Kirsti Lonka
Biographic Data
| ID | 146808 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Kirsti Lonka |
| GIVEN NAMES | Kirsti |
| FAMILY NAME | Lonka |
| SIGNATURE | LONKA K |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Helsinki |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5487-3964 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 27 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 42 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 27 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1989 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Trends of Psychosocial Wellbeing and their Links with the School Context: A Population-Based Study Among Majority Population and Immigrant-Origin Adolescents
This population-based study examined the trends in psychosocial wellbeing among Finnish adolescents attending the 8th and 9th grades of middle school from 2017 to 2023, comparing majority-population and immigrant-origin adolescents. Using repeated cross-sectional survey data ( N = 285,354), we also investigated whether associations between demographic, school-related factors, and psychosocial wellbeing changed over time across groups. Overall, ps…
Introducing an Innovative Flipped Finnish Teacher Education Program in a Middle East Context: Reflections From the First Educational Psychology Course
Over the past 30 years, higher education has increasingly focused on student‐activating methods and teacher learning, emphasizing active, self‐regulated and collaborative learning. This study examines applying Finnish educational psychology principles in a United Arab Emirates course as a first part for a Post Graduate Diploma in Education. The course used a flipped classroom design with online and face‐to‐face components. Data from summaries of …
Dynamics of university students’ epistemic emotions during game-based learning in an international relations course
Both cognitive and emotional factors are critical to engagement in game-based learning. However, few studies provide evidence of the influence of games on learning from an emotional perspective. Epistemic emotions like curiosity, surprise and confusion are especially relevant because they directly relate to the knowledge-related aspects of learning, cognitive processes and knowledge construction (e.g. Muis et al., 2015). The present study examine…
The importance of socio-emotional skills obtained before the Covid-19 pandemic in supporting study engagement during the pandemic and transition to higher education
This study investigated the development of study engagement from the end of upper secondary school through the first and second years of higher education. The participants experienced the challenges related to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic while they were either university students or preparing for university entrance exams. The study employed a person-oriented approach to determine what kind of developmental trajectories emerge in stud…
A Whole‐Population Comparative Study of the School Experience and Its Association With Depressive Symptoms Among Immigrant‐Origin and Native Preadolescents
In European studies, immigrant‐origin adolescents report more mental health symptoms than natives do. The school is an important developmental context for them, and more research is needed about how their school experience is related to their mental health symptoms, and whether these relations vary by group. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms, and their association with the school experience among native and…
Acculturation Orientations Among Immigrant-Origin Youth: How is Acculturation Associated with Self-Esteem, Sense of Belonging, and Discrimination
We developed a six-item Compact Acculturation Scale (CAS) based on common items on comprehensive acculturation scales and examined it with two designs using data from the Finnish Annual Youth Future Report Survey of 2023 (N = 744 immigrant-origin youth, IOY). In Study 1, we first confirmed second-order factorial structure of CAS and its convergent validity. Second, using structural equation modelling, we found that the relation of acculturation w…
Entrepreneurial Intentions Among Immigrant-Origin and Native Youth: Exploring the Roles of a Sense of Belonging, Acculturation Attitudes, and Self-Esteem
Entrepreneurship education is crucial in fostering and supporting entrepreneurial intentions among young people. However, many factors, such as immigrant background, are associated with whether youth aspire to an entrepreneurial career. The aim of this study was to examine whether immigrant-origin youth in Finland were more likely than natives to aspire to an entrepreneurial career, and to what extent their sense of belonging, acculturation attit…
School principals’ job crafting profiles and their differences during the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic
Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore school principals’ job crafting profiles during the prolonged COVID-19 crisis in 2021, and investigate profile differences regarding principals’ own perceived servant leadership, stress and work meaningfulness. Design/methodology/approach Using latent profile analysis (LPA), two job crafting profiles were identified: (1) active crafters (55%) and (2) average crafters (45%). By auxiliary measurement…
