Skip to main content
Login | Suomeksi | På svenska | In English

Browsing by Title

Sort by: Order: Results:

  • Niemi, Miia (2015)
    Background and aim. Bilingualism is a worldwide and old phenomenon. It is also a current topic in speech therapy. Bilingualism can be defined in many ways, for example by the age when a person has been exposed to his/her languages. Bilingual children are common clients in Finnish speech therapy field due to increased immigration. When evaluating the linguistic skills of a bilingual child the speech therapist might need to co-operate with an interpreter. In this research the aim was to identify how the SLT's feel the co-operance with the interpreters in evaluation situations. There is only few former studies about this subject, especially in Finland. Some studies have been made to examine the co-operation of the interpreter and another healthcare provider. In this study we also asked if there are some typical challenges in the co-operation and could something be done to develop this liaison. Methods. In this study 12 SLT's were interviewed. They worked in the capital area of Finland. I contacted the leading SLT's to recruit the examinees. The SLT's had been working 2-34 years and they all had evaluated bilingual children in co-operation with an interpreter. The semistructured interview material was gathered and transcribed in the autumn 2014. After transcribing the material was separated into four main themes for reporting the results. Results and discussion. Co-operation between SLT and interpreter shows out to be working mainly fine. Typical challenge mentioned is for example achieving a natural interaction. There are still some lacks in the language skills of the interpreters and the SLT's hope to develop the co-operation with a better guidance (also in the training program of logopedics) and diverse co-operation opportunities. The SLT's seem to appreciate interpreters' social skills, language proficiency, natural interaction with children and flexibility in diverse therapy situations.
  • Virtanen, Tarja (2015)
    Objective: Previous studies suggest that outcomes in aphasia therapy are not often routinely measured in the clinical practice. On the other hand, there has been little research on the views of speech and language therapists (SLT) on the outcome evaluation. The objective of this study was to gather information about the opinions of SLT's when it comes to the role, need and value of the outcome evaluation in the clinical practice. Methods: A conceptual framework called theory of alignment was used in this study. The data were collected by interviewing ten SLTs practicing aphasia therapy. The interviews were transcribed and the data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results and conclusions: According to the results SLTs evaluate the outcomes of aphasia therapy for themselves, for the patients and their significant others and for external stakeholders. The role of the outcome evaluation is different depending on the stakeholder needing evaluation. SLTs may consider routine evaluation of the outcomes unnecessary since the different stakeholders do not always create a need for the outcome evaluation. When it comes to the outcomes of aphasia therapy, STLs found it important to get information on their patient's improvement in different contexts. SLTs also valued other persons' opinions of the outcomes as well as information on the patient's symptoms and their further need for aphasia therapy. Furthermore, SLTs considered that the extent and form of information were important when assessing outcomes. Acknowledging the views of SLTs on the outcome evaluation may help to develop the evaluation practices by resolving some problems relating to the evaluation. In case the routine evaluation of outcomes is desired nationally in aphasia therapy, the SLTs should find that there are different stakeholders needing evaluation for a certain reason. When new tests and assessment tools are developed and translated into Finnish language, it should be considered that they will provide information SLTs find worth collecting.
  • Valkola, Johanna (2018)
    Objectives. Purpose of this study was to examine clothing consumption or “wardrobe” as a vast entity, including daily clothing consumption practises as well as aspects of self-expression. Sustainable clothing consumption and it’s challenges were also examined and new clothing consumption possibilities charted. In this study the main focus was to understand what kind of thoughts and possible conflicts respondents experience regarding clothing consumption and compare findings to clothing quantity data. It was also analysed if there was any significant change that had occurred in clothing consumption habits during past years. Goal of this study was to increase awareness about the complex theme of clothing consumption and develop new solutions for those challenges. Methods. Data was collected using an electronic form (E-lomake) by Riikka Räisänen during years 2010–2016. Respondents were students of the University of Helsinki and The Open University of Helsinki, who participated in a course covering themes as textiles, consumer studies and sustainable development. Research material consisted of 395 students’ responses which contained wardrobe inventories (quantitative data) and open questionnaires (qualitative data). Mixed methods approach is used in the study to gain a whole picture. Results and conclusions. Consumers discontent with their clothing quantity seems to have increased, which could be a consequence of popular trends of wardrobe decluttering or general atmospheric change regarding one’s possessions. However, it seems that strong personal style and rational clothing purchases make clothing quantity more satisfactory. Clothes were meaningful for almost all respondents, but the most important pieces of clothing were the ones carrying an important story or memories. What would it take for consumers to fill their wardrobes with these meaningful pieces instead of insignificant ones? This topic requires further investigation.
