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The purpose of this master's thesis is to find out what kind of experiences classroom teachers who have graduated from the University of Helsinki have about their efficacy in classroom management situations. I also try to find out what classroom management tools class teachers use to build and maintain peaceful work conditions. As classroom management and maintaining peaceful working conditions are an important part of a teacher's daily work, I would like to increase both my own and the reader's knowledge related to classroom management throughout this thesis. This thesis was carried out as a mixed methods research. The quantitative data used in the thesis was obtained through a questionnaire as part of the OVET project. The questionnaire was responded by 59 classroom teachers who have graduated from the University of Helsinki. I analysed quantitative data statistically using IBM SPSS version 27. The analytical methods I used were exploratory factor analysis, mean analysis, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal Wallis test. I collected qualitative data with a semi-structured theme interview. I interviewed three teachers who had responded to the questionnaire, and I analysed the data by means of content analysis. Based on the quantitative analysis, it can be said that the class teachers experienced a fairly high self-efficacy in classroom management. There were no significant differences in the self-efficacy of the respondents to perform. Classroom teachers experienced the highest self-efficacy on influencing student behavior. No statistically significant differences in efficacy experiences were found between the genders and the work experience groups. Teachers with more than 7 years of work experience experienced the highest self-efficacy in classroom management. Teachers used both proactive and reactive classroom management methods. Proactive classroom management methods included creating structure and common rules for classroom, and reactive classroom management tools such as a non-verbal silence sign, verbal requests or recall of rules. Various sanctions were also used by teachers. Teachers' classroom management activities were influenced for example by the situation, the quality of the student's activities or the student's age.

Aim. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between teacher’s mathematics related self-efficacy and 3rd and 4th grade students’ mathematics related achievement emotions. Second aim was to examine differences in students’ emotions between gender and grade. Academic emotions are those emotions that students experience in learning situations. Relevant to this study are achievement emotions which are emotions related to achievement activities such as studying or to achievement outcomes such as hope for success in an exam. Relevant to this study are three achievement emotions: enjoyment, boredom, and anxiety. They are achievement emotions which are often experienced in achievement situations. Teacher’s mathematics related self-efficacy refers to teacher’s conceptions about hers/his ability to teach mathematics effectively. Teacher’s earlier experiences on studying mathematics affect their mathematics teaching efficacy. Teachers’ mathematics teaching efficacy is related to their teaching, perseverance, effort, and students’ mathematics related confidence. Methods. The data for this study was conducted through MathMot-research project. The data was collected in spring 2022. The data of this study consisted of 871 3rd grade students, 896 4th grade students and 96 teachers. Students’ emotions during mathematics lessons and exams were measured through AEQ-ES-questionnaire which was designed to assess elementary school children’s achievement emotions. Teachers’ mathematics teaching efficacy was assessed through sections of teacher questionnaire which consisted of claims related to teachers’ mathematics teaching efficacy. The data was analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics 28 -software. Students’ achievement emotions were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Differences in students’ emotions between gender and grade were analyzed using t-test and partly using U-test. The level of teachers’ mathematics teaching efficacy was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The relationship between teacher’s mathematics teaching efficacy and achievement emotions experienced by her/his class was analyzed using Pearson’s correlation. Results. 3rd and 4th grade students’ emotions related to mathematic lessons and exams were quite positive: enjoyment was dominant, and boredom and anxiety were experienced only little. Students’ emotions differed in terms of grade and 3rd grade students’ experiences were more positive than 4th grade students. Emotions related to lessons did not differ in terms of gender on 3rd grade students but in test related emotions 3rd grade girls experienced more anxiety and less enjoyment than boys. In 4th grade girls experienced less enjoyment during math lessons and math tests and more anxiety related to math tests than 4th grade boys. Mathematics teaching efficacy experienced by teachers was quite high. Teachers’ mathematics teaching efficacy was related to students’ test related anxiety. This means the more efficacious teacher felt the less the teacher’s students experienced anxiety during math tests. Teachers’ mathematics teaching efficacy was not related to other students’ emotions. This result is somewhat contradicted to previous research. There has been very little research on the topic, and more is needed to draw a reliable conclusion. An interesting topic for further research would be to study with a larger data teachers’ mathematics related self-efficacy and differences in emotions of their students in the context of Finland.

