Sweden has a long period of time been among the European countries that give asylum for many young immigrants from across the world. According to Swedish Statistics (2013), in 2012, 25% of the total numbers of immigrants to Sweden were children where 50% of the immigrants from Somalia and Afghanistan were minors and the total number of minor immigrants from Somalia increased with 70% in 2012. These young immigrants face different obstacles, including social problems and educational challenges after their arrival in Sweden. Studies show that young immigrant students in Sweden are having lower educational performance than their peer Swedish native speakers. This study identifies the challenges being faced by young Somali immigrants attending secondary schools in Sweden. The study focuses on children’s’ perspectives and examines their descriptions of their day to day life in school and the role of parents’ involvement in the education of their children. The study utilizes qualitative research method, interviews with young Somali students and review of previous researches. The research found that language barriers, lack of educational background by the students, complicated Swedish school system and students’ lack of integration are some of the major challenges faced by young Somali immigrants. Similarly, the study also revealed that lack of parental involvement due to lower educational background, unfavorable condition of home environment and lower economic status of their families are among the key factors that contribute on the lower educational performance of the students.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background information
1.1.1 Migration to Sweden
1.2. Aim of the study
1.3. Research questions
1.4. Constraints of the Present Research
1.5. Outline of chapters
CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF THE PRIOR RESEARCH
2.1. Language and Communication skills in Education
2.1.2. Importance of language for adaptation and integration
2.2. Educational Background and Schooling system
2.2.1. Swedish educational system
2.2.2. Education in Somalia
2.3. Social integration and Cultural differences
2.4. Parental Involvement
2.4.1. Importance of parental involvement
2.4.2. Barriers to parental involvement
2.5. Impact of family size and home accommodation on children’s academic performance
2.6. Low income families and its impacts on students’ education
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
3.1. Research Design
3.1.1. Qualitative Research and semi-structured interviews
3.1.2. Data collection
3.1.3. Presentation of participants
3.1.4. Data Analysis
CHAPTER 4: Findings and Analysis.
4.1. Language barriers
4.2. Educational background of the students as part the educational barriers
4.3. Swedish School System as a challenge for young Somali students
4.4. Socio-cultural factors and students’ difficulties in integration
4.5. Parental challenges
4.5.1. Parent’s low educational background
4.6. Family size and home environment as a factor for low educational performance
4.7. Low economic status of the family as a challenge for educational attainment
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSSION
Research Objectives and Themes
This thesis aims to identify and examine the educational challenges faced by young Somali immigrant students attending secondary schools in Sweden, focusing on their personal perspectives and the role of parental involvement. The study explores how factors such as language barriers, prior educational background, cultural differences, and socioeconomic conditions impact their academic performance and integration.
- Language barriers and their impact on academic integration.
- The influence of parental involvement and educational background on student outcomes.
- Challenges related to the Swedish school system and socio-cultural integration.
- The effects of socioeconomic status and home environment on educational performance.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1. Language barriers
Language is one of the major and common challenges that all immigrant students face. As mentioned by Guler (2011, p.5), language is the biggest factor for immigrants to integrate and get into the social life of the society. All the respondents have emphasized the importance of language for their studies. They underlined that their success in education and in all other aspects depend on how much they know about the Swedish. Most of them mentioned that they are disadvantaged in education because Swedish is the instruction language of the country. All of the informants interviewed agreed that their biggest and the most significant barriers in schooling are linked to language knowledge. They reflected that they are facing different problems because of their lack of enough communication skills in the Swedish language. For example, in her interview student A said:
“Even though I can read, write and speak some Swedish language my biggest problem is still the language; I am not competent enough to compete with my peer native Swedish speakers as I cannot read, write and speak fluently like them.” (Student A)
This particular case shows how lack of Swedish language knowledge can lead to the underperformance of the students. In the interview the student mentioned that as an immigrant student in Sweden she is lagging behind their native peers because of the impact of the language barrier. She also mentioned that immigrant students learn Swedish language as their second language while it is a first language for their peer native speakers. She expressed that learning the language of instruction in the school and being born as a native speaker makes the difference between second language speakers and the native Swedish speakers in school.
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION: This chapter provides the background on migration to Sweden, the study's aim and research questions, and an outline of the paper's structure.
CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF THE PRIOR RESEARCH: The chapter explores theoretical concepts regarding language skills, the Swedish educational system, social integration, and the impact of parental involvement and socioeconomic factors on student success.
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY: This section presents the qualitative research design, the use of semi-structured interviews for data collection, the participant profiles, and the thematic analysis approach.
CHAPTER 4: Findings and Analysis.: This chapter presents the empirical data from student interviews, analyzing themes such as language barriers, school system challenges, socio-cultural difficulties, parental influence, and economic factors.
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSSION: The final chapter summarizes the findings, highlighting how language, educational background, and social conditions collectively hinder the academic performance of young Somali immigrant students.
Keywords
Educational challenges, parental involvement, lower educational background, Low income, language barrier, lower educational performance, immigrant students, Swedish education system, socio-cultural factors, integration, academic achievement, Somalia.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The research focuses on the educational challenges encountered by young Somali immigrant students who are attending secondary schools in Sweden.
What are the central themes discussed in the study?
The study addresses language proficiency, the role of parental involvement, the differences between the Swedish and Somali education systems, socio-cultural integration, and the impact of low socioeconomic status on academic success.
What is the main objective of this work?
The primary aim is to gain insight into the key educational barriers experienced by recently arrived Somali students and to understand how their background and parental involvement affect their educational attainment.
Which research methodology was employed?
The study utilizes a qualitative research method, specifically conducting semi-structured interviews with seven young Somali students to gather in-depth data on their experiences.
What does the main body of the paper cover?
The main body (chapters 2-4) covers the literature review of prior research, the methodological approach, and a detailed analysis of findings, categorized by themes such as language, system navigation, and social integration.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include: Educational challenges, parental involvement, lower educational background, Low income, language barrier, and lower educational performance.
How does the Swedish school system pose a challenge for these students?
Students find the system difficult due to the language of instruction, the focus on age-based enrollment, and the "student-centered" approach that requires high levels of self-directed work compared to their previous experiences.
How does home environment affect the students' education?
Limited space, noisy environments in large families, and the pressure of household responsibilities often leave students with little time or quiet space for homework, negatively impacting their academic performance.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Kedir Ahmed (Autor:in), 2015, Educational challenges of young Somali immigrant students attending secondary schools in Sweden, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/307025
