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The aim of this master’s thesis was to describe special education teachers’ perceptions of the ways to support their students’ reading-related self-concepts. Reading difficulties and reading related learning disabilities create a risk for the development of students’ reading-related self-concepts. Students reading-related self-concept is in many ways related to students’ reading skills and performance in school as well as general well-being. Thus it is important to pay attention to the students’ reading-related self-concepts’ significance and to find means to support it. The theoretical framework used in the study consists of the main themes of the study, which are learning and teaching to read, reading difficulties and reading-related self-concept. The aim of this study was to examine special education teachers’ work in relation to reading difficulties and reading-related self-concept. The purpose was also to find out how special education teachers comprehend the connection between reading difficulties, school-performance and reading-related self-concept. This study focused on describing the ways in which a part-time special education teacher can support students’ reading-related self-concept. This study was a qualitative study and it was carried out using a phenomelological research method. The data was produced by interviewing part time special education teachers in elementary schools. The method of analysis was content analysis. The results showed that part-time special-education teachers’ work was multifaceted and focused on taking into account students’ individual needs and reading difficulties. Reading-related self-concept was seen to have a strong influence on students’ studies and well-being. Part-time special-education teachers used several different methods of supporting their students’ reading-related self-concept: improving students’ reading skills, motivation, collaboration with other teachers and students’ guardians, teacher-student-interaction, differentiating teaching and enabling the feelings of success as well as emotional support and positive working climate.

This work studied the creative process of musicians. The subject was chosen partly due to the attention given to creativity in social discussion. The approach was material-based, because during the work it became clear that the theoretical models describing the creative process in general did not provide adequate tools for the examination of musical creation. In this study, the creative process was defined as a process, which generated a work found by the musician novel to him or her. There were two principal research questions: 1) How does the creative process of musicians progress? 2) What makes a process creative? The main emphasis was on the first question, because the study aimed at modeling the creative process of musicians. The material for this study was collected by interviewing five professional musicians, each qualified by an expert of music to be creative. The interviews were thematically linked with each musician's recently implemented creative process. The work generated in the process was used as a stimulant in the interview. The main themes of the interview dealt with the musician's concrete action, cognitive functioning and affective experience during the process. Secondary themes included his or her goals as well as the factors that enhanced or inhibited the process. A material-based analysis was made of the interviews. The conceptualization and modelling of the creative process was founded on a phenomenological-hermeneutic interpretation. In addition to the primary interviews, also supplementary interviews were made in order to ensure that the description of the musician was understood correctly. Further supplementary interviews were made when the material was analyzed and results were deduced. This aimed at increasing the reliability of interpretations and conclusions. The study resulted in a four-level model representing the progress of a creative process. The levels were defined by means of the conception of state. The levels used in defining the process were 1) the state determining the potential of the process, 2) the state delimiting the process, 3) the state orienting the process, and 4) the state determined by the process. The progress of the process was described as changes taking place in the state. It was discovered that the factors having an effect on the creativity of the process were the dynamism of the process, the musician's work in relation to his or her inner standard and the impulses that caused variation in the musician's thinking. The interview method used in this study proved to be a very suitable tool in an examination of a creative process. Thus it may well be applicable in other research contexts associated with creative processes. The outcome of this study, the model of the progress of a creative process, should also provide a feasible basis for the examination of different kinds of creative processes. It enables a comprehensive examination of a creative process, simultaneously justifying the dynamic nature of the process.

Our society and its technology are evolving rapidly and therefore schools are getting new tools and materials to use in their teaching. In addition to the development of technology, teaching methods are also evolving and changing. The rapid development of our society has brought to the forefront the already known ability, creativity. Creativity is an important aspect of development of new innovations and has also been said to be a revitalizing part of the national economy (Malmelin & Poutanen 2017). The purpose of this master’s thesis is to present the experiences and views of primary school teachers on the use of tablet devices in music education in general and also in terms of creative learning and creative production of music. The study was conducted as a qualitative study using thematic interviews. Six primary school teachers participated in the interviews and the interviews were conducted remotely using the ZOOM-communication service due to Covid-19. A phenomenographic research approach was chosen as the research approach, and content analysis served as a means of analysis. Previous research on creativity, creative learning, creative production of music and music technology was used as a theoretical frame of reference. For the purposes of this study, music technology referred to tablet devices and their applications. In addition, the contents of POPS (2014) regarding music teaching were highlighted in the study. The study found that students get excited and motivated to music education in a different way as they get to take advantage of tablet devices. Interviewees indicated that they use tablet devices to teach music, but there could be more use of the tablet device. Interviewees who mentioned that tablet devices could be used more could say that it is not always possible to get them for music education. In addition, the size of the classes was mentioned as a challenge. However, the use of tablets was seen by interviewees as a fruitful tool for creative learning and creative production of music.

