Completed projects

• Citizenship education in schooling - Leena Lestinen

• Integration in educational policy and schooling - Leena Lestinen

• Intercultural processes within pedagogy in higher education - Leena Lestinen

• 'Flexible Basic Education in diffeent learning environments’ A national dropout activation programme (2009-2011)

The project is a part of a national dropout activation programme (2006-2011). The aim of this study is to survey various educational practices in JOPO-schools. The data is gathered by both quantitative and qualitative methods. The research is funded by the National Board of Education and the results will be published as a guidebook for schools.

Further information:
Anneli Sarja, Sirpa Janhonen (University of Oulu)

• Learning network developing working life projects of higher education

The purpose of this research and development project is to develop interactive tools for project cooperation in learning network of higher education, working life and university researchers. Examples of joint tools are the models of engagement mentoring of lower secondary school pupils and a research and evaluation method for working life projects.

Further information: Anneli Sarja, Sirpa Janhonen (University of Oulu) in collaboration with Pirjo Havukainen, Anne Vesterinen (Laurea University of Applied Sciences) and Anne-Leena Juntunen (Savonia University of Applied Sciences)

• VERME - Peer Group Mentoring

project developed a new approach into teachers' in-service education focused on the induction phase and based on the ideas of a career-long continuum of professional development. Our initiative was based on the idea of peer group mentoring, in Finnish "vertaisryhmämentorointi". The methodological framework of the research and development project was that of action research. The project was funded by the Finnish Work Environmental Fund.

Further information: Hannu L.T. Heikkinen

• TeLL Teachership – Lifelong Learning 2003-06: Mentoring and Collaboration in Teachers’ Work

explored the feasibility and effectiveness of various options relative to continuous professional growth through induction, in-service training and collaboration in different educational contexts. It is important that the different phases and elements of teacher education make up an integrated whole that supports the development of teachers' expertise throughout their careers.
In the teacher's work, lifelong learning is actualised as continuing learning from one's own and one's colleagues' experiences and observations. Learning from colleagues’ experiences gives one an opportunity to develop one's thinking and revise one's aims on the basis of feedback and collaboration.
Researchers: Jouni Välijärvi, Peter Johnson, Hannu Jokinen, Anneli Sarja, Pasi Savonmäki, Hannu L.T. Heikkinen ja Marjaana Leivo

Further information: Hannu Jokinen

• Mentoring and supervision in higher education:

The aim of the project was a theoretical understanding of mentoring as a phenomenon and also in relation to supervision in research education. The project also explored the possibilities of mentoring and supervising as critical practices.

Further information: Marjatta Saarnivaara

• Professional learning communities: A comparative study of primary schools in England and Finland

continued the case study series of ‘Teacher Professionalism’ (2002-2004) and ‘Teacher Quality’ (1995-2001). This research project has set out to examine teachers’ perceptions of how they learn in collaboration. Moreover, the focus is on how their learning relates to the school culture and the transition phases of the school system. The project has resulted three international articles.
Researchers: Anneli Sarja, Pirjo-Liisa Poikonen, Seppo Hämäläinen, Rosemary Webb (University of Manchester), Graham Vulliamy (University of York)

Further information: Anneli Sarja

• Work-based Project as a Learning Environment at University

was part of a larger project (LIFELEARN) funded by the EU. In the LIFELEARN project, four European universities developed and examined university courses which aimed to capture the potential of the work, community and home environments as rich sites and sources of learning and utilise this learning as part of academic studies. It builds on the established practices of work-based learning where learners negotiate learning outcomes derived from their work role, complemented by directed learning. At the University of Jyväskylä, this lifeplace learning (LPL) scheme was realised through work-based project learning at the Department of Computer Science and Information Systems.
Researchers: Päivi Tynjälä, Laura Helle (Univ. of Turku), Eija Kapiainen (Univ. of Turku) & Eero Tourunen (Department of Computer Science and Information Systems, Univ. of Jyväskylä)

Further information: Päivi Tynjälä

• Learning Network for Knowledge Management

project was coordinated by the University of Helsinki 2005-2007 and it was part of the Finnish Workplace Development Programme. The aim of the project was to develop knowledge management activities in the participating organisations and to examine how the organisational culture promotes or inhibits learning at the workplace. The participants of the project were six work organisations, three university departments and the JTO School of Management.
Researchers: Päivi Tynjälä, Pentti Nikkanen, Merja Ikonen-Varila (Univ. Of Helsinki), Liisa Myyry (Univ. Of Helsinki) & Sari Salojärvi ( JTO School of Management)

Further information: Päivi Tynjälä