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Objectives. The purpose of this thesis was to explore how students perceive queer in/visibility in higher education. Queer is defined as a concept that includes queer pedagogy, queer theory, as well as queer as an identity. Previous research has shown that queering educational institutions was not sufficiently happening. This study aims to give an overview of the current state of queer visibility in higher education by investigating how students in one education faculty perceive queer in higher education. The major question driving the inquiry was if and in what way queer was visible or invisible to the students. Methods. The study was conducted by applying a thematic analysis to participants responses to a writing prompt. The thematic analysis was operationalised through inductive and deductive coding. The deductive coding was based on the theoretical concepts of invisibility as well as on the Ward-Gale model. Inductive coding was used to complement the analysis. Results and conclusions. The results of the study show a profound invisibility of queerness in higher education and limited visibility. Queer visibility was mostly connected to individual students’ visibility and the queer community. There is a clear lack of visibility in staff, curriculum, and higher education structures. The outcomes demonstrate the harm this can do on students’ well-being. Some participants portray being queer as something that is hard but also that it could have been easier if there had been more education on the topic. The study initially aimed to expand the Ward-Gale model; however, the results demonstrate that elements of the existing model are not being implemented in the higher education institution that served as the site of this study. I suggest that further research needs to be done on this topic and strongly urges institutions of higher education to increase queer visibility. Furthermore, I suggest implementing teacher trainings, making use of queer teaching materials, encouraging teachers to queer their teaching style, and organising queer events. One way to begin enhancing queer visibility is to implement the Ward-Gale model that is presented in this study. The article will be submitted for publishing to the European Journal of Higher Education.

This study focuses on the uses of visual material (illustrations, tables, graphs, and videos) and their relation to text in upper secondary textbooks and the Finnish matriculation examination. There is not much research on how illustrations are being used in textbooks and high-stake exams, even though studies have shown positive results of the use of visual material in learning. The aim of this study was to provide more understanding on the roles of visual material and captions. The context of this study is influenced by the increase in visual communication, the central role of textbooks in Finnish classrooms, the critique towards textbooks that promote content instead of knowledge building skills, the national core curriculums that emphasize creative thinking and multiliteracy (LOPS 2015, LOPS 2019), and in the years 2016-2019 digitalized Finnish matriculation examination. The data of the research consists of the textbooks (printed and digital) of the first courses in psychology, biology, and English, and of the matriculation examinations (2018-2020) of these subjects. Altogether 488 visual elements with possible captions in textbooks and 127 in matriculation examinations were analyzed. The research approach used was qualitative, theory directive content analysis and the data were classified in categories in order to facilitate comparison. To support high-level learning, learning materials should support students in the areas of hierarchical building of concepts and theories, knowledge construction and application. The analysis showed that these features are somewhat more uncommon, and the main function of visual material is representative. Visual material has a significant role in textbook exercises and in the Finnish matriculation examination. However, they also carry some irrelevant, even cognitively burdensome features. Visual material in textbooks mainly indicates to the inner world of the textbook instead of external sources of information. The role of the captions in conveying the information was considered significant, especially when the pages of the books were abundantly illustrated. The visual material in printed and digital textbooks had only minor differences in their quality but notable differences in their quantity in this research. Based on this research visual material seems to have potential in both supporting learning and evaluating it, but illustrations should be used with consideration and care to avoid confusion and burdening the student.

