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Working life has changed over the last few decades and the demands placed on the employee have increased. The well-being of working-age people in Finland has weakened and one in four Finns are at risk of burnout. This challenges the implementation of corporate social responsibility in a sustainable way. The psychologisation of society and individualism is emphasized which enables the use of therapeutic ethos in our society. The objective of this thesis was to investigate the manifestation of therapeutic ethos in the corporate world, specifically in corporate responsibility work. The focus was on the ideal of employee extended to the ideal of citizenship, for which I created a new concept, hybrid citizenship, based on theoretical framework. My research questions were 1) How is therapeutic ethos manifested in the sustainability reports of professional services companies? 2) What kind of hybrid citizenship is conveyed in the sustainability reports of companies provoiding professional services? The data of the thesis consisted of the sustainability reports of four international companies provoiding professional services and operating in Finland. The documents covered the companies’ sustainability activites in the previous year or the previous financial year. These reports are from the time period 2021–2023. The thesis was conducted as a qualitative study using discourse analysis. The thesis results showed that the corporate sustainability reports of the companies reflect the ideal of hybrid citizenship and indicate the realization of therapeutic ethos in the operations of these companies. Hybrid citizenship was expressed as an ideal of a healthy, committed and courageous top performer, whose realization demanded excellence, continuous self development and well-being. The therapeutic ethos was manifested through the methods of free liberal governance revealed in the documents. These findings can be used to plan corporate social responsibility measures. In addition, the thesis can help companies to look at sustainability objectives and measures from critical perspective and develop the effectiveness of social responsibility components in terms of the company’s responsibility in achieving the sustainability development goals at both company and societal levels.

In this thesis I dive into the subjective experience and it’s relation to a theoretical framework and crafting – I weave. The theoretical framework of my research is composed of material thinking and weaving in addition to theory of the interaction of the visual and writing. I juxtapose theory, crafting and the subjective experience in order to create new knowledge about materialization in craft sciences. The data for my research is a diary, which in itself is part of my research text as it includes both theory and crafting in dialog with each other and me the author. The diary begins with my experience of a poem and moves forward within the limits of a theoretical framework to reach the materialization of the poem ie. the weave. I analyse the data applying narrative analysis producing model narratives through which I present the results. In the results material agency is highlighted in the design of the weave and the material takes on a role in parallel to me the author to create the weave.

Aims and objectives. The aim of the study is to analyze the means of verbal and non-verbal guidance used by teachers in guiding invention projects and to investigate how these methods supported students' creativity skills. Methods. The study utilized video material collected as part of the Growing Mind research project, totaling approximately 19 hours from primary school craft lessons. The research data examined interactions between a group of four students and teachers during the invention project. The video material was analyzed using a three-level analysis approach, starting with macro-level analysis. Situations where the teacher guided the student group (134 pcs) were selected from the video material and annotated using the ELAN program, utilizing the making-process-rug method and the notes of a previous researcher on the same data. At the intermediate level, the marked situations were classified into verbal and non-verbal guidance methods using a previously developed classification framework. At the micro-level, three exemplary situations were selected for in-depth analysis of the teacher's guidance methods in support of students' creativity skills. Results and Conclusions. The results indicated that the teacher's verbal guidance methods were particularly evident during the initial ideation phase, troubleshooting and problem-solving situations, and situations requiring redefinition of ideas during the invention project. Non-verbal guidance methods were emphasized when guiding students in digital components, materials, and technical work processes. Verbal and non-verbal guidance methods were also observed to overlap and complement each other. Micro-level analysis showed that the teacher supported students' practical-level expertise in creativity skills by making design-related constraints and opportunities visible during ideation. For social and emotional creativity skills, the teacher organized the process by guiding students to collaborate with their peers in problem-solving related to programming. In supporting creative and critical thinking skills, the teacher assisted students in situations where the original idea needed to be questioned and redefined. A teacher who masters various roles, skills, and expertise can, through their guidance, act as an important supporter of students' creative competencies, thus helping them grow into creatively and critically thinking individuals. These skills are increasingly needed in both the current society and in the future.

