Browsing by study line "Allmän pedagogik och vuxenpedagogik"

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.

The aim of this research is to highlight the challenges and opportunities of the two-year pre-primary education trial. To find out how the pedagogy in the trial has been adapted to achieve the goals in the curriculum to further develop early childhood education in Finland. Previous research shows that educators play a central role in children's development and learning. The research also indicates that there are some challenges in early childhood education. It is therefore necessary that this experiment be investigated to see if the idea behind the experiment is really implemented and worked. The research questions that have been highlighted are how the two-year pre-primary education trail is perceived among the pedagogues and how the pedagogy has been adapted to achieve the goals in the curriculum. Eight educators in Swedish Finland working in the pre-primary education where the two-year pre-primary education trial is being carried out participated in the study. In this study, an educator can be a teacher in childhood education, a childcare worker, or a sociologist. This study was done through a qualitative research method through semi-structured interviews with the educators. The results showed that the educators have a positive approach to two-year pre-primary education. The educators see the lack of support from management and staff resources as the biggest challenges with the trial. The educators also highlight many possibilities with the trial. A two-year pre-primary education brings extended opportunities for both children and educators, which creates an equal and qualitative education. The results also reveal that the five-year-olds attending the one-year pre-primary education have very different levels of knowledge, which affects equal education according to the pedagogues. Overall, the educators believe that the trial of two-year pre-school education forms a good whole for the children's development and learning. The results for the second research question indicate that the educators take into account the age differences in the children participating in the trial and that they work in a play-pedagogical way. The informants agree that the trial of the two-year pre-primary education has a positive effect on the children's development and learning.

Aim. Employee selection is an activity that strongly affects the competitiveness of organizations and their opportunity for success. Decision making in employee selection is often believed to be rational and objective, but research has shown that rationality is not the only factor in recruiters decision making (Goings et al., 2021). It has been shown that intuition is part of human decision making and that intuition is present during employee selection regardless of the recruiters will (Miles & Sadler-Smith, 2014). Research has highlighted intuition as a cognition that through domain specific experience can develop into a form of expertise. This expertise is called expert intuition and can be used as support for decision making (Salas et al., 2010). The aim of this study is to explore recruiters use of intuition with focus on work experience and how it affects recruiters use of intuition in decision making. Methods. The study was conducted as a qualitative study with semi-structured interviews as method for data collection. The participants consisted of eight recruiters whose work experience varied between 3 and 20 years. The collected data was analyzed through qualitative content analysis. Results and conclusions. The results showed that the recruiters used intuition in their decision making and the majority of them felt that intuition plays an important part in employee selection. The recruiters used their intuition mostly during the job interview and at the end of the recruitment process. Intuition was also seen as useful while reviewing CVs, LinkedIn profiles and in situations where time is limited. The recruiters felt that their work experience had led to development of their intuition and to an increased thrust in their intuition. The majority of the recruiters felt that their work experience had neither led to an increased or decreased use of intuition in their decision making.

Previous studies have shown that the workload has increased for teachers due to Covid-19, which can have affected their job satisfaction. At the same time, other challenges have been reported in the teaching profession that creates a concern regarding the number of teachers who want to change jobs. Research also shows that it has been challenging for principals to balance the various tasks of leadership during Covid-19, which raises questions regarding what kind of leadership needs to be prioritized by principals during a longer period of crisis. The purpose of this study was thus to find out what kind of support primary school teachers need to maintain job satisfaction during Covid-19, how primary school teachers describe principals' leadership and what kind of leadership primary school teachers consider important during Covid-19. Previous studies in the research area that concern primary school teachers' job satisfaction and principals' leadership were used as a background for the study. Seven certified primary school teachers with at least one year of work experience during Covid-19 participated in the study. The study used qualitative research methods and semi-structured interviews as data collection method. The transcribed interviews were analyzed using inductive content analysis. The study was based on a phenomenological perspective. In line with previous research, the results of the study showed that the informants thought that the collegial support had been the most important support for maintaining job satisfaction during Covid-19. The informants also thought that they needed more peace of mind than they had during Covid-19, because it took a lot of time to get acquainted with new rules and restrictions. The results showed that the informants thought that principals had a greater focus on administrative leadership than the pedagogical leadership during Covid-19. At the same time, the informants believed that principals did not have the opportunity to lead during Covid-19, but instead acted as mediators of information. In line with previous research, clear communication was highlighted as an important part of principals' leadership during Covid-19. It was also clear that according to primary school teachers, it is important that the principal is physically present in the school and visible to the teachers during Covid-19.

