Professional educators in the Circumpolar North: A model for the digital competence of future teachers

This article is based on a study that considers future teachers’ digital competencies in the Arctic education context with special attention to the necessary cultural and contextual dimensions of teachers’ work. This study explored the professional competencies teachers require when teaching diverse and multicultural pupils in the Circumpolar North drawing on the multiple affordances offered by the digital world. Previous research draws attention to specific teaching and teacher competencies required for rural schools in the Circumpolar North considering the unique assets and characteristics of rural places in this region. This study presents a model of Digital Competence for Future Teachers (DCFT) that illustrates the competencies required by teachers in rural schools in the Arctic. Within the proposed model, four types of digital knowledge-based competencies necessary for holistic education were identified: techno-cultural, intercultural, self-cultural, and micro-cultural. The model was created through a process of analysis of existing models of teachers’ digital competencies: MAP-, TPACK- and PEAT-models which are then reflected on the findings of an earlier international comparative multiple-case study by the same authors examining the sudden change to remote online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Cultural Competence for Equity and Inclusion (CCEI) framework. Although the presented study focused on the Circumpolar North, the findings have implications for teacher education and policy production more widely in national and international educational environments

Synthesis and evaluation of the antiplasmodial activity of novel indeno[2,1-c]quinoline derivatives

With the aim to explore the potentiality of new chemical scaffolds for the design of new antimalarials, a set of new indeno[2,1-c]quinolines bearing different basic heads has been synthesized and tested in vitro against chloroquine sensitive (CQ-S) and chloroquine resistant (CQ-R) strains of Plasmodium falciparum. Most of the synthesized compounds exhibited a moderate antiplasmodial activity, inhibiting the growth of both CQ-S and CQ-R strains of P. falciparum with IC50 ranging from 0.24 to 6.9\u3bcM and with a very low resistance index. The most potent compounds (1.2-1.3-fold the CQ on the W-2 strain) can be considered as promising 'lead compounds' to be further optimized to improve efficacy and selectivity against Plasmodia

The effects of aquatic therapy during post-acute neurorehabilitation in patients with severe traumatic brain injury: a preliminary randomized controlled trial

Objective: The primary aim is to verify the effectiveness of an aquatic training (AT) in inpatients with severe Traumatic Brain Injury (sTBI) on balance. The secondary aims are to explore the effects on gait, activities of daily living, and quality of life, comparing to a land-based conventional protocol. Methods: Two-arm, randomized controlled trial. Twenty inpatients with sTBI, Glasgow Coma Scale score ≤8, and Level of Cognitive Functioning ≥7 were recruited and randomly assigned to the aquatic therapy group (ATG) or to the Conventional Training Group (CTG). Patients underwent 12 individual rehabilitation sessions (3 days/week, 4 weeks), in a rehabilitation pool during the post-acute intensive neurorehabilitation. The primary outcome measure was the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). Secondary outcome measures were the Modified Barthel Index (MBI), Disability Rating Scale (DRS), Tinetti Gait Balance Scale (TBG) and Quality of Life After Brain Injury (QOLIBRI). All the evaluations were performed at the baseline and after 4 weeks of training. Results: The within-subjects analysis showed a significant improvement both in ATG and CTG in MBI, BBS, TBG, and QOLIBRI. Conclusion: Our results may support the use of AT during post-acute phase to improve motor functions and quality of life in patients with sTBI

Experiences of remote teaching, technological pedagogical competencies and workload of teachers in northern Finland during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract In this study, we examine the experiences of teachers, particularly in relation to their remote teaching competencies, in the county of Lapland, North Finland, during the COVID-19 pandemic, as they face new pedagogical challenges in remote teaching. To identify the teachers’ competency needs in remote teaching, the study uses questionnaire data (N=164) collected from primary, secondary and upper secondary school teachers. The results of the systematic representative survey study are analysed using the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) model to investigate the preconditions for and challenges in implementing remote teaching in terms of teachers’ competencies. The participants’ responses indicate that different municipalities prepared for remote teaching and learning in quite diverse ways. Some municipalities lacked the necessary tools for remote learning, and the workload increase and job satisfaction experienced by teachers were related to the digital tools provided by their employers. The development of teachers’ diverse competencies is pivotal in teacher education and in-service teacher training so that they can acquire the ability to take initiative and function well in diverse and changing educational contexts. This study outlines the dimensions of teachers’ technological pedagogical competencies that were further developed from the TPACK framework

