Auli Toom
Biographic Data
| ID | 1500667 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Auli Toom |
| GIVEN NAMES | Auli |
| FAMILY NAME | Toom |
| SIGNATURE | TOOM A |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Helsinki |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-3261-3376 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 50 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 29 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 48 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 2 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2005 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Professional vision and medical education: Dividing diagnoses into categories to support more effective learning in dermatology
Background Proficiency in interpretation of visual findings, professional vision, plays an essential role in the doctor's profession. Thus, learning visual features from images is a key curricular component of medical education, for example, in radiology and dermatology. Nevertheless, there is scarcity of research on professional vision in dermatology. Aims The aims of this study were to 1) measure how professional vision differs before and after…
Early career teachers’ professional agency in the professional community and their perceived teacher-working environment fit
How does curriculum making contribute to teaching culture in higher education
Curriculum making characterized by effective change management and knowledge sharing in the professional community is at the core of developing higher education. Curriculum making both contributes to teaching culture and is affected by it. However, empirical evidence of this relationship is scarce. This study addresses the gap in the literature by examining the interrelation between higher education teachers’ and pedagogical leaders’ perceptions …
A systematic review of empirical literature on the segregation of educational institutions and its consequences in Finland
While Finland has been considered a model for educational equity, the last decade has brought up concerns about educational segregation. This systematic literature review captures an overview of research on factors contributing to educational segregation and its consequences in Finland. A literature search of studies investigating various aspects of segregation in Finland and published both in English and Finnish was conducted, and altogether 40 …
Teacher educators’ mentoring competence—commonalities and distinctions in supporting learning to teach
Learning to teach during the teaching practicum is a cognitively demanding, emotionally charged, and identity-shaping process for student teachers, requiring meaningful changes that necessitate mentoring from both university-based teacher educators (UBTEs) and school-based teacher educators (SBTEs). Grounded in Transformative Learning Theory, this study examined the mentoring experiences of two groups of teacher educators in supporting learning t…
Exploring intersectional inequalities in students' sense of belonging in education across educational pathways and across educational contexts
Introduction The study investigated inequalities in the sense of belonging in education among students in primary, secondary and tertiary levels in various European, North American and Oceanian countries. Variation across different educational contexts was explored by examining example countries (Finland, Hungary and Ireland). An intersectional approach to inequalities was adopted; more specifically, an intersection between gender, migration and …
Generic skills in higher education – teachers’ conceptions, pedagogical practices and pedagogical training
Teachers’ conceptions of teaching play a key role in the pedagogical practices they apply in their teaching. Previous studies of conceptions of teaching generic skills have been mainly qualitative with small samples, and thus there is a need for a more extensive quantitative study. This study investigates the associations between higher education teachers’ conceptions of teaching generic skills, pedagogical practices, pedagogical training, and te…
Reflective thinking among Finnish pre-service teachers and its relation to metacognitive awareness
Reflection has been identified as a crucial goal, both as a process and as an outcome, in pre-service teacher education. However, a notable gap exists in the systematic measurement of pre-service teachers’ reflective thinking. This study examined pre-service teachers’ reflective thinking and its relationship with metacognitive awareness, as well as the prerequisites for its measurement. The participants (N = 247) were pre-service teachers from a …
PhD candidates’ and supervisors’ wellbeing and experiences of supervision
PhD candidates’ wellbeing has become a global concern over the past decade, and the topic has been addressed in several studies. At the same time, PhD supervisors’ wellbeing has remained largely unexplored. Also, most studies about supervisors’ and supervisees’ wellbeing have focused on negative aspects, such as stress and burnout, and they have generally ignored positive aspects, such as work engagement. For this study, we explored the variation…
Enhancing study engagement and inclusion of students with disabilities in higher education through self-determination
Struggling for equal access and success: Disability in European higher education
peer reviewed
Leading cooperative professional development in educational reform at school, local and regional levels