  • Vilppula, Sanna (2018)
    The aim of this thesis is to study the state of ninth grade students’ grammatical thinking. Grammatical thinking was observed in group discussions in which the pupils attempted to analyze word classes from news headlines. Word classes are first learned in elementary school and they are revised multiple times in high school. The national curriculum of Finland also requires knowledge of word classes. The research task was approached with the following research questions: which word classes are recognized from the material, how the pupils define different word classes and what kind of problems arise in the discussions of the pupils. The material for this qualitative research consisted of pre-recorded video footage and transcriptions. The data were gathered in December 2014 from a junior high school in Helsinki. In the collected footages 13 groups of pupils perform an applied grammatical task. The material was analyzed utilizing linguistic knowledge, especially on word classes, and data-oriented content analysis for the recorded discussions. The word classes the pupils recognized most easily from the headlines were verbs and nouns. Problems arose especially with pronouns and other words with incomplete inflection paradigms. The results show, that the pupils had very narrow definitions for the various word classes, which made analyzing authentic texts difficult. In addition, the pupils' notion of grammar was observed as normative. The goal of the assignment was seen as a mission to find the one and only correct answer. The uncertainty of concepts was also observed from the pupils’ choice of words. By vocalizing the discussion about the different concepts of grammar, the pupil can observe which concepts she or he has mastered, and which need more learning. At the same time, information is revealed about the pupils’ grammatical thinking.
  • Heikkilä, Elina (2015)
    Dress and clothing have been studied a lot from the symbolic interaction perspective where dress is seen as a message. According to symbolic interactionism a person tells about him or herself and expresses the self through different identities. In this study, I ask how women express their self and identity through dress and what is other persons' role in women's expression of their dressing identity. In addition, I look for answers to the questions why women are preserving clothes they do not use and what kind of meanings they attach to these clothes. I used a combination of thematic and narrative interviews for collecting of data. I interviewed nine women between 19 and 64 years of age. In the course of the interviews, informants presented clothes they liked, clothes that were special for them and clothes that they had but which they no longer used. I coded the data with Atlas/ti program. I analyzed the data by using a theory dependent approach. Women express their self through various identities that are affected by social context. Women also define their identities by rejecting such ways of dressing that they think are uncharacteristic for themselves. They are careful not to reveal too much. They are also sensitive about overdressing and being labeled into a wrong age group. Women's dress is affected by an imaginary other person's look, an image of how other people see them. This is especially evident in work and formal dress. Women's favorite clothes made them feel comfortable, they felt that these clothes reflected their own style, and women believed that they looked good in wearing those clothes. Women preserved clothes that they did not use because they believed that they still one day would use them or they wanted to keep them as memories. The clothes kept as memories build up women's present day identity by disclosing what she had been before and reminding her of positive moments in the past.
