Finnish Universities Of Applied Sciences Research Articles

SDGs in master’s theses: a study of a Finnish University of Applied Sciences

PurposeHigher educational institutions, such as universities of applied sciences, have a significant role in promoting progress towards a sustainable future as defined by the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals (SDGs). This paper aims to identify how the UN SDGs are featured in master’s theses set in work–life contexts.Design/methodology/approachUsing a descriptive review and content analysis, this study identified the number of SDGs appearing in 31 master’s theses. Sustainable development (SD) and corporate social responsibility were reflected using the approaches and models in the literature. Finland’s eight objectives for committing to SD were used to examine the commitments made by the business school of the university of applied sciences to achieve Agenda 2030.FindingsEmphasising the value of higher education for SD, this study found that SDGs three, eight and 12 appeared most frequently in the theses. Sustainable and responsible dimensions reflected several issues concerning both the worlds of business and industry among the firms and organisations investigated by the master’s degree students in the business school at the Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences.Practical implicationsThis research holds practical and pedagogical value, serving to encourage master’s and PhD students to further explore research on SDGs and to shape public policy.Originality/valueSustainability was looked at in a new way as investigated by the theses. Ways to integrate the SDGs into management degree programmes and conduct research in the fields of business administration, tourism and hospitality management were identified.

The temporal development of teachers’ attitudes on entrepreneurship education – A latent growth curve analysis

This research explores the attitudes of teachers working in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) on the importance and interest of entrepreneurship education and the stability of those attitudes in three years. A longitudinal data of three-waves consists of 204 answers from Finnish UAS teachers. Latent growth curve modelling reveals notable variations in the attitudes among individuals and their long-term stability. Prior entrepreneurship-related training and perceived university support have a positive impact on teachers' attitudes, contributing to their formation, and attitudes tend to persist over time. Our results emphasize the importance of early career support and entrepreneurship training for teachers.

Strategic ambitions of external RDI funding in Finnish universities of applied sciences

ABSTRACT This article explores the strategic external funding goals and plans of action of Finnish universities of applied sciences (UASs) as articulated in their institutional strategies using the ecology-of-games metaphor. UASs are pressured to expand external funding sources compared to their previous student number-based funding history. The UASs’ institutional strategies reveal the objectives and actions to acquire external RDI (research, development and innovation) funding and potential externalities. UASs underscore cooperation, partnerships and expanding RDI and institutional images. Few UASs set goals for specific funding sources; instead, UASs’ strategies demonstrate commitment to their public RDI mission. UASs’ unique internal features are not prominently reflected in external funding goals and plans of actions. This study suggests that UASs’ strategies significantly align with the government’s core funding formula and implemented public funding cuts. Global pressures and increased performance competition have even led to new ownership structures, where traditional universities primarily own UASs in five cases. This introduces a new dynamic to Finnish universities and UASs, with implications for both sectors. This study’s main contribution is its conceptualisation of multiple strategic external funding goals and plans of action in Finnish UASs’ governance and funding contexts.

Topic mining for theses and job ads in ICT sector: can higher education institutes respond to job market demands?

IntroductionThis study aims to tackle the challenge of ensuring higher education students are equipped with high-demand skills for today’s job market. The focus is on aligning the knowledge acquired during their studies, as represented by final-year thesis projects, with the skills and topics specified in actual job advertisements.MethodsWe developed a computational framework that uses automated subject indexing to extract representative skills and topics from two major datasets: thesis abstracts from Information and Communication Technology (ICT) programmes of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences, and ICT-related job ads from a top Finnish job portal. Our dataset spans 12 years, comprising 18,254 theses and 107,335 ads. The framework includes a subject indexing model for keyword extraction, dimension reduction techniques for data simplification, clustering algorithms to group similar items, and correlation analysis to compare similarities and differences between the two datasets.ResultsThe analysis uncovered both similarities and differences between thesis topics and trends in job ads. It highlighted areas where education aligns with industry demands but also pointed out existing gaps.DiscussionOur framework not only helps to align the education provided with industry demands but also ensures that higher education institutes can stay up-to-date with the latest skills and knowledge in the field, thereby better equipping students for success in their careers. While the framework was applied to the ICT sector in this instance, its design allows expansion into other fields offering a data-informed approach for continuous development of teaching curricula and methodologies.

