Suvi Lakkala

My doctoral thesis was about inclusion: emotions and technique

As all the significant things in my life, also the doctoral process involved powerful emotions. Those feelings cannot be described just by their depth but also polarity. I experienced courage, passion, and excitement but also fear, insecurity, and boredom. Besides emotional experiences, doing a doctoral research involves routines or technical matters, such as taking care of funding, securing smooth everyday life, regular and disciplined working, as well as studying things carefully, taking notes, and documenting.

Learning inter-professional teamwork during university studies: a case study of student-teachers’ and social work students’ shared professional experiences

Abstract This paper explores ways of enhancing inter-professional skills as part of professional development during university studies. From a socio-psychological viewpoint, inter-professional teamwork can be regarded as an interface between the group and individual levels, where collective commitment, efficiency, shared processes and outcomes, as well as tensions and dilemmas, are brought together. Inter-professional skills, which are already practised in university, may enable professionals to work in inter-professional contexts during their careers. In this case study, the participants (three student-teachers, two social work students and four supervisors) reflected on their shared experience of participating in a shared practicum at a primary school. The data-set comprises two group interviews conducted separately with the students and supervisors following the practicum. The results indicate that it is possible to develop inter-professional competencies during one’s university studies and that this has the potential to promote students’ reflective skills as they reframe their expertise and the expertise in other professions.