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Objectives. The research task of this study is to describe, analyse and interpret the use of “migrant student” and similar terms in two documents of an international intervention project, which aims to make assessment more equitable for “migrant students”. More specifically, this study aimed to answer the research question “In what manners is the migrant student positioned?”. Positioning involves the assignment of attributes to people, either to another individual/group or the utterer/their ingroup (Davies & Harré 1990). On top of assignment of attributes, naming and agentivising of “the migrant student” were considered to contribute to positioning, and were thus investigated as well. Methods. The material consisted of two documents, a grant proposal and an informational document for stakeholders, written by multiple authors, who are researchers. Documents were analysed with quantitative and qualitative means, namely frequency analysis of agent-verb-object combinations and discourse analysis. Both analyses drew from semiotics, semantics, and enunciative pragmatics. Results and conclusions. It was found that “migrant students” are consistently othered (Jensen 2011) - positioned as disadvantaged, incompetent and challenging. It was argued that the unfavourable positioning of the “migrant student” could serve to convince funders and stakeholders of the necessity and the success of the project, which is essential for securing academic funding. The implications of conducting educational initiatives that claim to advance equity for students, but simultaneously other them, were considered. It is suggested that academic othering may be necessitated by the structures that impact the agency of researchers. It is also recommended that future research not only explores academic othering in other academic genres, but also involves those in powerful positions in structures like universities.

The purpose of this master's thesis is to examine the discourses of disability in the equality plans prepared in primary schools. The aim is to find out the meanings of disability in the material, as well as the positions and possibilities offered to a disabled student in discourses. Although disability is a fairly widely studied phenomenon, previous research on disability in the context of equality plans is not available. In this master's thesis, the construction of disability in inclusive educational documents was examined critically, recognizing that the educational equality of students with disabilities cannot be considered to have been achieved in the Finnish education system. The material used in the dissertation consisted of thirty equality plans drawn up in primary schools. The material was approached using the perspectives of discourse analysis. The concept of discourse refers to the relatively established use of language in a particular field or situation. With the help of discourse analysis, it is possible to study both the organization of the text and the consequences of language use. Disability was constructed in the research material in four different discourses, which were named the discourses of support and need, accessibility, difference, and health status. The discourses describe disability in a predictable and culturally established way. The positions offered to a student with a disability appeared to be limited and narrow. On the other hand, a student with a disability remained in the material as invisible, which appears to be problematic in the documents that are supposed to describe the inclusiveness in the education.

