Browsing by Title

Aim. The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of motivation and competence in mathematics within third- and fourth-graders. Additionally, there was objective to find out whether there are gender differences in motivation and mathematics competence. The study also examined the relation between motivation and mathematics competence. Motivation was examined through motivational dimensions of the expectancy-value theory (intrinsic value, utility value, attainment value, cost, and self-concept of ability) and mathematics competence through arithmetic fluency, word problems, and logical thinking. Based on previous research, there is a connection between the self-concept of ability and mathematics competence. However, it should be noted that the subject has been studied little in the context of primary school. Methods. In the thesis I utilized data collected in the MathMot research project. The data was collected by the research assistants from MathMot research project in the spring of 2022 from three municipalities in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. The final data of this study consisted of 871 third graders and 896 fourth graders. Motivation was measured by a motivational instrument based on the expectancy-value theory. Mathematics competence was measured by instruments that measure competence in arithmetic fluency, word problems, and logical thinking. I analyzed the data with IBM SPSS Statistics 27-software. I used descriptive statistics, t-test, Pearson correlation, and variance analysis as analytical methods. Results and conclusions. According to the results of the study, the motivation in mathematics was quite high within third and fourth graders. There were gender differences in motivation in mathematics as self-concept of ability within the boys was higher than within the girls. There were gender differences also in mathematics competence since boys' mathematics competence was higher compared to girls in arithmetic fluency and word problems. However, in terms of logical thinking the result was opposite as girls' competence was better compared to boys. The relation between motivation and mathematics competence was found in areas of cost and self-concept of ability. As the follow-up research it would be interesting to investigate which are the most effective ways to develop the self-concept of ability for girls. Additionally, it would be valuable to find out whether there are still some attitudes in schoolwork that affect the creation of a different self-concept of ability in mathematics for girls and boys.

Objectives. Previous studies have shown that the sensitive interaction produced by adults is connected to the self-regulation and working memory of children. This is because interactions stir emotions in children. The processing of emotions is connected to the functions of the prefrontal area of the brain. These functions include self-regulation and the working memory. Children are more easily led by their emotions when compared to adults, and they need adult support in their self-regulation. Self-regulation has been shown to be a prerequisite for metacognition, and metacognition is an important component of the learning process. This study aims to find out how the interaction produced by an adult is connected to the executive functions of a student. The results of the study can be applied to interactions between adults and children in a general level, but special emphasis has been placed on immigrant children. The importance of interaction is emphasized when the child has moved from their own culture to a foreign one. Immigrant students are over-represented when looking at the decisions related to specific support, but according to various studies, the need for specific support for these children has not been demonstrated reliably. The study examines the interactive means that adults have at their disposal and tries to shed light on the interaction produced by adults. Methods. The material of the study is part of the University of Helsinki's Long Second data. The material was videotaped during the school year 2011–2012 in a preparatory class, twice a week. The approach to the study was through a socio-cultural learning theory perspective, because the socio-cultural theory focuses on the interaction between the environment, cultural tools, the individual and the community. The method of analysis applied was discussion analysis. The analysis was supported by a questionnaire on concentration, Keskittymiskysely (Klenberg, L., Jämsä, S., Häyrinen, T. & Korkman, M. 2010) which was used to analyse executive functions. One student was picked from the video material, and the changes in the student's executive functions were monitored in relation to teacher interactions. The material that was selected for analysis included four teachers. Results and conclusions. Four different types of adult interactions were discovered in the analysis phase. One of these interaction types shows genuine interest in the child. By utilizing dialogical discussion, this type of adult interaction makes students regulate their activities and speak Finnish. The more dialogical the teacher interaction was, the better were the student's own executive functions. The study also showed that rules related to the interaction improved the student's own executive functions.

Aims. Previous research suggests that pupils with an immigrant background tend to have a higher probability of dropping out of education after compulsory education. In that sense the transitional phase from comprehensive school to upper secondary education may be more difficult for some of these pupils. Guidance is a way to support people in making successful decisions as they face complex educational choices. School counselors give guidance and personal advice so that pupils can better determine their interests and educational decisions in upper comprehensive school. The aim of this thesis was to describe and explain, from school counselors’ point of view, how the immigrant youth’s educational transition from compulsory education to upper secondary education appears. Moreover, it examined, in which ways school counselors think they can support the immigrant youth in this transitional phase. Methods. Ten school counselors from upper comprehensive school were individually interviewed to collect the qualitative research material. The interviews were semi-structured by nature. The research material was then transcribed and analyzed using a qualitative data based content analysis. Finally eight tables were constructed from which the results were made and written. Results and conclusions. The educational transition of immigrant youth appears as a process, which starts in comprehensive school. Factors in individual, communal and structural level have an influence in this educational transition process. In individual level, Finnish language skills and the educational choices that pupils made were seen as essential. In communal level, the role of the pupils’ parents was seen significant. Also, the Finnish educational system and policies were seen as having a major influence on the transition from compulsory to upper secondary education. Sufficient personal advice and guidance from school counselors was deemed essential in supporting the immigrant youth’s transitional phase. However many counselors articulated that their resources were not sufficient. Also informing the parents of the immigrant pupils about the Finnish educational system, was seen as a way of supporting the transitional phase. School counselors also expressed a need for more functional co-operation between compulsory and upper secondary education. Co-operation can be seen as a way to support the transitional phase in structural level.

