Artikkelit

Haley, A., Kassaye, S., Zerihun, Z., & Uusimäki, L (2022)

ABSTRACT.

Universities engage in international collaboration for a number of reasons. In the global North, which is characterized by wealth and power, universities increasingly use international collaboration for competitiveness and marketization. In contrast, the global South engages in collaboration to strengthen research and build knowledge capacity. Prior studies argue that trust, mutual benefits, and achieving shared understandings and ways of working are important for sustainable collaboration. However, the studies generally examine what makes a “good” collaboration well after collaboration has been initiated. The contribution of this study is therefore to exemplify the relationship-building process between academics from an Ethiopian and Swedish university. The study is based on “cooperative inquiry” and uses data collected in April 2019 from questions composed by each set of academics, which were deliberated during their initial meeting. Their experiences of enablement and constraint in research collaboration and their motivations for pursuing a new collaboration are in focus

Liisa Uusimaki & Susanne Garvis (2021)

ABSTRACT 

The purpose of this article is to present a qualitative study exploring a small cohort of nine international students’ in-depth reflections about their teaching and learning experiences studying at a major Swedish University. Interestingly while there have been numerous studies reporting on the experiences of international students attending Anglo-Saxon universities, few studies have explored the teaching and learning experiences of international students studying in Sweden, Carol Rodger's (2002) model of four functions of reflections provided a novel way to explore international students’ reflections about their learning experiences in Sweden, especially how these are shown in the following different cycles, of presence, description, analysis and experimentation. Making sense of international students’ experiences allows us as university lecturers to enhance our of understanding how to better support students in their learning away from their home universities. A qualitative content analysis was employed to the data collected from 3 focus groups. Findings showed that the international students experienced several cultural and contextual differences from that of their home universities. The differences related to course structures, teaching, and learning, as well as the relationship with their Swedish university lecturer(s).

Liisa Uusimaki, Susanne Garvis & Umesh Sharma (2019)

ABSTRACT:

This article explores ninety-seven (n¼97) Swedish Early Childhood (EC) preservice teachers’ attitudes, concerns, and intentions to include children with disabilities in regular classrooms. A six-part self-reporting questionnaire was used to examine participants’ attitudes, concerns, efficacy, and intentions toward inclusion. The results showed that although the Swedish EC preservice teachers in this study expressed ’some’ concern about working with children the results indicated a high degree of teacher efficacy. To determine predictors of participants’ intentions and use of inclusive practices a series of regression analyses were undertaken. Knowledge of local legislation emerged as a significant predictor of participants’ intention scores. Teaching efficacy scores were significant predictors for both intention and use of inclusive practices. The results are discussed in the context of the Swedish idea of ‘a school for all with a focus on the Swedish preschool teacher education program.

Liisa Uusimaki & Theresa Swirski (2014)

Abstract:

The focus of this paper is to illustrate Australian regional pre-service teachers’ perceptions of an international practicum: their cross-cultural understanding, notions of privilege and teacher/professional identity development. Findings indicate that there were three overlapping dimensions of cross-cultural understanding for pre-service teachers: distance, friction and flow. At times students acknowledged the value of their placement, yet indicated a lack of empathy and engagement with the culture visited. At other times there was clear frustration at the cultural differences, alongside a growth in awareness. The fullest dimension was where pre-service teachers and their students learnt from each other, signalling a sharing towards cross-cultural understanding. Implications of these findings aim to inform how international practicums are designed in the future, as well as signalling directions for further research relating to these border crossings

Liisa Uusimaki (2011)

ABSTRACT 

Mature-aged graduates (MAGs) are characterized by significant life experience, including career change and an altruistic desire to benefit their prospective students. They are particularly well suited to the middle school environment with its focus on transition and its often complex student needs. Despite this, MAGs are currently underserviced by existing teacher education programs. Their potential to deliver high-quality teaching is often not fully realized. Postgraduate teacher education programs with a middle school focus must develop better ways to support these graduates and harness the unique combination of life/work experiences and the altruism they bring to the teaching profession. This study reports on a small cohort of MAGs’ experiences in a one-year postgraduate teacher education program focusing on middle schooling. Findings from this study suggest MAGs benefit from being part of an innovative workshop program run in parallel with the Graduate Diploma program. Although the Graduate Diploma had provided them with significant challenges, the workshop impacted positively on participants’ emerging middle school teacher identity. Inclusion in the workshop program encouraged fresh reflections about teacher identity and provided a supportive space that enabled their understanding of the importance of middle school teaching 

Liisa Uusimaki & Susanne Garvis (2019)

When we think of a leader in a primary school, we often think about the principal. While the principal is responsible for the overall running of the school, many people and children contribute to the overall functioning of the school in their various leadership roles. This includes adults and children. Model 1 below highlights the possibilities for leadership in a primary school. Adults take on a variety of leadership roles whether it be as a teacher in the classroom, organizing the school tuckshop, leadership in the parent and citizen organizations within the school, school boards, and many other possibilities. Likewise, primary school students also take on leadership roles whether it be classroom leaders, school leaders, sports leaders, or other types of leadership for primary school students. This chapter will look at some of the roles more closely, starting with the principal.