School as a source of child subjective well-being in the framework of children’s rights: perspectives of children and young adults
Date
2023-05-03
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Abstract
Eesti ühines ÜRO lapse õiguste konventsiooniga 1991. aastal, võttes riigina kohustuse kooskõlastada seadused konventsioonis sõnastatud õigustega ja arendada lapse heaolu tagavaid meetmeid. Laste subjektiivse heaolu uuringud on suhteliselt uus teadmusvaldkond, kus laste heaolu käsitletakse lapse õiguste konventsiooni normatiivses raamistikus. Käesolev doktoritöö keskendub laste subjektiivsele heaolule koolis kui laste jaoks olulisele eluvaldkonnale. Uurimuse empiiriliseks aluseks on 8-aastaste laste hinnangud rahvusvahelises laste subjektiivse heaolu uuringus ISCWeB, 12-aastaste laste fookusgrupiintervjuud ja noorte täiskasvanute tagasivaatelised arvamused oma koolielust. Uurimuse teoreetiliseks lähtekohaks on lapsepõlvesotsioloogiline suund sotsioloogias, mille kohaselt laps on aktiivne sotsiaalne tegutseja, kellel on oma vanusele vastav kompetentsus ja usaldusväärsus arvamustes ning hinnangutes. Doktoriuurimuse eesmärgiks oli välja selgitada laste subjektiivset heaolu suurendavad ja kahandavad aspektid lapse õiguste täidetuste raamistikus.
Uurimusest selgusid järgmised olulised tulemused:
1. Heaolu on subjektiivselt kõrgem nendel lastel, kelle õigused on paremini täidetud. Selgus, et juba 8-aastased, kes tundsid end kodus ja koolis hoolituna, austatuna ning turvaliselt, olid kõrgema subjektiivse heaolu hinnanguga kui need lapsed, kes end nii ei tundnud.
2. Eesti lapsed on küll tublid PISA testi sooritajad, kuid maade võrdluses ühed kriitilisemad koolikeskkonna suhtes. Teiste riikidega võrreldes langeb Eesti laste koolimeeldivus vanusega enam. Doktoritööst ilmnes, et Eesti koolis jääb vajaka laste arvamusega arvestamise ning koolieluga seotud otsustusprotsessidesse kaasamise praktikast. Suur õppetöökoormus ning akadeemilise edukuse ootus paneb lapsi tundma end „õpimasinana“ ja kahandab nende koolirõõmu.
3. Probleemid seoses kooliga on ajas püsivad, st uurimuses selgusid praeguste ja endiste kooliõpilaste vastustes sarnased jooned. Näiteks koolikiusamine ja vähene abi sel puhul, samuti autoritaarne ja ebaõiglane kohtlemine kahandasid laste ja noorte täiskasvanute (tagasivaatelistes) hinnangutes nende eneseväärikust, õpimotivatsiooni ja kuuluvustunnet koolis.
Kokkuvõtvalt näitas doktoritöö, et laste heaolu on tagatud ja nende akadeemiline areng toimub paremini sõbralikus, toetavas ja kaasavas koolikeskkonnas. See aga eeldab täiskasvanutelt/õpetajatelt suuremat laste õiguste teadvustamist ja nendega arvestamist.
Estonia joined the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991, taking the obligation to bring legislation into line with the convention and to develop measures to ensure children’s rights and well-being. Research on children’s subjective well-being is a relatively new field of knowledge where children’s well-being is considered within the normative framework of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This doctoral thesis focuses on the subjective well-being of children at school as an important setting in the children’s lives. The empirical data of the dissertation is based on the evaluations of 8-year-old children from the International Survey of Children Well-Being (ISCWeB), focus group interviews with 12-year-olds, and retrospective narratives of young adults about their school life. The theoretical starting point of the thesis relies on the approach of childhood sociology, according to which a child is an active social actor with age-appropriate competence and reliability in opinions and assessments. The aim of the doctoral study was to find out the aspects that increase and decrease the subjective well-being of children in the framework of the fulfilment of children’s rights. The findings of the dissertation revealed: 1. Well-being is subjectively higher for those children whose rights are better fulfilled. It turned out that even for 8-year-olds, those who felt cared for, respected and safe at home and school had higher subjective well-being ratings than those who did not feel that way. 2. Children in Estonia score well in the PISA tests, but compared to other countries, they are among the most critical of the school environment. They distinguish from children from many other countries by a sharp decline in school liking with age. This doctoral thesis showed that considering children’s opinions and involving them in school-related decision-making processes is not common practice in Estonian schools. A heavy workload and the expectation of academic success make children feel like “learning machines” and reduce their enjoyment of school. 3. Problems related to school are persistent over time, i.e., the thesis revealed similar features in the answers of current and former school students. For example, bullying at school and lack of help around it, as well as authoritarian and unfair treatment, were essential aspects that reduced children’s self-esteem, learning motivation and sense of belonging at school. In summary, the doctoral thesis indicated that children’s well-being is ensued, and their academic development better occurs in a supportive, cohesive and inclusive school environment. However, this expects adults/teachers to be more aware of and consider children’s rights.
Estonia joined the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991, taking the obligation to bring legislation into line with the convention and to develop measures to ensure children’s rights and well-being. Research on children’s subjective well-being is a relatively new field of knowledge where children’s well-being is considered within the normative framework of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This doctoral thesis focuses on the subjective well-being of children at school as an important setting in the children’s lives. The empirical data of the dissertation is based on the evaluations of 8-year-old children from the International Survey of Children Well-Being (ISCWeB), focus group interviews with 12-year-olds, and retrospective narratives of young adults about their school life. The theoretical starting point of the thesis relies on the approach of childhood sociology, according to which a child is an active social actor with age-appropriate competence and reliability in opinions and assessments. The aim of the doctoral study was to find out the aspects that increase and decrease the subjective well-being of children in the framework of the fulfilment of children’s rights. The findings of the dissertation revealed: 1. Well-being is subjectively higher for those children whose rights are better fulfilled. It turned out that even for 8-year-olds, those who felt cared for, respected and safe at home and school had higher subjective well-being ratings than those who did not feel that way. 2. Children in Estonia score well in the PISA tests, but compared to other countries, they are among the most critical of the school environment. They distinguish from children from many other countries by a sharp decline in school liking with age. This doctoral thesis showed that considering children’s opinions and involving them in school-related decision-making processes is not common practice in Estonian schools. A heavy workload and the expectation of academic success make children feel like “learning machines” and reduce their enjoyment of school. 3. Problems related to school are persistent over time, i.e., the thesis revealed similar features in the answers of current and former school students. For example, bullying at school and lack of help around it, as well as authoritarian and unfair treatment, were essential aspects that reduced children’s self-esteem, learning motivation and sense of belonging at school. In summary, the doctoral thesis indicated that children’s well-being is ensued, and their academic development better occurs in a supportive, cohesive and inclusive school environment. However, this expects adults/teachers to be more aware of and consider children’s rights.
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Keywords
children, sociology of childhood, pupils, young adults, social welfare, learning environment, questioning, satisfaction surveys, Estonia