Faculty: Faculty of Educational Sciences Degree programme: Master’s Programme in Education Study track: Craft Teacher Education Author: Susanna Kirvesniemi Title: Colour from a weed – Scentless mayweed as a dye source for cellulose and regener-ated cellulose fiber Level: Master’s Thesis Month and year: March 2023 Number of pages: 58 pp. + 9 appendices Keywords: Scentless mayweed, natural colorant, cellulose and regenerated cellulose fi-bers, protein fiber, alum, aluminium compounds Supervisor or supervisors: Riikka Räisänen Where deposited: Helsinki University Library – Helda / E-thesis (theses) Additional information: Abstract: This empirical experimental study investigated the functionality of the scentless mayweed (Tripleurospermum inodorum) as a source of dye for cellulose and regenerated cellulose fi-bers (flax, bamboo viscose) and wool was used as reference fiber, which as a protein fiber, is best for dyeing with natural dyes. Tannin and aluminum compounds were used as mor-dants. This study was part of a larger study by the BioColour project, which aimed to pro-duce information on mordants residues in dyeing baths. With this study, the research data was produced, and the colour fastness was analyzed from the dyed textile materials. The research data was carried out using two different methods, a separate mordanting and dye-ing method (linen, bamboo viscose and wool) and a combined mordanting and dyeing method (bamboo viscose and wool). The colour fastness was determined according to in-ternational ISO standards. The total colour change (∆ELab*) was largest after washing with an alkaline standard deter-gent on linen (∆ELab* 11.77) extracted with aluminum acetate and bamboo viscose mor-danted with alum (∆E Lab*11.36). The overall change in the colour of the bamboo viscose mordanted with alum was largest (∆ELab* 10.17) also with pH-neutral detergent. On pH-neutral detergent washed linens mordanted with tannin and aluminium acetate (∆ELab* 0,85) and aluminium acetate (∆ELab* 1,32) and bamboo viscose which was mordanted with aluminium acetate (∆ELab* 1,57) had a slight change in overall colour. For wool, samples washed with alkaline standard detergent all had a large overall colour change (∆ELab* 18.99–24.98). For wool washed with a pH-neutral standard detergent, the overall colour change was significantly less (∆ELab* 9.49–15.37). The overall colour change of bamboo viscose dyed with the combined mordanting and dyeing method and washed with an alka-line standard detergent was large (∆ELab* 10.77–17.94) and the overall colour change of those washed with pH-neutral standard detergent was minor (∆ELab* 1.38–7.9). Assessing the colour change on the gray-gray scale gave a rating of 1–4 for linen washed with standard detergent, 1–3 for bamboo viscose and 3–4 for wool. After washing the col-our of the wool was visually brighter than the colour of the unwashed dyed wool. Using the combined method mordanting and dyeing method, the assessment of the colour change of the dyed material on the gray-gray scale gave bamboo viscose a rating of 1 and wool a rat-ing of 3–4. When assessing colour staining on a gray-gray scale, the lowest grade (3–4) came from the bleached cotton of multi-fiber fabric and the highest grade from the wool of the multi-fiber fabric (4–5). Light fastness was best in linen mordanted with tannic and alu-minum lactate/acetate (4). Wool received a rating 2–3, it turned brown during the test, bam-boo viscose had the worst lightfastness, and it received a rating 1. The grades were 3–5 for dry rubbing and 2–5 for wet rubbing. As expected, the dye extracted from the scentless mayweed had a lower dyeing ability for the cellulose and regenerated cellulose fiber than wool. Thus, scentless mayweed can be seen to be more suitable for dyeing protein fibers than cellulose and regenerated cellulose fiber.

Migration trends globally are reshaping primary and secondary school demographics leading to increased linguistic and cultural diversity in historically monocultural settings. In La Rioja, Spain, students with immigrant backgrounds make up more than 15% of the current student body. Teachers are navigating these intercultural classrooms with varying experiences implementing culturally and linguistically responsive teaching. Research currently focuses on student academic performance and well-being deficits as well as deficit-based public and teacher narratives. This leaves a gap in research on the teacher experience and positive narratives. This study aims to fill this gap by addressing two research questions: What are the components of positive narratives of teachers working with students with immigrant backgrounds? What are teachers’ understandings of linguistically responsive teaching (LRT) and culturally responsive teaching (CRT)? The data was collected through qualitative semi-structured interviews of seven teachers with varying years of experience in primary and secondary schools. A narrative driven content analysis was used to inductively code the positive narratives and deductively code the understandings of the pedagogies based on a combined LRT and CRT framework. Traces of the Narrative Dimension Model were used to evaluate the form of the narratives enhancing understandings of the teacher’s perspectives and experiences. Results from this study show three components of teachers’ positive narratives: growth as a teacher, satisfaction and efficacy, and inclusive community extending previous research which has overlooked these aspects. The narratives collectively indicate an emerging understanding among teachers of LRT and CRT in both teacher orientations and skills. Some inconsistencies in the understanding of academic rigor and scaffolds for language learners persist. Nonetheless, these positive narratives offer a fresh perspective that contrasts with the prevailing research focused on challenges. Teachers expressed strong and clear appreciation for the positive aspects of their experiences. Through personal authorship and some shared ownership, the teachers highlight the enriching aspects of teaching diverse student populations. The study shows the potential inherent in classrooms with students with immigrant backgrounds to improve education for all students.

