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Purpose. The aim of this study was to introduce the perceptions and opinions Finnish teachers have about the supporting and the meeting of bilingual pupil's language identity in the Finnish-Swedish schools in the Helsinki metropolitan area; the intention was to examine how the Finnish teachers describes the Finnish-Swedish schools relation against bilingualism. The intention was also to examine the meaning and purposes Finnish teachers personally give to supporting of a bilingual identity in the Finnish-Swedish schools. The intention was also to examine how Finnish teachers relate to the discussion of the bilingual school. The study contributes to form a view of how the Finnish-Swedish school in the metropolitan area currently meets and works with the progressively increasing bilingualism and to introduce how the Finnish teachers sees the role of the Finnish-Swedish school as an supporter of all its pupils languages and identities. Method. The study is written from the perspective of Finnish teachers and the material is gathered by interviewing seven teachers. The interview method used is the qualitative semi-structured interview. The material was analyzed by using qualitative content analysis. Results. From the results it appears that the meeting of bilingualism in the Finnish-Swedish schools in metropolitan area varies between schools and occurs either in a more or less secluding or integrative way so that bilingualism in some schools appear to be more of a negative and repressed and in some schools more of a positive and accepted phenomenon. Supporting bilingualism in the Finnish-Swedish schools in general are rather scarce and the bilingual identity and the Finnish receive slightly conscious or deliberate attention or place in the school. Finnish teachers advocates for a more active work around bilingualism in the Finnish-Swedish school and opinions that the Finnish-Swedish school should actively strive to improve both the work around and attitude against bilingualism in school. The Finnish teachers relates against the idea of the bilingual school with a certain reservation and do prefer a retention of the monolingual schools, but wants a more active working around bilingualism in the monolingual Swedish-speaking schools. The bilingual schools could not replace the monolingual schools as a national solution, but the bilingual school model is considered to act as an alternative for some language groups in some parts of the country.

Along with the technological development, and the transition to knowledge society, our way working has changed. Due to digital solutions and advanced technology employees have the ability to work in a much more flexible work environment. Activity-based working gives employees the opportunity to choose how and where they work. At activity-based workplaces, no one has their own desk. Instead, the concept of free seating is used. Activity-based working creates options and independence for employees, but at the same time activity-based working can be perceived as challenging. In the thesis, a phenomenographic approach was used, and as a researcher, I focused on employees' different conceptions of activity-based working. The purpose of the study was to get a deeper understanding about employees' conceptions of activity-based working, and moreover, how the way of working influences the organisational culture and work identity. The theoretical framework consisted of earlier studies about activity-based working, as well as theories regarding organisational culture and work identity. The data were gathered during spring 2017, and involved 9 interviews with 9 employees, who work at activity-based organisations. The method of analysis was the phenomenographic approach. The employees sense, that activity-based working influences organisational culture, and work identity positively, as well as negatively. It appeared that employees find activity-based working as motivational. In addition, the employees find that activity-based working bring openness to the work culture, and enhance the communication. The employees also sense that activity-based working affects work identity, and that the work role becomes more dynamic and task orientated. However, some employees perceived activity-based working as challenging, and that it causes a formal work environment, constructed by unintended social structures. The results also showed conceptions of activity-based working causing anonymous work identity. Over all, the study proves that the conceptions of activity-based working, and how it affects organisational culture and work identity, differ. Yet, even though the results reveal conceptions of activity-based working coursing formal work environment, and anonymous work identity within the workplace, the employees value activity-based working and the ability to choose where and how they work.