Early Career Teachers' Sense of Professional Agency in the Classroom and Associations With Their Perception of Transformational Leadership Vision and School Size
This study explores the relationship between early career teachers' sense of professional agency in the classroom, their perceptions of principals' transformational leadership vision, and school size. The survey data were collected from 779 primary and junior secondary school teachers with a maximum of 5 years of teaching experience in China. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling in the Mplus statistical package. The results s…
‘Making it possible’: The complex dynamics of university foreign language teacher agency for research in funding applications
Teacher agency for research, which refers to teachers’ decision-making and initiative acts in the context of academic engagement, plays a pivotal role for teacher learning, teacher research, and thus teachers’ professional development. Despite the burgeoning number of studies that have examined teachers’ research and publishing experiences, it is unclear how university teachers exercise their agency for research in funding applications. This stud…
Research approaches in master-based teacher education preparing student teachers for professional work
Student teachers have been found to be critical toward the research approaches they learned from their master's-based teacher education programmes. Our aim is to discuss how certain research approaches learnt during a 5-year academic master's level teacher education, may bring student teachers close to practice and provide them with conceptual and practical tools for a thorough understanding of the practice of teaching. The argumentation is based…
Online poetry writing at school – comparing lower secondary students’ experiences between individual and collaborative poetry writing
Introduction This study investigates how seventh-grade students experience online collaborative writing, its support in writing poems, and how collaboratively and individually written poems differ. Methods The educational design research method was used in this mixed-methods study, which was conducted in natural classroom settings to investigate students’ individual and collaborative poetry writing. Results The quantitative analysis of questionna…
“My Goal Is to Talk Like a Native”: Emergent Bilingual Students’ Use of Language Learning Strategies
This paper investigates emergent bilingual students’ (Finnish and Swedish) use of language learning strategies (LLS). The focus is on the frequency of LLS use, the difference between Swedish and Finnish speaking students’ use of LLS and the effect on use of LLS to improve the students’ weaker language. The data consisted of students’ self-reports concerning the use of LLS and their proficiency in their L2 on a seven-point Likert scale online surv…
Examining Finnish teachers’ professional agency in the professional community in curriculum reform / Análisis de la agencia profesional de los docentes finlandeses en la comunidad profesional en la re…
Reforming curriculum is potentially a powerful tool for school development. Harnessing this potential calls for teacher engagement with colleagues for active professional learning, i.e., teachers’ professional agency. However, promoting teachers’ ownership and active involvement in curriculum-making provides a challenge for all levels of policy interpretation. Furthermore, variation in how teachers perceive a curriculum reform, its impact in scho…
Conceptualizing Socialization, Qualification, and Subjectification as Purposes of Education
The authors of this paper explore Gert Biesta's theorization of three domains of purpose of education: socialization, qualification, and subjectification. The aim is to study the interrelations of the domains and to develop further the theoretical discussion concerning schools' purpose for both individuals and society. Outlining the relationships of the domains of purpose allows one to see how the societal purpose of education is realized in the …
What makes a good mentor of in-service teacher education? —A systematic review of mentoring competence from a transformative learning perspective
Previous research has explored what competence qualified mentors need to possess. However, with the increasing advocacy that mentoring can be a professional learning experience for mentors, no studies have synthesized mentoring competence reflected in their mentoring practice. By using the framework of transformative learning theory, this study systematically synthesized 56 empirical studies on in-service teacher mentoring published between 2015 …
How do self-regulation and effort in test-taking contribute to undergraduate students' critical thinking performance
Critical thinking is a multifaceted construct involving a set of skills and affective dispositions together with self-regulation. The aim of this study was to explore how self-regulation and effort in test-taking contribute to undergraduate students’ performance in critical thinking assessment. The data were collected in 18 higher education institutions in Finland. A total of 2402 undergraduate students at the initial and final stages of their ba…
Investigating the Characteristics of Knowledge-Related Learning Assignments in Upper Secondary School
