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  • Laukkanen, Noora (2016)
    A versatile understanding of different text types and producing texts according to those are important skills to be learned at school. It is important that teacher is capable of evaluating different text types written by students and give constructive feedback out of those. The purpose of this research is to find out what elements a teacher should take into account when giving feedback and evaluating student written reviews. In this research a feedback and evaluation model will be created. A teacher can use the model when evaluating whether or not typical features of review exist in student written texts and give constructive feedback of writing for the students. Functionality of the model will be tested in practice in this research. This qualitative research was implemented in two phases. Research material of the first phase consisted drama reviews written by one fifth grade class' students (total 21). Reviews were analyzed by using genre analysis and based on analyzed reviews and earlier theories a feedback and evaluation model was created as well as tested against the research material. On the second phase of the research three teachers tested the feedback and evaluation model in practice. The teachers were then interviewed and the interviews were analyzed with content analysis. Based on the student texts' analysis and earlier theories the selected parts to be viewed from reviews written by students were review's sections and structure, own voice, paragraphing, vividness and distinctiveness of language, and length of text. These parts were then divided into more detailed questions. The material's drama reviews' structure mainly consisted explanations of writer's opinion. In addition the reviews' presented well the description of writer's own viewing experience. The occurrence of any evaluated part was not directly linked to the occurrence of other parts. The teachers found out that use of the feedback and evaluation model was helpful. Based on their opinions the most useful parts were own voice, vividness and distinctiveness of language, and review's sections and structure out of which remarkably important was opinion. Paragraphing was found out to be least useful. In addition a new part, theme, came up and it had not been taken into account in the model. Based on the teachers' opinions it can be deduced that the feedback and evaluation model is helpful in both planning the actual teaching as well as in giving feedback. It would be good to develop the model so that it would concentrate more clearly on inspecting review's content rather than formal things like paragraphing or length of text.
  • Perhoniemi, Riku (2005)
    The study examined immigrants' attitudes towards acculturation, in other words the social and cultural changes that take place in the adaptation process. The perspective of acculturation studies was also expanded by examining immigrants' cultural values and their experiences of majority's expectations. In addition, special interest was directed to the relations between acculturation attitudes and values and both factors' relevance on psychological well-being. Indian born immigrants were selected as subjects as they are one of the fastest growing ethnic minorities in Finland. This minority has not been included in immigration studies previously. The seventy-five immigrants that participated as subjects represent a highly educated subgroup of Indian born immigrants. The study was carried out with posted questionnaires. Most of the subjects received an inquiry of their motivation to participate by e-mail or phone before the postal questionnaire. The results were in line with previous studies in Finland as the attitudes emphasising cultural integration were dominant. However, attitudes towards marriage, reflecting deeper and less flexible parts of culture, were dominated by separation motives. Immigrants' perceptions of majority's expectations reflected partly the real assimilation wishes demonstrated in previous studies. Against hypotheses, discrepancies between acculturation attitudes and experiences of majority's expectations did not predict immigrants' psychological well-being in a clear way. The highly educated Indian born immigrants emphasised self-direction and universalism in their values. This separates them from the traditional cultural values of India. The hypotheses made of the predictive relations between values and acculturation attitudes were partly confirmed. Also, the assumptions concerning both the stress buffering role of collectivistic values and the positive effect of achievement values on feelings of mastery were confirmed. Despite the limitations in the data, this study strengthens the view that cultural and personal values play a significant role in immigrants' adaptation process. Information about values can benefit individuals making hard decisions and coping with cultural change as well as officials modifying Finnish immigration policy and planning the support system for immigrants.
