Browsing by Subject "opiskeluinto"

There has been increasing research attention on wellbeing of students in higher education both in Finland and internationally. Because of its goal-oriented nature, higher education resembles working in many ways. Thus, research on students´ wellbeing has started utilizing concepts derived from occupational research. Burnout and study engagement are concepts that are being used in research on both lower educational levels and higher education. Burnout describes feelings of exhaustion, cynicism and inadequacy experienced when demands of studying exceed available resources. Engagement on the other hand means feeling vigorous, dedicated and absorbed in studying and arises when demands and resources are better balanced. The goal of this thesis was to increase understanding of social resources that can guard against the negative effects of demands and foster engagement in higher education. It investigated how social support, guidance and counselling from the educational institution and sense of belonging to studying related groups are related to burnout and engagement experienced by students. The data for this study was the Finnish Student Health Service´s Student Health Survey from 2016, which is a representative sample of students in universities and universities of applied sciences in Finland (N=3110). Burnout symptoms were measured using the SBI-9 measure and engagement using the Schoolwork Engagement Scale. The total scores on these two scales were analyzed together with social support, guidance and counselling and sense of belonging to studying related groups. Pearson´s correlation coefficients were obtained to reveal the bivariate associations of these variables followed by two hierarchical regression analyses on burnout and engagement individually. All of the social resources were included as predictors in these models and the stage of studies, gender and feeling of being in the right field of study were controlled for as background variables. The results supported both hypotheses and existing literature. It was found that those students who were able to talk about their matters with someone, had received guidance to their studies and felt like they belong to studying related groups had lower levels of burnout symptoms. Similarly, students with sufficient social resources were more engaged in their studies. The results indicate that social resources are an important factor in wellbeing of higher education students. Future research should continue to further study these resources using more accurate measures incorporating different types of social support or different groups in the educational context.

In today's society it is desirable to be successful and continuously progressive. At the same time it is seen important to focus on one's well-being and seeking optimal experiences. In studying, the interaction between motivation and well-being as well as the importance of positive learning experiences is an actual entirety. Taking students conceptions of learning and knowledge into account brings in a richer perspective that has been less frequently studied. Conceptions of learning and knowledge, otherwise epistemologies, are crucial in governing student's ways of interpreting and evaluating information, as well as their view on the learning process. An important recent insight on the field of educational research is the growing idea that motivational, emotional and cognitive dimensions are not only intrinsically significant, but also in intense interaction with each other and with the learning environment. The aim of this study was to investigate what kinds of motivational factors and problems in well-being do novice students experience in their studies, and also what their epistemologies are like. The approach was person-oriented. Motivational factors were: experienced challenge and competence, thinking strategies and attributions, and study engagement. Problems in well-being were measured through emotional dimension (stress, exhaustion) on the one hand, and through motivational dimension (lack of interest, task avoidance) on the other. Epistemologies measured in this study were: collaborative knowledge building, reflective learning, metacognition, certainty of knowledge and practical value. The data (n=785) were collected in spring and autumn 2012 by using a questionnaire developed by RYM Indoor Environment project. The participants were first and second year students from Aalto university of Technology and four departments in University of Helsinki: Department of Teacher education, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Theology, and Faculty of Law. K-means cluster analysis was used for clustering students into homogenous groups that presented their experienced motivational factors. To see whether the groups differed in terms of problems in well-being or epistemologies, Oneway analysis of variance was conducted. Also potential differences in certain background variables were investigated by using crosstabs (gender, study discipline) and Kruskal-Wallis test (age). Three studying profiles were identified: 1) pessimistic, 2) bored, 3) engaged. Pessimistic students reported the lowest study engagement, optimism and competence and the highest task avoidance and problems in well-being. They valued certain knowledge the most. Bored students experienced the lowest challenge, quite low study engagement and moderate optimism, competence and lack of interest. They reported the lowest practical value of knowledge. Engaged students had the highest study engagement, optimism and competence, lowest task avoidance and the least problems in well-being. They valued collaborative knowledge building, reflective learning and metacognition the most. There were not found gender differences between the studying profiles. Instead, it turned out that pessimistic students were the youngest. When comparing different study disciplines, the results indicated that in the Department of Teacher education, as well as in the Faculties of Law and Theology, the largest section of participants was identified as engaged students. Among participants from Aalto university and the Department of Chemistry, the largest section was identified as pessimistic students. This study demonstrates the idea of the dynamic interplay between motivational, emotional and cognitive dimensions in studying. In conclusion, students personal motivational factors, well-being and epistemologies form unique entireties. It can be deduced on the basis of earlier research, that these entireties are of utmost importance regarding studying and can be either worthwhile or detrimental to it. In the future, more proof is needed about the concrete relations and potential effects on study success, for example, as supporting successful studying and graduating on schedule are topical politico-educational subjects in Finland. Also little is known about the relations between well-being and epistemologies. The results of this study could be utilized in developing and designing higher education.

