Elina Kuusisto
Biographic Data
| ID | 286726 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Elina Kuusisto |
| GIVEN NAMES | Elina |
| FAMILY NAME | Kuusisto |
| SIGNATURE | KUUSISTO E |
| AFFILIATIONS | Tampere University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5003-547X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 36 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 65 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 35 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 1 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2012 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Civic purposes in teaching: A study among Finnish and German student teachers
This study explored Finnish ( n = 379) and German ( n = 477) student teachers’ professional purposes – meaningful long-term intentions to contribute beyond the self through the teaching profession. Due to global crises and calls for social reconstructionism in teacher education, we were especially interested in how civic purposes manifested in student teachers’ thinking. Qualitative content analysis of written responses showed that student teache…
Purpose development among Finnish adolescents
This study investigates the development of Finnish adolescents’ perceptions of their life purposes and is based on a concept where purpose is understood as a long-term intention to accomplish something significant to the self while contributing to society. We follow 73 adolescents’ responses to online surveys in 2020 (N = 843) and 2022 (n = 73). At both timepoints, four purpose profiles were identified: Purposeful, Self-oriented, Dreamer, and Dis…
Teachers' professional ethics: Theoretical frameworks and empirical research from Finland
In our book Teachers’ Professional Ethics: Theoretical Frameworks and Empirical Research from Finland, we present the national ethical code for Finnish teachers and the values that guide their work in Finland. Finnish teachers are ethical professionals who have more freedom in their work than many of their international peers. The respected status of Finnish teachers has made Finland an exemplar country in teacher education that many countries wa…
Manifestations of purpose in life among Finnish student teachers
This study investigates how purpose manifests itself among purposeful Finnish student teachers (N = 12) using Schwartz’s framework of personal values and Westheimer and Kahne’s model of citizenship to further the understanding of what purposeful student teachers’ sources of purpose are, how they contribute to the world beyond the self, and what actions they take to realize these contributions. Purpose is defined as personally meaningful long-term…
Values manifested in life purposes of higher education students in the Netherlands and Finland
This study investigates the life purposes and values of higher education students in the Netherlands and Finland (nDutch = 663, nFin = 846). The theoretical framework is built on the conceptualisation of life purpose by Damon et al. as well as Schwartz’s values model. The study adopted a convergent mixed methods design analysing qualitative and quantitative survey data. The content of students’ life purposes was explored with qualitative content …
Purposeful teachers and teaching in Finland and Estonia
The purpose of this study was to investigate how Finnish and Estonian teachers perceive their purpose in life (nFIN=238, nEST=376) and purposeful teaching (nFIN=11, nEST=8). A mixed-method convergent design and sequential explanatory design were utilised. Quantitative data (nFIN= 238, nEST=376) was first gathered and analysed; then, on the basis of this analysis, qualitative interviews were conducted to explore the quantitative findings in greate…
The role of mindsets in culturally responsive teaching: Pedagogical strategies among Finnish preservice teachers
This research explores how Finnish pre-service teachers’ beliefs about malleability (mindsets), inform their pedagogical strategies in culturally responsive teaching. The study is part of a larger mixed-methods project which includes survey data and follow up interviews with a smaller group of participants, utilizing vignettes. Qualitative results based on interviews reveal that pre-service teachers primarily focus on supporting the development o…
Exploring the association between growth mindsets and climate action with young people
Decades of research has demonstrated the power of growth mindsets (i.e. belief in the malleability of the qualities of humans) to shape people’s ways of making sense of their socio-cultural reality and influence their ways of thinking about and acting towards change. Yet, research which connects mindsets with climate action or sustainability behavior remains scarce. This study explores the association between mindsets and climate action among Eur…
Life purposes: Comparing higher education students in four institutions in the Netherlands and Finland
Universities worldwide are beginning to counter the prevailing neo-liberal ideology by paying renewed attention to the moral development of students and fostering their life purposes. This mixed methods study investigates the life purposes of higher education students in four institutions in the Netherlands (nDutch = 663) and Finland (nFinnish = 846). Based on quantitative data, we identified four purpose profiles: purposeful, self-oriented, drea…
Ethical sensitivity of Finnish and Estonian teachers
The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers’ ethical sensitivity in Finland (N = 255) and Estonia (N = 412). The survey included the quantitative Ethical Sensitivity Scale Questionnaire and a qualitative open-ended question about successful teaching. In order to capture its essential characteristics, ethical sensitivity was examined using a four-factor structure. Triangulated data indicated that Caring by connecting to others was the mo…
Civic Purpose among Higher Education Students – A Study of Four Dutch and Finnish Institutions
