Laskevat oppimistulokset : Oppilaiden näkemyksiä laskun syistä ja ratkaisuista

Student hearing was organized by the EDUCA-flagship in a project Student hearing about declining learning outcomes that was funded by the Finnish National Agency for Education. Student hearing is a central part of the assignment given to the Ministry of Education and Culture’s working group on learning outcomes. The aim was to explore what kinds of reasons students perceive as underlying declining learning outcomes and what kinds of solutions they consider key to reversing this trend. The aim was also to strengthen young people’s participation and bring their ideas into public discussion and at the decision-making level. The student hearing was organized as workshops for students in the 9th grade of basic education. The workshops for the student hearing were organized in four cities: Rovaniemi, Tampere, Espoo and Lappeenranta. Four classrooms participated in the hearing, three of which were general education classrooms and one special education classroom. Independent and small-group activities were flexibly applied to enable students to participate in diverse ways. Students participated eagerly, and the workshops strongly conveyed the sense that young people want to influence matters related to their everyday lives and future. Students’ views on the reasons behind declining learning outcomes and on possible solutions were diverse. In their experience, learning basic skills is associated with many factors. Based on the student hearing, the following observations were made: 1) Learning outcomes and students’ holistic well-being must be understood as interrelated; 2) solutions must take into account basic psychological needs – meaningful and safe social relationships, support in developing basic skills and attending school, as well as opportunities for making choices and taking action, which foster motivation and experiences of social inclusion; 3) solutions cannot be limited to individual actions or to a single level only; 4) “one-size-fits-all” solutions are not enough, and tackling segregation is essential – according to students, segregation can be seen, for example, in students’ competences and well-being, the support they receive, available resources, as well as in the space and opportunities for future-oriented dreaming. Listening to students’ voices and considering their perspectives is essential because we can only build a better future – in terms of learning and well-being closely related to it – together with children and young people. Students are experts in their own learning and everyday lives – it is important that their valuable perspectives reach those working in education and are also taken into account in decision-making.