Teachers’ Knowledge About Low Involvement in Estonian Home Language Classes Among Diaspora Families in Finland

This study investigates Estonian home language (HL) teachers’ perceptions of caregivers’ language beliefs and the factors contributing to low participation in HL classes among Estonian-speaking students in Finland. Data were collected through semi-structured thematic interviews with nine qualified HL teachers, whose extensive experience provided insights into a broad and diverse population of diaspora families, including those with limited motivation for HL learning. Content analysis, guided by Spolsky’s family language policy FLP model and Epstein’s framework of family–school–community involvement, revealed that caregivers typically value HL as a symbolic link to family and cultural heritage but often assume that oral communication at home is sufficient for children’s linguistic development. Teachers reported that caregivers generally support multilingualism yet underestimate the need for structured HL instruction. Low attendance of HL classes was attributed to a combination of family-, child-, and school-related factors: permissive parenting, limited language awareness, identity issues, scheduling conflicts, long school days, fatigue, and constraints within school timetables and institutional structures. A marked discrepancy was identified between teachers’ perceptions of attendance and official statistics, indicating that teachers predominantly interact with families that are already motivated and tend to overestimate the participation activity. The findings highlight the complexity of FLP in diaspora contexts and the importance of strengthening school–family communication and institutional support for HL education. Implications for policy, teacher education, and future research on low-motivation families are discussed.