Digital storytelling as practice-based participatory pedagogy for English for specific purposes

Abstract English for Specific Purposes (ESP) teachers in Higher Education struggle with introducing variation and meaning into courses, while addressing 21st century skills development for global employment markets. Digital storytelling in its many forms constitutes fertile ground for engaging students while learning the specific academic and professional languages for their fields of knowledge, through using English as a lingua franca (ELF). The article presents and discusses a pedagogical framework for digital storytelling (DST) that promotes purposeful learning through EFL in two different contexts, in Portugal and Finland. The framework consists of five storytelling steps: (1) research and audience insight; (2) concept design; (3) scripting and storyboarding; (4) digital production; and (5) publication and engagement. The framework was piloted during the 2021–22 academic year with two first-year Business English classes in Office Management and one second-year ESP class in Tourism Management in a Portuguese Polytechnic as well as with an advanced-level ELF class in International Marketing and Communication in a Finnish University of Applied Sciences. Learning through DST provided students with rich opportunities for engagement and interaction, while also developing their skills in language and communication, storytelling, teamwork, digital literacy, and critical thinking. The DST framework has the potential to promote purposeful learning and empower students as active participants in media culture.

Prehospital nursing students' experiences of patient safety culture in emergency medical services-A qualitative study.

To describe prehospital nursing students' experiences of patient safety culture in emergency medical services during their internship. Patient safety culture in the emergency medical services is a complex phenomenon including more than organisational policies and practices and professionals' technical skills. The descriptive qualitative approach used the Sharing Learning from Practice to improve Patient Safety Learning Event Recording Tool, which includes both open-ended and structured questions. Purposeful sampling was used, and data were collected from graduating prehospital nursing students (n=17) from three Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences. Open-ended questions were reviewed using thematic analysis, and frequencies and percentages were derived from structured questions. COREQ guidelines were used to guide this study. Four themes were identified during the thematic analysis: environmental and other unexpected factors in emergency medical services, working practices and professionalism in emergency medical services, teamwork in emergency medical services and feelings related to patient safety events in emergency medical services. Patient safety events described by students were seldom reported in the healthcare system or patient files. According to the students, such events were most likely related to communication, checking/verification and/or teamwork. This study shows that prehospital nursing students can produce important information about patient safety events and the reasons that contributed to those events. Therefore, emergency medical services organisations and managers should use students' observations to develop a patient safety culture in emergency medical services. Understanding how prehospital nursing students have experienced patient safety culture during their internships on ambulances can support educational institutions, together with emergency medical services organisations and managers, to improve policies for students to express patient safety concerns as well as patient safety successes.

Nursing applicants' reasoning skills and factors related to them: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe assessment of reasoning skills is recommended in undergraduate nursing student selection. Reasoning skills are crucial for sound decision-making, improving patient safety and are necessary from the very beginning of studies. Nursing applicants' reasoning skills based on the reasoning process have not been previously measured. ObjectivesTo assess undergraduate nursing applicants' reasoning skills and factors related to them. DesignA cross-sectional study. Setting and participantsUndergraduate nursing applicants (n = 1056, response rate 55.4%), who consented to the study and performed a joint electronic entrance examination to six Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences in spring 2019, participated in the study. MethodsThe Reasoning Skills (ReSki) test, based on the steps of the reasoning process, was used, comprising three question sections (collecting information, processing information, and identifying the problem and establishing goals). Background variables were collected through a questionnaire and the Positive System Usability Scale (P-SUS). The data were analysed with descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients and analysis of covariance with Tukey's test in post-hoc multiple group comparisons. ResultsApplicants' total reasoning skills mean scores were above the centre of the range of possible scores (2.72/4.5, SD = 0.80). The applicants scored higher in collecting and processing information than in identifying the problem and establishing goals. Standard deviations demonstrated variance between the applicants' ability. Age, gender, and previous education were statistically significantly related to applicants' reasoning skills. Previous work experience was statistically significantly related to success only in the step of identifying the problem and establishing goals. ConclusionsNursing applicants' reasoning skills vary in the student selection phase. Applicants are less able to identify the problem and establish goals than to collect and process information. Vocational education does not necessarily develop adequate reasoning skills and thus prepare students for higher education studies. The results have implications for educational institutions and further research.

