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Tiedekunta - Fakultet - Faculty Educational Sciences Laitos - Institution - Department Teacher Education Tekijä - Författare - Author Virpi Jern Työn nimi - Arbetets titel Title Qualitative attitude study of PE teachers gender awareness Oppiaine - Läroämne - Subject Educational Sciences Työn laji/ Ohjaaja - Arbetets art/Handledare - Level/Instructor Master’s Thesis / Liisa Tainio Aika - Datum - Month and year 06/2020 Sivumäärä - Sidoantal - Number of pages 104 pp.+ 1 appendices Tiivistelmä - Referat – Abstract Aim In 2015 in Finland was released new equality law. First time in the history of the legislation of a gender equality discrimination based on gender identity and/or expression of sex was mentioned in the law. The changes in law were also considered in the national curriculum of comprehensive school (POPS 2014) and upper secondary school (LOPS 2015). Despite that fact both gender and sexual minorities experience discrimination at school environment even now (Lehto 2010; Kankkunen, Harinen, Nivala & Tapio 2010). Especially bad situation has revealed in PE lessons where reproduction of heteronormativity is according to previous research no exception (Berg & Lahelma 2010; Huotari, Törmä & Tuokkolan 2011; Alanko 2014; Kokkonen 2017). According to Syrjäläinen and Kujala (2010) situation is mainly caused by a result of gender neutrality of teacher education and lacking knowledge of gender awareness. For those reasons mentioned above, this study examines mainly gender awareness of Finnish PE teachers, but also PE teachers attitudes towards gender and sexual diversity. Method This study is a feminist educational research. The data was collected by interviewing eight qualified PE teachers. The teachers took a stand on 25 claims acceded to the research theme. The data was analyzed by using discourse analysis. A discourse analysis was con-ducted, based on the interviewer’s questions and comments and the interviewees’ responses and possible counter-questions. Particular interest was directed towards linguistic regularities relating to norms and ideas about gender and sexuality. Results As a result of the study it was revealed that PE teachers’ knowledge and percep-tions of gender and sexual diversity were updated. PE teachers’ attitudes towards gender and sexual minorities were highly positive. Teachers also appreciated and valued equality as a desirable status. A discourse analysis was conducted that PE teacher speech mainly took into account the diversity but in some interviewees’, responses were interpreted as heter-onormative. PE teachers gender awareness in this study was better to prior research but full equality of students has not been achieved yet. in PE lessons. Therefore, teacher training should include more opportunities to discuss about the strategies and practices to take the diversity better account in teaching PE. Avainsanat - Nyckelord Keywords Physical Education, gender awareness, gender diversity, sexual diversity, Säilytyspaikka - Förvaringsställe - Where deposited City Centre Campus Library, Helda/E-thesis Muita tietoja - Övriga uppgifter - Additional information

Usability testing is a widely used technique to evaluate web site usability. Roughly divided usability testing can be conducted in laboratory or remotely by a moderated synchronous test or by an unmoderated asynchronous test. There has been comparative research of the methods, but so far it hasn't provided yet all the answers. Therefore, this Master's thesis sought to find whether there are qualitative differences in the usability problems identified by the methods or whether the type of the web site affects the results of the usability testing method. In the research three different public web sites were tested: an online store, an authority web site and an online newspaper. These were tested with 39 test users divided in three conditions: laboratory testing, synchronous testing and asynchronous testing. Users also evaluated the web sites and the experienced workload in each condition. It was found that evaluating these web sites majority of the most severe usability problems were found with all of the usability testing methods, and each method revealed also unique usability problems that were not identified by other methods. The laboratory tests revealed more usability problems than others, especially related to navigation, body text, information architecture and interaction design. Also minor usability issues were identified the best with laboratory testing. On the other hand, the synchronous usability tests combine features of the laboratory and remote tests resulting in missing less usability problems that would have been found with other methods. These proved also good for finding usability problems concerning links and buttons, body text and information architecture and design. Asynchronous tests took less time and scored a little better in finding usability issues related to technical implementation. The results showed that moderated methods are more suitable for evaluating texts or the structure of the web site. These methods are potentially better for the earlier stages of the design process, but they were also more effective for finding less severe usability issues. On the other hand, the asynchronous method might be suitable when there are certain issues that need to be validated, when there's a need to review main problems quickly or the web site needs to be tested once more before the release.