Tiivistelmä - Referat - Abstract Opiskelu-uupumus on lisääntynyt ilmiönä korkeakouluopiskelijoiden keskuudessa ja se on tunnistettu yhdeksi opiskeluhyvinvoinnin uhaksi. Hyvinvoinnin turvaamisessa ennaltaehkäisy on avainasemassa, mutta tutkimusta opiskelu-uupumuksen ennaltaehkäisystä on vielä suhteellisen vähän. Aiemmat tutkimukset ovat osoittaneet opiskelu-uupumuksen voivan johtaa masennukseen sekä suurempaan riskiin keskeyttää opinnot. Tämä korostaa ennaltaehkäisevien tekijöiden tunnistamisen tärkeyttä ja niiden pohjalta kehitettävää ennaltaehkäisevää työtä. Opiskelu-uupumuksen vastapainona opiskelijat voivat kokea myös opiskeluintoa, joka nähdään opiskeluhyvinvoinnin positiivisena puolena. Opiskeluintoa tukemalla opiskelijoita voidaan auttaa jaksamaan paremmin opinnoissa ja niissä etenemisessä. Onkin tärkeää tutkia sitä, voidaanko opiskeluintoa lisäämällä ennaltaehkäistä koettua opiskelu-uupumusta. Tämän tutkielman tarkoituksena oli kartoittaa korkeakouluopiskelijoiden opiskelu-uupumuksen ennaltaehkäisyä. Tutkielman tutkimuskysymykset ovat 1) Mitkä tekijät suojaavat korkeakouluopiskelijoita opiskelu-uupumukselta ja 2) Millainen yhteys opiskelu-uupumuksella ja opiskeluinnolla on? Tutkielma toteutettiin systemaattisena kirjallisuuskatsauksena. Aineisto muodostui EBSCOhost ja ERIC-tietokannoista kerätyistä 12 vertaisarvioidusta englanninkielisestä tieteellisestä artikkelista. Aineiston analyysimenetelmänä käytettiin teoriaohjaavaa sisällönanalyysiä. Käytännössä analyysi toteutettiin värikoodauksen avulla niin, että aineistoa ryhmiteltiin tutkimuskysymyksien ja teoreettisen taustan ohjaamana. Kirjallisuuskatsauksen perusteella opiskelu-uupumukselle löydettiin sekä yksilöllisiä että sosiaalisia suojaavia tekijöitä. Yksilöllisistä tekijöistä esiin nousivat tunnetaidot, hallinnan tunteet, opiskelutaidot sekä opintojen mielekkyys. Sosiaaliset tekijät jakautuvat sosiaaliseen tukeen, sosiaalisiin taitoihin ja yhteisöön kuulumisen tunteisiin. Kirjallisuuskatsaus osoitti opiskelu-uupumuksen ja opiskeluinnon olevan negatiivisesti yhteydessä toisiinsa. Opiskeluinto tunnistettiin myös yhdeksi opiskelu-uupumukselta suojaavaksi tekijäksi.