Objectives. Recently, an increasing number of comprehensive schools in Helsinki have launched social media accounts, which they use to share visual images during the school days. The purpose of this study is to describe and analyse the ways in which schools portray themselves on the photo-sharing site Instagram, and how these visualisations represent the narratives of the Finnish comprehensive school and the National Core Curriculum for Basic Education. This analysis of Instagram images complements the research on the Finnish comprehensive school system, providing a new and authentic perspective on how schools wish to represent themselves through social media. Methods. This qualitative research is based on a data-driven visual content analysis. The material consists of 766 media images published on the Instagram accounts of seven comprehensive schools in the City of Helsinki during the three-month period between January and March 2021. The visual media were analysed using image analysis and thematic analysis. Results and Conclusions. The results of the analysis indicate that at the time of data analysis the visualisations by selected comprehensive schools in Helsinki are highly diverse. A series of images (Instagram carousel post) is the most common kind of post (83%). In half of the images (50%) there are no people. Of images containing people, groups of students (22%) are presented more often than individuals (5%). As a rule, the people in the images cannot be identified. The classroom (51%) is the most photographed learning place, and the next most frequent image location is outdoors (17%). Furthermore, five main themes emerge from analysis of the images: Steps of Learning (34%), Exhibition (24%), Our School (17%), Outdoor Activities (17%), and Current Topics (8%). The learning process, especially in arts, crafts, and home economics, is displayed in the images, as are the students’ learning outcomes.

The purpose of the research was to determine how well Finnish children and youngsters in different ages recognize poisonous and eatable wild plant species and to which characteristics they pay attention to when identifying plants. The purpose was also to find out, how well the pupils and students can estimate if the wild plants are either poisonous or eatable. The goal was to gather knowledge about what factors explain these recognition and estimation skills. Also information was wanted about attitudes of children and youngsters towards recognizing and learning the poisonous and eatable wild plants. The research was made on subjects of 48 children and youngsters from grade 6 in primary school, grade 8 in lower-secondary school and vocational school. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. A plant recognition test, where 38 pictures on plants was presented, was made for the all subjects. The subjects were requested to name the plants and classify them to be either poisonous or eatable. In addition six students were interviewed from each class, altogether 18 subjects. The themes of the interviews were the attitudes towards eatable and poisonous wild plants and to learn to recognize species. During the interview pictures of plants were looked at and the subjects told which characteristics they pay attention to when trying to recognize it. The results showed that on average wild plants were recognized insufficiently. Standard variation in responses was large in all classes researched. The subjects got better results in classifying of the plants to be either poisonous or eatable than in naming the plants. This research shows that even when a subject cannot name a plant it is still possible for the subject to classify the plant to be either poisonous or eatable. Gender and being an immigrant explained the recognition skills of poisonous and eatable plants so that girls were somewhat better to recognize plant species and native Finns recognized poisonous and eatable plants better that immigrants. Age did not explain the skills to recognize species directly, since students in lower- secondary school recognized the poisonous and eatable plants better than primary school and vocational school students. In skills to estimate plants' poisonous or eatability there was no difference according to gender, age, or immigrant background. The subjects considered the skills to recognize poisonous and eatable plants important. Learning to recognize plants at school was not considered interesting however. Since the recognition of plants in neighborhood belongs to tasks of general education it is important to think about how the teaching could be made interesting. According to findings of this study, especially the recognition of poisonous plants was considered important by the subjects. This knowledge as well as teaching about possibilities to utilize plants could be used as a way to motivate and teach the students.

The aim of this thesis was to research swearwords and sobriquets in the children’s book series Puluboi ja Poni. The research engages both in the swearing and in the name-calling research. Name-calling has been studied in the children’s language, most often considering bullying. For a long time, swearing was a neglected research area, but the interest in it has grown since the 1960’s. An even more rare research area has been the prevalence of swearing in the children’s language and literature. Children’s literature is both an instrument and object of learning. As an instrument of learning, it promotes literacy, and as its object, it passes on our pedagogical prospects. In this study, I will view what kind of swearwords and sobriquets are there in the children’s book series Puluboi ja poni. I will also view how are they used and talked about. The research material was a six-piece book series Puluboi ja Poni by Veera Salmi. This particular series contains a number of swearwords and sobriquets. The topic and the matter together create an interesting setting since swearwords and sobriquets are mainly considered inappropriate language and children’s literature is a tool of education. The study was qualitative and research method was discourse analysis. As an analytical tool I used both theoretical and material-based content analysis. There were 63 swearwords and 68 sobriquets according to the scope of the study. All three taboos were found in the swearwords of Puluboi ja Poni -book series. Most referred taboo were religious taboos. Typically, swearwords were used as expletives, for example to relief mental distress. Sobriquets were used to offend the referent. Sobriquets offended usually referents psychical traits. A number of meanings were given for swearing and name-calling; as that, it is ugly and forbidden usage of language. The discourse and metadiscourse in the book series were partly aligned. Puluboi ja Poni -book series challenges the prospects of appropriate and inappropriate language. It is a good tool to examine this phenomenon with adults and kids.

