Browsing by Title
Now showing items 18793-18812 of 31185
-
(2017)Aims. The aim of this study is to examine how the promotion of learning to learn skills has been described in the POPS 2014 in classes 1-6. Research question consists in the fact that I see learning to learn as an important part of student's own learning and lifelong learning. The topic is also interesting on my own future teacher's point of view. I see that my research topic can develop my own professional skills as a teacher and I also focus at the same time on the new basic education curriculum (POPS 2014). My research has not previously been carried out in this research material, so I could create new information about the topic. However, learning to learn has been studied quite extensively and I take advantage of the received results that the Helsinki University's Educational Evaluation Study Centre have collected. Methods. The study method was qualitative text content analysis. Data of the research consists of the text of the curriculum and the principles of qualitative research. Results and conclusions. The results showed that learning to learn is a major part of modern education in the lower grades. Learning to learn can be developed in many ways and it depends on many different circumstances, such as student motivation and learning environment. Ideas for further research could be, for example, how teachers and pupils see learning to learn in their schoolday. Also does learning to learn have any problems in practise or there could be a study about the wide-ranging know-how skills (laaja-alainen osaaminen) in school teaching.
-
(2018)The aim of the present study was to examine changes in pupils' performance in the cross-curricular learning-to-learn (LTL) assessment during the follow-up period between the sixth and ninth grade in 2013-2016. Furthermore, the aim was to examine how other variables explain the ninth-graders' assessed task-performance. According to Finnish LTL research tradition the learning-to-learn skills were defined as cognitive competences and learning-related attitudes. The present study's data is a part of longitudinal data drawn from a nine-year LTL study in Helsinki in 2007-2016, conducted by the Centre for Educational Assessment at the University of Helsinki. The aim of the study was to examine how pupils' (N = 952) cognitive competences, learning-related self-concepts and motivational beliefs developed during the lower secondary school. Additionally, the differences between sexes and also between three groups based on pupils' GPA were examined. The data was analyzed statistically: the comparisons were made by traditional methods and the path modelling was used to examine the other variables' effects on the ninth graders' task-performance. The study showed that during the lower secondary school the pupils improved their task-performance in LTL assessment 5 percentage units, on average. The effect size (Cohen d) of the improvement for the whole sample in all assessed cognitive tasks was 0.33. The development of the reasoning skills varied a bit according to the sixth grade's school achievement: pupils with weak GPA seemed to improve more than others. The cognitive competences of boys and girls instead developed similarly. The learning-related attitudes declined slightly during the lower secondary school but were still relatively positive in the end of the ninth grade. The sixth grade's task-performance proved to be the strongest predictor of the ninth grade's task-performance. The learning-related self-concept had a small independent effect on the test score. In the present study the sex did not have independent effect on the test score; nevertheless, it was connected to school grades (girls were slightly better) and to the self-concept (boys were slightly better). GPA, the earlier task-performance, sex and the learning-related self-concept together explained 50 percent of the share of accounted for variance in ninth graders' cognitive competences.
-
(2023)The purpose of the study was to investigate how an automated device for technical work can be mastered using only self-study materials. The study was conducted as a response, and e-learning materials were created specifically for the Helsinki University CNC wood milling machine. The research question was: How does the developed e-learning material, covering the basics of CNC technology, function in practice as a support for learning among teacher education students specializing in sloyd? The research followed a design-based research approach, and the objectives for the e-learning material were based on the TPACK model and quality criteria for e-learning material. The development stages were aided by the following questions: what should the student know in order to master CNC technology independently, and what are the most challenging aspects of CNC technology topics and learning materials? Previous research has shown that creating common learning materials for learners at different levels is challenging, so this study focused on beginners. Studies on self-directed learning also indicate how initiative, responsibility, strong desire to learn, reflection skills, planning skills, ability to organize tasks, goal orientation, and purposefulness affect learner self-direction. The study was a qualitative design-based research, with six material analysts oriented to crafts participating. The research material consisted of pre-assessments and feedback obtained during practical workshop testing: questionnaire responses, interviews, and feedback collected during testing. The questionnaire was created based on the TPACK model, and the material was analyzed using theory-based content analysis. The results of the study indicated that high-quality e-learning material for the CNC wood milling machine consists of a functional combination of content, pedagogy, and technology. It is possible to master the technical work device using high-quality self-study material, provided that the content is targeted for beginners, the pedagogy supports self-direction, and the technology functions in practice. The development outcome was a clear model for learning and self-direction-based e-learning material, which worked well for teacher education students specializing in crafts and learning CNC technology independently. Integrating technology and electronic design into independent craft learning requires detailed instructions to support learning, which makes learning motivating, progressing, and offers opportunities for application.
