Browsing by discipline "Home economics"

This research investigates “Supporting the everyday life of families with children” activity provided by the Martha organization. The activity consists of home visits arranged by household experts, which aim to facilitate the wellbeing and everyday life of families with children. The aim of the research is to explore how home visits facilitate the fluency of everyday life and how they support the development of household skills. In addition, the re-search aims to deepen understanding of the everyday life of families with children by investigating what type of burdening factors families face and what type of supporting factors appear in the everyday life of families. The research was qualitative by nature, and its material was obtained by conducting semi-structured theme interviews. That is, six parents and four household experts were interviewed for the research. The research material was analyzed using the theory-guided con-tent analysis method. Based on the research results, parents experience everyday life as busy and full of work. Especially the schedules set by work burden everyday life. Household experts experienced that difficult life situations and the lack of household skills and everyday life patterns burden families. The research shows that families need concrete help and support. Some of the interviewed parents felt that their need for support had been left unrecognized. Based on the material, anticipation and daily routines proved to be important supporting factors for everyday life. Parents felt that the home visits contributed to the fluency of everyday life in many aspects and that doing things together was the concrete and significant way of contribution. Household experts viewed that the purpose of home visits was to discover the families’ own way of handling everyday life and that the visits were the right way of strengthening household skills. According to the research, household advice and visits provided by household experts in addition to other support forms provided by different organizations and the society are worth the support for the everyday life of families with children. The understanding of the needs for everyday life and its support for families with children enables the development of family-oriented support forms.

The purpose of this study is to explore information about the experiences of home economics teachers on their body image and appearance, and the effects that these factors have on their work. A person's body image consists of many factors, of which appearance, body figure and experienced body mass are central to this study. As a school-subject, home economics deals with life management, which includes themes like coping with everyday life and nutrition awareness. Contemporary issues such as highlighted body awareness, everybody's possibility to share what they view as a healthy lifestyle along with the changing conception of well-being make the position of home economics teachers, who teach these very topics, especially interesting. An authentic teacher is not in conflict with her teaching, is inspiring, respectful and appreciates her subject. How does a home economics teacher then position herself and her body in a functional classroom? The main research questions are 1. a) How do home economics teachers view their body image? 1. b) What factors affect their body image? 2. How are professionalism, teaching and acting in work community related to the experienced body image? This study focuses on personal and lived experiences and the data were collected using the qualitative theme interview method in the fall of 2014. The data were analysed with the qualitative content analysis method through clustering the experiences and aiming at local explaining. The participants had different experiences and their description remained somewhat shallow. The participating home economics teachers are mainly happy with their body or at least on their way to its acceptance. The essential factors affecting body image are overall well-being, a healthy lifestyle, factors related to mood and feedback from others. All of these factors can also be seen to relate partly to the teacher's body. In accordance with contemporary culture, the participants view their body as changeable. For a home economics teacher, the body is an important work tool that cannot be in conflict with the substance matter being taught. It is an example body that signals the correct way to position oneself in a home economics environment when it comes to hygiene as well as overall practice. It is also a model of what a body can be like in this world. It is considered important to set an example of acceptance, presence and respect also through facial expressions and gestures. A home economics teacher is part of a work community and has a strong professional identity in which the body plays a minor role. Home economics teachers seem to have a separate professional body image. The role of the body in teaching is mostly constructed through personal reflection in the course of work experience – it is therefore essential to consider whether the position of the body in the work environment should be taken to account at an earlier point in the career.