Aims. The first aim of this study was to identify the types of perfectionistic profiles found among university students. The second aim was to examine how these profiles differ with regards to academic burnout, engagement and procrastination. Methods. The data were collected as part of a larger ”University students’ well-being during the Covid-19 pandemic” -project. In total, 737 students from three different universities responded to the questionnaire, establishing a suitable data set. The data were analyzed with a person-centered approach, informed by the 2 x 2 -model of perfectionism. Two Step -cluster analysis was used to classify students into perfectionistic profiles and analyses of variance (ANOVA) were conducted to examine profile differences in academic well-being and procrastination. Results and conclusions. Four distinct profiles based on perfectionistic tendencies were identified; ambitious (31,1%), carefree (35,6%) perfectionists (16,7%) and concerned (16,2%). The ambitious group was associated with the highest rates of academic engagement and the lowest rates of academic burnout and procrastination. The carefree group reported the second highest rates of engagement and the second lowest rates of academic burnout and procrastination. The perfectionist group reported the highest rates of emotional exhaustion as well as feelings of inadequacy related to academic burnout. The perfectionists also reported the second highest rates of procrastination and the second lowest rates of academic engagement. The concerned group was associated with the highest rates of cynicism related to academic burnout, the highest rates of procrastination and the lowest amount of academic engagement. This study verified the severity of perfectionistic tendencies as a discerning factor regarding university students’ academic well-being. Based on the results, especially the detrimental impacts of perfectionistic concerns should be considered both on an individual and societal level. Societal impacts have been assessed relating to the individualistic and competitive nature of today’s neoliberal educational policies. On an individual level, the mitigating effects of self-compassion on perfectionistic concerns have been discussed.

Aims. The use of digital media by adolescents is diverse and different from previous generations. Knowledge on the relationship between the use of digital media and gender or well-being is still relatively limited. This study investigated what kind of user groups of socio-digital participation exist among high school students, and whether these user groups vary in gender, excessive internet use, life satisfaction, school engagement, school burnout, and symptoms of depression. Methods. The study questionnaire (N = 1108) was collected as a part of the Bridging the Gaps project in the Spring 2018 from the second-year high school students of 12 different high schools in Helsinki. Of the respondents, n = 614 (55.9%) were girls and n = 393 (35.8%) were boys. The rest of the respondents stated that they were gender-neutral or did not answer the gender question. The user groups of socio-digital participation among high school students were examined by two-step cluster analysis, gender differences were examined by cross-tabulation and x^2 independence test. The differences between user groups in well-being and excessive internet use were examined by using Multivariate Analysis of Covariance, where gender was controlled. Results and conclusions. Five different socio-digital participation user groups were found among high school students: 1.) mainly engage in gaming, 2.) knowledge-oriented, 3.) leisure users, 4.) active players and creative participants and 5.) active social networkers and knowledge builders. Boys were more likely to be in game-oriented groups than girls, and girls more likely to be in social networking activity groups than boys. In addition, the adolescents who had used socio-digital devices on average or less reported less compulsive use of the Internet. User groups varied in well-being. The knowledge-oriented users reported partially better well-being compared to other user groups, but the connection was not linear. The differences between the other groups were less clear. Because the effect sizes of the differences between the groups were small, the links between well-being and the use of smart devices were also weak. Based on the results, it seems that mere active socio-digital participation or individual socio-digital activity is not related to well-being and there is a more complex connection in the background. In the future, it would be important to study more closely the use of smart devices among adolescents and their connection with well-being by looking not only at screen time, but also socio-digital activities.

