Regional differences in migratory behaviour in Finland

The paper aims to analyse regional differences in migration behaviour and labour market adjustment in Finland. The analysis focuses on individuals belonging to the labour force both in 1985 and 1990. The data is a one percent sample from the Finnish longitudinal census file. Three outcomes can be deduced from the results. First, the chosen regions differ from each other quite little by migratory behaviour. Second, regional migratory behaviour has an equilibrating role in regional labour markets, which is not very strong. Third, the effect of personal unemployment on migratory behaviour is weaker in northern Finland and so the future prospects of high-unemployment areas are further worsening.

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An Educational- Vocational Intervention: Through a Work-Life Orientation Program in Finnish Comprehensive Schools

Changes in student-affective entry characteristics were examined in an educational−vocational intervention at Finnish comprehensive school. The conceptual framework constructed from attitudes as learned dispositions (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975) and self-determination (Deci & Ryan, 1985) was tested in a longitudinal study. A person-based survey questionnaire was designed, piloted, and validated. Spearman−Brown reliability was calculated. In the first observation, 669 (Time One Cohort), and in the second, 649 (Time Two Cohort) subjects (girls and boys) of mean ages of 14.5 and 16.0 years took the Web-based survey. The tested hypotheses were (a) variables of self-determination, self-regulation, and intrinsic and extrinsic motivation would emerge as attitudinal domains in work−life orientation; (b) the experiences during the implementation of a work−life orientation program would decrease the effects of seventh-grade student background factors at the end of the program in the ninth grade, and (c) work−life orientation would be effective and have efficacy in changing student attitudes in relation to further education and occupations. Three factors emerged in the Maximum Likelihood Factor Analysis. The factors Independence, Self-Direction, and Flexibility were used as the dependents in repeated measures in a general linear model. The factor means were subjected to a paired samples t test. There was development toward stronger Independence and Flexibility in the case of both genders. The boys had gained the girls’ seventh-grade lead at the end of the program. Self-Direction did not show any changes. Empirical findings tentatively supported the program’s efficacy in changing entry characteristics.Peer reviewe

Apprenticeship orientation as planned behavior in educational choices: a path model of antecedent beliefs

A hypothetical descriptive behavioral model extending the theory of planned behavior (TPB) was examined for subjective perceived control beliefs as antecedents of the apprenticeship orientation for vocational-educational training (VET). Attributes of self-regulation and self-regulatory systems in belief formation, and affective evaluation, were expected to vary with student choice of apprenticeship in an educational path.Peer reviewe

Efficacy of Work-life Orientation : Region and Parents' Education as Background Factors

This study detected and analyzed changes that took place in students' attitudes toward their future education and occupation after completion of the 3-year orientation to work-life through Grades 7 to 9 in different regions in Finland. The changes in the correlations of attitudes were seen as both precursors and consequences of the students' engagement in the work-life orientation (WLO) program. The changes were postulated not to correlate with the respondents' region and parents' education. The empirically measured changes in students' attitudes served as indicators of the efficacy of WLO. Efficacy referred to the power of WLO to produce effects in the form of changes in attitudes toward educational and occupational choices. Consequently, tentative hypotheses were formed to be tested through empirical observations (measurement points) of WLO. WLO was expected to positively affect student motivation and to guide idiographic decision-making concerning personal goals. Using an alpha level of .05, an independent samples test was conducted to evaluate whether independence, flexibility, and self-direction differed significantly in the measurement groups. For the WLO effect sizes (ES) estimation and for the comparison of the groups, Cohen's ds were calculated. WLO had a small to medium effect on independence and flexibility, and a near zero effect on self-direction. No notable regional differences in the variance of the students' attitudes were detected although the social environments differed considerably with regard to industrial structure. The statistically significant proportional differences between the parents' educational levels did not correlate with the efficacy of WLO.Peer reviewe

Loci of Causality and Orientation in Occupational and Educational Choices

A student self-determination profile of occupational and educational choices was examined through the concepts of Locus of Causality and Locus of Orientation. Research questions associated with respondents’ certainty of occupation and orientation to vocational education were answered. The tested hypotheses were as follows: (a) Independence, initiative, self-guidance, choice of discussion forums, and gender are related to certainty of future occupation choice and choice of vocational education; (b) certainty of occupation relates to choosing vocational education; (c) negatively biased media lessens interest in vocational education; and (d) vocational education choices are related to gender. A survey of ninth-grade students in Finnish comprehensive school was conducted after implementation of a work-orientation program defined in the national comprehensive school curriculum. At the local school system level, 649 subjects of the mean ages of 16.0 years participated in an Internet survey in two school districts in southwestern Finland in 2008. The variables were inserted in Linear Multiple Regression Analysis in IBM SPSS. The means of vocational school choice and certainty of occupation, and vocational school choice and negative media image were compared in SPSS means. An independent-samples ttest for vocational school choice and sex was conducted. Statistically significant regression models of loci of orientation and locus of causality were found. The more the respondents were certain of their occupation choice, the more they expressed their secondary education orientation to be vocational school. When students discussed their choices less at home, their orientation to vocational education weakened. A negative media image was not associated with vocational school choice in this data. The measured means for girls’ and boys’ orientations to vocational school did not show statistically significant differences.Peer reviewe

