Browsing by study line "Muuttuva kasvatus ja koulutus"

The mental health of university students has been a concern worldwide for years, and the issues have been increasing gradually to this date. Factors related to increased stress and mental health issues among university students include poor academic performance. To succeed in studies, students need to acquire organized study skills, which are also connected to one’s psychological well-being. By increasing psychological flexibility, it is possible to learn skills of managing stress, thoughts, and emotions and thus enhance one’s own mental well-being. Psychological flexibility is the goal of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and refers to a skill to focus on the present moment and live in the pursuit of one’s own goals and values. The connection between psychological flexibility and well-being has been studied quite extensively with quantitative measures. However, there is less research about this connection in the context of higher education institutes and university students. Also, according to the knowledge of the researcher, there has been fewer studies on the impact mechanisms of the different sub-processes of psychological flexibility and ACT. More in-depth research with qualitative methods is also needed to gain better understanding about the phenomenon. In some studies, ACT-based interventions have been found to have a positive impact on university students’ psychological well-being and study skills, but more research is needed within this context. The study was conducted applying a mixed methods approach combining repeated measures ANOVA and inductive content analysis. The research group consisted of students who participated in the web-based course, Towards Better Well-being and Studying, during fall 2021 at the University of Helsinki, Finland. For the quantitative measurements, a control group was also used, consisting of students on the waiting list for the course. The research task of this study was to gain better understanding of the possible changes in the participants’ well-being and organized study skills during the course, as well as to examine, how the students attending the course have evaluated the effectiveness of the specific modules and tasks involved during the course. Quantitative results showed that the course had a statistically significant effect on participants' organized study skills, psychological flexibility, and emotional and psychological well-being. Comparing the results of students who participated in the course with those of the control group, whose measures remained mostly the same, confirms this finding about the effects of the course on well-being, organized study skills and psychological flexibility. The results of the qualitative part of the study were in line with these findings. Based on findings from inductive content analysis, the course’s different modules were perceived as useful, and the course had an impact on the well-being of most students as well as their organized study skills. Students’ responses displayed personal development and in-depth reflection both at an individual level and at a broader and societal level. The students felt that they had gained new insights and particularly many concrete tips on how to promote their own well-being and learning, which they will continue to use in the future.

In this thesis I studied children’s self-regulation with the data from the “friendship skills” intervention study in early childhood education and care. Self-regulation has been found to be central factor in school readiness and academic achievements as well as in general wellbeing. The data was collected in nine different early childhood education and care units (15 child groups), consisting of 162 children (n = 82 girls, M = 5,65, SD = 0.88). The study used Educator’s Evaluation Form (EEF, self-regulation) and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ, internalising and externalising problems, prosocial behaviour) to measure self-regulation and both internalising and externalising problems and prosocial behaviour. I aimed to study associations between self-regulation and internalising and externalising problems, and self-regulation and prosocial behaviour, as well as between self-regulation and age. Another aim concerns the effect of gender on these associations. The hypotheses of the thesis were: (1a) self-regulation is negatively associated with internalising and externalising problems; (1b) self-regulation is positively associated with prosocial behaviour; (2) self-regulation is positively associated with age; and, (3) self-regulation is associated more positive with age in girls than in boys. Self-regulation was found to associate negatively with both internalising and externalising problems and positively with prosocial behaviour. Regarding age, gender was found to moderate the association between self-regulation and age (age by gender interaction) in that statistically non-significant positive association between self-regulation and age was found in girls and statistically significant negative association in boys. Gender was not found to moderate other associations. The results indicate that self-regulation may have profound affects to overall wellbeing of children. Gender-difference imply possible complexity in interconnections between self-regulation, age and gender. Additionally, boys may be in more vulnerable position regarding self-regulation especially when approaching to school entry. In discussion section, I discuss the results additionally in relation to the concept of self-regulation, which I view more broadly in developmental and educational perspectives. Moreover, I will suggest tentative model constructed for the process of self-regulation. Finally, I will give suggestions for future research.