The aim of this thesis was to represent how female managers experience the importance of gender and professional networking and what kind of effects these have on their careers.The setting is based on the current discourse about the lack of female managers at the top and the reasons behind this phenomenon. In addition, the significance of social networks and relationships has increased both in the academia as well as in the everyday life during the last decades. The theoretical background demonstrates the gendered job markets and social networking from the perspective of the social capital theory. In this thesis social capital is comprehended as a resource of an individual that sources from social interaction and relationships. The hypothesis is that these relationships play a significant role when female managers are building their careers. The purpose of this study is to unveil how gendered workplaces are and to start a discussion about the status of female managers in them. The purpose is also to study the importance of networking as social capital and how it affects female managers' careers. The professional network for women studied both from the perspective of gender and social networking theory in this thesis is Gaia Network ry. The network was established to give support for women in high or demanding leadership positions. The data was collected by using an electronic questionnaire. The questionnaires were supported with three semi-structured theme interviews which were then analysed by using qualitative content analysis. Out of the 215 women in the network, 33 participated in the study. The results show that gender is considered as a hindering and a neutral factor but also as an asset for women's careers. Contacts, professional development, mental wellbeing, reputation and status were pointed out as the most important qualities of female networks. The downside of the networks was the lack of diversity. Women in the study felt that the benefits gained from the network are conditional to one's active participation. As a conclusion, changes in attitudes and the perceptions of traditional gender roles are needed in order to achieve equal treatment in the workplace. This should have roots already in children's' upbringing and education. Actions are also needed in order to change the dominant masculine workplace culture. Professional networks have the potential to cultivate women's careers and this resource could be utilised in the future more efficiently.

A large body of experimental research indicates that from an early age children are able to engage in compassionate behaviour. However, less focus has been paid on how children's compassionate behaviour is constituted in naturalistic settings. The aim of this study was to investigate what are children's compassionate acts in a natural kindergarten setting and how do children's peer relationships interrelate with these acts. The study is part of the research project "Constituting Cultures of Compassion in Early Childhood Education (CoCuCo)". The theoretical framework of the study is based on the complex concept of compassion and the constitution of children's compassionate behaviour in social contexts. Although human's have a natural tendency to empathy and compassion, the sociocultural context in which people interact has a great influence on whether compassion is nurtured or suppressed. Previous research suggests that as children age their compassionate behaviour changes, which might be due to the increase in children's social understanding. The current study was conducted by observing 30 5-7-year-olds children's interaction in a kindergarten setting. Children's compassionate acts and contextual factors were recorded by using a semi-structured observation form. The data was analysed using qualitative analysis methods. Sociograms compiled by child group's staff were used to define children's peer relationships. The findings of the study showed a wide variation in children's compassionate acts. Acts such as helping and defending a friend were more frequent among children than acts of caring, comforting and inclusion. There was no clear correlation between children's compassionate acts and peer relationships. Children exhibited more compassion towards other peers than close friends but also failed to respond to the need of a non-friend peer more frequently. In addition, children with more reciprocal friendships seemed to engage more in compassionate behavior while at the same time failing to react compassionately to peers' needs more frequently than children with less reciprocal friendships. The findings strengthen the idea of compassion's complex nature and call for broader research on how children's acts of compassion are constituted in naturalistic settings in children's everyday life.

