Identifying Finnish Children’s Impulsivity Trajectories From Kindergarten to Grade 4: Associations With Academic and Socioemotional Development

Research Findings: The purpose of this study was to identify the developmental trajectories of impulsive behavior among 378 Finnish children who were followed from kindergarten to fourth grade. In addition to ratings of children’s impulsivity, the analyses included measures of motivation, cognitive skills, socio-emotional adjustment, and teacher–student relationship. Four latent groups were identified that differed in the level and change of the children’s impulsive behavior across time: first, a group with low impulsivity; second, a group with decreasing impulsivity; third, a group with moderate impulsivity; and, fourth, a small group with a contradictory trajectory showing an upward trend…

Special Education Teachers’ Identification of Students’ Reading Difficulties in Grade 6

his study investigated special educational needs (SEN) teachers’ (n = 29) assessment practices and the accuracy of their ratings of the students’ (M age = 12.75 years, n = 55) skill levels in reading fluency and reading comprehension. Teachers rated their sixth grade students’ fluency and comprehension on a three-point scale, and the students were also tested in group tests. Results showed that SEN teachers used several assessment practices simultaneously but mostly relied on observations. The correlations between the teacher ratings and the test scores were significant but moderate in fluency and weak in comprehension. Only two thirds of low-performing students having difficulties in fluen…

Kindergarten pre-reading skills predict Grade 9 reading comprehension (PISA Reading) but fail to explain gender difference

AbstractOne of the aims for compulsory education is to diminish or alleviate differences in children’s skills existing prior to school entry. However, a growing gender gap in reading development has increasingly been documented. Regrettably, there is scant evidence on whether differences between genders (favouring girls) have their roots in pre-reading skills or whether determining mechanisms are related to factors to do with schooling. We examined the extent to which pre-reading skills assessed in Kindergarten (age 6) predict reading comprehension in Grade 9 (age 15) and, whether the gender difference in reading comprehension can be explained by gender differences in the Kindergarten pre-r…

Longitudinal Effects of the Home Learning Environment and Parental Difficulties on Reading and Math Development Across Grades 1–9

This study focuses on parental reading and mathematical difficulties, the home literacy environment, and the home numeracy environment as well as their predictive role in Finnish children’s reading and mathematical development through Grades 1–9. We examined if parental reading and mathematical difficulties directly predict children’s academic performance and/or if they are mediated by the home learning environment. Mothers (n = 1590) and fathers (n = 1507) reported on their reading and mathematical difficulties as well as on the home environment (shared reading, teaching literacy, and numeracy) when their children were in kindergarten. Tests for reading fluency, reading comprehension, and …

The role of parenting styles and teacher interactional styles in children's reading and spelling development.

Abstract This study examined the associations between parenting styles, teacher interactional styles, and children's reading and spelling skills. The sample consisted of 864 Finnish-speaking children and their parents (864 mothers, 864 fathers) and teachers ( N  = 123). Children's risk for reading disabilities and reader status were assessed in kindergarten. Children were also tested on reading and spelling skills in Grades 1 and 2. Parenting styles and teacher interactional styles were measured using parents' and teachers' self-reports in Grade 1. First, the results indicated that both an authoritative parenting style and authoritative teacher interactional style positively predicted child…

Kaksivuotisen esiopetuksen kokeilun seurannan ja arvioinnin tuloksia 2021–2022 : Osaraportti 2: Kokeilun järjestämistavat, toiminta lapsiryhmissä sekä oppimisen polun jatkumot ja siirtymät

Opetus- ja kulttuuriministeriön toteuttama Kaksivuotisen esiopetuksen kokeilu käynnistyi elokuussa 2021. Tämä raportti on osa kokeilun seurantaa ja arviointia. Sen tulokset perustuvat kahteen keväällä 2022 toteutettuun kyselyyn, joissa tarkasteltiin kaksivuotisen esiopetuksen kokeilun järjestämistapoja, toimintakäytäntöjä sekä lasten oppimisen polun siirtymiä ja jatkumoita kokeilun ensimmäisenä toimintakautena 2021–2022. Ensimmäiseen kyselyyn vastasivat kuntien varhaiskasvatuksesta vastaavat viranhaltijat (N = 120). Toiseen kyselyyn vastasivat kokeilu- ja verrokkiryhmien vastaavat varhaiskasvatuksen opettajat (N = 872). Tulokset osoittivat, että esiopetuskokeilu on voinut muuttaa sekä viisi…

Longitudinal associations between poor reading skills, bullying and victimization across the transition from elementary to middle school

Students with poor reading skills and reading difficulties (RDs) are at elevated risk for bullying involvement in elementary school, but it is not known whether they are at risk also later in adolescence. This study investigated the longitudinal interplay between reading skills (fluency and comprehension), victimization, and bullying across the transition from elementary to middle school, controlling for externalizing and internalizing problems. The sample consists of 1,824 students (47.3% girls, T1 mean age was 12 years 9 months) from 150 Grade 6 classrooms, whose reading fluency and comprehension, self-reported victimization and bullying, and self-reported externalizing and internalizing …

Development of Numeracy and Literacy Skills in Early Childhood—A Longitudinal Study on the Roles of Home Environment and Familial Risk for Reading and Math Difficulties

This study examines the direct and indirect effects of home numeracy and literacy environment, and parental factors (parental reading and math difficulties, and parental education) on the development of several early numeracy and literacy skills. The 265 participating Finnish children were assessed four times between ages 2.5 and 6.5. Children’s skills in counting objects, number production, number sequence knowledge, number symbol knowledge, number naming, vocabulary, print knowledge, and letter knowledge were assessed individually. Parents (N = 202) reported on their education level, learning difficulties in math and reading (familial risk, FR), and home learning environment separately fo…

Longitudinal Associations of First-grade Teaching with Reading in Early Primary School

The present study examined the longitudinal associations between first-grade teaching practices and children's reading skills development from Grade 1 to Grade 3. Using the Early Childhood Classroom Observation Measure (ECCOM), the teaching practices of 32 Finnish teachers were observed in Grade 1. Students' (N = 359) word recognition and sentence reading skills were assessed yearly from Grade 1 to Grade 3. The person-oriented analysis identified three profiles of teaching practices in Grade 1: child-centred teaching style, teacher-directed teaching style, and a mixed child-centred and teacher-directed teaching style. Furthermore, the results showed that children whose Grade 1 teachers used…

Teachers adapt their instruction in reading according to individual children’s literacy skills

Abstract This study examined the extent to which first grade teachers adapt their reading instruction to the literacy skills of particular children in their classroom, and investigated whether teacher and classroom characteristics influence such adaptation. Three hundred seven Finnish children were tested with regard to their literacy skills at the end of their kindergarten year. At the beginning of the first grade, the teachers of these children filled in a questionnaire on the reading support they had given each child. The results showed, first, that the poorer the literacy skills a child showed at the end of kindergarten, the more personal reading instruction the teacher gave the child i…

The Concordance between Teachers’ and Parents’ Perceptions of School Transition Practices: A Solid Base for the Future

This study focuses on parents’ and teachers’ perceptions of practices aimed at easing the transition to formal schooling (e.g., familiarization with the school, discussions about the school entrants). A total of 230 preschool teachers, 131 elementary school teachers, and 2,662 mothers and fathers filled in a questionnaire containing items on how important they considered different preschool-school transition practices. The participants considered the various transition practices to be at least somewhat important. On average, familiarization with the school was considered to be most important, whereas teacher co-operation and joint writing of curricula were considered to be least important. …

Ristiriitoja ja reflektiota : opettajien näkemyksiä vuorovaikutuksessa tapahtuvasta arvioinnista

Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan opettajien näkemyksiä siitä, millaisia haasteita on luokkahuoneen vuorovaikutustilanteissa tapahtuvassa formatiivisessa arvioinnissa. Aineisto koostuu viiden opettajan keskusteluista täydennyskoulutuksessa. Keskustelujen teemoina olivat opettajien omien videonäytteiden ja kirjallisen materiaalin pohjalta opettajan sensitiivisyys, palaute ja dialogisuus. Vaikka keskustelun perussävy koulutuksen aikana oli myönteinen ja aineena oli oman työn kehittäminen, esiin nousi huomattava määrä oppimista edistävän luokkahuonevuorovaikutuksen ja arvioinnin haasteita. Laadullinen aineistolähtöinen sisällönanalyysi kohdistui näihin haasteisiin sekä opettajien esittämiin ra…

Lukustrategioiden tunnistaminen lukutaidon vahvistajana

Teacher-student interaction and lower secondary school students’ situational engagement

BACKGROUND Prior research has shown that engagement plays a significant role in students' academic learning. AIMS The present study sought to expand the current understanding of students' engagement by examining how situational engagement during a particular lesson is associated with the observed teacher-student classroom interactions (i.e., emotional support, instructional support, and classroom organization) in the same lesson. SAMPLE The participants were 709 Grade 7 students (47.7% girls) from 59 classrooms in 26 lower secondary schools and 51 teachers. METHODS The data consisted of 155 video-recorded lessons (90 language arts and 65 mathematics lessons) coded using the Classroom Assess…

Teachers' visual focus of attention in relation to students' basic academic skills and teachers' individual support for students: An eye-tracking study

This study investigated how teachers' visual focus of attention is associated with students' basic academic skills and teachers' individual support for students in basic academic skills in authentic classroom settings. Teachers' (N = 46) visual focus of attention in the classroom was measured with mobile eye-tracking, and students' (N = 879) literacy and math skills were tested in Grade 1. The results revealed that teachers' visual focus of attention in terms of fixation counts correlated with students' basic academic skills and teachers' individual support for students in literacy and math. Two case studies showed that teachers' visual focus of attention varied among students with differen…

Enhancing upper secondary students’ engagement and learning through the INTERACT online, video-based teacher coaching intervention : Protocol for a mixed-methods cluster randomized controlled trial and process evaluation

This protocol outlines a mixed-methods cluster randomized controlled trial (CRCT) in upper secondary schools that will investigate how video-based online coaching can support teachers’ competences in teacher-student interactions (TSIs) and thereby improve student engagement and learning. The intervention will take place over a school year with at least 100 teachers and 2,000 of their students. During the implementation and one-year follow-up, we will conduct an extensive implementation and process evaluation (IPE) to understand the intervention's effects on TSI and student engagement and learning outcomes. This protocol outlines the background, design, intervention, and primary and secondar…

Developmental Dynamics of Math Performance From Preschool to Grade 2.

This study investigated the developmental dynamics of mathematical performance during children's transition from preschool to Grade 2 and the cognitive antecedents of this development. 194 Finnish children were examined 6 times according to their math performance, twice during each year across a 3-year period. Cognitive antecedents, that is, counting ability, visual attention, metacognitive knowledge, and listening comprehension, were tested at the first measurement point. The results indicated that math performance showed high stability and increasing variance over time. Moreover, the growth of math competence was faster among those who entered preschool with an already high level of mathe…

Koronapandemia oli vasta alkusoittoa : monihäiriötila haastaa Suomen kriisinkestävyyden

Korona oli akuutti terveyskriisi, joka kärjisti samalla suuren määrän muita kriisejä. Globaalit turvallisuusuhat ja ilmastonmuutos johdannaisineen kasvattivat kriisisuman monihäiriötilaksi. Saamme koronakriisin hoidosta arvokasta oppia tulevien päällekkäisten häiriötilojen hallintaan, kirjoittaa Suomen Akatemian yhteydessä toimivan strategisen tutkimuksen PANDEMICS-ryhmä. nonPeerReviewed

Kaksivuotisen esiopetuksen kokeilun seurannan ja arvioinnin tuloksia 2021–2022 : Osaraportti 3: Tuen järjestelyt ja toteutuminen

Opetus- ja kulttuuriministeriön toteuttama kaksivuotisen esiopetuksen kokeilu käynnistyi elokuussa 2021. Tämä raportti on osa kokeilun seurantaa ja arviointia. Osaraportin tulokset perustuvat kahteen keväällä 2022 toteutettuun kyselytutkimukseen: kuntakyselyyn ja opettajakyselyyn. Kyselyissä tarkasteltiin lasten tuen tarvetta ja sen järjestämistä kunnassa ja lapsiryhmissä sekä kokeilu- että verrokkikunnissa toimintakaudella 2021–2022. Kuntakyselyyn vastasi 120 kuntien varhaiskasvatuksesta vastaavaa viranhaltijaa ja opettajakyselyyn 872 kaksivuotisen esiopetuksen kokeilun kokeilu- ja verrokkiryhmien vastaavaa varhaiskasvatuksen opettajaa. Tulokset osoittivat, että keskimäärin joka viidennell…

Finnish and UK English pre-teen children's text message language and its relationship with their literacy skills

The aim of the study was to demonstrate the style of text language used by Finnish pre-teen texters (n = 65) and determine how their text language related to their traditional literacy skills, and compare descriptively these results with earlier results from work with young English texters. Three kinds of text messages (natural texts, elicited texts and elicited replies) were recorded after cognitive and literacy skills were assessed. Relationships between text language and standard literacy skills were shown to be different between the two languages, and we propose that those differences arise from both the structures of the languages themselves, and the communities of linguistic practice …

Relations between Kindergarten Teachers’ Occupational Well-being and the Quality of Teacher-child Interactions

Research Findings The aim of this study was to examine associations between two aspects of teachers’ occupational well-being, i.e., teaching-related stress and work engagement, and the quality of teacher–child interactions in Finnish kindergarten classrooms. Participants were 47 kindergarten teachers with their classrooms of 6-year-old children. Teacher–child interactions (i.e., emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support) were observed twice during the kindergarten year (fall and spring), using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS). In addition, teachers completed questionnaires on stress and work engagement. The results indicated that teaching-related st…

Teacher emotional support in relation to social competence in preschool classrooms

The present study aimed to investigate the associations between teachers’ observed emotional support and social competence among Finnish pre-schoolers (6-year-olds). The quality of emotional support was observed using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System Pre-K in 47 preschool classrooms twice across the preschool year. Teachers rated children’s social competence in autumn and again in spring, using the Multisource Assessment of Social Competence Scale (MASCS), which produced sum scores for cooperating skills, empathy, impulsivity, and disruptiveness. Consistent with the transactional model, we specified reciprocal (auto-regressive and cross-lagged) relationships within a Multilevel Struc…

The precursors of double dissociation between reading and spelling in a transparent orthography.

Research and clinical practitioners have mixed views whether reading and spelling difficulties should be combined or seen as separate. This study examined the following: (a) if double dissociation between reading and spelling can be identified in a transparent orthography (Finnish) and (b) the cognitive and noncognitive precursors of this phenomenon. Finnish-speaking children (n = 1963) were assessed on reading fluency and spelling in grades 1, 2, 3, and 4. Dissociation groups in reading and spelling were formed based on stable difficulties in grades 1–4. The groups were compared in kindergarten phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming, letter knowledge, home literacy environment, a…

Developmental dynamics between children’s externalizing problems, task-avoidant behavior, and academic performance in early school years: A 4-year follow-up.