-
(2015)Tutkimuksen kohteena ovat yhden suomalaisen kirjankustantajan, Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otavan, vuoden 2014 aikana myynnissä olleiden oppimateriaalien nimet. Tavoitteena on selvittää, mistä osista oppimateriaalien nimet muodostuvat, miten ja missä oppimateriaalien nimiä muodostetaan sekä miten oppimateriaalien nimiä hyödynnetään oppimateriaalisarjojen markkinoinnissa. Tutkimus on osa kaupallisen nimistön tutkimusta. Aineisto käsittää yhteensä 1 072 oppimateriaalin nimeä, jotka on kerätty painetuista tuotekatalogeista sekä kustantamon verkkosivuilta vuoden 2014 aikana. Nimiaineiston lisäksi tutkimuksen toisena aineistona toimivat viisi haastattelua. Haasteltavat ovat Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otavan oppimateriaaliosastojen työntekijöitä. Kolme haastatteluista on toteutettu kasvokkain ja äänitetty ja kaksi haastatteluista on toteutettu kirjallisina. Tarkastelun kohteena olevia nimiä kutsutaan oppimateriaalien nimiksi tai oppimateriaalinimiksi. Alussa tehdään lyhyesti selkoa Otavan oppimateriaalinimien historiasta ja esitellään nimiä kustantamon perustamisvuodesta (1891) nykypäivään saakka. Historiallinen katsaus paljastaa, että aiempina vuosikymmeninä oppimateriaalien nimet olivat yksiselitteisiä ja informatiivisia ja niitä muodostettiin melko vakiintuneella kaavalla (esim. Koulun biologia). Oppimateriaalinimien rakenteellisessa analyysissa nimet jaetaan kahtia sarjojen nimiin ja tuoteperheiden osien nimiin. Sarjojen nimet identifioivat kyseisen tuotteen ja toimivat sarjan päänimenä (esim. Tuhattaituri, Kipinä) kun taas tuoteperheiden osien nimet ovat moniosaisempia alanimiä, jotka tarkentavat sarjan nimeä ja kertovat tuotteen lajin (esim. Tuhattaituri 1a oppikirja, Kipinä 3 Tehtäviä). Aineistosta vain vajaa 10 % (102 nimeä) on sarjojen nimiä. Sarjojen nimet jaetaan Christoph Platenin luokittelumallin mukaan todellisiin kielen sanoihin, luoviin muodosteisiin sekä tekosanoihin. Tuoteperheiden osien nimistä tarkastellaan erilaisia nimenosia, kuten oppiainetta tai luokka-astetta ilmaisevia osia. Nimiä tutkitaan myös Paula Sjöblomin ja Yvonne Bertillsin funktioita soveltaen viidessä eri funktiossa: informatiivinen, käytännöllinen, houkutteleva, integroiva sekä narratiivinen ja tyylillinen. Tutkimuksen toisessa osassa selvitetään haastattelujen avulla oppimateriaalien nimeämisprosessia: nimeämistapoja ja nimeämisen lähtökohtia. Haastateltavat tuovat ilmi, että toimivan oppimateriaalin nimen on oltava käytännöllinen ja oppimateriaalinimelle on asetettu seuraavia periaatteita: selkeä, suomenkielinen, yhtenäinen, kohderyhmälle sopiva, monikäyttöinen, pitkäikäinen, ajankohtainen ja logoksi taipuva. Tutkimuksessa käydään läpi myös uusimpien oppimateriaalisarjojen nimiehdotuksia. Lopussa tarkastellaan esimerkkien kautta, miten oppimateriaalien nimiä hyödynnetään markkinoinnissa ja millaiset nimet toimivat hyvin markkinointiteksteissä (esim. Kipinää kirjoittamiseen!). Tutkimuksessa verrataan myös Otavan oppimateriaalien nimiä muiden kustantajien oppimateriaalien nimiin. Tarkastelu osoittaa, että tällä hetkellä oppimateriaalien nimet ovat rakenteeltaan yleensä lyhyitä, yksisanaisia, suomenkielisiä, monimerkityksisiä sanoja (esim. Särmä, Manner, Vire), joista voi muodostaa visuaalisia logoja. Yksi haastateltavista tiivistää ajatuksen nimien takana näin: ehkä nää [uudet lyhyet nimet] on niinku tavallaan sen nykypäivän niinku brändäys- tai sen tuotteistamisajattelun mukaisia. Vaikuttaa, että muotiin on kuitenkin tulossa myös pidempiä, kuvailevampia nimiä (esim. Tutkimusmatka). Tutkimus osoittaa, että nimeämistä ohjaa jonkinlainen, tiedostettu tai tiedostamaton, nimimalli. Varsinaista oppimateriaalinimen prototyyppiä ei silti voi esittää.
