The implementation of new special education legislation in Finland

2014

This article examines the implementation of new special education legislation in Finland among students with significant disabilities. The data consist of a nationwide survey and field observations. In the analysis, a policy implementation framework is utilized as a theoretical lens. The findings suggest that schools and municipalities that had participated in long-term development projects had more capacity and willingness to reform special education practices substantially, suggesting that learning in one policy area can transfer to other domains across multiple levels of national and local governments. The key findings highlight the significance of professional trust as a policy instrum…

The Transition to Upper Secondary Level After Basic Education for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Finland

2019

This chapter provides an exploration of the preparation of pupils with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for transition to upper secondary level after Finnish basic education. It also examines the importance of supports required during the transition phase. Two examples of pupils with ASD (Kalle and Maija) are utilized to illustrate how to plan and support pupils with ASD during their initial post-school transition. Transitions are defined, after which education opportunities after basic education for pupils with ASD in Finland are examined. This is followed by a brief illustration of the Finnish comprehensive school system to provide context with a focus on support arrangements and the prepar…

Conceptions associated with sense of belonging in different school placements for Finnish pupils with special education needs

2015

AbstractThe aim of this study was to examine conceptions associated with sense of belonging (SEBE) in Finnish general and special school placements for pupils with special education needs. Five pupils were selected for this study by means of purposive sampling. They had a history of several school placements prior to arriving at their current special school. Qualitative phenomenographic analyses of interview transcripts revealed numerous conceptions regarding the pupils’ SEBE in the different educational placements. The pupils had undergone numerous placements in which their SEBE had been jeopardised, as disturbing relationships with teachers and peers seemed to have affected the pupils’ me…

Identification of multiplicatively acting modulatory mutational signatures in cancer

2022

Abstract Background A deep understanding of carcinogenesis at the DNA level underpins many advances in cancer prevention and treatment. Mutational signatures provide a breakthrough conceptualisation, as well as an analysis framework, that can be used to build such understanding. They capture somatic mutation patterns and at best identify their causes. Most studies in this context have focused on an inherently additive analysis, e.g. by non-negative matrix factorization, where the mutations within a cancer sample are explained by a linear combination of independent mutational signatures. However, other recent studies show that the mutational signatures exhibit non-additive interactions. Resu…

Teacher Training for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Finland

2019

This chapter first provides a short description of the historical background and development of special education teacher training in Finland. The relationship between special education and teaching pupils with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is covered by chronologically presenting the main events, turning points, publications, and people that have had a significant effect on the education of pupils with ASD in Finland. This is followed by a description of the organization of teacher training, in general, and the particular characteristics of teaching pupils with ASD. In the context of ASD, it is essential to examine questions concerning the link between learning as social practice and the …

The involvement of autistic children in early childhood education

2023

Research on the involvement of autistic children in daily activities in inclusive early childhood education is scarce. In Finland, all children, including autistic children, under the age of seven (before basic education) are entitled to participate in early childhood education and care. Children also attend compulsory, free-of-charge pre-primary education during the year before their basic education begins. Furthermore, attending early childhood education and care is not dependent whether a child requires day care because of their parents’ work. Autistic children attend early childhood education in inclusive day care centres. Thus, in this study, we examined the involvement of autistic chi…

Why Study Online in Upper Secondary School? Qualitative Analysis of Online Learning Experiences

2015

In Finland, online learning has become more common in recent years. In this study, we examined why adult students chose to study online for upper secondary school. The research also focused on the support needed for learning from a special education perspective. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected using an electronic questionnaire. In total, 58 students responded. Data were analyzed qualitatively using the content analysis technique. The findings indicate that the main reasons for online studies are similar in Finland to those found internationally: flexibility of timetables, the student’s health condition, and family situations. The findings also indicate that a student’s…

Sense of Belonging and Life Transitions for Two Females with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Finland

2015

AbstractSense of belonging refers to the degree to which individuals feel included, accepted, and supported by others in a variety of social settings. This study, based on the narratives of two females (ages 26 and 29) with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), examines sense of belonging and various life transition issues that may appear throughout childhood, adolescence, and adulthood in the absence of appropriate social supports. Hearing the voices of females with autism is important, because the number of girls diagnosed with ASD has grown. Women on the spectrum can potentially provide significant insights into the services required to feel a sense of belonging to society. Qualitative analysi…

Determining your own grade – Student perceptions on self-assessment in a large mathematics course

2018

International audience; In our poster, we report on students' perceptions on self-assessment in large undergraduate course context taught with the DISA model (Digital Self-Assessment) in which the final exam is replaced by self-assessment. The students found that practising self-assessment skills was valuable and encouraged them to study for themselves. At the same time, self-assessment was considered unfamiliar and therefore difficult. We argue that the DISA model encouraged students to take more responsibility on their own learning.

Vaativaa tukea tutkimusperustaisesti : TUVET-hankkeesta tukea opettajille ja opettajaksi opiskeleville

2023

Erityisen tuen toteutuminen sairaalaopetusyksiköiden, valtion koulukotien sekä kuntayhtymien ja yksityisten omistamien laitos- ja erityiskoulujen ope…

2015

Additional file 1 of Identification of multiplicatively acting modulatory mutational signatures in cancer

2023

Additional file 1. Supplementary Figures.