Browsing by Subject "työelämätaidot"
Now showing items 1-7 of 7
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(2018)Digitalization and globalization have led to increased global competition, which has set new standards for the skills that employees ought to possess in working life. In this study, these capabilities are referred to as the 21st century working life skills, which includes both professional know-how and professional skills, life and career skills, ability to influence, thinking and learning skills, and technology skills. Absorbent workers are seen to bring competitive advantages to companies at national and international level, and now higher education institutions are expected to produce innovative experts with 21st working life skills to their service. The aim of this thesis was to examine the elements of the method of teaching the 21st century working life skills to higher education students. The research has been carried out by analyzing the reflection essays and feedback forms of the participants participating in hackathon events in 2016-2017. Hackathon events were selected for collecting data as their work habits resembled a great deal of future work-related and problem-solving-oriented working life. The material was analyzed by a material-based grounded theory method. The first research question examined whether the hackathon participants felt that they had developed professionally during the event regarding their own working life skills. Based on the research material, participating a hackathon event can support the participants’ professional development. The participants explicitly brought up the social, knowledge and skill related benefits of hackathon events. The participants reported that by participating a hackathon event they were also able to develop as individuals and felt empowerment regarding their future working life and their private lives. The main experience of the participants was that the hackathon event offered them something that their previous studies have not yet been able to offer. The second research question was used to determine what elements of the hackathon event supported the accumulation of 21st century working life skills. In other words it was studied, of what elements a teaching method that successfully transfers 21st century working life skills to higher education students is built. Participants' responses highlighted particularly event facilities, characteristics of their working groups, external supporters, positive and negative emotions as well as meaningful hackathon challenges and ways of working, and collaboration with businesses. As a conclusion it is to say that with such collaborative innovation pedagogy method, such as hackathon, the development of professional and 21st century skills of students of higher education institutions can be supported. By utilizing these kind of methods, the higher education institutions are also able to successfully answer to the new requirements set by the increased global competition.
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(2021)Previous studies indicate that a background in elite sports is seen as a positive experience in recruitment. However, concurrently many elite athletes feel that finding the first job after a sports career is both challenging and time-consuming. Studies addressing generic skills have shown that skills especially valued in work-life in today`s society are good co-operative skills, goal orientation, persistence, and commitment. Studies made in the field of elite sports show that these skills are found and highlighted precisely among employees who have an elite sports background. The purpose of this study is to examine recruiters’ viewpoints on how they find a job applicant’s experience in elite sports and what type of generic skills they associate with elite athletes. Moreover, the purpose is to clarify how recruiters feel that their own background influences their perspective as recruiters. There were eight recruitment consultants from an international company in the recruitment industry participating in the study. The study used qualitative research method and the data was collected using semi-structured theme interviews and analysed using a theory-based content analysis. The analysis was guided by the data as well as the hypothesis formed based on Mustonen (2016) whereby a sports background of a recruiter is felt to have an influence when recruiting elite athletes. Theoretical background was also conducted by previous research on present-day generic skills and elite athletes’ transition from sports into working life. Recruiters who are former athletes felt that they understand the demands and sacrifices of elite sports and value the skills gained through sports. Recruiters that did not have a sports background comprehended elite sports more often as a hobby or as an experience similar to collective activities, whereas recruiters with sports background saw elite sports as work experience. The recruiters had rather similar views on elite athletes’ generic skills, which highlighted good interpersonal skills, co-operative skills, commitment, and goal orientation, as in the earlier research. The study showed that elite sports experience is seen in varying ways depending on the recruiter, and it articulated the importance of the ability of job applicants with elite sports background to verbalize their generic skills during a recruitment process.
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(2018)This thesis examines the discourse of future working life and working skills as advanced liberal government. The aim of the thesis is to create understanding regarding what the discourse of future working life and working skills include and what are they about to produce. As empirical material I chose to use two reports of Ministry of Education and Culture, two reports of Finnish Government and one report published by STTK Union of employees. They all examine the phenomenom of changing working life and factors related to it such as digitalization, knowledge, employment and lifelong learning. In my thesis I use critical discourse analysis as a methodological framework. I examine discourses from the point of view of the theory of advanced liberal government considering what kind of governance, relations of power or drives of influence can be found in these discourses. As a framework for the analysis I use the concept of political rationalities by Nikolas Rose and the process of translation by Michel Callon. As a result of my thesis I found that the discourse of future working life and working skills is determined by a few themes that stand out repeatedly from reports. These themes were for example the theme of inevitability, business-focused discussion and that the change of work is seen as a threat and ideal employee is seen as eternally adaptive multi talent. One conclusion of the analysis is that the empirical material of the thesis expresses rationality of the adaptive employee. By applying the process of translation developed by Callon, it is possible to see how individuals are conducted and worked towards the ideal subject of employee via different steps of the process. The point of view of my thesis is consciously critical, because I hope to question things that might otherwise be seen as natural and inevitable and by doing this I wish that contrary thinking becomes possible.
