Abstract
<p><em>The purpose of the study is to investigate reasons students with an immigrant background in one Swedish high school gives for their failure in some subjects at the end of their compulsory education. An interview with 18 students with an immigrant background </em><em>is used</em><em> </em><em>as a method. According to the students, schools’ employment of substitute teachers without subject knowledge, reducing and firing competent teachers and less time for Swedish language lessons are reasons for failure in relation to schools. Other reasons given that affect results relate to family issues; leaving their country of origin, having many siblings and not getting enough attention from parents, parents inability to help them with school work, limited family financial resources and social obligations to support family members in their country of origin. In their residential area; not meeting persons with Swedish origin, lack of recreational facilities and meeting place, higher unemployment and crime rate are emphasized as affecting their lives and influencing their results. Based on the research findings and reviewed literature, students’ failure is </em><em>mainly related</em><em> </em><em>to school, family and residential areas. The problems vary to a great extent, hence, the solutions should also be multi-dimensional.</em></p>
Highlights
Due to increased migration and arrival of students without experience of the Swedish schools system, school working language and the social setting, there are concerns about immigrant students’ achievement
I interviewed 21 students and later on data for three of them was taken out from the study. These three students as the rest of the group members have an immigrant background and volunteered to be interviewed, but in my review of the interviews I found out that two young men worked as assistant teachers in the school and one female student declared at the end of the interview she had passed all the subjects at the end of the compulsory school
The results of the study are organized in a way that will help to answer the research questions and they are presented under different themes; schooling, family situation and residential areas. 4.1 Schooling Six of the eighteen, interviewed students are born in Sweden to immigrant parents
Summary
Due to increased migration and arrival of students without experience of the Swedish schools system, school working language and the social setting, there are concerns about immigrant students’ achievement. Different explanations are given for students’ failure, such as individual weakness, parents’ lack of education, unemployment, and lack of social and economic capitals. Some studies were undertaken in Sweden and the USA on this issue, that show the role of schools and residential areas, in relation to student results (Bunar, 2011; Nieuwenhuis & Hooimelier, 2016). A study by Fredriksson and Öckert (2008) shows that an increase in teachers’ density and reduction of class size showed an increase in students’ achievement. Norberg-Schönfeldt (2008) based on Bonesrønning (2003), shows the negative effect of class size on students’ achievement. By citing literature from the field, they highlight the following aspects,
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