Background and Aim: Children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) are at an increased risk to develop behaviors associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The relationship between early language difficulties and the occurrence of ASD-related behaviors in DLD is poorly understood. One factor that may hinder progress in understanding this…

In numerous countries, primary school class teachers have problems regarding music teaching. It has been reported that there is a lack of both confidence and musical skills. However, the question often relates not only to a lack of self-efficacy beliefs but also to the organisation of the studies. This research looks for sources influencing the…

This article reports the results of a study on the domains and origins of information and knowledge that primary pre-service teachers utilised during their professional experiences in teaching schools at the University of Helsinki (UH) and the University of Johannesburg (UJ). The professional experience at both universities focuses on the…

Teaching is a highly complex profession, one in which teachers have to make continuous pedagogical decisions. In this study, we argue that practical wisdom is needed in order to act thoughtfully and effectively. The prerequisite for using practical wisdom is teachers' awareness of the pedagogical beliefs behind the decision-making. In this study,…

The aim of this article is to explore similarities and differences in teacher candidates' perceptions of their opportunities to enact practice in university courses in five teacher education programmes, located in Norway, Finland, USA, Cuba, and Chile. Paper and pencil surveys were distributed among candidates (N = 488) to measure their perception…

Two middle school educators earned a Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching fellowship. A Fulbright Finland Foundation inter-country travel grant provided the grantees with a unique opportunity to connect and collaborate at the University of Helsinki. Within this research, they described their inquiry experiences. The research included…

In 2014, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences implemented a fundamental change in its curriculum from small single topic 3-5 credits courses into 15 credits multidisciplinary courses implemented by teacher teams. This paper focuses on how teachers of Information Technology programs experienced the reform. Research data include teacher…

This exploratory case study examined the kinds of activity that a 'deskless school" (i.e., flexible physical school spaces) engenders among pupils and teachers. We also considered the meaning and significance that pupils and teachers attach to various features of the school, as well as the associated action possibilities. The data were…

This article examines a physics course for pre-service primary teachers in which physics, crafts and drama were taught together by connecting the standpoints of crafts and drama. The study was carried out by three university educators from these disciplines during an advanced optional course for student-teachers at the University of Helsinki in…

The paper discusses how a teaching approach, "interdisciplinary design and invention pedagogy," affected primary school student teachers' learning outcomes through the craft design process in pre-service teacher education. This study applies developmental work research (Engeström in J Educ Work 14(1):133-156, 2001; Engeström in…

The purpose of the present investigation was to analyze the pedagogical infrastructures in three cycles of seventh graders' co-invention projects that involved using traditional and digital fabrication technologies for inventing and creating complex artefacts. The aim of the projects was to create high-end multi-material makerspaces by expanding…

This article presents an approach to creating sources of inspiration through a collaborative concept design that was developed and observed during a future visioning concept design project concerning the theme of "performance wear," which was conducted at the University of Helsinki for second-year textile student teachers. During the…

The authors investigated primary school pupils' experiences using an electronic portfolio in their craft education for a three year period, from the 3rd grade until the end of the 5th grade. This article emphasizes the functions and the benefits of the ePortfolio method and outlines general user experiences based on pupil interviews (N = 38),…

The learning of laboratory skills is essential in science education, but students often get too little individual guidance in this area. Augmented reality (AR) technologies are a promising tool to tackle this challenge and promote students' high-level learning and performance in science laboratories. Thus, the purpose of this study was (1) to…