Aims. The present national core curriculum of Finnish comprehensive school highlights creative music making, such as improvising and composing, as one of the main contents and aims of music education. Firstly, the primary aim of this research is to study how music teachers conceptualize creative music making and what kind of meanings they give for creative music making in elementary school context. Secondly, the study explores what are teachers' perceptions of their qualifications on teaching creative music making, and where they view that the qualifications originated from. Finally, the study finds out what kind of support are teachers getting for teaching creative music making, and what kind of obstacles are preventing them from teaching creative music making. Methodology. This research is a qualitative case study. It is based on five thematic interviews with teachers who teach music in elementary school. The analysis of the data includes features from content analysis and fenomenographic analysis. Results and conclusions. The interviewees expressed diverse conceptions about creative music making and their conceptions were similar to the forms of creative music making highlighted in previous literature and theory. The interviewees were able to adapt the exercises for different age levels. Furthermore, they experienced creative music making as a meaningful part of music education for multiple reasons. According to the interviewees, creative music making improved learning skills, joy of learning and skills of thought. It also strengthen the active role and creative self-expression of the pupil. Interviewees also highlighted the transfer effect of the creative music making. It was also experienced meaningful for grouping and developing social atmosphere. However, all the interviewees experienced their qualification for teaching creative music making at least partially insufficient. Qualifications were more often originated from hobbies and from prior work experience than from university education. Almost all of the interviewees experienced that new teaching material and updating training is needed. In addition, the interviewees experienced that the lack of resources in time, environment and equipment were obstacles for teaching creative music making. Also, the competence of the teachers and group related factors were seen as obstacles for creative music making. The study highlights that there is a need to pay more attention to the material and time resources as well as to teachers receiving better university level training for teaching creative music.

The purpose of this research is to study preschool childrens play as a field of creativity. The emphasis is on creativity, which is outlined from an individual-centered, systemic and developmental perspective. The importance of free play is seen for the purpose of serving its development task. Although the importance of play is generally recognized, the field of education requires a deeper theoretical understanding of how it can be supported more effectively. The study's interpretative framework is social constructivism, which is directed to the linguistic construction of meanings. The point of interest is what meanings are shared in the play, how the play is being constructed, and what kind of field childrens play is for creativity. The material of the study was videoed play of children aged 3-5 years and it was collected in a kindergarten in Vantaa, Finland, in the spring of 2017. The plays were videotaped in the childrens normal play environment, and a few objects were introduced for the purpose of research, and the application of which was part of the research. The analysis was carried out as an analysis of the content of the playspeech. The content and functions of the spoken language were studied, as well as the episodic structure of the play. According to the results, childrens play appeared as a two-level functional and interactive entity, in which the outer "concrete worlds level" was at the service of the inner "imagination worlds level". Smoothness of play was the central aim in action. Creativity appeared as experimenting together in the play, and previously learned and new experiences intertwined in a constructed and ever-reconstructing world of play. The play was mainly based on describing, naming, and expressing new ideas and its structure was episodic. These "building materials" of play were based on personal experiences, and on new ideas available in the play.

This study explores the narrative world of cross-generations through education and related beliefs through online discussion materials. The thesis was based on a topical public debate on the development of educational inequalities. Earlier social science-focused educational research has shown that both education and socio-economic status tend to move down from one generation to the next. The study seeks to address, through narratives, educational inequalities that are culturally and socially constructed. The research material used was education and career narratives on open online discussion forums that recalled discussions and interaction in childhood families. The study was conducted as a qualitative study. The method of multidisciplinary research, based on the educational framework, was the narrative and the netnographic approach. The research approach was based on social constructionism, where the construction of social reality takes place through the use of language. The main findings were about cross-generational cultural, social and economic capital. Findings revealed inherited, story-based beliefs, partly gender-based distribution of tasks and exercising of power. On the basis of the results, the stories distributed within the families were renewing the social positions of the individuals and maintaining social inequalities. As a subject of educational sociology, educational cross-generation can be viewed as a cultural phenomenon of public debate. The study is also an overview of the time of educational equality in Finland at the turn of the 2010-2020s.

