“There’s a large proportion of students with a migration background who do very well in school, but it’s an overlooked group. That’s why I became interested in them,” explains Layal Wiltgren, associate professor at the Division of Education, Teaching and Learning at Linköping University.
The study is based on observations of a class of high-performing students at a well-regarded upper secondary school over the course of one term. About two-thirds had parents of foreign origin, many of whom had been forced to flee their home countries. Layal Wiltgren also conducted in-depth interviews with 36 students, including some with a Swedish background. The results have been published in the Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research.
Responsibility towards the family
Interviews and observations showed that family is an important driver for students with a migration background. It motivated them to spend time in the library and study both before and after the school day. The students spoke of a sense of responsibility and obligation towards society, themselves and the older generation, as well as a strong desire to succeed in school and in life and make their families proud. For these students, education was seen as a privilege rather than a given right.
“The collectivist perspective is very evident. Several students refer to their parents leaving their country, culture, family, relatives, friends, neighbours, their language and, in some cases, their education in the hope of a better life for their children. They feel this is a legacy that they must uphold and repay,” says Layal Wiltgren.
Charlotte Perhammar
Responsibility towards future generations
Young people with a Swedish background did not mention parents as a motivating factor. They were equally high-achieving, but were instead driven by individual ambitions. For many students with a migration background, however, the responsibility towards the collective also extended to future generations. They saw their studies as something they pursued so that their own children would one day look upon them with pride.
At the same time, many were keen to emphasise that their parents did not force them to study, but that it was their own choice. Layal Wiltgren suggests that the influence of parents may be more indirect, conveyed through stories of sacrifices and admonitions to make the most of opportunities. The young people have then made their parents’ values their own.
The dark side of loyalty
Family loyalty can be inspiring but, as always, there is a downside. Like students without a migration background, these students reported feelings of worry and anxiety about failing, but also about letting their parents down. According to Layal Wiltgren, this moral dilemma is something both parents and schools should be aware of when young people need support.
She notes that research often focuses on students from socially disadvantaged areas and the difficulties they face in school. Studying those who do well can provide different insights.
“We know, for example, that a large proportion of students in medical programmes have a foreign background. Why don’t we focus on that group, and what we can learn from them? Partly to understand them in their own right, and partly to understand the group that is not doing as well,” she says.
The research was funded by Forte (the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare).
Article: "Be proud of me": scholastic motivation of high-achieving students with migration backgrounds, L Wiltgren, R Thornberg, Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, published online 20 november 2025, DOI: 10.1080/00313831.2025.2591147