  • Laukkanen, Marilla (2019)
    Objectives. The objective of this study is to determine the opportunities and challenges regarding customer-inspired teaching entities in handicrafts in comprehensive school, in which the students design and make crafts for someone other than himself or herself. These customer-inspired teaching entities are a timely research topic, as in our individualism centered culture it is more important than ever to teach children and youth to consider the opinions and feelings of others. These teaching entities are strongly linked to user-inspired design, which is increasingly used in the development of products and services. The research questions are: 1. How have customer-inspired teaching entities been implemented in handicrafts in comprehensive school? 2. What challenges do customer-inspired teaching entities face? 3. Why are customer-inspired teaching entities used? Methods. This study was carried out as a survey utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods. The research material was collected from comprehensive school handicraft teachers using an electronic questionnaire containing both open and closed questions. 45 handicraft teachers completed the survey. The closed questions were analyzed quantitatively using SPSS. The answers to the open questions were analyzed using different sorts of content analyses. Results and conclusions. It seems that there are usually no more than three customer-inspired teaching entities in a school year, and they account for under 20 % of all handicraft’s teaching entities. Students had made handicrafts mostly to their family members or other relatives and acquaintances or the school itself. Customer’s participation to the design process of the product varied, but participation to the assessment was less common. Sometimes students had designed and made products as a group, but this was rather rare. The biggest challenges were motivating the students, their low skill levels and lack of time. Customer-inspired teaching entities were seen particularly fit for teaching collaboration, interaction and design skills, as well as for teaching empathy and to take others into account. Most respondents held it important to utilize customer-inspired teaching entities in handicrafts in comprehensive school.
  • Kaunisto, Nenna (2022)
    The aim of the study was to examine the role of customer learning in the co-development process of a product or service. The customer's learning is an essential part of the co-development process. With the help of research, the aim is to find possible learning challenges and to deepen the customer's learning path and its meaning. Companies should be able to enable customer learning even better in the future because customers are constantly demanding more and more individualized services and products. The frameworks of the research were the co-development process and customer learning. The customer's learning perspective was further deepened with the theories of trialogical learning, Bloom's taxonomy, and flipped learning. The research was carried out using design-ethnographic methods, using versatile material, collected from the company's customers and employees. The data were semi-structured interviews with customers and employees and other material from the co-development process, such as presentation material. The material was analyzed using thematic analysis methods. The results showed that the role of the customer's learning plays a very strong role during the co-development process. If the client's learning remains at a light level, the result of the project usually does not match the desired goals. In the customer's learning, special attention should be paid to the customer's motivation and enthusiasm, different participatory working methods, the utilization and cross-pollination of the different expertise of the customer group, and the general coordination of the project, for example, the guidance of workshops and the coordination of interim tasks. The study gathered together tips on different ways of working and learning in the co-development process.
  • Kaukinen, Ida (2020)
    Target: The purpose of this study was to analyze the descriptions of the expert teachers in the role of expert teachers in the City of Helsinki and their experiences of the City of Helsinki digitalisation program. In addition, the aim of the study was to analyze the expert teachers’ experiences of the factors that support and hinder their professional development work. The study also analyzed the proposals of the expert teachers for the development of the activities of the expert teacher organization. The research is current in a context where digitalizing society, the changing roles of teachers and school reforms challenge the skills of teachers and other school staff. Method: Ten expert teachers from four different expert teacher teams in the City of Helsinki were interviewed. The research material consisted of ten theme interviews conducted during spring 2019. The material was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The material was manually coded using Saldana’s (2016) coding methods and the research results were categorized on the basis of similarity. Findings and conclusions: The expert teachers experienced their roles in diverse ways; in the role of the educator, experimenter and developer, in the cross-border and in the unclear role. The role of the expert teachers was perceived to be relatively autonomous and the role could also be modified to some extent in the interest of the expert teacher. The expert teachers’ experiences of the city’s digitalisation program were both positive and negative. Professional skills related to digitalisation and teacher resistance to change were seen as barriers to development and improvements. The expert teachers’ development skills and enthusiasm for recognizing the pedagogical benefits of technology were regarded as assets for development resources. Hardware and software problems continued although improvements were seen. In contrast, intrinsic motivation factors; knowledge sharing and development, willingness to experiment and meaningfulness were perceived as factors supporting the expert teachers’ work. The expert teachers considered the social network important, especially the other expert teacher colleagues. They shared mutual trust that strengthened their collaboration. The use of time, the aforementioned ambiguity of the role and job description, and the experience of the actual impact of the activity all emerged as barriers to the work of expert teachers. Resources such as facilities, changes in teams and access to scientific research, as well as challenges in communication, also hindered professional development work. The obstacles to development work, of course, were linked to the expert teacher development proposals that emphasized hopes for the clarification of working hours and task descriptions, identification of synergies and scalability, and clarification of communication practices. Based on this study, it is difficult to assess the effectiveness of the expert teacher organization, but there are clear indications of positive, albeit small, impacts on changes in school culture and support for the digitalisation program. Their role can be considered central as to the various professional learning communities and development networks, which promote school change.