Compulsory education was historically expanded in Finland in 2021. The purpose of this thesis is to find out the views of student counselors on issues that affect transitions between elementary school and secondary school, the discourses that can be located from the speech of student counselors and the subject positions formed for students in them, and the meanings given by counselors to the expansion of compulsory education. Previous research has shown that school practices produce acts of discrimination that reproduce inequality, which are manifested through the subject positions produced in the discourses. Leaning on Michel Foucault's view of power and theories about language and discourses, I aim to examine these mechanisms and shed light on hidden power structures that materialize in everyday school practices. My desire is to examine the extent to which a reform such as the expansion of compulsory education has the potential to influence issues of inequality. The research task is to find out (1) which factors influence the students' placement in the second grade according to the counselors' views, (2) what kind of subject positions are built for the students in the counselors' speech, and (3) what kind of meanings do the counselors give to the reform of compulsory education? I study the topic through themed interviews I conducted with five primary school or secondary school student counselors. As a research method I use discourse. The research results followed the results that has emerged in previous studies. Various factors based on student characteristics determined the choice of secondary education according to the instructors' views. At the same time, a clear dichotomous division was formed between upper secondary school and vocational school, which became evident in the ratings of families and students and in the placement of students. Poor academic performance, practicality and manual skills promoted the choice of a vocational school, while good academic performance favored the choice of upper secondary school. Two discourses, the discourse of reaching the school's goals and the discourse of the ideal citizen, could be highlighted in the interviews. In discourse were nuilt discourses, four different subject positions, which influenced how students were talked about and how their opportunities to attend school were valued.

This master's thesis examines Religious and Worldview Education in Finland. The aim of the research is to explore the thoughts of guardians of secondary school students in the capital region regarding the teaching of religious and worldview subjects. The study investigates the opinions of guardians in the capital region on the organization of religious and worldview education in schools. Additionally, the research delves into the views of guardians on the nature of religious and worldview education in schools. The purpose of this study is to consider the perspectives of guardians in the development of religious and worldview education. The research data is part of the project Näkökulmia osittain yhdistettyyn katsomusopetukseen ja katsomusdialogikasvatukseen oppilaiden ja huoltajien kokemana implemented in collaboration with a secondary school in the capital region. The data for this study consisted of survey responses collected from guardians through Wilma messages during the winter of 2022–2023. The survey was sent to the guardians of 400 students in the school, with 83 respondents. The research was conducted as a quantitative study, and the data was analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 28 software. The research results indicate that most guardians are willing to modify the current religious and worldview education. Most guardians perceived religious and worldview education as important in a diverse world, emphasizing the need for inclusive instruction covering various religions and beliefs. Most guardians considered religious and worldview education to be broadening, providing knowledge to understand society. and teaching insight into the role and significance of religions and other belief systems in society. Based on the research findings, it can be concluded that most guardians would be willing to change the current arrangement of religious and worldview education to meet the needs of a changing and pluralistic society.

In 2019 the new Upper Secondary School Act (714/2018) entered into force as a part of a larger upper secondary school reform. The Upper Secondary School Act obliges every upper secondary school to organize special education for all students who have challenges in learning. It was volyntary to organize special education before the reform, and special education was offered mainly in large cities. The purpose of this thesis is to describe the job description of special education teacher in upper secondary school and potential job description in the future. There is only a little previous research on special education in upper secondary schools. This thesis was conducted as a qualitative study. The material consisted of interviews with four special education teachers. At the time of the interview, the interviewees worked in upper secondary schools. The interviews were conducted as semi-structured thematic interviews and theory-driven content analysis was selected as the method of analysis. According to the results the job description of a special education teacher in upper secondary school can be divided into three themes which are student work, cooperation and developmental work. Work emphasizes individual work with students, and testing for difficulties in reading takes a lot of time. Cooperation is closest with student counsellor. Consultation is mostly informal (conversations in the corridors for example). Acting as a special education teacher in the upper secondary school requires continuous additional training. Encounters with students and the freedom to plan one’s schedule bring a lot of joy. Challenges encountered at work include difficulties in scheduling, insufficient resources and digitalization. The themes of the job will most likely remain fairly similar in the future. Teaching will change from individual work to more collaborative work. The cooperation is probably closer with all the personnel of the school. More resources for special education in all upper secondary schools in Finland is hoped. Special education teachers will hopefully have the opportunity to act as promoters of the general well-being of students. Materials should also be in print instead of digital materials.

