Browsing by Subject "integraatio"
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(2020)Objectives. The aim of the thesis is to unravel the challenges primary school teachers face in physical education of visually impaired children. My goal is also to explore how primary school teachers would develop the physical education of visually impaired children. Earlier studies have shown that a visually impaired child joining sports class can cause uncertainty and sense of inadequacy among teachers. Due to the prevailing ideal of inclusion, children with visual impairment mainly attend school as a part of general education. Therefore it is important to reasearch the experiences of teachers, and thereby strive to develop the exercise opportunities of visually impaired children in general education. Methods. The method used in this thesis was a case study. The material consisted of five in-terviews with teachers that had taught physical education in primary school. Among the five interviewees there were three primary school, one special education and one physical educa-tion teacher. The interviews were partially structured and conducted in the spring of 2020. The analysis was based on qualitative methods, where emphasis is on content and thematic analysis. Results and conclusions. Several challenges became apparent from the interviews. The challenges were divided into three themes: workload of teachers, organization of high-quality teaching and barriers due to the impairment. The teachers’ views of the targets of development were again divided into four themes: teacher training, separation of classes, attitude of the teacher and planning of the lessons. The interviewees felt that teacher training does not prepare teachers to organize physical education for children with visual impairment. The teachers emphasized the value of additional training. The results show that there are still many barriers in physical education, but with sufficient support measures it is possible to overcome them and provide equal opportunities for all children in general PE.
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(2017)The purpose of my previous research (minor laudatur thesis, year 2005) was to clarify how the comprehensive school and the Steiner school approach the special education pupil as well as to examine what sorts of similarities and differences there are between the Steiner education and special education. Through my thesis I also attempt to examine how the ideologies/intellectual worlds and teachings of the Steiner school and the comprehensive school could be combined and brought closer to one another as well as how the best parts of both schools could be combined in order to take advantage of them in both schools. The research was implemented as a review of literature. At the beginning of my research the ideology and development of inclusion, integration and inclusive upbringing are examined as the basis for the next chapter, in which the concept of man is examined from the viewpoint of special education. I discuss the idea of man on the basis of four central principles. These principles are human dignity, integrity, the right of self-determination and participation in life and society. The fourth chapter provides a detailed introduction to the concept of man from the viewpoint of the Steiner education. First the points of departure and bases of value of the Steiner education are discussed, and then on the basis of these the idea of man and man's different aspects of being in the Steiner education are discussed, as well as the development rhythms and the seven year stages of the child. I examine the differences between these two educations by comparing their ideas of man. The Steiner education is based on Steiner's educational views and the concept of man, upon which these views are based. The concept of man guides the raising and education of the child and is thus also strongly connected to how the special education pupil is approached in the Steiner school. I consider the fourth chapter to be of particular importance for the reader because it is there that I discuss the concept of man of Steiner education as well as the development rhythms of the child, among other things. Without becoming acquainted with the concept of man of Steiner education it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to understand methods used in approaching the special education pupil, such as temperament training and form drawing. The concept of man of special education also creates the basis for how a pupil requiring special support is approached in the comprehensive school. The fifth chapter discusses methods used in approaching a pupil requiring special support in the Steiner school. The sixth chapter discusses methods used in approaching a pupil requiring special support in the comprehensive school. At the end of this research I attempt, on the basis of the comparison between these two educations, to disclose the similarities and differences of them in approaching the special education pupil. I complemented my minor laudatur thesis by taking in account the 3-phased support model.
