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  • 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.
  • Hillebrandt, Jaana (2023)
    The purpose of this master’s thesis is to investigate the experiences and views of growth companies about employer brand. The selected companies operate in the ICT industry. The research examines the significance of employer brand to growth companies and the ways companies seek to influence their employer brand. As a third matter, the research investigates what kind of development stages of employer brands can be recognized among the interviewed companies. This method used in the study is qualitative and the material has been collected by interviewing seven employees working in different growth companies. The interviewees are all to some extent responsible for their company's employer branding and the management of it. The analysis was made as a content analysis and the approach to the analysis was theory-driven. Employer branding was perceived as an important topic in general, but actions regarding it varied. In companies, employer branding was particularly affected by challenges in general awareness of the company. The importance of the employer brand for companies varied, especially depending on to what extent the company strives to grow in the future. The ways of influencing the employer brand did also vary, with an emphasis on general communication and marketing, recruitment communication and the development of the internal employee experience. Five different development stages of the employer brand were found among the companies, starting from the employer brand's insignificance up to the development stage of strengthening the employer brand.
  • Tukiainen, Raisa (2023)
    The objective of the thesis is to find out what kind of factors can be observed in the background of psychological stress of students studying in hospital school and which methods are used to regulate the psychological stress. The mental health challenges of children and youth and mental symptoms have been a social topic for a fairly long time. Effects can be seen both in individual´s free time and in everyday school life. The topic of the thesis is important, because successful schooling makes it possible for the student to learn and grow and provides the good basis for success in the future. The thesis was carried out using qualitative research. The material of the thesis consists of interviews with five teachers which were carried out using a semi-structured thematic interview. The research method is data-driven content analysis. In the hospital school pedagogy, the students' psychological stress showed symptoms both internally and externally. The research results show that teachers identify both internal characteristics and environmental factors behind the students' psychological stress. Among the students' internal characteristics that caused psychological stress, neuropsychiatric challenges, special sensitivity, weak stress and pressure tolerance, challenges in self-regulation and low resilience were identified. Among the environmental factors that caused psychological stress, the demands set by adults, school, modern society, social factors, corona pandemic, home and institutional conditions, and social media were identified. The research results show that the manifestation of psychological stress and the regulation of psychological stress are strongly linked to each other. A certain type of psychological stress symptomatology leads to the use of certain methods of support. One of the main observations of the thesis is that the methods of support can be divided into two types of activities: activities in which the activity and interaction between adults is at the center of the support and activities in which the activity and interaction between the adult and the student is at the center of the support. Regardless of the method of support, the objective is the same in all of them: individually meeting the student, calculating the psychological stress, rehabilitating and, in the context of hospital school pedagogy, returning the children and youth back to the standard basic education.
  • Räike, Matias (2023)
    Aim. Children’s early social-emotional maturation plays an important role in their development. A report in Finland has shown that daycare centers need tools in everyday life to support children's socio-emotional development. Thus, the SAGA intervention was created by Kalland, Linnavalli & Von Koskull (2022). In the intervention, the staff at the day care center were trained in mentalization theory. Over the course of twelve weeks, the staff at the daycare engaged in regular shared storybook reading sessions with children aged 3–5. The aim of the discussions was to support the children in reflecting on mental states and to get them interested in their own and others’ inner world. In this thesis, the discussions between teachers and children during shared storybook were analyzed. The aim of the study was to describe, interpret and analyze the way the staff at day care centers discuss with the children about the inner world. Additionally, the study aimed to examine how these discussions function as a basis for the children's mentalization. One goal was also to analyze how the staff use questions to encourage children’s reflection on the inner world. Methods. The research material was gathered by videotaping moments of shared storybook reading. Thirteen different groups of children were filmed, with a total of seven adults and 57 children featured in the 13 video clips. The video footage has been transcribed and analyzed through content analysis. Results and conclusions. The results showed that most of the teachers discussed the storybooks with the children in a way that encouraged reflection on the inner world. These discussions served as a basis for the children's mentalization. The majority of discussions about inner mental states focused on identifying and naming emotions, with less reflection on thoughts, wishes or underlying reasons. There were some reflections that required a higher level of mentalization in the children. Self-reflection and reflection based on the characters' perspective were evenly distributed in the children's reflections. The teachers asked more open than closed-ended questions about the inner world. Some groups had little or no discussion about the inner world. This seemed to be because the teachers had not mastered the content of the education, failed to get the children to participate in the discussion, or that the theme of the storybook was more abstractly connected to the inner world.
