Navigating New Shores: Social Capital Theory and the Role of NGOs in Supporting Parental Involvement in Finnish Schools.
Kumar, Sushil Kumar; Cedersund, Rayan; Lopez, Yuliana Castañeda (2025)
2025
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https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025090124336
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025090124336
Tiivistelmä
This thesis explored the social capital theory and the importance of parental involvement in education in Finland focusing on the perspective of immigrant families within the Finnish school system. It examined the role of non- governmental organizations (NGOs) in supporting parents' social inclusion and helping them better understand the Finnish education system, thereby contributing to a stronger support system and to the overall well-being of their children.
By mapping community assets, schools can engage NGOs and other organizations with strong ties to immigrant families to share their resources. The research highlighted effective family engagement and the crucial role of NGOs and funders.
The study was carried out through qualitative research, and data was collected through semi-structured interviews, which were conducted with immigrant parents to investigate the challenges they face when engaging with Finnish schools. The findings are designed to help parents and community groups work together more closely when helping immigrant parents to navigate successfully through faced difficulties they may face in the Finnish school system.
It was concluded that schools can strengthen support for immigrant families by enhancing communication and collaborating with community actors. In the future, closer cooperation between schools and NGOs could promote more inclusive educational practices and increase the participation of immigrant parents in their children’s schooling.
By mapping community assets, schools can engage NGOs and other organizations with strong ties to immigrant families to share their resources. The research highlighted effective family engagement and the crucial role of NGOs and funders.
The study was carried out through qualitative research, and data was collected through semi-structured interviews, which were conducted with immigrant parents to investigate the challenges they face when engaging with Finnish schools. The findings are designed to help parents and community groups work together more closely when helping immigrant parents to navigate successfully through faced difficulties they may face in the Finnish school system.
It was concluded that schools can strengthen support for immigrant families by enhancing communication and collaborating with community actors. In the future, closer cooperation between schools and NGOs could promote more inclusive educational practices and increase the participation of immigrant parents in their children’s schooling.