Development and psychometric testing of Reasoning Skills test for nursing student selection: An item response theory approach.

To develop and psychometrically test the Reasoning Skills (ReSki) test assessing undergraduate nursing applicants' reasoning skills for student selection purposes. A methodological cross-sectional design was applied for the psychometric testing. The ReSki test was developed as part of a wider electronic entrance examination. The ReSki test included a case followed by three question sections assessing nursing applicants' reasoning skills according to the reasoning process. Item response theory was used for psychometric testing to assess item discrimination, difficulty and pseudoguessing parameters. The ReSki test was taken by 1056 nursing applicants in six Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences (28 May 2019). In the development process, the expert evaluations indicated acceptable content validity. In the psychometric testing, the test reliability was supported by item variance, the theoretical structure was supported by the correlation coefficients and the applicant mean performance supported an acceptable overall test difficulty. The item response theory indicated variance between the items' difficulty and discrimination ranges. However, most of the wrong items failed at being functional distractors. The ReSki test is a new and valid objective assessment of undergraduate nursing applicants' reasoning skills. The item response theory provided item-level information that can be used for further development of the test, especially related to the revisions needed for the distractor items to achieve the desired level of difficulty. What problem did the study address? The assessment of nursing applicants' reasoning skills is suggested, but there is a lack of admission tools. What were the main findings? The results provided support for the reliability and validity of the ReSki test. Item response theory indicated the need for further item-level improvement. Where and on whom will the research have an impact? The results may benefit higher education institutions and researchers when developing a test and/or student selection processes.

Developing Open RDI and Education in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences

Open Science (OS) and Research has reached mixed maturity levels in Finland. The meaning of the national project in the ecosystem of Finnish universities of applied sciences (UAS) is to enhance and elaborate OS and Open Education (OE) activities. Future actions were defined based on a survey and interviews carried out in the Finnish UAS sector during 2018 and 2019. The aim of both data collections was to evaluate the current status and attitudes towards open Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) among staff members. Another purpose was to define the need for internal support services concerning open RDI and OE and to identify knowledge gaps. The results revealed several gaps in understanding OS and OE initiatives. Real-life actions were mostly vague, and the respondents experienced the need for support. On the other hand, the attitudes towards open RDI were positive, and the issue aroused questions and reflections. This study revealed gaps in knowledge and actions in Finnish UAS sectors. These results have been the basis of development actions such as joint workshops, educational webinars, and common instructions. The future plan includes the establishment of an experts' network for supporting open RDI and Education.

Adult graduates’ employability and mid-career trajectories after graduation with Finnish UAS Master’s degree

ABSTRACT Graduate employability research typically focuses on young graduates’ entry to the labour market. Little is known about the careers of adults who attain higher education degrees in mid-life. This article explores Finnish University of Applied Sciences (UAS) Master’s degree graduates’ mid-career trajectories using retrospectively collected longitudinal survey data (N = 1025) on their employment relations, transitions and career breaks. The specific research questions are as follows: (1) What are the types of mid-career trajectories of the adult graduates with Finnish UAS Master’s degree? (2) What is the prevalence of the different career trajectories among the sample of graduates? (3) In what ways different career trajectories are able to take advantage of graduation with a Master’s degree? As a result, we recognised five types of mid-career trajectories: rising career, renewing career, entrepreneurial career, continuous career and unstable career. Adult degrees can re-orient and enhance different career trajectories, e.g. by providing formal qualifications, new expertise and entrepreneurial skills, as well as by validating prior experience. Understanding the nature of career trajectories of adult graduates at a Master’s level is interesting not only in the Finnish but also in the international context and this study opens up a rich array of opportunities for further studies.