The objective of this study is to explore the impact of background music on three learning-related emotions among elementary students in Finnish schools, addressing a research gap in primary education. Previous research has primarily focused on in-person and higher education settings, along with the complexity of mood regulation through music, including listeners' emotional interpretation and preference. This investigation introduces background music interventions in primary mathematics classrooms, aiming to understand its effectiveness on learning outcomes. The present study was a two-condition (the presence of background music (BM) and passive control (PC)), crossover pretest-posttest comparison design. Participants were randomly assigned in the sequence of BM-condition and PC-condition with a one-day washout period, and each participant acted as their control. Last, the pretest-posttest design was implemented in each intervention regarding the assessments at different time points and the change in levels of learning-related emotions was compared between the two conditions. Mainly, this study investigated the impact of background music on the regulation of three learning-related emotions: mathematics anxiety, enjoyment, and boredom, within a classroom setting. The findings revealed that background music did not significantly influence students' emotional regulation. No significant changes were observed in levels of anxiety and boredom; however, the enjoyment experienced was marginally lower in the background music condition than in no music condition. Notably, gender differences emerged in the regulation of mathematics anxiety between the two conditions. Both females and males reported an increase in mathematics anxiety regardless of the condition. Yet, females exposed to background music showed a lesser increase in mathematics anxiety compared to the lesson with no music. This suggests a more pronounced effect of background music on females than males, highlighting the need for further exploration into gender-specific responses to educational interventions involving background music.

The purpose of this research is to explore the concept of creativity and its significance in the context of education. The investigation was mainly guided by the theoretical approach of Vlad Glăveanu and Ronald Beghetto who define creativity as an experience that involves novel encounters between a person and the world. This approach focuses not on the outcome of one’s creative work or creative abilities but rather on an individual as a unique being. Creativity as an experience can be analysed in the light of the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari (1987) who explore the concepts of rhizome and becoming. Rhizome refers to a plant that spreads its horizontal stems and grows irregularly in all directions. Creativity seems to ‘‘grow’’ as a rhizome – it can be seen as an experience that unfolds unpredictably and irregularly in unknown directions. Moreover, creativity can be understood as a transformative movement, called by Deleuze and Guattari becoming. Drawing on these theories, my inquiry investigates what is creativity as a rhizomatic experience of becoming, how does it unfold and what happens during this experience. To answer these questions, I decided to use a/r/tography as a methodology and conduct an art experiment as a research method. The essence of the art experiment was the creation of installation art together with a 7-years-old boy. It was an a/r/tographic inquiry that combined artistic practice, research practice, and teaching practice. The pivotal outcome of my a/r/tographic inquiry is, in fact, the art experiment itself, and its verbal and visual presentation as they illustrate what occurs during the creative experience. Along with this, the inquiry brought into light theoretical insights, artistic insights, and educational insights, which all indicate that creativity can be indeed viewed as a rhizomatic experience of becoming.

Objectives: The current societal challenges together with the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) highlight the need to prioritise children’s social and emotional learning SEL skills and well-being. We need to equip them with the tools they need to navigate the complexities of the modern world. This thesis has two objectives. First, it conducts an extensive literature review on SEL and Positive Education, analysing the theoretical background of the Pikkuli intervention—a multimethod intervention aiming to support children's social and emotional skills in their early years. Second, the study examines the different uses of the various methods of the Pikkuli multimethod tool and their influence on the efficacy of the intervention. In this research, I aim to investigate children's prosocial behaviours and internalising problems, building upon the existing knowledge from our recent publication Martikainen et al. (2023). This study contributes to the growing body of literature on SEL interventions in early childhood education, providing insights into the potential of multimethod tools like Pikkuli intervention to support children’s SEL skills. Methods: The study was conducted in five different early childhood education and care (ECEC) groups across two municipalities in Finland, and our sample included 60 children (Mean age= 77 months, SD= 4,4, 28 boys,32 girls). Data were collected using the strengths and difficulties questionnaires (SDQ) and intervention implementation diaries, which the ECEC group educators filled out. To analyse the intervention implementation diaries, a qualitative thematic analysis was conducted to identify the different intervention methods used and their frequency during the intervention. Next, a statistical analysis was performed using SPSS to study the difference in prosocial behaviours and internalising problems in each ECEC group before and after the intervention. Results and conclusions: Inspired by the literature review and the defined research gap in a common framework for SEL interventions supported by Positive Education, I present an integrated framework that can be utilised in future research. In regards to the research questions, the results indicate that the use of various methods does not significantly impact the effectiveness of the intervention, and the preference for the use of methods varied among the ECEC groups. However, there was no statistically significant difference among the ECEC groups. Overall, the findings of this study can be utilised to develop future educational materials and interventions that support the development of essential SEL skills and well-being to help children thrive in their lives. The current study highlights the importance of incorporating social and emotional learning (SEL) and Positive Education into early childhood education programmes. Although the study complements the growing body of literature on SEL interventions in ECEC and provides insights into the potential of multimethod tools, future studies are necessary to understand the intervention's long-lasting effects and impact on larger sample sizes.

