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Aim of the study. Traditionally teaching has been lonely work. Demands for towards teaching has been increased during the last decade: need for special education is growing, the contents of the curriculum has grown and there are also new challenges in the co-operation between school and families. Finnish students rank well in international comparison, but feel less comfortable at school. Teachers are tiring themselves out and choose other professions. Lack of resources does not allow smaller class sizes or more input in special education. Interest in a collegial collaboration between teachers has been suggested as a solution. The idea of inclusion and the changing law of special education stating that all pupils would attend the same classes are in the background. Co-teaching aims at avoiding extra special education by using existing resources, by combining two classes and with collaboration of teachers. The aim of the study is to find out the characteristics of co-teaching with two teachers and its added value to the teaching work. Methods. Eight pairs of co-teachers were interviewed, five of them co-teaching full time and in three cases the other teacher joining the class only for certain lessons. Research type was qualitative multi-case study. The study material was collected by observing the classes and by interviewing the pairs. The observations were reported as narratives describing the co-teaching of each teacher pair. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis, which was steered by the theory and the collected material. Results and conclusions. According to this study co-teaching was considered as a means to enhance quality of teaching, reduce teachers' work load, increase professionality, and to increase the motivation of pupils. Nineteen different forms of co-teaching were formulated based on the literature and the material collected at observations and interviews. These forms may be useful in better recognizing the individual needs of pupils and to better use the presence and experience of two teachers. As a conclusion, the didactic triangle was extended to form a didactic-collegial square, where the collegial relationship between the two teachers brings a new dimension to the picture reflecting the many dimensions of co-teaching and difference to the work of a teacher alone.

Finnish education politics presume that basic education should be equal to all students. While organising craft education equality can be understood as similarity or as possibility to choose. The possibility to be able to choose whether textile or technical craft despite of one's gender has been the aim of laws and curriculums already over 30 years. In practice it's almost impossible to students to ignore feminine and masculine roles that go deep into our culture. Choosing craft has been divided by gender, which is the reason why possibility to choose has not been good enough to educationalists of equality. The latest guidelines for the National core curriculum for basic education were issued in 2004. According to curriculum craft education consists parts of both technical and textile craft. All students should take part in both sectors of crafts. Furthermore, one can be given a possibility to concentrate his studies in whether textile or technical craft. The curriculum does not set the rules how the education should be organised, which means that it can be organised in many ways depending on city, school or teacher. Teachers and other specialists have contradictory feelings towards shared craft education, because traditional way to see craft in Finland is to separate textile craft from technical craft. Both crafts have some common features that are introduced in curriculum. Besides there is many equal things in craft theories that bind textile and technical craft to each other. The main purpose of this research was to find out, how shared craft education has been organised at the 7.th grade in Finnish comprehensive school, and which things affect in the settlements. Second goal was to describe and compare teachers' experiences in teaching shared craft education. Third aim of this study was how shared craft has changed craft education. I collected the research material in May 2006 by interviewing both textile and technical craft teachers who teach shared craft. The material consists of fourteen theme interviews. In the analysis of the material I used theoretic bounded document analysis. According to the research there are three different ways to organise shared craft education: 50-50-arrangement, exchanging period and project week. In the schools that carried out 50-50-arrangement teaching was realised mainly in heterogenous groups. Principals had usual a lot of authorization on how to arrange craft education, which means that their views on equality, laws and curriculum affected in the settlements more than teachers' opinions. Teachers' attitudes to shared craft were mainly positive. The changing of craft education can be divided in two parts: the aims and the containings of the curriculum have changed, as well as the meaning of the craft as core subject. Teachers have been forced to decrease the containings of both textile and technical crafts. Despite of eliminations both crafts still have comprehensive containings. Teachers decided what to teach by these arguments: Students should learn some basic things or produce a certain product. Usually teachers had also a lot of experience and special interests in crafts. According to this research there is four significant meanings for shared craft education: 1) developing readiness for doing things, 2) developing skills of thinking, 3) delight of doing things and 4) teaching attitude.