This longitudinal study investigated the associations among children’s externalizing problems, task-avoidant behavior, and academic performance in early school years. The participants were 586 children (43% girls, 57% boys). Data pertaining to externalizing problems (teacher ratings) and task-avoidant behaviors (mother and teacher ratings) were gathered, and the children were tested yearly on their academic performance in Grades 1–4. The results were similar for both genders. The analyses supported a mediation model: high externalizing problems in Grades 1 and 2 were linked with low academic performance in Grades 3 and 4 through increases in task-avoidant behavior in Grades 2 and 3. The res…

Investigating applicability of ratings of indicators of the CLASS Pre-K instrument

When classroom observations are increasingly used for accountability and evaluation purposes, a deeper understanding of the psychometric properties of such measurement tools is needed. The present study took a unique approach to examine the psychometric properties of a commonly used classroom observation measure by testing the reliability of indicators for higher-order constructs (i.e. dimensions). We investigated the reliability of indicator ratings of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) Pre-K instrument in Finnish kindergarten and first grade classrooms. Twenty-one observer pairs rated 838 segments identified from the 413 lessons of 48 teachers. Variance components models were…

Kirjojen lukeminen tukee luetun ymmärtämisen kehitystä

Tässä artikkelissa esittelemme keskeiset havainnot tutkimuksesta (Torppa ym., 2020), jossa tarkasteltiin vapaa-ajan lukemisen ja lukutaidon kehityksen suhdetta. Kysyimme, ennustaako lukutaito lukemisen määrää vai ennustaako myös lukemisen määrä lukutaitoa. Tutkimuksessa mitattiin lasten (n = 2 525) lukusujuvuutta ja luetun ymmärtämisen taitoa luokilla 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 ja 9. Vapaa-ajan lukemisen määrää mitattiin samoissa aikapisteissä kyselyillä. Luokilla 1–4 lasten vanhemmat vastasivat lukemisen määrää koskeviin kysymyksiin, ja luokilla 6–9 lapset vastasivat kyselyyn itse. Tutkimuksessa havaittiin, että lukutaito ennustaa lukemisen määrää erityisesti varhaisilla luokilla, kun lukutaito on v…

Teachers’ situational physiological stress and affect

Since teaching is a demanding and stressful profession, the study of teachers’ physiological stress in the classroom setting is an emerging field. In cross-sectional studies self-reported stress and affect are related, but less is known about the intraindividual relations between situational physiological stress and corresponding positive and negative affect. The aim of our study was to investigate the associations between situational physiological stress (six salivary cortisol samples per day) and self-reported situational affect (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule four times a day) among 61 Finnish primary school teachers over two workdays. We present a novel multilevel structural equa…

Teacher-child interaction quality and children's self-regulation in toddler classrooms in Finland and Portugal

This study examines the association between teacher–child interaction quality and children's self‐regulation in Finnish and Portuguese toddler classrooms. The participants included 230 Finnish (M = 29; SD = 3 months) and 283 Portuguese (M = 30, SD = 4 months) toddlers and their teachers (n = 43 Finland; n = 29 Portugal). The children's behavioural self‐regulation (attention, working memory, and inhibition control) was individually tested, and the teachers evaluated the children's self‐regulation skills in the classroom. The quality of the teacher–child interactions (i.e., emotional and behavioural support and engaged support for learning) was evaluated using the CLASS‐Toddler observation in…

Cross-lagged relations between math-related interest, performance goals and skills in groups of children with different general abilities

Abstract This study examined the longitudinal relations among math-related interest, performance goals, and math skills in different ability groups. The participants were 790 Estonian children who were assessed at Grade 2 and Grade 3. The results of SEM analysis showed that previous math skills predicted positively math interest and negatively performance-avoidance goals at Grade 3. Also, Grade 2 performance-avoidance goals were negatively related to subsequent interest towards math. Comparing low-ability students with other students indicated that Grade 3 interest was positively predicted by previous skills, and negatively by performance-approach and -avoidance goals specifically in low-ab…

Parental influences on the development of single and co-occurring difficulties in reading and arithmetic fluency

This study investigated how single and co-occurring difficulties in reading and arithmetic fluency developed among Finnish children across Grades 1–9 (N = 2151). Latent profile analysis among 391 children who had reading and/or arithmetic fluency difficulties in Grade 9 revealed profiles that followed three distinct patterns: reading difficulties (N = 121), mathematical difficulties (N = 94), and comorbid difficulties (N = 176). The profiles and typical performers were compared on parental reading and mathematical difficulties, parental education, the early home learning environment, and parental assistance with school homework across Grades 1–9. Results showed that although parents whose c…

Parental Teaching of Reading and Spelling Across the Transition From Kindergarten to Grade 1

We investigated the longitudinal links between parental teaching of reading and spelling and children’s word reading and spelling skills. Data of 244 Lithuanian parent–child dyads were analyzed, who were followed across three time points: end of kindergarten (T1; Mage = 6.88; 116 girls), beginning of Grade 1 (T2), and end of Grade 1 (T3). The children’s word reading and spelling skills were tested, and the parents answered questionnaires on the frequency with which they taught their children reading and spelling. Overall, the results showed that the parents were responsive to their children’s skill levels across the domains of reading and spelling and across time (i.e., the transition from …

Longitudinal Stability of Reading Difficulties : Examining the Effects of Measurement Error, Cut-Offs, and Buffer Zones in Identification

This study examined the stability of reading difficulties (RD) from grades 2 to 6 and focused on the effects of measurement error and cut-off selection in the identification of RD and its stability with the use of simulations. It addressed methodological limitations of prior studies by (a) applying a model-based simulation analysis to examine the effects of measurement error and cut-offs in the identification of RD, (b) analyzing a non-English and larger sample, and (c) examining RD in both reading fluency and reading comprehension. Reading fluency and reading comprehension of 1,432 Finnish-speaking children were assessed in grades 2 and 6. In addition to the use of single cut-off points on…

Rehtorit joutuivat lujille korona-aikana : etäopetus luotiin tyhjästä muutamassa päivässä, mutta se oli vasta alkua

Korona-ajan opetus on vaatinut kouluilta, oppilailta ja vanhemmilta monenlaista sopeutumista. Rehtorit ja opettajat tekivät ympäripyöreää päivää huolehtiakseen oppilaista. Oppilaat kaipasivat kouluyhteisöään ja vanhemmat ohjausta lasten koulunkäynnin tukemisessa. Korona-ajasta jäi kuitenkin käteen monia hyviä käytänteitä, joita kannattaa hyödyntää jatkossa, kirjoittaa kasvatustieteen professori Marja-Kristiina Lerkkanen. nonPeerReviewed

Linguistic and spatial skills predict early arithmetic development via counting sequence knowledge

Utilizing a longitudinal sample of Finnish children (ages 6-10), two studies examined how early linguistic (spoken vs. written) and spatial skills predict later development of arithmetic, and whether counting sequence knowledge mediates these associations. In Study 1 (N = 1,880), letter knowledge and spatial visualization, measured in kindergarten, predicted the level of arithmetic in first grade, and later growth through third grade. Study 2 (n = 378) further showed that these associations were mediated by counting sequence knowledge measured in first grade. These studies add to the literature by demonstrating the importance of written language for arithmetic development. The findings are …

Leisure Reading (But Not Any Kind) and Reading Comprehension Support Each Other—A Longitudinal Study Across Grades 1 and 9

This study examines associations between leisure reading and reading skills in data of 2,525 students followed from age 7 to 16. As a step further from traditional cross-lagged analysis, a random intercept cross-lagged panel model was used to identify within-person associations of leisure reading (books, magazines, newspapers, and digital reading), reading fluency, and reading comprehension. In Grades 1-3 poorer comprehension and fluency predicted less leisure reading. In later grades more frequent leisure reading, particularly of books, predicted better reading comprehension. Negative associations were found between digital reading and reading skills. The findings specify earlier findings …

Child-Centered and Teacher-Directed Practices in Two Different Countries: A Descriptive Case Study in Finnish and Japanese Grade 1 Classrooms

This descriptive case study examined how teaching practices were evidenced in Grade 1 classrooms in two different cultural and educational contexts, Finland and Japan. Teachers’ teaching practices were video-recorded in 53 classrooms in Finland and six classrooms in Japan and rated with the Early Childhood Classroom Observation Measure by trained investigators. Four Finnish teachers and two Japanese teachers having the highest scores in either child-centered or teacher-directed practices were selected for a descriptive case study to take a closer look at how teaching practices in terms of management, climate, and instruction are evidenced in authentic classroom situations. The analysis reve…

Hiljaisia ääniä : nuorten kokemuksia koronapandemian vaikutuksesta hyvinvointiin, sosiaalisiin suhteisiin ja oppimiseen

Suomen Akatemian yhteydessä toimivan strategisen tutkimuksen neuvoston (STN) rahoittaman Resilientti koulu ja koulutus (EduRESCUE) -hankkeen tutkijoiden kirjoittamassa raportissa tarkastellaan nuorten kokemuksia koronapandemian vaikutuksista hyvinvointiin, sosiaalisiin suhteisiin ja oppimiseen. Erityinen huomio on niin sanottujen ”hiljaisten äänten” kuulemisessa eli sellaisten nuorten kokemuksissa, jotka usein jäävät yhteiskunnallisessa päätöksenteossa huomiotta. Verkkopohjainen kysely laadittiin yhteistyössä eri järjestöjen kanssa. EduRESCUE-hankkeen yhteistyötahot Autismiliitto, HelsinkiMissio, Kuurojen Liitto, Lastensuojelun Keskusliitto, Mannerheimin lastensuojeluliitto, MIELI Suomen Mi…

Reciprocal associations between social competence and language and pre-literacy skills in preschool

The present study examined reciprocal associations between children’s social competence and language and pre-literacy skills across the preschool year. Participants were 441 children (six-year-olds; 212 boys, 229 girls) and their teachers. Teachers rated children’s social competence in the autumn and again in the spring, using the Multisource Assessment of Social Competence Scale (MASCS), which produced sum scores for cooperating skills, empathy, impulsivity and disruptiveness. Children were tested by trained investigators on their pre-literacy skills in both the autumn and the spring, and, only in the spring, also on their receptive vocabulary. Parental education, each child’s age and time…

Esiopettajat kokevat työssään sekä stressiä että työn imua

Kasvavat ryhmäkoot, vähenevät resurssit, digiloikka ja uusi opetussuunnitelma ovat lisänneet opettajan työn vaatimuksia ja kuormittavuutta. OAJ:n vuonna 2015 julkaistun työolobarometrin mukaan opettajat kokivat työperäistä stressiä keskimäärin enemmän kuin muut työelämässä toimivat. Työterveyslaitoksen Kunta10-tutkimuksessa opettajat kokivat työmääränsä kasvaneen yli sietokyvyn. Miksi opettajat ovat kuormittuneita, ja mitä asialle voidaan tehdä? nonPeerReviewed

Children's poor academic performance evokes parental homework assistance-but does it help?

This study investigated the longitudinal associations between type of parental homework assistance and children’s academic performance during grade 1 and grade 2. The reading and math skills of 2,261 children were measured three times during grade 1 and grade 2, and the children’s mothers and fathers filled in questionnaires on the type of homework assistance they engaged in. The results showed that the worse reading and math skills children showed at the beginning of grade 1 and grade 2, the more monitoring and helping with homework parents reported later on. The results suggest, overall, that children’s academic performance has an “evocative impact” on their parents’ behavior.

The Influence of Instructional Practices on Reading Motivation in Finland

Although the differences between individuals in language and literacy skills and motivation to read start before entering school, teachers and their instructional practices play an important role in the development of reading skills and the various aspects of motivation, especially children’s interest in reading. Interest in reading has been reported to contribute to the reading activity and to the amount of reading which, in turn, promote students’ reading performance. It has been assumed that children’s previous success with learning the basics of reading has provided them with positive feedback about the learning situation, thereby strengthening their interest in reading. Teachers and th…

Cross‐lagged associations between kindergarten teachers' causal attributions and children's task motivation and performance in reading

The present study investigated whether kindergarten teachers' causal attributions would predict children's reading‐related task motivation and performance, or whether it is rather children's motivation and performance that contribute to teachers' causal attributions. To investigate this, 69 children (five to six years old at baseline) and their teachers were examined twice during the kindergarten year. Teachers filled in a questionnaire measuring their causal attributions twice during the kindergarten year. Information about the children's reading‐related task motivation and performance was gathered at the beginning of and at the end of the kindergarten year. The results showed that the hig…

Patterns of Teachers’ Occupational Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Relations to Experiences of Exhaustion, Recovery, and Interactional Styles of Teaching

This study examined profiles of teachers’ occupational well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data were collected from 279 Finnish primary school teachers during the spring of 2020. Four groups of teachers were identified by using Latent Profile Analysis: 1) teachers with mediocre stress and work engagement (34.4%);2) teachers with mediocre stress and lowest work engagement (11.5%);3) teachers with highest stress and work engagement (26.5%);and 4) teachers with lowest stress and highest work engagement (27.6%). The findings indicated that teachers’ occupational well-being was individually constructed, and there was a diversity with ways how negative and positive aspects of occupationa…

Validating the early childhood classroom observation measure in first and third grade classrooms

The present study reports on the psychometric properties of the Early Childhood Classroom Observation Measure (ECCOM) in Finnish and Estonian first and third grade classrooms. The observation data were collected from 91 first grade teachers and 70 third grade teachers. Teachers' curriculum goals, teaching experience and the classroom size were measured also. The results of confirmatory factor analysis provided evidence of the three-factor model (management, climate, and instruction) for each dimension—child-centred, teacher-directed, and child-dominated—in both grades. The reliability of the dimensions and sub-scales was good, and some evidence was also found for criterion validity. The fin…

Kohti koronan jälkeistä koulua

Longitudinal associations between third‐grade teaching styles and sixth‐grade reading skills : a 3‐year follow‐up study

Background Most previous studies of teaching styles and reading skills have been cross-sectional. Longitudinal research is needed to clarify the direction of effects. The present longitudinal study examined the degree to which differences in teaching styles in the third grade predict the sixth-grade reading performance. The consistency of the findings was addressed by comparing results across students in two countries (Finland and Estonia). Methods A total of 1,057 students (50.9% boys) were followed from the third to sixth grade. Teaching styles of third-grade teachers (N = 70) were examined as predictors of the development of reading (i.e., third-grade to sixth-grade reading fluency and c…

Assessment of students' situation-specific classroom engagement by an InSitu Instrument

The present study aims to expand the current understanding of engagement by examining variations in students' situation-specific engagement in lower secondary school. In addition, the validity and reliability of a new situation-specific InSitu Instrument were examined. The sample consisted of 1809 Finnish students attending Grade 7. The students filled in mobile ratings on their lesson-specific engagement after lessons. Furthermore, they answered questionnaires concerning their overall engagement, achievement beliefs, and task values in math and literacy. The results showed substantial variation within and between students in situational engagement. A five-factor structure was identified fo…

Leisure Reading (But Not Any Kind) and Reading Comprehension Support Each Other : A Longitudinal Study Across Grades 1 and 9

This study examines associations between leisure reading and reading skills in data of 2,525 students followed from age 7 to 16. As a step further from traditional cross‐lagged analysis, a random intercept cross‐lagged panel model was used to identify within‐person associations of leisure reading (books, magazines, newspapers, and digital reading), reading fluency, and reading comprehension. In Grades 1–3 poorer comprehension and fluency predicted less leisure reading. In later grades more frequent leisure reading, particularly of books, predicted better reading comprehension. Negative associations were found between digital reading and reading skills. The findings specify earlier findings …

Investigating quality indicators of early childhood education programs in Kosovo, Ukraine and Finland

The existing literature on early childhood education (ECE) quality is predominantly from the US or other developed countries. In low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs), systematic research on ECE ...

Maternal homework approach and adolescents’ academic skills: The mediating role of task values

The present study investigated the mediating role of the task values between the types of maternal homework approach (perceptions of their child’s autonomy or direct involvement) and adolescents’ academic skills. Data were utilized from 995 mother–child dyads followed across Grades 6, 7, and 9. At each time-point, mothers answered questionnaires on the types of their homework approach, adolescents answered questionnaires about their task values for math and Finnish, and adolescents’ skills in math (arithmetic and multiplication) and reading (reading fluency and reading comprehension) were tested. Separate longitudinal structural equation models were estimated for math and for reading. The r…

Stability of social support during school transitions: Associations with truancy and not completing upper secondary education in normative time

Not completing upper secondary education is often presignaled by truancy from school. Student-perceived social support from family, peers, and teachers can prevent truancy and the risk of not completing education. However, prior studies have not focused on the stability of social support across school transitions. This longitudinal study of 1901 Finnish students examined the extent to which social support was stable or specific to primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary schools. Moreover, we examined whether support was associated with not completing upper secondary education in normative time and whether truancy mediated the relationship between support and not completing education. …

The cross-lagged associations between classroom interactions and children’s achievement behaviors

This study examined the cross-lagged associations between the quality of classroom interactions and children’s behaviors in achievement situations. The achievement behaviors in challenging test situations of 166 Finnish children from 70 classrooms were rated by trained testers in grades 1 and 2. The quality of classroom interactions in terms of emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support were observed in 25 classrooms (out of 70) in grades 1 and 2. The results of multilevel modeling showed that classroom teachers’ low emotional support predicted children’s subsequent high passive avoidance, whereas high classroom organization and instructional support predicted chil…

Scaffolding patterns of dialogic exchange in toddler classrooms

The present study investigates how often episodes of dialogic exchange can be identified in educator–toddler interactions during play and emerging academic activities, what kind of scaffolding strategies educators use during the episodes of dialogic exchange and, ultimately, what kind of scaffolding patterns of dialogic exchange can be identified based on educators' use of scaffolding strategies. Educator–child interactions were video-recorded in seven European countries, in two toddler classrooms in each country. The video recordings of emerging academic and play activities were transcribed and analysed, combining the principles of theory and a data-driven content analysis. First, 69 episo…

Kriisinkestävä koulu

Meitä edelleen kiusaavan pandemian alettua suomalainen yhteiskunta pysähtyi tai joutui muuttamaan käytäntöjään monella toiminta-alueella. Yksi koko yhteiskuntaa heijasteleva toiminta-alue oli koululaitos eri tasoillaan. Marja-Kristiina Lerkkanen tarkastelee artikkelissaan tuoreisiin tutkimustuloksiin perustuen opettajien työn ja työtilanteen muuttumista ja sen heijastumista niin oppilaisiin kuin koko koulun toimintaan. Esiin nousevat koulujen ja kotien resurssit selvitä muuttuneessa tilanteessa sekä täysin uudesta tilanteesta saatavat opit tulevaisuutta ajatellen. nonPeerReviewed

Teachers' physiological and self-reported stress, teaching practices and students' learning outcomes in Grade 1.

