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  • Rinkinen, Tessa (2023)
    The aim of this study was to examine the perceptions and experiences of special class teachers in relation to fundamental movement skills and physical education. My aim was to find out what kind of perceptions special class teachers have of the impact of fundamental movement skills on the overall growth and development of children and adolescents. I was also interested in how teachers feel that special educational need manifests itself in physical education. In addition, I examined the pedagogical solutions that teachers found to be effective in teaching fundamental movement skills, as well as the challenges related to teaching fundamental movement skills. I conducted my research as a qualitative case study. The case under investigation consisted of nine special class teachers teaching physical education. I collected the data through a thematic interview. In the analysis of the data, I used theory-driven content analysis. Special class teachers considered fundamental movement skills to be important, especially for pupils with special educational needs. According to their understanding, fundamental movement skills have an impact on the cognitive, psychological and social development of children and adolescents. According to the experience of special class teachers, special educational need can manifest itself in physical education in the form of many factors related to the activities of the pupil or teacher. Taking into account the special educational needs was considered significant in terms of enabling participation and successes, as well as the fluency of the class. Special class teachers felt that functional pedagogical solutions for teaching basic motor skills included providing activities at their own level, breaking down skills, using different groupings, and creating a structure and a positive atmosphere. As challenges in teaching basic motor skills, special education teachers experienced changing situations, getting everyone involved, lack of assistive devices, and factors related to the teacher, such as not having enough knowledge. However, when talking about challenges, many special class teachers said that they experience them as part of their work. They try to see more opportunities and solutions instead of challenges.
  • Puustjärvi, Eeva (2016)
    Kalevala Jewelry, the most well-known jewelry company of Finland, was founded in 1937 and is owned by The Kalevala Women's Association, a cultural organization which preserves and advances national heritage. Traditionally, Kalevala Jewelry is known for its historical jewelry, but in the 2000's the company has focused particularly in modern design. This study analysed the collections and operation of the company in the context of cultural heritage theory. The study focused on the collections and operation of the company during the era of its establishment in the 1930–40's and during the modern era in the 2000–2010's. The objective of the study was to analyse if the operation and collections of the company were consistent with the changes in the prevailing heritage conceptions. The secondary objective was to decipher how company's own heritage has impacted Kalevala Jewelry's collections and operation. The analysis was based on literature of Kalevala Jewelry and The Kalevala Women's Association, jewelry catalogs from different eras, articles about Kalevala Jewelry published in the Pirta magazine and press releases of the company. Furthermore, Kalevala Jewelry's design leader Kirsti Doukas and Petra Nikkinen, who is in charge of company's communication, were interviewed. The analysis was conducted following the NCT-model for the qualitative content analysis. The collections and operation of Kalevala Jewelry in its first decades were found to be advanced compared with the prevailing heritage conception of the decades. The development, which has occurred in the operation of the company in the 2000's, were shown to reflect the development in the prevailing heritage conception. Traditional cultural heritage was found to be the most evident in Kalevala Jewelry's historical jewelry. However, manifestations of modern unofficial and intangible cultural heritage were found in the company's modern collection. The own heritage of Kalevala Jewelry was shown to be a fundamental part of the company's operation. The heritage of Kalevala Jewelry is also seen in the company's jewelry collections.