  • Hyvönen, Heta (2019)
    The main purpose of this research was aim to find out What the experts of education export think that what is situation now in the sector of education export. There is not a lot of research about this subject so that was also the reason why I chose it. Monika Schatz has written her doctoral dissertation about “Education export as Finland’s hottest export”. In that research she says that Finland hasn’t succeed in education export because we don’t really have the product to sell. Also, Schatz thinks that there is such a big interest for our educational system because of PISA-results. The second reason for this research was the act of government. They set the goal to increase the value of Education Export. The hypothesis was that the experts think that there is a huge potential in exporting Education but there are many challenges we need to solve out before the success. The study was a qualitative one. I decided to interview six experts of education export. After interviewing I transcribed the interviews. Two of my interviewees were working in the companies, two of them were principles of schools and two of them were working in the other positions in the public sector. They all had some special information of the field of education export. The data collection method was semi-structured theme interview. I shared my analysis for four section: 1. What kind of services the experts of education think that the education export includes? 2. What kind of marketing tools the experts of education think that the education exporters are using in exporting education? 3. What is the secret behind the popularity of Finnish education? And 4. what problems we have faced in education export? The results were that the experts think that we are selling education because of the high PISA-results. The other reasons for the interest were the quality of education and the good results. The experts also thought that we have a huge potential in sector of education export. They told that the websites, the marketing events, hints from the ministry of Foreign Affairs and recommendations from the old customers are the ways to find new customers. They told the places to market education are websites, marketing events and social media. They told that the reasons behind why we haven’t succeeded yet so much are wide. According the interviews - there have been many challenges in education export. Few of the biggest ones have been probably lack of co-operation and product of Finnish education export. Part of the experts thought that it’s not possible to export education as it is – there always need to do some changes
  • Teräs, Enni (2023)
    The need for interprofessional collaboration has increased as products and services have become more diverse. According to previous studies, experts can achieve objectives that would be impossible to achieve alone when collaborating. It is also possible to reach the desired outcome quicker, when working in collaboration. The intention of this study was to get information about the collaboration of experts working in a retail company’s Ecom process. Ecom is a process that requires experts from different functions to collaborate with one another. For this reason, this study uses the term cross-functional collaboration, along with the term interprofessional collaboration to the describe the collaboration of the experts. This study aimed to answer the questions, what kind of collaboration do the experts take part in and what characteristics arose as the experts described cross-functional collaboration. The research data was collected via a semi-structured interview. Seven Ecom process experts were individually interviewed. The interviewees were from sales, marketing, and IT. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. It was found that constant cross-functional collaboration was needed in the Ecom process. The experts had different experiences of the collaboration, depending on their job roles, tasks, and individual experiences. It was observed that the collaboration varied in intensity ranging from the transfer of information between functions, essential collaboration for the advancement of the process to ideation, planning and developing together. Relation expertise, collective information and cooperative procedures arose as the results for the second research question. Features related to relation expertise e.g., understanding the expertise of others and the other functions, and also shared information and cooperative procedures, which related to both research questions, suggested that recognizing and understanding boundaries is substantial for cross-functional collaboration. The results of this study are aligned with previous studies of what supports interprofessional collaboration and the significance of relational expertise and boundary crossing for collaboration, combining these research topics.