Given the increasing interest in academic citizenship in higher education, this study examines the civic purposes of higher education students in two European countries, namely the Netherlands and Finland, and relations between students’ worldviews and their civic purposes. The majority of students was categorized as so-called disengaged or dreamers, respectively either not civically interested or active or then visioning but not actualizing civi…
Identifying core beliefs of an intercultural educator: How polyculturalism and group malleability beliefs shape teachers’ pedagogical thinking and practice
The domain of beliefs and attitudes is generally included as one key component of teachers’ intercultural competence, but there is little consensus over what the core beliefs shaping teachers’ intercultural competencies are. This mixed methods study draws from social psychological research on inter-group relations and explores the role of polyculturalist beliefs and group malleability beliefs in shaping teachers’ orientation to teaching for diver…
Diversity beliefs are associated with orientations to teaching for diversity and social justice: A study among German and Finnish student teachers
This mixed methods study explored German (n = 477) and Finnish (n = 379) student teachers' color-blind, multiculturalist, and polyculturalist diversity beliefs. Statistical analyses identified polyculturalism and multiculturalism as the most prominent diversity beliefs among the student teachers and detected associations between diversity belief profiles and student teachers' orientations to teaching for diversity and social justice. Polycultural…
The role of growth mindset in shaping teachers' intercultural competencies: A study among Finnish teachers
A growth mindset (a belief that intelligence, personality and other such qualities can be cultivated) predicts positive intergroup attitudes and reduces stereotyping, but has not been researched as an aspect of teachers' intercultural competence. This study analyses the role of growth mindset in shaping three aspects relevant to teachers' intercultural competencies: process versus trait orientation to students, diversity beliefs and orientation t…
Finnish and Estonian teachers’ views on the nature of intelligence
The purpose of this study was to investigate Finnish ( n = 226) and Estonian ( n = 347) teachers’ views on the nature of intelligence. The study utilized a survey that included a qualitative, open-ended question about teachers’ definition of intelligence and the quantitative inventory Implicit Theories of Intelligence (ITI). We then employed a convergent mixed-method design to understand teachers’ views on the nature of intelligence. These views …
Exemplar Parents’ Practices of Engagement with Their Children’s Learning in Finland and Portugal: A Multiple-Case Study
Parental engagement is a central aspect of children’s holistic education, i.e., schooling-related and nonschooling-related learning. Parents’ role in supporting such integrative learning is increasingly necessary to develop students’ social, emotional, and intellectual skills. Nonetheless, it remains unclear which parental practices support holistic learning. The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to identify and describe the cur…
Sustainability as a purpose in life among Dutch higher education students
Given the prominence of sustainability in current global crises and the commitment of societies to the Sustainable Development Goals, this mixed methods study ascertains how Dutch higher education students (N = 549) integrate sustainability into their life purposes. From quantitative data, we identified four purpose profiles: purposeful (33%), dreamer (32%), self-oriented (18%), and disengaged (17%), signifying a potential commitment to sustainab…
Implementing and Evaluating Growth Mindset Pedagogy – A Study of Finnish Elementary School Teachers
This article presents a study of five teachers at a Finnish elementary school who implemented and evaluated growth mindset pedagogy (GMP). The teachers received GMP training and conducted student interventions in their classrooms. We analyzed the impact of GMP on the teacher’s pedagogical thinking and practices and found significant differences between fixed-mindset and growth-mindset teachers in the ways they internalized and applied GMP princip…
How Finnish and Portuguese Parents’ Implicit Beliefs About Learning Actualize at Home
The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore parental engagement in the home learning environment, and parents’ implicit beliefs about learning underlying such engagement. Nineteen parents of school children between 7 and 12 years old were interviewed in two different cultural contexts, Finland ( N = 10) and Portugal ( N = 9). The interviews were subjected to inductive and deductive content analysis. Forms of parental engagement at home w…
Finnish and Portuguese Parents’ Perspectives on the Role of Teachers in Parent-Teacher Partnerships and Parental Engagement
The current educational reforms in Finland and Portugal require a holistic engagement of parents with learning, bringing parents and teachers together as partners. This qualitative study, which interviewed Finnish (N = 10) and Portuguese (N = 9) parents, aimed to explore parents’ views on the role of teachers in supporting parent–teacher partnerships and parental engagement with the school. Inductive content analysis was performed to analyze the …
The Challenge of Educating Purposeful Teachers in Finland
This article discusses the challenges of educating teachers in Finland. As a goal in teacher education for the 21st century we propose the purposeful teacher, referring to a teacher who has a long-term moral commitment to serve students, the school community and society. Our data collected from student (N = 912) and practising (N = 77) teachers yielded information on the purposes they identified as important in their lives. The survey included qu…
Psychometric Properties of Student Evaluation of Teachers’ Performance Scale: Evidence from Debre Markos University Students’ Evaluation Dataset
