Conversations in Education

Conversations in Education - a series of open discussion events and workshops

Conversations in Education series was designed as an open platform for researchers and citizens to discuss current developments and challenges in the field of education. Five discussion events and two workshops were arranged. The series broadly reflected research conducted in the Faculty of Education and Culture (EDU) at Tampere University. The Faculty of Education and Culture (EDU) strengthens societal resilience by advancing knowledge, learning and education in Finland.  The Faculty of Education and Culture (EDU) conducts research on learning and education as well as prepares teachers and education professionals for diverse roles across society.

Discussion: Should school change and on whose terms?

Declining learning outcomes, a lack of school peace, and increasing social polarization are causes for concern. Has the school system become incapable of changing alongside society? This discussion event explored whether schools need to change and, if so, on whose terms those changes should be made.

The discussion was led by Professor of Education Antti Saari. His research focuses on educational governance and the role of expert knowledge in shaping schools. In his work, Saari seeks answers to what we can learn from history when considering the future of education.
 

Discussion: How does early childhood education and care create expectations for parents?

Parents today face high expectations that place their actions and choices under constant scrutiny. In particular, parents of young children encounter ideals of “good parenting” both on social media and through public welfare services such as child health clinics and day-care centres. This discussion event explored contemporary parenthood, with a particular focus on the expectations surrounding parenting that are shaped within early childhood education and care.

The discussion was introduced by doctoral researcher Eeva Järventausta and Anna Siippainen, PhD (Education). Järventausta’s research focuses on collaboration between parents and early childhood education institutions. Her work seeks to understand the ways in which educational institutions shape parenthood. Siippainen’s research focuses on childhood studies and issues of equality and equity in early childhood education and care. She is currently examining these themes from the perspective of evaluation and assessment. A central question in her work is: What kind of image of children and childhood does early childhood education and care produce?

Discussion: Is work changing faster than workers?

Societal changes, digitalisation, and artificial intelligence are reshaping work and working environments more rapidly than ever. How do adults learn in new work environments, and what potential lies within workplace communities? Does learning need to be supported and led? This discussion event examined adult learning from the perspective of a changing world of work.

The discussion was introduced by Professor of Adult Education Hanna Toiviainen and Associate Professor of Lifelong Learning Päivi Hökkä. Toiviainen’s research focuses on developmental work research and adults’ learning in workplace activities. Her work explores how professionals in multidisciplinary networks learn to collaborate and respond to the challenges of client participation and engagement. Hökkä’s research focuses on workplace learning among adults and professional identity. A central question in her research is: How is adults’ learning at work understood, and how can learning be supported and led?
 

Discussion: How do global crises affect everyday life in schools?

What do global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic or displacement and forced migration look like in the everyday lives of schools when viewed from the perspectives of children and young people? In this discussion event, participants watched short animations in which children and young people depict crises through fictional storytelling and discussed how schools could be better prepared for future crises.

The discussion was introduced by Professor of Multicultural Education Mervi Kaukko, postdoctoral researchers Nick Haswell and Maria Petäjäniemi, and doctoral researcher Jussi Hakalahti. Their research focuses particularly on the educational pathways of children and young people with refugee backgrounds, as well as on interconnected and overlapping crises. Students from Tampere comprehensive schools will also share their perspectives and experiences.
 

Discussion: Does the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) serve learning or policy-making?

PISA learning outcomes have helped build the international reputation of Finland’s education system. However, declining results have raised concerns in Finland. What does PISA ultimately measure, and how is it used to shape education policy? In this discussion event, PISA results were examined from the perspectives of learning, assessment, and education policy.

The discussion was introduced by Professor of Education Policy Jaakko Kauko and Professor of Teaching and Learning Mari-Pauliina Vainikainen. Kauko’s research focuses on the role of power and politics in education. His work explores how different forms of knowledge and evidence are used in political decision-making and policy preparation. Vainikainen studies the development of thinking skills and learning-to-learn competencies in school contexts. She has also specialised in support for learning and school participation. A central question in her research is: What will learning look like in the future, and what factors will shape it?

Workshop: How does children’s and young adult literature offer hope during the climate crisis? 

Climate-related issues can evoke difficult emotions in children and young people, including anxiety and hopelessness. How can children's and young adult literature foster hope in a time of climate crisis? Can ecocritical literary pedagogy provide tools for thinking and acting differently? In this workshop, participants explored recent children's and young adult literature as well as ecocritical literature within the framework of dialogic teaching. Dialogic teaching is based on learners' active participation and agency.

The workshop was facilitated by Kaisu Rättyä and Essi Aarnio-Linnavuori. Rättyä is a University Lecturer in the Didactics of Language and Literature. Her research focuses on the teaching of literature and language awareness, curricula, and assessment methods. A central question in her work concerns the future of literature education. Aarnio-Linnavuori is a University Lecturer in Environmental and Sustainability Education. Her research focuses on climate and biodiversity education and the use of citizen science in environmental education. In her work, she explores how complex environmental issues can be addressed in ways that support learners' sense of relevance, agency, and hope.

Workshop: What kind of home are you to microbes?

Step into the secret universe of microbes and create art that reveals the amazing hidden life inside you. Microbes are tiny living creatures that have been with us since the moment we were born. Even though we can’t see them, they are busy helping our bodies grow, stay healthy, and work well. Sometimes they can also make us feel unwell — but they are always part of our lives. In this workshop we will, with the help of art, make these invisible microbes visible and explore them together. We will ask a playful question: What kind of home do you think you are for the many microbes living inside you?

The workshop was facilitated by Erika Aalto, a Puppet Theatre Artist and Art educator and Zsuzsa Millei, Professor of Early Childhood Education Aalto is working on making our microbial relationships more familiar to children and families through art with the support of BMR Foundation. She on her behalf focuses to find answers to a big question: How imagination and play affect our microbial relationships? Millei’s research seeks to bring a renewed focus on the biological processes of bodies that lead to child development, learning and wellbeing, especially in a world where life is altered by biodiversity loss and chemicals. Her big question is: How can we ensure good enough life for our children in a world where human interference modified life processes?

The workshop was based on the project Microbial Childhood: Restor(y)ing Daycare Ecologies | Tampere University https://www.tuni.fi/en/tau/research/microbial-childhood-restorying-daycare-ecologies