Browsing by Subject "Osallisuus"

Aims. Student’s participation is one of the most important aspects in primary school. Participation means that students’ views and opinions are being heard and considered, and that they have a say in matters concerning them. Students should also be involved in matters and choices in their schools. Student participation should be encouraged and supported. Student’s participation has been researched in regular classroom setting but not in distance education. Due to the Covid-19 situation in March 2020 schools were closed and studying in classrooms changed to distance learning at homes. The aim of this study is to research teachers’ views on student participation in distance education. Harry Shier’s and Johanna Kiili’s theories of children and student participation are being used in this study. Methods. This study is a qualitative research made with the theory-based analysis of the content method. The research data was collected from teachers who participated in distance teaching during school years ¬2019–2020 and 2020–2021. The data was collected from February to April in 2021 using e-forms, which asked teachers to describe their views on student participation during distance education. 19 teachers participated in this study. Results and conclusions. The participation in distance education did not differ much from classroom learning. Teacher’s saw the importance of taking student’s views into account and their freedom to make choices during both distance learning and classroom learning. The sense of community in participation was decreased during distance education. The use of information and communication technology provided new ways to participate. The students who were less likely to speak in classroom had more chances to have their voice heard during distance education. There were different kinds of learning environments for students during distance education since studying did not happen in classrooms. Those students’ who were self-determined were able to benefit from the participation in distance education. Those who needed more support during studying faced more challenges during distance education. The teachers utilized their knowledge and information about their students in different ways during distance education.

Aims. In this study the purpose is to describe physical, psychological, and social learning environment in three early childhood special education groups. This study is based on sociocultural theory where the development and learning of the child is seen to happen in the interaction between the individual and the environment. (Vygotsky 1978; Rogoff 2003, 2008). The aim of this study is to reveal how the learning environment supports the inclusion and peer interaction of child with multiple developmental disabilities. Methods. The approach to this study was ethnographic as the aim was to develop a diverse understanding of the learning environment. The data for this study was collected with LEANS- assessment scale (Strain & Joseph 2004, translated by Suhonen 2004) from three early childhood special education groups and by interviewing special education teachers. Data was also collected from documents regarding the organization of the teaching. In the analysis of the LEANS assessment scale qualitative and quantitative analysis where combined. Propositions in the LEANS assessment scale were evaluated with a five-step Likert- scale. Quantitative analysis was completed by reporting the mean of the propositions. Qualitative analysis was completed by describing the structure of the contents in the propositions. The interviews of the special education teachers were analysed with theory-guided content analysis. The two previously mentioned research materials were supported with documents including the organization of the teaching and by comparing the interpretation of the physical, psychological, and social learning environments. After the analysis of each research material the whole data was analysed with dialogic thematization which enabled the construction of the themes of the learning environment. Findings and conclusions. The themes of the learning environments were created by the dialogic thematization. These themes where: the construction of the physical and immaterial material in the learning environment, sustaining the emotional well-being and positive atmosphere, and supporting and reinforcing the individual skills and peer interaction. The fulfilment of the inclusion and peer interaction of child with multiple developmental disabilities is seen as a multidimensional process which requires the presence of physical, psychological, and social learning environment. High-quality elements can be identified from the construction of the learning environment. However successful inclusion and peer interaction in the learning environment requires the awareness of the efficiency of these elements from the early childhood educator. This highlights the role of the early childhood educator in high-quality learning environments.