Objectives. This study was inspired by the lack of environmentally sustainable food habits in Home Economics Teacher education even though sustainable development and growing to responsibility are an important part of home economics teaching in schools. Also results of previous studies support this notice. The objective of this study was to provide research results for Home Economics Teacher education about improvement needs in curricula development. This study investigates how home economics teacher students perceive environmentally responsible food habits as part of their daily life, home economics teaching of schools and Home Economics Teacher education. Methods. This was a quantitative study and the research data was gathered with a web questionnaire. Home economics teacher students formed the universe of this study and the sample was formed by home economics teacher students from Helsinki University and University of Eastern Finland (n = 79). The sample represented the universe quite well according to sex, starting year of studies and major subject, but not very well according to university due to underrepresentation of students from University of Eastern Finland in the sample. Statistical analysis and content analysis were used to analyse the data. Results and conclusions. The results show that home economics teacher students practiced some environmentally responsible food habits more than others. Teaching environmentally responsible food habits were considered rather important however environmental responsibility was not as strongly present in choices of food materials in home economics teaching preferences. In daily life practiced food habits of home economics teacher students were rather parallel to the food habits considered important in home economics teaching. The results also show that according to home economics teacher students environmentally responsible food habits should be taught more in Home Economics Teacher education. The results reflect that environmentally responsible food habits should be taught more and from wider perspective in Home Economics Teacher education and in extension studies. The results are mainly consistent with the results of previous studies.

The main purpose of this qualitative study is to identify home economics teachers’ perceptions and experiences of the integration of special needs students into home economics education. The research questions are: 1) How do home economics teachers experience the effects of integration of special needs students in their teaching? 2) What factors have teachers determined lead to the perception of integration either as a positive or negative result? This research topic is largely understudied in the area of home economics science. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to raise awareness of home economics teachers' views on integration and the lasting effects in the classroom. Six home economics teachers from the Helsinki metropolitan area participated in this study. The qualitative data were collected through a semi-structured thematic interview. The data were analyzed using the methods of qualitative content analysis. In the analysis, answers to the research questions were sought through five different themes: quality of support for the integrated students, quality of teaching, teacher’s ability to meet the demand of a special needs student, means of differentiation, and teacher's own well-being. The main results demonstrate that home economics teachers perceived the differentiation of teaching for special needs students challenging. This had a negative impact on special needs students as well as general education students. The increase in workload was perceived as the most significant factor and weakened the overall well-being of teachers. An increase in students’ tolerance and acceptance of difference was perceived as a positive factor. The special needs students in the heterogeneous teaching group who exhibited underdeveloped attention spans negatively affected the teachers’ conscience.

Objectives. The aim of this study is to clarify experience or knowledge of the teachers of home economics on how, in practice, learning environment for the person with celiac disease should be organized during the lessons and what kind of challenges and possibilities in regards with the gluten-free diet will be faced. The objective is to clarify how the realization of gluten-free diet is being seen in the home economics teacher's work; what kind of planning and special attention it will require. The theoretical framework consists of discussing both the coeliac disease and the realization of gluten-free diet in everyday life of an adolescent person, in home economics teaching and in the entire school environment. Methods. This study was carried out as a qualitative study. Data were collected by interviewing seven home economics teachers. Semistructured theme interview method was used when carrying out the interviews. The data gathered in the interviews was thematically analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Ten themes emerged as answers to the research questions. Results and conclusions: In this study, many situations were found in which the celiac disease is apparent in home economics classrooms. Practical assignments of a coeliac pupil were mainly smooth, s/he was normally working in a group, but also sometimes on his/her own. There was a separate storage for non-gluten raw materials, to prevent cross contamination and a regular cleaning was used. Coeliac disease was seen mostly in social events: coeliac pupil was not invited into a group. S/he did not always want to emphasize the condition. The importance of group work and the ability to co-operate is being highlighted and there is a need for a coeliac pupil to have equal opportunity to work in groups. The importance of applying recipes was highlighted in the answers, it was specifically noted that a person with celiac disease should get tips for his/her own everyday life. The realization of gluten-free diet was seen in the teachers work especially while planning the classes and while ordering of the raw materials, but not, nearly at all, in the school's budget. Common understanding was that it is easy to find information on coeliac disease, but some of the teachers have twisted or distorted information which would lead to a situation where the importance of the special diet is not completely understood. The co-operation and school's support are very important for the coealic pupil.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the home economics teachers' work and occupational well-being. The visible part of the teacher's work is the activity in the classroom, in addition to which the work includes a number of other pro-active and ex post tasks. One of the dominant elements of the teaching is the planning, which focuses on the tasks in more detail. Along with the planning, research wanted to emphasize teacher's own experience of work as the experiences have a strong linkage to perceived well-being. The well-being of teacher is therefore important because it is reflected in students' well-being at school. Teachers' well-being has been affected particularly by the psychological aspects of the work that are based on factors related to both teacher and working conditions. The analysis of the research included characteristics of qualitative and quantitative research methods. The target group consisted of home economics teachers from comprehensive schools from all over Finland that have been teaching in the academic year of 2014-2015. The obtained data included 67 answers of which 58 also submitted open reports. Open reports were used to study teachers' experiences of work whereas other questions were used to analyse the amount of teaching and planning. The reports formed narrative features to the research and they were analysed with categorical and thematic analysis. Thematic approach produced six themes describing different work characteristics and well-being. Quantitative analysis was used to describe the amount of time used in teaching and planning of the teachers with different backgrounds. The study revealed that the increase in teaching hours resulted in the decrease of time used in planning per one lesson. According to the research data older teachers used relatively more time in planning than the younger teachers. Teachers having more work experience used less time in planning whereas teachers with permanent employment used relatively more time in planning than teachers with temporary employment. Home economics teachers' occupational well-being was burdened by challenging students, the amount of work, sense of hurry and the lack of breaks. Instead, teachers' well-being was improved by proper intrinsic motivation originating from students and general job satisfaction.

