Ontological differences and the pursuit of planetary well-being

This chapter emphasizes the importance of ontological dialogue and methodological choices to the conceptual development and practical enactment of planetary well-being. Starting from the premise that cultural practices, including scientific concepts and methods, shape realities, the chapter suggests approaching nature and culture as entangled with each other. From this perspective, this chapter deals with divergent biocultural realities rather than a single, universal Nature viewed from multiple cultural perspectives. Biocultural realities differ in terms of how well they enable more-than-human communities to regenerate themselves. The chapter proposes anthropologist Anna Tsing’s conceptual pair of multispecies resurgence and Anthropocene proliferation for making sense of how world-making practices can either cultivate or disrupt regenerative processes central to planetary well-being. The chapter also encourages ontological dialogue between biocultural realities to promote and achieve planetary well-being. Tsing’s assemblage approach is suggested as a potential tool for transdisciplinary and multi-ontological co-researching of more-than-human histories of landscapes and communities. The approach allows different ontologies and conceptualizations of well-being to be combined, without forcing them into a unified framework.peerReviewe

Educational Policy, Governance, and Leadership

This chapter investigates the educational policy and governance, and also leadership in educational contexts in Finland from the 1950s into today’s on-going reforms. The investigation continues the debates of several Finnish researchers on past Finnish educational policy and administration. In addition, it follows the recent research on how school keeping has evolved into the present educational leadership in Finland. This research also presented the general definition for Finnish educational leadership applied in this chapter. As to the description and definition of educational policy and governance, the handling will follow research on the development of Finnish educational policy and governance in the Finnish complex and dynamic operational environment during the 2000s. Finally, the chapter investigates how Finland appears to be directing and developing its educational policy, governance, and leadership into the future. This includes the analysis of the Finnish government Education Policy Account 2021, which maps Finnish educational policy, governance, and leadership into 2040, and of other relevant topical education policy documents. With the analysis, we present both future aspirations and educational policy mechanisms, efforts, and experimentation to reach the aspired education policy goals.peerReviewe

Ecology of the classroom support program in early childhood education for children with lower income family backgrounds : case Singapore

Children from lower socio-economic status families, at times, experience particular difficulties when entering school. These children may be equipped with different skill sets not recognized at school. Many countries, including Singapore, are increasingly concerned about the quality of early education. Paramount to quality is also the inclusion and accommodation of diverse learners into the mainstream education setting. The Classroom Support Program (CSP), under scrutiny of this study, is a small-group (and one-on-one) intervention programme developed and implemented by the NTUC First Campus in Singapore. The Classroom Support Program (CSP) involves Classroom Co-Facilitators (CCFs) aiming to include and support children from lower-income family background into early learning classrooms. The objective of the study was to understand the effects of the Classroom Support Program. The results indicate that while this programme provided individualized and tailored learning experiences for these children, CCFs roles and responsibilities varied due to the lack of pedagogical leadership. The proportion of their work is on the academic preparation of the children and while they promote the holistic well-being of the children in their talk, the children spent long periods of the day in teacher directed learning.peerReviewe

Olfaction in the canine cognitive and emotional processes : From behavioral and neural viewpoints to measurement possibilities

Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) have excellent olfactory processing capabilities that are utilized widely in human society e.g., working with customs, police, and army; their scent detection is also used in guarding, hunting, mold-sniffing, searching for missing people or animals, and facilitating the life of the disabled. Sniffing and searching for odors is a natural, species-typical behavior and essential for the dog's welfare. While taking advantage of this canine ability widely, we understand its foundations and implications quite poorly. We can improve animal welfare by better understanding their olfactory world. In this review, we outline the olfactory processing of dogs in the nervous system, summarize the current knowledge of scent detection and differentiation; the effect of odors on the dogs’ cognitive and emotional processes and the dog-human bond; and consider the methodological advancements that could be developed further to aid in our understanding of the canine world of odors.peerReviewe