This thesis aims to examine teachers’ conception and experiences of co-assessment. School assessment is a surface issue right now. New curriculum in 2014 shifted the focus from the assessment of pupils to the assessment of learning. The new curriculum did not work as well as hoped, so chapter 6 assessment of learning was renewed. The newest version which aims to increase equality will be implemented in the autumn of 2020. Teaching has traditionally been seen as independent work done alone. Co-teaching is a method where two or more teachers plan, teach and assess together in equal collaboration. Studies have shown that the benefits of co-teaching are worth pursuing. The concept of co-assessment was derived from the key concepts of the thesis. The purpose of the study is to examine teachers' perceptions of co-assessment as well as its benefits and challenges. The research was carried out with a phenomenographic research approach. The research material was collected through interviews with 13 teachers in an elementary school in Vantaa. The semi-structured group interviews were held in April 2019. The material was analyzed with phenomenographic analysis. Teachers described co-assessment as a formative and summative assessment. Co-assessment was carried out everyday life and in planning of assessment in various ways. Co-teaching teams also split assessment tasks. Teachers spoke about formative assessment a little bit more than about summative assessment. Formative co-assessment was seen as more diverse and there were more differences of opinion. Conceptions of summative co-assessment were more similar. According to the teachers the challenges of co-assessment are related to time, teamwork, differences of opinion and pupil-related worries. Co-assessment benefits both teachers and pupils. Co-assessment provides an opportunity to improve well-being at work and simplify assessment. Co-assessment is higher quality and more equitable for students. The benefits were related to the challenges in many ways, and were perceived as mitigating them.

Goals. During the last few decades, the understanding of childhood has changed. Nowadays we see children as active social actors and as specialists of their life. Children's development and learning happen in close interaction with the surrounding society. The goal of my study is to describe, analyse and interpret children's experiences of participation in children's and older adults' club activities in third sector. I studied Terhokerho clubs as children's operational environment of participation. I focused my study on children's experiences of participation and the structural and situational of the operational environment. My goal was to find operational modes, which support children's experiences of participation. I studied participation through children's initiatives and children's experience of belonging to the group. Methods. I studied two different Terhokerho clubs in southern Finland. Terhokerho clubs are part of the Koko Suomi leikkii –program. There were 27 4-12 year-old children and 21 adults participating in the study. I collected my research data by observing action in Terhokerho clubs and by interviewing children. The interviews were the primary source of research data. I analysed my observation notes and transcribed interviews separately with content analysis by classifying and finding themes from the data. Results and conclusions. In my study, participation as children's experience of belonging to the group and as children's possibilities to make initiatives was surprisingly homogenous. Key factors supporting children's experience of participation were fun activities and friends. Those who did not have their own friends with them in the clubs also considered getting new friends an important factor. Children also wanted to get to know the adults in the clubs. Joint activities of children and adults helped create interaction and therefore supported children's experience of participation and possibilities to make initiatives. Adults' action and the structure of the club also made a difference. Common starting and closing moments of the clubs and activities that took into account children's opinions furthered children's possibilities to make initiatives and experience of participation. Humour and warm athmosphere between children and adults were typical in the club activities of children and older adults.

Civics became a primary school subject in the new 2014 Finnish National Core Curriculum. This is a significant change, because civics was not included in earlier versions of the curriculum until upper comprehensive school, where it was taught alongside history (history and civics). Now, civics is a separate subject from the 4th grade onwards. In the curriculum reform, the student is considered to have a more central role as a learner than before, which should be reflected in teaching methods. At the same time, educators should also pay attention to the student's overall development. In the new curriculum this goal is referred to as transversal competence, in line with the Basic Education Act under which the mission of basic education is to contribute to civilization. Multiple major changes in the curriculum form a very complex whole. In the end it is the teacher who decides how civics is taught and how subject-specific goals as well as goals related to transversal competence are taken into account. The theoretical framework of this study indicates that civics-related themes were important in primary school even before the 2014 curriculum. The guidelines for teaching civics are precise as such but they are also broad and open to interpretation. The dynamic between the curriculum and teaching civics in practice and was examined through a qualitative case study. The case study was conducted in a primary school in Helsinki. The main focus was the work of two teachers who teach civics. The goal was to investigate how they choose their teaching methods under the 2014 curriculum and what their insights about the significance of civics as a primary school subject are. The research material was approached by content analysis. According to the results of the study, teachers take into account the policies of the curriculum while emphasizing their professional skills to carry out the teaching work. This applies to the themes explored in civics as well as the teaching methods employed. Central themes in civics include democracy, participation in civil society and life skills. These issues are explored especially through discussion and drama, but traditional teacher-led strategies are used as well.