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(2015)Objectives. The subject of this study is special education students in musical instrument teaching. The task is to find out instrument teachers' thoughts of different types of learners and their teaching, teachers' views on their abilities to teach special education students and what kind of support teachers possibly need in teaching students with special needs. The main questions of this study are: 1. What kind of views musical instrument teachers have of different types of learners. 2. Do instrument teachers have qualification to teach students with special needs? 3. What kind of support musical instrument teachers possibly need to teach special education students. Methods. This is a quantitative study, and the data is gathered by using a survey. The study was supplemented with qualitative material by giving the answerers an opportunity to tell about their thoughts of the subject also in their own words. 60 instrument teachers in different parts of Finland answered the survey. The survey was made in the fall 2014. The analysis was made by using Microsoft Excel 2008 and IBM SPSS 22.0 Statistics programs. Results and conclusions. Based on this study, musical instrument teachers views about different kinds of learners are mainly positive or neutral. There were no such factors in the teachers' attitudes and views of disablement and difference that would hinder them in teaching all kinds of students. The majority of answerers has taught special education student at some point and viewed it positively. Yet the teachers do not have a strong confidence in their own or their colleagues' ability to teach students with special needs. Main reason to this seems to be a lack of education. Yet the majority of the teachers are ready to teach 1-2 special education students also in the future if required. In this they wish the most to get consultation from a special education or music therapy specialist. Secondly they wish to get professional guidance and short training. The third wish in their answers was support from colleagues and the principal. They also wished co-operation with the parents. As a conclusion, musical instrument teachers would need education, instructions and support from specialists, principals and colleagues and co-operation with parents, in teaching special education students.
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(2017)According to basic education national core curriculum (2014) the purpose of basic education is to advance equality, parity and justice. Physical education and its assessment aim to advance the fulfillment of equality by considering every pupil in teaching and with equal assessment. The purpose of this educational sciences study is to describe and analyze class teachers' experiences and perceptions of execution in physical education and assessment in a mainstream physical education group where there are pupils with special needs being integrated. The starting point of this study is to examine the execution of physical education and different evaluation practices and how their impacts show on the pupils and their learning through teachers' eyes. This study is a qualitative research. The focus group of this study consists from ten class teachers that all work in the Helsinki metropolitan area. The material of this study was acquired by a questionnaire that consisted of open questions. Before the actual questionnaire was sent to the participants there was a pre inquiry which was also included in the study. The material was analyzed by using the content analysis. According to the study results almost all of the participants felt that teaching an inclusive physical education group is challenging. The teachers felt that different needs of support bring challenges to the planning and executing of teaching. Teachers felt that integration benefits the pupils with special needs despite of the challenges. Pupils making friendships and understanding differences were seen as the advantages of integration. The teachers felt that the assessment of physical education is also challenging. Assessing pupils with special needs with the same criteria's of assessment was seen as a thing that increases inequality. Especially the assessment of abilities was kept challenging. All of the teachers found trying and activity during class as more important targets of assessment than physical abilities. The teachers used mainly ongoing assessment and giving feedback as a method of assessment. This kind of assessment was seen as a thing that gives the pupil experiences of success which were seen important when it comes to improving self-esteem and inspiring towards sporty lifestyle.
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(2023)The idea of this thesis was to build an understanding of the organizational cultures of two organizations that are parties to an acquisition. By characterizing the current culture of these organizations, it is possible to facilitate the merging and alignment of cultures, so that cooperation in the new situation would be successful. The research was a quantitative survey during fall of 2022, and based on the data from the survey, cultural profiles were built for both organizations. By comparing these cultural profiles, plan was to find the areas and entities in current cultures where they are similar and can so be seen as the company’s core competence and strength. Idea was also to find the areas where the current cultures are different and where the so-called collision of cultures could happen, or where the differences can be turned into strength. Both organizations were well represented in the data, but there were less answers in open questions than was expected. According to the results, the most important factor in both organizations is its employees and people-to-people cooperation. Also, both cultures emphasized their own industries, which are slightly different for these two organizations. The results did not reveal a large clash of cultures, but especially on the main group’s side, the organizational culture could require refinement and harmonization throughout the entire company.
