Analysing adolescents’ reasoning about historical responsibility in dialogue between history education and social psychology

Peer reviewe

Integrating historical and moral consciousness in history teaching

The aim of this study is to explore historical perspective-taking from a social psychological perspective and reflect on the role of social identities and conceptions of human nature in perspective-taking. The sample consisted of 160 Year 9 students in Finland who responded to a historical perspective-taking task based on an edited excerpt from the book Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland (Browning, 1999). Based on qualitative content analysis, four types of answers were identified: all groups have the potential for good and evil; in-group is morally superior; lessons learned from history; and in the future similar situation would be possible. Social identity as an in-group - out-group distinction was essential in the responses as well as moral and historical empathy. Our empirical data shows that many students are willing and able to reflect on complex ethical questions on history lessons, and therefore we suggest that open discussions and consideration of different perspectives should be encouraged in history teaching. In addition, connecting historical topics to current day issues would help students to recognize the patterns of thinking that may lead to intergroup conflicts and violence.Peer reviewe

Component of morality: A professional ethics perspective on moral motivation, moral sensitivity, moral reasoning and related constructs among university students

Endast sammandrag. Inbundna avhandlingar kan sökas i Helka-databasen (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Elektroniska kopior av avhandlingar finns antingen öppet på nätet eller endast tillgängliga i bibliotekets avhandlingsterminaler.Only abstract. Paper copies of master’s theses are listed in the Helka database (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Electronic copies of master’s theses are either available as open access or only on thesis terminals in the Helsinki University Library.Vain tiivistelmä. Sidottujen gradujen saatavuuden voit tarkistaa Helka-tietokannasta (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Digitaaliset gradut voivat olla luettavissa avoimesti verkossa tai rajoitetusti kirjaston opinnäytekioskeilla.The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between different elements of morality, and assess them from the viewpoint of professional ethics. James Rest’s (1986) Four Component Model of moral behaviour served as the starting point to this work. According to the model, moral behaviour consists of four psychological processes: moral sensitivity (i.e., interpreting the situation), moral judgment (judging which act is right or wrong), moral motivation (values that guide individual’s behaviour)) and moral character (implementing skills). The model was broadened to include complexity of thinking used in solving moral problems, considerations of procedural justice as reflecting the content of moral judgments, and emotional empathy as a motivating factor in moral behaviour. The special focus was on the relation of value priorities to other components of morality, excluding only the moral character component. This thesis consists of four separate studies with correlational, interventional, and experimental designs. Four university student samples and additionally one literature sample were used. Value priorities were measured by the Schwartz Value Survey, moral judgment by applying Colby and Kohlberg’s (1987) moral judgment scoring to non-Kohlbergian dilemmas, complexity of thinking by using integrative complexity coding system (Suedfeld, Tetlock & Streufert, 1992) and emotional empathy by Mehrabian and Epstein’s Questionnaire Measure of Emotional Empathy. Additionally, a measure for moral sensitivity was developed. In sum, this study provided new evidence of complicated links and interactions among the components of the Rest model. The findings supported the pivotal role of value preferences in individuals moral considerations. The main results showed that the Self-Transcendence values were positively related to the other components of morality (moral sensitivity, complexity of thinking, and emotional empathy). On the other hand, the Self-Enhancement values had negative associations with moral components. It was stressed that to promote ethical development in the becoming professionals, the universities should pay attention to the value system they introduce to the students. Furthermore, to be effective, the professional ethics programmes should cover all the components of morality.Opponent: prof. Muriel Bebeau (Minnesota): Custos: prof. Anna-Maija Pirttilä-Backma

Hoivaan liittyvät arjen moraaliset ristiriitatilanteet ja hoivan kuormittavuus läheishoivaajilla

