Factors related to study success in engineering education

Recent studies on student learning in higher education have paid attention to the relationships between characteristics of the learning environment and students' study orientations and study success. The purpose of the present paper is to examine these relationships in university level engineering education. The data were collected from Lappeenranta University of Technology, Finland, by means of an Internet survey (n=394). Grade point average, credits per semester and students' qualitative evaluation of their learning outcomes were used as indicators of study success. The findings of the study indicate that students' perceptions of their learning environment were related to their study orientations which, in turn, were related to study success. Having a deep study strategy was the most important predictor of study success. Having a surface strategy, doubt about one's abilities and lack of regulation were factors negatively related to study success. Meaning-oriented and self-regulated students using a deep strategy showed the best success in their studies and externally regulated students using a surface strategy the worst. The findings of the study suggest that the learning environments in Lappeenranta University of Technology encourage deep learning.     

Mapping the field of stratification in higher education: the Finnish experience

In formal terms, Finland has a comprehensive higher education system. There are 20 institutions of higher education in the country, all owned by the state, and one of the central objectives in higher education policy has been to establish all of them on an equal footing in terms of basic resources and status. Not until the 1990s has a shift taken place towards the official injection of a competitive element into higher education policy.During recent decades, the state's grip on the steering of the universities has been tightening; but the shift towards increased competition means a shift towards domination by market forces.This article examines both the changing tasks of the university, and the fact, despite the egalitarianism of official democratic higher education policy, of stratification. The aim of the article is to analyze the diversification linked to the selection function of the Finnish higher education system, and thus to create a basis for the investigation of changing higher education policy.     

THE EDUCATION MARKET,QUALIFICATIONS, AND EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

This article examines the relationship between the development of the education market and the demand for qualified personnel in the context of European integration. To begin with, a model portraying the relationships between the education and the labour market is introduced, following which the old but still topical qualification discourse with its theses with regard to overqualification and underutilization, is discussed. Despite the modern European Communities’ educational ideology of technological progress and of the thesis of increasing qualifications, questions which are still worth asking are what kinds of demands actually exist in the labour market for increasingly highly trained labour and what kinds of educational policy the new United States of Europe should have.     

Does a contextualized theory of planned behavior explain why teenagers stay in virtual worlds?

Academics and business practitioners are intrigued by the factors that foster continued user engagement in virtual worlds (VWs). It is unclear how, and to what extent, existing theories can explain their continued use. As young people constitute the majority of VW users, understanding the reasons for their continued use intentions is important. Taking the distinctive features of VW services into account, such as the visibility of users’ actions to other users, we contextualize the Theory of Planned Behavior and investigate the role of teenagers’ attitudes, social influences and perceived behavioral control as the determinants of their continued intention to use VW. We then apply a set of constructs from prior Information Systems (IS) literature to decompose these constructs. By analyzing primary data collected from 923 users of Habbo Hotel, a leading virtual world for teenagers, this study confirms the role of users’ intrinsic motivation, interpersonal influence and self-efficacy as key constituents of sustained user engagement in VWs. In addition, we demonstrate that decomposing these three established constructs can capture many of the key contextual characteristics of VWs. The study contributes to the literature by showing that IS theories and constructs are appropriate for the VW setting and teenage users.     

Participation in part‐time special education and its correlation with the educational paths,self‐concepts and strengths of young adults

This follow‐up study, written by Kristiina Lappalainen of the University of Eastern Finland and Hotulainen Risto of the University of Helsinki, investigated whether young adults designated as having part‐time special education needs (PtSEN) during their comprehensive schooling had differentiated educational and vocational paths, perceived self‐concept, strengths, and self‐worth when compared with students not designated as having such needs. Results show that young adults with PtSEN (n = 38) have less academically oriented educational paths than those not having special educational needs (No SEN) (n = 165). The self‐perceptions of young adults between the groups under study differ from each other only in the physical appearance domain for the PtSEN group. Strength perceptions showed that those in the PtSEN group consider neither learning nor mathematical skills as their strengths when compared with the No SEN group. In addition, the PtSEN group has higher global self‐worth ratings than the No SEN group. According to our comparison, young adults with PtSEN backgrounds perceive deficiencies only in those domains which are directly linked to school.     

Didactic closure: Professionalization and pedagogic knowledge in Finnish teacher education

This article concerns the kind of symbolic and strategic value that science-legitimated pedagogical knowledge has in the professionalization of teacher education. The aim is to try to understand certain peculiarities in this body of knowledge through studying the history of the “science of teaching” and of the professionalization of teacher education in Finland. The conclusion is that there are at least three professionalist drifts that produce and reproduce a kind of “decontextualized pedagogic discourse” in Finnish teacher education: the pursuit of science legitimation, loyalty to state educational reforms and a striving for distinction from rival disciplines. The analysis shows that, at least up to the present day, the science-legitimated knowledge system for teacher education has served as a very successful strategy in the struggles on the field of Finnish higher education.     