  • Hannikainen, Terhi (2016)
    The purpose of this study is to use design research to present clothing libraries and discuss the possibilities of fulfilling consumers' needs by preferring sharing clothes rather than buying new ones. The theoretical part of this study examines how clothing libraries fit in the context of sharing economy, circular economy and Product-service systems (PSS). Clothing libraries can be seen as a great example of the sharing economy. Sharing and renting clothes illustrates a way of consuming clothes in a sustainable and communal way. In this study the first cycle of development research is conducted. Based on the results of the cycle, suggestions for improving the range and services of the clothing libraries are given. Design research was used as the method of this study. The data consists of interviews from entrepreneurs and e-surveys from members of the Vaatepuu and Vaaterekki brands. 20 members answered the survey. The entrepreneurs (N=3) were interviewed about the clothing library concept. In addition information was collected about their approach to customer satisfaction as well as technical and functional quality of service. The data from members was collected using an e-form survey to ask how and in which context they use the products. They were also asked which elements influence their purchasing decisions. Customer satisfaction was evaluated by asking members for their opinions about the range of selection and the features of the products. The customers' satisfaction with the service was evaluated in relation to the functional quality of the service: its availability and its operational principles. Opinions were asked utilizing the five-step Likert-scale. Both sets of material were analysed qualitatively, with the help of theory based content analysis. Opinions measuring the variables were analysed using mean and standard deviation. According to the results, the members are satisfied with the concept based selection. However, they wish it would change more often. Members feel that the quality of service is good. Members are satisfied with the length of renting time and the prices of the memberships. According to the findings the selection could vary according to season. The service could be improved by extending opening hours, making an online catalogue, offering a possibility of returning clothes out of hours and offering new membership options.
  • Oksala, Pauliina (2020)
    Objectives. The study on costume has mainly focused on the work and the artistic process of the costume designer. Realizing the design in collaboration with the costume designer and the costume maker has remained mostly unstudied. The aim of the study was to investigate the various forms of collaboration between the costume designer and the costume maker during the costume making process. The study also aimed to understand the factors that influence different forms of collaboration and to examine how they enable and promote productive collaboration. Methods. The data for the study was collected by interviewing four costume designers and four costume makers between May and August 2017. The interviews were carried out as semi-structured interviews, which best correspond to focused interview. Interviewees were chosen for their education and long work experience in the profession. The transcribed interviews were coded in atlas.ti with theory- and material-oriented approach. Qualitative analysis of the coded data was executed with thematic categorizing. Results and conclusions. The study shows a wide range of variation in the collaborative process both in terms of quantity and quality. Many factors influence the collaboration. These include professional expertise, attitudes towards work and the collaborators, the settled and personally preferred work methods, as well as the level of familiarity between the collaborators, communication between them and mutual respect. The production process itself, schedules and resources, management, division of work and atmosphere in the wardrobe also have an effect on the collaboration. Preconditions for productive collaboration consist of several factors, but self-respect and the appreciation for one’s collaborator seem to be the most significant, alongside positive, flexible and professional attitude.
  • Keskitalo, Pilvi (2012)
    The main purpose of this study is to describe and analyze the craft instructions of a Finnish craft magazine Omin käsin during the years 1938 1952. The Second World War had caused serious depression in Finland, which caused also lack of textile material. Textile shortage forced people to develop various creative ways of coping. The textile shortage lasted for several years after the war. My goal was to study how the period of shortage appears in the craft magazine. My research material consisted of 327 craft instructions. The perspective of the study is historical and my method is qualitative content analysis. I confined the craft instructions based on how the period of shortage appears in them. I arranged them in tabulated form and categorized the instructions. Creating theoretical concepts actualizes in the naming of the categories and in the analysis of the significance of craft during the period. I categorized the instructions into five different categories: making something new using old material, repairing and taking care of clothes, substitute materials, scarce materials, homespun and home woven materials. I also analyzed the appearance of the instructions during the years of shortage. The demanding process of categorizing laid the groundwork for the analysis of the significance of craft during the period of shortage. Studying craft during an exceptional period of time, as the period of textile shortage, offers new perspectives in studying the meanings of craft. Although home craft was an indispensable part of household work and thus economical, in the magazine Omin käsin appears also aesthetic, therapeutic and social meanings of crafts. Crafts were not only a material way of coping, but it also brought people together and was a mental support during hard times. No doubt, only browsing through the innovative instructions of the magazine gave self-confidence and hope of coping. The lack of material set restrictions which forced to develop creative solutions and new innovations. For a short period of time, it stopped the fast progress industrialization, and working by hand was once again widely valued. Domestic materials were complimented and developed diversely. The period of shortage left its own imprint on Finnish crafts.
