Eija Kärnä
Datos Biográficos
| ID | 94056 |
|---|---|
| NOMBRE | Eija Kärnä |
| NOMBRES | Eija |
| APELLIDO | Kärnä |
| FIRMA | KÄRNÄ E |
| AFILIACIONES | University of Eastern Finland |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-8107-3604 |
| VERIFICADO | Sí |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 22 |
| TOTAL DE CITAS | 24 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 22 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMER AÑO DE PUBLICACIÓN | 1991 |
| AÑO MÁS RECIENTE DE PUBLICACIÓN | 2026 |
| ÍNDICE H | 3 |
Fostering Inclusive Excellence—School Leaders' Perceptions of Leadership and Developing an Inclusive School Culture in Finland
Although education policies aim to foster an inclusive school culture, progress has been slow. In Finland, the role of school leadership is particularly significant in inclusive school development, as governance and decision‐making are decentralised and largely managed at the local level. This qualitative research aimed to examine what elements of leadership promote the development of an inclusive school, according to experiences of Finnish compr…
Comparing student teachers’ attributions of success or failure of educational interactions involving pupils on the autism spectrum in England, Finland and Sweden
The prevalence of autism is rising. Inclusive education is promoted in England, Finland and Sweden, which means that many pupils on the autism spectrum are taught in the regular classroom. Student teachers’ attributions of success or failure of educational interactions with pupils were sought. Data were collected from student teachers in England (n = 191), Finland (n = 251) and Sweden (n = 262), using the method of empathy stories, in which the s…
Finnish parents’ perception of the impact of Covid-19 on the lives of autistic adolescents
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted autistic adolescents differently, but less is known about what aspects of their lives were the most affected. In this paper, we used a convenience sample ( n = 323) of Finnish parents of autistic adolescents who reported the perceived impact of COVID-19 on the lives of their autistic children. Data were analysed with content analyses and four themes emerged; studies, everyday life, interaction, and personal matters.…
Professionals’ stories of supporting belonging for autistic children in Finnish early childhood education and care
The important role of early childhood education and care in nurturing and ensuring belonging among all children is well recognised, but research specifically focused on how this is accomplished for autistic children is scarce. The aim of this study was to examine how supporting autistic children's belonging appeared in the stories of Finnish early childhood education and care professionals (e.g. early educators, special education teachers, and ea…
Characteristics of significant interprofessional support in early childhood education and care in Finland
An interprofessional approach is often implemented to ensure a child's right to support when their support needs are complex. This study was designed to define the characteristics of significant interprofessional support in the context of early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Finland, to promote a more systematic and functional praxis. The data were collected from ECEC teachers and special needs teachers as written and drawn maps (N = 34) …
The ultimate responsibility? The analysis of the position of special education teachers when the child is left without support in early childhood education
In this paper, we investigate the discursive positionings of early childhood special education teachers (ECSETs) in situations where they describe challenges in organizing the support for a child in interprofessional collaboration. Relaying on research on occupational well‐being of teachers, we state that such situations where professionals experience insurmountable challenges in organizing proper support for a child are potentially burdensome to…
Students' Perspectives on Inclusive Education in Finland
There is a need for longitudinal and systematic focus on the students' perspective on inclusive education in the field of educational research, especially in Finland. This study contributes to this research area by introducing students' perspectives on studying in inclusive classrooms. The participants were Finnish comprehensive school students from inclusive classrooms in years 5, 7 and 8. The method of empathy‐based stories (MEBS) was utilised …
Navigating the Covid-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation of Higher Education, necessitating a rapid shift from in-person to remote teaching and learning. This study investigates the experiences of doctoral students in an online Sino-Nordic summer school on aging, implemented during the pandemic. A survey was conducted to collect and analyze data on participants’ experiences and perspectives. Findings reveal three thematic areas: doctoral …
Students' views of inclusive education
This review focuses on studies on students' views of inclusive education in the field of educational research. The studies reviewed in this study focused on research conducted in inclusive comprehensive schools. A total of 62 studies published between 2006 and 2022 were included, in which both qualitative and quantitative research methods were employed, with questionnaires and interviews being the most commonly used data collection methods. In ad…