Recent studies suggest that a moderate negative correlation exists between study burnout and engagement. A negative correlation has been shown particularly between cynicism and dedication to studies as well as between exhaustion and exuberance. Previous studies have contradictory results about link between gender and study burnout: on the one hand, no connections has been detected and on the other hand there women have been found to experience more exhaustion and inadequacy than men. In addition study phase seems to be related to study burnout and engagement. In general study burnout increases during the studies while engagement declines. It has also been verified that recovering from stress increases engagement and declines burnout. Furthermore, it has not been unambiguously shown whether working during studies is perceived as harmful or beneficial for university students. This should be considered with i.a. the amount and placement of the student's working hours, total capital from the work and the working field. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the connection between study burnout, study engagement, working and studying of university students. FSHS Higher Education Health Survey 2012 data were used in this study with regard to university students (n = 2545). The findings of this thesis showed that the amount of completed credit points, the recovery from strain, and the time used for supervised studying and employment had connections on study burnout. The recovery from strain, the time used for independent studying and the perceived importance of the studies had connections on study engagement. The students who were working considerably were more cynical towards studying than the students who were not. The combination of employment and independent and supervised study also produced experiences of exhaustion. Student burnout is often justified with employment and the following slowdown in the studies but in this thesis the phenomenon seems more complex. The effects of study engagement should be always taken into account when investigating study burnout. In this thesis five student profiles were found: Exhausted employee, Work engaged, Study engaged, Exhausted who are studying and Study exhausted. Student profiles differed in the year of presence, the amount of completed credit points, the recovery from strain, the full-time employment and the perceived importance of the studies. An interesting topic for further studies would be whether students who study general or professional fields differ in experiencing study burnout and engagement. Dividing studies into these fields requires background information on students major. The question, whether the student is working in the same field as s/he is studying, had too many missing values and it was excluded from the analyses. It is possible that the field where the student works has a large impact on how the multidimensional phenomena of study burnout and engagement could be seen.

Previous studies have shown that using serious games in the classroom setting have a positive impact on students' engagement and learning outcomes. The purpose of this study was to plan and conduct a gamified intervention in a middle school history class where the test group was taught using a serious game and the observation group was taught with traditional learning methods. The research questions guided by the study are: What kind of development can be found in students' school engagement and learning outcomes due to the implemented intervention? What kind of development did the teacher perceive in students' school engagement and learning outcomes due to the intervention? This study was carried out using a mixed methods approach. The focus group that took part in the gamified intervention consisted of two groups of students from parallel grades (N=36) and the history teacher teaching both classes. The quantitative data was collected using a Schoolwork Engagement (EDA) scale. The collected data was analyzed using paired samples t-tests, univariated analysis and comparisons of means and frequencies. The qualitative data of the study consisted of teacher interviews, fact knowledge scales for students and open response questions for the test group students. The acquired material was analyzed using content analysis and factual analysis. The results of the analyzed quantitative data showed no statistical improvements or declines in the focus group's school engagement or learning outcomes and the occurred alterations were entirely coincidental. However the paired samples t-tests showed a statistically significant decrease within one of the claims on the school engagement scale for the test group. These results can be explained by the size of the sample and with problems that arose from the serious game that was conducted. The qualitative data indicated that test group students evaluated their school engagement and learning outcomes in a more positive light than the qualitative data attested. The teacher perceived no developments in school engagement or learning outcomes between the test and observation group but she did notice a positive impact on certain individuals' school engagement within the test group. The open response questions of students' supported the teacher's perceptions. The results are found to have consistency with the findings of previous studies.

Aims. Achievement goal orientations have often been studied as rather general individual tendencies to favour certain goals, results and consequences, but they may also demonstrate subject-specificity. Studies taking several academic subjects into account simultaneously, and by utilising a person-oriented approach in particular, are still scarce. Task values (i.e., intrinsic, attainment, utility, cost), in turn, refer specifically to subject-specific beliefs that influence students’ choices and performance. There is a need to understand patterns of subject-specific goal orientations as well as their relations to perceived subject-specific cost and to more general academic well-being better. This study examined upper secondary school students’ subject-specific (mathematics and English) goal orientation profiles and how students with different profiles differ in subject-specific cost (i.e., effort, emotional, and opportunity cost) and academic wellbeing (i.e., schoolwork engagement and school burnout). Methods. Data were collected by questionnaires. Altogether, 434 students from one general upper secondary school in Finland participated in the current study. Preliminary analyses concerning structural validity were conducted using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Regarding motivational profiles, students with similar patterns of achievement goal orientations were identified utilising a person-oriented approach and latent profile analysis (LPA). After establishing groups, analyses of variance (ANOVA) were conducted to examine group differences. Results and Conclusions. Five distinct goal orientation profiles were identified: mastery-oriented (24,9%), success-oriented (25,8%), English-oriented, math-avoidant (14,3%), indifferent (28,8%), and avoidance-oriented (6,2%). Evidence for both domain-generality and -specificity of goal orientation profiles was found. These profiles differentiated in cost and academic wellbeing. Overall, mastery-oriented showed the most adaptive wellbeing and avoidance-oriented the most maladaptive. Success-oriented group, characterised by high multiple goals, also scored high on cost and both adaptive (i.e., engagement) and maladaptive (i.e., burnout) academic wellbeing indicators. The findings indicate that examining students' multidimensional achievement motivation in different subjects may be valuable for comprehending the motivational dynamics and in recognising the factors endangering and fostering student learning and wellbeing.

