Browsing by master's degree program "Master's Programme in Education"

During the exception period caused by the coronavirus, the cooking of college students has increased in households. Familiar daily routines and regularly recurring everyday activities, such as the lack of contact teaching and student meals, may have created challenges for food planning and preparation. Being responsible for daily meals requires cooking skills as well as the ability to assess the healthiness of food. The goal of this study is to provide research information on university students' eating habits and experiences of health promotion during exceptional times, and on how university students have experienced the adequacy of their own resources in organize health-promoting eating during exceptional times. The theoretical background of the study relies on the researches of nutrition, eating habits and control of everyday life applied the field of home economics pedagogy. The research was carried out using qualitative methods. The research material consists of five university students. The data collection was carried out by in-depth interviews with university students. The interviews were conducted in March 2021 using the Teams app because, due to the prevailing period of exception faceto-face encounters were not possible. The research material was analyzed by thematic design. According to the research results, organizing nutritious meals during exceptional times required more resources such as cooking skills, abilities to rhythmize a new kind of everyday life and also motivation and a desire to prepare health-promoting meals. The students felt that their cooking skills were sufficient, but especially the organization of lunch and maintaining the nutritional quality of lunch was perceived as a great challenge despite their abilities. Continuous cooking, scheduling, and planning were described as heavy, timeconsuming, and stressful. This has had an unhealthy effects on students ’eating habits. A new kind of everyday rhythm and the workload of cooking seemed to be a challenge in students' everyday activities. Due to the preservation of the meal rhythm, the financial situation and the social interaction situations, the university students experienced a longing for an affordable and nutritious student restaurant. According to the results obtained, the new kind of everyday life offered by exceptional circumstances and the challenges it brings seemed to undermine conventional everyday management, such as the organization of daily meals.

Objectives. Prior research on educational literature has identified shortcomings in equality in assessment. In addition, prior research has observed that teachers evaluate pupils with respect to other pupils rather than with respect to general learning objectives. Solutions to these challenges have not, however, been proposed. This thesis seeks to examine assessment from perspectives of validity and equality and to offer solutions in increasing the equality in assessment. Increasing the equality of assessment is needed, as varying assessment sets pupils to inequal position with regards to further studies as well as development and growth as learner. Ultimately, this thesis seeks to develop assessment but also to shed light to underlying challenges of equal assessment. Methodology. The data utilized in this thesis was based on a web-based brainstorming session made for teachers and other actors in primary school, and in particular on responses to question on how to increase equality of assessment. The brainstorming session was organized by Fountain Park, and funded by Finnish National Agency for Education. The total number of responses was 2487. The research methodology applied in this thesis was sample-based and inductive qualitative analysis. The responses were first categorized by using Atlas.ti qualitative analysis software due to the large number of responses. As a result of data analysis and conceptualization, eight categories were created. Findings and conclusions. The eight factors increasing equality in assessment found in this research are 1) requirements of collaboration between evaluators, 2) increasing knowledge e.g. through trainings, 3) diverse assessment methods, 4) consideration of individuality in assessment, 5) nationwide assessment system including e.g. exam and assignment library 6) openness of assessment towards pupils, 7) detailed assessment criteria and objectives in the curriculum and 8) resources. Resources are not directly related to increasing equality in assessment, however resources were seen as a barrier or enabler for the other factors. For the identified factors to be realized in practice, different actors on levels of teachers, schools, as well as administration are needed. As a support his/her assessment work, a teacher needs knowledge and trainings provided by the administrative actors, collaboration with colleagues, and sufficient assessment skills.

Education is of central importance in our society. It not only ensures economic growth, but also contributes to democratic decision-making, social inclusion, and equity. Teachers there fore play a vital role in society and to ensure that there are competent, talented and committed teachers in the future, the teaching profession needs to be respected and teachers´ well being taken seriously. Previous studies show that the workload is increasing and that the well-being of teachers is declining. Some teachers feel so exhausted that they choose to leave the teaching profession. This tendency is alarming and is seen not only in Finland but in several parts of the world. The aim of this study is to identify factors that increase workload and to understand which factors have a negative impact on teachers ́ well-being. In addition, by allowing teachers to highlight suggestions for improvement, the study can contribute with knowledge about how the teaching profession could develop so that well-being could increase, and workload could be reduced. The following research questions have been posed: 1. Which factors contribute to increased workload among teachers? 2. Which factors in the teaching profession contribute to reduced well-being? 3. What changes do teachers consider essential to promote their well-being and reduce workload? This study was conducted using a qualitative method where the material was collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews. A total of five teachers who teach in grades 1–6 participated. Qualitative content analysis is used to analyze the interviews. The results show that factors that increase workload are linked to the overall increase in work load. The teachers feel that the increased bureaucracy is stressful, as is the lack of resources in the classroom. When it comes to well-being, it is mainly friction in social relations that con tributes to poorer well-being. Mistrust and lack of support in leadership are also contributing factors. Teachers emphasize that it is important to keep teaching groups small and that they need better opportunities to deal with students who disrupt teaching. Greater clarity in policy documents and more effective collaboration are also important to counteract workload. In addition, teachers would like to be more involved in decision-making processes, they want to be taken seriously and be treated with respect.