-
(2021)Tässä tutkimuksessa kehitetään aikuisten maahanmuuttajien perusopetuksen alkuvaiheen kurssille oppimateriaali. Aiemmat tutkimukset ovat osoittaneet, että oppimateriaalilla on keskeinen rooli suomalaisessa yhteiskunnassa. Tutkimukset osoittavat, että oppimateriaali on tarkoituksenmukainen, kun se on suunniteltu kohderyhmälle ja se tukee opiskelijoita oppimisessa ja opettajia opettamisessa. Oppimateriaalin kehittämiseen käytettiin haastattelututkimusta, jossa haastateltiin sähköpostin välityksellä yhtä kentällä toimivaa koulunkäyntiavustajaa. Lisäksi oppimateriaali perustui aikuisten perusopetuksen opetussuunnitelman perusteisiin, joka määräsi oppimateriaalille sisältöalueet. Oppimateriaalin toimivuus puolestaan arvioitiin kyselytutkimuksella, johon osallistui 31 aikuista maahanmuuttajataustaista peruskoulun opiskelijaa, jotka olivat käyttäneet oppimateriaalin ensimmäistä kehitettyä versiota oppikirjana. Tutkimuksessa vastattiin kahteen kysymykseen. 1. Minkälainen materiaali tukee opiskelijoita? ja 2. Kokevatko opiskelijat oppivan oppimateriaalin avulla uusia asioita? Ensimmäiseen kysymykseen vastasivat Kappaleet 3.4 ja 4.2. Kappaleessa 3.4 kartoitettiin oppimateriaalin merkitys ja selvitettiin, millainen oppimateriaali tukee opiskelijoita ja opettajia. Vastaavasti Kappaleessa 4.2 kartoitettiin aikuisten maahanmuuttajien tarpeita oppimateriaalin suhteen. Toiseen tutkimuskysymykseen vastasi Kappale 5.3, jossa esitettiin kyselytutkimus ja sen tulokset. Kyselytutkimuksen tulosten perusteella voidaan todeta, että opiskelijat kokivat oppivan uusia asioita käyttäessään kehitettyä oppimateriaalia. Lisäksi tutkimuksessa perehdyttiin maahanmuuttajiin kohderyhmänä. Tähän kehittämistutkimukseen on kerätty maahanmuuttajiin liittyvää tutkimustietoa ja tilastoja. Aiemmat tutkimukset ja tilastot osoittavat, että maahanmuuttajien määrä Suomessa lisääntyy jatkuvasti ja jotta maahanmuuttajista ei tulisi pelkästään isoa huollettavien joukkoa, asialle on tehtävä jotain. Tutkimukset osoittavat, että tärkeintä on integroida maahanmuuttajat suomalaiseen yhteiskuntaan. Maahanmuuttajien integroiminen yhteiskuntaan tapahtuu tutkimusten mukaan parantamalla heidän koulutusta sekä lisäämällä koulutusta koskien maahanmuuttajia, mikä vaikuttaa pitkällä tähtäimellä suomalaisten asenteisiin. Tutkimus keskittyi aikuisten perusopetuksen alkuvaiheeseen, jotta opetuksen kehittäminen alkaisi peruskoulun alusta ja jatkuisi siitä päättövaiheen loppuun. Opetuksen kehittämisen on luonteva alkaa opintojen alusta ja matematiikan opiskelijoille tarvitaan hyvä pohja, jonka päälle voidaan rakentaa päättövaiheen kurssit. Materiaali toimii ensimmäisenä ponnahduslautana opetuksen ja materiaalien kehittämisessä.