Goal: The aim of this master thesis are two. First, the aim is to describe, analyse, and interpret how instruction striving to strengthen the students' spelling skills is planned and realized in the lower school grades, in which the students are still at the beginning of their writing development process. Second, the aim is to investigate what assessment and feedback the students are offered regarding their spelling. Purposefully, the study has been limited to the students in grades 1 – 4 in primary school and to the Swedish and literature teaching subject. The study took place in schools in Finland with Swedish as language of instruction. The Core Curriculum of Basic Education (first published 2014, in English 2016) mentions correct spelling mostly incidentally, even if spelling skills may affect students' experience of themselves, their school success, and have an influence on their future study and professional opportunities. Therefore, it is important to explore how the primary school teachers have chosen to work to strengthen the students' spelling skills. Method: The empirical study is based on interviews with seven teachers, who teach in grades 1–4. The study was carried out from a realistic perspective to study as neutrally and objectively as possible the teaching that strives to strengthen the students' spelling skills. To support the interviews, an interview guide was created. The interview guide is based on a literature review based on previous research. In the analysis, I strove to find similarities, differences and repeated topics. Based on the collected material and the analysis process, eight topics emerged. Finally, I discuss the results in relation to previous research. Results: The interviewed teachers felt that the students develop their correct spelling as a natural part of all text work, both in the Swedish and literature subject and in cross-curricular teaching. The teachers believed that the students' writing motivation is more important than correct spelling. Obviously, the students are offered limited or no assessment and feedback on their spelling, with the exception of spelling tests. The results showed that in the interviewed teachers’ classrooms, spelling test is the only method by which the correct spelling is taught. The texts the teachers choose for the spelling tests usually contain a topic related to correct spelling, such as double designation or a certain sound. The teachers in this study found the use of spelling test problematic, since the students and their guardians have the major responsibility for practicing before the spelling test. Thus, the teachers felt that this created unequal conditions for the students.

Teacher’s job burnout has been a global concern in recent years, especially during the covid pandemic. To reduce their burnout, job crafting is proposed as a key factor for teachers. Yet previous empirical research has found inconsistency findings between job crafting and burnout. In some studies, job crafting was found to exacerbate instead of reducing the burnout. The current thesis aimed to address this issue from a multi-dimensional perspective. Moreover, basic psychological needs were added as mediators to uncover the mechanism behind the paradoxical relationships between job crafting and burnout among teachers. For those purpose, 726 teachers (Age mean= 39) from China were surveyed online and reported valid responses during 2022. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Model (SEM) with three dimensions of teacher job (i.e., exhaustion at work; cynicism toward the meaning of work; the sense of inadequacy at work) and four dimensions of job crafting (i.e., increasing social job resources; increasing structural job resources; increasing challenge job demands; decreasing hindering job demands). The present study revealed a suppression effect that obscured the genuine correlation between job crafting (i.e., increasing social job resources, increasing structural job resources) and burnout. Furthermore, the findings contribute to job crafting and burnout relationship by indicating that “decreasing of hindering job demands” may induce burnout cynicism, while “increasing challenge job demands” effectively diminishes burnout (the sense of inadequacy at work). Additionally, the augmentation of “increasing structural job resources” is identified as a catalyst for teacher burnout, manifesting in forms such as heightened work exhaustion and cynicism towards the meaning of work.

Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852) is a founder of the first kindergarten. Froebelian approach has affected greatly in Finnish kindergarten pedagogy. Early on Froebel understood the signifi-cancy of early childhood and play. Part of his pedagogy Froebel invented six gifts which are logically advancing set of construction blocks. Because Froebel has a significant role in finn-ish early childhood education it is important to study Froebels pedagogy, especially the role of block play in todays early childhood education. The aim of this study is to look at the role of block play in the beginning of the Finnish kindergarten tradition and also study the role of block play in present-day. One kindergarten group in metropolitan area participated the study. The group consisted of 12 two- to four-year-old children. The study was made together with the Kindergarten Muse-um, which provided us the Froebelian set of construction blocks. Block play was videotaped. The study was done used by qualitative methods through observation. Video material was analysed using methods of content analysis. The role of block play was significant in the beginning of the kindergarten. Block play was a method to teach each subject the group was handling. The kindergarten group was excited about the Froebelian block play especially when using the set of giant blocks. Block play de-veloped mathematical thinking, observation skills and appreciation of beaty. Early childhood curriculum (2022) mentions block play as a method of practicing mathematics and technolo-gy. The role of block play has changed through time being in the centre of curriculum to one option to choose when it is time to play.

