Students' dreams for the future and perspectives on resilience-building aspects of their lives: The view from East Greenland

• Main Author: Glendøs, Mia
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Subjects: Greenland; East Greenland
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740917301160

This study explores how perspectives from students can increase knowledge of how teachers and school authority can support students in building up resilience as a response to social challenges in the community. A locally flexible methodology using structured drawings (including classroom observation), semi-structured interviews, and semantic coding and situated analyses in a case study in East Greenland provided the following results: The students' aspirations were mostly about getting an education and a job and becoming socially successful. The students' motivation for attending school and doing educational assignments often depended on the social interaction with their teachers, and the students requested more involvement in decision-making processes at school to create more meaningful educational practices. If schools are to support the processes of building resilience and motivation for education, schools should include students' perspectives and encourage students' agency by listening to what they have to say. Resilience building; students' perspectives; Future dreams vs. current situation;