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(2020)Objectives. The changes to Basic Education Act (624/2010), which came into force on January 2011, as well as the enforcement of the Pupil and Student Welfare Act (1287/2013) in 2014, has restructured the operation of the Finnish education system. The model, known as the support in learning and school attendance, operates on a three-tiered support system, and is based on inclusive principles as one of its goals is to include pupils with special needs to mainstream classes with additional teaching support. This study aims to investigate how the amendments have affected classroom teachers’ work tasks, workload, and well-being at work, and as well as to highlight the ways in which classroom teachers have adapted to the changes. Methods. The research approach of this study was qualitative. The data was collected by interviewing four classroom teachers using semi-structured theme interviews. The participants were selected for the study based on their year of graduation and by municipality, as they had worked as classroom teachers before the enforcement of the previously mentioned amendments, and as they all were working in schools in different municipalities. The data was analysed using a qualitative analysis of content. Results and conclusions. According to the teachers, adoption of the new support model has not created any new work tasks or responsibilities to the teachers although the changes have affected how the workload is divided between different work tasks. Majority of the participants brought up how the adoption of the three-tiered support model had increased work bureaucracy and workload, in the form of preparation of pedagogical documents, multiprofessional cooperation and cooperation between home and school. However, the teachers underlined that the model had created positive developments in teaching as well. There were major differences in teachers’ experiences regarding the changes in the work and well-being at work, as the teachers experienced changes in different areas of their work in different ways. Similarly, teachers' ways of adapting to change were different, where the results of this study can provide different perspectives on examining and developing teachers' well-being at work.
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(2022)This study is an article-type master’s thesis, and its purpose was to study immigrant background families from ECEC personnel’s perspective. In this study ‘immigrant background’ is defined to include everyone who has either moved to Finland, been born in Finland but has parents with an immigrant background or speaks a foreign language at home. The personnel perspective in this study is brough by ECEC leaders and educators. The research questions were: How do the views of parents with an immigrant background appear to the ECEC leaders and educators? By what means do the ECEC leaders and educators support the families in their integration? The theoretical framework was produced by the diversities, acculturation and integration that was based on the international declarations, Finnish laws, policies, and recommendations from the curricula. With the help of these, this study aims to add knowledge of immigrant background families in ECEC, which is needed according to previous studies. This study was conducted between September year 2021 and May year 2022. The data was collected in December via individual and group interviews. The empirical material was gathered through semi-structured interviews with five ECEC unit leaders interviewed individually, and nine educators interviewed in four groups of two to four educators. The interviews were analyzed with content analysis using an inductive approach. The results indicate that the immigrant background families’ views appear for the leaders, and educators are mainly positive, especially the families' desire to integrate into Finnish society. The diverse cultures appeared for the personnel to conflict with Finnish culture, however, the conflict depended on the individuals and was not able to generalize. The means of integration were clear, and they matched all the dimensions of integration. The results explain the need for ensuring a shared understanding between parents and ECEC personnel. The article script “Language is Important” Perspectives from ECEC Personnel on Supporting Families with an Immigrant Background” is supposed to publish in an ECEC journal called Journal of Early Childhood Education Research. As co-authors in the article were Arniika Kuusisto and Heidi Harju-Luukkainen.
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(2018)Objectives. Stable separate systems have been created for the intellectually disabled in our society. Integration in the educational path could act as a channel for social relations between the intellectually disabled and the general populace. I studied the realization of inclusion in the educational path by using the stages of integrativeness as presented by Moberg & Savolainen (2015). The stages are physical, functional, social and societal integrativeness. In my thesis I seek to find out which stages of integrativeness have been realized in the educational path of the mildly intellectually disabled and whether the stages of integrativeness have connections to the subjects present friendships. Methods. My research method was a narrative multi-case study. The subjects of my thesis were five mildly intellectually disabled young adult women. My data collection method was a semi-structured interview. The material was analyzed using a narrative analysis as presented by Polkinghorne (2005). In the narrative analysis the interviews were used to form narrative descriptions of the subjects educational paths. The narratives formed from the educational paths of the subjects were also used to search common factors. Results and conclusions. All research subjects had experienced physical integration and three subjects had also experienced functional integration during their educational path. One research subject had also experienced social integration during her educational path. Another subject had changed from general education to a special school. She had formed social relations in the special school and later in life in hobbies aimed at special education students. Separate systems are a useful resource in creating social relations, but the integration in the general education should be more comprehensive in order to produce social relations between different students.