  • Varis, Terhi (2023)
    Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe the early childhood education and care (ECEC) experiences of children with school attendance problems (SAP), and to identify factors that may lead to SAP. Prior research on SAP has focused largely on individual perspectives, with little consideration given to the combined effect of these factors (Gottfried & Gee, 2017; Lyon & Cotler, 2009). Additionally, previous research has primarily focused on adolescents. This study aims to draw attention to younger children and to the factors that predispose them to SAP. The aim of this study is to pro-vide a comprehensive understanding of the factors and their interrelationships that influence SAP. Methods: A phenomenological approach and narrative research sample were used in this study. Parents of children who had stopped attending school during lower primary school were invited to participate through a research invitation published on Facebook. Data was collected through interviews with two participants and anonymous free-form essays from 16 additional participants. Analysis of the data focused on identifying unifying meanings, meaning structures, and themes in the narratives of the parents. Results and conclusions: The study identified several unifying factors in the preschool and school years of children with SAP. Challenges faced by the children were a clear unifying factor; however, the differentiating factor was how these challenges had affected the child’s ECEC. Based on the parents’ narratives, the ECEC could be divided into four profiles: carefree, survivors, unsatisfied, and passive. The study also found connecting factors in the diagnoses received and the start of school absenteeism. The most significant individual unifying factors were challenges in transitional situations, sensory regulation, separation from parents, and regulation skills. The central unifying themes were overload, withdrawal, and operational control problems. The study concludes that SAP often arises from a combination of risk factors related to the child and unfavorable environmental factors. Additionally, the triggering factor can sometimes play a role in SAP. Play was found to reduce the load experienced by the child and balance the demands placed on child.
  • Naukkarinen, Melissa (2023)
    During the past couple of years, participation has rapidly increased in the field of educa-tion. The newest curriculum (2014) obligates pupils to participate and to raise them as active citizens who get their voice heard. Participation has been proved to increase school well-being because with this the pupils have an influence on their important mat-ters. The growing responsibility the pupils get, increases their authority. Participation should also affect young children, even though generally we might think that children in that age are not able to make decisions. The support of adults plays a major role around education and participation. This master’s thesis will concentrate on participation of ele-mentary school class, from the perspective of the eight-year-old pupils inside and out-side the classroom. The purpose of this master’s thesis is also to find out what do the pupils think about participation and is there something they would like to improve. Ac-cording to previous experiments participation is tried to accomplice by making actively sure that the pupils will be heard. Meanwhile the laws and rules of the school restrict the participation of the pupils. The material of this thesis is based on a second class of eight-year-old pupils in an ele-mentary school in Helsinki. It is done by observing their behavior during classes, breaks and on one field trip. This thesis also includes an interview of ten pupils and was analyzed by theory directed content analysis with important themes. Based on the results of this thesis, participation was found from one elementary school class, but the term participation was not familiar to the pupils. The atmosphere of the class was good and safe, and the teacher was considered as fair and helpful. In the classroom the pupils were allowed to express their own opinions, organize their desks, and have an influence on craft sessions. During recesses the pupils could choose with who they want to play with and on lunch breaks with who they want to sit with. The pu-pils experienced that they would like to have more authority in decision making and would like more presence and support from adults. The pupils would like to have influ-ence on the school lunch menu and also improve the action on recesses and lectures.