  • Penttilä, Marja (2023)
    My research is object study on textiles and footwear during times of 1940s depression. The aim of the study was to find out what materials the objects in the collection were made of, what working methods had been used in their manufacture, and what kind of features and solutions were found in the objects typical of the depression time. Finland experienced a depression as a result of the Second World War from 1939 onwards. Foreign trade relations were severed and grain harvests in their own country suffered from drought, so the sale of food and goods began to be rationed. Rationing lasted until 1954, when the last foods were released from rationing. During the depression, clothes were made from all possible materials that could be found in attics and fences. Fabrics that were not usually used to make clothes were now pre-cisely utilized. Substitute materials were also developed to replace fabrics, the most common of which was paper. Among other things, shoe covers, curtains and sheets were made from it. Self-sufficiency increased during depression and rationing, and the cultivation of flax, for exam-ple, became more common. Linen was a common material for textiles during times of shortage. Footwear was made of wood, thick fabrics and reeds. Textiles from depression time have been studied before. Most of the research has been based on interviews or written sources. Anna Vesamäki has done object study on textiles during depression in the elevator market field, and my own research is very similar to Vesamäki's research. Vesamäki studied the clothes handed over to the University Museum by the Kotitalouskeskus. She chose clothes made of adult woven fabric for her material. I used the same collection of as yet unexplored textiles and footwear in my research. In my material there are three breeches and a suit made of woven fabric (includes a jacket and breeches), baby knitted pants, a hand towel, a washing mitt, eight socks made of different materials, two mit-tens, two pairs of stables, three reed shoes and a pan cap. I study objects by applying the model that Vesamäki has used in his own research, following the model developed by Jules Prown (1982). Research is basic research. I will first describe the objects and introduce their materials and methods of manufacture. After that, I examine whether the pre-inducing materi-als, manufacturing methods or other features of the objects are typical of the depression time. The textiles and footwear were made from materials typical of the depression and with typical manufacturing methods. All clothing made of woven fabric contained linen. Several ex-tension pieces were found on the clothes, which indicates that the fabrics have been used very precisely. The socks used a lot of wool and linen, as well as human hair and animal hair. Both clothes and socks are rough, and the fabrics are partially of poor quality and have flaws. Socks and mittens seem high-quality, despite the roughness. The footwear contained materials very typical for the depression. Both stables were made of woolen fabric and the other shoes were made of braided reeds. The pan cap was also made from reeds. However, all the items in my material are neat and carefully prepared.
  • Panigrahi, Anna (2017)
    The purpose of this study is to determine the policies related to household food waste as well as what kind of changes has occured in it over the past decades and how these changes reflect any changes in the society. The changes related to these policies are examined by interviewing three generations from the same family and searching for similarities and differences in their household policies related to food waste. In addition, this study seeks to examine the role of food education on food behaviour. The frame of references in this study is based on the concepts of household activities, everyday management, sustainable development and food education. The study is a qualitative interview study. The data was collected by individual theme interviews. The group of interviewees consisted in total of nine persons, three generations from three different families. They were born between the years 1931-1991 and six of them were women and three men. The data was analyzed by theming. Household food waste is generally considered a negative thing that should be avoided. This study revealed that the oldest generation has the most negative relation to food waste and also produces the least. The difference is clear between the oldest and the middle generation, but decreases between the two younger generations. Changes in the society were experienced to have an impact on household food waste, especially the migration from the countryside to the cities and the creation of a so-called culture of gluttony. During Finland's independence our food economy has developed from depression and periods of shortage towards abundance. Food education was seen to play a key role in reducing household food waste. The interviewees highlighted the importance of upringing in the formation of their own food behaviour as well as for the future. The results of this study help to understand what causes can be found behind the phenomenon of food waste as well as the fact that also the social context has an impact on the production of household food waste..