In this research I examined in what way the transversal competence areas included in the core curriculum are compatible with the education arranged by the activity areas. While the core curriculum is being renewed to suit the changing world, the role of the education arranged by the activity areas has remained the same for decades. There are, however, similarities between the transversal learning and the education arranged by the activity areas. They both aim at supporting comprehensive growth and development and neither of them functions inside the limits of separate subjects. The aim of transversal competence learning is the pupils´ growth as personalities and citizens in such a way that they recognize their own strengths while education arranged by the activity areas helps them to act independently in their lives. My material consisted of 22 interviews of teachers who taught by the activity areas. The interviews were collected during the spring of 2018 in four cities in different parts of Finland. I analysed the material utilizing analysis based on thematic networks. I executed my study as a qualitative research. The results showed that it is possible to make use of the ideas of transversal competence learning in a versatile way in education arranged by the activity areas. Multiliteracy, ICT competence, working life competence and entrepreneurship were emphasized in the material because in these areas of learning there seemed to be an obvious contradiction as to their suitability to education by the activity areas. In the light of the definition of the core curriculum and the results of research, these three areas of learning can be made use of in education arranged by the activity areas. Documenting the suitable methods in the core curriculum would be important as well as teachers´ further education. I noticed that teachers experienced the contents of transversal competence learning and learning by activity areas being alike. In teachers´ opinion taking care of oneself, managing daily life, interaction and expressing oneself are the most important areas of transversal learning. Teachers also presented integration and inclusion solutions they used in transversal education. In addition to this they talked about participation and its realization in the framework of transversal. competence. They also expressed doubts as to the possibilities of transversal competences and their appropriability.

Objective of the study. The objective of the study was to research students learning experiences in mindfulness. I studied the experiences of students in the Faculty of Medicine about learning and the structuring of learning in the context of the mindfulness skills course. My perspective was intrapersonal and individual. There is little research data on the learning process of mindfulness because the mainstream of the study has concentrated on the clinical purposes of use and effects of mindfulness skills. I studied learning experiences using three questions: How do students describe conscious orientation of attention and selfaccepting perception (learning mindfulness)? How do students describe the effects / consequences of learning mindfulness for themselves? What meanings do students give to mindfulness learning? Methods. The research material was collected as part of the mindfulness and well-being course 2020. Participants in the Faculty of Medicine course practiced mindfulness skills during the course and returned learning diaries and a learning reports as part of the course. Among those who issued research permits, seven students (N = 7) were randomly selected in proportion to the population in the field of medicine and two students in psychology. The analysis of the learning diaries and the report was carried out with the help of theory-guided content analysis. The analysis identifies the impact of previous theoretical knowledge and research. Results and conclusions. Students described the objects, body, emotions, and thinking of directing attention on a general level. An accepting attitude towards self and practice was the most prominent attitude in the trainings of mindfulness skills although neutral, negative, judgmental, and ambivalent attitudes were seen. Students had very varied experiences of the effects and consequences of learning mindfulness. The effects were concrete changes in the operation or the control of the feelings and thinking. The effects of the learning process showed mindfulness as balancing experiences and a stress reliever. Insights and the development of self-confidence emerged, but anxiety and prejudice were also seen. Mindfulness was perceived as a meaningful stress management tool, a professional tool, an enabler of a conscious lifestyle and self-education. The progress of learning as a process was reflected in the results