Maisterintyö tutkii ohjelmistokehityskonsulttien oppimisen halua ja kykyä tukevia tekijöitä. Teoreettinen viitekehys ja aikaisempi tutkimustausta selittävät oppimista sosiokulttuurisen ja kognitiivisen oppimisteorian avulla. Molemmat näkökulmat ovat tarpeellisia tässä tutkimuksessa, koska asiantuntijatyön vaatimukset oppimisella ovat vahvasti sidoksissa sosiaalisen osaamisen tasoon ja kapitalistiseen kulttuuriin. Toisinaan oppimisen halua ja kykyä voidaan ymmärtää laajemmin yhdistämällä kognitiivinen näkökulma sosiaaliseen rinnalle, joka käsittää henkilökohtaiset edellytykset oppimiselle merkittävinä. Tutkimus toteutettiin kvantitatiivisena haastattelututkimuksena, jossa seitsemän asiantuntijan kokemusten syväanalyysi pyrkii vastaamaan viiteen tutkimuskysymykseen. Oppiminen ja osaamisen kehittäminen ovat henkilökohtaisia prosesseja, joiden ymmärtämiseen vaaditaan kattavaa analyysiä asenteista, uskomuksista ja ympäristöstä, jotta eri tekijöiden vaikutukset tuloksiin voidaan huomioida. Tutkimuksen tulokset kertovat, että oppimista haittaavien asioiden poistaminen ja hyvinvointia tukeva ympäristö, merkityksellisyys, tietoisuus, työssä oppiminen ja yhteisö ovat merkittäviä tekijöitä konsulttien halussa ja kyvyssä oppia.

The aim of this work was to study what kind of working grips people use to knit in Finland and decide if one grip is superior to others. I investigated how knitters have adopted their grips and how they experience their knitting. I also explored whether it is possible to change one's grip. To provide a theoretical basis for the research I observed knitting in terms of culture, skill and ergonomics. The first part of the study material comprised video recordings of the grips of 95 knitters together with background information collected via a questionnaire during the education of craft teachers at the University of Helsinki in spring 2004, 2005 and 2006. Using the data obtained I focused on three knitters, whose grip of the knitting needles clearly differed from the ergonomically good grip. In addition to them I interviewed one student, who had changed over to more ergonomic way of knitting after participating in the first part of this study. In this respect my study is a several events' case study. In order to analyse my data I used both qualitative and quantitative content analysis methods to complement each other. Most of my research participants had learned to knit in first years of elementary school or comprehensive school. Almost everyone had adopted the basics of knitting by imitating, and many of them had corrected "incorrect" positions from verbal instructions. Through practice the imitated position had gradually become the style unique to each knitter. The findings showed that students' background in knitting is quite varied due to the diverse level of craft teaching. This is reflected in their knitting grips and their interest in knitting. Students do not think that there is one right working grip. The most important thing is that working seems as fluent and relaxed as possible, at which point knitting is easy and flows freely. They often consider their own style so pleasing and well-functioning that they do not think there could be any room for improvement. This study pointed out that, while it is possible to change a knitter's working grip, there is a bigger challenge in acknowledging weaknesses in one's know how. According to the results of my research, the most common working grip among Finnish knitters' corresponds with the grip that has been described as ergonomically good. Over one third of all participants knitted this way. Hands keep the knitting firmly but without tension. The forefinger that guides the yarn from the ball rests gently against the knitting needle, and the yarn goes in front of the first joint of the forefinger. The position of the hands and loops is the same as in the ergonomically good grip, i.e. the fingertips of both hands and the loops are near the tips of the knitting needles, so that the fingers only have to move small distances. When knitters purl and plain, they commonly pick up the yarn from the back of the knitting needle in the same way as when knitting. While researching the common features of working grips I have learned what abnormal grips are like. Although I recognized many different ways to knit, all the peculiar grips were modifications of the continental way of knitting. The results of this study give a clear picture of those points knitters should focus their attention on in order to gain a good hold of the needles.