Peer reviewe

Opiskelijoiden kokemuksia sähköisistä tenteistä Helsingin yliopistossa

Various forms of electronic exams have been provided at the University of Helsinki for years, but all in small scale; the mainstream is still to take a lecture hall exam written with pen on paper. Two pilot projects – the online exam pilot at the faculty of social sciences and the electronic examining project – provide electronic exam opportunities for teachers and students. This case study is based on student experiences on electronic examining in the pilot projects, collected by electronic questionnaires. The results indicate that online and electronic exam room exams may lower stress related to examining, promote deep learning, provide flexibility in studies as part of busy life and thus promote to shorter graduation times and increase the quality of learning.Various forms of electronic exams have been provided at the University of Helsinki for years, but all in small scale; the mainstream is still to take a lecture hall exam written with pen on paper. Two pilot projects – the online exam pilot at the faculty of social sciences and the electronic examining project – provide electronic exam opportunities for teachers and students. This case study is based on student experiences on electronic examining in the pilot projects, collected by electronic questionnaires. The results indicate that online and electronic exam room exams may lower stress related to examining, promote deep learning, provide flexibility in studies as part of busy life and thus promote to shorter graduation times and increase the quality of learning.Peer reviewe

THE INFLUENCE OF INDIVIDUALISTIC AND COLLECTIVISTIC VALUES TO UTAUT: THE CASE OF THE CHINESE EBAY

Individuals are more willing to accept an information system if they perceive that the system can be of value to them. Values are individual, motivational constructs that guide and set criteria to individual’s behaviour. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) has been advanced on the basis of integrating eight technology-acceptance models. The objective of this research is to study the influence of the value dimensions on the UTAUT model. Accordingly, we first developed such an integrated model and then tested it in the context of the Chinese auction site Tao Bao. Our results suggest that individualistic and collectivistic values yield important influences on the constructs of the UTAUT. Implications for research and practices are then suggested based on the findings

How self-efficacy beliefs are related to assessment practices : A study of experienced university teachers

Based on social cognitive theory, this study focused on how self-efficacy beliefs were related to assessment practices among experienced university teachers. The data consisted of 16 thematic interviews of university teachers from various faculties who had received awards of excellence in teaching. The thematic interviews were content analyzed both inductively and deductively. Academics' self-efficacy experiences were related in four assessment modes: assessment in general, diagnostic assessment, formative assessment and summative assessment. Sources of self-efficacy experience were identified by mastery experience, vicarious experience, social persuasions and physiological and affective states. The mastery experience was the most common source of self-efficacy in assessment practice, and for experienced teachers, fairness was the prominent feature in assessment.Peer reviewe

Experienced academics' emotions related to assessment

The aim of this study was to examine the emotions higher education teachers associate with assessment and the factors in their teaching environment that triggered these emotions. As a starting point, Frenzel's model of teacher emotions and Pekrun's control-value theory of achievement emotions were used. The sample consisted of 16 experienced and pedagogically advanced teachers who participated in semi-structured interviews. After abductive content analyses, both positive and negative emotions were detected corresponding to Frenzel's and Pekrun's models. The main sources of emotions were validity of assessment, assessment methods, pedagogical development and assessment culture. This preliminary study indicates that assessment evokes both positive and negative emotions, and that validity of assessment is a prominent issue in evoking these emotions. Pedagogical training should deal with emotions and their regulation in assessment to help teachers in higher education to cope with negative emotions.Peer reviewe

COVID-19 Accelerating Academic Teachers' Digital Competence in Distance Teaching

This study examines, using a cross-sectional approach, the digital competence of academic teachers at a time when teaching shifted to digital distance learning at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers from different academic fields at a large multidisciplinary Finnish university (N = 265) responded to a questionnaire about the purposes for which they use digital tools in teaching, how they evaluated their competence at distance teaching during the lockdown of March-May 2020 and their beliefs about distance teaching. The respondents used digital tools in teaching mostly for delivering information. According to their evaluations, their competence in distance teaching increased during the early stages of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but their beliefs about distance teaching did not relate to the feelings of competence. Respondents with no experience in distance teaching before the lockdown evaluated their competence as having increased more than did respondents with previous experience. The implications of the findings for understanding competence development are then discussed.Peer reviewe

Components of morality : A professional ethics perspective on moral motivation, moral sensitivity, moral reasoning and related constructs among university students