The purpose of the study is to find out how guardians of children with autism spectrum experience the implementation of support in early childhood education. In the past few years, the diagnosis of autism spectrum has become more common in children of early childhood age, so the number of children diagnosed has increased in early childhood education. Children have been placed in different kindergarten groups, taking into account support needs, but the educating community with know-how may be absent from the groups. In this case, the child’s personally directed support also suffers. In the past, the views of early childhood educators on the rehabilitation of children with autism spectrum disorder in early childhood education have been studied more, but the guardians’ thoughts on the implementation of support and early childhood education are few. The aim of the study is to find out whether the child’s personal support needs have been taken into account in the group and whether the child receives enough support in the opinion of the guardians. The study was conducted through individual interviews by remotely interviewing guardians of children with autism spectrum in early childhood education. The research was carried out using qualitative methods and the research material was analyzed on the basis of data by means of content analysis. The theoretical background of the study is based on the forms and arrangements of support for early childhood education, research data on the autism spectrum, laws, regulations and policies related to the early childhood education of children with autism spectrum and early childhood education in general. The results of the study on the experiences of guardians of autism spectrum children about the support received by the child in early childhood education or pre-school education were expressed by the guardians'views on gaps in support, reinforcing factors in support and guardians' wishes for good and adequate support. The guardians felt that the input of certain employees, the close co-operation between the kindergarten educators and the family, and the consideration of individual support needs were positive things. The guardians felt that the lack of information, insufficient resources and a lack of knowledge about the children were negative things in support. In addition, the guardians described that not enough children's special means of communication were used. In particular, carers wanted more resources, stronger staff training and the necessary support services to support early childhood education.

Aims. A national reform of continuous learning is under way. The reform responds to the continuing need to develop and renew competence. The aim of the government program is to develop the higher education system as a platform for continuous learning, in which both degree students and learners without a place to study could flexibly complete their studies at the offer of all Finnish higher education institutions. The government program encourages the widest possible opening of educational offerings to non-degree students and the organization of teaching in co-operation with other higher education institutions. The University of Helsinki is responding to the national challenge with a project launched in 2019 to develop continuous learning. The main goal of the project is to expand the university's continuous learning offer. The aim of the dissertation is to find out how the faculties of the University of Helsinki justify the expansion or restriction of the open study offer. Underlying this is the theory of continuous learning, which I become familiar with through related concepts such as the concept of lifelong learning. Methods. Two deans of teaching and one head of study affairs from the faculties of the University of Helsinki participated in the study. The faculties studied were the Faculty of Educational Sciences, the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Science. The material was obtained through a thematic interview and analyzed by argumentation analysis following Stephen Toulmin's argumentation model. Results and conclusions. In many cases the study offer can be opened. The main target groups to which studies can be opened were young people and those seeking to study, as well as people of working age. The reasons for expanding the study offer included financial resources, an open atmosphere and active teachers, as well as effective cooperation with the Open University. The restriction of the study offer was justified by the fact that there are courses or study units in the degree programs of the faculties that could not be open to everyone, for example due to the production of a qualification. The workload of teachers and the poor scalability of some courses to large numbers were also highlighted. In addition, teachers do not necessarily consider continuous learning as a curriculum activity. The conclusion about the development of continuous learning activities emerged in the interviews of the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Educational Sciences.

The aim of this study is to examine coaching from an adult learning perspective and to form an understanding what kind of adult learning processes are involved in coaching. In addition, the purpose is also to form an understanding of potential elements that contribute to learning and elements that can slow down, or even hinder learning. Related to this is the exploration of methods and tools used by coaches to facilitate the learning experience. The research data for this qualitative research was collected by interviewing seven ICF coach practitioners. Theory-guided content analysis was used to analyse the interview mate-rial. Andragogy, experiential learning and transformative learning were used as reference theories that could possible explain the findings from the research material. The findings show that the adult learning processes that are at play in coaching are related to reflective activity, which create awareness that then trigger action. An action with successful outcome, a tested hypothesis proves effective, creates a durable and concrete change, or transformation, in the way of thinking and or acting in the person. All three adult learning theories, that provided the framework for this study, were found to be relevant in one way or the other. None of the theories could alone explain the learning processes that happen in coaching. Andragogy provides a good framework for the overall practical process steps in coaching. Experiential learning provides a good framework in explaining the process of reflective thought, hypothesis testing and action. Transformative learning, on the other hand, provide an understanding of the processes that happen when the testing of hypothesis succeed and transformation occurs in the learner. The fundamentals elements contributing to a positive coaching experience were found to be several. Client’s aptitude for coaching, coach's professionality, a good dyadic relation based on trust and external support from manager and organization were among the important contributing factors.