Goals. According to Finnish curriculum (2014) the environmental science includes five subjects in primary school: biology, geography, physics, chemistry and health education. The purpose of this study was to examine the primary school teachers' self-efficacy and capacity to teach health education in primary school. The purpose was also to examine teachers' views and experiences about health educations' importance in primary school. In this thesis the self-efficacy is based on Albert Banduras self-efficacy theory (1997) and health education competence includes teachers subject expertise, exploratory grip, health literacy and the diversity of teaching methods. This study investigated the relations of teachers' self-efficacy and health education capacities. In this thesis teachers' views and experiences about their capability and likeness to teach health education were also examined. Methods. The data were collected in March 2017. The method for collecting the data was an electronic survey. 31 classroom teachers from Helsinki, Tuusula, Nurmijärvi, Hyvinkää and Jokioinen participated in this thesis. The study was executed with mixed methods, partly quantitative and partly qualitative methods. The quantitative analysis included correlation of self-efficacy and health education capacities. Crosstabulation was used to examine dependency of gender, work experience and competence to teach health education. Qualitative analysis was executed by phenomenographic analysis and considered teachers' views and experiences about the importance of health education, health literacy as well as their self-evaluated capacity to teach health education in primary school. Results and conclusions. Despite the primary school teachers' slight health education training, the results show that teachers' were fairly health-concious. Self-efficacy correlated especially with subject expertise and health literacy. Teachers' experienced the health education as important subject in primary school and themselves fairly competent to teach health education in primary school.

Aims. School buildings have gone through a change in recent years in Finland. Many schools have more open spaces and traditional classrooms have turned into open physical learning environments. An open physical learning environment refers to a large space where there could be several teachers teach several groups of students. There is little re search or studies on open physical learning environments. The purpose of this study is to find out the views of class teachers about open physical learning environments. In particular, the research aims to find out how open physical learning environments affect learning. The theoretical framework of the research is formed around the concept of learning environment. The research questions of the study are: 1. What perceptions do class teachers have about open physical learning environments? 1.1 How do open physical learning environments support learning in the class teachers' views? 1.2 In what way do the open physical learning environments make learning more challenging in the view of class teachers? Methods. The research was conducted as a qualitative case study. The data was collected using a semi-structured interview. Seven class teachers from the same southern Finnish school participated in the study. The interviews were conducted between November 2021 and February 2022. The research material was analysed using theory-driven content analysis. Results and conclusions. Based on the research, there are factors that support and hinder learning in open physical learning environments. The results were a lot like previous studies. In the teachers' answers, the problems of the stimulus environment of open physical learning environments were seen as factors making learning more difficult. Concerns arose especially in matters related to the planning of the school's everyday life. The simultaneous teaching of different subjects in the space and the passage of groups of students in the space were particularly highlighted. In addition, open physical learning environments were not seen as suit able for all students. The teachers were especially worried about students with special needs. On the other hand, according to the teachers, the advantage of the open physical learning environment was the opportunities it offered for versatile and individual work. The possibility of co-teaching was seen as an advantage of the space. Different learners should be considered when planning open physical learning environments. In addition, it would be important for new schools to know the possible problems that may be encountered in open physical learning environments. In this way, a painless transition to new types of open physical learning environments could be implemented.

In the last years the concern on mental health has been on the rise, especially of children and adolescence. The covid -pandemic has increased the concern furthermore. To promote mental health in primary schools, MIELI Mental Health Finland and the City of Hämeenlinna have developed a programme on mental health skills called Hyvän mielen taitomerkki. Mental health skills include emotional, social and self-awareness skills. Primary school as an institution offers many possibilities in promoting mental health. In this thesis the views and experiences of teachers, who have used Hyvän mielen taitomerkki in their work as class teachers, was studied. Their views and experiences on mental health skills and promoting mental health skills in general and the Hyvän mielen taitomerkki were the specific interests of this thesis. The material was collected by semi-structural interviews with remote connections in January and February 2022. The sample of the thesis consisted of 5 teachers. The data analysis was carried out between April and June 2022. The analysis was based on qualitive data-driven content analysis. The objective of the study is to produce knowledge about the views and experiences on mental health skills, promoting mental health skills and using Hyvän mielen taitomerkki in promoting mental health skills of class teachers who have been using the programme in question. The thesis was carried out in co-operation with MIELI. The thesis showed that the teachers saw mental health skills to be simultaneously individual and profound humane. The teachers also saw that promoting mental health skills in school is highly dependent on school`s operational culture. Multidisciplinary between teachers, psychologists and social workers was seen as a great potential but needed more viewpoint of promoting mental health. Hyvän mielen taitomerkki was seen as a functional programme by the teachers. Their experience was that it coordinates and gives structure, deepens gradually and is open to adaptation. As conclusions can be said that mental health promotion in schools would help many skills needed in school and outside, such as self-regulation, learning and interaction with others, but needs to be part of the operational culture of the school. Hyvän mielen taitomerkki is a functional programme and can be used in many kinds of situations.

