IDEAL - additional information for participating families
You have received an invitation to participate in a research project called IDEAL - Individual differences in early foreign language learning by your child's 1st grade teacher. This website has more information about it as well as the privacy notice and research notification.
We ask for your consent so that your child can participate in the research.
What data do we collect and how do we collect them?
If you and your child consent to participate in the research, researchers Otso Ahosola and Hanna Pöyliö will collect data when your child is in 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade. Each year we visit your child's school for 1-2 days. Our data collection involves:
- Observing an English lesson
- Drawing an image together with the class
- Doing an Enlish language assessment exercise
- Interviewing your child about his/her drawing
The exercises and interviews are designed to be age-appropriate and not demanding. Participation is voluntary and you and your child can withdraw consent to participate at any point.
Otso Ahosola focuses on studying multilingual pupils while Hanna Pöyliö focuses on Finnish-speaking pupils.
What is this research about?
The IDEAL research project is funded by Emil Aaltonen foundation and is done as part of the University of Jyvaskyla's Department of Education. In IDEAL, we examine how individual differences English skills and affective factors (self-concept, language attitudes and self-efficacy) related to language learning develop from grade 1 to grade 3. In 2020, it became mandatory for schools to start foreign language education in grade 1. In Finland, the foreign language starting from grade 1 is most of the time English. There is still little research regarding early English education in Finland, especially from the point of view of multilingual pupils. This research aims to fill that research gap.
This research will help improve teacher education, learning materials and understanding of how individual differences develop in early English education. Both Otso and Hanna will write a doctoral dissertation based on this research. In addition, the project will produce scientific publications. We greatly appreciate your interest!
Please, feel free to contact us for further information! We will gladly answer any and all questions. Also, please read the Children's Version of the Research Information Sheet below with your child so that he/she can also consent to the research.