The purpose of the present study was to analyze collective learning in selected teams in Yleisradio Ltd., the Finnish broadcasting company. In addition, the purpose was to consider how to spread good learning practices widely in the organization. In this research, I studied learning from a multidimensional point of view considering individuals, community, networks and working context as well as the impact of practices and artefacts on learning. In addition, I studied how agency and motivation support learning. The study was a qualitative case study. The target group of the study consisted of two parts: a networked learning model Yle Lab and agile teams. The empirical data included 13 theme interviews and 14 event observations. In addition, the empirical material included field notes and material given by the client. I analyzed transcribed interviews and field notes using theory-driven content analysis. Yle Lab organizes different kinds of collective learning activities annually. The purpose of these activities is to enhance adoption of a more multimedia- and user-centered mindset within the organization. According to the results of the study Labra used different kinds of pedagogical practices in these learning events, such as group discussions, artefacts, stories, coaching and user testing, the purpose of which was to build the participants' capability to plan multimedia projects and develop their expertise. The practises and artefacts of the agile teams together constructed the epistemic culture and knowledge construction system of the domain. Development of working practices, knowledge creating, and learning were integrated as a natural part of their daily work. The results of both target groups indicated that work itself was the best way to learn in working life, which supports the results of earlier studies. Many interviewees stated that their competence had increased alongside the development of their industry, through variable working roles over the years. The empirical data indicated features of progressive problem solving processes, which is a typical learning model for experts. Interviewees had strong professional agency and they were motivated. According to this study it can be concluded that it is possible to support collective learning at the workplace by developing meeting practices that support learning, providing common rooms for professionals, creating common goals, promoting a job rotation culture, and providing coaching networks to support learning paths. This study provided knowledge of collective learning practices of the target groups. In addition, this study yielded some thoughts on how collective learning can be supported in the organization. In this research, I study only a limited part of the company. Thus, a broader study would be necessary in order to have a more extensive view of an organization's collective learning practices.

The aim of the study was to examine the significance of community to crafters. Through qualitive research methods, the study analyzed the types of community experienced by crafters and the meanings that community holds for hobbyists engaged in handicrafts. Additionally, the study aimed to investigate how perceived community impacts crafting practices. Crafts have become a popular hobby in contemporary society, where community involvement plays a significant role. The development of media and its increasing popularity has influenced the rise of various crafting-related online communities, community is also experienced in crafting through activities such as crafting courses and smaller groups engaging in grafting together, such as with friends. Previous research has indicated that community plays a significant role in grafting hobbies and influences the crafting practices of enthusiast. The data for the study was collected through an online survey. The research employed a qualitive survey method, gathering data through both structured and open-ended questions. The numerical results from structured questions were utilized to illustrate and describe the phenomenon. The purpose of the open-ended questions was to highlight crafter’s thoughts, attitudes, and experiences regarding the community aspect of crafting. The survey was distributed to two Facebook crafting groups, emailed to members of two crafting associations, displayed in Helsinki Adult Education Centre classrooms and notice boards, as well as posted on the Adult Education Centre’s blog. A total 250 crafting enthusiasts responded to the survey. According to the research findings, community is experienced both through virtual interactions on various social media platforms and through face-to-face interactions in crafting activities. Community involvement is considered significant in handicraft hobbies. It gives practitioners a sense of belonging and strengthens social relationships. Additionally, community involvement helps in generating ideas and implementing handicraft projects, and it also plays a significant role in practitioners sharing advice and tips with each other. Engaging in communal crafting positively impacts social relationships, increases knowledge and learning, and fosters personal growth. It can be concluded that community involvement has a broad impact on both the process of handicraft creation and the outcome.

Objectives. According to the socio-constructivist understanding of learning, the child is seen as an active participant in his group, who learns by building knowledge based on his previous experiences in different social contexts and interactions (Kauppila 2007, 47). Finnish early childhood education is based on a learning concept, according to which children’s active and social activity in group-based institutional education is recognized as a significant factor in a child’s learning, growth, and development (Core curriculum of ECEC 2022, 21–22). The purpose of this thesis was to deepen the understanding of the sense of community built in kindergarten groups in Finnish early childhood education, which requires an understanding of the interactive and social dimensions of learning. Methods. The research data for this thesis was collected using a narrative literature review as the method of data acquisition. The research data consisted of a total of eight dissertations and two research articles, in which the research had been carried out in the context of Finnish early childhood education. The data included studies that touched on the sense of community, solidarity, cooperation, agency built in peer relationships and interaction between children in early childhood education. The search was targeted at research on Finnish early childhood education. The data was analyzed using the six analysis steps of Braun & Clarke’s (2022) thematic analysis. Results and conclusions. Based on the research data, a three-level structure could be created about the sense of community built up in the early childhood education group. According to the three-level structure a sense of community is built at the level of the framework of early childhood education, operating culture, and the child’s activities. At the level of the framework of early childhood education, the guiding documents of ECEC, the rules imposed by the structures and the physical learning environment affected the sense of community. At the operational culture level, especially the role of the early education teacher, the everyday routines and the atmosphere influenced the formation of the group’s sense of community. At level of the child’s activity, on the other hand, significant factors were peer relationships, and children’s cooperation. The teacher’s role as a key factor in the sense of community and cooperation of a group of children should be studied more in the future. At the same time, this thesis opened reflections about the importance of high-quality teacher training and the economic pressure on the cooperation of the group of children.

