The relationship of the three “As” of adaptation: Acculturation, adjustment, and academic engagement of Ukrainian war refugees in Estonia’s schools

The article reports on a qualitative study of how schools in Estonia were incorporating Ukrainian war refugee students in the spring of 2023. Observations and interviews were conducted in 7 schools with teachers, school administrators, psychological support staff, refugee students in grades 7–12, and their parents. The study found that schools were balancing three overlapping goals: (1) to ensure psychological adjustment of the refugee students by creating a safe, supportive, and welcoming school environment; (2) to provide students with opportunities to learn and be academically successful, and (3) to facilitate acculturation of refugees into Estonian culture and language. These three “A’s”: adjustment, academics, and acculturation were important in all schools in the study. As schools engaged in implementing the three goals, they found that at times they were in conflict with one another, requiring them to prioritize some and de-emphasize others. The Ukrainian secondary school was created specifically for these students and prioritized adjustment but faced challenges motivating students to engage academically and learn the Estonian language. Russian-medium schools provided the easiest access to the academic curriculum in Russian, without the need to acculturate; but students experienced some anti-Ukraine attitudes from peers and teachers. In Estonian-medium schools, students had the best opportunity to learn Estonian but felt socially isolated and were unable to engage with the Estonian-language curriculum. The study highlights the need for schools to balance these different goals and work to resolve contradictions as they arise in their unique context.