Analysing Finnish steering system from the perspective of social space: the case of the “Campus University”

The present study analyses Finnish higher education steering system, management by results, from the perspective of higher education institutions. We ask what happens inside a higher education institution, called here the “Campus University”, during the actual negotiations related to the national steering system. We analyse not only the management by results as a steering system but pay close attention to the social space created by this managerial fad. The social space of the negotiations is constructed by different kinds of unofficial elements of social interaction; the physical space, the expected behaviour of the negotiators, the seating arrangements, the coffee servings, and the “small talk”. These elements of interaction are part of the polity of the negotiations and they are controlled by the chairperson of the negotiations. They form the modes of the social space of these negotiations. Therefore, the social space of the negotiations not only supports the hierarchical character of the ritual, but also makes it natural for the Rector to use power to allocate resources because s/he represents the institution. The analysis is based on qualitative and ethnographic methods of research.     

Developmental consequences of early parenting experiences: self-recognition and self-regulation in three cultural communities

This study relates parenting of 3-month-old children to children's self-recognition and self-regulation at 18 to 20 months. As hypothesized, observational data revealed differences in the sociocultural orientations of the 3 cultural samples' parenting styles and in toddlers' development of self-recognition and self-regulation. Children of Cameroonian Nso farmers who experience a proximal parenting style develop self-regulation earlier, children of Greek urban middle-class families who experience a distal parenting style develop self-recognition earlier, and children of Costa Rican middle-class families who experience aspects of both distal and proximal parenting styles fall between the other 2 groups on both self-regulation and self-recognition. Results are discussed with respect to their implications for culturally informed developmental pathways.     

The Elusive Slope

In understanding upper secondary school students’ interpretations of information in graphical representations of a distance–time graph and an ECG graph, little attention has been paid to the analysis of the condition of the conceptual development related to their utterances. Understanding this better can help improve the teaching of interpretations of information in graphical representations of different situations. This paper integrates results from 2 studies and 3 theoretical perspectives: Tall and Vinner’s theoretical perspectives on learning, Chi’s ontological perspectives on conceptual development and Friel’s theoretical perspectives on interpretation of graphical information. The findings provide evidence to support the conjecture that iconic interpretations could be stimulated and generated as a result of student categorisation of a distance–time graph as an event, when in fact the graph is being used to describe and communicate a process. The outcome further indicates that students found a resemblance between the ECG diagram and the periodic function of f(x) = sin(x).     

Leading the teacher team — balancing between formal and informal power in program leadership

This continuous research within Nordic engineering institutions targets the contexts and possibilities for leadership among engineering education program directors. The IFP-model, developed based on analysis of interviews with program leaders in these institutions, visualizes the program director’s informal and formal power. The model is presented as a tool for starting a shared discussion on the complexities of the leadership of engineering program development. The authors liken program development to hunting in teams. Each individual expert in the program is needed, and all experts will need to work and collaborate for the same target. This calls for strategic and long-term thinking of engineering education development. Institutions should support the development of both formal structures as well as informal leadership skills among their program directors, but never fall for the temptation to see the program director as the only actor on the stage.     

Hochschule und Arbeitsmarkt im Bologna-Prozess

In the Bologna process, “employability” has become an important objective of higher education, shaping the current discussion on the relationship between higher education and the labor market. The popularity of the term “employability”, however, seems to be negatively correlated with its precision. Therefore, the article first discusses the meaning of this concept and its usefulness for higher education. We come to the conclusion that employability is not an appropriate guiding principle for higher education reform. Key competencies are central to the concept of employability. However, the significance of key competencies is independent of the role they play in the concept of employability; they are also central to the necessarily flexible relationship between higher education and work. Therefore, this paper also addresses the question of whether the restructuring of the German higher education system was accompanied by curricular and didactic reforms, which facilitate the acquisition of key competencies. According to the results of the German Higher Education Information System HIS graduate survey 2005, the answer to this question is a cautious “yes”. In view of the limited empirical basis and the early date of the survey, however, we advise against premature generalizations.     

The Relationships among Verbal Skills of Primary School Students with Specific Learning Disabilities and a Typically Developing Comparison Group

The relationships among verbal skills of primary school students with learning disabilities and a typically developing comparison group were studied and compared with written tasks carried out in Estonian classrooms. Word defining, categorising/justifying, guessing, and memorising tasks were used. The participants were 251 students in Grades 2–4; of these, 163 were described as achieving normally and were in regular education classrooms, and 88 were diagnosed as having specific learning disabilities and attended special schools or classes for students with specific learning disabilities. Except for performance on the memorising tasks by grade, all the scores were better in upper grades. Children with learning disabilities performed less well than the children in the typically developing comparison group on all the tests. Associations between the results of various tests were stronger in the typically developing comparison group than in the group of children with learning disabilities.     

As Capable as Other Students: Tanzanian Women with Disabilities in Higher Education

Globally, persons with disabilities are underrepresented in higher education. In sub-Saharan Africa, where opportunities for higher education are especially limited, women are unlikely to continue their education. This research investigates women in Tanzanian higher education with the double marginalisation of being a woman and having disabilities. The women were interviewed on what factors enabled access and participation for their educational success. A thematic analysis of qualitative data was applied. All of the women interviewed were motivated to complete their degrees. Key enabling factors were encouragement from their families and previous teachers, full participation in student life and sufficient financial support. Student life integration, especially peer study groups, and university staff training were emphasised along with structural modifications needed for campus facility access. They understood the importance of education, especially as women with disabilities, and the impact educated women with disabilities have as role models for young women, those with disabilities and without.     

Notions of intelligence and social-educational identity

This study examined whether notions of intelligence tend to maintain a group’s social-educational identity. A sample of academically and vocationally educated parents were asked to give their opinions of a statement proposing that a theoretical university education enables people to gain a deeper understanding of most matters. It was found that only among the academic parents, support for the statement tended to amplify endorsement of a general, individualised and essentialistic representation of intelligence.