Aims. Eating is an important part of well-being during the work day. Working at school and the new school eating recommendations advise teachers to eat school lunch with students and show example to them. Home economics as a subject affect eating of home economics teachers as there is often prepared food at lessons and the teacher acts as a food educator. There are only few studies about teachers eating during work day and the earlier school lunch studies are focused on students' perspective. The aim of this study was to find factors that effect on home economics teachers' eating during work day and bring out the teachers' experiences about eating. The purpose was also to find out home economics teachers' views about connection between their own eating and food education. Methods. The data of this qualitative study was collected by half-structured theme interviews. In total 12 home economics teachers from different parts of Finland participated in this research. Interviews were executed in November and December 2016. The data was analysed with qualitative content analysis and narrative analysis. Theoretical framework of this study consisted of food choice and food behavior models and previous studies from workplace eating. Results and conclusions. The results followed earlier studies about food choice. The results of this study showed that eating time, food cost, food environment, convenience, food taste and quality, well-being during work day and school as a working place were the factors had influence on eating of the home economics teachers. The participant teachers of this study experienced that eating was quite easy to fit to the work day rhythm and the teachers were mainly satisfied to their eating during the work day. The home economics teachers' own eating came out only for those teachers who ate daily at school restaurant or teachers who ate at home economic lessons with students. The results showed that the home economics teachers' own eating is not the most essential way to execute food education as they execute food education a lot for example by talking and showing enthusiasm. By means of this study it is possible to support teachers' eating during work day and improve the use of school restaurant by developing the factors which affect eating.

Due to the new curriculum for basic education home economics as a school subject is expanded to lower grades and can now be taught in grades 1-6. Therefore, the home economics is now in one with the other artistic and practical subjects a school subject that can be studied through the basic education. The curriculum does not define the objectives and content of the home economics separately for lower grades. Yet the age and the level of development of the pupils has to be taken account of. The aim of this study was to examine the contents of instruction in home economics in grades 1-6. In addition, this research aims to review the contuum of home economics through basic education. The study has been based around two themes: the contents of instruction and future plans of the subject. The questions that the thesis seeks to address are 1. What kind of contents of instruction is implemented in grades 1-6? 2. What is the future outlook for home economics in grades 1-6? This was a qualitative study. The research data was ready-made. The research material in this study was a part of an internet-based questionnaire. The scope of the questionnaire was all schools in mainland Finland where grades 1-6 were taught. Material consisted of the open answers in the questionnaire. The data of this study was analyzed with content analysis. The results show, that the contents of instruction in home economics in grades 1-6 is well in line with the curriculum and the subject objectives. The results imply that interdisciplinary learning modules, the interrelationship between the practice and theory and the out-of-school learning environments are peculiar to home economics in grades 1–6. According to this study the majority of schools do not intend to increase nor develop lower grades home economics education during the next few years. However, the home economics instruction seems to remain the same and it will be taught in these schools in the grades 1-6 still in the future. The biggest obstacles for not increase or develop home economics in the lower grades were the lack of resources.