  • Jaakkola, Fiina (2017)
    This study describes the current situation and development areas of Finnish education export from experts' point of view. The aim of the study was to research what Finnish education export includes and why it's being carried out. The other aim was to research challenges and promoting factors of Finnish education export as well as how Finnish education export can be developed. In this study education export is viewed as a cross-border service or product. Education export comprehensively covers exporting of education system and education expertise that is carried out by higher education institutions as well as private companies. The development of education export has been influenced by globalisation and internationalization of education. The data collection method in this study was semi-structured interview. Interviewees were selected based on their positions within their respective organizations. Interviewees work or have worked in the field of education export. Interviews were carried out as five individual interviews and one pair interview. There were seven interviewees altogether. In the analysis of interview material and the interpretation of results a modified actantial model was used. The aim of the actantial model was to create a systematic scheme for data analysis which was used for collection and interpretation of results. Aided by the actantial model, actants, in other words various factors within in the data, were identified and their respective relations were formed. Actantial model describes the structure of education export field as well. Study results showed that Finnish education export includes various services and products and it is carried out in many ways, frequently in co-operation between different operators. Motives for education export are often commercial but they may also include desire to share good practices and make long lasting impact in the field of education. Results showed demoting and promoting factors of education export as well. In addition, following factors were identified as crucial components in the development of Finnish education export: improvement of co-operation between different agents, development of services and products, improvement of education export expertise, increase of research in the field of education export, quality maintenance and improvement of the Finnish education system and modification of university activities to better support education export.
  • Back, J (2023)
    Objective. The aim of this thesis was to map how teachers in Åland experienced the new, integrated subject of religion and worldview education, its pros and cons, and to find out what the rest of Finland could learn about the transition from the previous teaching method to the current one. In 2021, Åland transitioned to a common subject of religion and worldview education where all students are in the same teaching group regardless of their religious affiliation or lack thereof. Previously, Åland has the same form of religious education as the rest of Finland, where students are taught in different groups depending on their religious affiliation. According to Finnish law on religious freedom, students are entitled to non-denominational religious education of their own affiliation in school. Students who do not belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church or who do not have more than three representatives from the same religious community study worldview education. According to Eero Salmenkivi and Vesa Åhs (2022), Finland needs to renew its approach to religious education as the current approach is not sustainable in an increasingly diverse and pluralistic Finland. Salmenkivi and Åhs (2022) presented three possible models for the future teaching of religion and worldview subjects. Åland’s approach to religious education corresponds to model B out of Salmenkivi and Åhs (2022) three models. Method. Four teachers from Åland who teach the new integrated subject of religion and worldview education participated in interviews conducted on Zoom. the interviews were recorded and transcribed, and then analyzed through phenomenographic analysis. Results and conclusions. Participants had a positive experience with the new teaching method. Collaborative teaching allowed for open dialogue, and the participants viewed the discussions and equality as a strength in the new integrated subject. Challenges included the vagueness of the curriculum, unclear instructions and also the lack of teaching materials were seen as a challenge. To create inclusive religious and worldview education, religious literacy and minority representation are needed both in the planning process of the curriculum but also in the planning of the transition. Finland can learn from Åland the value of providing training during the transition and the importance of highlighting minority voices.
  • Laakso, Hanna (2015)
    Objective: Cognitive impairment as a consequence of a stroke is common. Advanced age increases the frequency of poststroke cognitive deficits. Particularly executive dysfunction has an important role in poststroke disability. Complex by their nature, however, measuring executive function is difficult. The Hayling test, Design fluency task and Questioning task are some of the less common assessment methods of executive functions, and thus, they are not widely studied. The aim of the present study was to assess the feasibility of these tests in elderly patients three months after ischemic stroke. Performances on these tests were compared to conventional assessment methods of executive functions, and their predictive value on functional disability in follow-up was examined. Methods: 62 stroke patients and 39 control subjects, aged 55-85, underwent comprehensive neurological and neuropsychological examinations three months after the index stroke. Executive functions were studied with the Trail Making test, Stroop test, Wisconsin card sorting test, Verbal fluency task as well as with the Hayling test, Design fluency task and Questioning task. The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and the Lawton's Instrumental activities of daily living -scale (IADL) were used to assess functional abilities at three months, and the mRS after 15 months follow-up. Results and conclusions: The Hayling test and Questioning task and the four conventional tests of executive functions differentiated stroke patients from healthy controls. Furthermore, the executive functions predicted functional dependence in the elderly stroke patients. The Hayling test was most consistently associated with functional disability as evaluated with mRS and IADL three months after the stroke, and predicted functional disability as evaluated with mRS at 15 months follow-up. Of all executive functions tests, the Hayling test proved to be the most constant predictor of functional abilities in elderly stroke patients. However, there is no golden standard for measuring executive functions, and in the future, more sensitive methods are needed. Nevertheless, the present study confirms the importance of assessing executive functions in clinical populations, when predicting functional disability even in the long-term.
