HowUTeach -itsearviointityökalu laadukkaan korkeakouluopettamisen tukena

This article introduces the development of the self-reflection tool HowUTeach for higher education teachers. HowUTeach is a research-based self-assessment tool created primarily for teachers in both science universities and universities of applied sciences. The purpose of HowUTeach is to increase teachers’ awareness of their teaching and thereby enhance individual self-reflection relating to work and well-being. HowUTeach uses responses to a questionnaire as a base to generate feedback that includes descriptions of different teaching dimensions as well as ideas on how to develop and improve teaching practices. This article defines these dimensions and presents the idea of counter feedback. The results from the pilot tests of HowUTeach were promising, and teachers identified that the instrument advanced their teaching practices. The tool is now being developed further.Artikkeli esittelee korkeakouluopettajien työn tueksi kehitetyn HowUTeach -itsearviointityökalun. HowUTeach on korkeakoulupedagogiseen tutkimukseen perustuva, korkeakouluopettajien itsearviointityökalu, jonka avulla HowUTeach -kyselyyn vastaavalle korkeakouluopettajalle voidaan tuottaa tutkimukseen perustuva vastapalaute oman opetuksen ja pedagogisen asiantuntijuuden kehittämisen tueksi. HowUTeachin käytön ensisijaisena tavoitteena on lisätä korkeakouluopettajien tietoisuutta omasta opetuksesta, ja lisätä näin opettajien kykyä reflektoida ja kehittää omaa opetustaan sekä edistää heidän hyvinvointiaan. HowUTeach on suunniteltu ja kehitetty erityisesti tiede- ja ammattikorkeakouluopettajien työn tueksi. Artikkelissa kuvataan kyselyn eri ulottuvuudet ja vastapalautemekanismi, joka perustuu opettajien kyselyvastauksiin. HowUTeachin alustava käyttö on antanut rohkaisevia tuloksia ja opettajat kokevat, että kyselyn käyttö auttaa heitä kehittämään heidän opetustaan. Kyselyä kehitetään edelleen

Leading Teaching during a Pandemic in Higher Education—A Case Study in a Finnish University

Many studies have shown that the shift from contact teaching to fully online teaching has had many negative effects on teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the pandemic has also had an effect on leading teaching in higher education institutions, there has not been much empirical research on leaders’ experiences during a pandemic. The present study brings out the voices of academic leaders themselves and how they experienced the pandemic in the light of leading teaching that is provided exclusively online. To examine the variety of degree programme directors’ experiences, open-ended questions were asked and analysed using content analysis. Seven dimensions of experiences were detected, and they represented negative, positive and neutral experiences. The present study shows that higher education leaders need more guidance, training and support to face crisis situations and develop their skills, especially to communicate effectively, but at the same time to do so collaboratively and in an informal way

Leading Teaching during a Pandemic in Higher Education—A Case Study in a Finnish University

Many studies have shown that the shift from contact teaching to fully online teaching has had many negative effects on teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the pandemic has also had an effect on leading teaching in higher education institutions, there has not been much empirical research on leaders’ experiences during a pandemic. The present study brings out the voices of academic leaders themselves and how they experienced the pandemic in the light of leading teaching that is provided exclusively online. To examine the variety of degree programme directors’ experiences, open-ended questions were asked and analysed using content analysis. Seven dimensions of experiences were detected, and they represented negative, positive and neutral experiences. The present study shows that higher education leaders need more guidance, training and support to face crisis situations and develop their skills, especially to communicate effectively, but at the same time to do so collaboratively and in an informal way

Students’ experiences of the factors affecting their study progress : Differences in study profiles

Many factors influence students’ progress in higher education. However, the students’ own voices are seldom heard. Using a qualitative approach, the study explored students’ own experiences of the factors that have influenced their studying. Research has indicated that students’ experiences are often related to their approaches to learning. Therefore, experiences of enhancing and impeding factors were explored here in relation to different study profiles. Altogether 736 open-ended answers were analysed by qualitative context analysis. After establishing the categories of enhancing and impeding factors and creating the student profiles, the differences between the profiles were examined using chi-square tests. The results revealed that the students had experienced a broad variety of factors that influenced their studying. These experiences varied widely with regard to the students’ study profiles. In particular, those in the Students applying a surface approach and Unorganised students applying a deep approach profiles appeared to experience more obstacles in their studies than the students in other profiles. Characteristic of these two profiles was the students’ low ability to organise their studies, that is, manage their time and effort. The study suggests that at least part of the variation in students’ experiences of the factors influencing their progress is explainable by the students’ learning profiles. Whether it would be useful to identify different student profiles rather than concentrate on asking the students directly about their experiences of enhancing and impeding factors is discussed.Many factors influence students’ progress in higher education. However, the students’ own voices are seldom heard. Using a qualitative approach, the study explored students’ own experiences of the factors that have influenced their studying. Research has indicated that students’ experiences are often related to their approaches to learning. Therefore, experiences of enhancing and impeding factors were explored here in relation to different study profiles. Altogether 736 open-ended answers were analysed by qualitative context analysis. After establishing the categories of enhancing and impeding factors and creating the student profiles, the differences between the profiles were examined using chi-square tests. The results revealed that the students had experienced a broad variety of factors that influenced their studying. These experiences varied widely with regard to the students’ study profiles. In particular, those in the Students applying a surface approach and Unorganised students applying a deep approach profiles appeared to experience more obstacles in their studies than the students in other profiles. Characteristic of these two profiles was the students’ low ability to organise their studies, that is, manage their time and effort. The study suggests that at least part of the variation in students’ experiences of the factors influencing their progress is explainable by the students’ learning profiles. Whether it would be useful to identify different student profiles rather than concentrate on asking the students directly about their experiences of enhancing and impeding factors is discussed.Peer reviewe

