Project Details
Description (abstract)
Finland is becoming increasingly diverse in terms of language, culture and ethnicity. In recent years many societal entities have wanted to make children and young people more knowledgeable of diversity based
on various cultural or individual factors. Walter ry is one operator in this field. The core ideology of this association is to increase interaction between cultures and to influence people’s value systems and thereby enhance respect and feelings of empathy and responsibility for others. This report concerns the key findings
of a study conducted in the spring on Walter ry’s Kytke project. The report is roughly divided into two sections; the first describes the Kytke project as a whole, and the second looks at the workshop activity under the scope of the project through questionnaire, observation and interview data collected in schools in the spring of 2015. The main focus of the report is on the latter section dealing with workshops. The data for the report was collected in the spring of 2015 and analyses and reporting of the data were conducted in autumn 2015.
Questionnaires intended for students and teachers contained statements and questions related to the general themes of the workshop and questions directed at the workshop activity itself. These are reported in the form of descriptive key figures and graphs. Additionally the questionnaires are used to analyze any change that occurred in how students who participated in workshop activity (N = 179) in the spring of 2015 understood concepts. The report also looked at possible respective differences in the understanding of
concepts by students who participated (N = 739) and did not participate (N = 628) in workshop activity between
years 2013 and 2015.
Researchers of the Centre for Educational Assessment visited five schools where Kytke workshops had been
held in spring 2015. During the visits, observational notes were recorded and youth who participated in workshops were interviewed in four of the schools visited. Observations of workshop activity and student group interviews (24 groups , N = 110) were carried out by four researchers. The structure of the interviews was built on themes which researchers found to be the key themes in the workshops: workshop, prejudices,
diversity and its acceptance, and discrimination. The report of the Kytke project has produced information on the appropriateness of Walter ry’s activity in relation to the goal given for the activity. The general interpretation is that the Kytke workshops, which are at the core of this report, are seen in our study as meaningful activity, and this view is conveyed through
student and teacher questionnaires as well as student interviews. The questionnaires show that the students’ self-reported understanding of concepts developed as a result of participation in the workshop activity. Furthermore participants in workshop activity felt they understood the concepts covered in the workshops better than students who did not participate in the workshops. The interviews revealed the fertile manner in which youth understand and process the themes of the workshop. In particular, the reflections by young people on the differences and similarities between people and discrimination highlighted the
diversity of the themes. The questionnaire and interviews indicate that the Kytke workshop activity, and increased tolerance of individual differences by young people, are perceived as important and necessary discussion topics among students as well as teachers. In summary, the workshop activity of Walter ry meets the objectives set for it, and there is a continued need for the workshop activity in question.
(The original language of the report is Finnish. Hakso Consulting is responsible for the accuracy of the translation. )
on various cultural or individual factors. Walter ry is one operator in this field. The core ideology of this association is to increase interaction between cultures and to influence people’s value systems and thereby enhance respect and feelings of empathy and responsibility for others. This report concerns the key findings
of a study conducted in the spring on Walter ry’s Kytke project. The report is roughly divided into two sections; the first describes the Kytke project as a whole, and the second looks at the workshop activity under the scope of the project through questionnaire, observation and interview data collected in schools in the spring of 2015. The main focus of the report is on the latter section dealing with workshops. The data for the report was collected in the spring of 2015 and analyses and reporting of the data were conducted in autumn 2015.
Questionnaires intended for students and teachers contained statements and questions related to the general themes of the workshop and questions directed at the workshop activity itself. These are reported in the form of descriptive key figures and graphs. Additionally the questionnaires are used to analyze any change that occurred in how students who participated in workshop activity (N = 179) in the spring of 2015 understood concepts. The report also looked at possible respective differences in the understanding of
concepts by students who participated (N = 739) and did not participate (N = 628) in workshop activity between
years 2013 and 2015.
Researchers of the Centre for Educational Assessment visited five schools where Kytke workshops had been
held in spring 2015. During the visits, observational notes were recorded and youth who participated in workshops were interviewed in four of the schools visited. Observations of workshop activity and student group interviews (24 groups , N = 110) were carried out by four researchers. The structure of the interviews was built on themes which researchers found to be the key themes in the workshops: workshop, prejudices,
diversity and its acceptance, and discrimination. The report of the Kytke project has produced information on the appropriateness of Walter ry’s activity in relation to the goal given for the activity. The general interpretation is that the Kytke workshops, which are at the core of this report, are seen in our study as meaningful activity, and this view is conveyed through
student and teacher questionnaires as well as student interviews. The questionnaires show that the students’ self-reported understanding of concepts developed as a result of participation in the workshop activity. Furthermore participants in workshop activity felt they understood the concepts covered in the workshops better than students who did not participate in the workshops. The interviews revealed the fertile manner in which youth understand and process the themes of the workshop. In particular, the reflections by young people on the differences and similarities between people and discrimination highlighted the
diversity of the themes. The questionnaire and interviews indicate that the Kytke workshop activity, and increased tolerance of individual differences by young people, are perceived as important and necessary discussion topics among students as well as teachers. In summary, the workshop activity of Walter ry meets the objectives set for it, and there is a continued need for the workshop activity in question.
(The original language of the report is Finnish. Hakso Consulting is responsible for the accuracy of the translation. )
| Status | Finished |
|---|---|
| Effective start/end date | 02/02/2015 → 16/10/2015 |