  • OIkarinen, Sampo (2014)
    Objectives: In the Finnish media and society there is a lot of talk about schools and changing schools to follow current trends and modernize its pedagogy and subjects. Life in the postmodern society produces pressure for school change at accelerating speed. Previously researchers like Säntti (2007), Syrjäläinen (2002), Kiviniemi (2000) and Sahlberg (1996) have studied school change and teachers position in this change. In this thesis the change in school, society and teachers profession is studied through memoir texts, which teachers produced themselves. The study aims to answer two questions: 1) According to teachers' memoirs, how has the school changed? 2) How have these changes in school and society affected teachers' everyday school work? Methods: Research data consisted of 27 teacher memoirs which were part of My school memory -collection. The collection was organized by The Finnish Society for the History of Education in collaboration with Finnish Literature Society during the year 2013. Central in the data analysis was how teachers themselves produced the discourse about schools and society's change. Oral history conventions guided the analysis and besides content analysis focus was on teacher's positions and motives to remember and write about certain themes. Results and conclusions: Study showed that changes in school and teachers work reflect the changes in society wider. Central themes of reminiscing were 1) the birth of elementary school in the 1970's and the changes it brought 2) changing society and its effect on teachers work and 3) changes in the education policy and its effect on teachers work. When remembering the change related to organization and occupational group it was common that teachers wrote about it on a general level and used us-form. The first-person form was used in the memoirs in which writers wanted to add more personal feeling. The results rose a question: are schools able to produce change in which students' well-being and pedagogical solutions are the primary goal? In this study school appeared as an organization, which tends to respond to changes in the society around it, instead of being the driving force for a change
  • Tikka, Marjo (2015)
    The Objective. Two persons with severe chronic non-fluent aphasia had received repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and Intensive language action therapy (ILAT) interventions. The aim of this multiple-case study was to analyze if their possibly improved language skills also improved social-functional communication abilities in every day life. Another objective of the study was to analyze the adaptation to impaired speech by a person with aphasia and the significant other. Previous research has shown that aphasic people communicate better with their close relatives than their success in clinical tests may predict. Several studies have shown that persons with aphasia and the significant others can give reliable assessment of aphasic speaker's linguistic and communicative skills in every day life. Even though the mutual adaptation to impaired speech aims at improving the interaction, it can in fact cause asymmetry between aphasic speaker and his/her significant one. Data and Methods.The participants comprised two persons with aphasia and their significant others. The first participant was a 52 year old man who had had a stroke 2 years earlier and another 72 years old man, 4 years after stroke onset. Both participants had a chronic severe Broca's aphasia. The quantitative data of the study consisted of Communicative Activity Log (CAL) ratings of patients and their significant others given before and after the interventions. The qualitative data consisted of 20 videotaped conversations (about 7 hours of raw data). Focus of the analysis was on changes in communicative activity of the participants and there were identified through conversation analysis (e.g. initiating new topics or how different kinds of repair initiatives were used). Also signs of asymmetry between a person with aphasia and the significant other were identified. Results and Conclusions. The CAL evaluations revealed that 52 year old participant's performance in everyday life situations improved significantly. The participant reported a significant increase of 38% in the quality and 14% in the amount of communication in everyday life after the interventions. Consistent with this result, his significant other reported also increase of 33% in the quality and 38% in the amount of his communication. Also signs of changes in his communication into more symmetric direction were identified in conversation analysis. He aimed at producing more detailed and lengthier utterances, asking questions and initiating new topics in conversation. For the 72 year old participant the self evaluating index revealed a qualitative improvement of 27% and quantitative improvement of 38% in communicative activities. Conversely, his significant other reported hardly any improvement in his quality of communication and decrease of 9% in the amount of his communication. Changes in 72 year old participant's communication weren't that clear in conversation analysis data either. He however showed more active role in interaction initiating new topics in conversation, and producing lengthier utterances and details like names. Some noteworthy changes in both participants' repair initiatives were identified after the interventions: both participants made repair initiations to their conversation partners, they also expressed the trouble source if they could't hear or understand their conversation partner's turn. Both of the participants also made self-repairs after unsuccessful attempt to articulate the missing word. Self-repair was non-existent feature in their conversation before. These changes reveal e.g. that the linguistic competence of the participants had improved and the interaction with their significant others appeared more symmetric and harmonic compared to conversations before the interventions.