  • Komulainen, Kaisla (2015)
    Adolescent delinquency is a prevalent concern, which carries with psychological and societal costs. Deviant peer affiliation and criminogenic attitudes, as well as personality traits are known to be associated with delinquency, but their interlinked effects are less studied. The present study examines the role of personality in a deviant socialization context. Specifically, I examine whether peer deviance and criminogenic attitudes (1) mediate and/or (2) moderate the associations of the Five-Factor Model personality traits with delinquency. The data included respondents (n=4855) to the cross-sectional Finnish Self-Report Delinquency Study 2012, aged 14-17 years. Delinquency was assessed on the basis of 17 different deviant behaviors; the reported frequencies of engaging in each of them were scaled using a graded response model. Peer deviance and criminogenic attitudes were assessed via respondents' selfreports; two distinct attitudinal indicators (deviant and neutralizing attitudes) were included. Personality was assessed with a 15-item BFI-S questionnaire. A structural equation model was conducted to examine the mediation pathways. The moderation effects were examined with linear regression analysis. Delinquency was associated with higher extraversion, lower agreeableness, lower conscientiousness, and lower neuroticism. Peer deviance and criminogenic attitudes partially mediated the associations of extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness with delinquency. The association between neuroticism and delinquency was fully mediated via criminogenic attitudes. Peer deviance strengthened the associations of low neuroticism, low agreeableness, and low conscientiousness with delinquency. Deviant and neutralizing attitudes strengthened the associations of high extraversion and low agreeableness with delinquent conduct. The findings suggest that personality may provide novel insights into the etiology of delinquency in a context of deviant socialization. Implications of the personality-based approach and directions for further research are discussed.
  • Martikainen, Silja (2010)
    This thesis examines the associations between personality traits and sleep quantity and quality in young adults. Additionally the possible effects of birth status on these associations are examined. The data used in this thesis is part of a birth cohort study (Helsinki Study of Very Low Birth Weight Adults). The personality traits are based on the five-factor model of personality. The sleep quantity and quality are based on actigraphy assessments. Four hypothesis were made about the personality and sleep associations: (1) neuroticism is related to a lesser quality of sleep, (2) there will be more significant associations between personality traits and sleep quality than between personality traits and sleep quantity, (3) the Very Low Birth Weight (VLBW) as well as, (4) the Small for Gestational Age (SGA) status will affect the associations. Linear regressions were used to study the associations between personality traits and sleep quality and quantity. Whenever an association was significant, it was tested whether this association was moderated first, by the VLBW and second, by the SGA status of the participant. The results were mostly in line with previous research especially demonstrating the negative association between neuroticism and the quality of sleep and suggesting that vulnerability to stress decreases sleep quality. Also it was found that agreeableness and conscientiousness were associated with better sleep quality and extraversion was associated with lower sleep quantity. In addition SGA status moderated the personality and sleep associations. It is proposed that there are two factors behind the interaction. First, prenatally developing mechanisms have an effect on the development of sleep as well as personality. Second, differences in the postnatal environment, for instance the parenting practices, can account for this finding. Future research could focus especially on what kind of prenatal disturbances SGA infants have in the development of mechanisms related to sleep and personality. Also focusing on the differences in parental interaction might shed more light on the results.
