Browsing by study line "Special Education"

Tiivistelmä - Referat - Abstract Objectives. The goal of this thesis was to examine, what are the prerequisites for building be-longing from the point of view of children who need significant support in early childhood education, and what concrete actions are used to build this belonging. This was clarified by interviews with early childhood education professionals. The aim of this research is to produce new information and bring out the "silent knowledge" in the field of early childhood education through the joint speech of the discussants. The frame of reference in this research, is in early childhood education and with children who need significant support, and in building their belonging. The research opens up the concept of inclusion as a central principle guiding ear-ly childhood education. The concept of inclusion is essentially related to the concept of be-longing. With the help of current legislation and studies, the research opens up how to organize the support a child needs in early childhood education. In the theoretical framework, the child's participation, the politics of belonging and the means by which belonging can be built, are discussed. Methods. This thesis was inspired by a project called VAKA-TUVET, that aimed to increase awareness of significant support in early childhood education. The research material was collected with two focus group interviews and one individual interview from nine special teachers of early childhood education. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the interview material. With the help of the analysis, the data was loosely connected to the theoretical framework. Results and conclusions. From the results, it could be concluded that formation of belonging is a changing process, that must be consciously built and constantly evaluated through joint discussions. From the point of view of children in need of significant support, the inclusive culture of the work community was seen as a key. Taking individuality into account and re-moving obstacles is seen as an everyday matter in such a community. In discussions in teams, the importance of belonging to the child must be opened up, and information about the support required must be shared. In these discussions, a plan must be made on how to build belonging in everyday situations. Belonging was seen to be built in everyday life from individual solutions where the needs of all children are taken into account, keeping in mind the overall picture in terms of belonging. The sensitive and multidimensional role of professionals as builders of belonging of the children in need of significant support, and of the entire group, was felt to be essential. In concrete everyday situations, belonging was built with material actions, the pedagogical practices of the group, and the functional actions of professionals, which guided children to connect with others. In the linguistic actions of the professionals, speech that builds community was emphasized, as well as the creation of barrier-free opportunities for communication. The results are largely consistent with previous results, the importance of sensitive professionals who build belonging was highlighted and belonging should be built consciously in everyday life. It was felt that more information is needed about significant support, this information can increase understanding. Based on the data, the joy and absorption of work emerges, which can be experienced at work among children who need significant support. This requires properly sized resources and an operating culture that builds belonging. Diversity and the individual needs of children can be a wealth for the whole group.

The aim of this Master’s thesis was to investigate the out-of-school reading habits of primary school students and whether they differ according to the students’ gender, grade level or reading fluency level. Reading habits were explored from the perspective of out-of-school reading activity of different texts. Another aim was to examine the associations between students’ reading habits and reading fluency and whether they differ when compared between students of different gender and grade level. The research data was collected in the spring of 2023 as part of a Niilo Mäki Instituutti (NMI) and University of Helsinki research project regarding naming speed, word fluency and reading skills in schools (NISULUKO). The data included a parent questionnaire and the results of an NMI reading fluency test (Luksu). Participants (n = 239) were primary school students in grades 1, 2, 3 and 5 in seven schools across Finland. The sample consisted 48% of girls and 52% of boys. The data was analyzed quantitatively using IBM SPSS Statistics 28 in February 2024. The results show that primary school students read homework-related texts most often in their free time and read less often for pleasure. Fiction literature and comics books were read more often than non-fiction books and magazines. Digital texts weren’t among the most often read texts. Girls read fiction literature and physical magazines more often than boys, whereas boys read comic books more often than girls. Typical readers read more fiction literature, comic books and physical magazines than students who scored low on the reading fluency test. Differences among younger and older students were only found in the reading activity of homework-related texts. The results also show correlations between reading fluency and the reading activity of all the other texts except digital magazines and other texts in digital form. All the correlations were positive except for the correlation between Finnish homework and reading fluency. The correlations differed slightly when compared between students of different gender and grade-level. The findings are mostly in accordance with previous literature except for the findings regarding the reading activity of digital texts. Future research could take more carefully into consideration all the different reading formats and especially different types of digital texts. More research needs to be done on how best to support the out-of-school reading activity of primary school children and especially on how to support the reading habits of students who are less proficient in reading.