Background Teachers' self-reported stress is related to the quality of teacher–student interactions and students' learning outcomes. However, it is unclear if teachers' physiological stress is related to child-centred teaching practices in the classroom and whether teaching practices mediate the link between teachers' stress and students' learning outcomes. Aims We studied the effect of teachers' physiological stress and self-reported stress on their teaching practices and thereby on students' learning outcomes in math. Sample A total of 53 classroom teachers and 866 Grade 1 students participated in the study. Methods Salivary cortisol in the middle of the school day and cortisol slope from…

Literacy instruction activities and their associations with first graders’ reading performance in two transparent orthographies

The aim of the study was to analyse literacy instruction activities and their associations with the reading performance of first graders in Estonia and Finland, two countries that share similar orthographies and educational systems but differ in the onset of formal reading instruction. The contents of 33 Literacy lessons in first grade spring were analysed and students’ (NEST = 415, NFIN = 154) reading performance was assessed in first grade autumn and spring. The results showed that there were more similarities than differences between the countries in literacy instruction activities, but some country-specific interaction effects were found between students’ reading performance and content…

Learning to read : reciprocal processes and individual pathways

Marja-Kristiina Lerkkanen seurasi väitöstutkimuksessaan 1-2. luokan oppilaiden lukemaan oppimisen oppimisprosesseja. Tutkimustulokset osoittivat, että suomalaislapset oppivat nopeasti peruslukutaidon. Sen sijaan luetun ymmärtämisen taidot vaatisivat enemmän harjoittelua.Pitkittäisseurannassa tunnistettiin kolme erilaista lukijaryhmää. Kompetentit lukijat lukivat sujuvasti ja ymmärsivät lukemaansa. Tekniset lukijat lukivat yhtä sujuvasti kuin kompetentit lukijat, mutta heillä oli ongelmia luetun ymmärtämisessä. Heikot lukijat olivat edellisiä heikompia peruslukemisessa ja yhtä heikkoja kuin tekniset lukijat luetun ymmärtämisessä. Kansainvälisistä tutkimuksista poiketen Lerkkanen havaitsi, et…

Does early reading instruction promote the rate of acquisition? A comparison of two transparent orthographies

Abstract This study examines the development of children's reading skills in two transparent orthographies, Estonian and Finnish. Formal reading instruction begins one year earlier in Estonia than in Finland; thus, it was expected that Estonian children would outperform their Finnish peers in reading achievement during grade 1. In this study, 433 Estonian and 353 Finnish first graders were assessed for letter knowledge, phoneme awareness, and reading accuracy and fluency at the beginning of first grade while reading fluency and reading comprehension were assessed in the final semester of first grade. The results showed that, despite Estonian children's better reading skills at the beginning…

Mathematical performance predicts progress in reading comprehension among 7-year olds

The aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate cross-lagged relationships between mathematical performance and reading comprehension during the first and second years of primary school. 114 Finnish-speaking children were examined six times on mathematics and reading comprehension during Years 1 and 2. At the beginning of Year 1, they were also tested on initial mathematics and reading skill, general concept ability and visual-motor skills. The results showed, firstly, that mathematics and reading comprehension were highly associated with each other across both years. Secondly, mathematical performance predicted subsequent reading comprehension during the first year rather than vice v…

Reading comprehension from grade 1 to 6 in two shallow orthographies: comparison of Estonian and Finnish students

The aim was to examine reading comprehension among elementary school students in two shallow orthographies, Estonian and Finnish. Participants were 619 Estonian children (50% boys) and 292 Finnish children (52% boys) whose reading comprehension was assessed in first, second, third, and sixth grades. The results showed that reading comprehension among Estonian and Finnish children was at a similar level by the end of first grade but Finnish children started to have better performance from second grade onward. These findings suggest that the roots of Finnish students’ strong reading skills are nurtured from the very beginning of elementary school. The potential cross-country differences in re…

Positive Teacher Affect and Maternal Support Facilitate Adjustment After the Transition to First Grade

This longitudinal study, conducted among a sample of Finnish primary-school children, examined the proposition that a single high-quality relationship (either with a teacher or a parent) can buffer against adjustment problems. Teachers rated the externalizing problems and prosocial behaviors of 378 children in Grade 1 and again in Grade 2. Relationship measures gathered in Grade 1 included teacher reports of positive affect for the child and mother reports of support for the child. The results supported our proposition by showing that for child adjustment after the transition to primary school it was critical to have at least one high-quality relationship either with a teacher or a parent. …

Parental Trust in Teachers and Children’s Interest in Reading and Math: A Longitudinal Study

This study investigated cross-lagged associations between parental trust in a child’s teacher and children’s academic interest across Grades 1–4 in primary school. Parents rated trust in their child’s teacher, and 576 children reported their interest in reading and math at each grade. The results showed that high parental trust in a child’s teacher predicted the child’s high interest in math. In addition, the child’s high interest in reading in Grade 2 was related to the father’s subsequent trust in the teacher. peerReviewed

Quality of educational dialogue and association with students’ academic performance

The study used a mixed-methods approach to examine the associations between the quality of educational dialogue and students' academic performance and to analyse what kinds of dialogic teaching patterns of different levels of quality can be identified in classroom lessons. A total of 158 Grade 6 lessons were video-recorded, and the quality of the educational dialogue was assessed using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System-Secondary (CLASS-S) observational instrument. Multilevel modelling indicated that the quality of educational dialogue was positively associated with students’ academic performance (grades) in language arts and physics/chemistry. Qualitative analysis was subsequently use…

In pursuit of beginning teachers'competence in promoting reading motivation: a mixed-methods study into the impact of a contunuing professional development program

As teachers’ reading motivation and self-efficacy for promoting reading motivation can be considered vital for their reading-oriented promotive teaching practices and students’ reading motivation, this study evaluated the impact of a year-long CPD program for beginning primary school teachers. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design with repeated measures was established, including a comparison and two CPD conditions (group vs. individually-oriented). Based on the quantitative results only no clear impact of and differences between the conditions could be observed. The qualitative analysis, however, showed growth in teachers’ reading motivation and self-efficacy at a different pace and l…

Development of reading and arithmetic skills across Grades 1 to 4 in two groups of children receiving part-time special education

This study investigated why some Finnish students receive part-time special education in Grade 1, duration of that support, and its relation to student reading fluency, reading comprehension, and arithmetic fluency development. The participants included two groups from Grade 1 receiving part-time special education (1–2 years vs. 3–4 years) and a control group comprising the remaining participants from the study. Teachers identified reading and expressive language difficulties as the main reasons for part-time special education in Grade 1. By Grade 4, students who received support until Grade 1 or 2 caught up the level of the control group especially in reading fluency. Students who had rece…

The roles of achievement-related behaviours and parental beliefs in children´s mathematical performance

This study aimed to investigate the developmental dynamics between children's mathematical performance, the task-focused versus task-avoidant behaviours they show in the classroom, and their parents' beliefs concerning their school competence. The mathematical performance of 111 six- to seven-year-old children was tested, and their task-focused versus task-avoidant behaviours were rated by their teachers four times during their first school year. Parents filled in questionnaires measuring their skill-specific and general beliefs about their children's school competencies at the beginning and at the end of the school year. The results showed that parents' beliefs in their children's general …

Ohjausvuorovaikutuksen laatu ja esiopettajien työhyvinvointi: kontekstitekijöiden ja työstä palautumisen merkitys

Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää, missä määrin ohjausvuorovaikutuksen laatu ja esiopettajien työhyvinvointi (koettu stressi ja työstä palautuminen) vaihtelevat suhteessa esiopetuksen kontekstitekijöihin eli esiopetuksen toteutuspaikkaan (päiväkoti tai koulu), ryhmäkokoon ja esiopettajan työkokemukseen. Lisäksi selvitettiin, muuntaako esiopettajien työstä palautuminen ohjausvuorovaikutuksen laadun ja koetun stressin välisiä yhteyksiä esiopetusvuoden aikana. Tutkimukseen osallistui 47 esiopettajaa esiopetusvuoden syksyllä ja keväällä. Ohjausvuorovaikutuksen laatua arvioitiin CLASS Pre-K –havainnointityökalun avulla kolmella osa-alueella: tunnetuki, toiminnan organisointi ja ohjauks…

Oppimisen tukea, yhteisöllisyyttä ja tekstilajien kirjoa : Lukiloki innostaa oppimaan ja opettamaan

Nuoret ideoimassa kirjallisuus-vlogia Zoomissa. Tiimi, joka riimittelee räpit someen koko koulun iloksi. Oppilaskunnan uutisvartti kerran viikossa tai luokan yhteinen lukuhetki aamun aluksi. Mikä saa oppilaasi liikkeelle, mikä innostaa, mikä motivoi ajassa, jossa tutkimukset kertovat lukemisen ja kirjoittamisen taitojen heikkenemisestä? Mistä syntyvät lukemisen ja kirjoittamisen tähtihetket? nonPeerReviewed

VOPA-toimintamalli opettajan vuorovaikutusosaamisen ja arvioinnin tukena

Tässä artikkelissa kuvataan Opettajien arviointiosaaminen oppimisen, osallisuuden ja tuen toteutumisen edistäjänä (OPA)-hankkeen (2018–2021) yhteydessä kehitettyä Vuorovaikutus osana opettajan arviointiosaamista (VOPA) -toimintamallia sekä sen käyttämisestä saatuja kokemuksia. VOPA on tutkimusperustainen ja tiiviisti käytäntöön yhdistyvä toimintamalli, jota niin opettajaksi opiskelevat kuin jo työelämässä olevat opettajat voivat hyödyntää ammatillisen kehittymisen välineenä. VOPA-toimintamallin taustalla on ymmärrys siitä, että laadukas vuorovaikutus edistää oppijoiden oppimista sekä toimii pohjana opettajan toteuttamalle formatiiviselle arvioinnille.VOPA-toimintamallissa keskitytään neljää…

The Role of Reading Disability Risk and Environmental Protective Factors in Students' Reading Fluency in Grade 4

This study examined the role of reading disability (RD) risk and environmental protective factors in reading fluency in grade 4. The sample consisted of 538 Finnish-speaking students. Kindergarten measures included the students' risk for RD based on poor achievement in phonological awareness and letter knowledge as well as information on the three control variables: nonverbal ability, level of parental education, and gender. Measures in grades 1–3 included environmental protective factors: classmate reports of peer acceptance; teacher reports of positive affect for the student; and mother, father, and teacher reports of partnership between the home and the school. The students were also tes…

Parental ability attributions regarding children's academic performance: Person-oriented approach on longitudinal data

The aim of this study was to identify subgroups of mothers and fathers who differ according to the patterns of causal attribution to ability for their children's academic success and failure across early school years. Moreover, the extent to which the mother and father of the same child share the same attribution pattern, and how the attribution patterns are associated with the parents' level of education, children's sex and children's academic performance was investigated. A total of 1721 mothers and 1198 fathers filled out a questionnaire concerning their child-related ability attributions when the children were in Grades 1–3. Five different attribution patterns were identified with laten…

Adolescents' engagement profiles and their association with academic performance and situational engagement

Abstract This study examined adolescents' engagement profiles and their association with situational engagement and academic performance in lower secondary school settings. The data consisted of 301 Grade 7 students from Finland. By utilizing person-oriented approach with Latent Profiling Analysis on subscales capturing students' overall engagement, four subgroups of students with different overall engagement profiles were identified. These profile groups were further analyzed with respect to differences in student background (gender and maternal education), academic performance (GPA, and reading and mathematics tests), and lesson-specific situational engagement. The profile groups showed d…

Dialogical patterns of interaction in pre-school classrooms

Abstract The present study set out to identify and examine dialogic educational interactions in Finnish pre-school classrooms. Video recordings of five observed pre-school classrooms that had shown a high or moderate quality of instructional support in literacy, maths and science studies were transcribed for micro-scale qualitative content analysis. Three patterns of teacher–child interaction emerged: first, a pattern characterised by the teacher making it possible for the children to demonstrate their knowledge and competence; second, a pattern characterised by the teacher supporting the children's participation and diverse contributions; and third, a pattern characterised by the teacher a…

Mothers’ trust toward teachers in relation to teaching practices

Abstract This study examined the extent to which mothers’ trust toward the classroom teacher of their child in first grade is related to observed teaching practices in Finland and Estonia. Sixty-six teachers (32 in Finland, 34 in Estonia) were observed using the Early Childhood Classroom Observation Measure (ECCOM; Stipek & Byler, 2004 ). Mothers in Finland (n = 266) and in Estonia (n = 348) filled in questionnaires measuring their trust in their child's first grade teacher. The connection between mothers’ education, child gender, and classroom size in relation to mothers’ trust was also investigated. The results of multilevel modeling showed that mothers in both countries trusted more in t…

Student Engagement, Truancy, and Cynicism

Abstract Truancy in upper secondary education is a widespread problem, which contributes significantly to school dropout risk. However, the underlying mechanisms of truancy have remained unstudied. This longitudinal study of 1853 Finnish students examined how initial levels and changes in student engagement from primary (Grade 6) to lower secondary school (Grades 7 and 9) predicted truancy in upper secondary education, and whether cynicism (losing interest in school) mediated the relationship between engagement and truancy. Growth curve models showed that high engagement levels in primary school and increases in engagement over time predicted less truancy in upper secondary education. Cynic…

YKÄ : Uusi menetelmä yläkouluikäisten luku- ja kirjoitustaidon arviointiin

Luku- ja kirjoitustaito ovat keskeisiä oppimisen ja kouluttautumisen välineitä. Noin viidennes suomalaisnuorista ei kuitenkaan saavuta peruskoulun aikana riittävää luku- ja kirjoitustaitoa. Tunnistamatta jäävät lukemisen ja kirjoittamisen ongelmat voivat pahimmillaan vaikeuttaa kouluttautumista ja työllistymistä sekä rajoittaa sosiaalista vuorovaikutusta ja osallisuuden mahdollisuuksia tietoyhteiskunnassa. Jotta oikeanlainen tuki pystyttäisiin aloittamaan mahdollisimman aikaisin, lasten ja nuorten lukivaikeuksien luotettava tunnistaminen on erityisen tärkeää. Alakoulussa arvioinnin avuksi on tarjolla monenlaisia välineitä, mutta yläkouluikäisten lukutaidon arviointiin ja lukivaikeuden tunni…

Muutostrendien tarkastelu nuorten koulumotivaatiossa ja -hyvinvoinnissa : kohorttitutkimus yli kolmen ajankohdan

Tässä kohorttitutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin seitsemäsluokkalaisten koulumotivaation sekä kouluhyvinvoinnin tason muutoksia yli kolmen ajankohdan (vuodet 2007, 2010 ja 2014). Vuosien 2007 (N=339) ja 2010 (N=266) aineistot edustavat kahta kohorttia Lapsen Kielen Kehitys-seurannan osallistujista, ja vuoden 2014 (N=1167) aineisto on osa Alkuportaatseurantaa. Tulokset osoittivat, että seitsemäsluokkalaisten kohorteissa koulumotivaatio ja - hyvinvointi muuttuivat vain vähän ajankohdasta toiseen. Nuorten matematiikan arvostus lisääntyi hieman, mutta kiinnostus äidinkieleen heikentyi. Nuorten ilmaisemissa koulutuspyrkimyksissä tapahtui muutosta: yliopisto koulutuspyrkimyksenä oli tyypillisempi ja amm…

Developmental dynamics of achievement strategies, reading performance, and parental beliefs

This study investigates the developmental dynamics between children's achievement strategies, reading performance, and parental beliefs, by using longitudinal data. The reading performances of 111 six- to seven-year-old children were tested four times during their first year of primary school. In the same time, the children's use of a task-avoidant versus a task-focused achievement strategy in the classroom context was rated by their teachers. Parents filled in questionnaires measuring their general beliefs about their children's school performance and their reading-specific beliefs at the beginning and at the end of the school year. The results showed thatparents' beliefs in their children…

Children evoke similar affective and instructional responses from their teachers and mothers

In the present study, we examined the extent to which the responses of teachers and mothers toward a particular child are similar in respect to their instructional support and affect, and whether child characteristics predict these responses. The data of 373 Finnish child–teacher–mother triads (178 girls, 195 boys) were analysed. Teachers and mothers reported their instructional support and affective responses toward a child in the school/homework context in Grades 1, 2, 3, and 4. At the beginning of Grade 1, the children’s performance in reading and math was tested, and teachers evaluated the children’s externalizing and internalizing problem behaviour. The results demonstrated that mothe…

Professional vision in the classroom: Teachers’ knowledge-based reasoning explaining their visual focus of attention to students

This study investigated Grade 2 teachers' (N = 50) professional vision through eye-tracking methodology and retrospective think-aloud interviews. The study examined the extent to which teachers' knowledge-based reasoning explains their visual focus of attention to whole class and individual students. We found that teachers' descriptions of students' social relations and emotions associated positively with teachers' visual focus of attention to the whole class. Teachers' descriptions of teacher-related information/elaboration and pedagogy linked negatively with teachers' visual focus of attention to individual students. The findings suggest that teachers' visual focus of attention to student…

Adolescents' engagement profiles and their association with academic performance and situational engagement

This study examined adolescents' engagement profiles and their association with situational engagement and academic performance in lower secondary school settings. The data consisted of 301 Grade 7 students from Finland. By utilizing person-oriented approach with Latent Profiling Analysis on subscales capturing students' overall engagement, four subgroups of students with different overall engagement profiles were identified. These profile groups were further analyzed with respect to differences in student background (gender and maternal education), academic performance (GPA, and reading and mathematics tests), and lesson-specific situational engagement. The profile groups showed difference…

Early Cognitive Precursors of Children's Mathematics Learning Disability and Persistent Low Achievement: A 5-Year Longitudinal Study.