  • Keil, Catarina (2023)
    Aim. An alarming rate of today’s teachers feel exhausted and burnout. Research points out that this exhaustion might commence already during teacher studies and is then transferred to the profession. According to international reports there is a global trend where newly qualified teachers choose a career change only a few years after their exam, which indicates that the transition from teacher student to qualified teacher is specifically challenging. Concurrently there seems to be a lack of adequate social support for newly qualified teachers. At the time of this study there were, for example, no regulated or unitary induction periods or designated mentors for beginning teachers in Finland. Nonetheless, studies concerning social support in teacher studies and teaching professions have confirmed that support is one of the foremost resources that enhances teacher students’ and teachers’ resilience, acts as a buffer against stress, promotes wellbeing and, therefore, has a protective effect on their health. The aim of this study was to investigate the teacher students’ and newly qualified teachers’ experiences of their social support system in their studies and in the profession. Did they receive support from different sources (Alsubaie et al., 2019; Malecki & Demaray, 2003; Thoits, 1995) and different forms (Cobb, 1976) of support? And does the given social support correspond to the needs of support? (Cutrona, 1990). The study also wanted to find out how inspiring/burdensome teacher students and newly qualified teachers perceived their studies/profession. The study also unravels the teacher students’ and newly qualified teachers’ experiences on social support during the pandemic. Methods. This research was a quantitative pilot study using descriptive methods. A total of 18 teacher students and 6 newly qualified teachers from a university in Finland responded to an electronic enquiry about their experiences on social support. The data was collected based on a social support system enquiry which has been validated in previous research (Cornér, 2020; Pyhältö et al., 2009; 2015; 2018; Väisänen, 2019). In order to measure the teacher students’ and newly qualified teachers’ experiences of wellbeing/burden in their studies/profession the measuring instrument Socio-Contextual Teacher Burnout Inventory (STBI) (Cornér, 2020; Pietarinen et al., 2013; Pyhältö et al. 2015; Väisänen, 2016) was used. As the sample was small (<30), non-parametric methods have been applied. The analysis was carried out by IBM SPSS version 26. The study included one open question (no 23) to identify which forms of support teacher students and newly qualified teachers would perceive as most beneficial to them. Results. The majority of teacher students and newly qualified classroom teachers were satisfied with their studies and their jobs. They received social support from several different support sources in several different forms. Teacher students as well as classroom teachers perceived that informational and emotional support would be most beneficial for them. Teacher students, on one hand, called for more and better constructive feedback (informational support) and more understanding and empathy from educators in their studies. Classroom teachers, on the other hand, asked for practical advice from colleagues. Furthermore, they requested support from a mentor, specifically assigned for a role to incorporate newly qualified teachers in the activities of the school and receive practical information about the profession and the daily tasks. The support fit corresponded well with the needs of newly qualified teachers at the workplace whereas the teacher students were more critical of the support fit in their studies. Already during teacher education, it would, therefore, be critical to communicate the importance of social support and teach student teachers to express their needs for support as well as to give and receive support.
  • Kalliojärvi, Sanja (2023)
    The aim of this study was to find out the associations between socio-digital participation, self-esteem and Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) and to examine whether these associations differ by gender. Previous studies have shown that FoMO is related to increased use of social media, lower well-being, and lower life satisfaction. Girls have been found to use social media more regularly than boys and are slightly more susceptible to the social effects of self-esteem. Based on previous research the hypothesis was that gender differences would be found and that FoMO would be associated with both self-esteem and socio-digital participation. The data used in the study was part of the Bridging the Gaps -research project funded by the Academy of Finland (2017–2021). The data was collected using a survey in the third year of high school in 2019 (N = 751). The survey examined, among other things, adolescents’ socio-digital participation, thoughts about themselves, and experiences of FoMO. The associations between socio-digital participation, self-esteem and FoMO were examined using correlation network analysis. Gender differences were examined by creating separate correlation networks for boys and girls, as well as examining girls and boys within the same correlation network. Minor differences were found between the correlation networks formed separately for boys and girls. For girls, socio-digital participation was not directly related to self-esteem, but the connections were indirect through FoMO, while for boys, direct positive associations were found between the two dimensions. When examining genders within the same correlation network, further connections were found between socio-digital participation and self-esteem. In this study, FoMO was the most central dimension in all correlation networks. This study confirms previous research finding that FoMO is associated with increased use of social media. This study did not find any direct connections between girls’ self-esteem and social media use. It would be important to continue studying the effects of social media use on adolescents’ well-being and self-esteem to develop social media applications that are even safer for adolescents’ development.