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(2017)The purpose of this study is to explore learning experiences of sixth grade students in the Me & MyCity learning environment. The research task is approached through the criteria of meaningful learning, which have been used as a theoretical framework in a Finnish learning environment study, among others. Previous research has shown that criteria of meaningful learning can be found in different kinds of learning environments. The study focuses on what working life skills the students learn in the Me & MyCity working life and society simulation. Very little research has been conducted on Me & MyCity, so the study is much needed. Research on learning environments shows that understanding and studying the usefulness of different learning environments is necessary, since there are few studies available on the topic. The goal of this study is to generate new information about the Me & MyCity learning environment, and also about which working life skills it can help students learn. The results of this study can also be used, for example, in the development of Me & MyCity. The study was carried out as a case study. The data consists of thematic interviews of a class of students and a teacher from a school in Vantaa who visited Me & MyCity in the spring of 2016, and papers the students wrote (two per each student). Altogether there were thematic interviews of 19 students, 38 papers, and one thematic interview of a teacher. The data was analyzed deductively, using the criteria of meaningful learning and a framework of working life skills that was compiled for this study. The results show that all criteria of meaningful learning can be found in Me & MyCity. However, based on the research data, the criterion of constructive learning was fulfilled only to a small extent, so the learning environment of Me & MyCity could be developed to support students' reflection of their own learning more, for example. There is variation in how working life skills are learnt in Me & MyCity. According to the results, some working life skills were not learnt at all. These results can be applied, among other things, in the pedagogical material of Me & MyCity, and its development. The results can also be put to use in ordinary school teaching to consider how school work can support students in learning working life skills and how, for example, an authentic learning environment that supports learning can be built in a school environment. The results can also be applied to building a good learning environment that supports the learning of other skills and information as well.
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(2023)Objectives. Previous research shows that teachers are required to work under constant change. The changes in society affect schools and teachers’ job descriptions. Working in the changing environment requires the ability to confront changes as well as comprehensive professional knowledge. With the help of generic skills it is possible to face different challenges and problems, and thus survive in the changing world. The purpose of this study was to investigate classroom teachers’ conceptions of what their work entails today and in the future as well as the changes that have impacted their job description. In addition, this study examined classroom teachers’ conceptions of their most important generic skills, the meaning of these skills in changing situations and teacher education as a supporter for building these skills. Methods. This qualitative research is phenomenographic. The material of this study was collected with thematic interviews with four classroom teachers. The research material consisted of transcribed interviews that were analysed by using the phenomenographic analysis. The results of this study were processed in four different sections with the help of the research questions. As an outcome of the analysis, a descriptive category was formed for each section to help with the presentation of the results. Results and conclusions. According to this research the classroom teachers’ conception of their job description is wide and unclear. In addition, the research shows that in the present the classroom teachers’ job description contains tasks that the classroom teachers don’t have qualification for. The interviewed classroom teachers felt that various social changes had had an effect on their own work and as well as the students and the entire school community. This research reveals that the classroom teachers’ most important generic skills are knowledge and skills related to their own field, collaboration and organization skills, the ability to delineate their own work, stress tolerance, digital and data acquisition skills, flexibility and readiness to face changing situations, self-development and taking care of one’s own well-being. The classroom teachers considered these skills to be helpful in changing situations. Additionally, this study showed that teacher education may not necessarily provide sufficient support for developing generic skills during the studies.
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(2019)Objective of the study. Previous research has shown that students learn generic skills during university studies both in formal and informal learning environments. According to them universities’ task is to develop students’ generic skills. The connection between generic skills and learning environments which support their learning needs more research. Objectives of this study were to find out students’ experiences on learning generic skills during university studies, which learning environments supported their learning of the generic skills, and how students experienced to learn generic skills in different learning environments. This study’s aim is to increase understanding of students’ learning of generic skills and to get perceptions of the learning environments which support the learning of specific generic skills. Methods. The semi-structured theme interview material (n=58) collected at the Centre for University Teaching and Learning at the University of Helsinki was used in this study. The interviews collected from the students at the Faculty of Arts (n=20) were selected for this study. The results were analyzed by using abductive content analysis. Results and conclusions. Learning of skills related to forming academic knowledge and thinking skills was highlighted clearly in the results. Furthermore, learning of social and communication skills was emphasized in the results. According to the results, both formal and informal learning environments supported learning of generic skills. Learning of skills related to forming academic knowledge and thinking skills in university studies generally was highlighted in the results. Learning of social and communication skills was emphasized in working life generally in the results. Learning of specific generic skills is essential during university studies, even though it is not always easy to recognize learning them. In the future, students’ learning of generic skills could be studied for example by investigating the relation of some pedagogical approach to students learning of generic skills. In this study, students mainly described learning of generic skills in university studies generally. Moreover, students’ experiences on learning generic skills in the beginning of their studies could be compared to their experiences after completing Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.
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(2018)Objectives. In the light of previous research, so called working life orientation is more emphasised in university education and this is also what students wish. Previous studies have shown that there is a shortage of skills and knowledge among university students and employers' expectations. Especially students in generalist fields, i.e. those students who do not graduate from their studies to a certain profession, experience challenges in their working life transition. This study examines the experiences of generalist students in the competences they have learned in the university and what competencies they think it was useful to learn when transitioning to working life. The study also explores the challenges the graduated students face in working life on a more general level. Methods. The study examined 20 generalist students from the University of Helsinki and especially their experiences of learning working life skills and the challenges faced after the transition to working life. The data were collected with a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using abductive content analysis method. Results and Conclusions. The students reported to learn competencies related to understanding and knowledge formation, and the least described competences were related to communication and interaction. Most of the students missed the least described communication and interaction competences, and also the challenges in working life were mostly related to these competences. It can be concluded that student learning of communication skills should be developed in order to prepare students for the demands of working life.
Now showing items 1-7 of 7