Introduction. Student evaluation of teachers’ effectiveness is one of the most common tools used as a measure of teaching performance and accountability by various universities across the globe. The major purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity and underlying structure of students’ evaluation of the higher education teaching effectiveness scale used by all public universities in Ethiopia. Methodology. Data collected from 1397 students …
Current Challenges in School Leadership in Estonia and Finland: A Multiple-Case Study among Exemplary Principals
The purpose of this study was to find out what current challenges successful principals in Estonia and Finland identify in developing their schools. The strategies used in dealing with these challenges were also analyzed within the framework of "growth-mindset pedagogy" as an educational approach to school leadership. The principals were interviewed, and the resulting data were analyzed by means of both inductive and deductive content analysis. T…
Virtues that create purpose for ethical leadership: Exemplary principals from Estonia and Finland
This study investigates how moral virtues create purpose for ethical leadership. Four exemplary principals, two from Estonia and two from Finland, were interviewed to study their perceptions of critical incidents in their work and how moral virtues are manifest in their reflections. The results of qualitative content analysis showed that the critical incidents were related to themselves as principals and to their work with teachers, students and …
Introduction to religions and world views creating purpose and meaning for learning
The topic of this special issue is ‘Religions and worldviews creating purpose and meaning for learning’. Scholars such as Noddings (1993) and Nash (2002) have called for increased attention to issu
Developing teachers' intercultural sensitivity: Case study on a pilot course in Finnish teacher education
In search of a growth mindset pedagogy: A case study of one teacher's classroom practices in a Finnish elementary school
In this article we take up the two-fold task of creating a framework for a growth mindset pedagogy on the basis of our previous studies and exploring the critical points of this pedagogy in the classroom of a mixed-mindset teacher. The data include classroom observations and stimulated recall interviews. The results show how a teacher who is socialized into the Finnish educational system pursues core features of growth mindset pedagogy, despite n…
Finnish Teachers' Ethical Sensitivity
The study examined the ethical sensitivity of Finnish teachers (N=864) using a 28-item Ethical Sensitivity Scale Questionnaire (ESSQ). The psychometric qualities of this instrument were analyzed, as were the differences in self-reported ethical sensitivity between practicing and student teachers and teachers of different subjects. The results showed that the psychometric qualities of the ESSQ were satisfactory and enabled the use of an explorativ…
Diversity beliefs are associated with orientations to teaching for diversity and social justice: A study among German and Finnish student teachers
This mixed methods study explored German (n = 477) and Finnish (n = 379) student teachers' color-blind, multiculturalist, and polyculturalist diversity beliefs. Statistical analyses identified polyculturalism and multiculturalism as the most prominent diversity beliefs among the student teachers and detected associations between diversity belief profiles and student teachers' orientations to teaching for diversity and social justice. Polycultural…
How Do School Children and Adolescents Perceive the Nature of Talent Development? A Case Study from Finland
This article examines how school children and adolescents (N = 607) perceive the nature of talent development. More particularly it is investigated whether students perceive intelligence and giftedness as developing or as inherent and how students' perspectives on talent development are related to their learning outcomes. Participants were students in elementary (n = 200), lower secondary (n = 256), and upper secondary school (n = 151). The resul…
Identifying core beliefs of an intercultural educator: How polyculturalism and group malleability beliefs shape teachers’ pedagogical thinking and practice
The domain of beliefs and attitudes is generally included as one key component of teachers’ intercultural competence, but there is little consensus over what the core beliefs shaping teachers’ intercultural competencies are. This mixed methods study draws from social psychological research on inter-group relations and explores the role of polyculturalist beliefs and group malleability beliefs in shaping teachers’ orientation to teaching for diver…
The role of growth mindset in shaping teachers' intercultural competencies: A study among Finnish teachers
A growth mindset (a belief that intelligence, personality and other such qualities can be cultivated) predicts positive intergroup attitudes and reduces stereotyping, but has not been researched as an aspect of teachers' intercultural competence. This study analyses the role of growth mindset in shaping three aspects relevant to teachers' intercultural competencies: process versus trait orientation to students, diversity beliefs and orientation t…
Finnish Teachers' Attitudes About Muslim Students and Muslim Student Integration
Although there is much discussion of educational needs and how to integrate Muslim students into modern Western contexts, there is a shortage of research on teachers' attitudes about these issues. Finland offers a particularly interesting context for research, given its relatively new, small, yet rapidly growing Muslim population, its prominence of negative attitudes to visible religiosity, and its official policy of multiculturalism. This articl…
A Cross-Cultural Study of Gifted Students' Scientific, Societal, and Moral Questions Concerning Science