  • Westerberg, Matilda (2023)
    Elaine Aronin (2014) mukaan erityisherkät ovat erityisen syvästi ja herkästi tuntevia ja kokevia henkilöitä. Käsityön oppiaineen luonne synnyttää usein runsasta ärsykkeiden tulvaa, joka Aronin mukaan voi tuntua erityisherkästä epämukavalta. Toisaalta käsityö on erilainen oppiaine lukuaineisiin verrattuna ja siksi käsityön tunnit voivat olla erityisherkälle myös miellyttävä hetki koulupäivässä. Jotta erityisherkkiä voitaisiin huomioida käsityönopetuksessa paremmin, on tärkeää tutkia kokevatko he koulukäsitöihin liittyvät kokemuksensa yleensä positiivisena vai negatiivisena. Tämän laadullisen tutkimuksen tarkoitus on tuottaa tietoa introverttien erityisherkkien kokemuksista koulukäsitöissä sekä kokeilla empiirisesti Westerbergin (2019) aiempaa kirjallisuuden pohjalta tehtyä jäsennystä introvertin erityisherkän piirteistä. Ensimmäiseksi tutkimuskysymykseksi muodostui ”Millaisia introvertin erityisherkän piirteitä tutkimushenkilöillä ilmenee” ja toiseksi ”Millaiset koulukäsityön erityispiirteet korostuvat introverttien erityisherkkien kokemuksissa positiivisina tai negatiivisina”. Aineisto koostui kahden introvertin erityisherkän kirjoitelmista, jossa he apukysymysten avulla kertoivat koulukäsityökokemuksistaan. Aineistoa kertyi yhteensä noin 6 sivua. Aineiston analyysimenetelmänä käytin sekä deduktiivista sisällönanalyysiä että induktiivista sisällönanalyysiä. Deduktiivista analyysiä käytin introverttien erityisherkkien piirteiden tunnistamiseen ja induktiivista analyysiä introverttien erityisherkkien koulukäsityökokemusten tulkitsemiseen. Liiallisista ärsykkeistä kuormittuminen, voimakas reagointi ympäristön aistiärsykkeisiin, asioiden syvällinen käsitteleminen, ylivirittyneisyys sekä asioiden ja vivahteiden herkkä huomaaminen ilmenivät molemmilla tutkimushenkilöillä ja niistä löytyi myös keskimäärin enemmän mainintoja aineistossa. Koulukäsitöiden itsenäisen ja vapaan tekemisen, mukavan tunnelman ja innostavan tekemisen sekä ongelmanratkaisun piirteet vaikuttivat korostuvan introverttien erityisherkkien koulukäsityökokemuksissa positiivisina. Mitään negatiivisena koettua koulukäsityön piirrettä ei noussut esiin. Tämän tutkimuksen perusteella voidaan siis todeta Westerbergin (2019) aiemman jäsennyksen olevan samansuuntainen introverttien erityisherkkien kokemusten kanssa sekä koulukäsitöiden erityispiirteiden korostuvan introverteilla erityisherkillä pääosin positiivisena.
  • Vartia, Ilmari (2023)
    Objectives. The objective of this master's thesis was to investigate music teachers' unders-tanding and experiences of teaching creative music production. Creative music production is an essential part of the latest Finnish National Core Curriculum for Basic Education, but ac-cording to research, creative teaching methods are implemented variably in music education and often overshadowed by more traditional teaching methods. Creative teaching methods are often perceived as challenging to implement, and many music teachers feel unprepared to teach them. This study aimed to determine the background factors that affect the success of teaching creative music production and the skills required of the teacher. Methods. The data for the study was collected by interviewing four music teachers who teach in primary schools. The interviews were semi-structured thematic interviews, and the data was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results and conclusions. According to the music teachers who participated in the study, the most important factors that contribute to the success of creative music production in primary school music education are a safe and supportive learning environment, the teacher's subject knowledge, differentiated teaching, resources, the teacher's attitudes towards creative teaching methods, and planning and limitations. Strong subject knowledge was considered a prerequisite for pedagogically competent teaching.