Why we need a concept to describe collaborative support instead of labelling children as demanding
In this article, we draw on our research and expertise in a problematic concept of 'demanding special support children' in Finnish early childhood and basic education, and the scarce international research, to propose a concept regarding multidisciplinary and collaborative support for children.Our conceptualisation shifts the focus away from children's deficits to effective collaborative practices surrounding the child.This can facilitate compreh…
Older adults’ reasons to participate in digital skills learning
The rapid development of digital technologies and their increasing application in many areas of everyday life challenge all citizens to continuously learn digital skills. This also applies to older adults, among whom digital literacy is on average less well-developed than among younger adults. This article investigates why retired older adults participate in opportunities to learn digital skills. Multiple case design with both qualitative and qua…
Adapting school physical activity and health surveys for children with disabilities
The physical activity (PA) and health behaviours among pupils in special education classes and schools (SECS) is largely understudied. The purpose of this study is to report the process of converting PA and health surveys that can be comparable to the general population. A series of studies were taken. 1. Usability of the survey in SECS, 2. Pilot study data collection, 3. Further testing with a simple version, 4. National data collection among pu…
A Multilevel Model of Older Adults’ Appropriation of ICT and Acquisition of Digital Literacy
Digital literacy refers to a set of competencies related to the skilled use of computers and information technology. Low digital skills can be a barrier for older adults' full participation in a digital society, and COVID-19 has increased this risk of social exclusion. Older adults' digital inclusion is a complex process that consists of the interplay of structural and individual factors. The ACCESS project unwrapped the complexity of the process…
Perceived benefits from non-formal digital training sessions in later life
Rapid development of digital technologies affects the lives of all people and often leads to people being in unequal positions regarding digital skills training opportunities. Older adults’ motivations for learning digital skills vary, but they are generally connected with expectations of upcoming benefits. This study investigates the self-perceived benefits of older adults, information and communications technology (ICT) teachers and peer tutors…
Being included – experiences of social participation of pupils with special education needs in mainstream schools
The Finnish education system is based on equity, and the basic education act emphasises the inclusion and full participation of all pupils in education. Social participation of SEN students is a key issue favouring inclusive schools. Thus, SEN pupils’ experiences of social participation indicate how inclusion policies work in practice. This study focuses on the narratives of four SEN pupils concerning their social participation in a mainstream sc…
Predictors and mediators of European student teacher attitudes toward autism spectrum disorder
Managing epistemic imbalances in peer interaction during mathematics lessons
In this study, we investigated how students manage their lack of/insufficient understanding of the content of a mathematical task with the aim of reaching shared understanding and epistemic balance in peer interaction. The data consist of recordings collected during a mathematics project (6 × 75 minutes) in a Finnish lower secondary school. The findings, drawing on conversation analysis, showed two markedly different sequence trajectories: (1) ho…
An interactional “live eye tracking” study in autism spectrum disorder
Recent studies on gaze behaviours in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have utilised “live eye tracking.” Such research has focused on generating quantitative eye tracking measurements, which provide limited (if any) qualitative contextual details of the actual interactions in which gaze occurs. This article presents a novel methodological approach that combines live eye tracking with qualitative interaction analysis, multimodally i…
The construction of communicative (in)competence in autism
Research on people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (henceforth autism) is often based upon biomedical understanding. Such understanding tends to view the characteristics related to autism diagnosis, such as the lack of or atypical use of speech, as a sign of incompetence that can be reduced as an underlying pathology of an individual. However, little research has explicitly investigated how methodological decisions in research might influ…
Facilitating joint attention with salient pointing in interactions involving children with autism spectrum disorder
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) reportedly have difficulties in responding to bids for joint attention, notably in following pointing gestures. Previous studies have predominantly built on structured observation measures and predefined coding categories to measure children’s responsiveness to gestures. However, how these gestures are designed and what detailed interactional work they can accomplish have received less attention. In th…
A pilot study