This qualitative study examined professional agency during teacher studies in the context of part time special education. The study aims to answer following questions: How does professional agency occur in the context of practical training in teacher studies? What kind of dimensions does professional agency consist of and how do these dimensions relate to each other? Agency can broadly be described as an ability to act intentionally defined by autonomy, will, freedom and choice. Professional agency occurs when professional subjects make choices, use their possibilities to influence and take a stand in ways that effect their work and professional identities. Professional agency is implemented purposefully, and it is defined by dynamic factors of the workplace. Professional agency does not occur merely as accommodation to external demands but also as realistic and critical understanding of personal boundaries and acting in accordance with them. Professional agency has been suggested as a tool for teachers to face educational reforms as it has been seen to enable cultivation of new work forms. Previous research claims that teachers’ agency should be defined in more detail. Teacher training and first years at work are significant phases in cultivating professional agency, yet research in this context is narrow. In addition, Finnish studies regarding part time special education are few. Research material consisted of 13 reports written by teacher students. Reports were produced as a part of the compulsory practical training in the pedagogical studies of special education teacher training between spring 2020 – fall 2021. The study was conducted using qualitative theory driven content analysis. In the context of special education practical training professional agency manifested in four dimensions that were agency in the workplace framework, agency in the immediate social community, agency as identity work and agency as emotional work. Furthermore, professional agency occurred in two levels, community level and individual level, within which agency has divergent goals. At the community level professional agency appeared to aim for a functional work community and pupils’ learning. At the individual level it appeared to aim for teacher students’ professional development and personal wellbeing. Results suggest that interaction in the immediate social community and emotional factors are central to the enactment of professional agency. Results are in accordance with previous studies that claim professional agency to manifest in the framework of dynamic factors at both community level and individual level. The results of this study suggest that more research on the relation between community and individual level as well as on the importance of immediate social community and emotional factors are needed.

Aim. The aim of this study was to examine the experiences of adults on the autism spectrum of being themselves and the factors related to masking in higher education and transitioning to working life. Previous studies have shown that many people on the autism spectrum feel the need to mask their characteristics typical of the autism spectrum. It has been found that masking can have negative effects on the mental health and wellbeing of the person who masks. This study reveals the experiences of adults on the autism spectrum of being themselves and which factors are related to masking. Methods. The data of the study consisted of the interviews collected for the international IMAGE project. The participants were adults on the autism spectrum from Finland (n=7) and the United Kingdom (n=5). The data was analyzed in the phenomenological framework using qualitative, data-driven content analysis. Results and conclusions. The results showed that the diagnosis of autism spectrum was reported mainly for a specific reason, not spontaneously. Experiences of being accepted ranged from positive to negative, and it was particularly challenging to be oneself in extracurricular activities. Three themes emerged in the factors related to masking. First, masking and openness on the other hand were associated with the concern about their consequences: participants considered possible negative consequences on job search, other people and themselves. Another factor related to masking was social environment. Masking increased when the person on the autism spectrum did not know their company, while knowledge about the autism spectrum and friendly attitude reduced it. What is more, one’s own opinion of the autism spectrum was related to masking. A positive attitude towards the autism spectrum reduced the need for masking, while one's own or others' negative experiences of being open about the autism spectrum increased its hiding. In higher education and workplaces, it would be important to reinforce factors that increase the possibility for the people on the autism spectrum to be themselves and not mask if they wish so.

Objectives. The purpose of this Master’s thesis is to assess the methodological quality of intervention studies examining the effect of digital learning games on the reading skills of children with or at risk of reading difficulties. Learning games can serve as a tool to motivate and engage in learning when a child needs more time and repetition to learn. Learning games are utilized in teaching, but the results for their effectiveness vary. The target groups for special needs education are small and heterogeneous in their skills, which makes it challenging to demonstrate the effectiveness of interventions. Methods. The dissertation was carried out as a systematic literature review using PRISMA guidelines. The studies to be evaluated were retrieved from the databases ERIC (Proquest), PsycINFO (Ovid), SCOPUS (Elsevier), Academic Search Complete (EBSCO) and Web of Science. The studies selected for review (n = 13) were published between years 2011 and 2022, were peer-reviewed and English-language intervention studies. The target group was children with reading difficulties or at a risk of reading difficulties, and the intervention sought to influence reading skills through digital learning games. The evaluation was carried out based on the criteria of the EPHPP framework. Results and conclusions. The majority (8) of the intervention studies were rated as strong, three as moderate and two as weak. For the study design, all were assessed as strong for evaluation, while for selection bias and blinding, all studies were rated as only moderate. For confounders, all but one was rated as moderate. Weak ratings were given to only a few studies for data collection methods and withdrawals and dropouts. Based on the results of this study, there is the most room for improvement in the reporting of these two parts to ensure the reliability of the studies.

