Higher Education In Finland Research Articles

Exploring private supplementary tutoring in Finnish general upper secondary education

ABSTRACT We examine private supplementary tutoring within the context of Finnish general upper secondary education. Specifically, we focus on profit-driven private preparatory course providers who cater to individual students and their families, aiming to improve applicants’ prospects of gaining access to higher education. We examine this during a time when a recent education policy reform has renewed seeking admission to higher education in Finland, consequently impacting the private supplementary tutoring market associated with it. We draw on Bourdieu’s concepts of field, capital, and habitus as a starting point for discussing the complex dynamics between public and private actors in the field of Finnish general upper secondary education and the role of economic capital. The ethnographic data analyzed for this paper consist of field notes and interviews (n = 58) from three general upper secondary schools, produced in 2019-2020. The study aims to investigate the negotiations between the public and private spheres of education within the everyday practices of Finnish public upper secondary education during an educational policy reform. We conclude that the fields of public and private education are not separate but rather intertwined, and they can become blurred in the everyday life of schools through both temporal and spatial overlaps.

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF TEACHING QUALITY BEFORE AND AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Teaching quality refers to the level of teaching practices, delivery, content and methods and it is often viewed subjectively by various stakeholders in education, including students. The aim of this study, applying a phenomenographic approach, was to replicate a study conducted before the Covid-19 pandemic with master students in Finland. Applying a similar process and participants, the study aimed to explore whether students’ perceptions of teaching quality had altered after the Covid-19 increase in online teaching and learning. Three main themes arose from the interview data: teaching quality as clarity, teaching quality as engagement, and teaching quality as either online teaching or contact teaching. These themes differ from the pre-Covid themes in which teaching quality was associated with pedagogical professionalism, personal qualities of the teacher and the general learning environment. It can be inferred that the increased online modes and environments in higher education in Finland have had an impact on students and what they perceive as teaching quality. Teaching is also increasingly viewed through the personal experiences of the students, both positive and negative, and an emotional reaction to teaching and learning was also evident in the post-Covid data.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0005/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Knowledge-related tensions in remote work arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic

PurposeThis study aims to identify knowledge-related tensions in remote work in higher education institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic and increase understanding of how such tensions can be managed.Design/methodology/approachThe research was conducted as an inductive, qualitative study in the field of higher education in Finland. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews of 34 managers in two higher education institutions and analyzed using an inductive and interpretive analysis method.FindingsThe findings demonstrate that the knowledge-related challenges and opportunities during the remote work period of the COVID-19 pandemic in Finnish higher education institutions can be conceptualized as tensions involved in knowledge codification, knowledge silos and creating new knowledge. The study contributes to research by presenting a framework for managing knowledge-related tensions in remote work arrangements to benefit remote and hybrid work in knowledge-intensive organizations.Practical implicationsThis paper increases the understanding of the tensions in remote work arrangements; the results can help managers understand the challenges and opportunities of remote knowledge work concerning their organization and thereby assist them in management and decision-making in complex operational environments.Originality/valueThis study adopted the little-used perspective of tensions to examine knowledge management issues. By examining the various affordances that remote work may allow for knowledge-intensive work and higher education institutions, the study contributes to a deepened understanding of knowledge work in remote contexts, the related tensions and their management.

Intersecting Power Fields Steeped in Tradition: The Radical Left and Administrating Higher Education in Finland during the 1970s

The student activism of the 1970s was strongly linked to the university administrative reforms in Finland. Especially after the radical faction of Finnish leftist students turned to pro-Soviet orthodox communism, the debunking of the professoriate’s “bourgeoise power” became one of the main goals of the vocal student movement. In this article, I analyse how the old professoriate was challenged and how they responded to this challenge. The conclusion drawn by this article is that Finnish university professors managed to resist the radical reforms and the pressure from the radical student movement in 1970s because their elite positions were not derived exclusively from one field, academia; rather, they also participated in other sets of elite practices, namely politics. Moreover, the close relationship between the state and academia was also manifested in the activities of students, who were historically also part of the Finnish elite. The starting point of this article is a case study of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Helsinki.