The purpose of the study was to gain further understanding of methods used in schools by primary class teachers in tackling misinformation on social media. Misinformation can be considered information that is misleading, false, or fabricated. The spread of misinformation may have severe societal consequences ranging from diminished trust in societal institutions and democratic processes to potential harm to individuals’ health. In tackling the effects of social media misinformation, experts have regarded Critical media literacy as one promising method in preparing students to discern facts from mis-information. However, teachers and their views on misinformation and necessary educational efforts have been so far researched to a lesser extent. The data in the study was collected through thematic interviews. Six primary level schoolteachers from the capital area of Finland took part in the interviews in the Fall of 2022. The data was processed by abductive content analysis. The results of the studies focused on two main themes. The first theme on views on misinformation and knowledge gained understanding of how teachers perceive information on social media. The results were aligned with some key elements of Critical media literacy, for example online factchecking practices by teachers concentrated mainly on sourcing and biases as well as on discerning commercial and political agenda. The second theme of educational efforts focused on the roles of teachers and students as well as on the methods described by teachers in tackling misinformation in schools. Interviewees suggested that building trust between the student and the teach-er, as well as being present and taking time in the school day to address misinformation concerns in the classroom are essential in tackling misinformation. Additionally, promoting sense of belonging and dialogue practices in the classroom were mentioned as important methods to decrease the spreading of misinformation in schools. All in all ac-cording to the interviewees, teachers were seen as key figures for teaching students the skills needed to navigate social media.

Assessment of visual arts and the development for the assessment is currently very topical, as the assessment part of the National Core Curriculum for Basic Education (2014) has been renewed. In the future the final assessment will include the criteria for grades 5, 7 and 9 in addition to the current criteria for grade 8. Previous research shows that assessing with the current criteria for grade 8, does not enable equal assessment. Teachers have also been dissatisfied with the support provided by the curriculum in the final assessment. The purpose of this master’s study is to examine the views that classroom teachers have on the support provided by the curriculum in the assessment of visual arts. In addition, the aim is to find out how classroom teachers who teach art react to the idea of producing the criteria for the grades 5, 7 and 9 in elementary school as well. The study was carried out using qualitative methods. The research material was collected with an electronic questionnaire and one thematic interview. Eleven classroom teachers who teach art from three different municipalities responded to the questionnaire. The results of the survey were deepened with one in-depth interview. Content analysis was utilized in the analysis of the material. Based on the results of this study, the classroom teachers deemed that the current visual arts’ assessment criteria in curriculum worked moderately on average. Some classroom teachers found the assessment of visual arts difficult and challenging. With the exception of one respondent, all the classroom teachers who responded to the survey wanted elementary school also to have the evaluation criteria for visual arts in the future for grades 5, 7 and 9 in addition to the current criteria required for the grade 8. According to the analysis of the questionnaire and the interview, the classroom teachers believed that the assessment would be equalized, facilitated and clarified if they had these number-specific criteria in the assessment. In addition, teachers wished for clarity and concreteness regarding the curriculum.