  • Villberg, Elina (2020)
    Finnish educational research has repeatedly noted how strongly heteronormativity is present in education, placing people in unequal positions according to their gender and sexual orientation. On the grounds of previous research, it seems that heteronormativity in education affects espe-cially the agency of LGBTQ+ people. The educational environment being predominated by a binary conception of gender and an assumption of heterosexuality, LGBTQ+ people often don’t tell about their gender and/or sexual diversity to others, but instead comply with the het-erosexual order so as to not get discriminated or bullied. This thesis examines heteronormativity in the context of Finnish education and its effects on the educational agency of LGBTQ+ people. The data consists of focused life history interviews conducted with five LGBTQ+ persons. The interviews were analysed through a narrative ap-proach and from a feminist point of view, utilizing the interviewees’ small stories about educa-tion as well as fictional storytelling in the analysis. The analysis builds a conception in which heteronormativity and the order of gender become produced and reproduced in education through everyday, routine-like repetitions, affecting the construction of agency and restricting LGBTQ+ agency. In my data, the requirement of com-plying with heteronormativity seems strong especially in basic education. In upper secondary education the hegemonic position of heteronormativity appears to weaken, and the stories situ-ated in higher education outline a positive and aware atmosphere regarding the diversity of gender and sexuality, even though some differences between fields are understood to exist. In terms of agency it appears that the primary factor is the individual’s impression of what kind of attitudes their social environment and particularly their peers, i.e. other pupils and students, seem to have towards gender and sexual diversity. When the educational environment is viewed to react negatively to LGBTQ+ people, they hide their sexual orientation and/or non-binary gender, which often appears as unnecessary in an educational environment with seem-ingly positive attitudes.
  • Rovamaa, Nelli (2015)
    The freedom of choice has driven people to look deeper into their own identities, and researchers are more interested in the construction of identity due to changes in the society. Entrepreneurship is also identified in the Finnish government's new policy as a driver of the growth of the Finnish economy. This study examines the paths and professional identities of entrepreneurs who have studied education. The research questions were How do educationalists become entrepreneurs and What types of professional identities do entrepreneurs have? The study examines the construction of professional identities narratively through stories because stories are a natural way for humans to talk and tell about their lives. The theoretical framework concentrates on the various dimensions of identity, professional, entrepreneurial and narrative identity. Ten entrepreneurs holding a master's degree in education participated in the research. The data was collected in October 2015 with interviews and the transcribed interview data was analyzed by using a narrative approach. All interviewees were somewhat familiar with the concept of entrepreneurship before becoming entrepreneurs themselves by living in an entrepreneurial environment. Interactions with other entrepreneurs, the person's own attitudes and their history of being an entrepreneur were all major reasons behind the decision of becoming an entrepreneur. The firm was often founded as a solution to a problematic situation. These situations included having spare time, an obstacle for career development or a desire to develop, unemployment and the lack of a business idea. When talking about the present and the future, the entrepreneurs identified themselves as persistent, goal oriented, being sociable, willing to learn and enthusiastic about their work. Three types of professional identities were detected: Gyro Gearloose, Ambitious and Realistic. These features were not specifically linked to the professional field in which the entrepreneurs work. This shows that the entrepreneurial identity is strongly related to the professional identity of the entrepreneurs.
  • Helin, Satu (2019)
    Higher education in Finland is expected to provide innovation activities for their students; this is indicated by the Ministry of Education and Culture in their national vision of transition to working life. Changes in work-life are affecting in the whole society in Finland calling for non-routine problem solving, multi-professional collaboration, and knowledge creation. Co-operation between higher education institutions and business life is expected to extend and there is an increasing demand of entrepreneurial skills. In my research context, the innovation activity is provided by facilitation organisation which is a link between all actors. Organisations and companies set complex challenges; then groups of higher education students ideate and create solutions for those demands. The data for this study was collected through ethnographic observations and interviews. The process of observations took several months; I observed groups to obtain information of successes and challenges among the multidisciplinary collaborations. Observations were accomplished at joint events and while students were working as small units. At the end of the project I interviewed students from observed groups individually. In addition, two facilitators and one counselor from partner organisation was interviewed. Throughout the whole research process I wrote notes to my research diary. The initial interest of my study focused on the use of the discipline based languages. Commonly, people from different disciplines are assumed to communicate with different terms and words; challenges in separate epistemic vocabularies are expected to influence to the process of collaboration. Nevertheless, the data in this research showed that the discipline based differences in language are only one challenge among others. The participants in this research described challenges and successful of communication and group work habits. My research highlights the importance of open-minded knowledge seeking and knowledge creating. Two groups and their approaches to this collaboration are compared. One group utilised an approach of collaborative knowledge creation, whereas, another one used a practice of subtasks which were performed individually. Innovation projects require the ability to collaborate, including both sharing own expertise and relying on skills and knowledge of others. The data illustrated how groups operated. On the basis of the research data, the objects of their actions were analysed, and I located the groups in the trading zone dimensions.