Efficacy of the work-life orientation program : a three-year longitudinal study

This dissertation examines the changes in pupils’ attitudes to choices as regards further education and occupation. Pupils’ guidance and control attitudes, which were deduced from the integration of the Self-determination theory, the Theory of planned behavior and the Expectancy-value model, were researched in the context of work-life orientation (WLO). A hypothetical model linking self-direction, part-time job willingness and apprenticeship choice was tested. Consequently, Study I explored pupils’ (N = 669 and N = 649) attitudes as learned dispositions, and the changes in their affective entry characteristics. Study II (N = 649) probed the pupil self-determination profiles of occupational and educational choices. Study III (N = 649) investigated a hypothetical descriptive behavioral model of ninth graders. Study IV, (N = 236 and N = 253) examined the convergent validity of this research and investigated regional differences in the efficacy of the work-life orientation periods. After completion of the work-life orientation periods, the pupils’ independence and flexibility had changed. Self-direction had not changed. The weight of peers’ opinions on occupation and further education, and the influence of peers’ occupational choice had decreased. Vacation and workweek flexibility, and interest in factors other than good wages had increased. The boys had gained the girls’ seventh-grade lead at the end of the ninth grade. Discussions at home strengthened the pupils’ certainty about both occupation and orientation to vocational education. Self-direction surfaced as a lasting attitude domain in connection with future educational and occupational choices: The indicators of interest in independence, showing initiative and desire for self-guidance did not change during the work-life orientation periods. The pupils’ stronger interest in independent work and showing initiative were found to predict stronger certainty of occupation. Their beliefs concerning initiative, independence and self- guidance correlated with apprenticeship. There was also a correlation between perceived independence and self-guidance evaluations and part-time job willingness. Desire for self- guidance had a statistically significant, directly positive relationship with apprenticeship. No major regional differences in pupils’ attitudes were seen. The differences in the industrial structure of the sample regions, or in the parents’ level of education had no effect on the efficacy of the work-life orientation periods. In conclusion, the results of this dissertation show the role of pupils’ attitudes in work-life orientation. I conclude that in order to improve the efficacy of work-life orientation, pupils´ metacognition in controlling, monitoring and regulating their attitudes should be enhanced by intensifying the role of consultative talks in guidance counseling. Approximately half of the ninth grade pupils in Studies I and IV wrote down that their work-life orientation periods had only little or no impact on their choices about their future education or occupation. Knowledge of the pupils’ individual attitudes would increase the efficacy of the educational-vocational intervention and would help both the individual and society at large. Pupils are to be assigned to workplaces in placement sessions in which educators and prospective employers provide them with support and professional help. The assignments should include discussions at home. Pupils in general upper secondary schools should be given opportunities to take part in work-life orientation periods on a voluntary basis. Keywords: Metacognition, self-direction, self-determination, self-efficacy, work-life orientationPerusopetuksen työelämään tutustuttamisjaksojen (TET- jaksot) vaikuttavuustutkimus luotasi 7. ja 9. luokkien oppilaitten ammatin- ja jatko-opintojen valinta-asenteita. Tutkimukseen osallistui 1138 yläkoulun oppilasta kahdeksasta kunnasta eri puolelta Suomea. Tutkimuksessa käytettiin itse laa-dittua käsitekyselyä. Havainnoinnin tavoitteena oli selvittää millä tavalla oppilaitten asenteet olivat muuttuneet seitsemännen vuosiluokan lähtötilanteesta yhdeksännen luokan päättötilanteeseen. Työelämään tutustumisjaksojen jälkeen oppilaiden itsenäisyys ja joustavuus olivat kasvaneet. Opiskelijatovereiden ammatteihin ja jatko-opintoihin sekä ammatinvalintaan liittyvien mielipiteiden painoarvot olivat vähentyneet. Lomiin ja työviikkoihin liittyvä joustavuus ja muuhun kuin hyvään palkkaan liittyvä kiinnostus olivat lisääntyneet. Molempien sukupuolten itsenäisyys ja joustavuus olivat kasvaneet, ja pojat olivat saavuttaneen tyttöjen alkutilanteessa osoittamia vahvempia asen-teita. Oppilaiden kotona käymät keskustelut vahvistivat oppilaitten ammatinvalintavarmuutta. Oppilaiden kiinnostus itsenäiseen työntekoon ja aloitekyvyn näyttämiseen viittasi vahvempaan ammatinvalinnanvarmuuteen. Oppilaitten itsesuuntautuneisuus oli pysyvä asenne jatko-opinto- ja ammatinvalinnoissa: itsenäisyyden, aloitekyvyn näyttämisen ja itseohjautuvuuden indikaattorit eivät muuttuneet työelämään tutustumisjaksojen aikana. Arviolta noin puolet yhdeksäsluokkalaisista oli kokenut työelämäjaksojen vaikuttaneen ei ollenkaan tai vähän heidän jatko-opinto- tai ammatinvalintaansa. Työelämään tutustumisjaksojen vaikuttavuudessa ei ilmennyt merkittäviä alueellisia eroja otosten välillä. Oppilaiden asuinalueiden teollisuusrakenteen eroilla ja vanhempien koulutustason eroilla ei ollut vaikutusta työelämään tututusmisjaksojen vaikuttavuuteen. Tutkimuksen tulokset toivat esiin oppilaiden asenteiden merkityksen työelämään tutustumisessa. Työelämäjaksojen vaikuttavuuden parantamiseksi on syytä edistää oppilaiden metakognitiota asenteiden kontrollin, tarkkailun ja säätelyn osalta ja vahvistaa opinto-ohjauksen konsultatiivisia keskusteluja. Tietoisuus oppilaitten yksilöllisistä asenteista lisää työelämään tutustumisen vaikutta-vuutta ja hyödyttää sekä yksilöä että yhteiskuntaa. Työpaikkoihin sijoittamisen tulisi tapah-tua sijoitustuokioissa, joissa oppilaat saavat opetushenkilöstön ja tulevien työnantajien asiantuntijatukea. Sijoitustuokioiden tulisi sisältää kotona käytävää keskustelua

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