Happiness and welfare are extremely hot topics at the moment, especially in the western countries where pursuing happiness is an important part of people's lives. According to researches it can be said that happiness is based on welfare. But how can we affect our welfare and what are the key elements of it? Can we increase it by attending life philosophical mass lectures? Research of positive psychology has explored interventions focusing on increasing positive feelings as well as personal strengths. In this particular research we are focusing on Paphos Seminar, which can be considered globally quite unique seminar combining life philosophical mass lectures and socially intense learning environment. In this study we contrast life philosophical Paphos seminar to a positive psychology interventions even though Paphos seminar is not considered or named to be an intervention. In the seminar, participants are encouraged to reflection via life philosophical lecturing together as a group and by themselves. Environment and the atmosphere together with the lecturing make a unique space for the participants to reflect on their lives and thinking in a different and probably in a "fresh" way. The point of life philosophical lecturing is not, however, "to teach" anyone. On his lectures Esa Saarinen uses multidisciplinary research and methods, for example videos, music and dialogs, to activate people's thinking and reflection instead. The atmosphere of compassion and pro-sociality is critical for the lectures, which focus on goodness, opportunities and transition of participants. There are no exact quantitative or qualitative goals on the lectures, only a deep hope of flowering of the participants. This research is the first one to study Paphos Seminar. There are previous researches studying the lectures of Esa Saarinen with university students from the aspects of welfare or cognitive strategies. Change in cognitive strategies are also claimed to change during Saarinen's lecturing through the engaging learning experience. According to these studies, it can be addressed, that seminars have increased participants' welfare and changed their perception of knowing as well as cognitive strategies. This longitudinal study is aiming to examine is it possible to experience increased well-being and life satisfaction after participating to the Pafos Seminar. Participants of this study took part in Pafos Seminar in summer 2015. At the same time this study is measuring motivational strategies and epistemological beliefs. Furthermore the persistence of the transition has been studied in this research by the follow-up measuring with three groups (n= 87, n = 58, n= 36). Material was collected by inquiry in three different measurements between June 2015 and March 2016 and the change in well-being, motivational strategies and epistemological beliefs within eight months. Changes in all the three variables were measured with repeated measurements t-tests and Wilcoxon test. Reflection strategies and perception of knowing were studied with the one-way variance analysis. Relation between well-being, motivational strategies and epistemological beliefs were studied with the Spearman's correlation coefficient to see if there were any interesting changes in between them during and after the seminar. Results of this research show that welfare and satisfaction of life were increased during the seminar concerning all participants (n = 58). Seminars capability to increase emotional, psychologic a social well-being and satisfaction in life was proven but there was a downward trend in longitudinal perspective after the follow-up measurement. Positive change in well-being can be said to be linked to participant's motivational strategies. Seminar as an intervention of positive affects to participant's well-being fits perfectly for individuals appreciating reflection alone and together with others. Appreciating doubtless knowledge might be obstructive for the increase of well-being in this context.

