Oppilaiden kokemuksia henkilökohtaisesta arviointi- ja kehityskeskustelusta perusopetuksessa

Abstract

The aim of this study was to find out the key elements of a successful assessment-and development discussion (student-teacher-parent discussion) in Finnish comprehensive schools. These discussions are not compulsory in Finland, but many schools have them in their agenda. The term assessment- and development discussion is a direct translation of the Finnish compound arviointi- ja kehityskeskustelu, the participants being a student, a teacher/student counsellor and the guardians of the student. The ideal discussion is an event in which the student is the main character, it should be based on the student’s everyday life, and the aim should be the progress of the student in cognitive and social development. Previous studies mainly focused on the interaction between the teacher and the guardian. The main character, the student, seems to be forgotten. Therefore, the focus in this study is on the student’s experiences and the meanings of the discussions for the student. The experience of the student is approached from the views of phenomenology and childhood research. The data was collected by first recording the discussion, and the student was interviewed with the assistance of the recorded discussion. The interviews (N=24) were analyzed by using phenomenological analysis. The students experienced that the focus in discussions was in assessing the student’s achievements. They experienced that the teacher had the power and knowledge of student’s school going, and that the parents were there to get the information. The students experienced difficulties in actively participating the discussion, and they often came unprepared to the situation, only with their presumptions of it. In successful discussion the adults gave the student a space and time to take a more active role, the student felt that the adults were there to support, and the topics discussed felt meaningful and important to the student. It is evident that there is no common understanding between the school and the home about the aim or the content of the discussions. Based on these results a model for future discussions was made. This model contains the preparation phase, the discussion and the afterwork. The focus in discussion should be learning styles and meta skills, and the teacher must take a more active role in supporting the student active participation.