Mathematical difficulties have been distinguished as mathematics learning disability (MLD) and persistent low achievement (LA). Based on 1,880 Finnish children who were followed from kindergarten (age 6) to fourth grade, this study examined the early risk factors for MLD and LA. Distinct groups of MLD (6.0% of the sample) and LA (25.7%) children were identified on the basis of their mathematics performance between first and fourth grades with latent class growth modeling. Impairment in the same set of cognitive skills, including language, spatial, and counting skills, was found to underlie MLD and LA. The finding highlights the importance of monitoring mathematical development across the ea…

The Role of Parental Beliefs and Practices in Children's Motivation In The Changing World

The role of parental involvement in their child’s education and academic success has been widely acknowledged in recent educational theories, policies, and practices. Parental beliefs and expectations concerning their child’s learning and success have been shown to be reflected in the parents’ involvement in their child’s education and their practices with their offspring, thereby shaping the child’s motivational development in school. In addition, parental trust in their child’s teacher is a key factor in enhancing the home–school partnership and in supporting a child’s academic motivation and successful schooling. However, political, economical, and technological changes in society and un…

A validation of the early childhood classroom observation measure in Finnish and Estonian kindergarten

Research Findings: The aim of the study was to examine the applicability and psychometric properties of the Early Childhood Classroom Observation Measure (ECCOM; D. J. Stipek & P. Byler, 2005) outside the United States. The ECCOM was used to observe 83 kindergarten teachers (49 in Finland and 34 in Estonia) in classroom situations. Self-ratings were obtained of teachers’ teaching practices, curriculum goals, efficacy beliefs, instructional activities, work experience, and group size. The analyses indicated 1-factor solutions for each of the ECCOM dimensions (i.e., Child-Centered, Teacher-Directed, and Child-Dominated) and high reliabilities for all dimensions, subscales (i.e., Management, C…

Comorbid Fluency Difficulties in Reading and Math: Longitudinal Stability Across Early Grades

We examined the prevalence of comorbidity of dysfluent reading and math skills longitudinally in a representative sample ( N = 1,928) and the stability of comorbid and single difficulties from first to fourth grades. The findings indicated that half the children who showed very low performance in one skill also evidenced low or very low performance in the other. Comorbid difficulties had somewhat higher prevalence in third and fourth graders than in first and second graders. The stability of comorbid difficulties was found to be established from Grade 2 onward, but the stability of single difficulties increased steadily across grades. Overall, the findings emphasize the relatively strong s…

Reading Difficulties Identification : A Comparison of Neural Networks, Linear, and Mixture Models

Purpose We aim to identify the most accurate model for predicting adolescent (Grade 9) reading difficulties (RD) in reading fluency and reading comprehension using 17 kindergarten-age variables. Three models (neural networks, linear, and mixture) were compared based on their accuracy in predicting RD. We also examined whether the same or a different set of kindergarten-age factors emerge as the strongest predictors of reading fluency and comprehension difficulties across the models. Method RD were identified in a Finnish sample (N ≈ 2,000) based on Grade 9 difficulties in reading fluency and reading comprehension. The predictors assessed in kindergarten included gender, parental factors (e.…

Variation in situation-specific engagement among lower secondary school students

The majority of previous research has examined school engagement as an overall student characteristic. The present study contributes to the field by examining variation in students' situation-specific engagement from one lesson to another and by investigating situational determinants of such variation. An intensive one-week lesson-to-lesson data collection was conducted in four lower secondary school classrooms. Students rated their situation-specific engagement at the end of each lesson with a mobile-based InSitu instrument. Data comprising a total of 57 students and 1328 ratings were analyzed with two-level hierarchical multivariate model (between students, and within students between les…

Teachers’ Perceived Self-Efficacy and Sense of Inadequacy across Grade 1 : Bidirectional Associations and Related Factors

The present study investigated bidirectional associations between teachers’ sense of inadequacy and self-efficacy and factors related to them across one academic year. Teachers (N = 52) rated their sense of inadequacy and self-efficacy in fall and spring, and reported the number of students in need of support in spring. The results of cross-lagged path models showed that teachers’ sense of inadequacy in fall negatively predicted their subsequent self-efficacy, especially in the dimensions of student engagement and classroom management. In addition, teachers’ work experience and number of students with need of support in terms of social and behavioral problems were related to teacher self-ef…

Oppimisen ja opetuksen tutkimuskeskus tukee opettajan työtä

Predicting word-level reading fluency outcomes in three contrastive groups: Remedial and computer-assisted remedial reading intervention, and mainstream instruction

Abstract The aim of the longitudinal intervention study was to build a model of predictive values of reading fluency in three contrastive reading groups: remedial and computer-assisted remedial reading intervention, and mainstream instruction, to identify the most effective type of intervention for children with different profiles of compromised pre-reading skills. The participants were 7-year-old Finnish school beginners ( N  = 166). Two remedial interventions took place in four weekly sessions of 45 min over a period of 28 weeks in Grade 1. For a child with deficits in the core pre-reading skills (letter knowledge, phonological awareness or rapid automatized naming), the computer-assisted…

Assessment of student engagement among junior high school students and associations with self-esteem, burnout, and academic achievement

Journal for educational research online 8 (2016) 2, S. 136-157

Associations Among Teacher–Child Interactions, Teacher Curriculum Emphases, and Reading Skills in Grade 1

Research Findings: The purpose of the present study was to examine the extent to which the quality of teacher–child interactions and teachers’ self-reported curriculum emphases are related to children’s reading skill development during their 1st school year. To accomplish this, we assessed the reading skills of 1,029 Finnish children (M age = 85.77 months) twice during Grade 1, and the children’s teachers (n = 91) completed questionnaires concerning their literacy-related curriculum emphases. In addition, teacher–child interactions in terms of emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support were observed in 29 classrooms. The results of multilevel modeling showed that a…

Educational dialogue among teachers experiencing different levels of self-efficacy

This study examines the occurrence and quality of educational dialogue in the Grade 1 classrooms of teachers with low, moderate and high self-efficacy beliefs. Video recordings of 24 teachers were analysed based on episodes of educational dialogue and were categorised with respect to patterns of dialogic teaching. Teachers with low levels of self-efficacy conducted educational dialogue the least; they also used less teacher-initiated, high-quality dialogue compared with moderate and high self-efficacy teachers. Teachers with high self-efficacy utilised more child-initiated high-quality dialogue compared with the moderate self-efficacy teachers. The findings are important because they provid…

Kaksivuotisen esiopetuksen kokeilun seurannan ja arvioinnin tuloksia 2021–2022 : Osaraportti 1: Kokeiluasiakirjojen laadinta, arviointi ja käyttöönotto

Opetus- ja kulttuuriministeriön toteuttama kaksivuotisen esiopetuksen kokeilu käynnistyi elokuussa 2021. Tämä raportti on osa kokeilun seurantaa ja arviointia. Sen tulokset perustuvat kahteen keväällä 2022 toteutettuun kyselytutkimukseen: kuntakyselyyn ja opettajakyselyyn. Kyselyissä tarkasteltiin valtakunnallisten kaksivuotisen esiopetuksen kokeilun opetussuunnitelman perusteiden toimeenpanoa sekä kuntien paikallisten kokeiluopetussuunnitelmien laadintaa ja toimeenpanoa toimintakaudella 2021–2022. Lisäksi tarkasteltiin, miten varhaiskasvatusjohtajat ja opettajat arvioivat kyseisten kokeiluasiakirjojen toimivuutta ja tarkoituksenmukaisuutta sekä kuinka työnantaja oli tukenut henkilökunnan p…

LUKILOKI-koulutuksesta eväitä monilukutaidon opetukseen

LUKILOKI-täydennyskoulutus on tarjonnut tutkimustietoa ja käytännön työkaluja yli 1800 opettajalle varhaiskasvatuksesta toiselle asteelle. Koulutus keskittyy oppimisen ja motivaation tukemiseen, monilukutaitoon, kielitietoisuuteen ja monikielisyyteen. Tässä tekstissä kerromme, miten LUKILOKI-koulutus tukee opettajia monilukutaidon ohjaajina. Monilukutaito perustuu laajaan tekstikäsitykseen ja haastaa opettajia muun muassa monipuolistamaan koulun tekstimaailmaa. nonPeerReviewed

Developmental Dynamics of Phonemic Awareness and Reading Performance During the First Year of Primary School

This study investigates prospective relationships between phonemic awareness and reading performance during the first year of Finnish primary school. Pedagogical interest lay in finding out whether systematic use of phonics in reading instruction supported children’s reading performance even if children can already decode. A total of 85 children were examined three times on phonemic awareness and four times on reading performance during the first school year. At the beginning of the school year, they were also tested on initial reading skills. The results showed that the development of phonemic awareness and reading performance was reciprocal. Reading performance predicted phonemic awarene…

A teacher-report measure of children's task-avoidant behavior: A validation study of the Behavioral Strategy Rating Scale

Abstract This study aims to validate a teacher-report measure of children's task-avoidant behavior, namely the Behavioral Strategy Rating Scale (BSRS), in a sample of 352 Finnish children. In each of the four waves from Kindergarten to Grade 2, teachers rated children's task-avoidant behavior using the BSRS, children completed reading and mathematics tests, and trained testers rated children's task-avoidant and social-dependent behavior after the test situation. Mothers also rated children's task-avoidant behavior in the last two waves. The results showed that a two-factor model including one factor representing task avoidance and one method factor accounting for wording effects among the n…

Computer-Assisted Remedial Reading Intervention for School Beginners at Risk for Reading Disability

The aim of the longitudinal study was to investigate whether a computer application designed for remedial reading training can enhance letter knowledge, reading accuracy, fluency, and spelling of at-risk children. The participants, 7-year-old Finnish school beginners (N = 166), were assigned to 1 of 3 groups: (a) regular remedial reading intervention (n = 25), (b) computer-assessed reading intervention (n = 25), and (c) mainstream reading instruction (n = 116). Based on the results, computer-assisted remedial reading intervention was highly beneficial, whereas regular type of intervention was less successful. The results indicated that at-risk children require computer-based letter–name and…

Supportive Parenting Buffers the Effects of Low Peer Acceptance on Children’s Internalizing Problem Behaviors

Background Children who are not accepted in their peer group are at risk of developing internalizing problem behaviors. It is possible, however, that supportive parenting can provide a buffer against the detrimental effects of low peer acceptance. Objective This study examined maternal and paternal affection and psychological control as moderators of the association between children’s peer acceptance during the critical transition to primary school and level and subsequent development of internalizing problem behaviors from first to sixth grade. Method A total of 608 children (264 girls, 344 boys) were rated by their teachers on their internalizing problems in grades 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6. Child…

The role of letters and syllables in typical and dysfluent reading in a transparent orthography

The role of letters and syllables in typical and dysfluent 2nd grade reading in Finnish, a transparent orthography, was assessed by lexical decision and naming tasks. Typical readers did not show reliable word length effects in lexical decision, suggesting establishment of parallel letter processing. However, there were small effects of word syllable structure in both tasks suggesting the presence of some sublexical processing also. Dysfluent readers showed large word length effects in both tasks indicating decoding at the letterphoneme level. When lexical access was required in a lexical decision task, dyslexics additionally chunked the letters into syllables. Response duration measure rev…

Process Quality in Toddler Classrooms in Four European Countries

Research Findings: This study examined whether teacher-child interaction quality varied as a function of type of activity in toddler classrooms in four European countries (Finland, Netherlands, Poland, and Portugal). It also investigated whether specific activity settings, namely levels of adult involvement, use of whole group, and children’s engagement with materials, explained differences in teacher-child interaction quality across activities. Participants were 129 toddler classrooms and their lead teachers, specifically, 28 in the Netherlands, 40 in Finland, 31 in Portugal, and 30 in Poland. Process quality was measured with the CLASS Toddler (La Paro et al., 2012) and the Activity Setti…

Kindergarten teachers adjust their teaching practices in accordance with children's academic pre-skills

This study examined the extent to which kindergarten children’s academic pre‐skills are associated with their teachers’ subsequent teaching practices. The pre‐skills in reading and math of 1268 children (655 boys, 613 girls) were measured in kindergarten in the fall. A pair of trained observers used the Classroom Assessment Scoring System instrument to observe 49 kindergarten teachers on their emotional support, classroom organisation and instructional support in kindergarten in the spring. The results of the multilevel modelling showed that low levels of academic pre‐skills in kindergarten classrooms in the fall predicted high classroom quality in the classrooms later on. The results sugge…

Development of Participation in and Identification With School: Associations With Truancy

This longitudinal study covering two educational transitions examined 1,821 Finnish students’ participation in and identification with school and their associations with students’ academic achievement and truancy. The students were surveyed (a) at the end of primary school, (b) at the beginning of lower secondary school, (c) at the end of lower secondary school, and (d) in the first year of upper secondary education. In alignment with the participation-identification model, higher levels of participation in school activities at the end of primary school predicted higher levels of identification (i.e., feelings of belonging and valuing school) at the end of lower secondary school. This asso…

Intra‐individual dynamics of lesson‐specific engagement: Lagged and cross‐lagged effects from one lesson to the next

Background Student engagement denotes active participation in academic work through commitment and involvement in learning tasks (Appleton et al., 2006, Journal of School Psychology, 44, 427). This study looks at questions such as whether engagement experiences in one lesson have an effect on the next lesson. In the present study, process‐oriented analyses were conducted to examine lower secondary school students’ engagement experiences and the stability of those experiences from one lesson to the next. Aims (1) To what extent are students’ engagement experiences, in terms of behavioural and cognitive engagement, emotional engagement, and disaffection, stable from one lesson to the next (au…

Early Cognitive Profiles Predicting Reading and Arithmetic Skills in Grades 1 and 7

The aim of this study was to investigate cognitive profiles composed of skills predicting the overlap between reading and arithmetic in kindergarten (phonological awareness, letter knowledge, rapid automatized naming, and counting sequence knowledge) and the relation of these profiles to reading and arithmetic skills at Grades 1 and 7. A total of four distinct cognitive profiles were identified in an unselected sample of 1,710 children aged 5–6 years: (1) high linguistic and high counting skills (39.2%), (2) low linguistic and low counting skills (25.4%), (3) high counting skills in relation to linguistic skills (15.3%), and (4) low counting skills in relation to linguistic skills (20.1%). …

Examining the Simple View of Reading in a Transparent Orthography: A Longitudinal Study From Kindergarten to Grade 3

This study examined the dynamic relationships among the components of the Simple View of Reading (SVR) in a transparent orthography (Finnish) and the predictive value of cognitive skills (phonological awareness, letter knowledge, rapid naming, and vocabulary) on the SVR components. Altogether, 1,815 Finnish children were followed from kindergarten to Grade 3. Their cognitive skills were assessed in kindergarten, listening comprehension and reading fluency in Grades 1 and 2, and reading comprehension in Grades 1–3. Reading fluency and listening comprehension accounted for 37% of the variance in reading comprehension in Grade 2 and 28% in Grade 3. The direct effect of reading fluency on readi…

Reciprocal associations among teacher-child interactions, teachers' work engagement, and children's social competence