Only abstract. Paper copies of master’s theses are listed in the Helka database (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Electronic copies of master’s theses are either available as open access or only on thesis terminals in the Helsinki University Library.Vain tiivistelmä. Sidottujen gradujen saatavuuden voit tarkistaa Helka-tietokannasta (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Digitaaliset gradut voivat olla luettavissa avoimesti verkossa tai rajoitetusti kirjaston opinnäytekioskeilla.Endast sammandrag. Inbundna avhandlingar kan sökas i Helka-databasen (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Elektroniska kopior av avhandlingar finns antingen öppet på nätet eller endast tillgängliga i bibliotekets avhandlingsterminaler.Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää moraalin eri osatekijöiden välisiä suhteita. Moraalista toimintaa tarkastellaan erityisesti ammattieettisestä näkökulmasta ja tutkimukseen vastanneita korkeakouluopiskelijoita tulevina asiantuntija-ammattien edustajina. Työn viitekehyksenä on James Restin (1986) moraalisen toiminnan neljän komponentin malli. Mallin mukaan moraalisessa toiminnassa on eroteltavissa ainakin neljä psykologista prosessia: moraalinen sensitiivisyys (tilanteen tulkitseminen moraaliseksi ongelmatilanteeksi), moraaliarviointi (teon arviointi oikeaksi tai vääräksi), moraalinen motivaatio (toimintaa ohjaavat arvot) sekä moraalinen luonne (kyky toimia moraalisten periaatteittensa mukaisesti). Tässä tutkimuksessa malliin sisällytetään myös ajattelun monimutkaisuus moraalisissa päätöksentekotilanteissa, menettelytapojen oikeudenmukaisuuden periaatteiden käyttö kuvaamassa moraaliajattelun sisältöä sekä empatia, jonka oletetaan myös motivoivan moraalista toimintaa. Moraalista luonnetta ei kuitenkaan tutkita tässä yhteydessä. Työn erityisenä kiinnostuksen kohteena on arvojen yhteys muihin moraalin osatekijöihin. Väitöskirja koostuu neljästä erillisestä tutkimuksesta, joista kaksi on korrelaatiotutkimusta, yksi opetusinterventio sekä yksi kokeellinen asetelma. Tutkimuksissa on käytetty neljää korkeakouluopiskelija-aineistoa sekä yhtä kirjallista aineistoa. Arvoja on mitattu Schwartzin arvomittarilla, moraaliarviointeja soveltamalla Colbyn ja Kohlbergin (1987) moraaliarviointien pisteytystä ei-Kohlbergilaisiin dilemmoihin, ajattelun monimutkaisuutta integrativiisen kompleksisuuden teorian avulla (Suedfeld, Tetlock & Streufert, 1992), sekä empatiaa Mehrabianin ja Epsteinin (1972) empatiamittarilla. Tutkimusta varten on kehitetty lisäksi moraalisen herkkyyden mittari. Tutkimuksen tulokset tukevat teoreettisesti oletettuja, mutta empiirisesti vähemmän tutkittuja yhteyksiä moraalin eri osatekijöiden välillä. Ne myös osoittavat arvojen merkityksen moraaliselle pohdinnalle. Päätuloksena voidaan pitää havaintoa, jonka mukaan itsensä ylittämisarvot ovat positiivisesti yhteydessä moraalin muihin osatekijöihin: moraaliseen sensitiivisyyteen, ajattelun monimutkaisuuteen ja empatiaan, kun vastaavasti itsensä korostamisarvojen yhteydet näihin tekijöihin ovat negatiivisia. Tukeakseen opiskelijoiden eettistä kehitystä, yliopistojen tulisi kiinnittää huomiota millaiseen arvomaailmaan he opiskelijoita sosiaalistavat opintojen aikana. Samoin yliopistoissa tarjottavan ammattietiikan opetuksen tulisi kattaa kaikki moraalisen toiminnat komponentit ollakseen tehokasta.Vastaväittäjä: prof. Muriel Bebeau (Minnesota)Kustos: prof. Anna-Maija Pirttilä-Backma