Despite that curiosity is beneficial for learning, researchers found that it is declining among adolescents. The aim of this thesis is to identify the prominent environment facilitators for youths’ curiosity from an Ecological perspective that includes both family and school. To further understand the developmental effects, two age cohorts (10-year-old and 15-year-old) were compared. In total, 5482 Finnish students (3034 aged 10, 2448 aged 15) from the OECD Survey on Social-emotional Skills were chosen and their family and school factors related to basic psychological needs were surveyed (autonomy, competence, relatedness). Using Complex Two-level Hierarchical Linear Modeling, results demonstrated that (1) parents’ criterion-referenced evaluation, relations with both parents and teachers were associated with youths’ curiosity, whereas autonomy support was not; (2) parents’ criterion-referenced evaluation played the primary role in younger youths’ curiosity, but its effect was much smaller in the elder cohort; and (3) relations with teachers was a vital driving factor for elder youths’ curiosity, though its effect was weaker on the younger. Findings extend the literature by identifying the prominent need-based supporting factors in different age periods for youths’ curiosity facilitation.

This study investigated the impacts of serious games (digital games) on the multiplication and division skills of elementary school learners in Finnish schools. Gamification is a popular learning strategy that has been extensively applied in literature. Studies reveal that gamification, in general, is useful for improving skills in various subjects. However, there are fewer studies dealing with the impacts of serious games on learners’ multiplication and division skills. This study deals with this shortage by applying a gamified intervention in mathematics classrooms. A quasi-experimental method was applied. The participants were split into two groups: the experimental (gamified condition) and control group. Both groups took the same pre-test on simple multiplication and division tasks before the intervention was introduced. During the intervention, the experimental group were instructed through digital games while the control group received traditional instruction. The intervention period lasted for two weeks. After the intervention, a post-test was administered and the mean scores of the two groups were compared as an index of their learning outcome. The results show that there was no significant difference in the learning outcome between the experimental group and the control group, although the control group scored slightly higher than the experimental group. There was also a decrease in scores for both groups from the pre- to post-test as the groups scored higher in the pre-test than in the post-test. This is due to ceiling effect observed in the pre-test which led to the post-test to be, intentionally, made considerably more difficult than the pre-test. The observed results could be attributed to several factors, key amongst them being the short length of the intervention. Further studies should last longer than two weeks and, further, a larger sample size should be used for the results to be meaningful and generalisable. With a larger sample, correlation analyses between playtime and test scores as well as teachers’ experiences with digital games could also be carried out.