-
(2022)The purpose of the present multiple case study was to examine how highly regarded expert consultants specialised in design and development of digital products and services, reflect on the nature of their professional expertise. The study focused, further, on qualitatively tracing personal social networks of the key experts and their ways of developing and cultivating their expertise in their network-centric organization. Organizational consultancy is creative knowledge work taking place at inter-organizational contact zones. Because technological and social innovations are interdependent, consult work is closely related to organizational learning, transformation, and change. The theoretical foundations of the study were provided by Senge’s theory of learning organisations, Nonaka’s theory of knowledge-creating companies, Engeström’s theory of expansive learning, and theories of social networks. The study was carried out within a Finnish consultancy company, developing digital systems for supporting public and private organizations in transformation of their workflows and practices. Interviewees for this study were selected by asking employees of the organization to nominate colleagues who they see to be experts in consulting and team-building. Two people who gained the most mentions in each skill area were invited to take part in the study, whom all agreed. Interviews were conducted via video call. Beyond background information, the participants were asked to reflect on the nature of their own expertise, active efforts of developing expertise and building of personal network. They were also asked to report critical incidents they saw to have a positive impact on the development of expertise. A personal network was drawn by the experts with the instructions of the interviewer, using an infinity board tool, and analysed qualitatively. Gathered data was first coded and then analyzed by relying on qualitative analysis of content. The results indicated that each expert consultant had unique and sophisticated expertise, and it was connected to their professional identity. The results revealed that the experience years of the experts were a relevant factor while considering how confident the experts were with their own expertise. Experts felt that both skills were difficult to define but they appeared to value similar aspects while defining these skills. Experts appeared to learn the most while working on a project. The significance of mentors was also important, especially in the early phases of a career. Different challenges and solving them with various methods appeared to be significant in developing consulting and team-building skills. The size of the personal network emerged not to be the determinant factor of the development of expertise. Experience and current work description appeared to affect what kind of personal connections experts value. Each expert approached the active development of one's skills differently, and only one expert felt that he was not actively developing his skills. Challenges regarding the cultivation of these skills appeared to relate to communication and unclear career paths. The expertise of consultants is a complex entity. It comes to life in the processes and conventions between consultants, clients, and organizations. The origin of this expertise is hard to track, and it requires time and effort to build it. This study scratched the surface of how experienced consultants develop and cultivate their skills. Shedding light on this matter is necessary so that the steps to begin further examination become visible.
-
(2014)Objectives. University students learn discipline specific skills and knowledge during their studies, and at the same time they also develop many generic skills for their future working life. Therefore there are needed to theoretical understanding and studies about students' quality of learning, development of generic skills and study success. The research questions of this study were based on this kind of theoretical framework. The aim is to explore the university students' approaches to learning and their experiences of development of generic skills during their university studies. In addition, aim is to explore the relationship between approaches to learning and study success. Furthermore, this study examines whether the study success is explained by two items: experiences of approaches to learning and generic skills. Methods. The data was collected through an electronic questionnaire at the University of Helsinki. It is a part of a wide studying and working life questionnaire, which has developed and often used at the University of Helsinki. A total of 561 university students from different faculties, who had recently received their masters' degree, participated in the study. The research methods were an independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA and linear regression analysis. Results and conclusions. According to the results, the students achieved high scores both on deep approach to learning and on organized studying but lower scores on surface approach. Furthermore, the deep approach is connected both with organized studying and good study success. Students who had received a high grade in their master's thesis had, in average, a deeper approach to learning. The deep approach to learning seems to promote success in university studies. It had a positive correlation also with the experiences of generic skills. In addition, the only predictor to study success was students' ability to analyze and categorize knowledge. The results confirm that university studies can meet the demands of both the scientific knowledge and learning as well as the working life. The future challenge will still be to analyze generic skills and to take those skills into consideration when developing higher education.
-
(2017)The framework for this study comes from Carol Dweck's (2000, 2006) findings of two different mindsets: growth mindset and fixed mindset. A person with a growth mindset believes human qualities are malleable and a person with a fixed mindset believes skills and intelligence are set. Although there have been lots of studies about mindsets, most of them are quantitative. The aim of this study is to examine how mindsets are presented in teacher's pedagogical thinking and which mindsets actualize in teaching practices in a first grade classroom. This qualitative case study examined a first grade teacher's, Anne's, mindsets in Helsinki University Viikki Normal School. The teacher was selected based on a mindset survey. The data of this study included a preliminary interview, observation, and videotaping and stimulated recall interviews. The analysis was done using a deductive content analysis. The results suggest that Anne's mindset related to learning in her pedagogical thinking was towards a growth mindset but had features of a fixed mindset. In her pedagogical thinking, a growth mindset appeared as seeing contextual factors as main predictors in students learning and recognizing and supporting students as individuals. A fixed mindset appeared in Anne's pedagogical thinking as seeing students' temperament as one predictor in students' learning. Anne's teaching practices emphasized a growth mindset, but had also features of a fixed and a neutral mindset. A growth mindset became apparent in mastery-oriented atmosphere, fostering learning goals and praising processes. A fixed mindset was present in teaching by avoiding failures and highlighting success. A neutral mindset was identified as non-verbal praising in Anne's teaching practices. As the results propose, Anne's mindset varied between situations. This implicates the need of more precise studies of mindsets and their actualization in authentic environments. Only qualitative research will provide the opportunity to deeply understand how mindsets vary between situations and what is the impact on teaching, studying and learning in the classroom.