Objectives: The objective of this study was to find out what kinds of approaches to learning can be found among first year medical students and how approaches to learning are affecting study success. In addition, to find out how stressed or exhausted students are in their studies. The aim was also determine how approaches to learning and stress and exhaustion are related to study success. Previous studies have shown approaches to learning can be considered as central factors affecting students learning. Student's approaches to learning can be divided to three: surface approach, deep approach and strategic approach. Based on previous studies, it has been indicated that approaches to learning and study success are related to each other. Surface approaches has been associated with poor study success and deep approaches has been associated with qualitatively better learning outcomes and study success. In addition, student learning approaches have been shown to be related to perceived workload. The conclusion has been that high perceived workload can induce students to employ a surface approach. Method: The participants (n=93) were first-year students of medicine at the University of Helsinki. The data were collected during spring 2011 by using a web based questionnaire. Study success information was included in the data. Correlations, regression analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to examine the interconnections of approaches to learning, heavy workload, stress and and their effects on the study success. Results and conclusions: Three different approaches to learning were recognized: surface approach, Deep approach and strategic approach. The highest average was found from student using strategic approach and the lowest average was from student using surface approach. Study success among medical students was extremely high. Students, who showed a surface approach to learning, felt exhausted. Medical students stress and perceived workload weren't high. The only predictor for study success was deep approach.

The purpose of this study is to find out the views of the early childhood education personnel of the city of Helsinki regarding the realization of the quality of early childhood educa- tion. The study examines to what extent there are differences in the quality of early childhood education and to what extent experiences of possible high or low quality have common explana- tions. The aim is to analyze how the early childhood education center, region, and the qualification of the personnel explain possible quality variation, and to examine what other reasons there are for quality variation. The theoretical reference framework of the study consists of the definition of the quality of early childhood education and the review of quality evaluation. The data of the research consist of the answers to the survey carried out by the Education De- partment of the city of Helsinki in the spring of 2023. The survey is part of the early childhood education quality, assessment and management development project and it was sent to all Finn- ish-speaking early childhood education centers in Helsinki. The responses to the multiple-choice questionnaire (Likert) were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance, the Kruskal-Wallis test, and by calculating correlation coefficients. Open answers were analyzed using content analysis methods. When investigating the connection of regional socio-economic factors to the quality of early childhood education, the income and education level of the region according to the postal code of the Statistics Finland's database were used as background variables. According to the research results there are considerable quality differences in Helsinki public early childhood education. Differences in quality were largest between individual ECEC centers and child groups, decreasing when looking at bigger regions. Of the quality factors, the sensitivity related to the interaction between the staff and the children and the identification of the child's needs were the best realized. Shortcomings were seen especially in personnel and space re- sources, in pedagogical leadership structures, and in the implementation of child support. The research results gave indications that the quality of early childhood education in higher-income residential areas is higher than in lower-income areas. The qualification of the staff also had an impact on the quality of early childhood education, but it only explained a small part of the variation in quality.

The aim of the study is to examine primary school teachers’ opinions concerning a reformed model of the religious- and ethics education in the Finnish school context and how it can affect the students development of their own cultural identity and feeling of solidarity in schools. The study is based on the current discussions about the subject where globalization and diversity is seen to be demanding more of schools (Rautionmaa & Kallioniemi, 2017). Previous studies also show that the cultural segregation that is seen in the society is a result of the segregation done in schools (Korkeakoski & Ubani, 2018). A relatively new study done in Finland found out the Finnish populations view about a reformed model of these subjects and shows that the majority of the population advocate a reformation (Mattsonn, 2020). The research was conducted as a qualitative study with a phenomenographic research approach. The material consists of six semi-structured, individual interviews with teachers working in four different schools in the metropolitan area. The collected material was analyzed using content analysis. The results showed that the majority of the teachers, four out of six, found a reformed model of the subject as a positive development and that it would come to support every student. Some of the effects predicted were an increased understanding and solidarity between students with different cultural backgrounds, more equality that would lead to a more integrated society. Some of the aspects seen from the teachers who didn’t support a reformation was that education in faith is important, the possibility that one student may feel excluded and that an separate religious education would be important especially for those who belong to a minority religion.