Research shows that motivation is an important part of mathematics learning. Without motivation to learn math, learning outcomes would be significantly worse. The purpose of the study is to find out what the motivation factors are during the mathematics lessons for grades five and six. Since previous studies also show that the teacher has a central role in creating and maintaining the motivation for mathematics, the teacher's significance for the motivation is also examined in this study. In the survey, 28 pupils from grade five and 24 pupils from grade six participated. In total, 52 pupils from three different schools in Itä-uusimaa participated. The material was collected during the spring of 2019. The survey is mainly quantitative where the material was collected through a questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of two open questions, which were analyzed through qualitative content analysis. According to the results, the students were motivated during the mathematics lessons, they perceived mathematics as important and useful. The biggest motivating factor was the teacher's activity, where the students mentioned that a good mathematics teacher is kind, happy and helpful and has good subject and educational skills. A student with high internal goal orientation experiences the mathematics lessons as meaningful. High internal goal orientation was also associated with high values of one's own mathematical skills. The differences between the sexes and the grades were small.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between autonomic arousal, activation and auditory change detection in musicians and non-musicians, as reflected by the mismatch negativity (MMN) component of event-related potential response and cardiovascular activity measured in heart rate. 20 musicians and 20 non-musicians were included in the study. An oddball paradigm composed of stimuli deviating in three difficulty levels from standard tone in pitch, duration and location was utilized with two conditions of passive listening, which were followed by intermittent active listening tasks. Only pitch and duration deviants were analysed. Musicians exhibited greater MMN amplitudes, shorter MMN latencies and superior behavioral performance evidenced by discrimination accuracy and reaction time. The effects were observed for both pitch and duration deviants. Musicians' resting heart rates were lower during pre-experiment and both pre-task baselines, indicating higher cardiovascular efficiency. Greater task-related heart rate acceleration in active listening was observed in the musician group than in the non-musician group. MMN amplitude to pitch deviants during passive listening tasks correlated positively with behavioral accuracy in active discrimination tasks. Faster heart rate during active listening predicted better task performance in musician group, whereas the effect was opposite in non-musician group. In musician group, higher heart rate increased the task performance more for subjects with smaller MMN amplitudes. These data thus imply that cortically measured preattentive auditory discrimination capacity is reciprocally connected to the arousal dimension of autonomic nervous system's activity and that musical expertise affects this relationship. Results add support to the evidence of musicians' superior auditory change detection capacity measured in event-related potentials and behavioral performance, while providing new insights to the role of psychophysiological arousal in sound processing and other mental tasks.

Aim. The aim of this study was to examine the experiences of adults on the autism spectrum of being themselves and the factors related to masking in higher education and transitioning to working life. Previous studies have shown that many people on the autism spectrum feel the need to mask their characteristics typical of the autism spectrum. It has been found that masking can have negative effects on the mental health and wellbeing of the person who masks. This study reveals the experiences of adults on the autism spectrum of being themselves and which factors are related to masking. Methods. The data of the study consisted of the interviews collected for the international IMAGE project. The participants were adults on the autism spectrum from Finland (n=7) and the United Kingdom (n=5). The data was analyzed in the phenomenological framework using qualitative, data-driven content analysis. Results and conclusions. The results showed that the diagnosis of autism spectrum was reported mainly for a specific reason, not spontaneously. Experiences of being accepted ranged from positive to negative, and it was particularly challenging to be oneself in extracurricular activities. Three themes emerged in the factors related to masking. First, masking and openness on the other hand were associated with the concern about their consequences: participants considered possible negative consequences on job search, other people and themselves. Another factor related to masking was social environment. Masking increased when the person on the autism spectrum did not know their company, while knowledge about the autism spectrum and friendly attitude reduced it. What is more, one’s own opinion of the autism spectrum was related to masking. A positive attitude towards the autism spectrum reduced the need for masking, while one's own or others' negative experiences of being open about the autism spectrum increased its hiding. In higher education and workplaces, it would be important to reinforce factors that increase the possibility for the people on the autism spectrum to be themselves and not mask if they wish so.