Challenges and Reflections for Developing Leadership in Educational Contexts

This volume was inspired by the observation that over the past 20 years, the educational system and public administration in general have changed enormously due to ideological, political and structural transformation. In practice, the mode of operation in educational organisations is characterised by a complex interplay between political and administrative objectives, negotiations and promotion of various perspectives, cultural features, professional sights and aims to adapt to external and internal pressures and influences. This has affected educational leadership that should also be seen from a complex perspective that includes relationships and active social interaction in various networks. However, there have been very few publications of the specifics of leadership in educational contexts with a wide-ranging perspective for the radically evolving operational environments and written by researchers in educational leadership and governance. Therefore, this volume has presented a joint effort for positioning, conceptualising and describing the nature and future of Finnish educational leadership for both the international and Finnish readers.peerReviewe

Energiansaatavuuden yhteys voimaharjoitteluintervention aikaansaamiin harjoitusvasteisiin

Johdanto. Kompleksivoimaharjoittelussa yhdistetään raskas voimaharjoittelu nopeus- tai hyppelyharjoitukseen. Tarkoituksena on kehittää voimantuottonopeutta ja tehontuottoa, jotka molemmat ovat oleellisessa osassa joukkuepalloilussa. Kompleksivoimaharjoittelun on osoitettu kehittävän palloilijoiden maksimaalista alaraajojen voimantuottoa sekä tehoa mittaavaa kevennyshyppyä. Riittävän energiansaannin on osoitettu vaikuttavan voimaharjoittelun aikaansaamiin vasteisiin. Energiansaatavuus on käsite, jonka avulla voidaan määrittää energiamäärä, mikä jää kehon fysiologisiin toimintoihin liikunnan jälkeen. Riittävä energiansaatavuus edesauttaa ylläpitämään terveyttä ja saavuttamaan haluttuja harjoitusvasteita. Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on selvittää, onko energiansaatavuus yhteyksissä kuuden viikon voimaharjoitteluintervention aikaansaamiin harjoitusvasteisiin. Menetelmät. Tutkimusjoukko koostui 22 naispalloilijasta, lajit olivat futsal (n=11), jääkiekko (n=3) ja koripallo (n=8). Tutkittavat suorittivat kuuden viikon voimaharjoitteluintervention, jota ennen ja jonka jälkeen suoritettiin aamu- ja suorituskykymittaukset. Lisäksi tutkittavat pitivät ruoka- ja harjoittelupäiväkirjaa tutkimuksen alussa ja/tai lopussa kolmen vuorokauden ajan. Kehonkoostumus mitattiin DXA-mittauksella (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, DXA). Päiväkirjojen ja kehonkoostumuksen perusteella määritettiin urheilijoiden energiansaatavuus. Suorituskyvyn mittareina käytettiin maksimaalista isometristä jalkojen ojennusta ja kevennyshyppyä. Tulokset. Matalaa energiansaatavuutta esiintyi 9 %:lla ja vähäistä hiilihydraattien saantia 96 %:lla tutkittavista. Voimaharjoittelu kehitti isometristä jalkojen ojennusta (pre 343,3 ± 81,7 kg vs. post 378,9 ± 73,2 kg, p=0,009), mutta ei kevennyshyppyä (pre 27,4 ± 4,28 cm vs. post 26,9 ± 4,4 cm, p=0,162). Kehonkoostumuksessa havaittiin merkitsevä muutos rasvan massassa (pre 17,6 ± 4,4 kg vs. post 17,9 ± 5,3 kg, p=0,033), mutta ei kehon rasvattomassa massassa (pre 45,7 ± 5,0 kg vs. post 46,0 ± 4,8 kg, p=0,188). Energiansaatavuus ei ollut yhteyksissä isometriseen jalkojen ojennukseen (rs=0,102, p=0,651), kevennyshyppyyn (r=0,148, p=0,512), eikä kehonkoostumukseen. Pohdinta. Laskennallisesti määritelty energiansaatavuus ei ollut yhteyksissä kompleksivoimaharjoitteluintervention aikaansaamiin harjoitusvasteisiin naispalloilijoilla. Kompleksivoimaharjoittelu näyttää kuitenkin kehittävän maksimaalista isometristä jalkojen ojennusta, mutta ei kevennyshyppyä. Tulokset kevennyshypyn ja rasvamassan osalta vaikuttaisivat aiemman tutkimuksen perusteella siltä, että LEA on voinut olla yleisempää, kuin tutkimustulokset osoittavat. Tutkimuksia voimaharjoittelun ja energiansaatavuuden yhteyksistä tarvitaan lisää. Energiansaatavuutta olisi hyvä arvioida myös muilla menetelmillä, sillä laskennallinen määritys sisältää haasteita niin energiansaannin kuin energiankulutuksenkin arvioinnin osalta

