Browsing by Author "Vakkilainen, Anni"

The purpose of this thesis was to study and analyze teachers` experiences of distance teach- ing in crafts and their views of its future. It is important to acknowledge the unique nature of crafts also in distance teaching, and by sharing experiences and thoughts, the maintenance of quality and equality in teaching and learning can be enhanced. This study examines and analyzes craft teachers` and craft teacher students` groupdiscus- sion notes from “Kässää etänä” webinar, which was organized by craft teacher educators from the University of Helsinki in spring 2020. The data was collected with semi-structured group conversation applying the methods of the- matic interview. In total, 49 persons participated in the group conversations, in groups of 4-7. The groups` notes were analyzed with qualitative content analysis. The results of this study show that the participants` experiences of distance teaching in crafts and views of its future included both positive and negative attributes. Teachers experienced that distance teaching increased students` inequality and teachers` workload. The flexibility of time and place of teaching and learning was considered positive, as well as the new devel- opment possibilities for students. The participants experienced that in the future, technology has a significant role in distance teaching of crafts. Technology, digital tools and apps offer various possibilities for teaching and learning, but they also include features that might in- crease inequality. Craft teachers saw that distance teaching has its place in schools, although the unique features of craft were considered challenging to transfer into distance teaching.