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(2021)Objectives. The goal of this thesis was to examine the assumptions of an inclusion that personnel in early childhood education have. The theoretical context of this study is the ecosystem model of inclusive early childhood education. Model is developed based on Urie Bronfenbrenner´s ecological systems theory. In the ecosystem model is described macro-, meso-, ecso- and microsystem factors that has to be considered when early chilhood ecucation is developed as more inclusive. Concepts are also explained. Methods. The material of this thesis was collected in research that clarified the state of special support in early childhood education. In this thesis was analysed one question´s answers of that research. Answers was given 572. From these answers was chosen five personnel groups whose answers was received more than 15. From these groups (early childhood special education teacher, early chilhood education teacher, childminder, nursery nurse and day care center manager) was chosen 15 answers each, based on discretionary sample. The answers that were chosen told about inclusion from works point of view. The answers were analysed and categorized in themes. Fenomenografi and dialogical theme-making was used as methods. Results and conclusions. Seven themes were made from the answers: the pedagogical solutions and tools that support inclusion, inclusion as a value, associates who support inclusive early childhood education, inclusion as a child´s right, inclusion as a child’s place, the challenges that inclusion has and enough education and know-how for inclusion. Themes were divided in between personnel groups. Inclusion as a value and inclusion as a child´s right were mentioned in every groups answers. The pedagogical solutions and tools that support inclusion was mentioned mostly by early childhood education teachers and early childhood special education teachers. Inclusion as a child´s place was mostly mentioned by early childhood special education teacher and day care center managers. Inclusion´s challenges were mentioned mostly by nursery nurses and day care center managers. Enough education and know-how for inclusion was mentioned by day care center managers, early childhood education teachers and nursery nurses. Associates who support inclusive early childhood education was written by early childhood special education teachers and early childhood education teachers.
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(2024)Aims. Muslim pupils experience many negative attitudes and challenges at school. The class teacher has a big role to play in promoting cohesion and integration of Muslim pupils. The class teacher's tools for integrating Muslim pupils include open discussion, religious literacy, and concrete support measures. This thesis aims to explore classroom teacher students' capacities to promote cohesion among Muslim pupils and their experiences in applying them. The focus of the study is on students in classroom teacher training. Methods. I obtained my data through a questionnaire. The respondents to the questionnaire were classroom teacher education students (N=21). My research was a qualitative study based on phenomenography. I used the theoretical content analysis method to analyse the data. Theoretical analysis explores a phenomenon based on an already known theory, which in this study is the skills needed by classroom teacher students to promote the integration of Muslim students. Results and conclusions. Classroom teacher trainees have low or no perceived capacity to promote cohesion among Muslim pupils. Student teachers knew very little about Islam and the challenges faced by Muslim pupils. The results of the survey highlighted the respondents' lack of knowledge about the importance of the research topic and ways to improve cohesion among Muslim pupils. A large proportion of survey respondents also felt that classroom teacher training does not provide the necessary skills to integrate Muslim pupils. The results are not generalisable to all teacher students, but they do reflect the ideas, practices and roles that may emerge among teacher students more generally.