The Development of Funding Schemes at Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences

This article examines the development of funding schemes at Finnish universities of applied sciences (UASs) between 2012 and 2018. During that period, the rudiments of the financing of Finnish UASs changed from cost-based to performance-based funding schemes. In a performance-based funding scheme, the state allocates funding based on the achievement of predefined objectives. The reform was intended to improve the processes and structures of UASs and to increase their effectiveness. This study explores the development of funding schemes from simple cost-based funding schemes towards more complex performance-based funding schemes with many indicators of performance. The results of the study offer empirical evidence on the impact of funding schemes on the measures of the performance of UASs, interpretations of the research object in context and causal connections between the above-mentioned elements.

Between despair and joy – emotions in learning

PurposeThe aim of the study was to research higher education students' meaningful emotions when studying and develop a model for understanding and verbalising the role of emotions. The model will facilitate the awareness of the role of emotions when learning.Design/methodology/approachThe qualitative data consist of 45 narratives, gathered within three Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences in the Finnish metropolitan area. Emotions and their role in different encounters within a learning setting were analysed. The approach was narrative, and content analysis was used to analyse the data. The survey was shared through a link that was visible in the intranet of the students. The questionnaire was open for three weeks in spring 2018. It consisted of five open-ended questions that aimed at helping students in sharing their story which included different emotional experiences in the learning context. The questions were partly inspired by the Critical Incident Technique (CIT).FindingsThe results of the research show that most of the stories related to negative emotions. Most of the stories also described how the situation was resolved because our questions prompted respondents to write about that. The stories also described how students progressed with their studies. Some students considered the emotional experience to be “a lesson learned” for the future. Students also described how they had learned something about themselves and their reactions.Research limitations/implicationsWe collected the qualitative data within different fields and levels of study (Master and Bachelor). The statistical population consisted of approximately 35,000 enrolled students in the three Universities of Applied Sciences (hereafter UAS). The survey generated 45 answers. As the data were qualitative, we consider the richness of the accounts to be sufficient to answer our research questions.Practical implicationsWe have concentrated mainly on students' verbalized emotions, but we are aware of the fact that emotions are born in interaction with other students, systems, contexts, with teachers and with the organizational culture in our universities. No man is an island; so, in other words emotions cannot be taken out of the context. Connecting all the verbalized emotions and the interpretations and combination of them (seven ways of talking about emotions) we created an educational practice “chart” called “Emotional Footprint”, using the concept as introduced by Levine (2015). This practice chart aims at visualizing that emotions should be understood in all possible learning contexts. It is about individuals understanding themselves, understanding others and using emotions as energizers.Originality/valueIt is important to support emotional expression and improve emotional competence during life-long learning. An uncertain future, described as volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguity need more people, who have a strong understanding of emotions and how these enhance and prohibit. With this model for expressing, verbalizing emotions that is easy to transfer to other contexts in the future professional life of students, we also want to emphasize how our universities can learn to turn negative emotions into constructive energy as well as boost authentic, positive emotions. We have to be aware of the emotional spectrum in order to create a learning experience of high quality. Our emotional footprint as professionals of learning is central. It is part of our societal responsibility.

Delivering information literacy within a global health care degree: reflections from a health information specialist.

Higher education institutions (HEIs) have a growing interest in establishing International joint degree programmes in developing countries. A Master's degree in global health care is an international joint degree programme run by two Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences and one Kenyan University. To provide students and staff members who live in Finland with an authentic experience of the circumstances in the developing countries, part of the programme involves delivering a two-week intensive course in Kenya. Health library services and information literacy training have a significant presence during this intensive course. In this paper, guest writer Marketta Fredriksson describes and reflects on the involvement of the health care library team in the development and implementation of this degree and delivery of the intensive course in Kenya.H.S.