  • Ehrnrooth, Anna (2016)
    Goals As the proportion of the elderly population increases, studying biomarkers of cellular aging have become an important focus of research. However, these risk factors of age-related diseases have been difficult to identify. Recently an estimator of cellular aging, based on DNA methylation levels, the DNAm age, has been developed, and it has been linked to risk for both greater mortality and physical and mental health diseases. Effects of early life stress and later health on DNAm age have not yet been studied together. We set out to study, if early life stress and later quality of life and depression each separately or in combination associate with DNAm age. Methods The participants comprised Finnish males, of which 83 were separated from their families during the World War 2, and 83 non-separated controls belonging to the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study. Genome-wide methylation profiles, Rand-36 quality of life and BDI-1 depression inventory were assessed during years 2001-2004. DNAm age was estimated using the Horvath procedure. Associations of separation status, Rand-36 scores and BDI scores on DNAm age were studied with linear regression after adjusting for chronological age, cell type counts, tobacco smoking and frequency of alcohol consumption. Results and conclusions The separation status did not associate with the DNAm age. The Rand-36 Bodily Pain –scale associated differently with DNAm age in the separated group compared to the non-separated group. In analyses stratified for separation status, mild-severe depressive symptoms associated with lower DNAm age in the separated group. Similarly, lower quality of life on Rand-36 Role Functioning-scale and Emotional and Role Functioning Physical -scale associated with lower DNAm age in the separated group. Results are in line with previous studies, which have shown that early life stress doesn't associate with the DNAm age, but the cumulative total life stress and later adulthood diseases do associate with the DNAm age. This study brings novel information of the associations of early life stress and later depression symptomatology and psychosocial quality of life on the DNAm age, and suggests the early life stress and later depression and poorer psychosocial quality of life to have a cumulative effect on the DNAm age. More studies and longitudinal follow-up is needed to clarify the role of DNAm age as a biomarker of cellular aging, especially when examining the effects of early life stress exposure and later health together.
  • Sinisalo, Mari (2016)
    Aims. This study focuses on dishwashing in Finnish households in the 2010s: more specifically by reviewing individual meanings, tidiness habits associated with dishwashing and environmentally sustainable practices. The research problem statement was defined based on a multi-disciplinary literature review. Hallman's perception of housework as a human interaction and a historic review of rationalization of Finnish dishwashing guided the structuring of research questions. Dishwashing related tidiness habits were sought to contextualize from the study data using Aalto's perception of tidiness. The aim of the study was to collect information on dishwashing activities in participating households, define importance of dishwashing as housework and to note dishwashing related tidiness habits brought up by the participants. Previous studies indicate that dishwashing is considered as an important daily housework that has been relieved through rationalization of dishwashing and introduction of machinery, however, the standard of hygiene has increased. Methodology. All participating households were located in Uusimaa region. Data was obtained by thematic interviews which were carried out at participants' home. Interviews were transcribed for classification into themes and types. Adult members of each household were interviewed. In total eight households with varying number of members were interviewed. In total 14 people were interviewed. Results and conclusions. High level of dishwashing hygiene was observed at each household: dishwashing proved to be an important daily activity and its outcome is not to be compromised. Participants using a dishwasher mainly used the dishwasher and piled up some dishes in the sink waiting for washing. Participants who are routined manual washers washed the dishes manually and as soon as possible after use. Tidiness was the main driving force in ecological choices: water saving and the use of environmentally friendly washing liquids. Dishwasher was perceived to ease and speed up washing. In conclusion it can be said that dishwashing is considered being an important daily activity which is sought to be carried out smoothly using good equipment. Based on the results a new research problem statement could be designed focusing on water and energy consumption of dishwashing in households.
  • Wahlberg, Ulrika (2016)
    This study is an analysis of the dwelling of an old house and unfolding it's ontology. The interpretation is mainly built on observations as well as interviews with inhabitants. The study is a process of interpretation driven also by the impressions on the phenomena delivered by visual arts, literature and media as well as by the researcher's own interpretations and experiences. What is the ontology of the dwelling of an old house, is a question posed in this study. A phenomenological analysis is the basis of the research. The method chosen means that the analysis is built on the phenomena itself and its unfolding. The research is first and foremost interested in the experience associated with the dwelling of an old house rather than its appearance. The study possesses features of a case study, as its main research material is composed of three cases: two open group discussions and an open interview. The analysis is also influenced by observation and personal reflection. The study is transdisciplinary and conveys a natural discourse between interpretations rising from different sciences. In addition to home economics, the study of arts and aesthetics are central to this dialogue. The goal is to generate new viewpoints to home economics and to give stimulus to the other sciences involved in the dialogue. The study questions within the sciences. In this study the transdisciplinary approach strives at returning new kinds of interpretations on the phenomena of dwelling, which in turn advances and builds the theoretical foundation and vision of home economics as well as probes in to the future. The analysis of the dwelling of an old house is a process of interpretation, which crystallizes as an idea of the dwelling of an old house as a performance. The dwelling of an old house is an overall aesthetic experience that includes motion, unpredictability and interaction. The metaphor of a performance highlights the dynamism and uniqueness of the dwelling.