Future teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching practical and algorithmic ICT competencies – Does background matter
Future teachers need to be confidently equipped to teach 21st century ICT skills. We investigated teaching self-efficacy (TSE) in ICT competencies among teacher students. We confirmed distinct ICT competencies among two cohorts from teacher training programs (n = 347; n = 428): practical (i.e., device and data management), and algorithmic (i.e., programming, and data security). Regression analyses indicated TSE-biases regarding younger age, male …
Sense of belongingness, discrimination, and mental health: Associations and buffering effects of sense of belonging on mental health among Finnish native and immigrant-origin youth
A sense of belonging is crucial for mental health and well-being, but immigrants may find achieving a sense of belonging elusive. This study examined the relationship between sense of belonging and mental health among Finnish native, and first- and second-generation immigrant adolescents (N = 61 540) in Finland. Moreover, we estimated whether sense of belonging buffered the negative effect of experienced discrimination on mental health. Immigrant…
Catalyst for co-construction: The role of AI-directed speech recognition technology in the self-organization of knowledge
The purpose of this study was to analyze knowledge co-construction as a self-organization process and the role of technology as its catalyst. Novel AI-directed speech recognition technology and the artifacts it generates were deployed to scaffold the knowledge co-construction process in two groups of pre-service teachers in a science education context. Throughout the lesson, the focus of the learning tasks was on pedagogical content knowledge and…
Can you feel the excitement? Physiological correlates of students' self-reported emotions
BackgroundThis study explored the physiological correlates of students' self-reported emotions in ecologically valid settings by combining biosignal data (on physical and cardiac activity) and experience sampling method (ESM) data.AimsThe aim was to examine the concurrent associations between self-reported excitement, calmness, anxiety, and boredom (adopted from the dimensional model of emotions) and students' heart rate (HR) and heart rate varia…
Entrepreneurship as a Neglected Pitfall in Future Finnish Teachers’ Readiness to Teach 21st Century Competencies and Financial Literacy: Expectancies, Values, and Capability
The aim of this study was to examine entrepreneurship in the context of future Finnish teachers’ readiness to teach 21st century (broad-based) competencies. Teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching entrepreneurial skills and financial matters is vital for their pupils to actively participate and flourish in future society. The study utilized survey data of future teachers’ expectancy-values in teaching seven broad-based competencies of the current nat…
Intraindividual associations between active social media use, exhaustion, and bedtime vary according to age—A longitudinal study across adolescence
INTRODUCTION: The majority of adolescents engage with others online, and using social media is one of their top activities. However, there is little longitudinal evidence addressing whether active social media use is associated with study-related emotional exhaustion or delayed bedtime at the individual level of development during adolescence. METHOD: A 6-year longitudinal survey study (N = 426, female, 65.7%) was conducted (2014-2019) in Finland…
Anxiety and depression symptoms and their association with discrimination and a lack of social support among first- and second-generation immigrant adolescents
The focus in the present study is on how experienced discrimination, being able to discuss personal matters with parents, and having someone to discuss personal worries with relate to symptoms of depression and generalized anxiety among first- and second-generation immigrant-background adolescents (aged 14–15) living in Finland. The data used was collected for the National School Health Promotion Study (2017) conducted by The Finnish Institute fo…
Lessons learned on student engagement from the nature of pervasive socio‐digital interests and related network participation of adolescents
The rise of modern socio‐digital technologies has fundamentally changed the everyday environments in which young people communicate with each other and cultivate interests. To gain a more sophisticated understanding of this phenomenon, this study provides in‐depth, qualitative insights into adolescents' experiences of their socio‐digital developmental ecologies. The 15 interview participants were recruited based on a previously conducted question…
University students’ epistemic profiles, conceptions of learning, and academic performance
University students’ epistemic beliefs may have practical consequences for studying and success in higher education. Such beliefs constitute epistemic theories that may empirically manifest themselves as epistemic profiles. This study examined university students’ epistemic profiles and their relations to conceptions of learning, age, gender, discipline, and academic achievement. The participants were 1515 students from five faculties who complet…
Entrepreneurship as a twenty-first century skill: Entrepreneurial alertness and intention in the transition to adulthood