Objectives. Early mathematical skills predict future academic success. The development of mathematical skills during primary school years tends to be weaker in children learning Finnish as a second language as compared to native speakers. However, these skills beginto develop early in life, with mathematical vocabulary playing a crucial role. Given that learning the Finnish language is a time-consuming process, there is a growing demand for valid and reliable assessment methods for mathematical skills and vocabulary that do not necessitate speech production in the second language. The SMST Picture Vocabulary Test aims to assess the recognition of words related to mathematics. The first objective of this study is to analyze the reliability and validity of this test, while the second is to examine the role of age, home language, gender, and the duration of participation in Early Childhood Education (ECE) in relation to knowledge of vocabulary. Methods. The data was gathered from children who were Finnish language learners aged 5–7 years (N=100) attending public ECE centers in the capital area. The reliability of the test was evaluated through internal consistency analyses. Additionally, known-group validity and concurrent validity assessments were conducted. Knowledge of mathematical vocabulary was examined through test results, with additional background data collected from teachers. Teachers evaluated the overall language and mathematical skills of the children. The study employed a quantitative approach with statistical analysis methods using the IBM SPSS program. Main results and conclusions. The study suggests that the SMST Picture Vocabulary Test demonstrates weak reliability, yet moderate validity, to be used for children learning Finnish as a second language. Concurrent validity analysis affirms the test to be primarily a vocabulary knowledge assessment tool. The SMST test demonstrated the ability to differentiate between two pre-established groups (Finnish language learners and native speakers) in mathematical skills through knowledge of mathematical vocabulary, thereby supporting the known-group validity of the test. The duration of participation in ECE emerged as the strongest indicator for mathematical vocabulary test results, followed by age, predicting 29 % of the vocabulary knowledge. Gender differences were found, with the results favoring girls. Home language showed no significant relation to competency in math vocabulary. The findings from this study pave the way for further research into the assessment of mathematical vocabulary knowledge among Finnish language learners, with a particular focus on understanding the factors influencing this knowledge.

Sedan grundandet av folkskolan på 1860-talet har man undervisat slöjd i de finska skolorna. Då var syftet med slöjdundervisningen att lära eleverna handarbetsfärdigheter för att de sedan kunde använda dem i framtida arbetes-och vardagslivet. För 100 år sedan handlade slöjdundervisningen om att lära sig egenskaper för att överleva men i dagens samhälle där alla inte har ett lika stort behov av handarbetsfärdigheter har slöjdundervisningen samt dennes syfte förändrats. I diskussioner med lärare som undervisar i slöjd har det kommit fram att lärarna ofta får förklara varför slöjd undervisas i skolan för både föräldrar och elever. Denna undersökning går ut på att redovisa vad lärare som undervisar i slöjd tycker att syftet med slöjdundervisningen är och vilka utmaningar lärarna upplever i slöjdundervisningen. Utifrån syftet formulerades två forskningsfrågor: 1. Vad anser lärare att syftet med slöjd i grundskolan är? 2.Vilka praktiska/pedagogiska utmaningar upplever lärare med slöjdundervisningen? För att besvara forskningsfrågorna användes en kvalitativ forskningsmetod med en hermeneutisk ansats. Fem lärare som undervisar i slöjd intervjuades individuellt och som intervjumetod användes en semistrukturerad intervju. Intervjuerna bandades in och materialet analyserades genom en tematisk analys. Lärarna som deltog i denna studie ansåg att slöjdundervisningen hade flera syften. Svaren på den första forskningsfrågan delades i i fyra olika temahelheter: Motorik/finmotorik, Undervisningens mångfald, Vardagskompetens och kreativitet. I intervjuerna kom det fram att slöjden utvecklar elevernas motorik och finmotorik och att slöjden bidrar till undervisningens mångfald. Det kom även fram att eleverna får lära sig färdigheter som är nyttiga i framtiden samt att de får utlopp för sin kreativitet. Utmaningarna i slöjdundervisningen som lärarna upplevde handlade om brist på tid, att läraren inte hann hjälpa alla elever under en lektion samt brist på resurser. Det fanns även lärare som upplevde svårigheter med att tolka läroplanen i slöjd och att läroplanen inte speglade verkligheten.