  • Pihkala, Ulla (2024)
    Home economics is a multidisciplinary field of study which is interested in studying issues related to families and the well-being of the household. According to the familistic concept, the family is a unit that comes before everything else. However, families with two living standards differ from this ideal, as they emphasize more individualistic features and are the focus in this research. It is known from previous studies that the uneven distribution of financial resources within the family can cause differences in well-being among family members and at the same time lead to conflicts and dissatisfaction. Data for the research was collected by publishing an invitation in Facebook to join a survey in early spring 2023. It was open for three weeks. 96 people replied. The respondents were asked to tell in their own words what kind of emotions the two different living standards evoke in them and how it manifests itself in their everyday life and well-being. Majority of those who responded to the invitation to write were women. The narratives written by the respondents were analyzed using theory-driven content analysis. Allardt's different dimensions of well-being: having, loving, doing, being, and the objective and subjective indicators derived from them by Martela were used as a reference. According to the results, there were a large amount of negative emotions such as anxiety, unfairness, inferiority and shame in families of two living standards. The feelings remained the same, regardless of whether the respondent was a member with a lower income, a higher income or a member who offered the child's perspective. In addition to negative emotions, the well-being of families was weakened by many other things. By analyzing the stories, 24 subcategories were created, which told their own story about how the different living standards affected a family. Subcategories were created under each dimension of well-being. For example, the “having” dimension can be connected to being left out of society's support networks and the fear of intergenerational transmission, and the “loving” dimension, on the other hand, can be connected to a lack of appreciation and emotional violence. Weak opportunities for self-realization can be associated with the “doing” dimension and mental health challenges with the “being” dimension. This study increases the understanding of families with two different living standards. In these families, the person in a better financial position has more power to decide on family matters. At worst, there could be indications of financial and emotional violence in the families. The phenomenon affects more women, because of the structures of society. Women tend often bear the responsibility of caring for their children and the expenses incurred by them. Based on the research, however, it can be concluded that family members should also bear responsibility for each other's financial prosperity, as it impacts all areas of well-being.
  • Konttinen, Suvi (2020)
    The narrowed range of languages in Finnish education and the deteriorating learning outcomes of a second national language have led to studies on the development of language teaching. One of the development factors in the studies is the early adoption of language teaching. (See, for example, Tuokko, 2009; National Language Survey, 2011.) In the 2012 lesson allocation decision, the study of B1-language was predated, but the multi-stage and contradictory political decision-making process that led to the early learning has not been studied. The purpose of this thesis is to find out, from a historical perspective, what stages have been in the lesson allocation reform process leading to the earlier teaching of the second national language, who has been involved, what interests they have had and whose interests have dominated the decision, and how parties react to second national language. The research strategy of the master’s thesis was qualitative, and it was implemented as a case study- type narrative analysis of history. The material in the study was the government programs, the education development plans, the election programs of the parliamentary parties, their education policy programs and the minutes of the party meetings from the period under review, as well as the experts’ opinions on the lesson allocation proposals. The material was gathered both by requesting material by e-mail and by searching websites. The material was analyzed by the means of Foucauldian approach - historical discourse analysis - by coding and thematization, after which a process report was written on it. The reform process of lesson allocation progressed in three cycles and involved among others political parties, various organizations and expert parties. From the discourses that emerged from the material, conclusions were drawn about the parties’ attitudes towards the second national language. They can be divided roughly into those who: want it to be voluntary, want it to be a regional freedom of choice, want it to be started earlier, increased, or developed. In the lesson allocation decision, matters driven by several parties dominate, while in the decision leading to the earlier teaching of the second national language, political will and market economy conditions take precedence over the pedagogical aspect.
  • Rytioja, Maarit (2016)
    Sustainable and diverse use of natural resources has a significant role in developing environmentally benign processes and products in the future. There is a growing need for ecological and natural dyes. The aim of this study was to examine the dyeing properties of the fungus Cortinarius armillatus and the stems and leaves of sunflower, Helianthus annuus. Also, the mordant remnants in natural dye baths were under investigation. Metal mordants are commonly used in natural dyeing to enhance the binding of the dye to the fibre. These auxiliary substances can be harmful to human health and the environment. The amount of the used metal mordant varies in the dyeing recipes. Therefore, the second object of the study was to find out how much of the mordant remains in the dyeing liquid after the dyeing process and to determine if the amount is hazardous to environment. Woollen fabric and yarn meta-mordanted with different concentrations of alum and ferrous sulphate were dyed with C. armillatus and H. annuus. The obtained shades were red from the C. armillatus and yellow and green from the H. annuus. The CIELAB values varied depending on the used mordant. The concentration of the ferrous sulphate had a greater impact on the colour than the concentration of the alum. The colour fastness to washing was more stable in the samples dyed with C. armillatus than dyed with H. annuus. The light fastness was moderate in all the dyeing conditions, whereas the rubbing fastness properties were generally good. The mordant or its concentration did not have consistent effect to the light or rubbing fastness. The applied mordant did not totally bind to the fibre. The amount of the remaining metal substances was high and even higher than the original amount. Mordants were bound to the fibre most effectively in the premordanting procedure. In addition, ferrous sulphate bound better to the dyed fibre than alum. The amount of the remaining mordant was affected by the dye and the dyeing procedure, therefore it was difficult to draw general conclusions about the optimal mordant concentrations. Although the aluminium and iron remnants were high compared to the original applied amount, their use is not environmentally hazardous in domestic scale applications.