High support need and minimally verbal individuals with autism have received less attention in research in comparison to so-called higher functioning individuals with autism. As computers motivate individuals with autism, a game with a positive user experience was altered into a level 1 perspective-taking task in which advancement was contingent on eye contact. A case-controls design was used to see whether participants had impaired perspective t…
“I Amn Not a Utistivc on Thje Typ” (“I'm Not Autistic on the Typewriter”)
Facilitated communication involves hand-over-hand or hand-on-forearm support of students as they communicate through pointing at pictures, letters or other objects. Over time, it is expected that the hand and arm support can be faded back. This observational study describes an effort to introduce facilitated communication to 22 students, ranging in age from 3 years 10 months to 21 years, in several US public schools. The students are all labeled …
Older adults’ reasons to participate in digital skills learning
The rapid development of digital technologies and their increasing application in many areas of everyday life challenge all citizens to continuously learn digital skills. This also applies to older adults, among whom digital literacy is on average less well-developed than among younger adults. This article investigates why retired older adults participate in opportunities to learn digital skills. Multiple case design with both qualitative and qua…
Perceived benefits from non-formal digital training sessions in later life
Rapid development of digital technologies affects the lives of all people and often leads to people being in unequal positions regarding digital skills training opportunities. Older adults’ motivations for learning digital skills vary, but they are generally connected with expectations of upcoming benefits. This study investigates the self-perceived benefits of older adults, information and communications technology (ICT) teachers and peer tutors…
The construction of communicative (in)competence in autism
Research on people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (henceforth autism) is often based upon biomedical understanding. Such understanding tends to view the characteristics related to autism diagnosis, such as the lack of or atypical use of speech, as a sign of incompetence that can be reduced as an underlying pathology of an individual. However, little research has explicitly investigated how methodological decisions in research might influ…
Why we need a concept to describe collaborative support instead of labelling children as demanding
In this article, we draw on our research and expertise in a problematic concept of 'demanding special support children' in Finnish early childhood and basic education, and the scarce international research, to propose a concept regarding multidisciplinary and collaborative support for children.Our conceptualisation shifts the focus away from children's deficits to effective collaborative practices surrounding the child.This can facilitate compreh…
Being included – experiences of social participation of pupils with special education needs in mainstream schools
The Finnish education system is based on equity, and the basic education act emphasises the inclusion and full participation of all pupils in education. Social participation of SEN students is a key issue favouring inclusive schools. Thus, SEN pupils’ experiences of social participation indicate how inclusion policies work in practice. This study focuses on the narratives of four SEN pupils concerning their social participation in a mainstream sc…
Predictors and mediators of European student teacher attitudes toward autism spectrum disorder
Managing epistemic imbalances in peer interaction during mathematics lessons
In this study, we investigated how students manage their lack of/insufficient understanding of the content of a mathematical task with the aim of reaching shared understanding and epistemic balance in peer interaction. The data consist of recordings collected during a mathematics project (6 × 75 minutes) in a Finnish lower secondary school. The findings, drawing on conversation analysis, showed two markedly different sequence trajectories: (1) ho…
An interactional “live eye tracking” study in autism spectrum disorder
Recent studies on gaze behaviours in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have utilised “live eye tracking.” Such research has focused on generating quantitative eye tracking measurements, which provide limited (if any) qualitative contextual details of the actual interactions in which gaze occurs. This article presents a novel methodological approach that combines live eye tracking with qualitative interaction analysis, multimodally i…
“I Amn Not a Utistivc on Thje Typ” (“I'm Not Autistic on the Typewriter”)
Facilitated communication involves hand-over-hand or hand-on-forearm support of students as they communicate through pointing at pictures, letters or other objects. Over time, it is expected that the hand and arm support can be faded back. This observational study describes an effort to introduce facilitated communication to 22 students, ranging in age from 3 years 10 months to 21 years, in several US public schools. The students are all labeled …
Facilitating joint attention with salient pointing in interactions involving children with autism spectrum disorder
