A positive psychological viewpoint for success at school – 10 characteristic strengths of the Finnish high-achieving students

People who exploit their strengths flourish; they are not only engaged with their goals, but also to their well-being and the content of life. In this study, interest focused on the high-achieving students in the Finnish general upper secondary education, in other words, on straight-A graduates’ characteristic strengths. This was a narrative study in which the data were obtained through written narratives and narrative interviews among 14 Finnish straight-A graduates. The data were analyzed with narrative analyzing methods. Ten typical strengths found and further categorized into three key dimensions were: (1) the thirst of knowledge and passion for learning, (2) fortitude and authenticity, and (3) love. This study implied that the youth’s school paths and well-being actively increased their own characteristic strengths.     

Beijing in-service teachers' self-efficacy and attitudes towards inclusive education

Four-hundred-and-fifty-one in-service teachers from the Beijing municipality filled in a questionnaire containing a Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices (TEIP) scale. The aim was to examine the factor structure of the TEIP scale among mainland Chinese in-service teachers, and to investigate the relationship between self-efficacy for inclusive practices, respondents' background factors and attitude towards inclusive education. The TEIP scale and its three sub-scales had good reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis gave support to a structure of three self-efficacy factors, efficacy in using inclusive instructions, efficacy in collaboration, and efficacy in managing behaviour.     

Inclusion of pupils with ADHD symptoms in mainstream classes with PBS

Inclusion is never only a practical issue of placement. School-wide systemic change, together with well-functioning, multi-tiered support, can promote the inclusion of all pupils. This paper draws on research conducted in two mainstream primary schools in Finland. The primary focus was to gain insight into practical solutions to facilitate the inclusion of pupils with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in mainstream teaching. Using an experimental, multiple-baseline, single-case design, we examined the effects of Check-in Check-out (CICO) support on changes in the behaviour of two pupils who displayed ADHD-type behaviours. The key features of CICO are brief morning and afternoon meetings with an adult, the use of a daily report card, regular positive feedback during the day, and parental involvement. This study examined if behavioural gains made during the implementation of CICO support can be maintained. Visual data analysis revealed differences in two CICO-ending strategies on maintenance in pupils with ADHD symptoms. The results suggest that consistent universal positive behaviour support systems together with additional behavioural support can facilitate the successful inclusion of pupils observed by teachers to have even severe disruptive behaviours in a mainstream learning environment.     

Check in–check out intervention for supporting pupils’ behaviour: effectiveness and feasibility in Finnish schools

Check In–Check Out (CICO) is a support programme for students with externalising problem behaviours. This study implemented in Finland is one of the first reports on the application of CICO in the European context. An experimental, multiple-baseline, single-case design is used to examine the effects of the CICO intervention on the problem behaviour and appropriate behaviour of three general education primary school pupils. The similarity of the observation data and the information provided in daily report card (DRC) are investigated to gauge the validity of the DRC assessments. The fidelity and social validity of the intervention are also analysed. CICO reduced problem behaviour in all pupils. The results suggest that DRCs are valid tools for estimating behaviour in applied settings. CICO was implemented with high fidelity, and it had excellent acceptability among school personnel. This study adds to the existing literature by implying that effective behaviour support for pupils with disruptive behaviours can be applied easily in general education settings and in diverse international contexts.     

Learning the class test

European Journal of Psychology of Education - The class test is one of the important school practices which construct and convey to the pupils the predominant conception of ability and the related...     

Longitudinal associations of student–teacher relationships and behavioural and emotional strengths on academic achievement

Positive student–teacher relationships are related to students’ academic achievement and behavioural and emotional adjustment. How a student’s behavioural and emotional strengths are associated with these relationships and how the relationships influence students’ academic performance remains unknown. We examined this framework using a cross-lagged panel model with a group of Finnish students and their parents from Grade 5 to Grade 7. The results revealed that the parents rated behavioural and emotional strengths are stable over a 1-year (r = .78) and 2-year (r = .71) period and that students’ perceptions of student–teacher relationships demonstrated greater change over time (r’s = .54, .35). Behavioural and emotional strengths demonstrated a positive relationship with student–teacher relationships as well as academic achievement (β = .39, p < .01). Strengths were also indirectly associated with academic achievement via student–teacher relationships. Study limitations, implications and future research are discussed.     