This master’s thesis was written in association with University of Helsinki’s SATSA-project (Social and cultural sustainability in ECEC) and explores how directors of early childhood education understand sustainability and what responsibility they address themselves in maintaining socially and culturally sustainable organization cultures in their respective kindergartens. Sustainability issues are highly significant within today’s society and the policy for ECEC also emphasizes sustainability to a high degree (Utbildningsstyrelsen, 2022). It appears that the role of directors of ECEC has not been examined to any larger extent from a sustainability perspective in previous research. The objective of this study is to develop a deeper understanding for organization cultures and leadership in ECEC and the relationship between them from a sustainability perspective. Based on this objective the following research questions were formulated: 1. How do directors of early childhood education describe a sustainable organization culture? 2. What responsibility do directors of early childhood education address themselves in maintaining socially and culturally sustainable organization cultures? To answer these research questions the study was carried through with a qualitative method and phenomenography as the research approach. The data consists of seven recorded and transcribed interviews with directors of ECEC. These half-structured interviews were carried out remotely with directors from several kindergartens around Svenskfinland. The data was analysed with a phenomenographic analysis process inspired by Dahlgren and Johnsson (2019). The results of the study showed that directors of ECEC described sustainable organization cultures by focusing on cultural and social aspects such as structures, agreements, diversity, connection, open communication, and well-being. They pointed out economic and ecological aspects of sustainability to a lesser extent. The result also showed wide descriptions of areas of responsibility. The directors saw themselves having an important role in maintaining socially and culturally sustainable organizations cultures by taking care both of their own and their staff’s well-being and by maintaining structures in their respective kindergartens. They saw presence, availability, cooperation with the staff and a responsibility of the big picture as their significant roles in maintaining the organization cultures. To be able to understand the broad role of directors of ECEC in their work, it needs to be looked at from a sustainability perspective. Furthermore, the implementation of sustainability in organization cultures could be clarified for example with the help of educating the directors. This way the directors could form a unified vision on what sustainability could implicate in an early childhood education context from a leadership perspective.

The purpose of this study is to find out in what ways mothers experience that the coronavirus pandemic has affected the interaction with their youngest child. I also wish to contribute to early childhood education by finding out how we can support children with an insecure, but organized, and disorganized attachment style and to find out in what type of way the parents wish to receive support in their parenting. Earlier studies show that the parent´s sensitive intonation to the child affects its security, the ability to regulate emotions, and the relationship with the parent. This is called attachment. Children with inadequate attachment to their mothers have a higher risk of developing depression-like symptoms. The child´s ability to mentalize develops in relation to the parent and is a prerequisite for the child to develop empathy and compassion. Children with a secure attachment style have a better ability for mentalization during childhood. The material for this study was collected through semi-structured interviews with seven mothers whose youngest child was born in the year 2020. The material was analyzed inductively based on qualitative content analysis. The results showed that the mothers believed that the coronavirus pandemic had isolated them from their everyday life. They felt more tired, more irritated, and had been forced into more flexibility than before. The mothers hadn´t felt alone despite the coronavirus pandemic since their partners had teleworked from home. Three of the interviewed mothers had regular contact with a psychologist or a psychotherapist during their pregnancy. Two of them had continued their therapy after the childbirth. One of the interviewed mothers showed indications of depression. All mothers described their relationship with their newborns and how their interaction took place during everyday life during the coronavirus pandemic. Five of the mothers showed indications of a secure attachment style and two of the mothers showed indications of flaws in their attachment relationship to their newborn. The mothers´ foremost expectation of the day-care staff was trustful and open communication, support in their parenting, and the supporting of their children´s social relations. To support the parents and the children´s interaction, it would be desirable that the daycare staff and the staff at the child health guidance clinics were educated according to the mentalization guide.

The aim of this study is to establish an understanding of how early childhood education and care (ECEC) leaders and employees describe the pedagogical leadership, as well as how they would develop the leadership. In addition to that the aim is to establish an understanding of how the ECEC leaders’ description of the pedagogical leadership relates to the employees’ description. Previous studies show that ECEC leaders do not seem to have enough working hours for the pedagogical leadership although it is considered to be an important part of their job. The previous studies that have been found for the theoretical references of this study seem to mostly focus on either ECEC leaders’ or employees’ experiences of the ECEC leadership. Hence, this study aims to compare the experiences of the leaders and employees while trying to create an overall picture of the pedagogical leadership in ECEC. It is also relevant to look into the informants’ suggestions for leadership development because of the current situation where the ECEC has reached a point where changes in working conditions are necessary. Based on these aims the following four research questions were formulated; how do ECEC leaders describe the pedagogical leadership, how do ECEC employees describe the pedagogical leadership, how do the ECEC leaders’ descriptions relate to the ECEC employees’ descriptions and how would the informants develop the leadership in the ECEC? The study was conducted as qualitative research with a phenomenographic research approach. The data was collected through semi structured interviews with ECEC leaders and employees. Five leaders and three employees participated in the study. The interviews were later transcribed, and these transcripts were then analyzed with a phenomenographic analysis method. ECEC leaders and employees had very similar descriptions of pedagogical leadership on several points. In the descriptions, policy documents and visions were mentioned as essential parts of pedagogical leadership. In addition, reflection, the leader’s availability, and the offer of tools for the pedagogical activities were highlighted as important aspects. Regarding the development proposals the informants wished for more ECEC leaders, a change in the number of employees and guidance at work.