Year-round activity of microbial communities in cold-climate peatlands treating mining-affected waters

Pristine peatlands are typically low in nitrogen, sulfur and metal compounds. Thus, input of high concentrations of those compounds as a result of anthropogenic activity pose a huge challenge to peatland ecosystems. At a mine site in Finnish Lapland, mining-affected waters are purified in two treatment peatlands (TPs) before they are released into downstream waters. The TPs experience long winters and are snow- and partly ice-covered from October to May. Contaminants in inflow waters include nitrogen compounds, sulfate, metals and metalloids. The TPs were intensively monitored for >10 years, and monitoring data was complemented with laboratory experiments. High levels of multiple contaminants, often in the mM range, were measured in TP inflow. Removal of some contaminants such as nitrogen compounds and sulfate was higher in summer months while removal of other contaminants such as arsenic and antimony was similar throughout the year. Potential process rates as assessed in laboratory incubations were generally higher at higher incubation temperatures and decreased with decreasing temperatures, but processes still occurred at 0 °C. The composition of the potentially active microbial community as assessed by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing varied more strongly between the two TPs and the two layers, while seasonal variability was minor. Potentially active microorganisms included genera known for nitrification, denitrification, sulfate reduction, iron reduction as well as arsenate and antimonate reduction. The collective results indicate that (i) microbial communities in mining-affected peatlands were exposed to high concentrations of multiple contaminants, (ii) microbially mediated processes contributed to contaminant removal throughout the year, and (iii) differences in process rates and contaminant removal likely stem from overall lower activities rather than from changes in microbial community composition.peerReviewe

Understanding employee-CSR relationship by exploring microfoundations of corporate social responsilibility