  • Tuominen, Vilma (2024)
    The increase of multilingual children in Finnish ECEC has highlighted the need to assess its inclusivity and effectiveness in educating and caring for children from various backgrounds. As early childhood is a crucial time for the development of language, social-emotional skills, and experiences of participation, it is essential that all children are effectively supported in developing these skills and provided with experiences of belonging. This study aims to investigate multilingual children’s participation opportunities during a shared reading and discussion activity. Eleven video-recorded shared reading sessions from different ECEC groups were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Finnish was the language of instruction in all groups. Multilingual children’s behaviour was examined in reference to three categories: active engagement and participation, passive engagement with little participation, or interfering behaviour with limited engagement and participation. Based on these observations, groups were divided into three categories depending on if they were considered to have a lot, some or little participation and engagement for multilingual children. Teachers’ methods for facilitating participation and engagement were also investigated, which resulted in 6 main themes and 19 categories being identified. The analysis revealed that most multilingual children actively participated in the activity, and teachers used multiple methods to facilitate participation and engagement. However, there were several groups where some children did not participate actively and received little support and attention from the teacher. Children’s multilingual competence was also rarely made visible during the sessions, as Finnish was the only language used in all groups. While the findings were generally positive, the lack of support for some multilingual children’s participation and the prevalence of monolingual practices indicate that the use of language-aware and inclusive methods could be developed especially in reference to shared reading.
  • Beck, Sacha (2023)
    Multilingualism is an inherent characteristic of human societies around the world, which is continuously reinforced by recent societal events such as migration or globalization. Yet educational contexts have only recently started to dedicate more attention to multilingualism in education. Education systems still fail to fully recognize and value multilingual learners’ competences, sometimes resulting in language-based exclusion. To address this, the present study examines the issue of continuities and discontinuities in terms of language use, between familial and educational contexts in multilingual contexts. Special attention is also given to language attitudes and ideologies, to investigate their impact and influence on linguistic practices. With the help of a sociolinguistic questionnaire giving insights into language ecologies in educational and familial contexts, a cross-cultural comparative analysis is conducted along with an in-depth analysis of one situation of languages in contact. This in-depth analysis addresses the educational policy level, questioning how policies can establish bridges to build continuity with the familial domain. The findings suggest that diverse situations occur across different sociocultural contexts. Nevertheless, some similarities emerged in the analysis, revealing that certain educational contexts promote continuity with the familial domain to a certain extent, while others do not promote continuity at all. Language attitudes and ideologies have a strong role on language practices and can contribute to the maintenance and vitality of certain languages, or jeopardize others. The in-depth analysis of one contact situation suggests that, in this context, the educational policy level attempted to promote some continuity, putting emphasis on mother tongue education and the development of multilingual competences for children. Nonetheless, explicit references to promote continuity between familial and educational contexts in terms of language use was missing. In addition, several sources pointed to the challenges of implementing such educational policies due to practical constraints such as the lack of qualified teachers or of a sufficiently high number of pupils participating in these initiatives. The analysis confirms that sociolinguistic questionnaires focusing on eliciting information on the ecology of languages can be a valuable source of data for education and policy-making. Although not designed for educational purposes, the data provided extremely insightful information. Therefore, this thesis highlights that tailored sociolinguistic questionnaires can represent a rich source of information for evidence-based policymaking. Overall, this study acknowledges the advancement and positive consideration given to multilingual education in different sociocultural contexts, and at different educational levels. However, more efforts are needed in order to meet multilingual learners’ needs, provide equitable chances and promote social justice in education. Reconsidering multilingualism not only as a right but also as a richness for individuals and society is a concrete example of the goals ahead. This study thus concludes by pleading for more action at all educational levels and beyond, to promote truly inclusive multilingual education and contribute to the important endeavor of changing education.
