'If don’t understand, then I send a message on Wilma.' : navigating home-school cooperation in a second language

Abstract

Home-school cooperation is a well-researched topic internationally. Previous research indicates that home-school cooperation has a positive impact on students’ academic performance and school dropout rates. In Finland the research has not been as plentiful and has often focused on the cooperation occurring between Finnish speaking teachers and guardians.

The purpose of this study is to examine and analyse what practices are employed in home-school cooperation between Finnish speaking teachers and non-Finnish speaking guardians. In addition, this research aims to showcase the different and unique experiences of home-school cooperation experienced by teachers and guardians, and how those experiences im-pact the perceptions of participants.

The theoretical framework of this thesis focuses on the dimensions of home-school cooperation as presented by Joyce Epstein (1995) and the different factors impacting professional cooperation. In addition, the thesis offers an overview of the current Finnish laws and regulations guiding home-school cooperation practices in schools. The research employed van Manen’s view of hermeneutic phenomenology and accordingly collected interview data from the participants, which was then analysed with the help of thematic content analysis.

The findings indicate that the experiences of home-school cooperation are highly individual, with different school and teachers employing varying practices. Online platforms, such as Wilma, and the use of English instead of Finnish were the most common communication methods across the participants. Although participants generally reported high satisfaction towards home-school cooperation and the importance of it, the experiences varied based on the state of interpersonal relationship between a teacher and a guardian.