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(2013)Objectives. The development plan for education and research 2003 - 2008 (report of the Ministry of Education) highlights the development and promotion of special education and integration. In the end of the year 2007, there was Special education strategy published, a proposal for a long-term strategy for the development of special education in pre- and primary schools. Today there are a growing number of special education pupils studying in their neighbourhood schools and in regular teaching groups. Class teachers are so confronting new challenges in their classes. It is pointed out in the researches that teachers' positive attitudes and professional skills are essential for successful mainstreaming / inclusion in schools. The object of this thesis is to examine primary school class teachers' conceptions of working and teaching in the regular education which include special education pupils. This issue will be approached by these research problems: what kind of conceptions do teachers who work in basic education with special education pupils have, what kind of significance does teachers education has for these conceptions, what kind of significance does teachers work experience has for their working and is there a some kind of connection between teacher's conceptions and the nature of special education pupil's disability? Methods. In the spring 2009, the half structured questionnaire was send to all primary schools in Helsinki (N=86). One class teacher in each school was asked to fill in the questionnaire. Altogether 38 teachers answered this questionnaire. The data was analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Structured questions were processed by using the SPSS- statistics program and qualitative questions were analyzed by using content analysis. Results and conclusions. Class teachers were satisfied with their work and most of them felt that they master the teaching situations sufficiently. They reported that they get support and help most from the special needs assistants and special education teachers but they also felt that they need it more from them. Remedial instruction- lessons were also needed more. Those who had the class teacher qualification got a bit more support from special education teachers than those without qualification. Both, longer work experience and studies of special pedagogy correlated with the amount of help from the assistant. There was also positive connection between the work experience and the amount of remedial instruction. Teachers urge for updating education was clearly shown in this study. About half of these teachers wished more education related to special needs pupils / education. Teachers felt that the lack of time is the most challenging in their work. About half of the teachers felt that the regular studying environment supports special education pupils well or very well and felt mainstreaming valuable for all. They pointed out that the nature and the degree of disability is relevant. They felt that pupils with behavioral difficulties had most negative influence for the whole class, and felt themselves helpless and frustrated because of these pupils.
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(2019)Goals of this study. The goal of this study is to examine, interpret and analyze the perceptions that elementary school teachers hold concerning the fulfillment of inclusion and integration of immigrant students studying in general education class. Aim of this study is to answer the following research problems: 1. According on elementary school teachers how well the goals of inclusion are being fulfilled concerning immigrant students? 2. What kind of representations do elementary school teachers hold concerning the inclusion and integration of immigrant students in general education class? Theoretical background of this study is based on litera- ture handling of inclusion and representation. The experiences teachers have, are being com- pared to the theoretical framework. The concept of representation and othering are repre- sented also in the empiric part of this study. The purpose of this study is to take a stand in the general conversation dealing with inclusion. At the center of this study is the inclusion and integration of students with an immigrant background because of the linguistic questions. Methods. The material of this study was produced by implementing two group interviews. Both interviews consisted four elementary school teachers who had been teaching students with immigrant background within the last five years. Material was analyzed with the means of discourse analysis. Research questions were answered by the representations which were brought up from the material of this study. Results and conclusion. According on the material of this study the goals of inclusion have not been seen fulfilling among immigrant students. It was stated that the resources, like learn- ing materials, time and assistance from special education teachers are not sufficient. Based on the experience of teachers seven repertoires were constructed. These repertoires repre- sent those representations that teachers hold concerning of the inclusion of immigrant stu- dents.
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(2021)The purpose of this study is to find out how classroom teachers use music as part of their teaching and as a unifying factor in primary school grades 3–6. In addition, the aim is to find out which factors classroom teachers find conducive to bringing music into their cross-curricular teaching. The theoretical framework of the study presents three models of integration: the methods of horizontal integration, Bresler's integration styles and DiDomenico's perspective on the integration of teaching through music. The framework also examines the role of music in primary school grades 3–6 in the light of the basics of the 2014 basic education curriculum and the benefits of teaching through music, and examines the classroom teacher's preconditions for implementing integrative music education. The study was conducted as a qualitative case study with the help of a thematic interview. The research material was collected by interviewing four classroom teachers who had experience using music as part of their teaching. The interviews were mainly conducted using online connections. One of the interviews took place in a face-to-face meeting. The analysis of the material utilized theory-based and theory-guiding content analysis. According to the study, classroom teachers integrated music into cross-curricular teaching naturally. Integration was carried out in a variety of ways. The social integration style was central, which was particularly evident in the importance of various events and celebrations and cooperation related to them. Music lessons were also taught in parallel with common themes in other subjects. The position of music as an integrative subject ranged from low cognition to an equal, cognitive position. The teacher's own background, enthusiasm and willingness had a significant effect on the realization of integration with music. Classroom teaching was also perceived as a factor facilitating integration. The most important result of the study was the importance of well-being as a factor guiding integration through music. According to the study, it seems that by integrating music into teaching it is possible to meet the goal of basic education in supporting the holistic development of the pupils.