Students’ experiences of learning with iPads in upper secondary school – a base for proto-TPACK

This research focuses on Finnish students’ (n?=?84) experiences of using personal iPads in their studies through 3 years of upper secondary schooling. It is based on results from one of the first schools in Finland where all the new students were provided with iPads at the start of their studies. Data consists of: (i) 127 short stories written by students about how they would advise a new teacher and a new student to use iPads in teaching and learning, and (ii) four group discussions on the same topics. Qualitative thematic analysis of the data was guided by the TPACK framework. Results suggest that: (i) teachers’ pedagogical approaches changed little in response to the new devices and remained largely teacher-centred, and (ii) students do not have the confidence to radically change learning styles to take advantage of the affordances of the devices. The value that iPads add to teaching and learning is difficult to quantify because of the complex and often conflicting factors involved. Overall, the findings imply that teachers’ TPACK is generally resistant to change and students’ proto-TPACK is insufficiently developed to initiate change. An approach that systematically develops both students’ and teachers’ TPACK is advocated.     

Classroom behavioural climate in inclusive education – a study on secondary students’ perceptions

Previous studies pointed out that dealing with difficult behaviour is perceived by teachers as a major challenge in inclusive settings. However, research on the students' perception of the classroom behavioural climate (CBC) is rare. Therefore, this study aims to examine students’ perceptions of CBC and to identify predictors of CBC as well as associated variables. The sample consists of 650 German students from secondary schools (5th-9th grade) of whom 83 students are diagnosed with special educational needs (SEN). CBC was measured via four subscales (‘students’ possibilities to study and concentrating on teaching’, ‘disruptive behaviour’, ‘physical and psychological safety’ and ‘caring for the physical environment’). Results show significant differences in students’ perceptions of CBC between students from different school tracks. Furthermore, gender (being male) and SEN (having a) predict the perception of ‘physical and psychological safety’. Additionally, social inclusion, emotional experience as well as teacher support and care are associated with CBC. Accordingly, a positive CBC is important for the successful implementation of inclusive education: while diversity in classrooms is a challenge for behavioural climate, poor behavioural climate may also pose specific barriers to learning for some students with SEN and thus is a general challenge for equity in inclusive classrooms.     

Inter-generational learning of teachers: what and how do teachers learn from older and younger colleagues?

This paper examines how and what teachers learn from their older and younger colleagues. Data were gathered from interviews and written reports from 27 Belgian and Finnish teachers. Thematic qualitative analysis was used. The results revealed differences in what teachers learn from older and younger colleagues. Teachers reported learning innovative teaching methods and ICT skills from younger colleagues, whereas practical information, classroom management skills, self-regulation and community building were learned mainly from older colleagues. Attitudes regarding teaching and different ways of being a teacher were learned from both younger and older colleagues alike. Similarities were also found in how teachers learned from their older and younger colleagues. Informal activities and relationships, different forms of mentoring, and working in subject teams or seminars were important sources of learning. An intergenerational learning perspective is important with respect to demographic changes in school staff and in preventing knowledge loss and teacher dropout.     

Parents as demanding tax payers? Finnish findings

Though not categorically opposed to the idea, Finnish parents tended to resist rather than endorse the view of parents as tax payers who can make demands for the efficacy of schooling and expected teacher performance. However, parents with vocational training tended to resist this view less than parents from higher educational groups. Additionally, dissatisfaction with a child’s primary schooling and support for a selective educational policy were both associated with a tendency to view this role in a relatively positive light.