Aims. The aim of this study was to examine students’ self-control and academic well-being in the context of Finnish upper secondary sport schools. Self-control and well-being factors were identified and differences between girls and boys, and between general and sports program students in self-control and well-being were examined. One aim was also to study how self-control factors predict school burnout and school engagement. Self-control refers to invidual capacity to regulate immediate responses, behaviors and thoughts. Academic well-being consists of school burnout and school engagement. School burnout is conceptualized as exhaustion, cynical attitudes and sense of inadequacy as a student. The connection between self-control and well-being is internationally well studied, but self-control has been studied less in Finland. This study provides deeper understanding regarding upper secondary school students’ self-control and academic well-being in a specific Finnish context. Methods. The participants were 424 general upper secondary school students from 12 sport-oriented schools around Finland. Students filled in a questionnaire, which consisted of questions about self-control, well-being, studying and sports. Widely used Brief Self-Control Scale was translated into Finnish. Self-control and well-being factors were validated by exploratory factor analysis. T-tests were used to identify differences in self-control and well-being by gender and study program. The effects of self-control variables on the well-being dimensions were examined by means of regression analyses. Results. Three different dimensions of self-control were found: self-discipline, impulsivity and indolence. Results indicate that self-control is not merely inhibiting impulses, but self-control involves also an initiatory dimension. Girls reported less self-discipline but more exhaustion than boys. The results show that sports program students express less indolence and cynicism than general program students. There were no significant differences in the other self-control and well-being variables by gender or program. From self-control dimensions, indolence was the most prominent predictor of well-being dimensions. The findings indicate that studying in the sports program does not lead to more school-related stress than general studies at least in the first two years of upper secondary studies. These findings could be used by student counselling for the detection and early prevention of school burnout.

This research is a part of a wider research in the metropolitan area. Junior high school and high school students (n=700) participated in a research about a meaningful and happy school in 2015. The goal is to chart what a meaningful and happy school is like and to get some concrete information about students to improve studying to be more up to date. The purpose of this research is to study the students motivation for studying in the metropolitan area and the needs for social and physical environment. One of the baselines used in this research is Ryan`s & Decin´s self-determination theory (2000). The research focuses on the answers (n=322) of the students concerning studying motivation, and the social and physical environments in three different junior high schools. The materials were collected through web inquiries. This is a quantitative partial taken from all material, which is analyzed by the Kruskall-Wallis test and variance analysis tests. The students` answers were separated into the students who need general, intensified and special support. The answers are used to find out if the students who need special support want the same matters as the students who need general and intensified support. And to study what kind of differences there are between the students who need special support and those who need general and intensified support. The results show that 86 % of the students, especially students who need special support, want areas to school for relaxing with possibilities to use computers. The students hope to have small rooms for studying by themselves privately. This was also suggested mostly by the students who need special support. At 82 % of students want to use gyms at playtime during the school day. The students who need general support pointed out that school is an important place for meeting friends. From the results we can see that students who need general and intensified support are more motivated to study than the students who need special support. We can affect to the students motivation for studying with support and early stage prevention. Schools can take advantage of the results of this study and they have chances to have an effect on the studying motivation and improving the environment for their students. Motivation and physical and social environment can be used for making school a better place for students.