Finnish Students’ Educational Provision Experience Towards Resilience, Recovery and Renewal of Education Systems

Abstract

The aim of this study is to learn in what ways has the COVID-19 pandemic influenced young people's educational experiences, psychosocial well-being, and engagement with traditional and local practices from its onset to the recovery phase in Lapland, Finland. This study is conducted in REAP - Resilient Experiences and Agency of Youth and Children During the Pandemic: Re-visioning Education through Storytelling - project that compares the experiences of young people in Canada, Finland, and the UK. In this study, the responses of the young people from Finland are investigated.

In order to meet the current changing demands of society and enterprises, reformation of the educational system is needed. Deep learning theory (Fullan et al., 2017) provides a four-layer framework to generate the set of six global competencies that are essential for learners in their future working life. Furthermore, radical collegiality (Fielding, 1999) highlighted the focal role of deeper engagement beyond student voice and student agency to empower the new learning partnership with teachers, families and communities. Together, they plait a well-done braid to form a theoretical foundation for this study.

By combining both quantitative descriptive analysis and qualitative thematic analysis, this exploratory mixed methods study examines the responses of 116 secondary students studying in Finland. The findings can provide insights into how these experiences can foster resilience, support recovery, and drive the renewal of education systems by enhancing educational delivery, promoting psychosocial well-being, and leveraging local and traditional knowledge.