Objective of the study. Teachers' professional agency can be used to examine how teachers learn in their work. There exists little earlier research on the professional agency among teachers in the induction phase, even less has it been studied during the global pandemic. It was therefore necessary investigate the topic in detail. This study had two research questions. The first step was to examine what kind of key learning experiences basic education teachers had during the Covid-19 pandemic in their teacher-student interactions. Second, it was examined how the professional agency of basic education teachers appeared in their teacher-student interaction situations during the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods. The research material consisted of eleven individual interviews with basic education teachers in the induction phase. The data were collected as part of the " Early Career Teach-ers' Professional Agency Across Four European Countries – Key for Sustainable Educational Change? research project carried out in 2018–2022 funded by the Suomi Akatemia. The inter-view had three themes which related to the interviewees' 1) significant learning experiences and professional development, 2) the professional community in the early stages of their ca-reers, and 3) working during the Covid-19 pandemic. The interviews were analyzed using the method of qualitative theory-driven analysis. Results and conclusions. The results of the study showed that during the Covid-19 pandemic, the key learning experiences of induction phase teachers were related to remote and in-person classroom situations with groups of students and individual students. The professional agency of the teachers in the induction phase was strongest in classroom situations. The independent activities of teachers were emphasized in the chosen strategies. Teachers were motivated by commitment to students. Teachers' self-efficacy was illustrated by coping with work tasks dur-ing the Covid-19 pandemic. Compared to previous studies, this study especially highlighted teachers' willingness to meet their students individually. The teachers had a positive attitude towards the use of new IT applications and platforms, which they planned to utilize even after the exceptional circumstances. The findings can be applied to supporting the professional agency of teachers at the beginning of their careers and in the versatile implementation of teaching outside the exceptional circumstances.

Aims. The main goal of this study is to view if certain phenomena are present regarding men’s career advancement in female dominated industries. The main theory used in this study is the theory of the glass- escalator by Williams (1995). In this theory men advance quicker than women in female dominated industries, but also end up in specific specialties within the workplace. Other central concepts include gender segregation of the labour market and gendered organisations. The aim of the study is to shed light on phenomenon that possibly contribute to inequality in the workplace. Methods. The study was conducted as a quantitative survey in selected departments of a certain university hospital in Finland. The examined group included clinically working nurses, assistant head nurses and head nurses. The selection of departments was based on findings in existing theories. The questionnaire received 453 responses. The data has been analysed with the SPSS statistics program, using mostly cross tabulation. Findings and conclusions. The glass-escalator phenomenon could not directly be observed in the data. Other related phenomena could however be detected. In Williams (1995) study it was noted that men who work in female dominated industries were predominantly found to be working in departments that could be identified as stereotypically masculine, which she called men’s enclaves. The phenomenon was repeated in this study where men were mostly working in the acute and psychiatric departments. It also appeared that though men weren’t overrepresented in the head nurse positions (the highest position in this study), there were significantly more men working as assistant head nursers in relation to women working as assistant head nurses.