This study aimed at examining reciprocal associations among teacher–child interactions, teachers' work engagement, and children's social competence across grade 1. The participants were 51 Finnish teachers and 815 children. The quality of teacher–child interactions (emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support) was assessed with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System. In addition, teachers reported their work engagement and rated children's social competence (prosocial and antisocial behaviors). The results of the multilevel modeling indicated that high-quality instructional support was associated with more prosocial and less antisocial behavior. Prosocial behavior …

Early Antecedents of School Burnout in Upper Secondary Education : A Five-year Longitudinal Study

AbstractSchool burnout symptoms are prevalent among upper secondary education students, but thus far, very little is known about the background of these symptoms. The present study examined the extent to which school burnout symptoms (i.e., exhaustion and cynicism) among upper secondary education students have their roots in primary and lower secondary school and whether early antecedents of school burnout symptoms could be identified. The sample consisted of 1544 Finnish students followed up four times (Time1–Time 4) from the end of primary school (T1; mean age 12.74 and range 11.71–14.20) to the first year of upper secondary education (T4; mean age 16.66 and range 15.55–18.39). The result…

Early prediction of reading trajectories of children with and without reading instruction in kindergarten : a comparison study of Estonia and Finland

Background: The present study examined differences in the prediction of reading development and reading difficulties in Estonia (n = 348) and Finland (n = 344). These neighbouring countries share many similarities in terms of their language, orthography and educational system; however, they differ in the timing of the onset of reading instruction, which is kindergarten in Estonia and Grade 1 in Finland. Methods: Children's skills were assessed three times – fall and spring in Grade 1 and spring in Grade 2. Results: The results showed that school‐entry rapid automatised naming and reading fluency predicted the development of fluency in Grade 2, but reading fluency was a stronger predictor in…

The role of part-time special education supporting students with reading and spelling difficulties from grade 1 to grade 2 in Finland

AbstractPrevious studies show that many students with reading and spelling problems have a lack of progress in reading and spelling skills after years of special education services. The aim of the study is to evaluate the reading and spelling skills of Finnish children in grades 1 and 2 receiving part-time special education from special education teachers for reading and spelling difficulties (RSD) and for RSD with other learning difficulties. In this study, the focus is in the roles of the form and the amount of part-time special education in reading and spelling skills development. Of 152 children involved in the study, 98 received part-time special education for RSD, and 54 did not have …

Screening for Slow Reading Acquisition in Norway and Finland : a Quest for Context Specific Predictors

Early identification of children at risk of developing reading difficulties is crucial for effective interventions. While orthographies and educational contexts differ, predictors included in early at-risk screening tend to remain rather homogeneous across countries. In this study, we compared longitudinal prediction patterns of being among the 20 percent lowest performing in reading fluency by the end of Grade 1 in Norway (N = 918) and Finland (N =378). The two countries differ in orthographic consistency (semi-transparent versus transparent), age at school entry and pre-primary education. Letter knowledge, phoneme isolation and rapid automatized naming (RAN) were unique predictors in the …

Social Competence Among 6-year-old Children and Classroom Instructional Support and Teacher Stress

Research Findings: This study examined the extent to which observed classroom quality and teacher stress are associated with children's social competence in classrooms of 6-year-old children (kindergartners in Finland). Assessments of academic pre-skills were available for a total of 1,268 children, and kindergarten teacher ratings of social competence were available for a total of 1,222 children. The kindergarten teachers (N = 137) also provided ratings of their work-related stress. Observations of classroom quality (i.e., emotional and instructional support and classroom organization) were conducted in 49 kindergarten classrooms using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System. The results o…

Task-focused behaviour and literacy development: a reciprocal relationship

University of Jyva¨skyla¨The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to examine the effect of task-focusedbehaviour on reading fluency, spelling and comprehension; and (b) to examine therole of the different literacy skills in subsequent task-focused behaviour. Twohundred and seven Finnish-speaking children were followed from preschool untiltheir fourth year at school and were tested for reading fluency, spelling and readingcomprehension. The teachers also rated the children’s task-focused behaviour. Theresults showed that task-focused behaviour was a significant predictor of laterreading comprehension and spelling skills. However, all three literacy skillspredicted subsequent task-focused beha…

Teacher and student teacher views of agency in feedback

The present study compares the feedback themes that groups of teachers (n = 5) and student teachers (n = 15) discussed in a professional development programme concerning teachers’ classroom interaction and formative assessment, and the agents they assigned the feedback to. The results of the thematic analysis show little variation with the conversation themes between the groups, but they did show more with the appointed agents of feedback themes. The teachers assigned feedback themes to the teacher and the students, as student teachers assigned them to the teacher and the learning environment. By referring to feedback as the shared responsibility of the teacher and students, the teachers de…

Cross-lagged relations between task motivation and performance in arithmetic and literacy in kindergarten

Abstract To examine the cross-lagged relationships between children's task motivation in mathematics and literacy, and their related performance, 139 children aged 5–6 years were examined twice during their kindergarten year. The results showed that only math-related task motivation and arithmetic performance showed cross-lagged relationship: the higher the math-related task motivation children reported in the beginning of the kindergarten year the higher the level of their arithmetic performance at the end of the kindergarten year. Moreover, the higher the level of children's arithmetic performance the more the interest in mathematics children reported later on. Literacy-related task motiv…

Early Language and Literacy Development in the Finnish Context

The role of teaching practices in the development of children’s interest in reading and mathematics in kindergarten

Abstract This study examined the extent to which teaching practices observed in kindergarten classrooms predict children’s interest in reading and mathematics. The pre-skills in reading and mathematics of 515 children were measured at the beginning of their kindergarten year, and their interest in reading and mathematics were assessed in the following spring. A pair of trained observers used the Early Childhood Classroom Observation Measure (ECCOM; Stipek & Byler, 2004 ) to observe the teaching practices used by 49 kindergarten teachers. The results revealed that in classrooms in which the teachers placed greater emphasis on child-centered teaching practices than on teacher-directed practic…

Investigating Bidirectional Links Between the Quality of Teacher-Child Relationships and Children’s Interest and Pre‐Academic Skills in Literacy and Math

This study investigated bidirectional links between the quality of teacher–child relationships and children's interest and pre‐academic skills in literacy and math. Furthermore, differences in the patterns of bidirectionality between boys and girls were explored. Participants were 461 Finnish kindergarteners (6‐year‐olds) and their teachers (n = 48). Teachers reported their closeness and conflict with each child twice throughout the kindergarten year. Children rated their interest in literacy and math, and were tested on their pre‐academic skills. Cross‐lagged path models indicated that teacher‐perceived conflict predicted lower interest and pre‐academic skills in both literacy and math. Re…

Do teachers’ professional vision and teaching experience always go hand in hand? Examining knowledge-based reasoning of Finnish Grade 1 teachers

This mixed-method study explored 54 Finnish Grade 1 teachers' professional vision and teaching experience. Teachers' retrospective think-aloud interviews, conducted while watching their eye-tracking recordings of classroom actions, were analysed according to the domains of knowledge-based reasoning. Negative associations between teaching experience and amount of knowledge-based reasoning were found. The qualitative examination of three teachers with different amounts of teaching experience provided concrete examples and broadened the findings. We suggest that teachers’ knowledge-based reasoning should be seen not only as an ability that increases with experience but also as an ability that …

Elementary school principals’ work from the ecological systems perspective: Evidence from Finland

The present study aimed to investigate elementary school principals’ work from the ecological systems perspective and which elements of their work are experienced as demands or resources. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 principals. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the data. The results show that the way principals experience their work is individual and influenced by several internal and external factors. Some of the most extensive demands appear to be related to interaction with different stakeholders in situations where principals have the role of mediator in solving conflicting situations. Challenges also seem to arise in dealing with elements or issues…

Teacher coping profiles in relation to teacher well-being : a mixed method approach

The aim was to investigate teachers’ coping profiles and their relations to teacher well-being. Questionnaire data was collected from 107 Finnish teachers. Theory-driven content analysis of teachers’ responses revealed three coping categories: problem-focused, emotion-focused and mixed problem- and emotion-focused. Next, teachers were categorized into four coping profiles by using latent profile analysis: Low-coping users (21%), Problem-focused-coping users (15%), High-coping users (12%) and Emotion-focused-coping users (52%). Low-coping-user teachers reported less stress and fewer depressive symptoms and sleep problems compared to Emotion-focused-coping users. Using a compact amount of cop…

Observed Classroom Quality Profiles of Kindergarten Classrooms in Finland

Research Findings: The aim of the present study was to examine classroom quality profiles of kindergarten classrooms using a person-centered approach and to analyze these patterns in regard to teacher and classroom characteristics. Observations of the domains of Emotional Support, Classroom Organization, and Instructional Support were conducted in 49 Finnish kindergarten classrooms utilizing the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (R. C. Pianta, K. M. LaParo, & B. K. Hamre, 2008 ). In addition, questionnaire data on classroom and teacher characteristics, as well as Early Childhood Classroom Observation Measure (D. Stipek & P. Byler, 2004 ) observational ratings, were used in the analyses. L…

Profiles of teaching practices and reading skills at the first and third grade in Finland and Estonia

The Early Childhood Classroom Observation Measure was used to observe 91 first-grade and 70 third-grade teachers in Estonia and Finland. Using a person-oriented approach, four profiles of teaching practices were identified in grade 1: the child-centred style, teacher-directed style, child-dominated style and a mixture of the child-centred and teacher-directed styles. An additional profile, the extreme-child-centred style, was found in grade 3. Children taught by child-centred teachers showed the highest reading skills, whereas children taught by child-dominated teachers showed the lowest skills. More Estonian than Finnish teachers applied the child-dominated style in grade 1 and the extreme…

Exploring agency and entrainment in joint music-making through the reported experiences of students and teachers

This qualitative interview-based study draws on the reported experiences of students and teachers to explore how agency and entrainment resource and constrain each other in joint music-making. The participants were 23 students of Grades 6 and 11 music teachers from different primary schools. The qualitative content analysis of the 11 student pair interviews and 11 one-to-one teacher interviews indicated that experiences of music-related interpersonal entrainment intertwine with different dimensions of agency. In the analysis, four themes were identified as follows: presence, belonging, safety, and continuity. These findings provide insights into the relationship between agency and entrainme…

Task-Focused Behavior Mediates the Associations Between Supportive Interpersonal Environments and Students’ Academic Performance

In the longitudinal study presented here, we tested the theoretical assumption that children’s task-focused behavior in learning situations mediates the associations between supportive interpersonal environments and academic performance. The sample consisted of 2,137 Finnish-speaking children. Data on supportive interpersonal environments (characterized by authoritative parenting, positive teacher affect toward the child, and peer acceptance) were gathered in Grade 1. The children’s task-focused behavior was measured in Grades 2 and 3, and academic performance was measured in Grades 1 and 4. The results supported our assumption by showing that all three supportive environments were positiv…

Task avoidance, number skills and parental learning difficulties as predictors of poor response to instruction.

Altogether 1,285 Finnish children were followed up from the end of kindergarten through Grade 1. All were nonreaders at school entrance. The aim was to delineate predictors of resistance to treatment that are evidenced as little or no reading progress during Grade 1. On the basis of reading achievement in Grade 1 spring, four subgroups were formed. These were fast, average, and slow reading acquisition and slow progress in both reading and math. Kindergarten spring scores in phonological awareness, letter knowledge, rapid naming, and number skills differentiated well among the groups, the latter two being more robust predictors. Task avoidance added to the prediction over and above cogniti…

Social withdrawal in children moderates the association between parenting styles and the children's own socioemotional development.

Background: Social withdrawal in early childhood is a risk factor for later socioemotional difficulties. This study examined the joint effects of children’s social withdrawal and mothers’ and fathers’ parenting styles on children’s socioemotional development. Based on diatheses-stress, vantage sensitivity, and differential susceptibility models, socially withdrawn children were assumed to be more prone to parental influences than others. Methods: Teachers rated 314 children on prosocial skills, and internalizing and externalizing behaviors at three points in time between grades 1–3. Mothers (n = 279) and fathers (n = 182) filled in questionnaires measuring their affection, and their behavio…

Students' Positive Expectations and Concerns Prior to the School Transition to Lower Secondary School

This mixed-method study examines students' expectations and concerns before transitioning from primary to lower secondary school and the role of students' school-related wellbeing and self-esteem in their concerns. Students reported their beliefs about the forthcoming school transition and filled in a questionnaire assessing school burnout and self-esteem. The results showed that the students had positive expectations comprising comfort, friendships, learning, school environment, increased freedom and teacher -student relations. The students' concerns were mainly related to friendships. Furthermore, results indicated that students who reported concerns about peer relations were likely to ex…

Reading development subtypes and their early characteristics.

The present findings are drawn from the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Dyslexia (JLD), in which approximately 100 children with familial risk of dyslexia and 100 control children have been followed from birth. In this paper we report data on the reading development of the JLD children and their classmates, a total of 1,750 children from four measurement points during the first two school years. In the total sample, we examined whether heterogeneous developmental paths can be identified based on profiles of word recognition and reading comprehension. Secondly, we studied what kind of early language and literacy skill profiles and reading experiences characterize the children with differing …

Work-related stress of elementary school principals in Finland: Coping strategies and support

The present study aimed to investigate elementary school principals’ self-reported causes of work-related stress, their coping strategies to deal with stress and the support they need for their leadership. Seventy-six principals filled in the questionnaire, which included open-ended questions. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the data. The results showed that the main sources of stress were workload, interpersonal conflicts, a lack of resources and internal pressures. Moreover, principals used emotion-focused, problem-focused and social coping to deal with stress. Additionally, principals reported a need for problem-focused support and social support for their leadership. T…

Knowledge-building patterns in educational dialogue

This study aimed to examine knowledge-building patterns in Grade 6 educational dialogues. The data consisted of 20 video-recorded lessons from the classes taught by seven teachers, selected by using a latent profile analysis and examined with a qualitative functional analysis of classroom talk. Episodes of educational dialogue were found to represent three main types of knowledge, based on facts, views and experiences. These three types were further identified as forming six diverse knowledge-building patterns in educational dialogues. The findings indicated that factual orientation dominated the Grade 6 lesson dialogues. However, factual knowledge building often occurred with the other two…

The Role of Perceived Social Support as a Contributor to the Successful Transition from Primary to Lower Secondary School

Following approximately 1,800 Finnish children, this longitudinal study examined the associations between students’ perceived social support (teacher-student relationships, family support, and peer support), behavioral engagement, cynicism towards school, and academic achievement during the transition from primary to lower secondary school. After controlling for parental educational level and cynicism before the school transition, the results showed that the more students experienced pre-transition peer support, the less they reported post-transition cynicism. Furthermore, pre-transition peer support contributed to students’ increased academic achievement and behavioral engagement after the…

Directors' stress in day care centers : related factors and coping strategies

PurposeThis study aims to explore what causes stress to day care center directors and what their coping strategies are. In addition, the study examined the extent to which directors experience work-related stress and burnout, and the factors associated with their work-related stress, engagement and recovery from work.Design/methodology/approachA mixed method approach was used.FindingsThe results showed that the main sources of directors' stress were connected to leading oneself, leading others, managing change and lack of social support. Moreover, the main coping strategies with stress were leading oneself, social support and leading others. In addition, both pre- and in-service leadership …

Exploring Parent-Teacher Trust and School Involvement : A Finnish Perspective

Varhaisvuosien kokemukset heijastuvat oppimiseen

Associations Between Reading Skills, Interest in Reading, and Teaching Practices in First Grade

ABSTRACTThis study examined associations between classroom-level reading fluency, comprehension, interest in reading, and teaching practices. Participants were 466 children from 21 classrooms. Reading fluency and interest were assessed at the beginning and end of Grade 1, reading comprehension at the end of Grade 1. Teaching practices were observed with the Early Childhood Classroom Observation Measure (ECCOM). Teachers were more likely to use teacher-directed methods in classrooms where children had poorer initial reading fluency. In classrooms with mostly child-centered methods, children showed better reading fluency, comprehension, and higher interest, whereas in classrooms with predomin…

Reading and math skills development among Finnish primary school children before and after COVID-19 school closure

AbstractThis study quantified the possible learning losses in reading and math skills among a sample of Finnish Grade 3 children (n = 198) who spent 8 weeks in distance learning during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020. We compared their reading and math skill development trajectories across Grades 1, 2, and 4 to a pre-COVID sample (N = 378). We also examined if gender, parental education, maternal homework involvement, and child’s task-avoidant behavior predict children’s academic skills at Grade 4 differently in the pre-COVID sample compared with the COVID sample. Children’s reading and math skills were tested, mothers reported their education and homework involvement…

