Universal Access to a Quality Education: Research and Recommendations for the Elimination of Curricular Stratification

This policy brief makes the case for schools across the country to put an end to policies that cast off students into unchallenging, low-track classrooms. The authors recommend a clear process for the phasing out of curricular stratification in grades K-10, beginning with the lowest track and granting meaningful access to AP and IB courses to all students. The brief includes model statutory language to implement its recommendations

Differences in preservice teachers’ readiness to use ICT in education and development of TPACK

Education for the 21st century society requires the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education. This presents challenges for preservice teacher education. Thus, more cognate understanding about preservice teachers’ readiness to use ICT in education, coupled with knowledge related to ICT in education, is needed. Furthermore, it is important to understand that preservice teachers have various levels of readiness to use ICT in education, thereby creating a demand to investigate sub-groups within preservice teachers. This study focuses on differences of readiness and development of knowledge between preservice teachers’ based on two theoretical constructs: Theory of Planned Behavior and TPACK. Results indicate differences in readiness of preservice teachers’ sub-groups. Still, positive development trends in terms of knowledge of ICT in education can be found during the first two years of preservice teacher education. Limitations and future research are discussed

Time for action! ICT integration in formal education : key findings from a region-wide follow-up monitor

This paper is a report on the key findings of a region-wide monitoring study conducted in Dutch-speaking schools in Belgium. First, we elaborate on the building blocks of the instrument, which has been updated and improved since its first deployment in 2007. In particular we focus on the core indicators, along with the multi-actor approach, the sample design and the ways in which new phenomena such as media literacy and gaming have been operationalized. Secondly, we highlight the main trends and patterns within pre-school, primary and secondary education. The first descriptive analyses show quite disappointing results with regard to ICT use at the micro level and the available infrastructure, while headmasters, teachers and pupils reported positive perceptions of different aspects of ICT integration. These results indicate an urgent need to take appropriate action. Therefore, the final part of the paper examines how ICT integration could be improved via structural changes and appropriate policymaking with regard to budgeting, teacher training and the particular role of ICT coordinators in schools

The Influence of Multiculturalism within Higher Education: Nursing

Societies in our globalized world are becoming more diverse as the flow of people crossing international borders continues to increase. As a result, multiculturalism is in the spotlight and is receiving more attention across university campuses. The main purpose of this study is to find out in what way(s) multiculturalism influences the higher education environment. This study has three research questions, (i) What are the demographics regarding diversity in Finland? (ii) How do students in higher education learn in multicultural clusters? and (iii) In what ways can diversity and inclusion be supported within universities? Roy’s Adaptation Model has been utilized as a theoretical framework for this study. The research method used was a literature review with 20 articles from three key databases Academic Search Elite (EBSCO), Sage and Science direct. Inductive analysis was conducted using the Graneheim and Lundman qualitative content analysis in nursing research. Statistical data directly implies increasing diversity in Finland as the number of foreigners continues to climb with Estonians and Russians having the highest population of foreigners. The findings of the study shows that nursing students in multicultural clusters have had positive experiences from their peers and mentors, including the development of cultural awareness and building of social networks. However, negative experiences were also identified, specifically; discrimination, social isolation and the practice of segregation. Language difficulties and mentors’ limited knowledge were some of the distinguished learning obstacles among multicultural students. In this study findings show, in order to reap the benefits of diversity; it is important to create and foster an inclusive environment. Interracial interaction, teaching strategies, university’s genuine support of diversity and educators’ cultural competence are ways that foster engagement and support inclusion. In conclusion, nurturing multiculturalism at university can result in the empowerment of students leading to positive outcomes

Riddle of the spirit: Promoting sustainability through playful learning design in Finnish education