Quality management of research, development and innovation activities in Finnish universities of applied sciences

ABSTRACTThis study utilises the quality audit reports of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences to describe the quality management of their research, development and innovation activities (RDI). The institutions are trying to find ways of enlarging the volume of RDI activities and this is clearly reflected in the ways in which they manage quality. Much of the focus lies on the project proposal preparation phase and strategic direction of resources, while less attention has been paid to monitoring and developing the quality of the output. These emphases are analysed in relation to Harvey & Green’s seminal notions on quality in an attempt to see how useful this theoretical framework is in explaining perceptions on quality in RDI activities. More research should be done on the conceptualisation of quality in especially non-university higher education sector.

Physiotherapy pain curricula in Finland: a faculty survey

Background and aims Despite the recognition of pain as a global health problem and advancements achieved in what is known about effective pain management, pain education for undergraduate health care professionals remains insufficient. This study investigated the content of pain curricula and the time allocated to pain education on physiotherapy programs at bachelor's level at Universities of Applied Sciences (UASs) in Finland. Methods A web-based survey questionnaire was sent to the directors of the physiotherapy programs at all the Finnish UASs (n=15) where physiotherapy is taught at bachelor's level. The questionnaire consisted of 14 questions covering basic concepts and the science of pain, pain assessment, pain management, and the adequacy of pain curricula. Each UAS completed one questionnaire i.e. returned one official opinion. Results The response rate was 80% (n=12). The mean for the total number of contact hours of pain education was 74 (standard deviation 34.2). All UASs had integrated pain education. In addition to this 42% (n=5) of the UASs had a separate pain course. The UASs offering such a course over and above the integrated pain education had twice the amount of pain content education compared to those UASs that only had integrated pain education (mean 103 h vs. 53 h, p=0.0043). Most of the education was devoted to conditions where pain is commonly a feature, manual therapy, and electrical agents for pain control. The biopsychosocial model of pain, cognitive behavioral methods of pain management, physician management, and multidisciplinary management were the least covered topics. Five UASs (42%) payed attention to the International Association for the Study of Pain curriculum outline and only 33% (n=4) considered their pain education to be sufficient. Conclusions Our results indicate that more contact hours are devoted to pain education on the Finnish UASs' physiotherapy programs at bachelor's level, than has previously been reported in faculty surveys. A separate pain course is one way to ensure a sufficient amount of pain education. Overall, despite a sufficient time devoted to pain education, some essential pain contents were inadequately covered. Implications The study contributes information on how pain education can be organized on physiotherapy programs at undergraduate level. Besides a sufficient amount of pain education, which can be ensured by a separate pain course, attention should be paid to pain education content being up-to-date. This could help in estimating the different proportions of pain content needed in educational settings. Efforts should also be made at keeping integrated pain education well-coordinated and purposeful. There is a need for further research estimating the effectiveness of pain education according to the different ways in which it is organized. There is also a need to investigate whether more hours allocated to pain education results in better understanding and professional skills.

Comparison of Two Team Learning and Team Entrepreneurship Models at a Finnish University of Applied Sciences. Setting the Scene for Future Development

This team learning and team entre-preneurship model of education has been deployed at the Bachelor’s level in the degree programmes of IT and Business Administration (BA). In BA studies the students who take part in team learning have specialized in marketing since 2009 at the Saimaa University of Applied Sciences (SUAS). The model called ICT entrepreneurship study path (ICT-ESP) has been developed for IT education. The ICT-ESP has been built on the theory of experien-tal learning and theories of knowledge creation and knowledge management. The students study and complete their degree as team entrepreneurs. The model has been further developed in the Business Administration Degree Programme with students who specialize in marketing. The Degree Programme in IT at the Bachelor’s level was terminated in 2011 by Finnish Min-istry of Education and Culture. Cur-rently, there are severe discussions on bringing it back – not as an IT but as an ICT Degree Programme.
 