REACH Harlem: young urban boys’ experiences in an after-school PA positive youth development program

Background: After-school approaches offer a viable solution to the current challenge of physical inactivity among many adolescents; however, availability, cost, transportation, and interest limit many youths’ choices during non-school hours [Roth, Brooks-Gunn, Murray, and Foster 2003. “Youth Development Programs: Risk, Prevention and Policy.” Journal of Adolescent Health 32 (3): 170–182]. In addition to these limitations, safety concerns in urban communities act as barriers to participation in both after-school programs [Sanderson and Richards 2010. “The After-School Needs and Resources of a Low-income Urban Community: Surveying Youth and Parents for Community Change.” American Journal of Community Psychology 45: 430–440] and physical activity [Moore, Roux, Evenson, McGinn, and Brines 2010. “A Qualitative Examination of Perceived Barriers and Facilitators of Physical Activity for Urban and Rural Youth.” Health Education Research 25 (2): 355–367].

Purpose: This year-long qualitative case study sought to explore young urban boys’ experiences in an after-school program that aimed to empower young men through the sport of basketball.

Method: Two coaches facilitated weekly sessions for 5–20 young men of color in an urban, public school after-school program in Harlem, NY. The program recruited young men to an after-school program that offered basketball instruction in a safe space. During the program, students worked on basketball skills as well as reflective reading and writing through weekly journals and immersive conversations that revolved around weekly themes such as sportsmanship, culture, power, and communication. At the conclusion of the study seven boys aged 10–14 agreed to be interviewed about their experiences in the REACH program. Sources of data include journals, interviews, and observations. These data were coded by two independent coders, peer reviewed by a third researcher and analyzed using the constant comparative method.

Findings: Theme one: Shooting guns (violence) is a barrier to shooting hoops at local courts. Analysis of the data highlighted violence as an always-present barrier to playing basketball, specifically, and physical activity, generally speaking. Theme two: Future plans, the NBA. The vast majority of boys discussed joining the NBA, either directly from high school or after a year at a college. The NBA dream operated as a perceived pathway to a safer future and higher education. Theme three: Having and being role models. Analysis of the data also pointed to participants both being and/or having a role model. These relationships impacted them in a variety of ways and not only helps us better understand their experiences in the program but also elucidates how barriers to physical activity were alleviated. The young men who participated in this after-school program were able to engage in interest-based physical activity and academic learning tasks, thus creating a peaceful space to develop positive associations between school, physical activity, and community.

Conclusion: Closely examining the lived experiences of the REACH participants is significant for understanding their barriers to physical activity and how REACH, as a PYD sport program, alleviated those barriers. Examining the data around these issues also expands on the need for PYD programs [Wright and Li 2009. “Exploring the Relevance of Positive Youth Development in Urban Physical Education.” Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy 14 (3): 241–251] and extends understandings of the PYD framework put forth by Holt et al. [2017. “A Grounded Theory of Positive Youth Development Through Sport Based on Results From a Qualitative Meta-Study.” International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology 10: 1–49]. Specifically, our study demonstrates the reciprocal and iterative nature of PYD climate, life skills focus, and PYD outcomes. Our study also expands on the understandings of PYD climate, extending the focus beyond relationships to also including participants’ experiences and perceptions.     

Economic globalization: which side are we on?

Economic globalization is a powerful force which changes the relationship between markets and states, and places the world economy ahead of national economies. In this article, I explore the globalization doctrine and describe the impact of economic globalization on Canada. I suggest a role for university adult educators and call for university extension and continuing education staff to become more vocal in their opposition to inequality.     

Parents' views on the success of integration of students with special education needs

This study investigated how parents' views on important aspects of integration correlate with parents' actual experiences concerning the integration into mainstream education of their child with special education needs. It was assumed that the degree of discrepancy between perceived importance and corresponding actual experience contributes to the overall perceived success of integration. The data for the study were collected in 2006 from parents (N?=?219) whose special needs children were integrated into mainstream education in Helsinki, Finland. Quantitatively analysed findings were reflected against background variables. Results showed that the importance of the given statements were affected by the child's gender and school level. The parents' actual experiences were affected by two factors. The first showed that teachers at the primary level were evaluated as being more skilful than teachers at the secondary level, and at the secondary level, teaching was more individualised than at the primary level. Second, a child's self-worth was shown to be higher when integrated into the neighbourhood school. Parents' views on the success of integration were related to their actual experiences, especially in those statements rated as important. Possible explanations for these findings and practical implications are discussed.