Liisa Karlsson

Beginning student teachers’ teacher identities based on their practical theories

In this article, we investigate first-year student teachers’ teacher identities through their practical theories and ask what these practical theories reveal about their emerging teacher identities? This study approaches teacher identity from a dialogical viewpoint where identity is constructed through various positions. The empirical part of this study analysed the practical theories of 71 first-year student teachers in order to determine what kinds of positions are involved in their teacher identity at the beginning of their teacher education and what positions are emphasised. The results showed that when student teachers begin their teacher education, the majority of positions concern didactical issues, that is, how to promote pupils’ studying and learning processes. In addition, student teachers’ teacher identities as teachers strongly emphasise the moral nature of teaching. Contextual issues about school and society and matters related to content, such as the curriculum, had little representation in first-year student teacher identities. On the basis of the results, the role of teacher education is considered in the process of promoting development of student teachers’ teacher identity during their studies.

Lollipop stories: Listening to children’s voices in the classroom and narrative ethnographical research

This article offers a methodological contribution to the concept of children’s voices and the ways of listening to them. Children’s voices are studied in a narrative ethnographical research project in a school classroom. The authors follow children’s voices from the level of classroom observation to an analysis on narrative data produced by the Storycrafting method and finally to a more reflexive analysis. By defining three interrelated analytical spaces, the study illustrates how voices are emergent, contingent on their social, discursive and physical environments and power relations, and constructed in reciprocal processes of telling and listening. Finally, the authors discuss the significance of reflexive listening to children’s voices.

An Idealistic View of Teaching: Teacher Students' Personal Practical Theories.

Abstract Personal practical theories (PPTs) are built based on underlying beliefs, experiences, values and conceptions regarding ‘good teaching’. Having a vision of teaching and valuing the work may have a strong effect on one’s sense of identity, resilience and commitment. This study focused on Finnish teacher students’ (N = 84) PPTs constructed during the middle or at the end of their studies, on average during their fourth year of a five-year MA programme. All of the PPTs, written as statements (N = 647), were combined, and a unified conception of the theories was formed using inductive content analysis. The three main categories found were the foundations of good teaching, the teacher and the teacher’s daily work. The analysis of the statements shows that the notions of good teaching are very idealistic: they emphasise abstract ideologies and high standards for the teacher, but also everyday matters of teaching, although also here the ideology of the pupil’s individuality is at the centre. The paper concludes by arguing that it is good to have high aims and values for teaching, although in reality some of them might be difficult to achieve.

Children and young people as co-researchers – researching subjective well-being in residential area with visual and verbal methods

ABSTRACT In this article, we focus on child perspective methodology when co-researching well-being with children and young people. The paper explores how to produce and analyse data produced with children and young people, and how to further develop the method of co-researching with them? We combined visual and verbal methods by using photo elicitation interviews (N = 16) and drawing group discussions (N = 49) to study the subjective well-being of 2–16-year-olds in their residential areas. We found out that by combining two methods it is possible to achieve a wider view of children’s subjective well-being. However, we must be aware that well-being is a complex entity and that there are barriers to use child perspective methods. Co-researching requires situationality, reciprocity and the researcher’s willingness to hear the perspectives of children.

Steps Together: Children’s Experiences of Participation in Club Activities With the Elderly

ABSTRACT The amount of time that children and elderly people spend alone has grown in recent years in Finland. Based on sociocultural theory, children’s development and learning occur in close interaction with the surrounding society, place, and time. The aim of this study is to research children’s experiences of participation in club activities for children and the elderly. The qualitative research data were collected by observing activities and interviewing children. The key factors in supporting children’s participation were common interests in rewarding activities. A warm atmosphere and humor during activities were also found to be important elements in creating positive interactions between children and the elderly.