 This article makes a cross-section of what has already been explored with the team learning and team entrepreneurship model and what the next steps will be. It makes a comparison of two originally sep-arately developed models and dis-cusses their best practices. The arti-cle also argues whether the upcom-ing ICT education should be orga-nized in a conventional way – as curriculum of courses, or as expan-sion of the current team learning and team entrepreneurship model. The data consists of field notes, meeting memos, and dozens of un-official discussions with colleagues and company representatives. Liter-ature studies made during the ongo-ing research, development, and in-novation (RDI) projects offered an extra view of how the business con-text is changing and what should be done to make benefit out of the change.
 
 The results suggest that the up-coming ICT Degree Programme at SUAS should be integrated into the existing deployment of team learning and team entrepreneurship learning environment. This would foster col-laboration between different disci-plines, e.g. marketing and ICT. Fur-thermore, the emerging ideation, ser-vice design and experimentation eco-system which we are developing in ongoing RDI projects, would be strengthened by adding more students focused on ICT competencies into it. 
 
 The article was later extended to include interview data from 12 theme-based specialist interviews where the thoughts of original article were tested among administration of our campus, RDI funder, experienced and former team entrepreneurs, and local entre-preneurs.
 
 The results validated the author’s previous suggestions of how future ICT education should be organized and also provided some new targets for development. The essential find-ings were: The future ICT education should be deployed in a way that it a) develops students’ entrepreneurial mindset b) offers versatile coopera-tion possibilities with existing market-ing team entrepreneurs and other en-terprises, and c) the current ecosystem should be internationalized.

Towards Strategic Actorhood? The Execution of Institutional Positioning Strategies at Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences

AbstractGiven the emerging interest in institutional positioning and to augment the small number of empirical studies in this field, this paper presents discussion about how Finnish universities of applied sciences implement their profiling strategies. The analysis is based on an examination of documents recently submitted by these institutions when reapplying for operating licences. The paper discusses how institutions refer to their positioning statements when introducing or responding to changes in their internal or external environments and questions whether or not positioning paves the way to strategic actorhood. The results suggest that the universities of applied sciences that most often refer to profiling statements have built different kinds of networks to support their positioning activities. Moreover, they have made considerable structural changes to implement their positioning strategies. The restructuring of human resource capacity required to execute the positioning strategy is discussed in the reapplication documents, albeit with a lesser emphasis.

Higher education teachers’ descriptions of their own learning: a large-scale study of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences

ABSTRACTIn this large-scale study, higher education teachers’ descriptions of their own learning were examined with qualitative analysis involving application of principles of phenomenographic research. This study is unique: it is unusual to use large-scale data in qualitative studies. The data were collected through an e-mail survey sent to 5960 teachers at universities of applied sciences in Finland. The number of respondents was 1622. Four hierarchically structured categories of learning were found: individual learning, collegial learning, team learning and innovative partnership learning. The role of teachers in higher education demands innovative partnership learning: being active at the societal level with workplaces and international partners.

The Interaction of Teaching and R & D: - Struggle of Academic Leaders in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences

The Interaction of Teaching and R & D: - Struggle of Academic Leaders in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences

A methodological approach to exploring the rhythm of classroom discourse in a cumulative frame in science teaching

Abstract The purpose of this study was to characterise the nature and purpose of different types of classroom discourse and to explore how the rhythm of classroom discourse provides a cumulative frame for the teaching of science. The overall data consisted of a teaching sequence of eight lessons on the moment of force as taught to physiotherapy students at a Finnish University of Applied Sciences. Our in-depth multiple timescale analysis of two episodes illustrated in this study shows examples how cumulation was instantiated by the different types of classroom discourse. The methodology and findings of this study have implications both for teacher education and further research.