Dream Societies—Promoting Hope in Finnish Ninth-Graders

Abstract

This study investigates the hopes of a group of Finnish of ninth-graders and how hopeful they are. This study also explores how to teach in a way that promotes hope. The theoretical framework of this study combines two different theories of hope, C. R. Snyder’s psychological hope theory and Paulo Freire’s philosophy of hope. This study holds that hope is critical for democratic education. To foster hope, the students were taught how to set good goals and were helped to set goals for themselves along these lines. The students also worked on a two-week project that focused on their societal hopes and fears for the future. The project was an integral part of their social studies class, a means to promote hope in students, and a way to gather data about their perceived societal hopes and fears about the future. The most common themes in the students’ hopes and fears revolved around climate change, social justice, and war and peace.