Tavoitteet. Haastava käyttäytyminen on käsitteenä alun perin kehitetty kuvaamaan kehitysvammaisten käyttäytymisen haasteita. Käsitteen tarkoitus on siirtää vastuuta käyttäytymisen muuttamisesta opettajille ja henkilökunnalle. Tutkimuksen kentällä käsitettä käytetään hyvin monenlaista käyttäytymistä kuvaamaan ja myös muiden käsitteiden kanssa sekaisin. Erityisluokkien opettajat kohtaavat haastavaa käyttäytymistä työssään enem-män kuin yleisopetuksen opettajat. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on selvittää, mitä erityisluokkien opettajat ajattelevat haastavasta käyttäytymisestä: miten opettajat kuvailevat haastavaa käyttäytymistä, mistä he ajattelevat sen johtuvan ja miten he ehkäisevät sitä luokassaan. Menetelmät. Tutkimusaineisto kerättiin kahdeksaan kaupunkiin lähetetyllä, erityisluokkien opettajille suunnatulla kyselyllä. Kyselyyn vastasi 34 erityisluokan opettajaa. Vastaajat olivat keskimäärin opettajan työssä hyvin kokeneita ja koulutukseltaan erityisluokanopettajia. Kyselyyn sisältyi neljä varsinaista kysymystä sekä taustakysymykset koulutuksesta ja työkokemuksesta. Aineistoa analysoitiin sisällönanalyysin keinoin. Ensin vastaukset koodattiin, sitten luokiteltiin ja lopulta muodostettiin laajempia teemoja. Tulokset ja johtopäätökset. Erityisluokkien opettajat kuvailivat haastavaa käyttäytymistä vaihtelevasti. Neljästä erityisesti esiin nousseesta teemasta yksi vaatii opettajan välitöntä reagointia. Haastavan käyttäytymisen mahdollisia syitä nostettiin esiin paljon. Viidestä suurimmasta teemasta yksi liittyy kontekstiin, muut haastavan käyttäytymisen teemat liittyvät oppilaaseen. Omissa luokissaan erityisluokkien opettajat käyttivät hyvin monenlaisia keinoja haastavan käyttäytymisen ehkäisemiseksi. Haastavaa käyttäytymistä ehkäistään ennen kaikkea oppilaan kohtaamisen ja oppilastuntemuksen avulla. Sen lisäksi muokataan erilaisin keinoin kontekstia, jossa oppiminen tapahtuu. Opettajan kannattaa kattavasti reflektoida haastavan käyttäytymisen ilmenemistapoja, sen mahdollisia syitä sekä toimivia ehkäisykeinoja työssään. Käyttäytymisen ilmiöihin liittyvän käsitteistön päivitys voisi helpottaa asiaan suhtautumista.

The basis of this research lays in the developing school life, where the number of students with a migratory background is rising. This also increases the number of students who need special education. There is not a great number of research done about adult students with a migratory background in special education, as previous research is mostly related to chil-dren and adolescents. The research task of this study is to describe, analyze, and interpret the experiences of special education teachers in teaching adults with a migratory back-ground. The research aim is to find out, how the teachers describe their work and aspects related to teaching, and how the various background factors of an adult with a migratory background affect teaching and learning. The research material is based on six interviews with special education teachers. All teach-ers work or have worked with adult students with migratory backgrounds. The interviews were held and recorded on Teams platform. The transcribed interview material was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The key result of the research is that there is not a specific way of teaching students with a migratory background, as the student body is very diverse. The teachers described their work in various ways. Language awareness and a clear structure in the lessons were seen to be important. The teachers emphasized the importance of knowing the students both in approaching the students and in identifying possible learning difficulties. Testing for learning difficulties was not seen very useful, whereas giving direct support to challenges was felt to be a more effective method. Teaching was also seen as a way of integration. The teachers felt that they learned their job mostly though their work itself, but they also wished for more training especially in language and trauma awareness. Different factors of the students’ background effects on teaching and learning were found. Adulthood emerged as a special feature, as an adult’s previous experiences in life strongly influence learning. In addition, cultural differences, importance of language skills, previous schooling background and the student’s perception on learning were seen to affect learning and teaching. Experienced traumas were also mentioned as a way that can weaken learning. The research clearly revealed a need to develop teacher training programs, so that they would better consider students with a migratory background. As the student body changes, so does the school world’s need for continuous education. The heterogeneity of adult stu-dents with a migratory background creates a unique challenge for teaching, as background factors have a great impact on learning.