-
(2005)
-
(2015)Aims. The purpose of this study was to show how emotions are displayed in repair sequences and how these emotion displays are linked to knowing and understanding. The theoretical framework was learning and emotions as social actions, constructed and displayed in interaction. Previous research has demonstrated that repair sequences are often situations in which learning is done. This research focuses on other-initiated repairs, which are often face threatening, and thus relevant for the study of emotion displays. Methods. The data were a set of videos of high school students' everyday interactions in and outside school. The data were originally recorded for the Språkmöten project during autumn 2011 and spring 2013. From the videos, I chose repair sequences in which emotions were clearly observable. I analyzed them using conversation analysis. Results and conclusions. There was a lot of laughter in repair sequences. Laughter was used throughout the repair sequence and it had many different functions. It was used to mitigate face threats, to construct a positive atmosphere and a sense of solidarity and to display joy of understanding. Laughter was also used to mock others for their mistakes or ignorance and to display one's epistemic position. Amazement and frustration were also displayed in repair sequences. Amazement was displayed as part of the repair initiation. It emphasized the participant's epistemic position as not-knowing. Frustration was displayed in or after the repair turn. Displays of frustration were linked to situations in which participants realized their mistake or misunderstanding, or had to explain something repeatedly. The study demonstrates empirically that laughter in repair situations is not always an indication of joy of learning. Further research is needed on how participants' institutional roles and differences in status affect emotion displays, for example the use of laughter, in repair sequences. In further studies the same methods may also be applied to explore emotions in other learning situations and contexts.
-
(2021)Targets. The purpose of this study is to investigate the joy of learning as a phenomenon. The joy of learning is relevant in the process of learning, because in the joy of learning, the child can exceed the limits of his own competence and it ́s also child ́s innate way to learn. The research question is to examine, how children express the joy of learning in the learning process. There ́s little research made of the joy of learning in the context of early childhood education, so it is important to broaden the knowledge of the children ́s joy of learning and increase the understanding of the phenomenon. The theoretical framework of this study is sociocultural approach to learning and shared joy. Methods. The research method was qualitative case study and the research data was gathered in the “The Joy of Learning Multiliteracy” -research. The research data, which consists of video recordings from the early science inquiries, was collected in three preschool groups in Finnish day care. This research is based on data from video observations. The analysis was conducted by data-driven content analysis with Atlas.ti-software. Results and conclusions. As a result, the joy of learning appears in verbal and functional ways, like different voices, speech and bodily movements. There were clearly more verbal expressions than functional expressions. The joy of learning was highlighted when the children were seeking interaction with other adults and peers and thus sharing the experience of the joy of learning. The phases of the joy of learning were short-lived and passing, and they were very diverse in nature. The most moments of the joy of learning were seen when the children were practicing inquiries independently either alone or in pairs. The situation required the emphasized role of adults to create the optimal learning environment. The results offer teachers information on how to recognize the joy of learning. The outcomes of the study also increase the significance of the joy of learning as the basis for learning and well-being. When the joy of learning is visible, it is possible to create new methods to reinforce the joy in early childhood education pedagogy.
