Search results for "ta516"
showing 10 items of 614 documents
Conceptions associated with sense of belonging in different school placements for Finnish pupils with special education needs
2015
AbstractThe aim of this study was to examine conceptions associated with sense of belonging (SEBE) in Finnish general and special school placements for pupils with special education needs. Five pupils were selected for this study by means of purposive sampling. They had a history of several school placements prior to arriving at their current special school. Qualitative phenomenographic analyses of interview transcripts revealed numerous conceptions regarding the pupils’ SEBE in the different educational placements. The pupils had undergone numerous placements in which their SEBE had been jeopardised, as disturbing relationships with teachers and peers seemed to have affected the pupils’ me…
Making meaning of inclusive education: classroom practices in Finnish and South African classrooms
2017
AbstractThis paper reports on the findings of an international comparative research project where the roles of teachers in the implementation of inclusive education in mainstream-classroom settings in South Africa and Finland were investigated. Inclusive education within this project is broadly defined as welcoming all students to general-education schools and classrooms and not segregating students on the basis of ability or other individual or sociocultural characteristics. In this paper a qualitative analysis of Finnish and South African teachers’ day-to-day teaching and learning support practices in their classroom is discussed. Individual and focus-group interviews encouraged teachers …
Mobile solution for better reading instruction in rural Africa
2015
GraphoGame Teacher Training Service is a mobile-based solution for providing teachers with scientifically validated pedagogical training in literacy instruction. In many African countries teachers currently have insufficient knowledge to teach literacy in local languages and learning materials are scarce, especially for children with learning difficulties. As part of the GraphoWorld network, CAPOLSA/University of Zambia is developing new mobile-based method for providing in-service training for teachers in literacy instruction and assisting children with learning difficulties. GraphoGame Teacher Training Service was piloted in October 2014 in rural Zambia. An orientative workshop was given …
Student teachers' experiences of participating in mixed peer mentoring groups of in-service and pre-service teachers in Finland
2017
This article examines from the student perspective a new Finnish model of teacher development that uses the peer group mentoring (PGM) method for combining pre-service and in-service teacher education. Reflective reports of student teachers (N = 19) who participated in PGM were analyzed using the phenomenographic method. The results show that students' experiences varied from considering the activity as (1) a coffee break or (2) peer-support, to seeing it as (3) identity construction or (4) a way of participating in a professional community. In further development of the model more emphasis should be placed on the integration of theory and practice. peerReviewed
The Gender diverse and the Genderless Conceptions of Marriage and Children’s Right to Develop their Sexual Identity
2016
The article is a philosophical analysis of the meaning structure of two competing conceptions of marriage with regard to children’s right to develop their sexual identity. These two conceptions of marriage make different metaphysical assumptions about human nature, which lead to different conceptions about the preconditions of children’s sexual development. The gender diverse conception assumes that human beings are born with a biological sex and they can be integrated persons only when living in terms with it. In order to develop their sexual identity they benefit from male-female interaction within the nuclear family. The genderless conception assumes that children are free to construct t…
Early mathematical skill profiles of prematurely and full-term born children
2017
Abstract Preterm birth is associated with low mathematical skills in children. This study on five-year-old Finnish children investigated whether mathematical skill profiles would differ between prematurely and full-term born children and how such profiles and other cognitive skills would be related. Mathematical skills included digit knowledge, spontaneous focusing on numerosity, arithmetic, counting and geometric skills. The investigated cognitive skills were phonological processing, working memory, instruction comprehension, speeded naming, inhibition and visuomotor skills. The participants were 119 preterm children with birth weight
The covariation between parental and expert evaluations of early language skills
2013
This study investigated the potential interrelationship between parental (maternal) and expert assessments of the expressive and receptive language skills of 12- to 18-month-old children. The language activities of 27 children were monitored by their mothers (MCDI scale: Lyytinen, 2000. Varhaisen kommunikaation ja kielen kehityksen arviointimenetelma. Jyvaskylan yliopiston lapsitutkimuskeskus ja Niilo Maki Instituutti. Jyvaskyla: Yliopistopaino. [An assessment tool for early communication and language development] Jyvaskyla: University Press) and trained researchers (Bayley Scales III: Bayley, 2006. Bayley III Scales of Infant Development. Administration Manual. San Antonio, TX: Psychologic…
Cross-lagged relations between math-related interest, performance goals and skills in groups of children with different general abilities
2015
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…
Learning strategies explaining differences in reading proficiency. Findings of Nordic and Baltic countries in PISA 2009
2015
Abstract There are useful metacognitive learning strategies improving learning results significantly. Students can be trained to use them to achieve a higher level of proficiency in different academic domains, including reading. The current study was aimed to discover how student awareness and use of learning strategies explains differences in reading literacy test results, using PISA (the Program for International Student Assessment) 2009 data of three Nordic and three Baltic countries. The student level differences appeared partly due to the differences between schools, in the Baltic countries more than in the Nordic countries, which is considered a concern in the countries stating the eq…
Paired associate learning tasks and their contribution to reading skills
2016
Associative learning has been identified as one of several non-linguistic processes involved in reading acquisition. However, it has not been established whether it is an independent process that contributes to reading performance on its own or whether it is a process that is embedded in other linguistic skills (e.g., phonological awareness or phonological memory) and, therefore, contributing to reading performance indirectly. Research has shown that performance on tasks assessing associative learning, e.g., paired-associate learning (PAL) tasks, is lower in children with specific reading difficulties compared to typical readers. We explored the differential associations of two distinct ver…