Goals. Along inclusive thinking ever more students’ equality and participation has been higlighted in Finnish education system. Finland like numerous other countries has signed many international agreements, such as Salamanca statement and United Nations convention on the rights of persons with disabilites. The development of education according to these agreements has been exposed in many public records in last decades. Variable school culture sets new challenges to teachers and above all requires collaboration between teachers. Co-teaching is one way to react to the challenges of school culture. Goal of this study is to set co-teaching into larger context and investigate what kind of meanings class teachers give to co-teaching and how they react to co-teaching. The purpose of this study is in co-teaching between special education teacher and class teacher. Methods. This research is qualitative research. Research material has been obtained by interviewing three elementary school teachers in Oulu area. Interviews were carried out as theme interviews. The duration of interviews varied between 25 minutes to 45 minutes. The material has been analyzed with qualitative content analysis. Results and conclusions. In this study class teachers’ attitude for co-teaching was found positive. They saw co-teaching to be compatible with inclusive teaching. Teachers emphasized the role of pedagogical leadership in executing the co-teaching. School’s pedagogical administration can support co-teaching by structural arrangements, changing the working culture and by increasing awareness of co-teaching. Co-teaching also caused contradictions. The teachers saw, that disagreements were induced by division of roles as well as interactional contradictions. Conflicts were mainly clarified by discussing. The key points of solving contradictions had been changing the way of acting, self-improvement and support from principal.

The aim of this study is research teachers’ pedagogical thinking in oral health education. The study was interested in what contents classroom teachers consider important in relation to oral health, and what kind of teaching methods and materials they use when teaching these to their students. In addition, the challenges and opportunities for creative class teachers in oral health education were examined. The theoretical frame of reference for the study was Kansanen’s (1993b) Model of Pedagogical Thinking and the Herbartian Didactical Triangle. Teachers’ pedagogical thinking was approached from the arguments they shared. In this case study, eight classroom teachers were interviewed, seven of whom were currently teaching in primary school. In the interview situations, the I love mouth video of the Finnish Dental Association was used as a stimulus. The data were analyzed by inductive as well as deductive content analysis, also utilizing the quantification of the data. Class teachers considered it important to teach students content related to dental care, nutrition, intoxicants, and oral health and well-being. The most popular teaching materials in oral health education were textbooks, model teeth, and videos. Oral health was taught in everyday situations as well as through concreteness and functionality, group work and teaching discussions. Oral health care visits were considered desirable and their lack was regretted. As challenges in oral health education, classroom teachers saw a small role for oral health in curriculum content. In addition, there was a lack of teaching materials and one's own knowledge was not perceived as very strong. Directing students to a healthier life was seen as an opportunity. As in previous studies, the pedagogical thinking in this study also focused on the action level. Teachers justified the teaching of oral health based on, for example, their own experiences and everyday observations. The main emphasis in the explanatory memorandum was on the didactic relationship, therefore teachers’ relationship to the student' s learning. Additionally, the pedagogical relationship was almost as evident. Instead, the teachers’ relationship to content remained in the smallest role. Regarding the pedagogical thinking of teachers in the teaching of oral health, it can be stated that teachers should have more theoretical competence in the teaching of oral health.

Objectives. Education for sustainable development related to efficacy beliefs has been studied in the past, for example, among the subject teachers, but among the class teachers, research-based information is still scarce. Aim of this study was to investigate the class teachers efficacy beliefs and their connection to school action culture in context of education for sustainable development. The study also surveyed the realization of education for sustainable development with classroom teaching and school action culture. In addition the study examined the class teachers and their schools, the differences between their efficacy beliefs and the implementation of education for sustainable development. Methods. The study was conducted utilizing SEED research, supported by the Academy of Finland, sub-project by University of Helsinki, Department of Teacher Education, collected survey data. The SEED projects (Sustainable Food Education for Self-Efficacy Development) aim has been to study and develop the education for sustainable development in Finnish basic education. Sub-project of University of Helsinki Department of Teacher Education surveyed teachers and students factors which influenced sustainable development actions. The questionnaires question sets were analyzed by statistical methods and the questionnaires open questions were analyzed utilizing content analysis. The study was conducted in spring 2010 with national stratified sampling and the questionnaire was answered by 231 class teachers from 80 schools. Results and conclusions. Class teachers described their efficacy beliefs in education for sustainable development as mediocre. Best known was ecological sustainability and the least known part was economic sustainability. The knowledge of the curriculums cross-curricularity of sustainable development was mediocre. From aspects of the Sustainable development the ecological point of view was best achieved in school culture and the worst one of them was the economic aspect. The school action culture which supports sustainable development was found to affect class teachers education for sustainable development positively. Between class teachers there did not show up any differences in sustainability education based on sex, age, class level, the school or the schools classification in the municipality. Schools showed differences in teaching of sustainable development, schoolwork and school culture influence, as well as in the implementation of sustainable development in socio-cultural dimension.