-
(2022)This study uses Carol Dweck’s (2000, 2006) theory of mindsets and Barry Zimmerman’s (2000) theory of self-regulated learning as theoretical frameworks. The aim of this study is to find connections between these theories focusing on “I can learn!” -teaching period that implements growth mindset pedagogy. According to previous studies self-regulated learning is complicated and slowly evolving phenomenon, but very important in learning. The growth mindset, for the “I can learn!” teaching period, can also be seen as important in learning. “I can learn!” -teaching period for third grade was the focus of this study. The data consisted of videos that summarised the six classes in “I can learn!” -teaching period and their transcriptions. The data was collected as a part of Kirsi Tirri’s Copernicus research. The data was analysed as deductive content analysis using computer program, ATLAS.ti. The focus of the analysis was how growth mindset pedagogy and self-regulated learning were implemented in different moments during the teaching period. The second aspect of the analysis was the occurrence of the theories throughout the period. According to the results of this study, growth mindset pedagogy and self-regulated learning are implemented mainly based on the content during “I can learn!” -teaching period. The results also indicate a connection between the two theories, although only learning strategy related aspects of the theories were strongly implemented in teaching moments. However, because of the limited results, they can only be considered as indicative, which raises the need for further research on the topic. However, teaching based on the "I can learn!" videos can be seen as a useful tool for familiarizing oneself with using growth mindset pedagogy in teaching and for improving the self-regulation of students’ learning. Also, based on the results, the videos of the teaching period could be used, for example, in the training of teacher students or as tools for teachers.
-
(2016)Previous studies have shown that both self-regulated learning and cognitive-attributional strategies are related to academic success and proceeding in studies. It seems that student's skills in self-regulation could be weaker in the beginning of studies in higher education rather than in the master degree studies. However there is still too little information regarding different phases of studies. In this study my intention was to investigate the self-regulation skills and cognitive-attributional strategies of students in the faculty of humanities. My focus was in two type of study phase that is bachelor students whose studies are delayed compared to how they should have proceeded. And another group was students in master degree. I also used cluster analysis in order to form student profiles based on their values on self-regulation and cognitive-attributional strategies. My interest was also to find out how masters and bachelors were situated in these profiles. Each profiles study success was evaluated according to GPA. The questionnaire and given data was produced by The Helsinki University Centre for Research and Development of Higher Education along with the Faculty of Humanities in the University of Helsinki. The questionnaire included statements regarding self-regulated learning and cognitive-attributional strategies. There is no statistically significant difference in self-regulated learning between masters and bachelors. However masters seem to use more optimistic strategy and less self-handicapping strategy compared to bachelors. Following profiles were based on self-regulated learning and cognitive-attributional strategies: A) Task avoidant and skillful students in self-regulation B) Optimistic and skillful students in self-regulation C) Optimistic and students who have weak skills in self-regulation and D) Task avoidant and students who have weak skills in self-regulation. The majority of masters situated in profile B and majority of bachelors situated in profile A. According to results in this study students in profile B were most successful in their studies and less successful were students in profile D. Using optimistic strategy does not compensate the lack of skills in self-regulation and on the other hand those who have good skills in self-regulation don't seem to have best benefit from them if they use self-handicapping strategy and not optimistic strategy. Support should be focused not only in improving skills in self-regulation but also in helping those students who seem to use self-handicapping strategy even though they would have good skills in self-regulation.
-
(2020)This master’s thesis focuses on the support for learning and well-being in Finnish general upper secondary education. In Finland, the reform of general upper secondary education started in 2017. Under the new Act on General Upper Secondary Education (714/2018), students are entitled to receive special needs education and other support for learning, when The National Core Curriculum for General Upper Secondary Schools (Finnish National Agency for Education, 2019) will come into force in the autumn of 2021. Special education will be given by special education teachers (Finnish National Agency for Education, 2019). However, many Finnish upper secondary schools do not yet have a special education teacher, and practices in special education are still lacking (Greus et al., 2019). The main aim of this study is to structure a general view of support for learning and well-being in general upper secondary education. In addition, the purpose is to analyse factors that enable or challenge support being fulfilled in school and to examine visions of special education teachers job description in the future. The aim of this study is also to act as a tool for developing support in Finnish general upper secondary schools. This study is carried out as a qualitative case study. The data is produced in one general upper secondary school by interviewing subject teachers, the principal, the guidance counsellor, the psychologist, the school social worker and the school nurse. The support in general upper secondary school appeared multidimensional and layered. In relation to the student, three layers were found: individual support, support in group and support in the structures of the school. The best situation with support measures was in individual student welfare services, whereas in instruction individual support was rarely actualized. The main factor that challenged the support being fulfilled in instruction was the fact that subject teachers did not know the students. In student welfare services the main challenge for support was the lack of time. The job of special education teachers in the future was met with confusion and optimism.