  • Saarijärvi, Kia (2020)
    This research aims to understand the motivational factors of the first year class teacher students to seek their way into the industry as well as their expectations towards the studies. The target is also to study the most meaningful experiences of the studies described by the third year class teacher students. Analyzing the motivational factors of the individuals entering the industry provides understanding why class teacher studies are so popular and what are the driving factors towards the industry. The class teacher studies are facing a variety of different types of expectations that are actively changing within the society and its diversified structure. Despite the fact that class teacher studies have been seen as practical academic education, during the past few years the relationship with theory and practicality has been questionalized. The research was conducted using qualitative research methods. The research material was collected using narrative thematic interviews. Eight first year students and four third year class teacher students were selected to the interviews. First group of interviews were conducted in the autumn of 2017 and the second group during the autumn of 2019. The interviews were recorded and transcribed after which they were analyzed following the principles of thematic analysis. The first year class teacher students had applied to the industry from many different back-grounds and driven by diverse set of motivational factors. The most significant motivational factors for entering the industry were social factors as well as own personality and values related to it. There were a vast set of expectations directed to the class teacher studies. The studies were desired to provide readiness to act in a practical manner and developing individuals professional identity towards the ideal profile of a teacher. Third year class teacher students felt that the studies had enhanced their professional identity as well as developed their pedagogic and academic skills. The teacher apprenticeship included in the studies had been experienced as the most meaningful part of the studies, which is the reason for desire of more practical content to be included in the class teacher studies.
  • Reinilä, Leena (2018)
    We are saturated and surrounded by intertwined cultures, by multiculturality. Multiculturality has to do with both our individual identities and more extensively communities and societies consisting of individuals. Constant change and internal diversity are characteristics of identities and cultures. However the discussion concerning them has often a very stiff and a segregational tone to it. As a consequence we create seemingly natural distinctions between the categories generated and reconstruct an idea of "us" and "others". Diversity and the mechanisms of separation occur also in the school world. The objective of this study is to examine how teachers talk about multiculturality and what kind of meanings and implications are associated with multiculturality within this discussion. I also try to illustrate power relations both between and inside the narrational discourses and present possible rationale behind these discourses, all in the theory frame of critical pedagogics. In this qualitative study I interviewed four teachers working in the Helsinki metropolitan area. I collected the research data through theme interviews. In the analysis I used thematic analysis and discourse analytic methods. In the teachers' narrations of multiculturality a childcentric, pragmatical realistic and a natural multiculturality discourses were present. The core of the discourses was based on the division between a child-origininating and a societal frame. All the discourses created based on the data were seemingly positive, in accordance with a fair equality understanding and acceptable speaking manners. However, a deeper examination of the nuances and functions of the discourses showed hidden mechanisms creating and sustaining otherness. Due to the use of language in a way that it creates otherness, school does not appear and actualize similar to all children, as the institution sustains ethnocentric and segregation-creating reality. On the basis of the results of this study the structures and discourses determining the practises of schools should be more critically examined. Furthermore, becoming aware of this discussion should not only happen at the individual and societal level, but it also should concern the education of future teachers.
  • Nygård, Taru; Nygård, Taru (2023)
    The thesis should highlight the instrument teachers' experiences of work as teachers of the Tempo Sistema children's orchestra from a social point of view. The purpose of Tempo orchestras is to enhance the interaction of children and young people of various backgrounds in the orchestra through joint music and to reach out to music hobby especially children living in more socioeconomically challenging conditions. The activity is inspired by the El Sistema music education activity aimed for social change. Tempo orchestras include children who have needs of pedagogical support or behavioral challenges. In this thesis, I will examine how the social starting points and goals of the activity are manifested in everyday teaching and how teaching in Tempo Orchestra differs from so-called traditional instrument teaching. The second research question concerns the professional skills experienced by instrument teachers for teaching students with need of pedagogical support and with regard on demands of Tempo teaching. The theory of the research is based on social pedagogy and the basic principles of El Sistema action. The thesis is a case study guided by the researcher's reflective approach and the researcher's personal experience as a Tempo teacher. The data collection was carried out as separate focus group interviews of three different Tempo teaching teams. The material was analyzed by using qualitative content analysis and thematization. The results emphasized educational teaching that strives to meet students individually. The challenges in Tempo teaching were related to students' different pacing and social goals of participation, as well as restless control, primarily in the orchestra rehearsals of a larger group of students. A kind of special pedagogy was considered to be a natural part of the Tempo work, but the teachers still strive the capabilities for teaching students who need support. The results showed a picture of Tempo teaching as a multidimensional social-pedagogical work, where the picture shows a balancing act with the traditions of social and instrumental pedagogy. Adding special educational expertise to the field of social pedagogical work can support children and young people who need support more strongly to achieve growth and development.