This study reports on whether students have the opportunity to acquire generic competencies when they work with knowledge-related assignments at upper secondary school. We investigated 30 assignments. The data included lesson observations and interviews with teachers. The main categories of teaching practices were theory-based, and the subcategories and the levels of intensity were based on qualitative analysis of the data. The most common catego…
A survey research on Finnish teacher educators’ research-teaching integration and its relationship with their approaches to teaching
The study aims to clarify how Finnish teacher educators integrate research and teaching to support their approaches to teaching. Research questions cover teacher educators’ forms of research-teaching integration, approaches to teaching, and the relationship between them. With a survey methodology, the study obtained 101 responses with a questionnaire. Six forms of research-teaching integration were identified with a qualitative content analysis. …
Teaching sourcing during online inquiry – adolescents with the weakest skills benefited the most
Sourcing - identifying, evaluating, and using information about the sources of information - assists readers in determining what to trust when seeking information on the Internet. To survive in the post-truth era, students should be equipped with sufficient sourcing skills. This study investigated the efficacy of a teacher-led intervention aimed at fostering upper secondary school students’ ( N = 365) sourcing during online inquiry. The intervent…
The Challenge of Position-Taking in Novice Higher Education Students’ Argumentative Writing
Argumentative writing is the central generic skill in higher education studies. However, students have difficulties in basic argumentation skills. Novice students do not necessarily receive adequate guidance, and their prior education may not have supported the requirements of higher education writing. Position-taking is at the core of argumentation, but students are often hesitant to make their point. Furthermore, they may have an incorrect and …
How does the learning environment in teacher education cultivate first year student teachers' sense of professional agency in the professional community
Reconstructing choice, reason and disposition in teachers’ practical theories of teaching (PTs)
From perceived discrepancies to intentional efforts: Understanding English department teachers’ agency in classroom instruction in a changing curricular landscape
Teacher educators’ approaches to teaching and connections with their perceptions of the closeness of their research and teaching
This study explores teacher educators' perceptions of their approaches to teaching and the closeness of their research and teaching. A total of 115 participants completed a questionnaire. The results showed that these teacher educators perceived information transmission as an element of the student-focused approach to teaching. Three clusters were identified which mirrored different kinds of combinations of the teacher- and student-focused approa…
What makes a good mentor of in-service teacher education? —A systematic review of mentoring competence from a transformative learning perspective
Previous research has explored what competence qualified mentors need to possess. However, with the increasing advocacy that mentoring can be a professional learning experience for mentors, no studies have synthesized mentoring competence reflected in their mentoring practice. By using the framework of transformative learning theory, this study systematically synthesized 56 empirical studies on in-service teacher mentoring published between 2015 …
Student teachers' and pupils' co-regulated learning behaviours in authentic classroom situations in teaching practicums
Student teachers' and pupils' co-regulated learning behaviours during teaching practicums were examined. • Learning incidents student teachers' perceived positive included more proactive co-regulated learning behaviours. • The more flexibly student teacher utilized regulated learning, more engaged pupils were in co-regulated learning behaviours
How do self-regulation and effort in test-taking contribute to undergraduate students' critical thinking performance
Critical thinking is a multifaceted construct involving a set of skills and affective dispositions together with self-regulation. The aim of this study was to explore how self-regulation and effort in test-taking contribute to undergraduate students’ performance in critical thinking assessment. The data were collected in 18 higher education institutions in Finland. A total of 2402 undergraduate students at the initial and final stages of their ba…
The multimode programme as a variation of research-based teacher education
What contributes to first-year student teachers’ sense of professional agency in the classroom?
This study explores Finnish first-year primary teacher students’ (N = 244) sense of professional agency in the classroom. In addition, the interrelation between student teachers’ sense of professional agency and the perceptions of teacher education as a learning environment is explored. The sense of professional agency in the classroom simultaneously requires the motivation to learn, efficacy beliefs about learning and intentional acts for facili…
Teachers’ professional agency in contradictory times
Teacher agency is suggested to be a key capability not only for facilitating student learning but also for continuing professional development, collaborative teacher learning and school development...