This doctoral study bridges microfoundations initiatives and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) helps in understanding individual-level differences by assessing the individual attitudes and emotions that influence organizational CSR programs. It shifts the focus from industrial psychology’s generic factors (e.g., fatigue and boredom) to a more intricate view of individual employees’ microfoundations. This study employs a comprehensive methodology including a literature review and two empirical case studies. The literature review explores historical employee–CSR interactions, mapping existing perspectives and their limitations. The first case study scrutinizes national CSR regulations in India from a communicative viewpoint, highlighting how macrolevel CSR regulations affect individual attitudes. The second case study delves into the cognitive aspects of individual employees, focusing on emotional reactions in stressful CSR-related scenarios. In doing so, this study addresses the central research question: How can organizations comprehend and accommodate diversity among employees to effectively implement CSR initiatives? Through a series of subquestions, this study investigates the relationship between employee attitudes and CSR in the existing literature, explores the microlevel perspectives vis-à-vis macrolevel regulations, and evaluates how employees navigate emotionally charged situations stemming from organizational CSR reputation. This thesis proposes a meta-framework that combines individual and organizational perspectives on CSR, deepening our understanding of micro-CSR initiatives. This implies that managing individual differences can help organizations achieve comprehensive CSR goals. In summary, this study significantly contributes to both academic discourse and practical applications of CSR. By emphasizing individual differences, it not only enriches the scholarly landscape of micro-CSR but also provides organizations with actionable insights for enhancing CSR practices, thereby facilitating a more socially responsible and sustainable future.Yritysten yhteiskuntavastuun (Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR) käsitteen kehittyessä, tarve ymmärtää sen täytäntöönpanoa ja vaikutuksia tulee yhä tärkeämmäksi. Tämän väitöstutkimuksen tavoitteena on kuroa umpeen makro-CSR-aloitteiden ja mikro-CSR-erojen välistä kuilua tarkastelemalla yksilötason asenteita ja emotionaalisia kokemuksia, jotka tehostavat tai hidastavat vastuullisuustavoitteiden toteuttamista. Tämä pragmaattiseen filosofiaan perustuva tutkimus edistää yritysten yhteiskuntavastuun tutkimusta siirtämällä katseen perinteisestä teollisuuspsykologiasta, joka keskittyy usein yleisiin tekijöihin, kuten väsymykseen ja ikävystymiseen, monimutkaisempaan näkemykseen, joka ottaa huomioon yksittäisten työntekijöiden välisiä mikrotasoisia vaihteluita. Tutkimuksen metodologia sisältää kirjallisuuskatsauksen ja kaksi empiiristä tapaustutkimusta. Kirjallisuuskatsauksessa tarkastellaan työntekijöiden ja yritysten yhteiskuntavastuun vuorovaikutusta sekä kartoitetaan olemassa olevia näkökulmia ja niiden rajoituksia. Ensimmäinen tapaustutkimus tarkastelee Intian kansallista vastuullisuussääntely viestinnällisestä näkökulmasta ja erityisesti makrotason sääntelyn vaikutusta yksilöllisiin asenteisiin. Toisessa tapaustutkimuksessa tarkastellaan yksittäisten työntekijöiden kognitiivista näkökulmaa ja keskitytään erityisesti emotionaalisiin reaktioihin stressaavissa vastuullisuuskysymyksissä. Tämä tutkimuksen keskeinen tutkimuskysymys kysyy, miten organisaatiot voivat ymmärtää ja mukauttaa työntekijöiden monimuotoisuutta toteuttaakseen tehokkaasti vastuullisuusaloitteita? Tutkimuksella on useita alakysymyksiä, jotka keskittyvät työntekijöiden asenteiden ja yhteiskuntavastuun väliseen suhteeseen olemassa olevassa kirjallisuudessa, mikrotason näkökulmaan makrotason säännöksiin ja työntekijöiden emotionaalisesti latautuneisiin tilanteisiin, jotka johtuvat organisaation yhteiskuntavastuusta. Tutkimus tarjoaa teoreettisen metakehyksen, joka yhdistää yksilön ja organisaation näkökulmia yritysten yhteiskuntavastuuseen ja siten rikastuttaa ymmärrystämme mikrotason aloitteista yhteiskuntavastuuseen liittyen. Lisäksi se kertoo siitä, että yksilöllisten erojen tunnistaminen ja tehokas hallitseminen voi toimia tehokkaana työkaluna organisaatioille, jotka pyrkivät saavuttamaan CSR-tavoitteitaan. Yhteenvetona voidaan todeta, että tutkimus kontribuoi sekä akateemiseen keskusteluun että käytännön sovelluksiin yritysten yhteiskuntavastuun alalla. Korostamalla yksilöllisten erojen tärkeyttä se ei ainoastaan rikasta mikrotason ymmärrystä yhteiskuntavastuusta, vaan tarjoaa myös organisaatioille käytännönläheisiä oivalluksia yritysten yhteiskuntavastuun käytäntöjen tehostamiseen, mikä edistää vastuullisempaa ja kestävämpää tulevaisuutta

Positioning and Conceptualising Finnish Pedagogical Leadership in the International Setting

This chapter presents the conceptual evolvement of Finnish pedagogical leadership in the international setting. There are three main scopes. First, we discuss the historical evolvement of school leadership in Finland. This started in the 1950s with the first initiatives towards pedagogical leadership. Then, we describe the findings of the studies of several researchers to identify various aspects and nuances of pedagogical leadership till today. Second, we discuss the findings of one of the latest theorising studies on Finnish pedagogical leadership, present its four axioms of pedagogical leadership and connect these with various international studies ending with a new understanding of the core of Finnish pedagogical leadership. Third, we combine the findings of the historical scope, and several recent Finnish studies in pedagogical leadership. Finally, we present the novel understanding of Finnish pedagogical leadership in more detail, its core, its orientations, its goals and its processes. Last, we make a proposal for a paradigm shift for teachers, day-care centre and school leaders, and educational leader educating organisations.peerReviewe

First-order heat content asymptotics on RCD(K,N) spaces

In this paper, we prove first-order asymptotics on a bounded open set of the heat content when the ambient space is an RCD(K, N) space, under a regularity condition for the boundary that we call measured interior geodesic condition of size ϵ. We carefully study such a condition, relating it to the properties of the disintegration of the signed distance function from ∂Ω studied in Cavalletti and Mondino (2020).peerReviewe