We live in an increasingly diverse society. Various neurological developmental disorders have become more and more common as awareness and general discussion around them has increased. One of the most important tasks of basic education is to support the student's growth in humanity and become a membership of society. Teaching and education must promote, for example, respect for other people, human rights and equality. It is also important to support the student's growth into a balanced person with a healthy self-esteem. Literary education is the right way to deal with these skills of growing as a person. Reading fiction allows you to understand both yourself and the world around you better. The meaning of identification is also crucial because every child should have the opportunity to read relatable works which they can use to mirror themselves. In the current literature for young adults, all types of autism are already covered quite extensively, but the autism spectrum still appears as a relatively rare theme. The purpose of this thesis was to study the spectrum of autism in two books for young people from the 21st centu-ry. The study was carried out as a qualitative study. The research method was data-based content analysis, which was used to analyze two books for young adults dealing with autism. The research was carried out more precisely as a theory-driven SI content analysis. The theoretical basis was Murray's (2008) publication on fictional autistic people. In the young adult books I selected, the portrayal of the autism spectrum was in line with Murray`s (2008) defined archetypes of fictional autistic characters. “The Curios Incident of the dog in the night-time” (Yöllisen koiran merkillinen tapaus, 2003) exhibited the savant archetype as well as a stereotypical description of autism. “The Shadow Garden” (Varjopuutarha, 2014) displayed a very subtle idiot-archetype. Both books also featured the core characteristics outlined by the Autism Society (Autismiliitto, 2023). However, despite the precence of Murray`s (2008) archetypes in both works, they offered a deeper portrayal than merely relying on stereotypes.

Aims. The purpose of this follow-up study (Pesonen, Itkonen, Nislin, 2017) was to analyse how autism-spectrum disorder is represented in leading newspapers in Finland. The disorder is frequently perceived in rather negative light in media. Medical approach focusing on symptoms, diagnosis and treatment has been prevailing. The goals of this study were on one hand to broaden, on the other hand to deepen examination of the phenomenon focusing on representation of autism-spectrum in mass media. The study examines what perceptions of the disorder, education and learning are highligted in newspapers and how educational legislative reforms and development projects are represented in news regarding autism-spectrum disorder. Theoretical framework is based on inclusive education, social model of disability and medicalisation. Methods. The research material consisted of the three leading newspapers’ digital articles on the disorder found with the search word ”autism” during the period 1995─2017. Altogether 456 articles were identified; out of which 109 pieces were included into the education and learning category establishing the core research material. The research period was initiated prior to the Basic Education Law 628/1998 when all students regardless of the forms of support were transferred to mainstream education. The research methods were content analysis and framing analysis frequently applied in media studies. Results and Conclusions. In the research analysis news articles were placed in thematic categories that were teaching arrangements, learning, societal structures, working life, rehabilitation and accessibility. Majority of the articles focused on rehabilitation and teaching arrangements and minority on accessibility. Across the data focus was on medical aspects instead of inclusive or social model of disability. Articles did not report to a large degree on educational law reforms or special education development projects.

This research was inspired by the need to repair teared car upholstery. The subject of this study was an original upholstery fabric from a year 1962 Volvo Amazon. The aim of this study was to collect knowledge of craft-based design and manufacturing process based on an original car upholstery fabric. The research question was: How do I design and develop an upholstery fabric according to an original design while maintaining authenticity? Due to the hand craft based and practical nature of the subject, development research was chosen as the research method. The design process moves forward in three stages. At the first stage the situation was outlined, and the original upholstery fabric was analyzed to find the problems. To support the analysis, Katja Hynninen was consulted as a weaving expert, and Eila Lindfors’ (2002) dissertation was helpful when textile use and caring features were estimated in a sensory manner. The most important attributes of sensory evaluation were the feel, the density, the colors, the stripe rhythm and the general look. Problems with the origi-nal fabric were analyzed by the weak structure of the upholstery fabric yarn, the thin density and the length of the stripe pattern. At the second stage, the aim was to find solutions to the problems found at the first stage. The problems were solved by finding materials and by do-ing experimental weaving on a sample warp. At the final stage the swatches were compared to the original upholstery fabric and to the problems found at the first stage. The experiments were evaluated by the same sensory properties as in the analysis. As a result of the devel-opment process, the most appropriate proposal for the upholstery fabric was presented ac-cording to the objective defined by the researcher. Although the aim of this study was not to produce general information on car upholstery, the research results can also be beneficial to others who are interested in doing similar car up-holstery fabric restoration.