This thesis examines the descriptions of co-teaching by home economics teachers at the beginning of their career from the perspective of planning home economics education. The aim of the thesis is to examine how home economics teachers implement co-teaching and what they tell about the joint planning of teaching. The background of this research consists of discussing the changes of the school culture in primary schools, especially focusing on the perspective of the implementation of co-teaching and the joint planning of home economics education in the era of the 2014 curriculum of primary school. In my research, co-teaching is seen as the form of work of teachers, which is examined from the point of view of planning home economics education. Answers to the research questions were sought using the research method of qualitative research. As a data collection method was used a semi-structured thematic interview which I con-ducted on with the Microsoft Teams application. The interview framework contained four themes, which were used to discuss the realization of cooperation in the home economics teacher's job description. The information was written into one text document and after that the material was searched for expressions related to cooperation, co-teaching and teaching planning, which were formed in their final form by a material-based content analysis. The main categories were formed by coding in order to obtain summarized answers to the research questions. In this study, co-teaching was seen as a form of work for teachers and a way of cooperation that could be implemented in different variations. Based on the results, home economics teachers at the beginning of their careers implement joint planning of teaching in terms of sharing, updating and producing teaching material. In addition, the collegial support received through cooperation was seen as important, especially in challenging situations. However, the empirical data I collected show that co-teaching as a form of cooperation between teachers enables collegial support and the sharing of expertise in the job description of a home economics teacher. The home economics teachers who participated in the study saw the implementation of cooperation as an opportunity to make and implement home economics teaching. The conclusion was the development of co-teaching in home economics education. Empirical data showed that home economics teachers had faced challenges at the beginning of their careers that affect the implementation of cooperation. In the light of this research, parallel teaching as a form of activity for home economics teachers seemed to be minor in terms of teaching planning. However, home economics teachers saw cooperation and co-teaching as a possibility to implement home economics teaching.

Special needs education has undergone ideological changes over the past decades. The inclusive education system has become the new ideal. Its main idea is that all pupils learn together from the start, and that pupils with special needs are not relegated to their own classes. An increasing proportion of pupils with special needs are in mainstream classes. At the same time, the number of pupils with special needs has increased. Studies also show that teachers’ burnouts are ever more common. Previous studies have suggested co-teaching as a possible solution to these challenging trends. For teachers, it has been seen as a way to better meet the needs of a heterogeneous class. In co-teaching two or more teachers together plan, implement and evaluate the teaching of a group of pupils together. In this study, I have wanted to find out what kind of to experiences teachers have concerning co-teaching. More specifically, I am interested in what exactly are the circumstances, that from teachers’ experience have influence to the success of co-teaching teachers think influences the success of co-teaching. I also wanted to know what kind of benefits and challenges teachers perceive to come with co-teaching, both for themselves and for their pupils. As my research is focusing on the personal experiences of teachers, the analysis has phenomenological features. The data was collected by interviewing 13 classroom teachers remotely in September and October 2021. Seven of the interviews were conducted as individual interviews. In addition, my data includes a group interview with six teachers. I analysed the data using theory-driven content analysis. Teachers felt that the two most important preconditions for the success of co-teaching are finding a suitable teaching partner and administrative support. Teachers felt that the practice of co-teaching had many benefits for themselves and their students. The benefits of co-teaching that emerged from my data were a lighter workload, increased sense of community, improved quality of teaching, normalisation of diversity and a safer learning environment. Interviewees had also recognized challenges in using this form of teaching. The main challenges cited were mismatched teaching pairs, uneven distribution of responsibilities and lack of administrative support. Teachers also felt that co-teaching was not suitable for all pupils because of its variable elements. These included changing classrooms and teachers. However, all the teachers interviewed reported, that their job satisfaction improved as a result of co-teaching. They felt that pupils received more help and individual support through co-teaching. Thus my study strengthens the earlier views, that co-teaching is a possible way to reduce teacher fatigue and to support pupils with special needs.