-
(2020)Teachers play a key role in putting education system reforms into practice. An attempted change may remain superficial or not happen at all unless the teachers commit to it. Therefore, when looking at the implementation of a reform, it is useful to determine how it appears from the point of view of the teacher's work. Since 2011, Finnish primary schools have implemented a three-tier support system which is based on key principles such as the early identification of students' need for support and flexible support arrangements. Changes in support arrangements are reflected in schools, for example, as new forms of collaboration, support planning and monitoring. The public debate surrounding the change has been triggered, in particular, by the inclusion of students in need of support in mainstream classes, which has led to an increase in implementation of support measures in class and subject teachers' jobs. According to national surveys, the implementation of support seems to vary between localities and between occupational groups. The purpose of this study was to describe a city's teachers' work and community characteristics which make it difficult to implement the support as dictated by the regulations. The study used secondary data, which was originally collected as part of an electronic questionnaire given to the staff of the city's Education and Learning Department. The answers of teachers in grades 1-9 (N = 850) were analyzed by means of theory-driven computer-assisted content analysis. The results were structured and interpreted using theoretical models based on the theoretical frameworks of cultural historical activity theory and developmental work research. The results showed that barriers to the implementation of support experienced by the teachers were strongly linked to community characteristics. The structural factors and operating culture of the schools were not developed to a level that would allow the use and development of new working methods. Problems with scheduling appeared as disturbances of work. Lack of resources was seen as a factor that reduced the speed with which the implementation and planning of support could be done in all areas of the work community. Efforts were made to improve the implementation of support by improving the distribution of support and introducing new ways of working. Differences between the occupational groups were observed both in the problems of implementing the support and in the attempts to solve those problems.
-
(2018)Students who study in the Finnish basic education have a variety of different needs for education support. The three-level support model is used to respond to the individual needs. Craft subject differs from other subjects in its practical nature. It also emphasizes student's own responsibility for learning. Therefore there are different needs for education support in craft lessons than in other subjects. The aim of this study is to increase knowledge about education support needs in craft lessons in basic education and how teachers respond to those needs with support measures. This study was carried out as a case study. Four craft teachers who work within basic education were interviewed. All the teachers had students who needed general, intensified and special need in their classrooms. The transcribed data was analysed using theory-driven content analysis. Craft teachers recognized several different education support needs. The needs that kept the teachers the busiest were challenges in executive functions and behavior. These challenges linked to students' self-regulation and attention. The three-level support model was not explicit in craft lessons because the education support needs that emerge in craft lessons differ from the needs of other subjects. The teachers used a variety of support measures, the most important being differentiation which allows the teachers to individualize learning objectives, exercises and instructions according to the individual needs of the students. Also remedial teaching, co-education, special needs assistant, aids for disabled students and guidance of teacher were important support measures. The teachers found support measures helping the whole classroom, not only students with the need for education support.
-
Oppimisen lähestymistapojen yhteys opiskelu-uupumukseen ensimmäisen vuoden yliopisto-opiskelijoilla (2018)Objectives. The purpose of the study was to examine approaches to learning, study burnout and the relationship between these two in first-year university students. There has been found three types of approaches to learning: deep, surface and organized. Study burnout usually develops through three stages: exhaustion, cynicism and inadequacy. Methods. The data were collected with the HowULearn tool for learning by the Center for University Teaching and Learning. The participants (n=203) were first-year students of social sciences at the University of Helsinki. Cluster analysis was used for clustering students into learning profiles by their approaches to learning. Independent-Samples T Test was used to examine the differences in approaches to learning between female and male students. Study burnout was analyzed by means and the differences between female and male students by using the Mann-Whitney U Test. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to analyze the relationship between approaches to learning and study burnout. Results and Conclusions. Four student profiles with different approaches to learning were identified: deep, surface, dissonant and non-organized deep approach. Students identified with dissonant profile scored high in all of the approaches to learning. Study burnout among students was low. Female students tended to experience more burnout than male. Students identified with surface approach profile experienced more burnout than all the other students and students identified with deep approach profile experienced less burnout. The importance of organized learning was clear examining the deep approach profiles. Students identified with non-organized deep approach profile experienced more burnout. Results concerning surface approach profile were in line with this result. Organized profile was missing among these profiles. That might be due to the fact that studying in this field is quite uncontrolled. The group of dissonant profile was the biggest group of all which might be because the participants were first-year students and they might not be familiar with their own studying methods yet. Female students are prone to experience more stress and fear of failure and that might cause them to experience more burnout as well. Surface approach has been known to cause more stress and lead to weaker academic achievements and that might cause the students identified with surface approach profile to experience more burnout.
