Browsing by Subject "arviointi"

Aims. The aim of the study is to research how assessment is conducted in Finnish Language Schools and how feedback is given to students and their guardians. No previous research about evaluation in Finnish Language Schools was available. Methods. The research data was collected using an online questionnaire that included both open-ended questions and multiple-choice questions. The aim was to reach all teachers in Finnish Language Schools as widely as possible and no sample was used in the study. 21 responses were received, which can be considered a random sample. Theoretically guided content analysis was used to analyze the data. Results and conclusions. There are very different Finnish Language Schools and their operating conditions vary. Teachers in language schools hardly used summative assessment methods. The most used evaluation method was discussion. Not all schools had a clear goal for activities and language teaching, which also made evaluation difficult. Diagnostic assessment was utilized at the beginning of the school year when students' competencies were evaluated. Feedback to students and their guardians was generally given orally. The formative nature of the evaluation was emphasized in the responses. More training and clarification of the goals of Finnish schools are needed for the evaluation.

Aims. Previous researches has suggested that the teacher can by evaluation and oral feedback affect students' self-content either in a positive or a negative way (Ihme, 2009, s. 59). The aim of this study was to research and analyze elementary school teachers' views and opinions about holistic evaluation, especially about discrepancies and authorities that appear in evaluation together with evaluation which develops student's self-content. The purpose of this study is to describe and develop evaluation that takes place in school and research the importance of supporting student's positive self-content in learning. Methods. The study was executed as a qualitative case study and all together three teacher took part in as cases. The data was collected by interviewing the teachers and by observing their oral feedback in the classroom. The data was analyzed using discourse-analysis. The analysis focused mostly for the teachers' interview data, which the observation data was meant to complete. Results and conclusions. The results of this study were that in spite of the age, gender or working-experience, all of the cases considered the importance of the versatile evaluation and that supports the development of student's self-content. The study was also suggesting that according the interview data the teachers' ideological thinking did not always extend into a practical level, but also the two traditions appearing in curriculum and the resources affected for the evaluation. For this reason this study suggest that the evaluation and development of students' self-content is a part of a wider social phenomenon. The study also suggested that teachers' evaluation did not always support students' self-content in a best possible way and for that reason teachers should put effort also for their own action while supporting the development of students positive self-content.

The new Curriculum for Basic Education (2016) suggests that all stages of three-tiered support (general, intensified and special support) are based on the need for additional student support as well as learning and progress assessments. Teachers’ assessment of the pupil’s progress and the necessary support measures are thus central to the provision of enhanced support. This study also examines whether teachers differ in their assessment methods and whether these approaches are connected to the basics of enhanced support, specifically to the principle of close school, the effectiveness of enhanced support in everyday life, knowledge of enhanced support schemes, and identification of the different phases of three-tiered support. Previous studies by teachers have shown that they experience inclusive education as negative. (Murto, Naukkarinen & Saloviitta 2001, pp. 86-95). Studies have found that there is a need for teacher training concerning attitudes, knowledge and skills (European Center for the Development of Special Needs Education, 2012, pp. 5-7). The questionnaire was conducted with the teachers of third and sixth grade classrooms in the City of Vantaa (N=174) in the spring of 2016, using the “Leaning Lesson” classroom teachers’ questionnaire. There were various statements about enhanced support and one open question about evaluation. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used in the study. The lessons from the “Learning Lesson” questionnaire about the principles of enhanced support and the effectiveness of support used the Likert scale, and these claims were compared using the SPSS software. The answers are compared to the Curriculum (2016) and the Basic Education Act. Teachers were asked how they evaluated enhanced support for pupils’ learning and progress during the semester and academic year. Responses were categorized qualitatively with content analysis and a variety of assessment methods were used. 24.5% of the respondents assessed the enhanced support of the pupil diversely and consistently in accordance to the curriculum. This versatile assessment group was most positively concerned with the implementation of an inclusive atmosphere or the use of various support measures and the recognition of different levels of support. However, almost 42% of the respondents assessed intensified support for the pupil at least once a year, in writing. This group of respondents was the most negatively inclined toward inclusive schools. The results suggest that the pursuit of multi-faceted assessment has a positive relationship to attitudes towards enhanced support and inclusive practices. Implementation of the close school principle requires training, consistent assessment methods and, for example, use of inclusive practices.