  • Radi, Heini (2020)
    In integration policy perspective employment in the Finnish labor market is considered as a measure of integration. Integration training aims to find a suitable career and work path for each immigrant. Instead of an individual's wishes and skills, the labor market strongly guides career choices. The marketisation of education has also brought a new kind of efficiency requirement to the field of integration education, which combines declining financial resources and intensified efficiency expectations. Preparatory education for upper secondary vocational education and training (VALMA) is one actor in the integration field, whose purpose is to orientate immigrants to Finnish working life, society and different professions. The purpose of this thesis is to bring out the views of teachers who work in VALMA and reveal the tensions in the field of integration training. Through the interviews of teachers, I explore how the subject positions of teachers are constructed and what kind of reflections they have regarding to power and ethics. The research material consisted of interviews of five teachers working in VALMA education. My approach to the analysis has elements of discursive reading. In response to the research questions, four key factors were outlined in the background of teacher’s subject position. At the heart of everything are reflections on power and ethics, which are intertwined with reflection on language skills requirements, issues related to career choice and working life. The subject position of VALMA-teacher was constructed through controversial goals and objectives toward the desire to do the right thing and act ethically.
  • Niinimäki, Niina (2020)
    Indigo is one of humanity’s most important sources of blue color. Synthetic indigo is produced from oil refining by-products and uses chemicals that are harmful to the environment. Natural indigo would be more environmentally friendly, but it does not guarantee an environmentally friendly dyeing process, since sodium dithionite, which is environmentally harmful, is often used to reduce indigo. This study examines the dyeing of cotton with woad (Isatis tinctoria) and the reduction of indigo with environmentally friendly sugars. The goal is to find an environmentally friendly dyeing method suitable for home dyers and craft teaching. Indigo precursors were extracted from three different strains of woad by three slightly different steeping methods. Indigo was reduced to its water-soluble form with fructose and glucose, and control samples with sodium dithionite. The resulting indigo dye was used to dye cotton fabric. The color yield is considered in relation to the different strains of woad, extraction methods and reducing agents. In addition, the washing and abrasion resistance of the color with different strains of woad, extraction methods and reducing agents is examined. Longer extraction time and chopping of the leaves improved the dyeing result. However, in addition to indigo, chopped leaves and longer extraction time also resulted in increased amount of other colorants in the dye, as the samples were greener and more yellow than their controls. However, in laundering, these samples faded less than others and their color turned bluer as the yellow colorants washed away. Among the strains, the best color yield was obtained from the 2002 row spacing and seed quantity test conducted by the MTT Agrifood Research Finland (now known as the Natural Resources Institute Finland). There were no differences in the laundering and abrasion resistance tests between the woad strains. Indigo was successfully reduced with both fructose and glucose, but color yields were lighter and less blue than with sodium dithionite. There were no significant differences in color yield between fructose and glucose. Fructose scored slightly better than other reducing agents in laundering tests. Sugar reduction is thus well suited for both home dyeing and craft teaching, but to improve the coloring result, the woad leaves should be chopped and extracted in hot water (80 ˚C) for half an hour.