In my thesis I examine the importance and various meanings given to food in Sirpa Kähkönen’s Kuopio series of novels situated in wartime Finland. The wartime was an exceptional period in the Finnish culinary culture and was largely defined by the shortage of food. My area of interest is in examining and describing this period in culinary culture via the fictional story of a working-class family. The most significant questions posed in my thesis regard the significance of food to the people in these novels, and what else do the descriptions of food in the books reveal about the everyday functions of households during the wartime from the perspective of culinary culture. This research concerns the field of culinary studies in home economics sciences, examining the everyday eating in families and the management of food during wartime. For my empirical analysis I used the novels Rautayöt (2002), Jään ja tulen kevät (2004), Lakanasiivet (2007), Neidonkenkä (2009) and Hietakehto (2012) of the Kuopio series, written by Sirpa Kähkönen. As the result of my research, I formed different classes of meaning: Worry and health, Community and hospitality, Care-taking and caring, Self-sufficiency, Dreams and remembrances of food, Beliefs, customs and traditions. These findings indicate that food was an important everyday concern during wartime rationing. The choice of food was determined by nutritional factors and the importance of self-sufficiency was emphasized. Food signified care and love: taking care of loved ones and friends. Food was respected and somewhat sacred values were attached to it during wartime. It also highlighted the importance of social networks and reflected the trust within the community. The results of my research show how fiction as research material reflects universal and timeless meanings regarding food that also relate to current subjects in the field of culinary studies. The results indicate how food brings comfort and sustains social relationships during different times. They also bring forth questions of meaning in food preparation and preparedness in households during times of crisis.

This thesis examined food education within children's food-themed television programmes. The aim of the thesis was to analyse the content and pedagogical elements of food-educational scenes in the programmes and to consider the potential they offer for the development of children's food skills. The theoretical framework of the thesis was based on the concept of food sense, developed within home economics, which approaches food learning through the aspects of understanding, situational applying, and redefinition of action. In this context, food learning is understood as a three-leveled and gradually deepening process. The data of the study encompassed all children's programmes available in Finland via streaming services,which could be identified as food-related based on the cover image and introductory text. There were a total of nine series that met the criteria. For each series, three episodes were randomly chosen for further examination. The final data consisted of 27 episodes. The method of analysis used in the study was dialogical thematization. The data were first thematized in relation to the three levels of food sense. Within these levels, the data were then organized further into themes related to the implementation of food education. The results of the study indicate that children's programs utilize tensions in accordance to the food sense framework in food education. The tensions were caused by hygiene, time, food characteristics, eating, and food aesthetics. Related applied solutions in the series included sharing of information, technological solutions, verbal communication, and applied cooking. The solutions caused learning, as well as changes in ingredients, attitudes, and preferences. Tensions were most commonly individual- centered, focusing on feelings or inadequate interaction skills of single characters. The solutions were more communal, such as asking for help from other people or jointly brainstorming solutions. Based on the results, the programmes aim to integrate the educational content into practical and everyday activities. However, the programs also make use of magic and non-realistic aspects in their content, such as anthropomorphic characters and imaginative technological inventions.

Besides traditional cookbooks and magazines, a large amount of food content is widely available in various digital sources, such as social media or websites – thanks to digitalization. The wide accessibility of food content offers an opportunity to seek inspiration from various sources. This thesis studies why people are seeking for food inspiration, and what kind of food content they find inspiring. Additionally, it explores which type of sources people rely on when looking for food inspiration. The research was conducted by qualitative methods. Research data consists of 114 responses that were collected using an open-ended online questionnaire during October-November 2022. The questionnaire was distributed using different messaging applications relying on snowball effect. Additionally, the questionnaire was also shared in social media. The collected material was analyzed using a data-oriented content analysis. Furthermore, some quantification was also performed on the data. Consumers explained their reasons for seeking food inspiration through five motive categories: 1. helping everyday life, 2. the charm of novelty, 3. a special occasion or date, 4. diets and preferences, and 5. well-being and economy. The study also found indications about which elements consumers find interesting in food content. They were 1. visuality, 2. simplicity and speed, 3. trendiness and recommendations, 4. healthiness and vegetables, and 5. seasonality. Among the sources of food inspiration, the internet (56 mentions), magazines (56 mentions) and Instagram (50 mentions) received the most mentions in this study. The results examine the needs and views of consumers regarding food content. However, there is still need for further research such as considering the differences between genders and age groups.