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) reportedly have difficulties in responding to bids for joint attention, notably in following pointing gestures. Previous studies have predominantly built on structured observation measures and predefined coding categories to measure children’s responsiveness to gestures. However, how these gestures are designed and what detailed interactional work they can accomplish have received less attention. In th…
A pilot study
High support need and minimally verbal individuals with autism have received less attention in research in comparison to so-called higher functioning individuals with autism. As computers motivate individuals with autism, a game with a positive user experience was altered into a level 1 perspective-taking task in which advancement was contingent on eye contact. A case-controls design was used to see whether participants had impaired perspective t…
An interactional “live eye tracking” study in autism spectrum disorder
Recent studies on gaze behaviours in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have utilised “live eye tracking.” Such research has focused on generating quantitative eye tracking measurements, which provide limited (if any) qualitative contextual details of the actual interactions in which gaze occurs. This article presents a novel methodological approach that combines live eye tracking with qualitative interaction analysis, multimodally i…
The construction of communicative (in)competence in autism
Research on people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (henceforth autism) is often based upon biomedical understanding. Such understanding tends to view the characteristics related to autism diagnosis, such as the lack of or atypical use of speech, as a sign of incompetence that can be reduced as an underlying pathology of an individual. However, little research has explicitly investigated how methodological decisions in research might influ…
Being included – experiences of social participation of pupils with special education needs in mainstream schools
The Finnish education system is based on equity, and the basic education act emphasises the inclusion and full participation of all pupils in education. Social participation of SEN students is a key issue favouring inclusive schools. Thus, SEN pupils’ experiences of social participation indicate how inclusion policies work in practice. This study focuses on the narratives of four SEN pupils concerning their social participation in a mainstream sc…
Predictors and mediators of European student teacher attitudes toward autism spectrum disorder
Managing epistemic imbalances in peer interaction during mathematics lessons
In this study, we investigated how students manage their lack of/insufficient understanding of the content of a mathematical task with the aim of reaching shared understanding and epistemic balance in peer interaction. The data consist of recordings collected during a mathematics project (6 × 75 minutes) in a Finnish lower secondary school. The findings, drawing on conversation analysis, showed two markedly different sequence trajectories: (1) ho…
Perceived benefits from non-formal digital training sessions in later life
Rapid development of digital technologies affects the lives of all people and often leads to people being in unequal positions regarding digital skills training opportunities. Older adults’ motivations for learning digital skills vary, but they are generally connected with expectations of upcoming benefits. This study investigates the self-perceived benefits of older adults, information and communications technology (ICT) teachers and peer tutors…
Adapting school physical activity and health surveys for children with disabilities
The physical activity (PA) and health behaviours among pupils in special education classes and schools (SECS) is largely understudied. The purpose of this study is to report the process of converting PA and health surveys that can be comparable to the general population. A series of studies were taken. 1. Usability of the survey in SECS, 2. Pilot study data collection, 3. Further testing with a simple version, 4. National data collection among pu…
A Multilevel Model of Older Adults’ Appropriation of ICT and Acquisition of Digital Literacy
Digital literacy refers to a set of competencies related to the skilled use of computers and information technology. Low digital skills can be a barrier for older adults' full participation in a digital society, and COVID-19 has increased this risk of social exclusion. Older adults' digital inclusion is a complex process that consists of the interplay of structural and individual factors. The ACCESS project unwrapped the complexity of the process…
Why we need a concept to describe collaborative support instead of labelling children as demanding
In this article, we draw on our research and expertise in a problematic concept of 'demanding special support children' in Finnish early childhood and basic education, and the scarce international research, to propose a concept regarding multidisciplinary and collaborative support for children.Our conceptualisation shifts the focus away from children's deficits to effective collaborative practices surrounding the child.This can facilitate compreh…
Older adults’ reasons to participate in digital skills learning
