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…

Spex å sitz å glöggrunda : teman i statusuppdateringar på Facebook

Tutkielman tarkoituksena on analysoida Facebookissa julkaistujen tilapäivitysten teemoja. Teemat on luokiteltu kolmeen pääluokkaan Collinin (2009) luoman mallin mukaan, mutta esitämme siihen joitakin muutosehdotuksia. Selvitämme myös, vaikuttaako ystävien määrä siihen, mitä teemoja tilapäivityksissä käsitellään ja kuinka paljon niitä julkaistaan. Lisäksi pohdimme hieman, kuinka motivaatio käyttää Facebookia ja julkaista tilapäivitys ilmenee Heinosen (2009) määrittelemien tekijöiden pohjalta. Näitä tekijöitä ovat identiteetti, palaute, luottamus, yhteenkuuluvuus ja luovuus. Teoriaosuudessa esittelemme tutkimuksen keskeiset käsitteet. Sosiaalista mediaa käsittelemme tässä tutkimuksessa vuorov…

METHODOLOGY DEVELOPMENT IN ADULT LEARNING RESEARCH. COMBINING PHYSIOLOGICAL REACTIONS AND LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN SIMULATION-BASED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

We aim to clarify whether physiological measurement technologies can be used in combination with traditional educational research methods to investigate learning experience. We developed an interdisciplinary research design for multilevel investigation of adult learning experience. We collected data in aviation simulations and forestry simulations, to show both similarities and differences between different learning situations. Both settings utilize high quality virtual simulations allowing learning to occur in near authentic situations. The learning situations were structured pedagogically in a similar way. They involve learner-instructor interaction in a one-on-one setting and follow a tr…

Pre- and In-Service Teachers’ Teamwork Behaviour in Integrated Teacher Training

Teamwork and collaboration skills are regarded as essential proficiencies in the current worlds of work, study and everyday life. A relevant question is whether and how pre-service teachers have opportunities to begin acquiring professional collaboration skills during their studies. In the current study, Finnish pre- and in-service teachers participating in a joint training programme were engaged in reflection tasks to evaluate their teamwork behaviour during a challenging pedagogical design task in mixed teams. The aim of this study was to examine how pre- and in-service teachers perceived their teamwork practices while performing authentic training activities together. The participants re…

OpenDigissä kehitytään ja kehitetään tieto- ja viestintäteknologian opetuskäyttöä yhdessä koulujen kanssa

NEW METHODS DEEPENING UNDERSTANDING OF STUDENTS' EXPERIENCES AND THEIR RELATION TO PHYSIOLOGICAL ALERTNESS VARIATIONS DURING LEARNING

In this study we explored whether physiological measurement technologies could be used in a combination with traditional educational research methods to investigate learning experiences. We aimed, first, to explore individual physiological reactions during learning and how these reactions relate to experiences, emotions and contexts of learning and, second, to test new methodology and its suitability for investigating learning. The data was collected during a teacher education programme in a Finnish university. A total of 14 students participated in the study. The data was collected during two contact periods of three days and the weekends after them, ten days in total. We used a mixed meth…

OpenDigi toimintamallin käsikirja : opettajat oppimistaitojen ja digipedagogiikan kehittäjäyhteisöissä

Yhteiskunnallisen muutoksen kiihtyessä on muuttuneisiin osaamistarpeisiin reagoitava myös koulutuksessa. Uudeksi kansalaistaidoksi ja ammatillisen osaamisen ytimeksi on nousemassa kyky uudistua ja sopeutua jat-kuvaan muutokseen. Suomalaisen koulutuksen laatu nojaa vahvasti akateemiseen opettajankoulutukseen. Yh-teiskunnallinen kehitys haastaa opettajankoulutusta ja kouluja tukemaan entistä vahvemmin ihmisten aktiivista roolia muutoksen tekijöinä ja siihen sopeutujina. Tutkintojen suorittamisen lisäksi koulutusjärjestelmän tulee antaa parempia valmiuksia aktiiviseen oppimiseen. Tämä edellyttää uudistumista koulutuksen kaikilla tasoilla. Koulutuksen muutos edellyttää oppilaitoksissa toimivien…

How can learning experiences be explored in simulation-based learning situations?

The aim of our research is to investigate what methods can be used to explore learning experiences. In this case example, we describe how we extracted quantitative and qualitative data reflecting learning experiences from simulation-based learning (SBL) situations. Data collection was conducted in the fields of aviation and forestry. After the SBL situation, the students participated in a stimulated recall interview. The transcribed interview data were analysed using data-driven methods. To capture the dynamics in the (neuro)physiological signals associated with varying states of learning experiences, we recorded activity of the autonomic and central nervous systems. When analysing (neuro)p…