  • Tiainen, Janne (2023)
    Goal. This research considers what measures teachers can utilize to counter conspiracy theories. The study aims to investigate what recommendations six written texts offer teachers when they encounter conspiracy theories in the classroom. How many young people under 18 subscribe to conspiracy theories and how much influence conspiracy theories have on them remains uninvestigated. Research has shown that conspiracy theories threaten society and public health. Research is consistent with the idea that conspiracy theories threaten democracy and people’s health. Methods. This qualitative study employs inductive content analysis. The study includes six written texts from the National Board of Education (Finland), the National Agency for Education (Sweden), the National Union of Teachers, Expo, Grundskoletidningen, and Göteborgs-Posten. The material was analyzed using the qualitative research tool Atlas.ti. Ten minor subject categories under three significant themes arise from the texts. These thematic units are 1) Background factors to conspiracy theories, 2) Conspiracy theories are a threat to society, and 3) Conspiracy theories and school. These thematic units were analyzed using the material from the background theory. Results and conclusions. The results of the study exhibit that conspiracy theories are difficult to counter and that it is almost impossible to change the mind of a conspiracy theorist. Such theories appear from different historical, cultural, and human origins spread through various platforms of communication finding a greater reach into populations. People who felt a loss of control or powerlessness received explanations from conspiracy theories. The study showed that citizenship, education, and securing a job serve as reducing factors to the belief in conspiracy theories.
  • Kern-Harju, Isabell (2023)
    This research aims to study the teachers’ firsthand experiences of KiVa antibullying program and to get their views of the effectiveness of the KiVa School intervention. The theory section defines the acts that are considered bullying and clarifies the roles of the bully, the bullied, the parents and the faculty in the process. Furthermore, the section explains the KiVa School program contents and functions. The study was conducted as a qualitative approach, for which the material was acquired using an electronic questionnaire. Study participants consisted of 17 elementary school teachers who answered the survey in May and September of 2022. The collected data was analyzed by the phenomenographic method. The results show that the teachers' views of KiVa school program varied from negative to positive. The KiVa Koulu intervention benefitted from the teachers' and the school's commitment to the intervention model, the availability of tools, the teachers’ knowhow and education as well as the clarity of the program structure. While the faculty actively worked together towards the successful implementation of the anti-bullying action program the teachers felt motivated and committed to the task. As a contrast, the lack of mutual understanding of the guidelines caused the opposite effect. According to the teachers' views, the intervention was also weakened by the bully's and the parents’ non-constructive attitude and involvement as well as the teacher’s lack of education. The KiVa program aims to influence the entire group and emphasizes the responsibility of each student for the common well-being. The teachers' answers show that this is not enough however, and more tools and training are needed. The teachers also felt that times have changed and the program's ability to respond to modern challenges is flawed. The students' varied support needs, Finnish language skills and the bullying expansion to social media were perceived as challenges. The conclusion is that KiVa is an effective precautionary program. However, it’s functional only when faculty and students work actively together towards its implementation.