The effectiveness of increased support in reading and its relationship to teachers' affect and children's motivation

Abstract The aims of this study were, firstly, to identify different groups of teacher–child dyads on the basis of the longitudinal associations between teachers' individual support in reading and children's reading skills, and, secondly, to examine whether the groups thus identified differ with respect to various teacher- and child-related factors. A total of 372 teacher–child dyads were examined. The reading skills of 6- to 7-year-old Finnish-speaking children were measured at the beginning and end of Grade 1. The amount of teachers' support in reading for a particular child was gathered from teachers by questionnaires. Regression Mixture Modeling identified three latent groups of teacher…

A Validation Study of Classroom Assessment Scoring System-Secondary in the Finnish School Context

This study examined the reliability and validity of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System–Secondary (CLASS-S) in Finnish classrooms. Trained observers coded classroom interactions based on video recordings of 46 Grade 6 classrooms (450 cycles). Concurrent associations were investigated with respect to teacher self-ratings (e.g., efficacy beliefs and teaching-related stress). Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the hypothesized three-factor structure of the original CLASS-S (Emotional Support, Organizational Support, and Instructional Support), with some modifications, provided a better fit for the data compared with one- and two-factor structures. Structural validity was demonstrated…

Student behavioral engagement as a mediator between teacher, family, and peer support and school truancy

This study investigated the associations between student's behavioral engagement; teacher, family, and peer emotional support; and school truancy. Student-reported data of 821 Finnish junior high school students were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Teacher and family support were positively associated with student behavioral engagement, which in turn was negatively associated with truancy. Behavioral engagement mediated the associations between teacher and family emotional support and truancy. The results highlight the pivotal roles of teacher and family emotional support in fostering student behavioral engagement and preventing truancy in junior high schools. Students who are …

Elementary school teachers adapt their instructional support according to students' academic skills – A variable and person-oriented approach

This study examined the longitudinal associations between children’s academic skills and the instructional support teachers gave individual students. A total of 253 Finnish children were tested on reading and math skills twice in the first grade and once in the second grade. The teachers of these children rated the instructional support that they gave each child in reading and mathematics. The results showed that the poorer the student’s reading and math skills were, the more support and attention the student received from his or her teacher later on. However, instructional support did not contribute positively to the subsequent development of the students’ academic skills. The person-orie…

Reflections on dialogicity: Challenges and suggestions by mathematics student teachers

Abstract Research related to dialogic teaching has been gaining ground in recent decades. On a theoretical level, researchers have described how sociocultural approaches are linked to dialogic teaching. In addition, empirical studies have explained how dialogic teaching manifests itself in educational dialogue and classroom interactions. However, studies addressing how the dialogic theory and practice could be linked meaningfully in teacher education and professional development programs in subject teacher education and related praxis are still limited. Especially in the case of math teacher education, the reported professional development programs are limited in number. Whereas the tendenc…

Covariation between reading and arithmetic skills from grade 1 to grade 7

This study examined the extent to which reading and arithmetic skills show covariation at Grade 1 and at Grade 7, to what extent this covariation is time-invariant or time-specific, and to what extent different antecedents will predict these time-invariant and time-specific portions of the covariation. The reading and arithmetic skills of a total of 1335 Finnish children were assessed at the end of Grade 1 and then again at the end of Grade 7. Phonological awareness, letter knowledge, rapid automatized naming (RAN), counting, and parental education levels were measured in kindergarten; working memory at Grade 1 and nonverbal reasoning at Grade 3. The results showed that reading and arithmet…

The frequency of parents’ reading-related activities at home and children's reading skills during kindergarten and Grade 1

Abstract This longitudinal study investigated the associations between the frequency of parents’ reading-related activities at home and their children's reading-related skills during the transition from kindergarten to Grade 1. Longitudinal data were obtained for 1436 Finnish children (5- to 6-year-olds at baseline) and their mothers and fathers. 684 girls and 752 boys participating in the study represented four Finnish municipalities. The reading skills of the children were measured four times: at the beginning and at the end of their kindergarten year, and at the beginning and at the end of Grade 1. In kindergarten, decoding tests were administered individually. In Grade 1, group tests in…

Off on the wrong foot : Task avoidance at the outset of primary school anticipates academic difficulties and declining peer acceptance

The present study examined the academic antecedents of declining peer social status. Participants included 545 (311 boys, 234 girls) Finnish students followed from the 1st through the 4th grade (ages 6–8 at outset). Each year, teachers completed assessments of academic task avoidance and students completed standardized measures of reading and math achievement. Acceptance was assayed through peer nominations. Supporting the hypothesized model, the results indicated that a lack of interest and motivation at the outset of primary school leads to a downward spiral of academic difficulties and diminished peer acceptance. Specifically, academic task avoidance in 1st and 2nd grade anticipated decl…

LUKILOKI : virtaa ja välineitä luku- ja kirjoitustaidon ohjaamiseen

“Mukavaa, kun tässä koulutuksessa tutkimus kohtaa arjen”, tiivisti LUKILOKI-koulutuksen osallistuja kokemuksiaan. Valtakunnallisen, 1600 opettajaa tavoittavan LUKILOKI-täydennyskoulutuksen tavoitteena on tarjota opetushenkilöstölle luku- ja kirjoitustaidon ohjaamiseen ja tukemiseen liittyvää tutkimustietoa ja käytännön työkaluja. Koulutuksen keskiössä ovat muun muassa lukumotivaatio, arviointi ja oppimisen tukeminen luki- ja oppimisvaikeuksien sekä S2-opetuksen ja monikielisyyden näkökulmista. Tässä artikkelissa kuvataan hankkeen tavoitteita ja tuotoksia, joita opettajat voivat hyödyntää työnsä tukena. nonPeerReviewed

Maternal teaching of reading and children's reading skills in Grade 1: Patterns and predictors of positive and negative associations

Abstract The main aim of the study was to identify subgroups of children based on the associations between the reported frequency of maternal teaching of reading and children's reading skills, and whether these subgroups differ with respect to mother-related (i.e., education, controlling behavior, and emotions in homework situations) and child-related (i.e., reading habits and gender) background factors. Data were gathered from 1460 mother–child dyads. The reading skills of 6- to 7-year-old Finnish-speaking children were measured at the beginning and at the end of Grade 1. Information from mothers was gathered by questionnaires. Regression Mixture Modeling identified four latent subgroups o…

The home literacy model in a highly transparent orthography

We investigated the extent to which home literacy activities during the preschool year would predict the development of children’s language and literacy skills in primary school, in a highly transparent Finnish language. Also, the correlates of maternal literacy activities during preschool were examined. Literacy and language skills of 1,880 children (6-year-olds at the baseline) were tested at 5 time points from the beginning of preschool to the end of Year 2; mothers filled in questionnaires at the end of preschool. The results showed that home teaching of reading at preschool age predicted children’s emergent literacy (letter knowledge, word reading fluency) in primary school, while shar…

Students’ experiences of their agency in whole-class playing

The agency of primary school students has been studied increasingly in recent years; yet, we know relatively little about student agency in music educational settings or how students experience their participation in joint musical action. This study explores sixth-grade students’ experiences of their agency in whole-class playing. Qualitative content analysis of 11 pair interviews identified vulnerability as an essential element of participating in whole-class playing, highlighting the intrinsically emotional nature of the process, the immediacy of the musically shared moment and the safe place of entrainment. This study elucidates the enactment of agency and the resources facilitating and …

Maternal homework assistance and children's task-persistent behavior in elementary school

The present study used a sample of 365 children to investigate the longitudinal associations between maternal homework assistance (i.e., help, monitoring, and autonomy granting) and children's task-persistent behavior in learning situations from grade 2 to grade 4 of elementary school. Also, the extent to which task-persistent behavior plays a role in the links between parental homework assistance and children's academic performance was examined. The results showed that the more autonomy granting mothers reported, the more task-persistent behavior children exhibited; and more task-persistent behavior children exhibited, the more autonomy their mothers granted. In contrast, the more mothers …

Student Engagement and School Burnout in Finnish Lower-Secondary Schools: Latent Profile Analysis

Self-ratings of behavioural engagement, cognitive engagement and school burnout were used in person-centred analyses to identify latent profiles among 2,485 Finnish lower-secondary school students. Three profiles were identified: high-engagement/low-burnout (40.6% of the sample), average-engagement/average-burnout (53.9%), and low-engagement/high-burnout (5.5%). Another sample of lower-secondary school students was used to validate the 3 profiles. The factors most strongly associated with the high-engagement/low-burnout profile of lower-secondary school students’ were high levels of support from teachers and family, good academic performance, and lack of truancy. The study indicated that te…

Reading Skills, Social Competence, and Physiological Stress in the First Grade

AbstractAn awareness of school-related antecedents of children’s physiological stress at the beginning of school helps educators to prevent and mitigate children’s stress, the one of the major obstacles to their well-being and academic progress. We aimed to study the effect of reading skills and social competence on first-grade students’ salivary cortisol levels in natural settings. Based on previous results of the effects of everyday situations on children’s stress according to gender, we expected that both academic and social skills would affect girls’ physiological stress more, compared to boys. Our sample consisted of 277 students (7–8 years old, 50.2% girls). We used the highest saliva…

The Predictors of Literacy Skills among Monolingual and Bilingual Finnish–Swedish Children During First Grade

The aim of the study was to examine which predictor variables are related to literacy skills among monolingual Swedish (n = 269) and bilingual Finnish–Swedish (n = 229) children at the first grade in the Swedish-speaking schools in Finland. The participants were assessed in phonological awareness, letter knowledge, rapid automatized naming (RAN), word recognition, reading fluency, and spelling. The results showed that RAN was the most significant predictor of reading and spelling skills in both language groups, and monolingual children performed significantly better in RAN. Moreover, letter knowledge predicted reading and spelling skills in both groups. However, no significant differences b…

Yksinkertainen lukemisen malli Suomen kielessä: pitkittäistutkimus esikoulusta 3. luokalle

Reading performance and its developmental trajectories during the first and the second grade

Abstract This study examined children’s reading performance and its developmental trajectories during the first and the second grade. Ninety children were tested five times on word reading and reading comprehension. Qualitatively different groups were identified through cluster analysis: Competent, Technical, and Poor Readers. The results showed that the group membership in the Competent and Technical Reader groups was relatively stable across time but less so for the Poor Reader group. Moreover, seven reading paths were identified of which three were comparatively regressive paths. The results emphasize the importance of taking into account individual variation in reading trajectories duri…

Development of pre-academic skills and motivation in kindergarten : a subgroup analysis between classroom quality profiles

AbstractThe present study extends research on classroom quality profiles by examining the differences between profiles with respect to children’s development in pre-academic skills and motivation across the kindergarten year. Teacher–child interactions were observed in 49 Finnish kindergarten classrooms using the CLASS Pre-K instrument. Based on prior identification of latent profiles of classroom quality, subgroup analyses on children’s data were carried out on three profiles representing high Emotional Support and Classroom Organisation and intermediate Instructional Support (Profile 1), higher-intermediate Emotional Support and Classroom Organisation and lower-intermediate Instructional …

The cross-lagged relations between children’s academic skill development, task-avoidance, and parental beliefs about success.

Abstract This longitudinal study investigated the cross-lagged associations between children’s academic skill development, task-avoidant behaviour in the context of homework, and parental beliefs about their child’s success from kindergarten to Grade 2. The participants were 1267 children. The children’s pre-skills were assessed at the end of the kindergarten year, and math and reading skills at the end of Grade 1 and Grade 2. Parents provided ratings of their beliefs about their children’s school success and task-avoidant behaviour with regard to homework at the end of Grades 1 and 2. The results showed that children’s math and reading skills predicted children’s task-avoidant behaviour re…

Teachers’ occupational well-being in relation to teacher–student interactions at the lower secondary school level

This study investigated the relation between teachers’ occupational well-being and the quality of teacher–student interactions in lower secondary schools in Finland. Teachers (N = 48) self-rated their occupational well-being in terms of engagement, stress, job demands, and emotional exhaustion. Teacher–student interactions in classrooms were video-recorded and coded with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System. The results of multivariate regression analyses showed that teachers who reported higher work-related stress were observed with a lower quality of emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support when controlling for background factors. It is proposed that the obs…

Relations Between Achievement Goal Orientations and Math Achievement in Primary Grades: A Follow‐Up Study

The aim of the present study was to investigate children’s achievement goal orientations and their relations to math achievement in the primary grades. The sample consisted of 179 children who were in the 2nd and 3rd grades during the first measurement and in the 3rd and 4th grades during the second measurement. Children’s self‐ratings were obtained on their goal orientations, their math performance was tested and their math grades were taken into account. Teacher ratings were obtained on each child’s effort in class. Children’s self‐reported performance‐avoidance goals were found to be related to their achievement outcomes. Math achievement seems to influence children’s achievement goal or…

Maternal literacy teaching, causal attributions and children’s literacy skills in Finnish-speaking and language minority families

Abstract This study investigated the effect of mothers’ (language minority group mothers, LM, n = 49, and Finnish speaking mothers, MP, n = 368) literacy teaching at home, and mothers’ causal attributions of their children’s (mean age 11.48 years) literacy skills at fourth grade in Finland. For Finnish speaking mothers, results showed a negative correlation between the amount of literacy taught at home and children’s performance on reading tests i.e., more teaching was associated with poorer performance and vice versa. Also, the more MP mothers measured their children’s success by their ability, the better their children performed in reading comprehension tests. In the LM group, maternal li…

Teacher beliefs about student agency in whole-class playing

This study explores music teachers’ beliefs of student agency in whole-class playing and investigates what characterises student agency through teachers’ values, actions and observations within this unique multimodal and -dimensional learning environment. Our abductive analysis of 11 interviews reveals that the role of teacher support is significant in enacting students’ agency. This study provides insights into student agency through the eyes and actions of teachers within the context of whole-class playing and suggests that the enactment of different aspects of student agency is an essential feature necessary for whole-class playing to succeed. peerReviewed

Maternal homework assistance and children's task-persistent behavior in elementary school

Abstract The present study used a sample of 365 children to investigate the longitudinal associations between maternal homework assistance (i.e., help, monitoring, and autonomy granting) and children's task-persistent behavior in learning situations from grade 2 to grade 4 of elementary school. Also, the extent to which task-persistent behavior plays a role in the links between parental homework assistance and children's academic performance was examined. The results showed that the more autonomy granting mothers reported, the more task-persistent behavior children exhibited; and more task-persistent behavior children exhibited, the more autonomy their mothers granted. In contrast, the more…

Aapinen ja lukutaidon opetus

Assessment conceptions of Finnish pre-service teachers

The aim of this quantitative survey study (N = 287) was to investigate the assessment conceptions of three different pre-service teacher groups (classroom teachers, subject teachers and special needs teachers). Assessment conceptions were best described by the following three main factors: 1) assessment of learning, 2) assessment for teaching and learning and 3) assessment as a harmful action. These main factors were clustered into three assessment conception profiles – assessment-cautious, assessment-positive and assessment-critical. Pre-service special needs teachers showed more assessment-oriented conceptions emphasising both the assessment of learning and assessment for learning than th…

Cross-lagged associations between problem behaviors and teacher-student relationships in early adolescence

This study investigated the cross-lagged associations between teacher-student relationships and problem behaviors in a sample of 440 Finnish students (half of them identified as being at risk of reading difficulties). The degree to which these associations were moderated by a child’s gender, academic performance, risk for reading difficulties, parental education, and having the same teacher over 2 years was examined. The teachers evaluated the students’ problem behaviors and reported closeness and conflict with a particular student. The results showed that the higher the students scored on externalizing problems in Grade 4, the more conflict teachers reported 2 years later. Moderator analy…

Changes in Students' Psychological Well-Being during Transition from Primary School to Lower Secondary School : A Person-Centered Approach

This person-centered study examined the patterns and the dynamics of pattern change based on 1666 Finnish students' self-reported psychological well-being during the transition from primary school to lower secondary school. Moreover, we examined the stability in the profile memberships and the influence of changes in perceived support from teachers, families, and peers on changes in students' psychological well-being. Six student profiles were identified using the I-states-as-objects-analysis (ISOA) procedure: (a) High well-being profile; (b) Average well-being but low educational aspirations profile; (c) Low well-being profile; (d) Low well-being but high educational aspirations profile; (…

Children’s beliefs concerning their school performance at the end of the first grade in Finland

This study examines primary-school children’s beliefs about their school performance at the end of their first school year in Finland and feedback that they have received, and furthermore possible gender differences between these beliefs. Children from Grade 1 (N = 544), approximately 7 years old, were interviewed. The data were assessed using problem-driven content analyzis and inductive reasoning. The analyzis revealed ten categories of children’s beliefs regarding their school success and failure. The results showed that more than one-third of the children believed that they were succeeding well at school. More boys than girls mentioned that they succeeded in mathematics, and more girls …

Classroom effect on primary school students’ self-concept in literacy and mathematics

AbstractAccording to the big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLP) model, high individual academic performance in a particular subject is related to high self-concept in that subject, whereas high average classroom performance has a negative effect on self-concept. In the present study, data from Finnish primary school students in grade 3 (504 students), grade 4 (487 students), and grade 6 (365 students) are used to examine whether the assumptions of the BFLP effect model hold already in primary school. Furthermore, we examined gender differences in BFLP effect. The results showed that as expected students’ high performance in literacy and in mathematics was related to high self-concept in the sam…

Varhaislapsuuden lukuhetket tukevat lukutaitoa

Suomalaiset vanhemmat arvostavat luk emista . He myös mielellään vahvistavat lastensa kiinnostusta lukemis ta kohtaan tietoisesti ja tiedostamattaan jo paljon ennen varsinaista koulun alk ua . Lapselle voidaan esimerkiksi lukea iltasatua ääneen, käydä yhdessä kirjastossa, ostaa la sten kirjoja tai tilata lastenlehtiä luettavaksi. Näin pieni lapsi altistuu ko tona kielellisille virikkeille ja tutustuu tekstin käytäntöihin ja periaatteisiin varhaislapsuudessa . nonPeerReviewed

Mutual Trust between Kindergarten Teachers and Mothers and its Associations with Family Characteristics in Estonia and Finland

Mutual trust between mothers and kindergarten teachers along with its relation to mother’s educational level and child’s gender was studied in two neighboring countries—Estonia and Finland. From Estonia 543 ratings of mothers and 232 ratings of teachers were collected, and, from Finland, 712 ratings of mothers and 712 ratings of teachers. Trust was assessed with shortened questionnaires based on the Trust scale. More Finnish than Estonian mothers reported a higher level of trust towards the teacher while no significant difference was found for teachers. The associations between the level of mothers’ and teachers’ trust and mother’s education were different in each country.