  • Jaakkola, Piia (2018)
    Former studies have shown that reading fiction has an impact on the development of different kinds of skills regarding our minds. Skills like empathy or making conclusions based on something we read can nowadays be included in the concept of literacy, along with knowledge of literary elements and the mechanical ability to read. International literacy tests also scrutinize the mental skills connected to reading. However, their ability to measure these skills are restricted by their narrowly phrased questions and short texts. The purpose of this study is to look into the mental skills connected to reading fiction from a child-focused viewpoint. The study examines the topic through the concept of aesthetic knowledge referring to knowledge gained through an aesthetic activity such as reading fiction. The aim of this study is to portray the kinds of aesthetic knowledge that reading fantasy literature evokes in child readers, and to is to describe how the aesthetic knowledge appears. The data of this study consists of video messages filmed by five 5th and 6th graders while reading a fantasy novel of their choice during January-March 2017. The transcribed data was analysed using content analysis and by mirroring the data to Maria Nikolajeva's (2014) theory of the aesthetic knowledge of child readers. The aesthetic knowledge of these children had three categories: 1) knowledge of others, 2) knowledge of the real world, the world of literature and the relationship between these two, and 3) knowledge of themselves. Aesthetic knowledge appeared when the children discussed their understandings and conclusions, as well as their uncertainties and initial impressions that were changed by new information. The versatility of these results brings up the need and interest to further investigate the connection between children's mental skills and reading fiction.
  • Hara, Maiju (2012)
    Fashion and luxury go well together in fashion blogs. Quality outfits and polished appearances play a significant role in popular Finnish blogs. Luxury products have become more accessible to the average consumer since blogs have become more and more popular. Blogs provide an image that anyone can consume and wear luxury brands and products. The aim of the study was to examine what kind of luxury can be found in fashion blogs. Is it superfluous materialism? Or is it a need and a desire to belong to a community where people share similar interests? The data consisted of updates of nine popular Finnish blogs from three months time in 2012. The blog selection was influenced by both researcher's knowledge of fashion blogs and general popularity and update frequency of the blogs. This qualitative study was based on netnographic principles and analysis method was content analysis. The results divided into two entities: material and immaterial luxury. Material luxury was divided into luxury collecting, considered consumerism, dreaming and contradiction. Luxury collecting included brand consumerism and pleasure with products. Typical for considered consumerism was to invest into quality, scarcity and uniqueness. According to the data dreaming of luxury brand products was a pleasure for several bloggers. The study also showed that some bloggers have contradicting views and attitudes towards luxury. They consume luxury products but feel uneasy simultaneously. Immaterial luxury consisted of sharing knowledge and lifestyle in a social context and aesthetic experience which blogs provide to the reader. Finding knowledge and sharing experience, involvement, belonging to a significant community and receiving acknowledgement from the community were essential in immaterial luxury. Aesthetics of the blogs were photographed bodies completed with carefully selected outfits and accessories. At best those pictures can be seen as little artworks that provide a true luxury experience to the reader.
