Upper Secondary School Student Barometer 2024

The aim of the upper secondary school student barometer is to collect information on the studies and everyday life of upper secondary school students. The survey covers topics such as applying to upper secondary school, current studies, study environment, teaching and guidance, study skills, study progress, thoughts about the future, well-being, livelihood, housing, inappropriate conduct, and values and attitudes. The survey was carried out by the Research Foundation for Studies and Education (Otus) and the Union of Upper Secondary School Students in Finland with funding from the Ministry of Education and Culture. First, respondents were asked, among other things, about their reasons for applying to upper secondary school. They were also asked how well the studies at upper secondary school corresponded to their expectations and how many hours per week they spent studying. Regarding the study environment, various statements were made about the facilities and the learning materials and equipment. They were also asked about the impact of smartphones on learning. Afterwards, the respondents were asked what they thought about the teaching and guidance provided by the institution and were asked to answer questions about their study skills. They were also asked about the progress of their studies and whether something had been holding their studies back. Respondents were also asked whether they thought they would graduate. In addition, respondents were asked whether they had considered transferring to a vocational school or dropping out of studies. This was followed by questions about the matriculation exams, for example which subjects the respondent intended to take in the matriculation exams and what influenced these choices. Questions about the future included for example, whether they plan to continue their studies after upper secondary school and what disciplines they are interested in. They were also asked about the kind of things they would like to have in their future working life. In terms of well-being, the respondent's perceived state of health was asked and general statements about well-being were made. This was followed by questions on the respondents' sources of income, employment and housing. Finally, respondents were asked whether they had experienced inappropriate conduct in upper secondary school and, through general current social statements, about their values and attitudes. Background variables include gender, age, mother tongue, parents' work status, parents' educational level, whether they experience a minority status, number of years of study, size of the educational institution, municipality and admission level of the educational institution.