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Diversity and Urban Schools. Professor Kirsi Tirri University of Helsinki FINLAND. Presentation. Comenius Project Religious and Cultural Sensitivity Ethical Sensitivity Emotional Intelligence Co-operation between school and church. Comenius Project.
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Diversity and Urban Schools Professor Kirsi Tirri University of Helsinki FINLAND
Presentation Comenius Project Religious and Cultural Sensitivity Ethical Sensitivity Emotional Intelligence Co-operation between school and church
Comenius Project • ”Leading Schools Successfully in Challenging Urban Contexts: Strategies for Improvement” • An innovative, Europe wide three-year project • A nine-country partnership (The United Kingdom (coordinator), Ireland, The Netherlands, Greece, Spain, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and Finland) between higher education institutions and thirty-six schools in disadvantaged urban contexts • Research schools must be located in challenging urban contexts; four schools from every project country • Aims of the project: • To identify strategies to improve school leadership in primary and secondary schools in disadvantaged urban communities Educating through Diversity in Europe
The Finnish Educational System • A central objective: to provide all citizens equal opportunities to receive education irrespective of age, domicile, economic situation, sex or mother tongue • Education is a fundamental right of all citizens • System: comprehensive school, post-compulsory general and vocational education, higher education and adult education • General education is free of charge for entire age groups, neither admission nor requirements • Almost all chidren in Finland complete the nine-year comprehensive school, interruption is rare Educating through Diversity in Europe
Problems of Schooling in Urban Context • Transformation in the social context of urban education in Finland – major features: • The percentage of pupils living with two biological parents has decreased • The percentage of children from other cultural backgrounds has increased • Student background: the relationship between social factors and the educational access and outcomes • Diversity: minority students are an increasing share of the school age population during the coming decades • Differences in schools: in and between schools • The role of school: pupils’ general learning capabilities; school management Educating through Diversity in Europe
Data and methods • 4 urban primary schools and 4 urban secondary schools from two cities in Finland • Sucessful and experienced principals • Quantitative methods • Cultural, spiritual and ethical sensitivity of the students and teachers. The teachers of the schools (N=124) evaluated their principals’ emotional leadership with an Emotional Leadership Questionnaire (ELQ) that operationalizes four domains of EI with 51 items (Goleman, Boyazis & McKee, 2002; Nokelainen & Ruohotie, 2005). Educating through Diversity in Europe
Data and methods • Qualitative methods • Qualitative interviews have been narrative case studies, in which the principals (N=4), parents (N=8), teachers (N=8) and students (N=8) of each school have reflected the characteristics of their principal, the ethos of their school and the reasons for their success Educating through Diversity in Europe
Research Schools and Case Examples • Primary School: Meri-Rastila • In the capital area of Helsinki; about 300 pupils and 20 teachers • Case example: • Challenge: multicultural families • Project: supporting immigrant mothers • Primary School: Keltinmäki • In Jyväskylä, about 300 km to the north from Helsinki; about 400 pupils and 27 teachers • Case example: • Challenge: students with learning difficulties • Project: integration with the help from school assistants Educating through Diversity in Europe
Research Schools and Case Examples • Secondary School: Helsingin normaalilyseo • In the city centre of Helsinki; about 300 pupils (total 546 pupils with the upper secondary school) and 70 teachers • Case example: • Challenge: differences between rich and poor • Project: peer mediation • Secondary School: Huhtaharju • In Jyväskylä; about 400 pupils and 41 teachers • Case example: • Challenge: students with special needs • Project: pupils with personal curriculum Educating through Diversity in Europe
USIS homepage • All the following presentations are available after the conference at • http://www.helsinki.fi/teol/ktel/tutkimus/usis Educating through Diversity in Europe