Objective. The aim of this study is to highlight how staff perceived the impact of the SAGA intervention on their work in the children's group, with the children's inner world in mind. The SAGA method is based on mentalization theory, the desire to try to understand the inner world of another person. The thesis is motivated by concerns about children who do not dare to take their place and be heard in a large group of children, and a concern for the staff's understanding of children who may lack a vocabulary of emotions and therefore may be misunderstood. Methods. The study is intervention research with over fifty adults working in early childhood education in different day care centers in southern Finland with just under two hundred children aged 3-5 years. Half of the children and teachers worked in intervention daycare centers that followed the SAGA method for about 12 weeks and the other half served as a control group to compare whether the SAGA method has an impact on children and adults. In this thesis I have analyzed the staff's responses. The SAGA method is based on dialogue-based read-aloud sessions with children around age-appropriate stories in small groups of up to 7 children at a time. Staff who conducted these SAGA sessions had received training in mentalizing dialogue-based reading aloud prior to the intervention. The results of this study have been analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Qualitative data have been analyzed through thematic content analysis of the focus group interview with staff from only the intervention kindergarten. Quantitative data has been analyzed with SPSS version 28 and includes an analysis of questionnaires made both before and after intervention by staff of both intervention and control groups. Results. The SAGA method has a positive impact on both the children in the group and the staff. The focus group interview revealed how staff view the model positively, as it helped them to see all the children in the group and get to know them better. Even the most quiet and withdrawn children were reported to have the courage to join the group after the intervention. Training the early childhood education staff in mentalization theory and focusing on mentalization-related dialogues with the children increased the staff's interest in mentalizing. In other words, it can be said that the intervention had a desired effect on all participants who took part in the model.

Objectives. Nowadays a robust onboarding program is a fundamental requirement for companies in terms of sustainability and growth. A sophisticated onboarding program has been shown to improve retention, increase productivity as well as maintain and strengthen job satisfaction, motivation, and engagement. The study contributes to research in the human resource management field and particularly the talent management space. The core aim of this study is to provide insight into the onboarding process of a multinational company. Understanding what constitutes effective and good quality onboarding and what aspects of it contribute to a positive employee experience will support companies in attracting, engaging, and keeping talent, all of which are becoming increasingly challenging endeavours for employers. Methods. The relevant and primary stakeholders in relation to onboarding were determined to be new hires, hiring managers, and HR professionals who support the hiring process. The data was collected through online self-completion surveys with open ended questions. The responses of 97 respondents from 21 countries globally were analysed. I used a variant of interpretive content analysis called inductive content analysis, which means that I allowed the material to generate different themes and categories about my topic. The analysis was not guided by a specific theory, instead I attempted to position the findings in a more general theoretical context. Results and conclusions. Early connections, first impressions, preparation, integration, and networking, were seen by the respondents as something essential to the onboarding process, and stakeholders agreed that significant efforts are dedicated to maintaining the quality of those elements. Clarifying expectations and roles, comprehensive training, and support and mentorship were perceived as integral by stakeholders, but the stakeholders were not unanimous in their opinions of the implementation of these aspects. Furthermore, the perceptions of HR professionals and hiring managers contradicted each other when it came to their ongoing co-operation during the process. Finally, HR professionals and hiring managers agreed that the HR information system could be improved in a number of ways. The company’s onboarding process was seen as lacking longevity and robust support measures based on the findings, which is causing negative outcomes in terms of employee motivation and productivity. Moreover, the process was seen as lacking a defined, streamlined, and consistent structure, which is causing ambiguity and uncertainty for all stakeholders.

Purpose. Career guidance and other forms of guidance are important during the studies and can have positive benefits for society and for the individual. Effective career guidance can facilitate the transition between studies and working life and can have a positive impact on individuals’ well-being. Previous studies have shown that students experience a need for guidance during their studies, but that the guidance is deficient in far too many countries and that individuals who are most in need of guidance are at risk of being left without it. The purpose of this study is to investigate university students' experiences of their studies and their own need for guidance during their studies as well as to find out what reasons students have as a basis for their potential need for guidance. Methods. The study's sample group was limited to students within the Swedish-language field of study for general and adult education at the University of Helsinki. The study was based on a qualitative research method where semi-structured interviews were used as data collection method. The collected material was analyzed using ATLAS.ti based on a thematic analysis of the research material. Results and conclusions. The results of the study showed that students within the field of study for general and adult education experience a need for guidance, both guidance counselling and career guidance. The need was based on several different reasons such as the need to discuss thoughts regarding the choice of optional studies, career opportunities after graduation, practical aspects regarding the studies such as the use of Sisu and the need to be seen and confirmed by the guidance counselor. The importance of the guidance being qualitative, based on the student's needs and that the guidance counselor asks challenging questions during the guidance proved to be important according to students. The results of the study also showed that students feel that compulsory guidance during the studies would be worth focusing on and could have benefits for the student, the university and society.