The Dark Side of Internet Use: Two Longitudinal Studies of Excessive Internet Use, Depressive Symptoms, School Burnout and Engagement Among Finnish Early and Late Adolescents
Sociodigital Revolution: Digital Natives vs Digital Immigrants
Conceptions of research: The Doctoral Student Experience in Three Domains
This study investigates how doctoral students perceive research work in the context of their own PhD projects. Thirty-two students from a Finnish university were interviewed, representing three disciplines: medicine, natural sciences and behavioural sciences. Their conceptions of research varied in terms of describing research as a job to do, obtaining qualifications and gaining accomplishments, a personal journey, and making a difference. The co…
Balancing between inspiration and exhaustion: PhD students' experienced socio-psychological well-being
This paper explores doctoral students' experiences of their scholarly communities in terms of socio-psychological well-being. Further, the study examines how experiences were related to study engagement and to self-reported stress, exhaustion, and anxiety. Altogether 669 doctoral students from the University of Helsinki, Finland, responded a survey. The answers to an open-ended question were content analysed and then statistically compared to wel…
Personal goals and academic achievement among theology students
Studying in higher education requires long‐term commitment. Previous studies have shown that commitment, perceived competence, intrinsic motivation and work‐life orientation are positively related to academic achievement. This study examines the kinds of goals theology students have at the beginning of studies, and whether these goals are related to academic achievement during their first three years at university. Personal project analysis was u…
Ain't nothin' like the real thing'. Motivation and study processes on a work-based project course in information systems design
Background. Advocates of the project method claim that project-based learning inspires student learning. However, it has been claimed that project-based learning environments demand quite a bit of self-regulation on the part of the learner.Aims. Consequently, it was tested whether students scoring low in self-regulation of learning experienced 'friction', an incompatibility between student self-regulation and the demands posed by the learning env…
Studying in higher education: Students' Approaches to Learning, Self-Regulation, and Cognitive Strategies
The authors looked at aspects of successful and problematic studying in terms of three different research traditions: students’ approaches to learning, self‐regulated learning and cognitive strategies. These frameworks have been widely applied when explaining university student learning. However, relations among different traditions have not been sufficiently looked at. In this study the authors explored the relations between learning approaches,…
Studying in higher education: Students' Approaches to Learning, Self-Regulation, and Cognitive Strategies
The authors looked at aspects of successful and problematic studying in terms of three different research traditions: students’ approaches to learning, self‐regulated learning and cognitive strategies. These frameworks have been widely applied when explaining university student learning. However, relations among different traditions have not been sufficiently looked at. In this study the authors explored the relations between learning approaches,…
Anxiety and depression symptoms and their association with discrimination and a lack of social support among first- and second-generation immigrant adolescents
The focus in the present study is on how experienced discrimination, being able to discuss personal matters with parents, and having someone to discuss personal worries with relate to symptoms of depression and generalized anxiety among first- and second-generation immigrant-background adolescents (aged 14–15) living in Finland. The data used was collected for the National School Health Promotion Study (2017) conducted by The Finnish Institute fo…
The Dark Side of Internet Use: Two Longitudinal Studies of Excessive Internet Use, Depressive Symptoms, School Burnout and Engagement Among Finnish Early and Late Adolescents
Conceptions of research: The Doctoral Student Experience in Three Domains
This study investigates how doctoral students perceive research work in the context of their own PhD projects. Thirty-two students from a Finnish university were interviewed, representing three disciplines: medicine, natural sciences and behavioural sciences. Their conceptions of research varied in terms of describing research as a job to do, obtaining qualifications and gaining accomplishments, a personal journey, and making a difference. The co…
Can you feel the excitement? Physiological correlates of students' self-reported emotions
BackgroundThis study explored the physiological correlates of students' self-reported emotions in ecologically valid settings by combining biosignal data (on physical and cardiac activity) and experience sampling method (ESM) data.AimsThe aim was to examine the concurrent associations between self-reported excitement, calmness, anxiety, and boredom (adopted from the dimensional model of emotions) and students' heart rate (HR) and heart rate varia…