At the time of conducting this study, the Finnish upper secondary schools were facing a major change in the school system. Universities were changing their admission system, and a reform in upper secondary education resulted in a new curriculum for the school year 2021, five years after the current curriculum was put into use in 2016. Guidance counseling has gained a more prominent role in the curriculum and individual counseling and development has become increasingly emphasized. The proportion of upper secondary school teachers who often experience stress has risen from 14% to 17% between 2017 and 2019, and previous research indicates that guidance counselors are at risk of burnout. Stressors have been discovered to be lack of timely resources, lack of role clarity and a large workload. The purpose of this study is to investigate the Finnish guidance counselors’ well-being at work, and how they experience their workload. This is explored on the basis of the variables job satisfaction, satisfaction regarding job duties, social support, time resources, access to further training, experienced challenge and experienced stress. The data was collected with an electronic questionnaire sent out to the guidance counselors in Swedish speaking upper secondary schools in Finland, a total of N = 42. The questionnaire was answered by a total of N = 22, all of which were analyzed in the study. The program IBM SPSS 25 was used in the processing and analysis of the data. All group comparisons are performed with nonparametric tests: Mann-Whitney U-test, Kruskal-Wallis test by ranks and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. The results showed that the guidance counsellors generally experienced a high level of job satisfaction. Symptoms of stress or perceived burnout had a negative correlation with several factors: job satisfaction, perceived social support, timely resources at hand, and a higher experience of stress and challenge. Work experience was also significant for job satisfaction. Despite this, the guidance counselors with experiences of stress or burnout reported a high job satisfaction.

Fraction knowledge is central for daily activities, such as cooking and personal finance, but many students have difficulty with fractions. Fraction knowledge has been found to predict later mathematical performance in comprehensive school. Virtual manipulatives (VM) and concrete manipulatives (CM) are effective approaches to teaching fractions, but previous research has not been able to reach a consensus on which manipulatives are the most effective. This quasi-experimental study employed a pre- and post-test design to investigate the differential effects of VM and CM in a fraction intervention on students’ fraction skills. In addition to fraction skills, students’ arithmetical fluency was measured. Fidelity of intervention, social validity and time-efficiency of the manipulatives were also investigated. Fourth and fifth grade participants (N = 115) from Southern Finland were assigned to VM and CM intervention groups. The intervention was implemented during six 45-minute lessons over two weeks. Lesson contents were the same for both groups in spite of the manipulative. Results revealed that the CM group outperformed the VM group in fraction skills, which suggests that CM should be favored in fraction interventions. Additional implications for research and practice are discussed.

Climate change is a fundamental phenomenon and challenge of our time and it should be dealt with in all areas of life. However, climate change education is being implemented very limitedly. During recent years there has been increasing amount of research on climate change education, but climate change education in early childhood education has been studied very sparingly. According to previous research, news about climate change can arouse many kinds of emotions and thoughts in children. Based on research, it has been proposed that through art-driven teaching methods it is possible to deal with emotions and thoughts aroused by climate change and strengthen hopefulness and belief in one’s own influence. Of the forms of art education, drama education as a method of climate change education has hardly been studied. The aim of this study was to add knowledge of what climate change education could be in early childhood education. The study investigates early childhood education specialists’ definitions of climate change education and their views on what possibilities drama education methods can offer for implementation of climate change education. I designed and implemented climate drama workshops for early childhood education specialists and collected the research data in the context of the workshops. Participants of the study produced short writings and in addition two of the workshops were videotaped. I analyzed the writing data and the video data qualitatively using the method of theory-based content analysis. Aa a basis for the analysis I used primarily the holistic bicycle model on climate change education (Tolppanen ym. 2017). The early childhood education specialists who participated in the study defined adding knowledge and understanding, encouraging to action, developing values and conceptions of the world and dealing with emotions as contents of climate change education. Specialists’ uncertainty and worries about arousing difficult emotions in children appeared as barriers for implementing climate change education in early childhood education. From the perspective of the study subjects, drama education methods seemed to have possibilities for implementing several parts of climate change education. Drama educations possibilities related to adding knowledge, developing thinking skills, building conceptions of the world, empowering and dealing with emotions were brought up. Methods of drama education offer practical ways for implementing and developing climate change education in early childhood education.

Compassion has been a recent interest in research field when trying to solve the challenges Western work culture of efficiency such as burnout. Research shows that compassion in work community increases well-being at work, innovativeness and meaningfulness for work. That’s also why it’s seen to be a great asset in organizations. Working from stagnant to functional, proactive compassion culture may be difficult without the knowledge of the factors that effects compassion at work. Aim of this study is to represent some of those factors from early childhood education and care (ECEC) actors’ point of view. In this study, I examine the different meanings associated with compassion, its enabling and inhibitory factors in work community and self-compassion. This study was conducted by analyzing interviews with selected participants so the sample does not represent the generalized view of ECEC actors on compassion. By ECEC actors I mean ECEC nurses and teachers, heads of ECEC units and regional managers. The data consists of twelve thematical interviews which were analyzed utilizing data and theory based content analysis. The results show that participants saw compassion as an important aspect in their work. Compassion is enabled through structures and leading compassion, compassionate leadership, interaction and encounters, work communality and outlining empathy and compassion. Inhibitory factors were large unit size and individual qualities. Answers to self-compassion had three different aspects which were self-kindness, common humanity and mindfulness that were in line with previous research (Neff, 2003a).