Justice is based on experiences of fairness. In my master’s Thesis I am going to investigate fairness experiences of elementary school students. My object is to find out what sort of fair and unfair situations children encounter at school, and which are the factors behind these experiences. The aim of the study is to discover ways for maintaining and developing elementary school justice. I apply theory of justice forms, combined by Sabbagh and Schmitt (2016). These forms are distributive justice, retributive justice, procedural justice, and interactional justice. Furthermore, I examine children’s justice experiences from perspective of justice sensitivity, which tells about strength of feelings against unfair events. Rest on previous studies every form of justice is represented at school. Experiences of fairness apply to distributing of resources and punishments, processes of school and interactions of situations in school. Interpretations about what causes fairness, depend on interpreter. Differences in justice sensitivity and its perspectives are perceived as individual features. On the other hand, studies show that person’s age and sex have an impact on how people see fairness and justice. I collected data for my study in autumn of 2020. My sample consisted of 20 Finnish elementary school students, 13 girls and 7 boys. For acquisition of data, I used internet questionnaire. In analyzing phase I utilized both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The study showed that distributive justice and interactional justice are the most important factors of elementary school’s justice experiences. Likewise procedural justice is important part of elementary school’s fairness. Instead, retributive justice did not appear a lot in children’s responses. Respondents’ justice sensitive was low from victim’s perspective, when comparing results with other facets of justice sensitivity. Correlations between age and justice sensitivity were not found. Girls’ justice sensitivity was higher than boys equivalent particularly from beneficiary and perpetrator perspectives. These results state that to enable fairness at school resources must be shared rightfully and interactions between teachers and students need to be fair. In addition, fair processes of school are truly important part of schools’ justice. Educators should also consider effects of children’s low victim justice sensitivity and girls’ high justice sensitivity in discussions of justice and fairness in school.

Approaches to learning is one of the most important learning theory. Previous studies have shown that there are three different approaches to learning: surface, deep and organized. The aim to this study was to find out what kind of approaches to learning students' in faculty of law use and is there connection between approaches to learning, study success and collecting credit units. Also my goal was to explore students' self-efficacy beliefs and their connection to approaches to learning, study success and credit units. Hypothesis was that both deep and organized approach to learning are positively connected to self-efficacy beliefs and study success. The data was collected using Learn questionnaire which is a research instrument used for developing quality at the University of Helsinki. Data was collected from students' in Faculty of Law who were finishing their bachelor's degrees. Section measuring approaches to learning was based on ALSI questionnaire (Approaches to Learning and Studying Inventory) and section measuring self-efficacy beliefs was based on MSLQ questionnaire (Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire). The data was collected by an online questionnaire in the spring of 2015 and there were 108 participants in the study. The data was analyzed using correlation coefficient and regression analysis. The results show that law students have very strong self-efficacy beliefs and they benefit deep and organized approach to learning in their studies. Negative connection was found between self-efficacy beliefs and surface approach as well as positive connection was found between self-efficacy beliefs and deep and organized approach to learning. Approaches to learning were not connected to either study success or collecting credit units but self-efficacy beliefs were connected to both. In future would be interesting to study further how self-efficacy beliefs develop during studies and what factors make them stronger.

The reform of vocational education took effect in the beginning of 2018. New legislation extensively reformed the field of vocational education in Finland. The aim of this study is to explore this reform from the worker-citizenship’s perspective. Former studies have shown that there is a clear link between worker-citizenship and vocational education. This link has had an effect both on the curriculum and the expectations for students and the education system. In the beginning of the study I examine the dimensions of the societal debate that raise the concept of worker-citizen to the center of vocational education. My research questions are: What kind of claims for worker-citizenship can be identified in the reform? How are these claims justified? My data consists of 1) the government proposal for the new legislation and 2) the speech of the Minister of Education in the Parliament. My study method is a critical discourse analysis combined with Carol Bacchi’s idea of “What’s the problem represented to be?” My key findings are that the claims for worker-citizenship are strongly present in the reform. I identified two discourses that illustrate these claims. I call these discourses “the claim of flexibility and agility” and “the expectation of active and individual customership”. These claims find their justification from the idea of inevitable change. This change and adjusting to its needs seem to be the primary task of the worker-citizen. My findings also localize vocational education reform as a part of the neoliberal development that has been gaining ground in Finnish education politics.

In this study, I approach happiness as a discursive practice and foucault’dian governance instead of empirical and objective phenomena. The basic assumption is that current western understanding of happiness is based on positive psychology that equates happiness as mental state. In this discourse, happy mind becomes the symbol of a good person and being happy a moral demand for self. In this happiness imperative, one must constantly labor on their personality, thoughts and feelings in the name of better self and life. The context of the study is postfeminist self-help-culture, which is understood as neoliberal and gendered governance. Thus, the demand of happiness is directed especially to young women. Besides the construct of happiness, the interest of the study also is the ideal happy subject which is constructed in the hegemonic happiness discourse. Thus the study explores how happiness, good life and ideal happy figure are constructed in the postfeminist self-help-culture. The data consist of seven wellness blogs. These are analyzed using discourse analytical method and feminist media study readings. Discourse is understood as a regime of knowledge and practice which orders human’s thoughts and actions in the world. Hereby the blogs are not understood as personal writings by the blogger but wider material performatives of the postfeminist self-help-culture. In the study results happiness showed as taken for granted goal of the life, but happiness imperative could also be read as cruel optimism when one becomes exhausted continuously working on themselves. Anyhow, the self-governance was justified by the promise of happiness. According to self-help ethos, positive thinking, cultivating one’s authenticity and continuous work on the self showed to be fundamental objects of happiness. The ideal happy subject also followed this individualistic logic. It showed to be a postfeminist figure, which have a masculine mind but feminine body. Although the hegemonic discourse of happiness claims to be based on the rhetoric of freedom and equality, I propose that its ideal subject follows gendered and heteronormative ideals. Hence many subjects and different ways to be and live are classified as unhappy and abnormal.