  • Sahi, Kirsi (2013)
    Fashion drawing was a main method of portraying fashion before the development of photography. From 1944 to 1951 appeared a Finnish fashion magazine titled Muotikuva. The magazine focused introducing domestic and foreign women's fashion and appeared during eight years time period, four times a year. It is an example of a time when clothes were prepared by hand and pictured by fashion drawing. Kyllikki Raustila (1905-1965) was a pioneer of Finnish fashion drawing. She made a productive career in the field of fashion illustration. For Muotikuva Raustila drew most of the cover images and also illustrated domestic ateliers new fashions such as Ika and La Robe. This study analyses Kyllikki Raustila's way of portraying fashion and its evolution by studying her fashion drawings which were published in Muotikuva. Secondly, the study will analyse how the fashion drawings illustrate the fashion of its time, and what kind of role they have had in Muotikuva-magazine. The research data were Kyllikki Raustila's fashion drawings that appeared in Muotikuva from 1944 to 1951. 19 cover illustrations were Raustila's work and the magazine published over 100 other drawings by her. The data analysis method combined semiotic image analysis and qualitative content analysis. Image analysis was carried out by applying Gillian Rose's (2001/2012) visual data analysis model. From semiotic point of view, images were examined at denotative (structure) and connotative level (content). Fashion was studied from a semiotic point of view, making use of Roland Barthes (1967/1983) theories. Analysis of the fashion drawings was based on the image elements found in fashion photography (clothing, a mannequin, posing and props) defined by Naomi Rosenblum (1984/2007) and Merja Salo (2005). Kyllikki Raustila's fashion drawings utilize the same elements as fashion photographs. The main focus of the fashion drawing is to represent clothes. Drawings are more efficient representations of fashion than photographs. Fashion illustrator presents the main idea of the cloth with abstracting and emphasizing. Muotikuva's mannequin and her posing style remains almost unchanged through the Muotikuva's volumes. The mannequin of the drawings is shown realistic and described poses are natural. Postures of the fashion images are typically asymmetric in relation to different parts of the body. Fashion drawings include asymmetry, in addition to contrasts that create tension and fascination to the image. Development of Kyllikki Raustila's visual expression can be seen in Muotikuva's cover images: Raustila's characteristic Parisian drawing style intensified and cleared. Drawings stabilized rhythmic lines and bold color surfaces, mannequin facial features became more detailed. Overall, Muotikuva-magazine cover mannequin reflected the fashionable ideal of a woman.
  • Salonen, Noora (2016)
    Nowadays design has an important role in people's everyday life. The goal of design education is to help children and young people to be more aware of and to understand different forms of design in our society, and learn how to apply design methods in practice. This is the way to promote and develop important future skills, such as knowledge creation, critical thinking and problem solving skills. In the new Finnish National Curriculum for Basic Education 2014 designing is an important part of craft education. This Master's Thesis is part of a wider design-based research which consists of work done by me and Päivi Heikkilä. Our research theme was to design and develop new design-based teaching material for secondary school craft education. The goal of the material is to inspire teachers and pupils to get familiar with the design process and to exploit it in a more holistic way in craft education. The original teaching material was designed, based on the background theory and experience, together with Päivi Heikkilä. After that we continued developing the material using the methods of user experience research. The survey for the craft teachers was part of my own Master's Thesis. The aim of the survey was to collect opinions and development ideas from the teachers working in the schools. The beta version of Muoto & käsityö teaching material was sent to 115 craft teachers around Finland and they evaluated different features of it. They were also asked to give ideas how to develop the material. The data was analyzed using statistical and qualitative research methods. According to this research, teachers are seeing the Muoto & käsityö teaching material suitable for craft education. They see the appearance and the overall structure clear, the content suitable for the secondary school pupils and the theoretical part important introduction to understand the design process. Teachers were also pleased with the usability of the project part. All of our goals for the teaching material were achieved. Teachers are seeing the Muoto & käsityö teaching material as a current and necessary addition to craft education, especially now when the new Finnish National Curriculum for Basic Education will take effect.
  • Tupala, Tiia (2015)
    Aim of the study. Society has become more diverse during the last decade. Tolerance is the key to today's society. Knowing cultural heritage helps to construct cultural identity. Understanding cultural heritage and cultural identity helps to understand other cultures better. Museums have an important role in cultural heritage education. Museums can offer visitors things they can relate to and identify with. In this way museums can help to construct cultural identity. The aim of this study is to find out how different cultures are taken into account in museums according to professionals. The aim is also to find out how museums can help to construct cultural identity. Methods. This study is a qualitative case study. The data was collected from two professionals in museum field. The research data was collected by individual interviews using theme interviews. Data from the interviews was analysed by qualitative content-based analysis. The data was analysed by themes utilizing the themes from the interviews. Results and conclusions. The results show that the aim in museums is to have an interactive relationship with the museums visitors. Museums have also tried to get more diverse spectrum of visitors. The professionals consider multiculturalism as an important topic. Multiculturalism and the increasing diversity of society create new challenges for museums. Multiculturalism also brings new possibilities and new perspectives. Museums have an important role in the society as an advocate of tolerance. The professionals are worried that tolerance education is not appreciated enough in the society though. Museums can increase tolerance by providing information about different cultures. It is important to provide culture for the minorities also. Professionals see that museums can support the process of constructing cultural identity. It is important that museums highlight the issues visitors can identify with.