This article-based master’s thesis explores the relations between futures education and systems thinking. By exploring a cross-curricular approach on futures education, this study focuses on futures thinking, systems thinking, and the city as a complex system. Previous research has shown that futures education can increase agency to change the future. Students have, however, been shown to be facing unprecedented levels of anxiety related to the future. Hence, the objectives of this study are to explore the impact of a futures education course on students’ systems thinking by approaching futures though wishful visioning. This study aims to discover how students’ systems thinking is supported by a course on visioning the city of the future, encouraging multiple perspectives of futures. The data was gathered during a futures education course at an upper secondary school in Helsinki, Finland. In groups, 11 students wrote their visions of the city of Helsinki in 2050. The visions were challenged and revised, and all versions of the text were collected. This study looked into the revisions made to the students’ visions between the first and final versions. Using an inductive qualitative thematic analysis, this paper explored the themes emerging in the visions. The inductive themes were categorized into social, natural, and technological thematic spheres. This study explored how the interconnectedness of those themes developed during the course. Through the analysis of the overlap between the thematic spheres, this paper analysed how students’ perceptions of complexity emerged and showed developed systems thinking. This study found that students’ systems thinking developed during the futures education course. Students’ future visions portrayed deepened understandings of the interconnectedness between social, natural, and technological spheres. The revisions of students’ future visions showed increased complexity in the topics they initially discussed from merely a singular point of view. The results indicate complex development of systems thinking, pointing to the wide-ranging cross-curricular benefits of futures education. The article pertaining to this master’s thesis is to be submitted to be considered for publishing in Frontline Learning Research.

The strategic objectives of Higher Education Institutions (HEI) encompass internationalisation, global competition, enhancing educational equity, and contribution to innovation and economic growth. These objectives are realised through the HEIs’ functions of teaching, research, and community engagement. International collaborations encourage sharing and valuing different forms of knowledge. GINTL (Global Innovation Network of Teaching and Learning) is a network of Finnish Higher Education Institutions and Indian partners for co-creating solutions for global educational challenges and collaboration in education and research. This network was formed as a part of the global component of Finland’s higher education internationalisation program and has been funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture for four years (2021-2024). The study aims to offer an overview and analysis of the collaboration process of a Finnish HEI with India under GINTL. Finnish stakeholders’ accounts of collaboration with India provide valuable insights and contribute to generating new knowledge in the area of global collaboration especially in the context of India, where the literature is sparse. The data was gathered through online interviews (N=9) with the GINTL India coordination team based in a Finnish University. Qualitative thematic analysis is used to analyse the data. Along with a critical description of the collaboration process with Indian partners, the study brings forth the factors crucial for success and constraints that may cause frustrations. The findings suggest that the successful execution of activities is influenced by the funding methods, establishment of trust, disparities in work culture, and accountability concerns. Notably time related issues are a common thread among all the factors that affect collaboration activities.

Public discourse in the modern era compels individuals to align with societal values, leading to entrenched viewpoints and biases. Intergroup bias pervades discussions across domains, necessitating rigorous examination and proactive efforts to reduce them especially within the framework of education. Implementing interventions rooted in social psychology to combat intergroup bias in education holds significant promise. Having selected pragmatic tools to address intergroup bias is particularly important in education as a more inclusive learning environment scaffolds learning, promotes critical thinking, and improves academic achievement. This study investigates the long-term effects of two intervention methods, paradoxical thinking and providing contradictory information, aimed at reduction of intergroup bias in the context of vaccine hesitancy. Paradoxical thinking involves presenting extreme or exaggerated viewpoints, while providing contradictory information highlights inconsistencies in held beliefs. Despite their potential efficacy in immediate contexts, the literature lacks holistic exploration into their long-term effects. To address this gap, 86 participants, with ages ranging from 18.9 to 55.3, were randomly divided into three groups, paradoxical thinking, contradictory information, and control group and each filled a survey before the intervention and the same survey six to nine months after the interventions. During the intervention statements designed on the tenets of paradoxical thinking and contradictory information concepts were read to the participants while generic sentences were read to the participants of the control group. The collected data of this longitudinal study was interpreted employing a mixed ANOVA analysis to assess changes in intergroup bias over time. One of the central findings of the study is the lack of significant differences in intergroup bias scores between the intervention groups and the control group. These findings highlight the complexity of addressing intergroup bias and suggest that while these interventions may not yield lasting effects, they can elicit subtle shifts in attitudes over time. While these interventions may not independently lead to substantial changes in attitudes over extended periods, they can provide valuable insights and opportunities for integration into educational practices, thereby cultivating a more inclusive and empathetic learning environment.