Changes in work and agency work in itself have brought new challenges to working life and to the way that work is organised. Previous studies have shown that agency worker is in a difficult and confusing position in between the staff leasing company and the company that rents the agency worker. It has been suggested that agency workers often have less rights than permanent workers in the same company. Previous studies have shown reliable results when workers are given the opportunity to participate to the work development done at their work place. This type of involvement strategy has had a positive impact to general working and to coping at work. The aim of this master’s thesis is to examine how agency workers experience work development and do they feel like they have opportunities to participate in work development at their workplace. Eight agency workers from Helsinki Metropolitan area were interviewed. The agency workers were partly found through an advertisement in social media, and after that snowball sampling was used. All the agency workers were studying besides their work at the time of the interviews. Some of them had been working as an agency worker only few months and some for several years. They worked in different fields, for example as a shop assistant and a warehouse worker. The data was collected using theme interview. The analysis of the data was conducted using phenomenographic approach. Agency workers feel that the concrete changes in work place are important parts of their work development. In addition to that they feel they could do more and take on bigger responsibilities. The experience of agency workers is that they don’t have many opportunities to influence to work development in their work place. The biggest reason for the lack of opportunities is seen to be their position as an agency worker. Also, some agency workers feel that they don’t even have the need to develop their work and they see their position in agency work as temporary.

Aims: The aim of this study is to describe how childless shift workers combine a romantic relationship, free time and work. It was examined from the point of view of everyday life. The central theory was the model of multiple role involvement which means that different roles of a person can strain or enhance each other. The purpose of the study is to investigate how shift work affects combining work and a romantic relationship. Another purpose is to investigate which factors are crucial for the successful combining of shift work and a romantic relationship. Methods: The study focused on childless shift workers who were in a romantic relationship. The research data was collected by an online questionnaire which was published on the Facebook page of five labor unions. The questionnaire included background questions, six scaled questions and ten open-ended questions. The sample consisted of 139 shift workers from different professions and age groups. The research data was analyzed by using content analyzing and categorizing. The participants were divided to six types by using the fact how well they had succeeded in combining shift work and a romantic relationship. The combining of shift work and a romantic relationship had succeeded excellent, well, moderate, bad, very bad or better than in a previous relationship. Results and conclusions: Shift work seemed to be a challenging and straining working time model. However, most of the couples had succeeded in combining work and a romantic relationship. The factors behind successful combining of shift work and a relationship were 1) love and willingness to continue a romantic relationship, 2) relationship-oriented attitude, 3) openness and communication skills, 4) planning schedules and spending time with his/her spouse, 5) flexibility and adapting shift work, 6) consciousness of own responsibility of combining work and a romantic relationship, and 7) the model of employment of the spouse. It is necessary to have both practical and romantic skills in combining work and a romantic relationship. It is also crucial to spend quality time with his/her spouse.

The aim of the thesis is to examine what kind of interactivity emerges in communication that takes place in and through a radio programme's website chat called shoutbox. The focus of the research is on the communication between listeners and the staff of YleX. There is hardly any previous research of a communication medium like shoutbox. Thus the thesis concentrates on examining if the communication in and through shoutbox is interactive in any level. The research concerning interactivity has mainly focused on the interactivity between human and computer whereas this thesis concentrates on interactivity between humans: radio hosts and their listeners. The data consisted of ten broadcasts of the radio programme YleX Etusivu. Etusivu is a programme that concentrates on current issues. The hosts discuss subjects that Finns talk about at the moment. One programme lasts two hours so the data of the thesis consisted of 20 hours of broadcasts. The material was recorded from the internet. The recordings included the audio of the broadcasts and video of the shoutbox in which the messages from the listeners were shown. Video also contained live web camera feed from the studio. The theory used in the research was Rafaeli's (1988) theory of interactivity. There are three kinds of interactivity in the theory: quasi-interactivity, interactivity and non-interactivity. These three concepts were used in the analysis. The method used in the analysis was content analysis. The result of the research was that the interactivity in and through shoutbox between listeners and hosts was mainly quasi-interactive. Further research for the shoutbox could be conducted for examining the experiences and opinions of listeners and hosts on using shoutbox and the purpose of the medium.