Browsing by Subject "esihenkilö"
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(2023)Objectives. The aim of this study was to find out how the day-care centre managers define inclusive early childhood education and what kind of thoughts inclusion evokes in them. The study also examines how the day-care centre managers (both managers and deputy managers) guide and support their employees towards an inclusive way of working. The starting point for the study was the interest in how the renewed National core curriculum for early childhood education and care (drawn up by the Finnish National Agency for Education, OPH, 2022) emphasize the implementation of inclusive early childhood education as part of the value base. Methods. The research was carried out as a mixed methods research in which the material was handled both qualitatively and quantitatively. The research material was collected using an electronic questionnaire (N=23). Quantitative research data was analyzed using statistical methods, whereas qualitative research data was analyzed using data-driven content analysis. The survey was carried out using an e-form for managers and deputy managers of Finnish-speaking day-care centres in the city of Helsinki. Results. The results showed that the views described by the managers and deputy managers of day-care centres towards inclusive early childhood education are versatile. The respondents were mainly unanimous about the value of inclusive early childhood education in furthering the development of participation, equality and equitable treatment. However, inclusive early childhood education was seen from various perspectives among the respondents considering the amount of support measures and resources available for the operation. According to the results, managers see themselves playing a key role in the implementation of inclusive early childhood education as a part of the everyday life of the day-care centres. Nevertheless, the means to promote the realization of inclusion were seen very differently depending on the respondent, and there are no official policies set on the matter on behalf of the city.
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(2022)This research was interested in early childhood education managers' professional agency in context of pedagogical and human resources leadership. In addition, the early childhood managers’ pedagogical as well as human resources leadership experiences were studied. There is still very little previous research done in terms of early childhood managers’ professional agency but studying it could help in developing the early childhood educational field because according to previous professional agency studies, managers’ professional agency is linked to the personnel. Among other things innovating, developing and taking care of the well-being of staff are part of leadership agency. The data of this Master’s Thesis is based on nine early chilhood education managers' telephone interview transcripts. The telephone interviews, that lasted approximately 30 minutes each, were executed during the autumn of 2021. Transcripts from telephone interviews were analysed using content analysis and narrative analysis. Content analysis of the data identified five categories in early childhood education managers’ experiences in pedagogical leadership (central mission, common goal, consistency, job relevancy and practice in reality) as well as in human resources leadership (service management, presence, ensemble control, discretion and responsibility). Each of the categories had professional agency in early childhood managers’ experiences which was analysed narratively. Early chilhood education managers' experienced pedagogical leadership as important part of the job and they mentioned pedagogy being close to their hearts. Managers described experiences in human resources leadership as serving others but also working under pressure. The experiences of early childhood education managers in pedagogical and human resources leadership included plenty of traits of professional agency. The traits of professional agency adapt to all key moments of previous research theory which are: 1) respecting employee views, 2) drawing conclusions through dialogue, 3) bringing up own expertise, 4) learning and 5) speaking directly. Based on this study, professional agency was an important tool in pedagogical leadership and human resources leadership. Early childhood managers’ professional agency is shown through the decisions the manager is able to make under the sociocultural circumstances at the work place and within their own personal abilities.
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(2019)This thesis focuses on workplace wellbeing. The thesis researches what employees see as important in workplace wellbeing and how the interviewees define an employee who enjoys a high level of workplace wellbeing. In my literature review I discuss wellbeing at work and how work life has changed. A major change in work life occurred after the 1990 recession which increased work requirements due to intensified competition and shorter deadlines among others. The broader concept of workplace wellbeing consists of several subsections which are leadership, work community and values, work engagement, recovery and stress-adding factors. In addition to these, I review the concept of resources through Hobfoll and Shirom’s (2001) COR theory and Bakker, Demerout and Verbeken’s (2004) JD-R model. Furthermore, work community skills are reviewed. I have interviewed five employees working at two multinational corporations which operate in Finland. I conducted the interviews one on one in a semi structured format. I have analysed the interviews using discourse analysis. Through discourse analysis, I found four factors the interviewees saw as important in workplace wellbeing. These factors are health, work community, the work itself and caring. Health means that the company has good occupational health care and employees take care of their own health. The work community was seen as important and even more important than the manager. The importance of the manager was considered less important than theory had suggested. The work itself encompassed the meaningfulness of the work and that the work was interesting, challenging and flexible. Caring meant that the employees felt the company cared about them and showed it by for example sponsoring sporting events or offering free coffee. When these four factors were present in an employee’s workplace, the worker was seen to enjoy a high level of workplace wellbeing. A prerequisite for workplace wellbeing was that the employees were in charge of themselves and utilized the wellbeing opportunities at work.
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