Objectives. Death of a close relative is personal and challenging experience that everyone has to encounter at some point in life. Coaching to face grief and loss is generally seen as one of the basic tasks of children's literature. The objective of this study was to unravel the ways of describing and dealing with death in four Finnish children's books of my research material. According to previous studies the ways of describing and dealing with death in children's literature have been variated from 1600s to the 21st century. Today's models and grievances associated with grieving child and adult's role in research material are made visible in this study. Research methods. My Master's Thesis was a qualitative study and content analysis was used as research method. I examined the children's books of my research material by specifying and finding narrative solutions, similarities and differences between books related to ways of dealing with death. Due to the abstract nature of death as a phenomenon of human life, I took a data-driven, inductive approach to the ways of dealing with death in books I have chosen as my research material. In the end I presented my perceptions connected with previous studies. Results and conclusions. Subjectively experienced meanings were seen as key point of my study. Complexity of the grieving process got highlighted and on the basis of research material, the ways of dealing with death seemed to be clearly connected with development in childhood. The results of my study show that adults should learn how to become sensitive to child's non-verbal signals, recognize grief and individual ways of grieving as well as respect and strive to support child in grief caused by death of a close relative.

Tiivistelmä - Referat - Abstract Aims: Aims of the dissertation was to examine study progresses of students of engineering. The aspiration was particularly to clarify how study progress is connected with approaches to learning, engagement and procrastination. Advancement and quality of studies has been notably researched in framework of approaches to learning. Engagement and procrastination have also been detected to reveal connections with fluency of studies. Progress of studies has not however been examined among these three frameworks simultaneously. In order to enlighten fluency of study progresses this dissertation strove to cover for this gap. Different student clusters were formulated by framaworks of approaches to learning, engagement and procrastination. Different student clusters were compared with study outcomes and the progress of studies. Methods: The data (N=236) was collected with a questionnaire indicated to Metropolia students of engineering in spring 2013. Analysis of factor, cluster and variance was utilized. Results and conclusions: the clusters were differed in approaches to learning, engagement and procrastination according to their theories. Deep processing was strongest in a cluster with also the strongest engagement. Whereas procrastination was strongest in a cluster with the strongest surface processing. Engagement was also lower in this cluster. The periods of study processes were also connected with approaches to learning, engagement and procrastination. Students with deep processing and stronger engagement seemed to perform faster and with better grades. These students also had lower procrastination levels. The weakest performs and lowest grades were connected with the surface approach of learning, lower levels of engagement and higher procrastination. Run-off examines and unperformed courses became more obvious among these students. This dissertation doesn’t give bright answers of inner relations of these theories’ influences during study processes. Follow-up research should be launched to itemize influences of approaches to learning, engagement and procrastination. It’s also unclear how these theories are being at least partly vulcanized by their defititions.

This study examines Finnish student teachers' images of The Middle East conflict and its parties and medias' influence on these images. The research problems are 1) how student teachers understand the Middle East as a geographical and a cultural area 2) what kind of conceptions they have of the Middle East conflict and its parties; Israelis, Palestinians and Arabs and societies and religions closely connected to them and 3) how the media has influenced on these conceptions. Theoretical background of this study concerns with different mental images, their construction and meaning, stereotypes, intercultural competence, media and its influence as well as media literacy. The methods used in this study were survey and theme interview. Also headlines of the news were analysed. The survey was directed at student teachers of the University of Helsinki (n = 75). Six of them were interviewed. The survey was conducted in February and interviews were made in the turn of May and June 2003. The headlines analysed dealt with the Middle East conflict in the newspaper "Helsingin Sanomat" in January, April and July 2003. Main results: Images of the Middle East area differed largely from respondent to another. Student teachers didn't know much about the Middle East conflict. Stereotypes occurred in the conceptions connected to the parties of the conflict. Stereotypes appeared especially in the negative conceptions of islam and muslims and one-sided conceptions of Arabs. The influence of the conflict was noticeable in conceptions related to Israelis, Israel and Palestinians. Palestinians were sympathized. Attitudes towards Israelis, Palestinians and Arabs were negative to some extend and their societies were not valued very equal, open or modern. On the basis of the research, student teachers' intercultural competence was not good enough. Media had influence on the conceptions. Also skills in critical use of media varied largely. Some trusted strongly in the objectivity of a picture and the news. It can be argued, on the grounds of the results, that teacher education should concentrate more on themes of intercultural competence and media literacy. These two are interrelated and are both needed in understanding and conceptualising the world.