  • Saari, Virva Kukka (2010)
    A concept of god is a wholeness that an individual experiences as God. The Christian concept of god is based on triune God: Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. The concept of god is examined in different kinds of contexts particularly between the 1940's and the 1970's. Many researches of school books have widely been made in Finland, but, however, only a few from the point of view of the concept of god. Considering this, the concept of god in the school books of Evangelical Lutheran and Orthodox religion from first to fourth grade in 1970–80 and 2000 is examined in this survey. Additionally, the concept of god in curricula between years 1970 and 2004 is studied. The perspective on the concept of god is the change in the course of time and denominational emphasis. As a first hypothesis, God the Father is represented in books in 21st century as a kind and loving figure. As a second hypothesis, the Trinity and the Holy Spirit get more space in Orthodox books comparing with the Lutheran books. Twelve school books of Evangelical Lutheran and Orthodox religion from first to fourth grade were used as a research material. The books were from four different series between the years 1978 and 2005. Teacher's guidebooks and student's exercise books were left outside of this survey. The research material was analyzed by using abductive content analysis and methodological triangulation. This study included both qualitative and quantitative aspects. The classification system which defined the classifying of concept of god from the research material was consisted of the basis of research material, former research, and subtext of used theories. The number of mentions in concept of god was higher in books from the 21st century. In Lutheran books, the change was seen as a growth of the category of God the Father. In Orthodox books, the trend was opposite: the category of Jesus the Son had grown. Differing from the presupposition, the features of loving God in new books had less emphasis than in older books in both churces. The mentions of the Holy Spirit and Trinity were marginal. In the Orthodox books, the categories were bigger, as it was presupposed. It could be seen, that the books confirmed the legalistic period of the concept of god on 3rd and 4th grades. The mentions of concept of god in curriculas have diminished and generalized. The diminution was seen most radically in the curriculum from the year 1994. The results tell something about social changes and views of innovation in curricula. In books the change was not perceived that bright. The idea of the concept of god getting shrank and decreased during the time can be refused.
  • Kettunen, Anne-Maria (2020)
    The aim of this study was to describe in which ways child’s participation is seen in round-the-clock daycare centres. Thesis focused on the experiences of early childhood education teachers regarding children’s participation in early childhood education. The aim was to find out how early childhood education teachers consider themselves to support and promote children’s participation. The aim was also to find out early childhood education teachers define the concept of participation and how participation affects everyday early childhood education practices. The thesis is based on qualitative research. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews with six early childhood education teachers working in different round-the-clock daycare centers in Helsinki city, Finland. The need to this kind of research rises from childrens’ right to be heard about matters that concern themselves. Studies of child’s participation in the round-the-clock point of view are lesser. The rights of the child are based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) and the Act on Early Childhood Education and Care (540/2018). Previous studies point out that children participation is a multidimensional phenomenon. The theoretical framework of the study is based on the view of participation as one of the principle of hearing children. The theory of participation has been dealt with according to the Hart’s ladder of participation (1992), Shier’s pathway to participation (2001) and multidimensional model of participation by Turja (2017). From the research results it can be concluded that early childhood teachers in round-the-clock groups are aware of the different factors affecting child’s participation. The results confirm also the earlier views that the phenomenon of participation is multidimensional. The results show how adults are aware of the child's right to be heard, influence and participate in his or her own community. The child’s participation is meaningful at the round-the-clock daycare centers and in the quality of the Early Childhood studies. It is important as a adult to support a child to experience that he can influence the aspects that affect him and that he is a unique person. The most essential way to increase child’s participation is to meet the child and come face to face with him by intentionally.