Previous research shows signs of gender inequality in comprehensive school, such as gender-based classifications and stereotypes. The assessments of learning outcomes have raised the issue of equality in education, as on the basis of them, girls succeeded over boys in most of the subjects. In addition, these assesments show that in home economics girls´ results were better than boys´ results. This study explores the teaching practices associated above-average learning outcomes of home economics, taking gender differences into account. The aim was to research which teaching practices, on the basis of home economics assessment data, were related to above-average learning outcomes, and which factors explained the differences from students´ and teachers´ perspective. The data is part of the national assessment of learning outcomes in home economics, which took place in 2014 (Venäläinen & Metsämuuronen, 2015). The student data consists of 3541 9th grade students and the teacher data of 163 home economics teachers. Quantitative data was analyzed by multivariate statistical methods: decision tree analysis, traditional explorative factor analysis, and linear regression analysis. As result, a good atmosphere in the classroom, sharing the grade criteria at the beginning of the course and taking the students' ideas and wishes into account were associated with the above-average learning outcomes of home economics. Based on factor analysis, the biggest influence on students' total competence had the diverse teacher (F4), who was characterized by the use of different teaching and assessment methods. The learning outcomes of boys and girls were partly influenced by different practices: boys' outcomes were also raised by a teacher who challenged their own perceptions and helped to reflect issues from the perspectives of their own life (F2). The girls' outcomes were raised by a very professional teacher (F5). To improve learning outcomes the teachers should, i. a., take the students' ideas and expectations into account and explain the criteria for the grade at the beginning of the course. Home economics education should be connected to both girls and boys everyday lives. In particular boys' learning motivation could be improved by bringing the everyday life of boys into the learning contents. Teacher education and in-service training should also ensure that teachers have up-to-date and versatile know-how for using teaching and assessment methods that take diverse learners into account.

Tavoitteet. Kuntoutuksen vaikuttavuuden arviointi ja todistaminen ovat perusta näyttöön perustuvalle puheterapialle. Koska kuntoutus on usein monialaista ja –tahoista, on tuloksia kuitenkin vaikea mitata, ja vaikuttavuutta mittaavia menetelmiä tarvitaan lisää. Experience Sampling –menetelmä on jäsennelty päiväkirjamenetelmä, jolla kerätään tutkittavan omia subjektiivisia kokemuksia itsearvioinnin muodossa ihmisen omasta toiminnasta, tunteista ja muista jokapäiväisen elämän osatekijöistä. Tämän kandidaatintutkielman tavoitteena on selvittää miten Experience Sampling –menetelmää on aikaisemmissa tutkimuksissa käytetty, kuinka menetelmä soveltuu käyttäytymisen muutoksen arvioimiseen ja miten menetelmää voitaisiin hyödyntää puheterapian vaikuttavuuden arvioinnissa. Menetelmät. Tämän tutkielman menetelmä oli integroiva kirjallisuuskatsaus. Hakusanoina ja –lausekkeena käytettiin ((momentary assessment technique) OR (experience sampling method) OR (ecological momentary assessment) OR (ambulatory assessment) OR (event sampling) OR (beeber studies) OR (structured diary method) OR (intensive longitudinal assessment) OR (real-time data capture study)) AND (rehabilitation OR treatment OR therapy OR intervention OR enhance OR improv*) AND (effective* OR efficacy OR success) AND (assessment OR evaluation OR estimate). Aineistohaku suoritettiin helmikuussa 2021 Scopus ja Ebscohost –tietokannoista. Lopullinen aineisto sisälsi viisi vertaisarvioitua tutki-musartikkelia vuosilta 2012-2020. Aineisto analysoitiin laadullisesti soveltaen sisällönanalyysin keinoja. Tulokset ja johtopäätökset. Experience Sampling –menetelmää oli käytetty kuntoutuksen vai-kuttavuuden arviointiin sekä yksin että soveltaen osana interventiota. Saadut tulokset olivat luotettavia, kun menetelmän edut ja rajoitteet oli otettu huomioon tutkimusta tehdessä ja tuloksia analysoitaessa. Experience Sampling –menetelmä sopii suuntaa-antavasti myös logopediseen viitekehykseen tutkittaessa subjektiivisia kokemuksia.

The goal of this qualitative research is to find out how a child and an adult is positioned in strength-based written texts created by kindergarten teachers. Heiskanen, Alasuutari and Vehkakoski’s research (2018) pointed out that a child is usually positioned as stabile and responsible and an adult free of responsibility. Two research questions were made to help find out the goal of this research: 1) How does a child appear in the written texts created by kindergarten teachers? 2) How does an adult appear in the written texts created by kindergarten teachers?. The sample of the research consisted of nine kindergarten teachers. The data was collected via questionnaires. Each of the nine kindergarten teachers filled four observation questionnaires based on the strengths of the child. The questionnaires were sent to willing kindergarten teachers via mail. The data of the research consisted of 36 strength based questionnaires, which were collected during autumn 2017 from one of Helsinki’s early childhood areas. The data was analysed via discursive analysis. In this research a child was positioned as stabile, responsible and difficultly interpreted. An adult was positioned as stabile, difficultly interpreted and free of responsibility. With the help of this research kindergarten teachers can think about their ways of thinking according to their ways of creating written texts. It is also very important to evaluate how the strengths of the children will be written and how the child is positioned in the written texts in the future.