Explaining university students’ strong commitment to understand through individual and contextual elements

Peer reviewe

The relationship between international higher education students’ writing conceptions and approaches to learning

Writing is challenging for international students, who often possess inadequate writing skills and are required to adapt to the new learning environment. Students’ approaches to learning have been shown to relate to some constructs of writing conceptions. Nevertheless, little research exists on the relationship between such conceptions and approaches to learning. This study explores writing conceptions, approaches to learning, and their interrelationship among international students. The data were collected from 162 international students at a research-intensive Finnish university using the HowULearn Questionnaire and the Writing Process Questionnaire. Data analysis included bivariate correlations, confirmatory factor analysis, t-test, latent profile analysis, and ANOVA tests. The results demonstrated how approaches to learning correlated with the writing conceptions of the participants. Three profiles were identified: deep and organised students (72.8%), deep and unorganised students (14.2%), and unreflective and unorganised students (13.0%). These profiles were statistically different in all writing conceptions, including blocks, procrastination, perfectionism, innate ability, knowledge transforming and productivity. Overall, students’ ability to reflect on their learning and organise their studying played an important role in their writing conceptions. Based on the findings, the study provides strategies for developing writing for international students and suggestions for enhancing teaching in host universities.Peer reviewe

All Happy Emotions Are Alike but Every Unhappy Emotion Is Unhappy in Its Own Way : A Network Perspective to Academic Emotions

Quantitative research into the nature of academic emotions has thus far been dominated by factor analyses of questionnaire data. Recently, psychometric network analysis has arisen as an alternative method of conceptualizing the composition of psychological phenomena such as emotions: while factor models view emotions as underlying causes of affects, cognitions and behavior, in network models psychological phenomena are viewed as arising from the interactions of their component parts. We argue that the network perspective is of interest to studies of academic emotions due to its compatibility with the theoretical assumptions of the control value theory of academic emotions. In this contribution we assess the structure of a Finnish questionnaire of academic emotions using both network analysis and exploratory factor analysis on cross-sectional data obtained during a single course. The global correlational structure of the network, investigated using the spinglass community detection analysis, differed from the results of the factor analysis mainly in that positive emotions were grouped in one community but loaded on different factors. Local associations between pairs of variables in the network model may arise due to different reasons, such as variable A causing variation in variable B or vice versa, or due to a latent variable affecting both. We view the relationship between feelings of self-efficacy and the other emotions as causal hypotheses, and argue that strengthening the students' self-efficacy may have a beneficial effect on the rest of the emotions they experienced on the course. Other local associations in the network model are argued to arise due to unmodeled latent variables. Future psychometric studies may benefit from combining network models and factor models in researching the structure of academic emotions.Peer reviewe

Complex interrelations between academic competences and students' approaches to learning - mixed-methods study

Students are expected to develop academic competences during their studies. However, research regarding the relation between academic competences and student learning is scarce. The present mixed-methods study aims to investigate the complex interrelations between academic competences and approaches to learning using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The data included 1023 graduates' survey answers and 83 interviews. The results showed that academic competences correlated positively with a deep approach to learning as well as with organised studying, and negatively with a surface approach. The qualitative analysis, however, revealed that descriptions of a deep approach were also found among graduates who evaluated academic competences less highly. Further, the results showed that putting effort into studying and seeing various competences as transferable were also positively related to academic competences and greater satisfaction with the degree obtained. The present study also showed that approaches to learning are closely intertwined with academic competences. The study suggests that the development of academic competences and an ability to identify them can be supported by emphasising deep-level learning and organised studying.Peer reviewe

Graduates' evaluations of usefulness of university education, and early career success - a longitudinal study of the transition to working life

A successful transition from university to working life requires that graduates are able to employ their education and academic competences in real working-life contexts. Our previous research showed that graduates varied in how they were able to reflect on their competences at the time of graduation. The present longitudinal mixed-method study follows the same graduates and explores their evaluations of the usefulness of university education and career success, three years after graduation. The follow-up data consisted of 57 graduates' survey answers analysed by quantitative and qualitative methods. The results showed that graduates who were able to describe and evaluate more competences at the time of graduation perceived their current jobs to correspond more to their education. Graduates with more limited evaluations of their competences, on the other hand, had experienced more challenges related to employment and were more uncertain of their goals. The results also showed that having diverse competences and an ability to recognise them at the time of graduation is important for later career success and may also be related to what kind of challenges graduates face in working life.Peer reviewe

Detecting the Variability in Student Learning in Different Disciplines-A Person-Oriented Approach

This paper examines disciplinary differences in the combinations of approaches to learning (i.e., learning profiles) among students, and how those combinations are related to academic achievement. In addition, the study focuses on how different learning profiles are related to students' self-efficacy beliefs in different disciplines. Data consist of HowULearn survey responses from 4,294 full-time students from six different disciplines. We used a person-oriented approach; that is, the latent profile analysis (LPA) with various functions. The results showed that it is possible to detect different learning profiles of students in different disciplines. The study highlights that students who struggle in almost every discipline have a dissonant learning profile or the deep unorganised profile. Therefore, special attention should be paid to identifying the students with dissonant learning profiles and to support them in recognising their own learning processes. Moreover, students' time and effort management skills should be fostered during university studies.Peer reviewe