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(2020)According to the idea of inclusion, all children have the right to attend a school near their home. By doing this, the aim is to realise educational equality in society. In Finland, researchers in the field of educational sciences have ended up using the term integration, which better describes the Finnish pedagogic practices in teaching pupils requiring special support. With integration, schools make pedagogic decisions and direct their resources to help the pupils. The aim of the three-step support decreed by Finnish law is to bring support to the child. Nowadays this happens more and more in general education classes.Teachers have learned to record support forms in pedagogic documents (Thuneberg & Vainikainen, 2015). The subject of my study rose from my 15 years of teaching experience and from current societal discussion. I wanted to listen to class teachers’ experiences about the forms of special support and how this support for integrated pupils really functions in the everyday work of general education classes. The study is based on Bandura’s (1997) social learning theory and the concept of self- efficacy. Phenomenological research methods enable the study of everyday phenomena and experiences that rise from them. To define the teachers’ experiences, I had an inside interview with three class teachers. Each of the teachers had at least one special support pupil in their class. The interviews took place in the spring of 2018. The inter-view material was analysed via qualitative content analysis. Material-based content analysis was started during the interviews and I returned to study the material again at the end of 2019. At that stage, the material classified earlier gave rise to three themes: 1. Functional solutions and forms of support, 2. Challenges faced by the class teachers, and 3. Stress from work. The study showed that class teachers plan and execute forms of special support. Realisation of the support varied from school to school. A common experience for all the teachers in the study was the feeling of loneliness in the classroom. Multi-professional cooperation was not functioning properly, teachers felt the need for an extra adult to help in the everyday situations in the classroom. The teachers talked about work-related stress. Their work was stressful especially when a pupil in the class was showing signs of psychical issues and had a difficult overall situation in life. The teachers experienced self- efficacy and were willing to work to make things better for the pupils. In the case of those pupils whose supporting was most difficult, the teachers felt that their support was not successful, and was therefore insufficient. The experiences of the teachers imply that in order to enforce the feeling of result efficacy, attention should be directed to working conditions and development of collective pedagogic planning and operations. Development of co-teaching could provide relief in teachers’ everyday work. In order for special support to be productive, it is crucial that new operational models combining expertise from different professions are developed and implemented inside the classrooms. When a special support pupil is integrated in a general education class, budgetary savings should never be grounds for a resolution.
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(2023)The aim of this study was to identify the challenges that teachers of special education face in their work in a heterogeneous classroom with pupils with special needs and different learning difficulties. The goal was to identify the challenges they experience on a daily basis and what things bring joy to their work as teachers of special needs children. I also wanted to find out how special education teachers justify the need for special education and whether it should be developed or do they think that special needs education should be discontinued entirely and pupils should be transferred to ordinary classes in primary schools. The study selected teachers working in Swedish speaking schools in Finland with pupils in grades 7.–9. in special education. Methods. The study was conducted as both a quantitative and a qualitative study. The quantitative study was conducted using a structured e-questionnaire, which I sent by email to the target respondents. The e-survey form asked at first questions about the background information of the special education teachers, then the form was divided into four sections: (1) the respondents' experiences of their daily work and whether they feel their knowledge and professionalism are sufficient to teach pupils with special needs, (2) what kind of issues are part of their daily work, (3) what are the challenges related to pupils and finally (4) questions related to collaboration. I analyzed the quantitative data using IBM SPSS Statistical data editor version 28 software. In the last two questions of the questionnaire, the respondents were free to write their opinions about what things bring them joy in their work and how special education teachers justify the need for special education.I analysed the responses using qualitative data-driven content analysis. Results. I received 39 responses to the e-questionnaire, of which 61 % had a special education teacher’s qualification and the rest had a special education teacher’s qualification, other pedagogical qualification, or other qualification. The results of the survey showed that special education should be continued but practical changes should be made to ensure that special education is appropriate and that pupils in special education receive the support they are entitled to. The special education teachers provided many suggestions for improvement, many of which were profitable and even feasible without additional financial supp
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