Tools for Teachers to Support Music Students in Managing and Coping With Their Workload in Higher Education

One-to-one tuition is an essential part of studying music and is appreciated by the music students. Problems can occur when there are diverse perceptions between teacher practice and student expectations. This study provides research-based evidence on 155 music students’ experiences of workload, stress, and coping in their interaction with teachers in higher education in Finland and the United Kingdom. The theoretical framework was informed by several theories in educational psychology research, such as the influence of teaching and learning environment on students’ perceived workload, and constructivist approach in teaching and learning music. The data included 155 music students’ open-ended answers in the questionnaire and interviews with 29 music students. The qualitative analysis was conducted through the methodological framework of transcendental phenomenology. The findings illustrate music students’ interaction with teachers concerning (1) the structure of students’ workload, (2) a music student’s individual workload, (3) workload relating to teaching and learning environments, and (4) psychological and physiological issues. A total of 43 constructive tools for teachers were created based on these music students’ experiences. These tools are based on the constructivist principles focusing on the music students’ knowledge and capabilities and they can be utilized to better support students in managing and coping with their workload and stress in higher music education institutions.

Critical thinking and writing in transition to higher education in Finland: do prior academic performance and socioeconomic background matter?

ABSTRACT Critical thinking, a complex set of cognitive skills, and the ability to communicate one’s thoughts are vital in successful studying for new higher education students. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of socioeconomic background and prior academic performance on new students’ critical thinking and writing. The participants were 1006 first-year students from a range of disciplines in 18 Finnish higher education institutions. An open-ended performance task was used to investigate students’ critical thinking and writing. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data. The grade in the native language and the scholarly culture of a student's childhood home were found to be the most important predictors of strong critical thinking and writing. In contrast, parents’ education and students’ grades in mathematics were not significant. As Finnish student admissions are reformed, there is a growing need to understand the predictive value of relevant background factors. Findings give insights into the development of admissions and remind developers that not all prior performances have equal predictive value. Findings invite careful consideration in determining which skills are necessary for new students. It is suggested that in future research, a wider range of skills should be investigated.

Hybridity in Nordic Higher Education

ABSTRACT This article builds on the concept of nested hybridity. It emphasizes professional practices and organizational design in studying hybridity of steering and management of professional public service organization. The article compares public sector dynamics in higher education in Finland, Norway, and Sweden. The data consists of surveys and interviews on performance management in Nordic universities. Previous studies on hybridity of professional work and public organizations define hybridity as a multidimensional concept that occurs at different levels of social practices. While the multifaceted nature of hybridity is clear, demarcating between levels of hybridity and theoretical approaches remains complex. Based on our empirical findings, no clear top-down or bottom-up causality chains are identified. We question whether hybridity is nested as the levels of hybridity are intervened and connected, but not all levels have implications for all other levels.

The autonomy of higher education in Finland and Sweden: global management trends meet national political culture and governance models

ABSTRACT Due to their common history, Finland and Sweden share many similarities. However, important differences have also developed in constitutional law, political culture and governance models. These differences have affected the implementation of international trends in the governance of higher education in the two countries. Both the Finnish and Swedish governments have strived to give institutions of higher education more formal autonomy through legislative and constitutional measures while increasing the external representations in their governing boards. However, in Finland, strong constitutional safeguards for university autonomy have counteracted the growth of external influence. The differences between the countries in this regard have their roots in political culture. There is a stronger emphasis on the division of power in Finland, as in other states that have experienced periods of political turmoil, while in Sweden, long dominated by strong social democracy, checks and balances have been considered undemocratic obstacles to the will of the people.