The rapid development of digital technologies and their increasing application in many areas of everyday life challenge all citizens to continuously learn digital skills. This also applies to older adults, among whom digital literacy is on average less well-developed than among younger adults. This article investigates why retired older adults participate in opportunities to learn digital skills. Multiple case design with both qualitative and qua…
Navigating the Covid-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation of Higher Education, necessitating a rapid shift from in-person to remote teaching and learning. This study investigates the experiences of doctoral students in an online Sino-Nordic summer school on aging, implemented during the pandemic. A survey was conducted to collect and analyze data on participants’ experiences and perspectives. Findings reveal three thematic areas: doctoral …
Students' views of inclusive education
This review focuses on studies on students' views of inclusive education in the field of educational research. The studies reviewed in this study focused on research conducted in inclusive comprehensive schools. A total of 62 studies published between 2006 and 2022 were included, in which both qualitative and quantitative research methods were employed, with questionnaires and interviews being the most commonly used data collection methods. In ad…
Finnish parents’ perception of the impact of Covid-19 on the lives of autistic adolescents
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted autistic adolescents differently, but less is known about what aspects of their lives were the most affected. In this paper, we used a convenience sample ( n = 323) of Finnish parents of autistic adolescents who reported the perceived impact of COVID-19 on the lives of their autistic children. Data were analysed with content analyses and four themes emerged; studies, everyday life, interaction, and personal matters.…
Professionals’ stories of supporting belonging for autistic children in Finnish early childhood education and care
The important role of early childhood education and care in nurturing and ensuring belonging among all children is well recognised, but research specifically focused on how this is accomplished for autistic children is scarce. The aim of this study was to examine how supporting autistic children's belonging appeared in the stories of Finnish early childhood education and care professionals (e.g. early educators, special education teachers, and ea…
Characteristics of significant interprofessional support in early childhood education and care in Finland
An interprofessional approach is often implemented to ensure a child's right to support when their support needs are complex. This study was designed to define the characteristics of significant interprofessional support in the context of early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Finland, to promote a more systematic and functional praxis. The data were collected from ECEC teachers and special needs teachers as written and drawn maps (N = 34) …
The ultimate responsibility? The analysis of the position of special education teachers when the child is left without support in early childhood education
In this paper, we investigate the discursive positionings of early childhood special education teachers (ECSETs) in situations where they describe challenges in organizing the support for a child in interprofessional collaboration. Relaying on research on occupational well‐being of teachers, we state that such situations where professionals experience insurmountable challenges in organizing proper support for a child are potentially burdensome to…
Students' Perspectives on Inclusive Education in Finland
There is a need for longitudinal and systematic focus on the students' perspective on inclusive education in the field of educational research, especially in Finland. This study contributes to this research area by introducing students' perspectives on studying in inclusive classrooms. The participants were Finnish comprehensive school students from inclusive classrooms in years 5, 7 and 8. The method of empathy‐based stories (MEBS) was utilised …
Fostering Inclusive Excellence—School Leaders' Perceptions of Leadership and Developing an Inclusive School Culture in Finland
Although education policies aim to foster an inclusive school culture, progress has been slow. In Finland, the role of school leadership is particularly significant in inclusive school development, as governance and decision‐making are decentralised and largely managed at the local level. This qualitative research aimed to examine what elements of leadership promote the development of an inclusive school, according to experiences of Finnish compr…
Comparing student teachers’ attributions of success or failure of educational interactions involving pupils on the autism spectrum in England, Finland and Sweden
The prevalence of autism is rising. Inclusive education is promoted in England, Finland and Sweden, which means that many pupils on the autism spectrum are taught in the regular classroom. Student teachers’ attributions of success or failure of educational interactions with pupils were sought. Data were collected from student teachers in England (n = 191), Finland (n = 251) and Sweden (n = 262), using the method of empathy stories, in which the s…
Psychology (20 obras) · Developmental psychology (12 obras) · Pedagogy (12 obras) · Sociology (11 obras) · Autism (8 obras) · Autism Spectrum Disorder Research (8 obras) · Medicine (8 obras) · Political science (7 obras) · Family and Disability Support Research (6 obras) · Medical education (6 obras)