Long-Term Intervention Effects of Spelling Development for Children With Compromised Preliteracy Skills

The aim of this longitudinal study was to build a model of the predictive values (poor phonological awareness, low letter knowledge, and slow naming speed) of spelling in 3 contrasting reading groups: a regular and a computer-assisted remedial intervention and mainstream instruction. The participants were 7-year-old Finnish school beginners (N = 166). The interventions took place in 4 weekly sessions of 45 min each over a period of 28 weeks in groups of 5 during Grade 1. We compared postintervention spelling development across the groups. The children who received systematic phonics-based training via the computer-assisted intervention reached the postinstruction level of the mainstream gro…

Development of silent reading fluency and reading comprehension across grades 1 to 9 : unidirectional or bidirectional effects between the two skills?

Purpose This study examines the developmental interplay between silent reading fluency and reading comprehension from Grade 1 to Grade 9 (age 7 to 15) in a large Finnish sample (N = 2,518). Of particular interest was whether the associations are bidirectional or unidirectional. Methods Children’s silent reading fluency and reading comprehension skills were assessed using group-administered tests, at seven time points, in Grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 9. A random intercept cross-lagged panel model with latent factors was used to identify between- and within-person associations between silent reading fluency and reading comprehension. The use of latent factors allowed for the controlling of me…

Dialogue through the eyes: Exploring teachers’ focus of attention during educational dialogue

Abstract This study explored teachers’ focus of attention during educational dialogue. Teachers’ focus of attention was recorded in 54 Grade 1 classrooms using Tobii Pro Glasses 2 mobile eye-tracking device. From the video recordings, episodes of educational dialogue were identified and categorised by quality. Teacher’s focus of attention on students was examined during the dialogue episodes. Results showed that teachers allocated their attention relatively unevenly among the students. More students got visual attention during high-quality educational dialogue than during moderate-quality dialogue. This study provides insight into the quality of educational dialogue by combining assessment …

Longitudinal associations between teacher-child interactions and academic skills in elementary school

This study examined the extent to which the quality of teacher-child interactions assessed in kindergarten (6-year-olds) is associated with children's reading and math development across the elementary school years. The sample consisted of 515 Finnish children (271 boys, 244 girls). Teacher-child interactions were observed in 49 kindergarten classrooms. The findings from the latent growth curve models showed that high-quality teacher–child interactions in kindergarten were positively associated with the initial levels of reading and math skills. Furthermore, the results indicated that high-quality teacher-child interactions in kindergarten were positively associated with children's academic…

Teachers’ Focus of Attention in First-grade Classrooms: Exploring Teachers Experiencing Less and More Stress Using Mobile Eye-tracking

This study investigated teachers’ focus of attention and stress in first-grade classrooms. Teachers’ (n = 53) focus of attention was recorded in fall and spring with a mobile eye-tracking device, and the teachers reported stress via questionnaires. Correlation analysis was used to examine association between teacher stress (exhaustion, cynicism, and inadequacy) and focus of attention. Then, one teacher reporting more stress and one reporting less stress were selected for a case study to examine variations in their focus of attention. The results showed positive associations between teachers’ perceived inadequacy and overall focus of attention (whole eye-tracking recording) both in fall and …

Counting and rapid naming predict the fluency of arithmetic and reading skills

Understanding of the factors that underlie the development of fluency in reading and arithmetic is limited. This longitudinal study examined whether verbal counting and rapid automatized naming (RAN) were predictors of arithmetic and reading fluency in a population-based sample and to what extent related early emerging cognitive abilities and socioeconomic background accounted for the predictive power of counting and RAN. In addition, in order to examine the uniqueness of counting as a numerical predictor of reading fluency, the influence of another early number skill—number concept—was controlled. Three hundred and seventy-eight Finnish children were followed from kindergarten to Grade 3 (…

Minäuskomukset ja matematiikan oppiminen : Matematiikan Maailmaan -hankkeen kokemuksia

Matematiikan taitojen kehitystä ohjaavat taitojen oppimiseen liittyvien alkuvalmiuksien ohella erilaiset emotionaaliset tekijät, kuten oppilaan uskomukset itsestään matematiikan osaajana. Nämä uskomukset alkavat muodostua jo varhain suunnaten matematiikan oppimiseen liittyvää kiinnostusta ja vaikuttaen työskentelyyn oppimistilanteissa. Matematiikkaan liittyvien minäuskomusten muodostumiseen esi- ja alkuopetusiässä on kuitenkin tähän saakka kiinnitetty vähän huomiota. Jyväskylän yliopiston opettajankoulutuslaitoksen Matematiikan Maailmaan (MaMa) -kehittämishankkeen tavoitteena oli Opettajankoulutusfoorumin opettajankoulutuksen kehittämisohjelman periaatteiden mukaisesti vahvistaa opettajanko…

The role of part-time special education supporting students with reading and spelling difficulties from grade 1 to grade 2 in Finland

Previous studies show that many students with reading and spelling problems have a lack of progress in reading and spelling skills after years of special education services. The aim of the study is to evaluate the reading and spelling skills of Finnish children in grades 1 and 2 receiving part-time special education from special education teachers for reading and spelling difficulties (RSD) and for RSD with other learning difficulties. In this study, the focus is in the roles of the form and the amount of part-time special education in reading and spelling skills development. Of 152 children involved in the study, 98 received part-time special education for RSD, and 54 did not have RSD and …

Promotion of school engagement through dialogic teaching practices in the context of a teacher professional development programme

This study was conducted in the context of a teacher professional development programme that aimed to improve dialogic teaching in the classroom, and it describes the programme and examines the change in teachers' dialogic teaching practices and pupils' classroom engagement during the programme. Data on pupils' school engagement were collected using classroom video recordings and students' self-ratings at the end of the lesson including dialogic teaching practices. The participants comprised seven in-service teachers and their 140 pupils (10- to 15-year-olds) from two comprehensive schools. The findings indicated positive change in the use of dialogic teaching practices and in observed pupi…

School grades as predictors of self-esteem and changes in internalizing problems: A longitudinal study from fourth through seventh grade

This longitudinal study of 562 students (from ages 10 to 13) investigated whether developmental changes in internalizing problems (emotional and peer problems) can be predicted by school grades in mathematics and language arts and whether these predictive relations are mediated by students' self-esteem. The data comprised of teacher-rated internalizing problems, grades in math and language arts, and student self-ratings of self-esteem. The latent change score modeling indicated that math grades positively predicted self-esteem. Furthermore, lower self-esteem was related to an increase in internalizing and emotional problems in the total sample, and to an increase in peer problems in boys. T…

Instructional support predicts children’s task avoidance in kindergarten

Abstract This study examined the role of observed classroom quality in children's task-avoidant behavior and math skills in kindergarten. To investigate this, 1268 children were tested twice on their math skills during their kindergarten year. Kindergarten teachers ( N  = 137) filled in questionnaires measuring their professional experience and also rated the children on their task-avoidant versus task-focused behaviors. Trained observers used the CLASS instrument ( Pianta, La Paro, & Hamre, 2008 ) to observe 49 kindergarten teachers (out of 137) on their emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support. The results of multilevel modeling showed that kindergarten classro…

Teacher-student interaction and lower secondary school students’ situational engagement

Background: Prior research has shown that engagement plays a significant role in students’ academic learning. Aims: The present study sought to expand the current understanding of students’ engagement by examining how situational engagement during a particular lesson is associated with the observed teacher–student classroom interactions (i.e., emotional support, instructional support, and classroom organization) in the same lesson. Sample: The participants were 709 Grade 7 students (47.7% girls) from 59 classrooms in 26 lower secondary schools and 51 teachers. Methods: The data consisted of 155 video‐recorded lessons (90 language arts and 65 mathematics lessons) coded using the Classroom As…

Students' academic and emotional adjustment during the transition from primary to secondary school

The current study examined several indicators of students' academic and emotional adjustment during the transition from primary (i.e., grade 6) to secondary school (i.e., grades 7 and 9). Specifically, the study investigated how students' engagement, achievement, and burnout, as well as student-teacher conflict, evolve together over time. A total of 356 adolescents (57.3% boys) filled out questionnaires about their burnout and their behavioral and cognitive engagement. Students' achievement was measured using standardized test scores. Conflict in the teacher-student relationship was assessed using teacher ratings. Cross-lagged models revealed bi-directional associations between behavioral a…

Yhteistoiminnallinen tarinoiden kirjoittaminen alkuopetuksessa

Psychological Detachment as a Mediator Between Successive Days Job Stress and Negative Affect of Teachers

The study investigated the mediating role of teachers' psychological detachment between successive days' job stress and negative affect. Fifty-seven Finnish teachers answered to a mobile diary four times a day on two successive workdays assessing their negative affect, three times a day assessing their job stress and once a day after work assessing their psychological detachment from work. Two-level modeling on both the between individual level and within day level was used to test the mediational model. The data supported the mediational model where teachers' job stress hinders their psychological detachment, which again increases their negative affect and job stress on the subsequent day.…

The impact of children’s socioemotional development on parenting styles: the moderating effect of social withdrawal

This study focused on associations between children’s socioemotional development (prosocial behaviour, internalizing and externalizing problems) and parenting styles (affection, behavioural control, and psychological control), and the moderating role of children’s social withdrawal (as a temperamental characteristic) in these associations. Children’s socioemotional development (n = 314) were rated by teachers at three-time points (grades 1–3). Parents completed questionnaires measuring their parenting styles at the same three-time points. The level of social withdrawal was obtained at the end of kindergarten from teachers’ reports. Panel analysis showed that prosocial behaviour was associat…

Developmental profiles of reading fluency and reading comprehension from grades 1 to 9 and their early identification.

This study examined developmental profiles of reading fluency and reading comprehension in Grades 1 to 9 (ages 7 to 15) in a large Finnish sample (N = 2,518). In addition, early predictors of the profiles were analyzed with respect to kindergarten cognitive skills (phonological awareness, letter knowledge, rapid automized naming [RAN], number counting, word reading, vocabulary, and listening comprehension), parental factors (level of education, reading difficulties), and gender. Four different profiles of reading fluency and reading comprehension development were identified using latent profile analysis. These comprised one profile with persistent reading difficulties across the grades, one…

Externalizing behavior problems and interest in reading as predictors of later reading skills and educational aspirations

This study examined the developments in children’s externalizing problems and interest in reading during their first four years of school (Grades 1–4) and investigated whether this development predicted the children’s Grade 6 reading skills and educational aspirations. Data comprised (1) teachers’ ratings of externalizing problems and children’s (N = 642; 43% girls) self-ratings of their interest in reading, collected between Grades 1 and 4, and (2) measures of reading fluency and comprehension, and children’s self-reports of educational aspirations, collected at Grade 6. First, latent growth modeling showed that a higher level of externalizing problems in Grade 1 was associated with a lowe…

Maternal Affection Moderates the Associations Between Parenting Stress and Early Adolescents’ Externalizing and Internalizing Behavior

The present study investigated the role of parenting stress in early adolescents’ externalizing and internalizing behavior and, particularly, the moderating effect of maternal affection on these associations. The data of 992 early adolescents ([Formula: see text]; 454 girls) and their mothers during the transition from primary school to lower secondary school were analyzed. The results showed that when maternal affection was low, parenting stress was not related to the changes in early adolescents’ externalizing or internalizing behavior. In contrast, when maternal affection was high, low parenting stress related to a decrease and high parenting stress to an increase in such behavior. The …

Professional vision of Grade 1 teachers experiencing different levels of work-related stress

This study explored teachers' professional vision by examining how teachers experiencing low, moderate and high work-related stress reason their eye-tracking recordings in terms of description, explanation and prediction. A qualitative analysis of retrospective think-aloud interviews with 24 Grade 1 teachers showed that teachers predominantly used description in their reasoning, while explanation and prediction were less frequent. The description mainly focused on teacher information/elaboration and classroom management/behaviour. Teachers with moderate stress utilised self-reflection most frequently, whereas teachers with high stress utilised it the least. The results suggest that the leve…

Home Literacy Activities and Children’s Reading Skills, Independent Reading, and Interest in Literacy Activities From Kindergarten to Grade 2

According to the Home Literacy Model (Sénéchal and LeFevre, 2002, 2014), young children can be exposed to two distinct types of literacy activities at home. First, meaning-related literacy activities are those where print is present but is not the focus of the parent–child interaction, for example, when parents read storybooks to their children. In contrast, code-related literacy activities focus on the print, for example, activities such as when parents teach their children the names and sounds of letters or to read words. The present study was conducted to expand the Home Literacy Model by examining its relation with children’s engagement in literacy activities at home and at school as Fi…

ILS – ett nytt finlandssvenskt material för kartläggning av läsning och skrivning

Det har inte funnits tillräckligt med forskningsbaserade verktyg för kartläggning av finlandssvenska barns inlärningsmässiga och språkliga svårigheter. I samarbete mellan ILS-projektet vid Niilo Mäki Institutet och Åbo Akademi, normerades två benämningstest för finlandssvenska barn i åldern 6–12 år. Med hjälp av testen kan man både kartlägga och följa upp benämningsförmågan, men även planera olika stödinsatser. SSB – Test i Snabb Seriell Benämning mäter benämningshastigheten och antalet benämningsfel när olika stimuli presenteras i ordningsföljd. VBT – Verbbenämningstestet å sin sida mäter noggrannheten gällande benämning av enskilda bilder som föreställer olika slags handlingar. I den här …

Teachers’ Ability to Identify Children at Early Risk for Reading Difficulties in Grade 1

The aim of the study was to investigate what kinds of assessment practices classroom teachers and special educational needs (SEN) teachers use in assessing first grade students' pre-reading skills (letter knowledge and phonological skills). Further, we investigated to what extent teachers were able to identify difficulties in pre-reading skills of the children with the lowest achievement scores. The accuracy of teacher ratings of students' pre-reading skills was studied by comparing teacher ratings to actual test scores. The data from two Finnish longitudinal studies were used: JLD sample (class teachers, n = 91; SEN teachers, n = 51; 200 students) and First Steps sample (class teachers, n …

Literacy instruction in first grade: classroom‐level associations between reading skills and literacy instruction activities

Background Adapting instruction to individual students' needs is known to be effective, but there is a lack of evidence whether students' reading skills are associated with literacy instruction activities at classroom-level. Both the content of the literacy instruction and teachers' instructional support through instructional management are considered. Methods The data were collected in the context of Finland where first graders' reading skills show great variation at school entry but rapid progress. Students (n = 616) were individually tested on their reading skills, and literacy lessons in 35 classrooms were video recorded in the autumn of first grade. Multilevel path analyses were conduc…

