Analyzing elementary school students' perceptions of borders and migration

Objectives This study seeks to understand elementary school students' understanding of borders, boundaries, and migration and their impact. Methods For this purpose, the writings of 6th grade students (n = 27) in elementary schools in Seoul were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results After analyzing elementary school students' writing about borders and boundaries, five overarching themes and 15 subthemes emerged. The top themes are ‘The role of borders and boundaries’, ‘Borders and social impacts’, ‘Entitlement to cross borders’, and ‘The future of borders’. Conclusions The study showed that elementary school students have a critical reflection and broad awareness of boundaries, borders, and migration. They understood the various conflicts currently occurring in the world and were concerned about the changes in borders and boundaries and the resulting migration. They also raised the issue of discriminatory migration and spoke about the need for free movement.