  • Jaskari, Johanna (2015)
    Aims. The purpose of this qualitative study was to systematically analyze how university teaching and learning vary in one Finnish university. My research questions were "How do students' approaches to learning vary?" and "How do teachers' approaches to teaching vary?" In this systematic review, I used the relational model of learning and teaching in universities as a theoretical framework. This model provides a tool to analyze the variation in students' approaches to learning and teachers' approaches to teaching in different teaching-learning environments. The quality of what students learn is linked to the variation in how students learn and how university teachers teach in teaching-learning environments in universities. The quality of learning and teaching is also connected with the allocation of resources and funding in universities and global university rankings. Methods. By using the method of systematic review, I analyzed the variation in teaching and learning in a data sample of 23 high-quality peer-reviewed academic articles. The research context of the studies, which concerned teaching and learning in universities, was the University of Helsinki. Results and conclusions. In this review, students' learning varies mainly in how the students approach their learning (i.e. as surface or deep approaches to learning). Students' learning is modified by the students' learning strategies (e.g. as systematic or critical studies), study orientations (i.e. reproduction- or meaning-oriented learning), and study orchestrations (i.e. different profiles of approaches to learning). Teaching varies mainly in how the teachers approach their teaching (i.e. as teacher- or student-focused approaches to teaching). Teaching is modified by the teachers' conceptions of teaching, teaching strategies (i.e. content- or learning-focused approaches to teaching), and amounts of pedagogical training (that affect the approaches to teaching). Both learning and teaching vary in different teaching-learning environments (both within courses and between disciplines). Both students' and teachers' conceptions of knowledge (e.g. as integrated or fragmented knowledge; declarative or procedural knowledge) affect their approaches to learning and teaching. This systematic review synthesizes what we know about learning and teaching in one university in Finland. This knowledge provides guidelines on how the quality of learning and teaching can be improved both in policy and practice largely in universities in Finland. Essentially, learning is based on good teaching that is focused on the students' learning.
  • Lahti, Satu (2010)
    The objective of the present study was to increase knowledge about the atelier culture of recent history, especially about the ways in which atelier clothes were made. I look at the ways of dress-making in the production of a renowned atelier, Salon Kaarlo Forsman. I also give a general outline of the atelier. The studying method I used was triangulation, which is a typical approach in case studies of recent history. My data include 23 dresses by the Salon Forsman, theme interviews of four of the Salon workers and one mannequin, data from my research work, as well as press material and archives. The basis of the analysis of these materials was a theme frame that I had put together with the help of pre-understanding. I then completed and defined the theme frame on the basis of the analysis of the data. I also analyzed the dresses in the fashion photos in the press material. Salon Kaarlo Forsman represents a certain cultural period, the years 1937-1986, and a place where a woman could have individual clothes made for her, from hats to fur coats. The atelier was particularly known for embroidery with beads, draping, and fantastic cuttings designed by the owner, fashion designer Kaarlo Forsman. I draw an outline of the work and practices of the atelier, but also that of Kaarlo Forsman's life work, as he had a great influence on the sewing methods atelier clothes. Mr. Forsman was able to stretch the first period of modern fashion well into the third period by refusing new, labor-saving methods and sticking to individually designer clothes to the end of his enterprise. The crucial practices in the atelier that I present in this study are fitting, designing, finishing and sewing, as well as beading and the decoration of dresses. I compare the activity, practices and dress-making methods in the Forsman atelier to that of Haute Couture in Paris, which served as model for Finnish fashion houses. I point out the similarities and differences.
