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School-home communication is a growing research field in social sciences, particularly in education sciences and communication studies. While previous studies have paid much attention to the importance of school-home interaction in supporting primary academic socialisation and progress of elementary school pupils, the role of teacher-parent communication and collaboration in influencing the development of children's and adolescents' digital skills remains an under-researched area. This paper employed thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with education experts in six European countries, providing an insight into their opinions and views on the problems in communication between homes and schools. The analysis identified main problems in and obstacles to school-home collaboration on children's digital skills development, and the changes the COVID-19 pandemic brought along in this field of education. The paper provides five policy recommendations for enhancing school-home collaboration on digital skills development.

This article compares surveillance-related experiences and attitudes of two generations of media users in countries with different historical surveillance regimes (Estonia, Portugal, and Sweden) and analyzes the predictors of the attitudes toward contemporary surveillance. A large-scale online survey (N = 3221) reveals that attitudes toward online state and corporate surveillance are interrelated; the two attitudinal components are, however, generation-specific, having different predictors. Tolerance toward state surveillance is more characteristic of the older group, being predicted by trustful and obedient attitudes toward state authorities and institutions. Tolerance toward corporate dataveillance is more characteristic of the younger group, being predicted by active and self-confident media use. While the socio-historical context molds the intergenerational gaps in surveillance-related experiences and attitudes, individual-level experiences of state surveillance do not predict tolerance toward either type of contemporary surveillance, suggesting that global techno-cultural developments are probably more powerful factors than past experiences in forming generation-specific attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to analyse the attitudes of Estonian primary school teachers and parents regarding the role of mutual digital communication in socialising the child and in the child's academic progress, their communication channel preferences, and related experiences and opinions. The main starting points are Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological systems' theory and Epstein's (2011) theory of overlapping spheres of influence. The empirical basis is 12 focus group interviews conducted in 2012 in six Estonian schools with teachers (n = 44) and parents (n = 39). The focus groups indicated the consensus among teachers and parents regarding the necessity of overlapping interests and spheres of influence of home and school for the development of the child. The research highlights differences in channel preferences by types of school and between teachers and parents of the same school, indicating the need to find ways to harmonise communication conventions. In addition to the opportunities and benefits of written digital interaction, digital channels incur problems and communication failures (e.g. misunderstandings, digital footprint, and insufficient digital competence).

The purpose of this paper is to comparatively investigate the professional autonomy of upper secondary school teachers in three European countries in interpreting and implementing curricula. The paper focuses on teachers' experiences, and their perceptions of their autonomy and the control exercised over them in the global era of neoliberal education reforms. Semi-structured teacher interviews from Estonia, Finland and Germany (n = 33) were used to ascertain teachers' professional roles in different political contexts. Despite the common economically motivated pressures on school systems and teachers, the responses of nation-states and teachers vary. While German education reforms have been aimed mainly at increased standardization of education, Estonian and Finnish reforms have also emphasized school autonomy and the empowerment of teachers through school curriculum development. Even the Bavarian curriculum for gymnasia, one of the most prescriptive curricula in Germany, since 2008, has promised increased autonomy to teachers. Nevertheless, as the cases of Bavarian and Estonian curricula show, the autonomy-stressing rhetoric of a curriculum can be accompanied by teachers' perceived lack of autonomy. Moreover, teachers' willingness to endorse and enact curricula depends on their perceived social status and involvement in educational decision-making.

Based on our experiences with implementing the comparative school-based ySKILLS survey in six European countries, this article investigates the preparation of fieldwork in school-based surveys. This includes the sampling strategies and recruitment of schools and (secondary level) students, the continuous collaboration with schools, as well as collecting parental consent. By interviewing the national survey experts, we found that previously described challenges of school-based survey research have become specifically relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results further show that collaborating with schools is demanding and that collecting active parental consent involves problems regarding a non-response bias as well as ethical concerns about children's rights. For future research, we have identified seven general preconditions and facilitating factors regarding the recruitment and collaboration with schools for a successful implementation of school-based surveys. Regarding informed consent, we provide seven ethical and practical recommendations for research policy and future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper asks if Estonian and Chinese tweens' access to pocket money influences their brand valuation, as well as value orientations in the context of perceived peer popularity and personal well-being. Surveys conducted in autumns 2006 (China n = 188) and 2007 (Estonia n = 111) show an inherent cultural resistance among tweens in both countries towards using material standards to evaluate people and social relations. Access to own money correlates strongly with more consumerist values and strengthen the initial indications that individualist and expressive values are more highly esteemed by Estonian tweens, while social inclusion and approval are more vital for the Chinese.

This study measures attitudes towards children's vulnerability or empowerment within consumer culture, based on data from a representative population survey (N = 1475) conducted in Estonia in 2005. The study use indices comprised of assessments of consumption practices and assertions pertaining to the "endangered vs empowered child" debate in consumer and media studies. The results of the analysis show that consumerism and brand valuation are more strongly predicted by age and income and opinions about children's vulnerability to advertising are mostly influenced by education and gender. Attitudes on the socializing role of the media are poorly explained by sociodemographic variables, although income and education play a more important role. (Contains 6 tables and 1 figure.)

School textbooks are assumed to be important socializers. However, because of the complexity and methodological stumbling blocks involved in the subject matter, the impact of specific textbooks and the interaction between pupils and textbooks have seldom been studied. I discuss the methodological problems in explorations of the role of school textbooks as agents of socialization, and suggest methods for exploring and understanding the dynamic interaction between textbooks and their readers.

Digital competence is one of the competencies of the 21st century, which has been theoretically described by both international and Estonian expert groups but whose dimensions have been indistinguishable in empirical studies. Therefore, the analysis of empirical data is still relevant in order to understand the dimensions of digital competence. This article relies on two datasets – the EU Kids Online survey (Smahel et al., 2020; Sukk & Soo, 2018) and the Estonian Digital Competence Test – and analyse their structure. The EU Kids Online project assessed a youth’s digital competencies as part of a more comprehensive study. It was done using a five-dimensional Internet Skills Scale with an acceptable level of fit indicators from a study of adults conducted by van Deursen, Helsper, and Eynon (2016). The dimensions of this scale were the following: (1) operational, (2) information navigation, (3) social, (4) creative, and (5) mobile. However, the structure of the scale in the sample of students has not been empirically evaluated. It should also be noted that this is a self-assessment tool, and it is not known how objectively students are able to assess their knowledge and skills with a self-assessment tool. In the Estonian Digital Competence Test (see Digipädevuse tasemetöö 2019, 2019), tasks were also divided between five areas that were somewhat different from those described in the EU Kids Online study but more clearly in line with the DigComp model (Vuorikari et al., 2016): (1) information and data literacy, (2) communication and collaboration in digital environments, (3) digital content creation, (4) safety, and (5) problem-solving. At the same time, to the best of our knowledge, the distinction between these dimensions has not been empirically confirmed in former studies, nor has it been done on the basis of the Estonian Digital Competence Test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]