Pohjois-Suomen opettajien kokemuksia etäopetuksesta, teknologis-pedagogisesta osaamisesta sekä työn kuormittavuudesta COVID-19 pandemian aikana

Tiivistelmä Tässä artikkelissa tarkastelemme Lapin alueen opettajien etäopetukseen liittyviä kokemuksia COVID-19 -pandemian aikana. Opettajien etäopetuksen osaamistarpeiden tunnistamiseksi tutkimuksessa hyödynnetään kyselyaineistoa (N=164), joka on kerätty perusasteen ja toisen asteen opettajilta aikana, jolloin opettajat kohtasivat uusia pedagogisia haasteita etäopetukseen liittyen. Tutkimuksen tuloksia reflektoidaan teknologis-pedagogis-sisällöllisen tietämyksen mallin (TPACK) valossa. Tavoitteena on selvittää etäopetuksen toteuttamisen edellytyksiä ja haasteita opettajien osaamisen kannalta. Opettajien vastauksista voidaan päätellä, että kunnat olivat varautuneet etäopetukseen varsin eri tavoin. Joistakin kunnista etäopetuksen mahdollistavat työvälineet puuttuivat kokonaan. Opettajien työmäärän lisääntyminen ja heidän kokema työtyytyväisyys olivat yhteydessä käytössä olleisiin työnantajan antamiin digitaalisiin työvälineisiin. Opettajan perus- ja täydennyskoulutuksessa tulisi kiinnittää huomiota opettajien monipuolisen teknologis-pedagogista osaamisen kehittämiseen, jotta opettajat pystyvät toimimaan aktiivisesti erilaisissa muuttuvissa opetus- ja oppimiskonteksteissa. Tutkimus selventää opettajien teknologis-pedagogisen osaamisen ulottuvuuksia, joita kehitettiin edelleen TPACK-mallin pohjalta

Professional educators in the Circumpolar North:a model for the digital competence of future teachers

Abstract This article is based on a study that considers future teachers’ digital competencies in the Arctic education context with special attention to the necessary cultural and contextual dimensions of teachers’ work. This study explored the professional competencies teachers require when teaching diverse and multicultural pupils in the Circumpolar North drawing on the multiple affordances offered by the digital world. Previous research draws attention to specific teaching and teacher competencies required for rural schools in the Circumpolar North considering the unique assets and characteristics of rural places in this region. This study presents a model of Digital Competence for Future Teachers (DCFT) that illustrates the competencies required by teachers in rural schools in the Arctic. Within the proposed model, four types of digital knowledge-based competencies necessary for holistic education were identified: techno-cultural, intercultural, self-cultural, and micro-cultural. The model was created through a process of analysis of existing models of teachers’ digital competencies: MAP-, TPACK- and PEAT-models which are then reflected on the findings of an earlier international comparative multiple-case study by the same authors examining the sudden change to remote online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Cultural Competence for Equity and Inclusion (CCEI) framework. Although the presented study focused on the Circumpolar North, the findings have implications for teacher education and policy production more widely in national and international educational environments

A transnational comparative study of teachers’ experiences of remote teaching and learning during COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract This article presents the findings of an international comparative multiple-case study that examined the sudden change from classroom to remote online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study specifically explored the experiences of teachers in Northern Finland, England, and Norway to provide new information about the education situation and to guide the description of the areas that should guide the education of future teachers. The data were collected in three different ways in three different contexts: via an online survey of in-service teachers in Lapland, Finland (N = 164), and through different semi-structured interviews with teachers in England (N = 20) and Northern Norway (N = 30). The data analysis was conducted in two phases. The first phase focused on teachers’ experiences in teaching and learning and the second phase on teachers’ challenges. The results voice the teachers’ desire for more education on online pedagogy and practicals, the pedagogical use of technology, and the significance of teacher collaboration. The findings can be used for the development of teacher education to ensure the dynamic digitalization of future teacher education programmes and policies