Aims. The purpose of this master’s thesis was to study how the chosen theoretical frame-work of inclusion (by Ainscow et al, 2006) fits to describe news about special education and the need for support in comprehensive school. Both nationally and internationally, inclusion is one of the main values that guides the organization of education. In research inclusion and special education are usually linked together and inclusion has different definitions. In this thesis special education is seen as a part of inclusion and it is analyzed through the chosen inclusion model. The aim is to find out what different dimensions of inclusion can be found in the data, which groups are mentioned in the news and what kind of similarities and differ-ences can be found between the groups. Methods. The data was collected by using selected topic tags from the website of the Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yle). The news that was used as a data in this thesis was published 2011–2021 (N =164). The method used in this qualitative thesis is theory-based content analysis. Results and conclusion. The selected inclusion model suited well to describe different dimensions of news about special education and need for support. The analysis was based on the inclusion model by Ainscow et al (2006) and the dimensions of the model were found in the data. In the model, special education and the need for support are seen in two different ways. First, inclusion can be seen as support for different groups of pupils, that need support for their learning and schoolgoing. On the other hand, inclusion can be seen as values and actions towards more inclusive school for all. In the data inclusion was seen in both ways, but more often by groups than by values and actions that make school more inclusive for all. There were more similarities than differences between the groups, and it was found that news handled pupil groups by three dimensions: 1) ways to support pupils, 2) how to recognize need for support and factors that are behind the need for support, and 3) the lack of support. In studies, inclusion is often understood by the placement of students with special educational needs (SEN) and therefore the placement of SEN-students dominates discussion. The discussion about the placement of SEN-pupils was also strongly present in the data of this thesis.

The topic of this thesis is the employment of people with disabilities and job coaching. The aim of this study is to examine the methods by which job coaching Virtaamo promotes the employment of people with disabilities and to explore the challenges and opportunities faced by disabled individuals in the working life. The challenges and opportunities of working life are discussed in relation to the working-life citizenship of people with disabilities. The starting point of this thesis is disability studies, and this thesis ex-amines the social structures related to employment. The research material mainly consists of six semi-structured interviews with a total of seven interviewees. The interviewees were clients, job coaches, and partners of job coaching Virtaamo. Additionally, I utilized documents obtained from Virtaamo (such as customer feedback survey responses). I conducted my analysis using theory-guided content analysis, guided by observations from previous research on barriers and incentives to working-life citizenship. According to the data, Virtaamo provides its clients with comprehensive support, and overall satisfaction with the services is high. The most significant support measures provided by Virtaamo were emotional support, workplace visits, and consideration of clients' preferences. Workplace visits were met with conflicting attitudes. The cornerstone of Virtaamo's operation is cooperation with companies, through which Virtaamo creates job opportunities for its clients. According to job coaches, the nature of the job has changed, and nowadays clients face increasingly greater challenges in various areas of life. The employment opportunities for people with disabilities appeared to be very limited, and doing unpaid work is both a threat and an opportunity for working-life citizenship. Attitudes of employers and workplace communities act as barriers to and special markers of working-life citizenship for people with disabilities. Pay subsidy, job coaching services, and successful cooperation with companies serve as enablers of working-life citizenship for people with disabilities. Working-life citizenship for people with disabilities is possible, but it is difficult to achieve and marked as special.

Aims. The aim of this master’s thesis was to examine the association between poor gross motor skills, fine motor skills and early mathematical skills in 4-years-old-children. Previous research has shown that both gross and fine motor skills are associated with academic performance at school age, especially in mathematics, but research is still limited for under school age children. This study provides additional information on how poor gross motor skills are associated with fine motor skills and early mathematical skills before school age. Methods. This study was conducted using quantitative methods. IMB SPSS Statistics 27 was used for the data analysis. The data of this thesis was obtained from the Toimi ja opi -study and included 188 Finnish children aged four years in 2019. The research data was test results of the FMS (fundamental motor skills) test, fine motor skills tests and the Finnish Early Numeracy Test (Lukukäsitetesti). Gross motor skills were measured using the FMS (TGMD-3, KTK, MABC) -test. Fine motor skills were measured with three fine motor skills (LENE, BAS, WISC-3) tests. Early mathematical skills were measured using the Finnish Early Numeracy Test, that is based on number sequence skills and relational skills. In the results, means were examined with correlations and one-way analysis of variance. The association and relationship between the FMS and the Finnish Early Numeracy Test were analysed with Pearson correlation coefficients and the one-way ANOVA. Results and conclusions. The results of this master's thesis showed a statistically significant correlations between gross motor skills, fine motor skills and early mathematical skills. The results showed a statistically significant difference between poor gross motor skills and normally developing gross motor skills in the mean scores of the fine motor skills test and the Finnish Early Numeracy Test. The lower the score the child scored on the gross motor skills test, the lower the scores were on the fine motor skills test and early mathematical skills test. Results showed that the association between these skills can be seen already before school-age. Results underline the notion that in early childhood education should pay attention to identify the poor performance in motor skills in children and when they are observed, need the possible other difficulties be surveyed, so the support can be started at early stage. Early support can prevent the later difficulties in learning and development.