Understanding the concept of participation and its connection to equity is emphasized as education becomes increasingly diverse. Participation has been raised as one of the counterforces in the fight against inequality and therefore requires a strong knowledge base on equity. However, research shows that participation is not achieved equally and that children have unequal opportunities to belong and take part in a group. In my thesis, I look at participation in relation to inequality. The aim of this study is to identify and find the meanings, descriptions and solutions given to participation from the perspective of equality and examine how the solutions are formed. The research material in this study was fifteen opinion pieces in Helsingin Sanomat from 2011–2021. Opinion pieces in newspapers serve as a forum for current topics in education. Opinion pieces produced in a particular context made to influence can be used to locate individual experiences and connect them to larger societal issues. The dimensions of inequality in the context of education were identified from the opinion pieces. In the research material, participation was described through three (3) discourses: participation as strengthening, limited participation, and participation as documents and obligations. Solutions were constructed through five (5) discourses: individuality, hearing, belonging, responsibility, and investment. In the research material, parents and experts stood out as authors. I analyze the material in a discourse analytical framework, distinguishing broader discourses describing and producing partici- pation. In addition to this, I also examined the solutions by means of rhetorical analysis, which enabled a more accurate linguistic examination of their construction. Based on my research, participation is identified as a strengthening force, a prerequisite for learning, and a gateway to equity. However, in practice, participation is not achieved equally. Resource inequality and existential inequality are identifiable forms of inequality in participatory descriptions in the opinion pieces. Experiences of non-belonging expose an unequal position in society. Discourses that build solutions are linked to societal values about economic interests, increased understanding, and the privilege of being heard. The requirement for teachers, tutors and adults working with children is to continuously develop themselves and to break down practices that maintain inequality. In addition to inclusive pedagogy, teachers need to know and identify discriminatory practices and structures as well as separations between children. It is essential that the dimensions of participation and the different opportunities for children to have experiences of participation are identified and made visible.

Objectives. The aim of this study was to examine how children express their participation in their peer interaction during a playworld activity. In this study participation has been approached trough belonging to the group and influencing possibilities, since these has been seen as an important part of participation in early childhood education. Multimodality of interaction was also taken into account. The research questions were: (1) How does children express and build participation in their peer interaction during the playworld activity? (2) How can playworld activity been seen to affect children`s peer interaction and participation? Methods. The study was carried out as a qualitative video observation study. Video data was collected by filming the playworld activities of one preschool group, located in Helsinki metropolitan area, in the spring 2018. Data was analysed by multimodal content analysis and Atlas.ti (qualitative data analysis software) was also used as a support of content analysis. Results and conclusions. It was observed plenty of actions in the children`s peer interaction that showed and build participation. The children used both non-verbal and verbal ways of interaction when expressing group membership and sharing their opinion. The results of the study favor the thought that observing children`s participation is possible only by taking into account the non-verbal resources of interaction. Children were observed expressing togetherness during playworld activities as well as making plenty of play-related suggestions and speeches. The children used different interaction resources in their peer interaction in different stages of playworld activity. Playworld activity and the opportunities it offers for children`s peer interaction, can provide a good environment for children`s participation occur in the early childhood education.

The purpose of this study was to find out how fifth graders understand and define participation. Previous studies have demonstrated gender-based differences in children's degree of participation in school. Experiences of participation have also declined between 2019 and 2021, according to the THL (Finnish institute for health and welfare) School Health Promotion study. The purpose of this study is to describe, analyze, and interpret by using practice architecture theory, how students define participation in school and whether there are differences in the experiences of girls and boys. The study was conducted as an action research in a fifth-grade class in Vantaa. Photographs of different lessons were taken and later used to interview the students. These images were utilized both in individual interviews to activate the student's memory and in the group interview. A total of 13 students participated in the interview phase. The collected material was analyzed using Kemmis' (2008) theory of practice architectures, in which the answers were classified into three categories: 1) cultural-discursive arrangements, 2) physical, economical and material arrangements, and 3) social-political arrangements. These three categories together formed the preconditions for participation. The students’ definition of participation emphasized the social dimension of participation, especially the relationship with peers. Pupils reported experiencing participation especially when working with their classmates. The definitions of participation were classified into four categories: 1) a sense of belonging 2) being heard 3) a positive feeling, and 4) an active role in class activity. Gender-based differences were discovered, especially when students selected photographs in which they felt they had experienced participation. The students also described par-ticipation in different words: the boys emphasized that they got to decide, and the girls emphasized that they had been heard. The results suggest that the social dimension of participation, which includes a sense of belonging, relatedness and positive social interdependence, is central to experiences of participation. This dimension should therefore be taken more into account in teaching. This work demonstrates the necessity and importance of providing sufficient and equal opportunities for participation for girls and boys. These opportunities are crucial in determining how students both perceive and actively engage in school activities.