Acculturation Orientations Among Immigrant-Origin Youth: How is Acculturation Associated with Self-Esteem, Sense of Belonging, and Discrimination
We developed a six-item Compact Acculturation Scale (CAS) based on common items on comprehensive acculturation scales and examined it with two designs using data from the Finnish Annual Youth Future Report Survey of 2023 (N = 744 immigrant-origin youth, IOY). In Study 1, we first confirmed second-order factorial structure of CAS and its convergent validity. Second, using structural equation modelling, we found that the relation of acculturation w…
Future teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching practical and algorithmic ICT competencies – Does background matter
Future teachers need to be confidently equipped to teach 21st century ICT skills. We investigated teaching self-efficacy (TSE) in ICT competencies among teacher students. We confirmed distinct ICT competencies among two cohorts from teacher training programs (n = 347; n = 428): practical (i.e., device and data management), and algorithmic (i.e., programming, and data security). Regression analyses indicated TSE-biases regarding younger age, male …
Sense of belongingness, discrimination, and mental health: Associations and buffering effects of sense of belonging on mental health among Finnish native and immigrant-origin youth
A sense of belonging is crucial for mental health and well-being, but immigrants may find achieving a sense of belonging elusive. This study examined the relationship between sense of belonging and mental health among Finnish native, and first- and second-generation immigrant adolescents (N = 61 540) in Finland. Moreover, we estimated whether sense of belonging buffered the negative effect of experienced discrimination on mental health. Immigrant…
Why Does the Length of an Essay-type Answer Contribute to Examination Marks
Two samples of essay-type answers in examinations of high school graduate candidates were analysed applying a two-way classification scheme. The unit of classification was "a thought", expressing by one or more sentences a coherent idea. Both the subject matter treated and the way it was treated were taken into account in the classification of thoughts. The treatment in expressions was rated as reproductive or as elaborative. Consistent with prev…
Spontaneous study strategies and the quality of knowledge construction
Background . Previous research indicates that generative study strategies (e.g., summarising, concept mapping) produce qualitatively better learning as compared to reproductive strategies (e.g., verbatim notetaking, underlining). In the present study it was assumed that the more generative study strategies used the better the learning outcomes would be. Aims . This study considered the role that spontaneously used study strategies play in knowled…
Why Does the Length of an Essay-type Answer Contribute to Examination Marks
Two samples of essay-type answers in examinations of high school graduate candidates were analysed applying a two-way classification scheme. The unit of classification was "a thought", expressing by one or more sentences a coherent idea. Both the subject matter treated and the way it was treated were taken into account in the classification of thoughts. The treatment in expressions was rated as reproductive or as elaborative. Consistent with prev…
Spontaneous study strategies and the quality of knowledge construction
Background . Previous research indicates that generative study strategies (e.g., summarising, concept mapping) produce qualitatively better learning as compared to reproductive strategies (e.g., verbatim notetaking, underlining). In the present study it was assumed that the more generative study strategies used the better the learning outcomes would be. Aims . This study considered the role that spontaneously used study strategies play in knowled…
Studying in higher education: Students' Approaches to Learning, Self-Regulation, and Cognitive Strategies
The authors looked at aspects of successful and problematic studying in terms of three different research traditions: students’ approaches to learning, self‐regulated learning and cognitive strategies. These frameworks have been widely applied when explaining university student learning. However, relations among different traditions have not been sufficiently looked at. In this study the authors explored the relations between learning approaches,…
Ain't nothin' like the real thing'. Motivation and study processes on a work-based project course in information systems design
Background. Advocates of the project method claim that project-based learning inspires student learning. However, it has been claimed that project-based learning environments demand quite a bit of self-regulation on the part of the learner.Aims. Consequently, it was tested whether students scoring low in self-regulation of learning experienced 'friction', an incompatibility between student self-regulation and the demands posed by the learning env…
Personal goals and academic achievement among theology students
Studying in higher education requires long‐term commitment. Previous studies have shown that commitment, perceived competence, intrinsic motivation and work‐life orientation are positively related to academic achievement. This study examines the kinds of goals theology students have at the beginning of studies, and whether these goals are related to academic achievement during their first three years at university. Personal project analysis was u…