Students’ Perceptions Concerning Emergency Remote Teaching During COVID-19

Abstract The sudden shift from physical classroom education towards emergency remote teaching (ERT) in higher education during the unprecedented global pandemic SARS-CoV-2, or more commonly known as COVID-19, caused an abrupt change in the learning environment for students and educators alike. The disruptive overnight change to convert entire courses to emergency remote teaching caused distress for not only educators, but also students as they had little time to adapt to the new circumstances. While the embedment of technologies in the classroom is not a new concept, this quantitative research examined the impact on perceived student engagement as a result of the sudden change, and how students in higher education in Finland (n = 121) and Thailand (n = 137) responded to this change. One of the primary findings of the research was that students in Thailand indicated difficulties completing group assignments digitally, while, contrary to that finding, students in Finland consented to ease in digital collaboration concerning their group works. As a logical next step, it is recommended to conduct qualitative research to gain a more comprehensive insight into how the views on this particular statement differed significantly between both focus groups of students.

Understanding Business Takeover Intentions—The Role of Theory of Planned Behavior and Entrepreneurship Competence

Entrepreneurial intentions have been extensively studied, but little is known about the intended mode of entry into entrepreneurship and its antecedents. This study tests the utility of the theory of planned behavior in a new, more specific context, namely business takeover intentions. The impact of entrepreneurship competence on antecedents of takeover intentions is explored. Entrepreneurship competence is measured using a scale based on the EntreComp framework. Data (N = 1373) were gathered from two institutes of higher education in Finland and analyzed using logistic regression. The results show that the TPB can be useful in investigating takeover intentions. The subjective norm has a notable and direct effect on takeover intentions, but the effect of entrepreneurship competence is mediated by attitudes and perceived behavioral control. The effect of parental role models on takeover intentions is significant, although the study is not limited to family successions; gender is also significant. The results show that the relationship between takeover intentions, entrepreneurship competence, and family role models is a complex one. Future studies on entrepreneurial intentions should pay attention to the differences in antecedents of entry modes.

The vocational route to higher education in Finland: Students’ backgrounds, choices and study experiences

Division between academic and vocational education is a predominant feature of both upper secondary and higher education in Finland as well as in many other country contexts. This article focuses on a minority of higher education students, those who have not proceeded to higher education through the traditional academic track but have enrolled through the vocational route. We deploy the concept of institutional habitus and utilize Eurostudent VI survey data ( N=7318) to analyse the backgrounds and study experiences of higher education students with different kinds of educational backgrounds. Our findings indicate that those enrolling through the vocational route are more often mature students from lower parental educational backgrounds. They have often completed a longer study path and began to see themselves as future higher education students later in their life course. There are also differences in how students with diverse educational backgrounds experience their sense of belonging to the higher education community. This paper focuses on Finland but has relevance for other European countries as the institutional structures and practices discussed in this paper are evident internationally.

Service Design Thinking in Higher Education in Finland

Service Design Thinking in Higher Education in Finland

Music students’ experienced workload, livelihoods and stress in higher education in Finland and the United Kingdom

ABSTRACT Neoliberal education policies – viewing students’ life as human capital, economic investment for the labour market and consumer power – may increase students’ workload in higher education. In this mixed methods study, we examined music students’ experiences of workload in Finland and the United Kingdom in connection with stress and livelihoods. We used Bayesian mixed effects ordinal probit regression modelling to estimate effects of countries and livelihoods as predictors for music students’ experienced workload in relation to their main subject of study (or principal study) and stress. We analysed music students’ lived experiences of workload to find further predictors for the developmental work in universities and educational policies. Results indicate that where neoliberal university culture impacts on music students’ livelihoods alongside their studies, this is likely to increase stress but not necessarily impact on the workload associated with their main subject of study. However, stress has a notable effect on students’ experiences of workload. We suggest paying attention to certain aspects in universities in relation to workload, such as the gap between well-off students compared to low-income students who need to work, and stress, particularly with female and non-binary gender students. Furthermore, we propose alternative ways to navigate neoliberal university culture.

