A new project in Espoo aims to improve disparities in children's learning outcomes – with the goal of preventing social segregation

Recent widely reported PISA study results show that students with immigrant backgrounds have significantly lower learning outcomes compared to Finnish and Swedish-speaking students. Aalto University and the City of Espoo are now embarking on a two-year project aimed at improving the learning outcomes of all children and young people through service design, and to help close the gap between immigrant students and Finnish and Swedish-speaking students.

The Department of Design at Aalto University and City of Espoo’s Department of Growth and Learning will explore and develop cooperation between guardians and schools in the two-year Kasvatuskumppanuus (Educational Partnership) project, with a focus on enhancing children's learning skills. The project has been prepared by doctoral researcher Annukka Svanda and the project's lead professor Tuuli Mattelmäki, in collaboration with the City of Espoo.

“The project is highly significant to society, as supporting children's learning skills has a tremendous impact, for example, on their future education and employment. The broader goal of the project is also to promote integration and well-being, as well as to prevent social segregation and the emergence of social classes,” says Svanda.

The two-year project will start in autumn 2024 and continue until 2026. Collaboration will take place with both the City of Espoo’s Department of Growth and Learning and selected partner schools in Espoo, which will be chosen later.

“The research focuses on how service design methods can be applied to support collaboration between schools and guardians, and thereby improve children's and young people's learning outcomes. It has already been observed that families' perceptions of their role in supporting learning, as well as schools’ ability to support that role, have a strong impact on children’s learning skills and school performance,” says Mattelmäki.

The project will identify key areas of cooperation between schools and parents, and any problems they may encounter. The goal of the human-centered and participatory approach of service design is to ensure that all parties are equally involved. This involves seeking input from all stakeholders, identifying their needs, areas for improvement, and best practices, as well as understanding where support is most needed.

Although the project does not primarily focus on children, the aim is to hear all stakeholders who influence learning, including children. Based on the findings, an operational model of educational partnership will be developed to support and promote children's learning. The future aim is for the school to be able to provide support for all types of situations and for all families. 

For the City of Espoo, a key goal of the project is to develop a unified and successful path of growth and learning for all children and young people in Espoo.

For more information:

Project lead professor Tuuli Mattelmäki, Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, [email protected], tel. +358 50 372 4428

Doctoral researcher Annukka Svanda, Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, [email protected], tel. +358 50 309 9436