Elina Botha

I am a Principal Lecturer at Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK) in the Faculty of Pedagogical Innovations and Culture, and I hold a Doctorate in Health Sciences (Tampere University, 2020). My expertise includes competence‑based education, coaching pedagogy, inclusive pedagogy, and digital + flexible + fun learning in higher education.

My work focuses on health promotion, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and family wellbeing, including support for families experiencing excessively crying infants. This expertise is grounded in my professional background in midwifery and public health, combined with long‑term experience in research‑informed education and development work.

I have extensive experience in national and international cooperation/co-creation projects, particularly within Erasmus+ funding. My work centres on applied pedagogical development, curriculum co‑creation, educator competence development, and translating research and policy into practical, learner‑centred, and context‑sensitive educational solutions for higher education and professional learning environments.

Projects

Ongoing

• IncluDE (Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnership, 2025–2027)
  Developing frameworks and tools to support inclusion, equity, and diversity in higher education institutions in Europe.
• UNIICo‑Create (Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education, 2024–2026)
  Strengthening entrepreneurial universities and university–industry co‑creation in Southern Africa through curriculum development and institutional reform.

Completed

• SexEd (TFK, 2022–2024) – Sexual health education and educator competence development with NWU (South Africa).
• HERESA (Erasmus+ CBHE, 2021–2023) – Higher education reform, competence‑based curricula, and entrepreneurship education in South Africa.
• 4Steps (Erasmus+ CBHE, 2019–2023) – Capacity building and competence‑based learning in higher education (Vietnam and Cambodia).
• PreconNet (Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnership, 2018–2021) – Evidence‑based education on preconception health and fertility awareness (European).
• ViVa projects – “Viisaat valinnat” (2015–2020) – Sexual and reproductive health promotion among youth and young adults in Finland. Including Nuts'n Eggs -seli-terveyden tietopankki nuorille.

• Competence‑based, coaching, inclusive and digital pedagogy
• Curriculum and educator competence development
• Health promotion, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)
• Family wellbeing and early parenthood (incl. excessively crying infants)

Lubbe W, Niela-Vilén H, Thomson G, Botha E. 2022. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Breastfeeding Support Services and Women's Experiences of Breastfeeding: A Review. International Journal of Women’s Health. 14:1447-1457.

Wilska, A., Rantanen, A., Botha, E & Joronen, K. 2021. Parenting Fears and Concerns during Pregnancy: A Qualitative Survey. Nursing Reports, 11(4), 891–900.

Botha, E., Helminen, M., Kaunonen, M., Lubbe, W & Joronen, K. 2020. The effects of an infant calming intervention on mothers’ parenting self-efficacy and satisfaction during the postpartum period: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing, 34 (4), 300-310.

Botha, E., Helminen, M., Kaunonen, M., Lubbe, W & Joronen, K. 2020. Mothers’ parenting self-efficacy, satisfaction and perceptions of their infants during the first days postpartum. Midwifery. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2020.102760

Lubbe, W., Botha, E., Niela-Vilen H & Reimers P. 2020. Breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic – a literature review for clinical practice. DOI: 10.1186/s13006-020-00319-3

Botha, E., Joronen, K & Kaunonen, M. 2019. The consequences of having an excessively crying infant in the family: An integrative literature review. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 33(4), 779-790. doi:10.1111/scs.12702

Botha, E., Kaunonen, M., & Aho. A.L. 2014. Ryhmävertaistuki ja sen seuraukset – Vanhempien kokemukset lapsen kuoleman jälkeen. Psykologia 49 (4), 283–298.