Problematising the equivalence of the test results of performance-based critical thinking tests for undergraduate students
Re-designing university courses to support collaborative knowledge creation practices
Higher education institutions should not only aim to educate academic experts who master their own fields, but also give their students generic skills important in contemporary society. New teaching methods are required to support the development of such skills. The study examined how a group of voluntary university lecturers re-designed their courses by applying theory-based pedagogical design principles emphasising object-oriented, collaborativ…
Teacher Learning within a Multinational Project in an Upper Secondary School
In this case study, we investigated teachers’ professional learning within a multinational project in an upper secondary school. The aim of the study was to investigate how the participating teachers adopted and applied the trialogical approach (TLA) in their pedagogical practices and their challenges in doing that. The mixed method approach was used for data collection and analysis. About one‐fourth of the teachers participated in the activities…
Training Online Physical Educators: A Phenomenological Case Study
Online physical education (OLPE) presents a unique set of challenges in translating traditional physical education to a digital space, all while meeting the same benchmarks, curriculum, and assessment standards of traditional courses. Currently, limited research exists investigating how physical educators are formally trained to deliver content online. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to describe the experiences and perceptions of student…
Teachers’ Experiences with Networked Classrooms in Norway
The aim of this study, based on response on a questionnaire from 65 teachers in upper secondary schools, is to gain insight into how teachers experience and practice their role as leaders in the digital classroom. Research shows that teachers seldom are asked about their opinions concerning use of technical device. From 2007 all Norwegian students in upper secondary schools were given a computer from the authorities. Politicians argued for pedago…
How does the learning environment in teacher education cultivate first year student teachers' sense of professional agency in the professional community
Reconstructing choice, reason and disposition in teachers’ practical theories of teaching (PTs)
Teacher educators’ approaches to teaching and connections with their perceptions of the closeness of their research and teaching
This study explores teacher educators' perceptions of their approaches to teaching and the closeness of their research and teaching. A total of 115 participants completed a questionnaire. The results showed that these teacher educators perceived information transmission as an element of the student-focused approach to teaching. Three clusters were identified which mirrored different kinds of combinations of the teacher- and student-focused approa…
Student teachers' and pupils' co-regulated learning behaviours in authentic classroom situations in teaching practicums
Student teachers' and pupils' co-regulated learning behaviours during teaching practicums were examined. • Learning incidents student teachers' perceived positive included more proactive co-regulated learning behaviours. • The more flexibly student teacher utilized regulated learning, more engaged pupils were in co-regulated learning behaviours
The complex zone of constructivist teaching: A multi-case exploration in primary classrooms
This case study investigates the variety of constructivist approaches to teaching evident in classroom practice. Teaching practices associated with constructivist perspectives have been prevalent in curriculum reforms for some time. Meanwhile, constructivist approaches have been critically discussed in scholarly literature, revealing problematic and ambiguous aspects. This study introduces a model describing constructivist teaching practices acco…
Developing a performance assessment task in the Finnish higher education context: Conceptual and empirical insights
BackgroundPerformance assessment development is a three-phase process of (1) defining the construct of what is to be measured, (2) constructing the test items, task, and scoring criteria, and (3) collecting empirical evidence on extent to which they tap into the intended construct.AimsIn the light of the three-phase process, this pilot study presents the development of performance assessment for research on critical thinking and moral judgement t…
Guided reflection procedure as a method to facilitate student teachers’ perception of their teaching to support the construction of practical knowledge
This study investigates meaningful events that student teachers identified from video recordings of their teaching practice that were used to improve their knowledge base. Data were collected from 21 student teachers at an Estonian university using a guided reflection procedure. Deductive qualitative content analysis was performed on meaningful events and student teacher reflections. Pearson’s chi-square test was used to compare the differences i…
From perceived discrepancies to intentional efforts: Understanding English department teachers’ agency in classroom instruction in a changing curricular landscape