  • Myyryläinen, Roope (2023)
    Objectives. The purpose of this master’s thesis was to find out what kind of effects being part of community has on being vegan. The community in which context veganism was studied was punk ja hardcore community where veganism is considered to be common lifestyle. This study aimed to find out in which way punk and hardcore communities relate to veganism and what is the significance of being vegan in order to be part of the community. Study also aimed to find out how does the community effect on being vegan. The theoretical framework of this study was constructed from the background factors and implementation of veganism and punk and hardcore subculture research. Methods. The study material was formed through a semi-structured thematic interviews. Eight vegans belonging to the punk and hardcore community (n=8) participated in the study. The interviewees were asked, among other things, how they experience community atmosphere regarding veganism, how the community affects their veganism and what they perceive community to be for those who aren’t vegans. The data was analyzed using theory-guiding content analysis. Results and conclusions. Veganism is viewed positively and is perceived as a significant part of punk and hardcore community and subculture. Veganism is not a determining factor in terms of belonging to the community, you can also belong to the community without being vegan. However, community encourages and slightly pressures towards a vegan lifestyle. The positive and helpful atmosphere of the punk and hardcore community has a positive effect on the initiation of veganism for the members of the community. The commonness of veganism in the community is perceived as an easing factor for the implementation of veganism. The community offers support, advice and encouragement in implementing a vegan lifestyle, which has been found to have a significant impact in terms of starting and continuing the vegan lifestyle.
  • Liljestrand, Sanna (2022)
    The purpose of this studie was to research what kind of practical tools the pedagogic staff in one unit of early childhood education feel they have to meet the needs of children with externalizing behaviors. The study also looked at what kind of tools the ECE-staff used in daily interaction with these children and how the children's needs were taken into consideration in the daily activities. Recent studies have shown that externalizing behaviors has become more common among children in early childhood education, and therefore the subject is current. According to Ahonen (2017) the children who show externalizing behaviors are at risk of later challenges in life and it would therefore be important to support these children at an early age. To adequately support the children the ECE-staff needs to have a good understanding of the background factors to the behaviors and also awareness of the central tools to support the children. The data in this studie consist of five individual interviews, two group interviews and 17 hours of observations of the ECE-staff in the groups. The studie was conducted in two ECE-groups in one Swedish speaking Finnish ECE-unit during the fall of 2021. The data were analyzed with the method qualitative content analysis. The result of the study shows that the ECE-staff experience the children's externalizing behavior difficult when they do not know the cause of the behavior or when the behavior is unexpected. They felt it was easier once they had found methods and tools that worked for the child. Another challenging factor was if there were many children with externalizing behavior or if there were shortages of staff. The ECE-staff in this study all met the children with warm interaction and were all aware of the importance of warm interaction. They also divided the children into smaller groups and used visual aids to support the children's executive functions. The ECE-staff mainly worked by handling the situation after it occurred and by forming the activities and environment so that the behavior decreased. In the data there was little that indicated that the personnel actively worked to strengthen the children's skills and competencies to give the children a chance to learn to handle the situations. The ECE-staff mentioned that they felt that the teaching material they had to support socioemotional development was not adequate to their needs. The ECE-staff in this study did not feel they had gotten enough information about the subject or tools in their own education programs. The main source of information about tools and methods had been collegially support and mentorship between colleagues.
  • Kemppi, Annette (2018)
    The purpose of this work was to clarify how lecturers and university lecturers in Finland's third-stage educational institutions experience the use of learning platforms in their education work. I wanted to investigate if there is a connection between perceived control of data and openness for learning new skills, trust in authority and experienced stress levels at work. The subject is relevant because the use of digital aids in support of teaching has expanded in recent years, but the consequences of this have remained obscure as few scientists in the past have been sufficiently involved in research of digital teaching to successfully produce objective knowledge of the phenomenon. This survey was quantitative and aimed at describing Finnish university lecturers’ experiences using digital learning platforms in teaching. Learning platforms are tools for designing, producing and managing online courses. Data was collected by a questionnaire sent to the lecturers in four different colleges. The questionnaire contained 31 multiple choice questions in perceived openness, stress, trust and subjective control. The collected material was analyzed using SPSS. The results indicated that universities need more specific training programs in using learning platforms. Non-commercial platforms were used more often than commercial ones. The frequency of use and time of commercial learning platforms was less than for non-commercial ones. Lecturers seem to prefer to use non-commercial platforms. This can be linked to data security and the trust that authorities handle data carefully was high in all reference groups investigated. Openness and stress correlated positively and the more open the informant was towards the platforms the more they used different platforms actively, which increased the stress. It is important to remember that the stress can also be perceived as positive. Another interesting find was that there were no statistically significant differences between any of the background variables in terms of subjective control.