The continuum in child language development is a well-known phenomenon. Language skills consist of several different language domains that a child must learn/accomplish to become a fluent language user. Language acquisition is a complex process. It is still partly unknown how the different language domains develop in relation to each other and how they associate to later language skills. The purpose of this Master’s thesis is to find out the longitudinal associations between and predictive value of the mastery of lexicon and language structures of a 3 to 4 year old child and language skills at the age of five. The study aims to look at the connections between a child’s expressive and receptive lexicon and language structures (morphology, syntax and phonology) and later language skills. The sample of this study consisted of 92 children who participated in the LEINIKKI research project. Participants were healthy and typically developing children who acquired Finnish as their first language. The language skills at the age of 3 to 4 were assessed using the LEINIKKI method’s subscales that assess vocabulary, morphology, syntax and phonology and WPPSI-III subscales assessing expressive and receptive lexical skills. At the age of five language skills were assessed again using The Children’s Communication Checklist (CCC-2). The relationships between age 3- to 4-year-old and 5-year-old language proficiency were examined using correlation coefficients and regression models. The results of this study showed that there were several statistically significant and moderately strong correlations between the expressive lexical skills of a 3- to 4-year-old child and the language skills at five measured by both the LEINIKKI method and the WPPSI-III method. The association between toddlers’ receptive lexical skills and language skills at five was not significant. Several statistically significant and moderately strong associations were also found between the mastery of language structures of a 3- to 4-year-old child and the language proficiency at the age of five. The LEINIKKI method’s subscales that assessed morphology and syntax correlated with almost all aspects of language proficiency at the age of five and with the variable measuring overall language proficiency. The LEINIKKI method subscale, which measures speech clarity and sound system, correlated with five-year-old speech clarity and overall language proficiency. Both the lexicon and language structures of the 3- to 4-year-old child significantly explained language proficiency at the age of five years. The best models for explaining later language proficiency included variables of both 3-4-year-old lexicon and language structure variables and explained about 30 % of the language proficiency at the age of five years. Based on the results of this study, attention should be paid to the mastery of both lexicon and grammar in the assessment of a 3- to 4-year-old child's language skills.

Tavoitteet: Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää, pystytäänkö koneoppimisen avulla luomaan ennustetyökalu, joka auttaa tunnistamaan lasten seksuaaliseen hyväksikäyttöön liittyviä tekijöitä ja joka pystyy luotettavasti arvioimaan seksuaalisen hyväksikäytön todennäköisyyttä. Suoriutumiseltaan kyvykästä tilastollista työkalua voidaan käyttää seksuaalisen hyväksikäytön selvitystyössä ja koulutuksessa. Menetelmät: Tilastollisen työkalun luomisessa käytettiin vuonna 2013 kerättyä Lapsiuhritutkimuksen aineistoa. Aineisto sisälsi 10665 10-17- vuotiaan lapsen ja nuoren vastaukset 52 eri kysymyksestä. Tilastollisena menetelmänä käytettiin luokittelu- ja regressiopuuta (CART) ennustetyökalun rakentamisessa. Tilastollisen työkalun suoriutumista arvioitiin sensitiivisyyden, spesifisyyden, AUC:n ja Brierin pisteiden avulla. Tulokset: Lasten seksuaalisen hyväksikäytön todennäköisyyttä ennustavia päätöspuita onnistuttiin luomaan useissa eri aineiston osajoukoissa. Seksuaalisen hyväksikäytön luokitteluun tunnistettiin ydinkysymyksiä, jotka liittyivät lapsen lähiympäristöön, fyysisen kypsymisen vaikutuksiin, aikaisempiin uhrikokemuksiin sekä mielenterveyden ja käyttäytymisen oireiluun. Tilastollisen ennustetyökalun suoriutuminen todettiin olevan arvausta parempi, mutta luokittelijana epätarkka. Johtopäätökset: Tutkimuksen avulla löydettiin seksuaaliseen hyväksikäyttöön liittyviä ydinkysymyksiä, jotka tukivat aiempien tutkimusten löydöksiä. Tilastollisen ennustetyökalun suoriutuminen todettiin olevan riittämättömällä tasolla siihen nähden, että työkalu olisi valmis otettavaksi käyttöön sellaisenaan. Jatkotutkimusta tarvitaan niin vaihtoehtoisten tilastollisten menetelmien soveltuvuudesta kuin erilaisten aineistojen käytöstä.

Goals. This study is to research kindergarten teachers assessments about weekly programs. Research problem consisted five questions: 1. What does kindergarten teacher think weekly program consist of? 2. How does kindergarten teacher make those programs? 3. How are the themes of Preschool education program included in the weekly plan? 4. How kindergarten teachers feel that their weekly plans are realized in practice? 5. Which are the main factors that influence on the plans? Planning is important part of daily life in kindergarten. Early childhood education curriculum guide teachers in their planning. But there is still lot of freedom in planning. Research methods. Three kindergarten teachers, who worked in age groups of 3 to 5, participated in the study. The study was conducted as semi-structured interview, which included features of themecentered interviews. The interview questions were divided into themes based on research questions. The data was analyzed thematically. Results and conclusions. Kindergarten teachers who participated in the study pointed out the importance of taking responsibility in the planning process of pedagogical activities. Different responses occurred, when teacher were asked that what activities should be involved in weekly programs. These differences may occur due to every teacher’s individual way of implementing their profession. Content areas and weekly programs were seen to take place well in both weekly and monthly time schedules. Kindergarten teachers emphasized the importance of planning, evaluation and observation in the implementation of weekly plans. In addition, the interviewees felt that team commitment and work shifts have huge influence to the realization of weekly plans. Overall, results show that the planning and assessment are top priorities in the daily life of kindergarten.