Purpose The aim of this study is to examine the mental and social well-being of adolescents with an immigrant or culturally diverse background attending the final grades of secondary school. The focus of the analyses regarded comparison between first- (1st gen) and second-generation (2nd gen) immigrants based on depression and anxiety symptoms as well as experiences of social acceptance and rejection, the possibility to discuss personal concerns with someone and the possibility to discuss personal matters with parents. The association of these social factors as well as the immigrant background on the depression and anxiety symptoms was analysed. Internationally research results for 1st and 2nd regarding well-being have been contradictory, and in the USA researchers have been puzzled by the so-called immigrant paradox where, contrary to the theory of acculturation, 1st gen have been scoring higher in well-being measures relative to 2nd gen. This study builds its theoretical background in acculturative theory and research, which provides tools for examining the causes and consequences of well-being differences in 1st and 2nd generation adolescents with an immigrant background. The study explores ways to promote the well-being of culturally diverse adolescents in schools. Methods The data used in this study was acquired from the School Health Promotion survey 2017, comprising the data of 8th and 9th graders (N = 73 690). Mental well-being was assessed with PHQ-2 and GAD-7 scales. Social well-being was measured by a sum variable measuring experience in rejection and social acceptance, the possibility to discuss one’s concerns with someone and the possibility to discuss one’s personal matters with parents. Cross-tabulation, Welch’s T-test and logistic regression analysis was used in the data analyses. Results 1st gen showed significantly more mental health symptoms compared to 2nd gen. Furthermore, 1st gen scored lower on all social welfare measures. This is in line with the expectations of the acculturation theory, and thus immigrant paradox was not manifested in this study. As many as 42,1% of 1st gen report that they couldn’t discuss one’s worries to anyone and over a fifth of them hardly ever talked about their personal matters with their parents. In particular, social rejection hampered mental well-being, whilst experiences of social acceptance as well as the possibility to discuss with parents promoted mental well-being.

The focus of this research is to study the experiences that special class teachers have with students with immigrant backgrounds. The number of students with immigrant backgrounds has increased tremendously over the past few years. The statistics indicate that students that speak foreign languages end up getting special support more often than the students that are native speakers. This is especially significant, as the students with immigrant backgrounds that need special support represent a double minority, in which case their risk of exclusion is higher than in the case of the native Finns. The aim of this study is to find out what factors lie behind a student with immigrant background resulting in studying in the special class or in the flexible basic education, what is the support like and how the teachers feel in regards to its effectiveness. The goal is to also to evaluate how the teachers experience their own culture-sensitive evaluation- and behavioral patterns. The material for the research was collected by theme interviewing five special class teachers that work in the metropolitan area and the content was analyzed using content analysis. The results indicate that the reasons for studying in the special- or basic flexible education class didn’t lie only in language but that there were always other problems involved, such as problems regarding learning. The research also strengthened the idea that the students with immigrant backgrounds need special positive treatment, which for instance means differentiation and individual targeting of support. Studying in small groups was experienced as a good resource and it enabled the option of individual support. Also, the motivation of an individual student played a significant role in terms of the success of the support. Studying in special- or in the flexible basic education class might limit the student’s possibilities in second-degree postgraduate studies, as the students that study in special or JOPO-class usually continue attending a vocational school after primary school. The teacher’s experiences in their own multicultural skills varied and those teachers that felt that their skills and knowledge we good, saw that their skills came from their own personal lives rather than from their training.

Earlier studies have shown that in Finland immigrant children have on average poorer numeracy skills than native Finnish children. More and more children with immigrant background enter schools so effective means to support their numeracy skills are highly needed. The study explores if immigrant children's early numeracy skills can be supported with an intensive early numeracy intervention programme. A total of ten six-year-old immigrant children participated in the study in a preschool in the metropolitan area. Half of the children had intense training in early numeracy skills during the day in preschool twice a week for about eight weeks. The other half of the children formed a control group who participated in preschool activities as usual. The children's early numeracy skills were measured with Early Numeracy Test (Van Luit, Van de Rijt & Aunio, 2006) as pretest, immediate posttest and delayed posttest. There was also a logbook that was filled during and immediately after the training sessions so that assessment of fidelity would be possible. The participants' background information and level of Finnish skills were asked from the preschool teachers. These pieces of information were used as control variable. The children in the intervention group improved their early numeracy skills during the intervention more than the children in the control group. Especially the effect was seen in understanding mathematical relations. The intervention group performed statistically significantly better in the immediate posttest and the delayed posttest than the control group. In counting skills the results weren't significant. In the Early Numeracy Test (Van Luit, Van de Rijt & Aunio, 2006) as a whole, the intervention group performed significantly better in the immediate posttest, but the gap was not statistically significant in the delayed posttest. This study shows that by supporting immigrant children's early numeracy skills with an evidence-based intervention programme, their skills in understanding mathematical relations improve significantly and permanently. The immigrant children can also get their numeracy skills to the same level with the native Finnish children and so the intervention programme for one can prevent them from dropping out of the school system later.