From Challenge to Empowerment: Cross-Cultural Experiences and Perceptions of First-Generation Migrant Family Students

Although research on migrant students and their education exists, there is a lack of knowledge in Finland about the experiences and perceptions of successful First-Generation Migrant Family Students (FGMFS) in their educational path and transition from school to higher education. Therefore, this study aims to identify the main factors by which these students can successfully shape their educational pathway. Fifteen FGMFS pursuing higher education in Finland were interviewed, and, with the help of Grounded Theory (GT), three main categories — Individualism and Collectivism, Gender Role, and Critical Thinking — were identified as significant in coping with cross-cultural challenges and continuing their study in higher education successfully. The results of this study can help educational institutions create empowering environments to enhance the learning of FGMFS.

Основні напрями освітньої політики Фінляндії

The article deals with analyzing the main streams of the education policy in Finland, which reflect the relationship between a person and society in modern socio–economic conditions. Such policy directs the system of education to change the person and his mind himself. Finland using its education system, has long before been concerned about preparing people for the future by reforming approaches to teaching in schools and higher education institutions. As a result, it has achieved world–wide recognition and top positions in various ratings have resulted. Therefore, today there is a great interest of scientists in certain issues of education functioning in Finland. Thus, G. Androshchuk, V. Butova. I. Zhernokleeva, T. Pushkareva and others study in their works the purpose and decisive role of Finland's education policy in the development of the education system. S. Grinyuk and V. Zagvozdkin pay attention to the practical the steps of reforming the Finnish system of education. T. Drobyshevsk investigates the system of providing educational services in Finland as a sector of knowledge production. L. Volynets, P. Kukharchuk consider the principles of the state education policy of Finland. L. Smolskaya examines the role of the state policy in implementing the "Finnish phenomenon"; P. Basyliuk and Yu. Kulykova, focus attention on the study of the evolution of the system of higher education in Finland; O. Scherbak reveals peculiarities of vocational education and training.

Higher Education and Global Social Injustice

This dissertation, composed of three unique scholarly articles, explores some of the ways in which institutions of higher education facilitate and mitigate social injustice on a global scale. Specifically analyzing the behavior of administrative actors—defined as those that serve in a leadership role outside of the classroom—the purpose of the research was twofold. Firstly, I aimed to identify the mechanisms by which administrative actors at U.S. and Finnish institutions of higher education legitimized and rationalized their involvement in globally unjust educational practices. Secondly, I sought to identify the ways in which administrative actors in these economically privileged countries can or have mitigated their institutions’ involvement in global structural injustice. Three lines of inquiry guided this investigation: (1) In what ways do administrative actors at U. S. and Finnish institutions of higher education justify and reproduce global injustice? (2) How might administrative actors at institutions of higher education in these economically affluent countries begin to mitigate their institutions’ role in global social injustice? (3) In what ways have administrative actors at institutions of higher education in these economically affluent countries addressed global social injustice? What challenges do they face? Sub-study I explained the ways in which 26 practitioners at community colleges in three different community colleges, located within different states the U.S., conceptualized the role of international students on their campuses. Findings indicated that administrative actors assumed international students to be a privileged class of students, and therefore did not apply the logic of social justice to the non-domestic students in the same way that it was applied to domestic counterparts. Through literature review, Sub-study II theoretically explored the ways in which humanism and critical theory have been applied to justify study abroad at the community college. Drawing on Young’s (2006) justice theory, Sub-study II constructs a globally critical humanist rationale to study abroad at the community college, and provides examples of the ways in which administrative actors could employ such a frame to advocate for more globally socially just practices. Sub-study III analyzed 15 interviews from administrative actors at an institution of higher education in Finland. Findings indicated that, although participants often articulated a responsibility for injustice, factors associated with neoliberalism, as well as unclear and conflicting definitions of global responsibility, contributed to blame shifting and excusing discourse. The investigation concludes with implications for future research.