Objectives. In this study, the aim is to analyze whether the learning environments of drama lessons support creativity. Based on earlier research, creativity was understood as an ability that can be found in everyone. Creative environment, however, was considered to have several characteristics, two of which are; positive climate and student-centered teaching. The purpose of the study is to find out whether the drama lessons have positive climate and whether the teaching is student-centered or not. In addition, the aim is to analyze how these two phenomena function as a part of the creative environment of drama lessons. Furthermore, the aim is to test and develop The Classroom Assessment Scoring System™ (CLASS) observation tool in the context of drama lessons. Methods. The study is defined as a qualitative case study although some quantitative measures were also made. The subject of the present study was eight drama lessons which were given to pupils ranging from first to third graders. The research material was collected by videotaping two lessons from four class teachers all specialized in drama. The material was analyzed by using two of the CLASS observation tool's parts; one for observing positive climate and another for observing student-centered teaching. In addition to the CLASS tool, the research material was analyzed by measuring the time used for creative and student-centered action. Results and conclusions. The research shows that drama lessons support children's creative learning as pupils generated new ideas and solutions, on average, half of the time during the lessons. The drama lessons received high grades (5–7 on a scale of 1–7) with the CLASS tool, both in positive climate and in student-centeredness. This implies that the drama lessons' learning climate was positive and their teaching was student-centered. On average ⅔ (64%) of the time, the lessons were student-centered. The connection between student-centered teaching and creative action was clear as an average of 80 % of the student-centered action was also creative. The current understanding is that positive climate is one of the key components of creative learning environments. This is why it is justifiable to assume that the drama lessons' high levels of positive climate were one of the reasons why their learning environments supported children's creative learning. In conclusion, positive climate and student-centered teaching are key elements of the creative environment of drama lessons, and the CLASS tool offers one possible framework for developing a new instrument for analyzing the quality of teaching in drama lessons.

Aims. A national reform of continuous learning is under way. The reform responds to the continuing need to develop and renew competence. The aim of the government program is to develop the higher education system as a platform for continuous learning, in which both degree students and learners without a place to study could flexibly complete their studies at the offer of all Finnish higher education institutions. The government program encourages the widest possible opening of educational offerings to non-degree students and the organization of teaching in co-operation with other higher education institutions. The University of Helsinki is responding to the national challenge with a project launched in 2019 to develop continuous learning. The main goal of the project is to expand the university's continuous learning offer. The aim of the dissertation is to find out how the faculties of the University of Helsinki justify the expansion or restriction of the open study offer. Underlying this is the theory of continuous learning, which I become familiar with through related concepts such as the concept of lifelong learning. Methods. Two deans of teaching and one head of study affairs from the faculties of the University of Helsinki participated in the study. The faculties studied were the Faculty of Educational Sciences, the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Science. The material was obtained through a thematic interview and analyzed by argumentation analysis following Stephen Toulmin's argumentation model. Results and conclusions. In many cases the study offer can be opened. The main target groups to which studies can be opened were young people and those seeking to study, as well as people of working age. The reasons for expanding the study offer included financial resources, an open atmosphere and active teachers, as well as effective cooperation with the Open University. The restriction of the study offer was justified by the fact that there are courses or study units in the degree programs of the faculties that could not be open to everyone, for example due to the production of a qualification. The workload of teachers and the poor scalability of some courses to large numbers were also highlighted. In addition, teachers do not necessarily consider continuous learning as a curriculum activity. The conclusion about the development of continuous learning activities emerged in the interviews of the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Educational Sciences.