Balancing between inspiration and exhaustion: PhD students' experienced socio-psychological well-being
This paper explores doctoral students' experiences of their scholarly communities in terms of socio-psychological well-being. Further, the study examines how experiences were related to study engagement and to self-reported stress, exhaustion, and anxiety. Altogether 669 doctoral students from the University of Helsinki, Finland, responded a survey. The answers to an open-ended question were content analysed and then statistically compared to wel…
Conceptions of research: The Doctoral Student Experience in Three Domains
This study investigates how doctoral students perceive research work in the context of their own PhD projects. Thirty-two students from a Finnish university were interviewed, representing three disciplines: medicine, natural sciences and behavioural sciences. Their conceptions of research varied in terms of describing research as a job to do, obtaining qualifications and gaining accomplishments, a personal journey, and making a difference. The co…
Sociodigital Revolution: Digital Natives vs Digital Immigrants
Entrepreneurship as a twenty-first century skill: Entrepreneurial alertness and intention in the transition to adulthood
The Dark Side of Internet Use: Two Longitudinal Studies of Excessive Internet Use, Depressive Symptoms, School Burnout and Engagement Among Finnish Early and Late Adolescents
Lessons learned on student engagement from the nature of pervasive socio‐digital interests and related network participation of adolescents
The rise of modern socio‐digital technologies has fundamentally changed the everyday environments in which young people communicate with each other and cultivate interests. To gain a more sophisticated understanding of this phenomenon, this study provides in‐depth, qualitative insights into adolescents' experiences of their socio‐digital developmental ecologies. The 15 interview participants were recruited based on a previously conducted question…
University students’ epistemic profiles, conceptions of learning, and academic performance
University students’ epistemic beliefs may have practical consequences for studying and success in higher education. Such beliefs constitute epistemic theories that may empirically manifest themselves as epistemic profiles. This study examined university students’ epistemic profiles and their relations to conceptions of learning, age, gender, discipline, and academic achievement. The participants were 1515 students from five faculties who complet…
Entrepreneurship as a Neglected Pitfall in Future Finnish Teachers’ Readiness to Teach 21st Century Competencies and Financial Literacy: Expectancies, Values, and Capability
The aim of this study was to examine entrepreneurship in the context of future Finnish teachers’ readiness to teach 21st century (broad-based) competencies. Teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching entrepreneurial skills and financial matters is vital for their pupils to actively participate and flourish in future society. The study utilized survey data of future teachers’ expectancy-values in teaching seven broad-based competencies of the current nat…
Intraindividual associations between active social media use, exhaustion, and bedtime vary according to age—A longitudinal study across adolescence
INTRODUCTION: The majority of adolescents engage with others online, and using social media is one of their top activities. However, there is little longitudinal evidence addressing whether active social media use is associated with study-related emotional exhaustion or delayed bedtime at the individual level of development during adolescence. METHOD: A 6-year longitudinal survey study (N = 426, female, 65.7%) was conducted (2014-2019) in Finland…
Anxiety and depression symptoms and their association with discrimination and a lack of social support among first- and second-generation immigrant adolescents
The focus in the present study is on how experienced discrimination, being able to discuss personal matters with parents, and having someone to discuss personal worries with relate to symptoms of depression and generalized anxiety among first- and second-generation immigrant-background adolescents (aged 14–15) living in Finland. The data used was collected for the National School Health Promotion Study (2017) conducted by The Finnish Institute fo…
Catalyst for co-construction: The role of AI-directed speech recognition technology in the self-organization of knowledge
The purpose of this study was to analyze knowledge co-construction as a self-organization process and the role of technology as its catalyst. Novel AI-directed speech recognition technology and the artifacts it generates were deployed to scaffold the knowledge co-construction process in two groups of pre-service teachers in a science education context. Throughout the lesson, the focus of the learning tasks was on pedagogical content knowledge and…
Can you feel the excitement? Physiological correlates of students' self-reported emotions
