In this conference presentation, I will share the main findings and conclusions of my doctoral thesis examining how Finnish schools respond to increasing linguistic and cultural diversity. The study focuses on two lower secondary schools in culturally and linguistically diverse urban settings and on ninth-grade students making their post-comprehensive educational choices, as well as on the adults teaching and guiding them. The linguistic landscape of these schools, and of Finnish society as a whole, is becoming more diverse. This diversity affects the everyday language policies, practices, and pedagogy of these schools in many ways. This research aims to understand how social justice in education can be strengthened in a changing social context. 

From an equity perspective, fostering inclusion among marginalized students is central to education. In Finland, as in many other European countries, migration over the past few decades has made schools more diverse. Nevertheless, ethnic educational inequalities remain significant, and students from non-Finnish backgrounds often report a weaker sense of belonging at school.   

This research lies at the intersection of the sociology of education, language education, and youth studies. It utilizes Pierre Bourdieu's class theory concepts to analyze educational inequality. Symbolic violence, one of Bourdieu's concepts, is a particularly important tool in this study and is used to understand normative whiteness in schools. Examining school culture from the perspective of linguistic responsiveness was guided by Lev Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, specifically the concepts of linguistically responsive pedagogy (Lucas & Villegas, 2011) and, more specifically, culturally responsive school leadership (Khalifa, Gooden, & Davis, 2016). This study illuminates its subject from three angles: the operating culture and leadership of the school, the educational choices of the students, and the multilingual tutors who act as brokers between families and the school.  

The study's results have been reported in three research articles. 

The ethnographic research data was produced during the school year of 2022–2023 at two comprehensive schools in the Helsinki metropolitan area. The data consists of field notes from a total of 59 school days and ethnographic interviews. A total of 27 interviews were conducted with teachers, principals, study counselors, and multilingual tutors. Students were interviewed on three different occasions: twice during ninth grade, and some of them also after starting their upper secondary education. A total of 17 students participated in the study.

This thesis examines how linguistic and cultural diversity is negotiated in Finnish schools and how school practices shape students’ educational paths and sense of belonging. The first study showed that girls racialized as non-Finnish negotiated their position as ideal learners within middle-class educational norms. Academic achievement alone did not determine their educational choices; instead, the need for a safe and supportive school environment often guided their selection of upper secondary education and influenced their future trajectories. The second study highlighted the central role of school leadership in fostering linguistically and culturally responsive school cultures. Principals’ consistent and committed efforts to develop inclusive learning environments increased teachers’ job satisfaction and strengthened their ability to work in ways aligned with their professional values. The third study focused on multilingual tutors who support interaction between schools and families, assist linguistically and culturally diverse students, and advocate for ethnically marginalized students. The study explored how tutors perceive their roles in everyday school life and identified challenges in bridging linguistic, cultural, and institutional gaps. Overall, the findings show that sensitivity to diversity varies widely between schools and educators. The normalization of white, Finnish-speaking Finnishness shapes students’ everyday experiences and limits the futures that young people with non-Finnish backgrounds can imagine for themselves. Through forms of symbolic violence, access to educational and social resources is restricted even for talented and ambitious students. Actively broadening definitions of the “ordinary” student and developing linguistically and culturally inclusive practices can reduce inequality and strengthen students’ sense of belonging. School principals and staff play a crucial role in shaping inclusive school cultures, and integrating staff from diverse backgrounds is essential for supporting language learning and strengthening home–school relationships.

Bourdieu, P., & Passeron, J. C. 1977. Reproduction in Education, Society and Culture. Sage Publications. Bourdieu & Passeron Khalifa MA, Gooden MA, Davis JE. 2016. Culturally responsive school leadership: A synthesis of the literature. Review of Educational Research, 86(4), 1272–1311. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654316630383 Lucas T, Villegas AM. 2011. A framework for preparing linguistically responsive teachers. In Teacher preparation for linguistically diverse classrooms: A resource for teacher educators. Routledge. Vygotsky LS. 1978. Mind in society: Development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvjf9vz4