Children are learning every moment; every childhood experience could influence their life-long values, behavioural development towards a sustainable way of living. To understand the new complex phenomena and make changes, children need relatively different competences, such as eco-literacy, empathy and systems thinking. Play, as a key way to explore the world, is seen as a significant element for promoting education for sustainability in childhood. Therefore, this thesis presents a new playset design as an alternative learning experience for children to study the abstract concept of sustainability. Setting Finland as the research context, this research examines how play design might promote climate education with diverse playthings and activities in Finnish early childhood and primary schools. The aim is to enhance children’s environmental knowledge, awareness and sense of responsibility, thus supporting teachers promoting relevant topics as ready-made learning materials. The set consists of one riddle as the storyline, seven playful activities with paper-based toys and templates. During the play, students acquire knowledge progressively and build the connection between themselves and climate issues through the story of an unwell “thunderstorms spirit”, inspired by Finnish myths, as core discussion. On the whole, the pedagogical framework combines elements of purposefully framed play, multi-literacy, phenomenon-based learning and imaginative education to deliver the learning goals of education for sustainability. The weight of this study lies on the practical design process of the playset. It involves methodology of transdisciplinary design research, double-diamond model, design thinking and user involvements. Contextual research includes interviews with educators and teachers, observation in a kindergarten, workshops, an analysis of the Finnish curriculum with a selected education model EarthCore by Worldwatch Institute. Further research will be collecting feedback from users to understand the exact application and produce more playful learning materials with other sustainability topics

How to design for persistence and retention in MOOCs?

Design of educational interventions is typically carried out following a design cycle involving phases of investigation, conceptualization, prototyping, implementation, execution and evaluation. This cycle can be applied at different levels of granularity e.g. learning activity, module, course or programme. In this paper we consider an aspect of learner behavior that can be critical to the success of many MOOCs i.e. their persistence to study, and the related theme of learner retention. We reflect on the impact that consideration of these can have on design decisions at different stages in the design cycle with the aim of en-hancing MOOC design in relation to learner persistence and retention, with particular attention to the European context

Here is the Place to Begin Your Explorations: An Autoethnographical Examination into Student Teaching Abroad

Participation in study abroad programs has increased steadily since the late 1980s and has tripled in the past two decades. Benefits of these experiences include positive academic performance, improved mental health, and better professional development—but for pre-service teachers who study abroad, these positive benefits can also transfer into culturally relevant pedagogy. As the need for teacher preparation programs to equip their students with global competence grows, cultivating undergraduates’ abilities to appreciate diverse perspectives not only empowers them to thrive in an interconnected world but also enables them to meet the academic and social needs of their culturally diverse students. In this paper, the authors use an assortment of methods (such as classroom observations, research journals, artifacts, and freewriting) to document and reflect on their international student teaching practicums. Autoethnography serves as a methodological vehicle to promote reflection on personal experiences embedded within larger cultural contexts. These narratives are then filtered through the theoretical framework of transformative learning theory to produce reflective analyses of our habits of mind and cultivate autonomous thinking

The role of linguistics in language teaching: the case of two, less widely taught languages - Finnish and Hungarian

This paper discusses the role of various linguistic sub-disciplines in teaching Finnish and Hungarian. We explain the status of Finnish and Hungarian at University College London and in the UK, and present the principle difficulties in learning and teaching these two languages. We also introduce our courses and student profiles. With the support of examples from our own teaching, we argue that a linguistically oriented approach is well suited for less widely used and less taught languages as it enables students to draw comparative and historical parallels, question terminologies and raise their sociolinguistic and pragmatic awareness. A linguistic approach also provides students with skills for further language learning

Exploring pre-service teachersʼ and comprehensive school pupilsʼ understandings of literacies in digital environments

This study focuses on Finnish pre-service teachersʼ and comprehensive school pupilsʼ understandings of literacies in digital environments. The study included 181 participants: 38 pre-service teachers, 79 primary school (PS) pupils and 64 lower secondary school (LS) pupils. The pre-service teachers created concept maps and written descriptions that portrayed their understanding of reading literacy, digital literacy and multiliteracy. The pupils were asked to write down what kinds of literacies they need in digital environments. The results indicate that the pre-service teachers mainly understood the many modalities of literacies. However, they emphasised reading literacy as the fundamental basis of other literacies. Similarly, the PS pupils perceived the many modalities of literacies, especially emphasising their visual elements. Instead of noticing the diversity of texts, LS pupils highlighted critical attitude and language skills.© 2023 Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed