”So you could do these preparations for the Christmas party” - The difficulty of pupil participation in elementary school
Abstract
Concerns about the social passivity of children and youth have been raised in public discussion since the turn of the millennium. School councils have been considered to be a solution to the problem. The purpose of this study was to examine the conceptions of the teachers who supervise school councils in primary schools, focusing on the breadth, depth and range of democracy. The research data were collected in ten thematic interviews. The interviews were analysed using research methods typical of a phenomenographic study. According to the study, the breadth, depth and range of democracy were quite low. The pupils’ opportunities to affect matters in their schools were only minor. School councils were considered to be led by teachers and coordinated from above. School councils could be improved by shifting the focus on school democracy from school councils to the classroom and on adults’ attitudes towards school democracy.