The National Core Curriculum for Basic Education 2014 provides an opportunity to teach Home Economics as a part of optional studies in primary schools. The National Curriculum emphasizes transversal competence, integrated curriculum and phenomenon-based learning. Integrative instruction, and approaching other subjects in the context of everyday life is the core of Home Economics. Until the 2016 Home Economics was mainly only taught in secondary and high schools and the goals for the competence and subject matter for teaching Home Economics in primary school is still not set in the National Curriculum. Consequently, there are no comprehensive educational material for Home Economics at the primary school level. Seven Master’s theses are completed with the focus on Home Economics in primary schools in 1990’s and 2010’s. There has been a demand for bringing back and re-branding Home Economics in international research field and discussions. Bringing Home Economics to primary schools can be seen as a step towards developing it into a subject that supports students’ growth as a human being throughout their studies by teaching important life skills. The aim of this study is to make groundwork to facilitate the planning of local curriculums, in-service education and teaching materials. The research data were collected by conducting nine expert interviews. The interviewees were selected to give the widest possible frame for Home Economics with different backgrounds like experience in teaching, writing teaching materials, working in third sector related to the field and being part of making the National Core Curriculum. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The results of this study show that Home Economics is perceived as relevant and meaningful subject due to comprehensive life skills it teaches. It is important to teach Home Economics also in primary schools because learning those skills is worthwhile for all ages. Teaching Home Economics should be based on a complex and rich interpretation of the subject and the aims set in the curriculum. That is the only way the significance and effectiveness of the subject can come to fruition. Attention should be paid to the versatility of teaching materials and to provision of adequate in-service education to those who teach Home Economics in primary schools in order to ensure that the objectives of the subject are met.

The study examines consumers' views on the use of colours and their appreciation in food packaging. The study asks what characteristics consumers value in food packaging and what matters become relevant in relation to the colour of food packaging. A present, empha-sis is placed on environmental friendliness in the production and use of food packaging. The ecological production method and consumption of colours have also received some atten-tion. A previous study has examined packaging and colours, focusing largely on the charac-teristics of individual packages or product groups. The perspective has been on marketing science. From the perspective of home economics, packaging and colours are examined in the context of everyday life. The research has been carried out using qualitative research methods. The material collec-tion was carried out as a group interview using a semi-structured theme interview and stimu-lus material (food package). The material consists of four group interviews with three per-sons. The interviewees were 26–73 years old. The literate material was analysed using data-based content analysis. The study shows that consumers value the usability of food packaging, which means that it is easy for them to use it comprehensively. Consumers feel uncertain about the recyclability of packaging. The colours and printing of packaging are unfamiliar to consumers because they had no knowledge of the packaging colours and/or their origin. At the same time, how-ever, it emerged that consumers would like information on the packaging colours and would be happy to accept food packaging in which the colouring matter used would have been made more ecologically. Consumers trusted experts with information on the environmental friendliness, use and safety of colours. Based on the study, the aim should be to take into account the recyclability of packaging and the use of packaging colours throughout the life cycle of the product. On the one hand, we need clearer and more informative recycling la-bels for packaging and, on the other hand, the use of natural colours in packaging. This means that both packaging material and printing ink could be recycled simultaneously, which would increase the ecological quality of packaging.