  • Hyvönen, Anni (2023)
    The aim of this study is to describe, analyze and interpret class teachers’ perceptions of support- ing self-efficacy in music classes from the perspective of assessment. The purpose is to investi- gate how different assessment methods support the building of the student’s self-efficacy, and which evaluation methods are generally used in music lessons. The purpose of this study is also to find out what other influential factors are related to supporting self-efficacy. The phenomenon of this research is how self-efficacy can be supported by evaluating music lessons and other factors. Self-efficacy is a part of Albert Bandura’s (1986) socio-cognitive theory, which describes a person’s own confidence in his own abilities, for example in learning situations. The study has been carried out as a qualitative case study. I interviewed six qualified class teachers who teach or have taught music during their careers. The material has been analyzed with a material-oriented content analysis. I have explored this phenomenon because the topic is important for learning. A student’s school motivation largely depends on how he feels he succeeds in learning. With the evaluation, a teacher can strengthen a student’s self-efficacy beliefs, which increases a student’s experience of success at school. According to the results, supporting self-efficacy from the perspective of assessment is not easy in music lessons. It requires a lot of special attention from teachers. Different assessment methods and the other factors related to supporting self-efficacy affect how evaluation supports self-efficacy. Increasing group sizes, teachers’ own teaching skills and the diversity of students affect also how assessment can be carried out in music lessons in general. The factors that define self- efficacy (strength, power, and levels) also affect how a class teacher can strengthen students’ self-efficacy beliefs with his actions. The research results show why it is important to explore the connection between supporting self-efficacy and evaluation.
  • Järvenpää, Lukas (2023)
    Aim. The goal of the study is to examine how pupils perceive the progression and the material challenges of technology education invention projects. These invention projects usually refer to multidisciplinary projects where pupils produce a concrete resolution to a problem they have chosen themselves by utilizing methods related to the field of technology education. These methods include co-operation, designing and programming which are also required in the curriculum. To illustrate the progression of the invention projects, different kinds of process models have been designed. A synthesis of these process models and Barlex's design-decision pentagon are used in the study to reflect on the material challenges of the pupils' invention projects and how the pupils responded to these challenges. Methods. The study was conducted by interviewing seven pupils who formed a total of three invention project groups. These pupils were a part of a robotics club, and they were aiming to compete in a robotics tournament hosted by the Innokas Network. These interview answers were analyzed using qualitative content analysis, and the pupils' descriptions were compared to the invention project process model and the Barlex's design-decision pentagon. Results. The pupils' descriptions of the invention projects featured different phases of the process model, although the differences between the phases were sometimes hard to discern. The pupils viewed the invention project process as very linear and described the process as forward-going even when they were backtracking in the process model. The material challenges the pupils encountered were related to both the programmable technology in the invention and the materials combined with the technology, such as cardboard and paper. Traditional crafts material wood was considered by one group, but textiles were not featured in any project. The motivations for the designing process were different between the groups, where one group was motivated by the aesthetic side of the invention and others by the function of the invention.
  • Vistbacka, Niina (2023)
    The purpose of this study was to find the methods of co-teaching between a craft teacher and a class teacher and the benefits and challenges for joint planning and evaluation. Co-teaching is increasing all the time, and with each use, the school wants the teacher to be ready for co-teaching with another teacher. According to the curriculum (Pops 2014), school operations should be multidisciplinary and, in accordance with the students' interests, teaching should be communal. The co-teaching of a classroom teacher and a craft teacher has not been researched terribly yet, I see that a pilot study like this is important so that the possibility of different kinds of joint work can be seen as part of everyday school life. Previous studies related to co-teaching have shown that co-teaching diversifies planning and eases the teacher's workload in challenging conditions. Studies have also shown that the strengths of both teachers add to the teaching, which would not be there when teaching alone. Teachers can share responsibility for teaching according to their own strengths. Two teachers are participating in my research, one was a craft teacher, and the other was a class teacher, a craft teacher, who work as co-teachers in the elementary school in Uusimaa in the school year 2021-2022. The interview was conducted remotely in early 2022. The interviewees were interviewed together, and they answered together. The small amount of data is justified by the pilot nature of the study. The research showed that co-teaching is perceived as a way of working as a teacher that makes one's own work easier. In particular, the workload related to planning work and evaluation was eased by working together. More insight into issues supported in their tasks both in planning and in evaluating challenging student situations. The cooperation between the classroom teacher and the craft teacher is seen as a fact and as a way of working that eases the teacher's workload. The support of a colleague and solving the issue together increases the teacher's ability to cope and brings the strengths of both teachers to the teaching.