Scaffolding through dialogic teaching in early school classrooms

The present study examines what types of dialogic teaching patterns can be identified in the early school years, and how teachers scaffold children's participation and shared understanding through dialogic teaching. Thirty recorded lessons from preschool to Grade 2 in Finnish classrooms were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Two teacher-initiated and two child-initiated dialogic teaching patterns were identified. Teacher's scaffolding in teacher-initiated dialogues was characterised by high responsibility in maintaining the interactional flow and utilisation of diverse strategies. In the child-initiated dialogues, the teachers' scaffolding consisted of listening and inquiry, and …

Äitien antaman tuen merkitys nuorten ongelmakäyttäytymiselle alakoulusta yläkouluun siirryttäessä

Tutkimuksessa selvitettiin äitien antaman tuen yhteyttä nuorten sisään- ja ulospäinsuuntautuvaan ongelmakäyttäytymiseen alakoulusta yläkouluun siirryttäessä. Äitien antaman tuen osa-alueina tarkasteltiin äitien nuorelleen osoittamaa lämpimyyttä, tietämystä nuoren tekemisistä, nuoren kanssa keskustelemista sekä kotitehtävissä auttamista, ohjaamista ja nuoren autonomian tukemista. Tutkimus on osa laajempaa Alkuportaat-seurantatutkimusta, jossa oppilaita on tutkittu esiopetuksesta yhdeksännelle luokalle. Aineisto kerättiin keväällä 2013 oppilaiden ollessa kuudennella luokalla (922 oppilasta ja 508 äitiä) ja keväällä 2014 oppilaiden ollessa seitsemännellä luokalla (860 oppilasta ja 428 äitiä). …

Patterns of dialogic teaching in kindergarten classrooms of Finland and the United Arab Emirates

Abstract The present study explored patterns of dialogic teaching in kindergarten classrooms across two countries with different educational systems and cultural backgrounds: Finland and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In each country, transcripts of thirteen learning sessions were analyzed by identifying episodes of educational dialogue and categorizing them with regard to previously identified patterns of dialogic teaching. Results showed that teachers, rather than students, initiated dialogue. Further, teacher-initiated teaching dialogue of high quality was the dominant dialogue pattern. Comparisons across countries revealed less educational dialogue and more teacher-initiated questions …

Tarkkaavaisuus- ja lukusujuvuusongelmien päällekkäistyminen toisella luokalla ja yhteys myöhempään lukusujuvuuden sekä luetun ymmärtämisen kehittymiseen

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää, ennustavatko tarkkaavaisuus- tai lukusujuvuusongelmat tai niiden päällekkäistyminen toisella luokalla lukusujuvuuden tai luetun ymmärtämisen kehitystä kolmannella ja neljännellä luokalla. Tutkimus on osa Alkuportaat-seurantatutkimusta ja pohjautuu Emmi Ulvisen pro gradu -tutkielmaan (2012). Aineisto (n = 465) kerättiin vuosina 2009, 2010 ja 2011, jolloin lapset olivat toisella, kolmannella ja neljännellä luokalla. Tutkimusmenetelminä käytettiin yksilö- ja ryhmätehtäviä lapsille sekä opettajakyselyä. Tutkittavat jaettiin seuraaviin alaryhmiin toisen luokan keväällä arvioitujen tarkkaavaisuus- ja lukusujuvuusongelmien perusteella: 1) ikätasoinen lukusuju…

Developmental profiles of task-avoidant behaviour and reading skills in Grades 1 and 2

Abstract A latent profile analysis approach was used to examine the developmental profiles of task-avoidant behaviour and reading skills in Grades 1 and 2, as well as their antecedents in kindergarten. The participants in this study were 448 children. Four different developmental profiles of task-avoidant behaviour and reading skills were identified. Our results showed that task-avoidant behaviour and reading problems do not coincide for all children. Parents' educational level differentiated between the profile groups. Comparisons of kindergarten skills between the groups showed that social competence skills in kindergarten helped to differentiate between the profile groups with varying le…

Changes in achievement values from primary to lower secondary school among students with and without externalizing problems

This study examined the effect of students' externalizing problems on changes in values that they attach to math across the transition from primary to lower secondary school. Data pertaining to externalizing problems and to intrinsic, attainment, and utility values in math were gathered using the self-ratings of students in Grades 6 and 7. The analysis involved a comparison between students who reported persistent high externalizing problems before and after the transition (n = 63; 59% boys) and those who had low or non-existent externalizing problems before and after the transition (n = 1352; 50% boys). The results of a mixed-design analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed uniformly that stu…

The relationship between classroom quality and students' engagement in secondary school

Student engagement has been identified as an influential mediator between classroom interactional quality and adolescent learning outcomes. This study examined the relationship between classroom quality and student behavioural engagement in secondary school classrooms. Three dimensions of classroom quality (emotional, organisational and instructional support) and the dimension of student engagement were observed in nine classrooms using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System. Self-ratings of behavioural engagement were provided by 181 Finnish secondary school students along with their teachers’ ratings of classroom-level student engagement. The results showed, first, that there was variati…

Opettajien työhyvinvointi ja sen yhteys pedagogisen työn laatuun

The aim of the study was to examine the factors related to teachers’ stress and well-being at work, and how teachers’ occupational well-being is associated with the pedagogical quality of their work in the classroom. Moreover, we investigated the factors related to teachers’ work engagement and recovery from work. Questionnaire data was collected from 54 first grade teachers from Central Finland in fall 2017 and spring 2018. The questionnaire included background information about the teacher and the class, the teachers’ experiences of their occupational well-being, work-related stress, and burnout, as well as their recovery from work, work engagement, and interactional style in the classroo…

Varhaiskasvatussuunnitelman perusteiden 2016 toimeenpanon arviointi : varhaiskasvatussuunnitelmien käyttöönotto ja sisällöt

Maternal parenting styles, homework help, and children’s literacy development in language minority and Finnish-speaking families

The aim of this study was to examine the role of mothers’ (language minority mothers, LM, n = 49, and Finnish-speaking mothers, MP, n = 368) parenting styles and maternal help with their children’s homework in the children’s (mean age 11.43 years) literacy skills at fourth grade in Finland. In addition, the moderating effect of a child’s gender on this relationship was investigated. The results showed that the LM mothers used psychological control more than MP mothers. Furthermore, the more LM mothers used warmth and psychological styles of parenting, the more they helped their daughters, not sons, with homework. MP mothers’ parenting styles did not relate to their children’s reading and sp…

Oppilaslähtöisyyden ja dialogisuuden ilmeneminen matematiikan opetuskeskusteluissa

Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan, miten oppilaslähtöisyys ja dialogisuus ilmenevät matematiikassa ja miten ne kytkeytyvät toisiinsa erityisesti oppilaiden näkökulmien, ajatusten ja kokemusten huomioimisen kautta. Tutkimuksen aineistoksi valittiin matematiikan aineenopettajaopiskelijoiden pitämiä oppitunteja, joissa havaittiin keskimääräisesti enemmän oppilaslähtöisyyden ja dialogisuuden ilmenemismuotoja. Keskustelunanalyysin keinoin osoitettiin, että oppilaslähtöisyyttä ja dialogisuutta voidaan edistää niin matematiikkaa kuin muitakin aiheita käsittelevissä opetuskeskusteluissa. Esimerkkien avulla pohditaan, miten vallitseva auktoritatiivinen ja oppiainekeskeinen opetusvuorovaikutus on haa…

Child-centered versus teacher-directed teaching practices: Associations with the development of academic skills in the first grade at school

This study examined the extent to which child-centered versus teacher-directed teaching practices predicted the development of children's reading and math skills in the first year of elementary school. In addition, we investigated whether associations between teaching practices and children's academic skills development in Grade 1 differed among children who had low, average, or high initial academic skills at the beginning of school. The reading and math skills of 1,132 Finnish children from 93 classrooms were assessed at the beginning and end of Grade 1, and the Early Childhood Classroom Observation Measure (ECCOM) was used to observe teaching practices in 29 classrooms. The results of mu…

Opettajien kokemuksia dialogisen opetuksen toteuttamisesta perusopetuksessa

Tässä artikkelissa tarkastellaan opettajien kokemuksia dialogisen opetuksen toteuttamisesta perusopetuksen ryhmissä osana Vuorovaikutus, motivaatio ja osallisuuden tukeminen (VuoMo) - nimistä ammatillisen kehittämisen ohjelmaa. Dialogisen opetuksen tavoitteena on vahvistaa oppilaiden osallisuutta lisäämällä näkökulmien jakamista sisältävää vuorovaikutusta ja keskustelua ja siten tukea oppilaiden oppimismotivaatiota. Tutkimuksen aineisto koostui kuuden kehittämisohjelmaan osallistuneen opettajan haastatteluaineistosta, joka analysoitiin temaattisella analyysilla. Opettajat kokivat, että heidän dialogisuuteen liittyvä pedagoginen ajattelunsa muuttui ohjelman aikana. Erityisesti dialogisia ope…

Children’s beliefs concerning school transition

This study examines preschoolers’ beliefs concerning their transfer into primary education. Data from 1386 Finnish preschoolers were obtained using interviews with parents at the end of the children’s preschool year. The qualitative content analysis revealed categories, which encompassed peer relationships, relationship with teacher, learning, formal schoolwork, informal activities, comfortable school entry and no concerns. The results indicated that children’s beliefs concerning their prospective school entry centred on maintaining and making friendships, and that children possessed both negative and positive expectations about their relationship with their future teacher. Both girls and b…

Family- and classroom-related factors and mother–kindergarten teacher trust in Estonia and Finland

This study examined the role of family-related (mother’s education, depressive symptoms and child’s gender) and kindergarten-related (teacher’s experience, teaching practices and class size) factors in mothers’ and teachers’ mutual trust in Estonia and Finland. Six hundred eighteen (206 Estonian and 412 Finnish) mothers of kindergarten children and their teachers (26 Estonian, 49 Finnish) were participated in the study. Both mothers and teachers filled in the questionnaire on trust; teachers’ teaching practices were observed with early childhood classroom observation measure. The results of multilevel modelling showed that mothers in both countries trusted more in teachers who used child-ce…

Profiles of Work Engagement and Work-Related Effort and Reward Among Teachers: Associations to Occupational Well-Being and Leader–Follower Relationship During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study examined teachers’ occupational well-being by identifying profiles based on teachers’ self-ratings of work engagement as well as work-related effort and reward. It also did so by examining whether the identified subgroups differed with respect to teachers’ self-reported occupational stress and emotional exhaustion as well as with respect to work-related resources such as the individual resource of work meaningfulness and the leader-level resource of the leader–follower relationship. The participants in the study were 321 Finnish elementary school teachers. The data were collected in spring 2021, that is, at the time when the COVID-19 pandemic was present, yet there were no nation…

Classroom interaction and literacy activities in kindergarten : Longitudinal links to grade 1 readers at risk and not at risk of reading difficulties

The purpose of the present study is to establish how the quality of kindergarten classroom interactions and the frequency of literacy activities affect reading development among Grade 1 children—both those who are at risk and not at risk of developing reading difficulties. Interaction was assessed in terms of classroom organization, and the level of emotional and instructional support offered in 49 kindergarten classrooms in Finland using the CLASS (Classroom Assessment Scoring System). Kindergarten teachers also recorded the frequency of literacy activities in their classrooms. The phonological awareness and letter knowledge of 515 children (i.e., their pre-reading skills) were assessed at…

Intergenerational Transmission of Dyslexia : How do Different Identification Methods of Parental Difficulties Influence the Conclusions Regarding Children's Risk for Dyslexia?

By investigating children whose parents have dyslexia, family risk (FR) studies are expanding our understanding of the intergenerational transmission of dyslexia. These studies, however, vary in their identification of FR, and how the use of different identification methods influences research findings and conclusions is yet to be systematically investigated. This study aims to evaluate the association between two FR identification methods—parental self-reports and direct skill assessments—and their unique contributions in the prediction of children's reading. The study employed two datasets: a prospective FR sample (half of the parents in the sample had dyslexia and the remaining half did …

Reflections on dialogicity : Challenges and suggestions by mathematics student teachers

Research related to dialogic teaching has been gaining ground in recent decades. On a theoretical level, researchers have described how sociocultural approaches are linked to dialogic teaching. In addition, empirical studies have explained how dialogic teaching manifests itself in educational dialogue and classroom interactions. However, studies addressing how the dialogic theory and practice could be linked meaningfully in teacher education and professional development programs in subject teacher education and related praxis are still limited. Especially in the case of math teacher education, the reported professional development programs are limited in number. Whereas the tendency has bee…

The Quality of Teacher-child Interactions and Teachers’ Occupational well-being in Finnish Kindergartens: A Person-centered Approach

Research Findings: The aim of the present study was to identify profiles of kindergarten teachers based on the observed quality of interactions with the children in their classrooms and to explore possible differences between the profiles in terms of teachers’ occupational well-being and teacher and classroom characteristics. Participants were 54 Finnish kindergarten teachers whose interactions with children were observed with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS Pre-K). The teachers also completed a questionnaire about their occupational well-being. Four interaction profiles were identified: Highest Quality, Moderate Quality, Lower Quality with Limited Negativity, and Lower Quali…

Teacher-perceived supportive classroom climate protects against detrimental impact of reading disability risk on peer rejection

Abstract This study examined the role of a supportive classroom climate, class size, and length of teaching experience as protective factors against children's peer rejection. A total of 376 children were assessed in kindergarten for risk for reading disabilities (RD) and rated by their teachers on socially withdrawn and disruptive behaviors. The grade 1 measures included sociometric peer assessment and teachers' self-ratings of their supportiveness in the classroom, together with information on class size and teaching experience. The results showed, first, that the studied social and learning risk factors positively predicted peer rejection in grade 1. Moreover, teacher-reported supportive…

Patterns of word reading skill, interest and self-concept of ability

AbstractThe majority of previous research on academic skills, self-concept of ability and interest has deployed the variable-oriented approach and focused on self-concept, or ability, or interest only. This study examined the patterns and dynamics of pattern change in Finnish children’s word reading skill, self-concept of ability and interest from kindergarten to Grade 2. Six groups of children were identified by using the I-states as objects analysis (ISOA) procedure: (a) low skills, negative self-concept but high interest; (b) high skills but low interest; (c) average; (d) high skills, positive self-concept and high interest; (e) low skills, negative self-concept and low interest; and (f)…

A Validation of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System in Finnish Kindergartens

Research Findings: This study examined the validity and reliability of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS; R. C. Pianta, K. M. La Paro, & B. K. Hamre, 2008) in Finnish kindergartens. A pair of trained observers used the CLASS to observe 49 kindergarten teachers (47 female, 2 male) on two different days. Questionnaires measuring teachers' efficacy beliefs, exhaustion at work, and classroom interactional style (i.e., affection, behavioral control, and psychological control) were completed by the teachers. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that when the item measuring Negative Climate was excluded, the 3-factor solution assuming three positively correlated latent factors (i.e.…

A Validation Study of Classroom Assessment Scoring System–Secondary in the Finnish School Context

This study examined the reliability and validity of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System–Secondary (CLASS-S) in Finnish classrooms. Trained observers coded classroom interactions based on video recordings of 46 Grade 6 classrooms (450 cycles). Concurrent associations were investigated with respect to teacher self-ratings (e.g., efficacy beliefs and teaching-related stress). Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the hypothesized three-factor structure of the original CLASS-S (Emotional Support, Organizational Support, and Instructional Support), with some modifications, provided a better fit for the data compared with one- and two-factor structures. Structural validity was demonstrate…

Teacher-child interactions as a context for developing social competence in toddler classrooms

The present study investigates the quality and variability of teacher-child interactions in relation to children’s social competence in Finnish toddler classrooms. The participants included 242 toddlers (114 girls, 128 boys) and their teachers (N= 42). The quality of teacher-child interactions (i.e., emotional and behavioral support; engaged support for learning) was observed using the CLASS-Toddler observation instrument (La Paro et al., 2012), and the average amount of within-day variability was calculated from the observed cycles. Teachers rated toddler’s social competence with the Multisource Assessment of Social Competence Scale (MASCS; Junttila et al., 2006) in relation to the toddler…

Teacher–student relationship and students’ social competence in relation to the quality of educational dialogue

Teacher–student relationship and students’ social competence were investigated in relation to the quality of educational dialogue. The data consisted of 151 video-recorded Grade 2 lessons. The teachers (N = 50) also rated their students’ (N = 664) social competence and the teacher–student relationship. In terms of teacher–student relationships, closeness associated positively while conflict associated negatively with high quality dialogue. Regarding students’ social competence, cooperation skills and empathy linked positively while disruptiveness linked negatively with high quality dialogue. The findings provide new knowledge on how different student-related factors may support or prevent t…