BackgroundThis study explored the physiological correlates of students' self-reported emotions in ecologically valid settings by combining biosignal data (on physical and cardiac activity) and experience sampling method (ESM) data.AimsThe aim was to examine the concurrent associations between self-reported excitement, calmness, anxiety, and boredom (adopted from the dimensional model of emotions) and students' heart rate (HR) and heart rate varia…
Entrepreneurial Intentions Among Immigrant-Origin and Native Youth: Exploring the Roles of a Sense of Belonging, Acculturation Attitudes, and Self-Esteem
Entrepreneurship education is crucial in fostering and supporting entrepreneurial intentions among young people. However, many factors, such as immigrant background, are associated with whether youth aspire to an entrepreneurial career. The aim of this study was to examine whether immigrant-origin youth in Finland were more likely than natives to aspire to an entrepreneurial career, and to what extent their sense of belonging, acculturation attit…
School principals’ job crafting profiles and their differences during the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic
Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore school principals’ job crafting profiles during the prolonged COVID-19 crisis in 2021, and investigate profile differences regarding principals’ own perceived servant leadership, stress and work meaningfulness. Design/methodology/approach Using latent profile analysis (LPA), two job crafting profiles were identified: (1) active crafters (55%) and (2) average crafters (45%). By auxiliary measurement…
Future teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching practical and algorithmic ICT competencies – Does background matter
Future teachers need to be confidently equipped to teach 21st century ICT skills. We investigated teaching self-efficacy (TSE) in ICT competencies among teacher students. We confirmed distinct ICT competencies among two cohorts from teacher training programs (n = 347; n = 428): practical (i.e., device and data management), and algorithmic (i.e., programming, and data security). Regression analyses indicated TSE-biases regarding younger age, male …
Sense of belongingness, discrimination, and mental health: Associations and buffering effects of sense of belonging on mental health among Finnish native and immigrant-origin youth
A sense of belonging is crucial for mental health and well-being, but immigrants may find achieving a sense of belonging elusive. This study examined the relationship between sense of belonging and mental health among Finnish native, and first- and second-generation immigrant adolescents (N = 61 540) in Finland. Moreover, we estimated whether sense of belonging buffered the negative effect of experienced discrimination on mental health. Immigrant…
The importance of socio-emotional skills obtained before the Covid-19 pandemic in supporting study engagement during the pandemic and transition to higher education
This study investigated the development of study engagement from the end of upper secondary school through the first and second years of higher education. The participants experienced the challenges related to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic while they were either university students or preparing for university entrance exams. The study employed a person-oriented approach to determine what kind of developmental trajectories emerge in stud…
A Whole‐Population Comparative Study of the School Experience and Its Association With Depressive Symptoms Among Immigrant‐Origin and Native Preadolescents
In European studies, immigrant‐origin adolescents report more mental health symptoms than natives do. The school is an important developmental context for them, and more research is needed about how their school experience is related to their mental health symptoms, and whether these relations vary by group. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms, and their association with the school experience among native and…
Acculturation Orientations Among Immigrant-Origin Youth: How is Acculturation Associated with Self-Esteem, Sense of Belonging, and Discrimination
We developed a six-item Compact Acculturation Scale (CAS) based on common items on comprehensive acculturation scales and examined it with two designs using data from the Finnish Annual Youth Future Report Survey of 2023 (N = 744 immigrant-origin youth, IOY). In Study 1, we first confirmed second-order factorial structure of CAS and its convergent validity. Second, using structural equation modelling, we found that the relation of acculturation w…
Trends of Psychosocial Wellbeing and their Links with the School Context: A Population-Based Study Among Majority Population and Immigrant-Origin Adolescents
This population-based study examined the trends in psychosocial wellbeing among Finnish adolescents attending the 8th and 9th grades of middle school from 2017 to 2023, comparing majority-population and immigrant-origin adolescents. Using repeated cross-sectional survey data ( N = 285,354), we also investigated whether associations between demographic, school-related factors, and psychosocial wellbeing changed over time across groups. Overall, ps…
Psychology (23 works) · Social Psychology (13 works) · Mathematics education (9 works) · Developmental psychology (8 works) · Immigration (7 works) · Political science (7 works) · Computer Science (6 works) · Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods (6 works) · Medicine (6 works) · Pedagogy (6 works)