Consuming, producing, and justifying: Finnish student teachers’ views of research methods

ABSTRACT From the end of the 1970s, all teacher education programmes have been a part of academic higher education in Finland. Thus, TE has been implemented in universities and all Finnish comprehensive and upper-secondary school teachers have a master’s degree. Research methods courses have been an essential part of teacher education courses for over 40 years. Our results revealed that students in all educational programmes seem to prefer empirical methods to theoretical methods as a way of acquiring educational knowledge. In line with previous studies, an aversion to quantitative methods was also found in the present study. However, there were some exceptions to this overall view. Most of the students in our study recognized that teachers need research skills in their practical work. The students acknowledged that these kinds of skills are especially important when acquainting themselves with new research results in their professional field.

Private Supplementary Tutoring and Socio-economic Differences in Access to Higher Education

Private supplementary tutoring in the form of preparatory courses to university entrance examinations is present in Finland alongside public higher education (HE). We explore the participation in preparatory courses. Our data derive from the university undergraduate subsample (n = 2969) of a larger cross-sectional national survey targeting tertiary students. We found a strong association between the SES of the students and preparatory course participation rates. Preparatory course participation is also more common in competitive disciplines. Students from higher SES backgrounds get more parental help in financing their participation than their counterparts coming from lower SES backgrounds. Therefore, the role of private economic capital in access to HE in Finland, despite its tuition-fee-free nature, is evident.

How can simulation help with learning project work skills? Experiences from higher education in Finland

ABSTRACTBackground: Effective project management and project work skills are important requirements in higher education and many other work place settings. Simulation-based learning, with its use of simulated scenarios and environments, may be a helpful way of supporting skill development. However, much more needs to be understood about the possibilities and challenges that can be involved in the application of this method of learning and teaching, from the perspectives of the learners.Purpose: This exploratory qualitative study sought to describe university lecturers’ experiences and views of simulation as a method of learning and teaching project skills. The simulation method was tested in Finland, in the context of the national Research and Development Expert Coaching Programme, which was developed for the staff of the Universities of Applied Sciences.Research methods: Data were collected via a questionnaire with two open questions, to which total of 12 multi-professional participants, all lecturers from Universities of Applied Sciences, were asked to respond in essay form. The data was analysed using inductive content analysis.Results: Overall, our analysis suggests that participants felt that simulation-based learning was suitable for learning project work. According to the participants, the method helped them learn concrete project work skills, identify and manage challenging situations and promote dialogical sharing between professionals.Conclusion: The results indicate that simulation can be used to promote project work competence of both new and more experienced project workers in various fields. It is suggested that the method is suitable for both initial and continuing education.

ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ЯКОСТІ ВИЩОЇ ОСВІТИ: ДОСВІД ФІНЛЯНДІЇ

The article discusses the main approaches to quality assurance in higher education in Finland. The relevance of studying the experience for Ukraine is determined. Quality assurance in higher education is governed by the legal framework of the country. External evaluation is carried out by the Finnish Education Evaluation Center (FINEEC). The objectives of the FINEEC are: evaluation of education, teaching, teachers and activities of higher education institutions; development of educational evaluation; evaluation of the results of training in basic education, higher secondary education and training, basic education in the arts. Finnish higher education institutions are primarily responsible for the quality of education. Self-esteem is accomplished through a digital platform. Program accreditation aims to increase international recognition. The author notes that Higher Education Institutions are actively involved in external evaluations. The quality assurance mechanism of education is constantly being improved. The results of the external evaluation are used as a benchmark for internal evaluation. Higher education institutions select a national or international team to audit. Particular attention is paid to the accreditation of programs. The analysis of the quality assurance system of higher education gives grounds to claim that it is an effective organization, which provides the necessary resources (academic and administrative staff, students, scientific and administrative leaders, financial, material, information, scientific, educational resources, etc.); effective activity of relevant bodies that ensure the quality of higher education of the country; designation of audit teams; identifying audit objectives; undergoing appropriate procedure; defining clear evaluation criteria that demonstrate the effectiveness and quality of the evaluation. The outlined approaches and methods of quality assurance of education serve as an example of imitation for quality assurance of higher education of Ukraine and a guideline for its development.