Assessing the learning of knowledge work competence in higher education – cross-cultural translation and adaptation of the Collaborative Knowledge Practices Questionnaire
The Collaborative Knowledge Practices Questionnaire (CKP) is an instrument designed to measure the learning of knowledge-work competence in education. The focus is on qualities of knowledge work which can be learned and taught in multiple educational settings and which may be especially important for courses with collaborative assignments. The original instrument was theoretically based on the knowledge-creation metaphor of learning. The instrume…
Practices of Professional Learning Communities
Building professional learning communities (PLC) has become a widely recognized strategy for school development and for student achievement. Four Finnish comprehensive schools were identified as being ready to be PLCs in a previous quantitative study, and the purpose of this study was to investigate practices of PLCs in these schools. In this paper, we used data from qualitative multiple-case study, which investigated practices of leadership, cul…
Professional Agency for Learning as a Key for Developing Teachers’ Competencies
Teacher’s professional competencies have been discussed extensively in the literature, often linked to educational policy discourses, teaching standards, student learning outcomes, or the intended outcomes of teacher education. Extensive, but fragmented and loosely theoretically or empirically based lists of teacher competencies are provided without much clarification of how, when, and why teachers learn and identify the competencies they need. T…
The dynamic relationship between response processes and self-regulation in critical thinking assessments
The performance task and selected-response questions trigger different processes. • The performance task evokes holistic response and self-regulatory processes. • Selected-response questions result in fragmented and question-oriented processes. • Students’ response and self-regulatory processes are intertwined. • Variation in self-regulation is associated with the complexity of response processes. Our aim was to explore higher education students’…
The Challenge of Position-Taking in Novice Higher Education Students’ Argumentative Writing
Argumentative writing is the central generic skill in higher education studies. However, students have difficulties in basic argumentation skills. Novice students do not necessarily receive adequate guidance, and their prior education may not have supported the requirements of higher education writing. Position-taking is at the core of argumentation, but students are often hesitant to make their point. Furthermore, they may have an incorrect and …
Linguistic, Contextual, and Experiential Equivalence Issues in the Adaptation of a Performance-Based Assessment of Generic Skills in Higher Education
This qualitative study investigated the various linguistic, contextual, and experiential equivalence issues embedded in a performance-based instrument aimed at assessing generic skills in higher education. A rigorous translation and adaptation process (American English to Finnish) was conducted on one instrument, namely Collegiate Learning Assessment ( CLA +) International . The data were obtained from cognitive laboratories ( n = 13), with think…
Systematic Review of Learning Generic Skills in Higher Education—Enhancing and Impeding Factors
The research field on generic skills in higher education has expanded rapidly. In addition, the importance of generic skills has been highlighted both in educational policy discourses and in practice of higher education. The present study reviews theoretical, methodological, and empirical viewpoints on learning generic skills and synthesizes the empirical evidence about the factors that enhance and impede student learning of generic skills. Altog…
Juxtaposing generic skills development in collaborative knowledge work competences and related pedagogical practices in higher education
This study employs the term knowledge work competence to address generic aspects of higher education graduates’ expected learning outcomes. Twenty-eight higher education courses were investigated: 1069 students responded to the Collaborative Knowledge Practices (CKP) questionnaire to rate their self-evaluated competence development. From the same courses, 56 teachers provided descriptions of the course pedagogical practices. First, students’ self…
Exploring internal structure of a performance-based critical thinking assessment for new students in higher education
Critical thinking is a combination of complex cognitive skills. It is important for the successful acquisition of disciplinary skills in higher education and thus, it is a valuable competency for a new student. The complex nature of critical thinking leads to challenges for its assessment even in performance assessments such as CLA + International (Collegiate Learning Assessment). The aim with this study is to examine internal associations of a c…
Psychology (45 works) · Mathematics education (40 works) · Pedagogy (37 works) · Computer Science (23 works) · Sociology (21 works) · Teacher Education and Leadership Studies (20 works) · Political science (13 works) · Education and Critical Thinking Development (11 works) · Professional development (11 works) · Teacher education (11 works)