-
(2020)Objectives. The purpose of the study was to find out the approaches to learning of students graduating with a bachelor's degree in military sciences (SK) and the factors burdening their studies at the National Defense University (MPKK). This subject has not been previously studied in the context of officer training. Previous researches in other disciplines have shown that approaches are linked to different areas of learning and learning can be used to identify groups that need research data to support them. The research problems were: 1. What kind of learning approaches SK students used, whether they were connected to each other and what kind of profiles emerged from the material, 2. How learning approaches differed according to different background variables and 3. What environmental variables cause workload in their studies. The study aims to make visible groups in different situations with different approaches to learning and workload in environmental variables. Methods. All three classes participated in the study. The questionnaire was collected using a quantitative questionnaire and was analyzed by quantitative methods. A total of 413 students responded to the survey. Factor analysis and k-cluster analysis were used as analysis methods to group respondents into profiles based on approaches. The relationship between the approaches was examined using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and the differences between the profiles and the environmental variables were examined using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results and conclusions. SK students emphasized the most to the deep approach, then the organised and least unreflective approach. There was also a negative statistically significant association between the unreflective and deep approaches. Based on the approaches, four different profiles emerged from the data: unorganised deep, dissonant, deep organised and unreflective. According to the background variables and the environmental variables, the differences in approaches were reflected in the profile representation. Statistically significant differences in workload by profile were found in the schedules for completing assignments, written assignments, exam preparation, and group work. The results can be utilized in MPKK's curriculum work, teaching development and student support.
-
(2021)Surveys conducted in recent years reveal that many organizations face skill gaps and challenges in competence development. The aim of this study is to understand the support for learning and competence development in IT organizations. As the IT industry has evolved rapidly, it provides an interesting starting point for this research. Supporting learning is approached in this study through viewpoints of HRD professionals. The study seeks to find out how HRD professionals approach learning in organizations, how learning is supported, and what kind of challenges are related to supporting learning. The study was conducted using qualitative methods and the research material consisted of seven interviews. The interviewees were working in IT organizations and their area of responsibility included supporting learning and development. In this study, the interviewees are referred as HRD professionals. Organizations that were selected to this study, were IT organizations that focused on software development. Of the selected organizations, six were consulting companies and one was a product company. The material was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The HRD professionals described learning very broadly and saw learning as ongoing. In their descriptions, there were similarities with the metaphor of knowledge creation. Learning was supported through practical models that support individual learning as well as collective learning. In addition, learning was supported by shaping the learning environment in the organization. The roles of management, work community and organizational factors were identified as key factors here. The ways of supporting learning were mainly very consistent with the learning-promoting practices presented in previous research and theory (eg self-determination theory, dimensions of a learning organization, organizational mindsets, psychological safety). The biggest challenges in learning and supporting learning, were lack of time, taking individual interests into consideration and encouraging employees to share their knowledge and participate in collective learning activities. The pandemic created challenges for learning and supporting learning in terms of shaping work practices, well-being challenges and the knowledge sharing.
-
(2018)The current Act on Upper Secondary Education does not provide any specific information on the organization of special education. This is why the special education programs vary between upper secondary schools. Not all secondary schools have special education teachers and this might place students with special needs at a disadvantage. There have been only a few researches on special education in upper secondary schools in Finland during the last decade and the studies have focused on the need of special education in upper secondary education or, the job description of a special education teacher. The purpose of this study is to describe the perceptions of the students’ regarding the challenges that they face in their studies and the support they have received. The aim is also to look at the special education from a student point of view and clarify, how the need for support is recognized, what kind of challenges does the student with special needs meet and who provides the support and how. The data for this qualitative study was collected by inteviewing 14 upper secondary school students over the age of 18 with special needs. They all studied in the same upper secondary school in southern Finland under the guidance of the same special education teacher. The topic was approached by using phenomenography which enables clarification of variations in individual views and investigates different understandings of reality. Students view on the recognition process of special needs in upper secondary school was based on a reading assesment and diagnostic evaluation done by the special education teacher. The recognition of reading difficulties was a relief for most of the interviewed students. They felt that early recognition gives them more time to benefit from the support. The interviewed students found it hard to work with the subject teachers, because they felt that the teachers could not offer them enough support. The results showed that the amount of the support depends on the attitudes and skills of the subject teacher. Other challenges were problems with concentration, reading difficulties and fatigue. Students found the special education teacher to be the keyperson that provides them support. The new Act on Upper Secondary Education secures everyone´s right to special education and the services of a special education teacher. In the future, special education teachers will have an important role as consultants or intermediators between the students and subject teachers, so that students with special needs get the help they are entitled to.
Now showing items 18793-18812 of 31185