  • Seppälä, Jasmin; Seppälä, Jasmin (2023)
    Goals: The purpose of this study was to examine the profiles of socio-emotional skills related to task performance among upper elementary school students. Socio-emotional skills related to task performance, such as responsibility, persistence, and self-control, were examined through the OECD framework of socio-emotional skills. The second aim was to determine how the identified profiles differ in terms of gender, socio-economic status (SES), and growth mindset. There has been no previous research on forming profiles of socio-emotional skills related to task performance and, therefore, this was the first study examining such profiles. Methods: The data used in the study was part of a survey data collected in 2019 for the OECD's socio-emotional skills study, which surveyed the socio-emotional skills of students born in the Helsinki area in 2003-2004. The participants (N=2466, 52.1% girls, 45.2% boys, 1.9% other genders, and 1.6% missing information) had an average age of 15.7 years when responding to the survey. The profiles of the dimensions of the task performance skill area were formed through a two-step cluster analysis. Differences between groups regarding the variables were studied using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey’s test was used for comparing the differences between groups. Result and conclusions: The study identified four profiles of socio-emotional skills related to task performance: High socio-emotional skills profile (33.8%), Responsible-Persistent profile (23.7%), Low socio-emotional skills profile (21.9%), and Restrained profile (20.5%). There was no statistically significant difference between the profiles in terms of gender. The highest socioeconomic background was reported by students belonging to the High socio-emotional skills profile, while the lowest socio-economic background was reported by students belonging to the Restrained profile. In terms of growth mindset, all profiles were significantly different from each other. The level of growth mindset was highest in the High socio-emotional skills profile and lowest in the Low socio-emotional skills profile. The profiles only explained 3% of the variation in a growth mindset in the sample.
  • Haapala, Sonja (2023)
    Objectives. The aim of this thesis is to find out which factors cause parental burnout. Furthermore, the aim is to produce information for parents, society, and decision-makers on how to raise a child with respect for childhood, but without them having to give up their own life. The study investigates risk factors that can cause burnout to parents. The research question is which factors affect parental burnout and to be more specific what the risk factors and protective factors of burnout are. In this thesis, a descriptive literature review was made. A lot of previous research has been done on the topic. The resource and burden factors of parenting research project have investigated the exhaustion of parents around the world. There are clear indications that exhaustion will soon be one of the national diseases unless something is done to the matter. The purpose of this thesis is to open the topic from the perspective of risk factors and to understand better the exhaustion of parents and to find out something new on the topic. I connect the subject to Home Economics, because I see that the subject contains content areas that young people could use in their future. Starting their own family and becoming a parent is relevant to most of the young people in Home Economics classes at some point in their lives. Methods. As a research method, I used a descriptive literature review. My research was based on the resource and risk factors of parenting (VoiKu) research project carried out at the University of Jyväskylä. The driving factor for the entire research process of this descriptive literature review is the research questions. The questions that I have prepared are based on a broad topic and theme related to parental burnout. The research material consists of previously published research information relevant to the research topic. The material is compiled from scientific publications that I selected from the International Investigation of Parental Burnout (IIPB) ─ research project. Results and conclusions. According to the results, risk factors for parental burnout were socially prescribed perfectionism, self-oriented perfectionism, child-oriented perfectionism, personality traits, unemployment, depression, anxiety, work flexibility compared to a partner, low support from a partner, lack of cooperation, parenting styles, the role of values, parents' negative views of adolescence, emotion regulation, emotion regulation strategies, positive parenting, and lack of social support. According to the results, these risk factors were related to parental burnout. The results showed that the risk factors of parental burnout are important to consider when a parent experiences burnout. The results also showed that parental burnout is a very multidimensional phenomenon, and each risk factor is unique, and it would be important to identify these risk factors to be able to react to them in time and for the parent/parents to get the support they need in time. Parental exhaustion often affects both parents, which means that it would be important to remember that the different service providers face families as a team and not just as individuals.