  • Aksela, Olli (2022)
    The aim of this Master’s Thesis is to increase the understanding of the dimensions of academic self-efficacy and their development among those students who have attended to the university introductory courses. The web-based orientation courses are the latest forms of co-operation between high schools and universities in Finland. There is little research to date on the impact of the courses and the components of academic self-efficacy. Methods: This study consists of two parts. In the first part of it, a structural analysis of the Ac-ademic Self-Efficacy Scale (Ashraf & Gafoor, 2006) was performed for the measurement of academic self-efficacy. It examined the domains of the students' academic self-efficacy, and the relationship between the background factors (gender, age, parental education, and aca-demic success). In the second part of the study, the development of academic self-efficacy was examined in the dimensions formed in the structural analysis. The data was collected us-ing an online questionnaire twice during the courses. All students participated on it voluntarily. An exploratory factor analysis of the data from a survey conducted at the beginning of the course was used in the first part of study. The data was collected from the introductory cours-es (artificial intelligence, chemistry and medicine) organized by two universities (N = 195). The second part of the study examined the development of academic self-efficacy using the data of the students before and after two courses (chemistry and medicine). It was performed by a t-test of a pairwise sample on factor point variables (N = 43). The entire study was con-ducted during the COVID-19 pandemic during the school year 2020–2021 before the entry in-to force of the new High School Act (2019) and the new curricula framework. Results and Conclusions: With this measure, the academic self-ability of the students in the introductory courses formed a three-factor model: perceived cognitive ability, perceived ability to provide support, and perceived self-regulated learning skills. The model was compared with the structural results of other academic self-efficacy measures and research literature, and theoretical support was found for it. The study found indications of a positive effect of complet-ing the courses on academic self-efficacy. The goal of the introductory courses for students to become acquainted with the field and one’s own abilities would seem to have strengthened. The study presents an iterated version of the academic self-efficacy measure used and sug-gestions for the development of it and areas for further research. The results of the study can be applied in teaching, for example in the development of introductory courses and research in terms of academic self-efficacy.
  • Savolainen, Venla (2021)
    This study did focus on examining the pharmacy students of Helsinki University and their own experi-ence of their self -efficacy, psychological flexibility and wellbeing through exhaustion. This study also focused on the connections of self-efficacy believes, psychological flexibility skills and exhaustion. The research material used in this study was prepared by the HowULearn survey that is prepared be re-search and development unit (YTY) of the university of Helsinki. The first research question examined pharmacy student’s own experience of their psychological flexi-bility, self- efficacy and experience of exhaustion. Answers to the first research question were found by using frequency analysis and basic numbers such as mode and median. The normality of the used data was tested whit Kolmogrov-sminov test. The second research question examined the connections between oself -efficacy, psychological flexibil-ity and exhaustion. Answers to this second research question were found by using correlation analysis and regression analysis. According to the results obtained in this research pharmacy students experienced having good psychological flexibility skills and experienced good self-efficacy believes. Better self-efficacy believes and better skills in psychological flexibility associated whit low exhaustion or no exhaustion at all and vice versa. Self -efficacy believes, skills in psychological flexibility seem to have an important connection to the well-being of pharmacy students. For this reason it is important to increase understanding of the relationships between self-efficacy, psychological flexibility and experience of exhaustion on students.
  • Kleemola, Katri (2016)
    In previous research, changes in self-efficacy have been studied only at group level. Very little research has been done on relations between self-efficacy and approaches to learning. The aim of this study was to explore changes in self-efficacy in first-year Law students at group level and individual level, and also relations between changes in self-efficacy and approaches to learning. The data were collected in the HowULearn project. First-year Law students filled in a questionnaire twice: at the beginning of the autumn term and at the end of the spring term. Altogether 133 students filled in the questionnaire at both times. Self-efficacy and approaches to learning were measured using the scales of the HowULearn questionnaire. Changes in self-efficacy at group level were analyzed by a paired samples t-test. Changes at individual level were explored using change groups and change profiles. Relations between changes in self-efficacy and approaches to learning were analyzed by Pearson correlation and one-way ANOVA. On the group level, self-efficacy deteriorated between the measuring points. The individual analyses revealed that the number of students who showed deteriorating self-efficacy was equal to the number whose self-efficacy was unaltered. More than half of the students were placed in change profiles representing unaltered weak, moderate or strong self-efficacy. As self-efficacy increased, deep and organized approaches to learning also increased, while surface approach decreased. Compared with others, students with unaltered weak self-efficacy tended more toward a surface approach and less toward deep and organized approaches. Compared with others, students with increasing or unaltered strong self-efficacy were using more deep and organized approaches. In order to promote a deep approach to learning, students' self-efficacy should be strengthened through feedback focusing on successes. A promising direction for future research would be to focus on individual changes in self-efficacy in relation to factors such as study success and perceptions of the learning environment.