modified by Yoon (Yoon, 2012, p. 23) will be chosen. In this study, ‘general satisfaction’ will include positive feelings on school welfare and environment as well as general school satisfaction. Next, ‘teacher-student relations’ will be modified as ‘relations’, which asks how students experience relationships with their teachers and peers, and how they develop democratic relations in their school life. Aspects of democratic relation such as trust, respect and considering other people could be essential to analyze students’ QSL (cf. Sachs, 2012; Jeon, 1996, pp.75-76). Thus, modified categories are as follows: 1) general satisfaction, 2) relations, 3) status and identity in class, 4) achievement and opportunity and 5) negative feelings and physical symptoms. 2.2 Student interview Student interviews will be administered to illustrate and elaborate the quality of school life of students from students’ point of view in depth. Interview questions will be constructed based on the student questionnaire items. For student participants who have difficulty in interviewing in English, support of research assistant teacher can be given to those students. 40 students (20 students per each country) considered by their grade (6th, 8th), gender and academic achievement (high, middle, low) will be selected as student interviewees. 2.3 Teacher interview It will be conducted to attain teachers’ thoughts on the quality of school life of students. 12 teachers (6 teachers per each country) considered by their school level (lower, upper comprehensive), work experience and position will be selected as interviewees.

Expected Outcomes

This study is expected to show a general picture of QSL of Korean and Finnish adolescents by using quantitative data, but also illuminate QSL by using qualitative approach. In addition, by comparing QSL which lies on the two different educational systems, this research will show how QSL is different in the two social contexts, so-called East-Asian model and Nordic model. Second, there could be several factors which are closely related to QSL of students, I am especially interested in joy of learning, school architecture as a study and living space, also various relations at school and democratic aspects in them. Lastly, these findings will be expected to suggest implications on both societies and their education systems for enhancing QSL of students. The topic is closely related to actual application of the research findings such as formulating educational policies and innovating public schooling. I expect that this study would be a messenger between academic education world and the real sites of education such as schools, educational administrative institutions, government and the society. This study is also expected to provide a small step for changing and broadening social interests from academic ability to happiness, well-being and holistic development of Korean students, but also to suggest meaningful implications for Finnish education. Lastly, it is hoped that this study would expand exchange of educational discourses among Korea and Nordic countries.

References

Carlgren, I., Klette, K., Mýrdal S., Schnack, K., & Simola, H. (2006). Changes in Nordic teaching practices: From individualized teaching to the teaching of individuals. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 50 (3). 301-326. Dewey, J. (1897). Naui gyoyuk sinjo (My pedagogic creed). In Lee, H. Minjujuuiwa gyoyuk (Democracy and education). (511-525). Gyoyukgwahaksa: Korea Hwang, Y. (2005). Ilbangye godeunghaksaengui hakgyomanjokdo yeonghwangyoinae gwanhan gujojeok bunseok (Structural analysis of impact factor on the school satisfaction of general high school students). Department of Education, Graduate school, Korea University (Master’s degree thesis). Jang, S., & Jeong, C. (2011). Bokji gukgawa gyoyuk (Welfare state and education). Gyoyuk bipyeong (Edcuational criticism) 30, 10-42. Jeon, S. (1996). Cheongsonyeonui Salmui jirae gwanan gyeonumjeok yeongu (An empirical study on the quality of adolescents). Hanguk Cheongsonyeon yeongu (Korean adolescents research) 25, 63-82. Kye, S., Lee, J., Kim, M., Park, M., & Yoo, E. (2001). Cheongsonyeoneo hakgyosaenghwal siltae mit hakgyosaenghwal manjokdo (A study on the Adolescents’ school life and their level of satisfaction). Korean Journal of Home Education 39(2), 57-72. Linnakylä, P. (1996). Quality of school life in the Finnish comprehensive school: a comparative view. Scandinavian Journal of educational research 40 (1), 69-85. Linnakylä, P., & Malin, A. (2008). Finnish students’ school engagement profiles in the light of PISA 2003. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 52(6), 583-602. OECD (2013), PISA 2012 Results: Ready to learn – students’ engagement, drive and self-beliefs (Volume 3) retrieved 17, December, 2012 from http://www.oecd.org/pisa/keyfindings/pisa-2012-results-volume-iii.htm Park, J., Park, C., Seo, H. & Yeom, Y. (2010). Hanguk Eorini-cheongsonyeon haengbokjisu yeonguwa gukjebigyo (Happiness index research of Korean children and adolescents and its international comparison). Korean Sociology 44(2). 121-154 Sachs, J. (2012). Chapter1: Introduction in World Happiness Report. Sachs, J., Helliwell, J. & Layard, R. (Eds.) Retrieved September 11, 2013 from http://www.earth.columbia.edu/sitefiles/file/Sachs%20Writing/2012/World%20Happiness%20Report.pdf Simola, H. (2005). The Finnish miracle of PISA: historical and sociological remarks on teaching and teacher education. Comparative Education 41(4), 455-470. Yoon, J. (2012). Quality of school life of Korean adolescents focusing on ability-grouping and mixed ability-grouping. Department of Education, University of Turku (Master’s degree thesis).

Author Information

Junghyun Yoon (presenting / submitting)

University of Turku

Department of education

Turku

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