urn_isbn_978-952-61-2035-5

Hakkarainen, Airi
The relationship between mathematical and reading difficulties, upper secondary
education and enrolment to post-secondary education or work life
Joensuu, University of Eastern Finland, 2016, 53 pages
Publications of the University of Eastern Finland.
Dissertations in Education, Humanities, and Theology; 82
ISBN: 978-952-61-2034-8 (nid.)
ISBN: 978-952-61-2035-5 (pdf)
ISSNL: 1798-5625
ISSN: 1798-5625
ISSN: 1798-5633(pdf)
Abstract
This dissertation examined how mathematical and reading difficulties during comprehensive
education and the long-term effects of cumulative learning difficulties affect a young
person’s upper secondary education and subsequent enrolment to further studies or work
life. Further emphasis was put on the effects that educational support for upper secondary
studies and cumulative learning difficulties have on a successful educational track or on the
development of a negative educational track. The research material consisted of longitudinal
data from the Staying on Track of Learning research project conducted at the University
of Eastern Finland. Since 2004, the research project has followed the educational paths of
Year 9 students (N = 585) from a city in Eastern Finland through upper secondary education
into further studies or the transitional phase into work life. The research data was analysed
using structural equation modelling, which enabled us to investigate how learning difficulties
as whole and as distinct difficulties affect a young person’s education and career.
The research project’s three sub-studies examined young people’s educational tracks at
different stages. The first sub-study investigated how mathematical and reading difficulties
(measured in Year 9) and self-reported learning difficulties are linked to young people’s
enrolment to upper secondary education. The results of the study suggest that mathematical
and reading difficulties affected the young people’s school achievement by lowering
it significantly. Mathematical and reading difficulties along with low school achievement
contributed to young people – boys markedly more than girls – choosing vocational education
(i.e. a vocational track) rather than general upper secondary academic education (i.e. an
academic track) after compulsory education. Furthermore, if a young person experienced
difficulties in their learning during compulsory education, they were more likely to choose
a vocational track instead of an academic one.
The second sub-study examined how mathematical and word-level reading difficulties
that were measured in Year 9 were linked to educational support for upper secondary studies.
In particular, we examined how the aforementioned learning difficulties along with the
educational support received affected a young person graduating from upper secondary
education. The results of the sub-study suggest that young people with learning difficulties
did not receive educational support at the beginning of upper secondary education. Mathematical
and word-level reading difficulties were not a basis for receiving educational sup-
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