  • Mattsson, Jonatan (2023)
    The aim of the current study was to broaden the understanding for the relationship between physical activity and working memory among primary school students. In addition, I aimed to investigate the level of physical activity among the students. Prior research implies that students who are more active and are in better condition, also tend to have better memory. The current study is a quantitative survey study. The survey was developed to measure students’ physical activity and was filled out by 54 sixth graders during their school day. The survey consisted of questions concerning how they go to school, school break activities, spare time activities, and hobbies. First, students filled out the questionnaire, and after that, they participated in a working memory test. The working memory test consisted of a digit span test forward and a digit span test backward. The results from the current survey study indicate that boys who are more physically active seem to have a larger working memory capacity than those less active. The differences were most noticeable in the forward digit span test. Similar differences were not observed among girls. However, the level of physical activity among the tested girls was clearly under the national average, hence, no strong conclusions can be drawn.
  • Khan, Lamia (2023)
    According to prior research and public discourse, students of immigrant back-ground and students who receive support for learning are increasingly at a disadvantaged position in every level of education in Finland. The purpose of this study is to view the school transition from elementary school to middle school through the perspective of students of immigrant background who get special educational support. Through analyzing their experiences, the aim is to find out the role of the Finnish learning and school attendance system in a student’s transition to middle school and to examine how educational equity is achieved during this transition. This study is qualitative in nature. The research material has been collected through six semi-structured interviews, which have been analyzed with a narrative method. The results of this study show that the interviewed students, who are of immigrant background and receive special educational support, experience the shifts in their peer groups, teachers, the requirements for Finnish language and the learning and school attendance system as especially significant when transitioning to middle school. According to the students, learning Finnish becomes progressively more difficult in middle school. The interviewees experience that they do not receive enough support in getting sufficient resources to increase their Finnish language competence to the required level. However, they feel that special educational support has a major role in supporting their learning in middle school. Additionally, most of the interviewees explain how they face more prejudice and racism specifically from teachers after transitioning to middle school. Despite facing an increasing amount of prejudice and their studies becoming more challenging, the interviewed students appreciate middle school and find it an essential part of their educational path.
  • Zakik, Aida (2023)
    The aim of this study was to examine the experiences and perceptions of teachers who teach secular ethics of secular ethics as a subject at school and of teaching it in primary school. In this study I’m interested in the history of secular ethics as a school subject and the status and nature of it as part of Finnish worldview education. Also, I’m interested in the national core curriculum regarding secular ethics and the skills required in teaching secular ethics in primary school. Secular ethics is an alternative to religious education. Primarily it was directed at students who are non-affiliated. Nowadays secular ethics teaching groups consist of not only non-affiliated pupils but also of pupils of minority religions. Secular ethics has been around for almost four decades, but study shows that it is still widely perceived as a vague or scattered school subject. Unlike religious education secular ethics has scarcely been researched. In this study the research questions are: What experiences do the teachers have of teaching secular ethics in primary school and of the teaching groups? What experiences do the teachers have of their own teacherhood as a secular ethics teacher and of the national core curriculum regarding secular ethics? What experiences and perceptions do the teachers have of secular ethics as a school subject in primary school? The study is qualitative, and the data was gathered by theme interviews with seven teachers. The interviews were conducted as remote interviews in the autumn of 2021. The study does not aim to achieve generalizability. The aim is to deeply understand the experiences depicted by the interviewed teachers. The data was analyzed using content analysis. The results show that the teachers have witnessed the growth of the number of pupils in secular ethics education and that the teaching groups are in many respects heterogeneous. The teachers experience challenges with respect to, among other things, educational material, and their own insecurity regarding subject matter knowledge. The teachers have somewhat conflicting views of the national core curriculum regarding secular ethics. They find secular ethics to be an important but undervalued school subject. They enjoy teaching it and hope that all pupils would have access to secular ethics education. A possible common subject for all students in worldview education is something the teachers are curious about, but it also raises concerns about a possible over-representation of religious content.