  • Utriainen, Marttiina (2016)
    Aim. The purpose of this study was to examine learning in the museum and the use of museum services in supporting teaching and learning from class teachers' and museum educators' point of view. The study introduces ways to develop schools' and museums' cooperation as well as museum services for schools. The background of the study is in the renewed core curriculum for basic education and in the role of museum learning. The new curriculum will be implemented in schools starting Autumn 2016. Methods. The study was conducted as a qualitative research. Five class teachers and five museum educators took part in the study. The research data was collected by using individual theme interviews in Helsinki during Spring 2014 and 2015. Data from the interviews was analysed by using qualitative content-based analysis. Results. Class teachers and museum educators evaluate museum as an important resource for teaching and learning. Museum as a learning environment is versatile and supports school learning in many ways. Museum services were evaluated as mainly positive. Instead the quality of guided museum tours was evaluated as variable. Additionally teachers were looking for better practical teaching materials. Schools' and museums' cooperation was considered good from both teachers' and museum educators' point of views. Museum educators considered that cooperation could be utilized in more versatile ways. Defining museum services for schools more clearly can encourage more teachers to utilize them in teaching and learning. With the help of more goal orientated cooperation, it is possible to improve the dialogue between schools and museums as well as to develop museum services to meet school's needs better.
  • Koistinen, Tiina (2016)
    The aim of this study is to investigate and describe the environmental an intrapersonal factors, which have influenced a musician-composers musical giftedness potential, as a promoter or as a blocker. The theoretic background of this study is based partly on Gagnés theory of giftedness and partly on theory literature about musical giftedness. Gagnés model is used especially from the environmental and intrapersonal factors point of view. This is a biographic case study, where the material was collected from one person's eight interviews, and from a writing task, which was given to the examinee beforehand. The material gathered from the interviews and writing task, were transcribed, categorised, and content-analysed after Gagnés DMGT –model. According to the results, the biggest promoting factors for the examinees musical giftedness potential were family, which included also grandparents, accessing the music class in elementary school, and the teacher's support there. From formal studies, the biggest promoting factors were music-institute and private guitar lessons, and the private teacher's supporting attitude. Friends and hobbies were also very important factors, especially meeting the other band members. Significant promoter happenings were relocations to Helsinki and Spain, the master of Finnish rock –competition participation, Depeche mode's appearance in Copenhagen 1990, father's death, intoxicants and sobriety. The biggest blocking factors were record label industry, conservative atmosphere in north Karelia in the eighties and use of intoxicants. The biggest promoting intrapersonal catalysts were very high self-esteem, self-efficacy, self-confidence, and also extremely high intrinsic motivation towards music-making. Sobriety was one of the biggest sea changes in interviewees life. The impacts caused by alcoholism and sobriety transfixes every area of interviews life from youth until the present day. These impacts came up in the examination of both intrapersonal and environmental factors.
  • Vartia, Ilmari (2023)
    Objectives. The objective of this master's thesis was to investigate music teachers' unders-tanding and experiences of teaching creative music production. Creative music production is an essential part of the latest Finnish National Core Curriculum for Basic Education, but ac-cording to research, creative teaching methods are implemented variably in music education and often overshadowed by more traditional teaching methods. Creative teaching methods are often perceived as challenging to implement, and many music teachers feel unprepared to teach them. This study aimed to determine the background factors that affect the success of teaching creative music production and the skills required of the teacher. Methods. The data for the study was collected by interviewing four music teachers who teach in primary schools. The interviews were semi-structured thematic interviews, and the data was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results and conclusions. According to the music teachers who participated in the study, the most important factors that contribute to the success of creative music production in primary school music education are a safe and supportive learning environment, the teacher's subject knowledge, differentiated teaching, resources, the teacher's attitudes towards creative teaching methods, and planning and limitations. Strong subject knowledge was considered a prerequisite for pedagogically competent teaching.