This study investigated the number and nature of gifted female and male students' scientific, societal, and moral questions concerning science. The participants (N=658) of this study were 16–19-year-old international students from 55 countries and two continents, Asia and Europe. They applied to participate in the Millennium Youth Camp held in 2011 in Finland. The students came from scientifically and mathematically oriented schools, and they had…
How young people perceive factors that support or prevent understanding between worldviews: Perspectives of Finnish lower secondary school pupils
This paper investigated Finnish youth’s perceptions on what supports or prevents understanding between people holding different worldviews, especially religious and non-religious ones. A survey using projective, open-ended questions was conducted examining factors that enhance or damage inter-worldview dialogue among Finnish lower secondary school students (N = 563). The data was analysed using qualitative content analysis. Abu-Nimer’s developmen…
Purposeful teachers and teaching in Finland and Estonia
The purpose of this study was to investigate how Finnish and Estonian teachers perceive their purpose in life (nFIN=238, nEST=376) and purposeful teaching (nFIN=11, nEST=8). A mixed-method convergent design and sequential explanatory design were utilised. Quantitative data (nFIN= 238, nEST=376) was first gathered and analysed; then, on the basis of this analysis, qualitative interviews were conducted to explore the quantitative findings in greate…
Exploring the association between growth mindsets and climate action with young people
Decades of research has demonstrated the power of growth mindsets (i.e. belief in the malleability of the qualities of humans) to shape people’s ways of making sense of their socio-cultural reality and influence their ways of thinking about and acting towards change. Yet, research which connects mindsets with climate action or sustainability behavior remains scarce. This study explores the association between mindsets and climate action among Eur…
Sustainability as a purpose in life among Dutch higher education students
Given the prominence of sustainability in current global crises and the commitment of societies to the Sustainable Development Goals, this mixed methods study ascertains how Dutch higher education students (N = 549) integrate sustainability into their life purposes. From quantitative data, we identified four purpose profiles: purposeful (33%), dreamer (32%), self-oriented (18%), and disengaged (17%), signifying a potential commitment to sustainab…
Is ethical sensitivity in teaching culturally bound? Comparing Finnish and Iranian teachers’ ethical sensitivity
In this study, we investigated the culture-invariant and culture-dependent nature of teachers’ ethical sensitivity in two countries. Our case study involves teachers from Finland (n = 864) representing Western culture, and from Iran (n = 556) representing Eastern culture. Culturally bound elements of ethical sensitivity were studied with the Ethical Sensitivity Scale Questionnaire. The analyses revealed that ‘Caring by connecting to others’ is a …
A Cross-Cultural Study of Gifted Students' Scientific, Societal, and Moral Questions Concerning Science
This study investigated the number and nature of gifted female and male students' scientific, societal, and moral questions concerning science. The participants (N=658) of this study were 16–19-year-old international students from 55 countries and two continents, Asia and Europe. They applied to participate in the Millennium Youth Camp held in 2011 in Finland. The students came from scientifically and mathematically oriented schools, and they had…
Finnish Teachers' Ethical Sensitivity
The study examined the ethical sensitivity of Finnish teachers (N=864) using a 28-item Ethical Sensitivity Scale Questionnaire (ESSQ). The psychometric qualities of this instrument were analyzed, as were the differences in self-reported ethical sensitivity between practicing and student teachers and teachers of different subjects. The results showed that the psychometric qualities of the ESSQ were satisfactory and enabled the use of an explorativ…
Gender variance in interreligious sensitivity among Finnish pupils
This paper examines gender variance in the interreligious sensitivity among Finnish children and youth using a non-probability sample of 1000 Finnish lower secondary school pupils representing the age group 12–16. The data were gathered in three geographical locations: the capital city of Helsinki area, and two smaller municipalities in other parts of the country. The pupils’ self-reported attitudes towards interreligious sensitivity were measure…
The core of religious education: Finnish student teachers’ pedagogical aims
This article investigated the core of religious education (RE) by examining Finnish student teachers’ pedagogical aims in the context of Lutheran RE. The data consisted of essays (N=82) analysed in a deductive manner using the main concepts of the didactic triangle together with the aims of the Finnish National Core Curriculum. The student teachers identified familiarising oneself with one’s own and other religions in addition to growing ethicall…
Is ethical sensitivity in teaching culturally bound? Comparing Finnish and Iranian teachers’ ethical sensitivity
In this study, we investigated the culture-invariant and culture-dependent nature of teachers’ ethical sensitivity in two countries. Our case study involves teachers from Finland (n = 864) representing Western culture, and from Iran (n = 556) representing Eastern culture. Culturally bound elements of ethical sensitivity were studied with the Ethical Sensitivity Scale Questionnaire. The analyses revealed that ‘Caring by connecting to others’ is a …
Finnish Teachers' Attitudes About Muslim Students and Muslim Student Integration
Although there is much discussion of educational needs and how to integrate Muslim students into modern Western contexts, there is a shortage of research on teachers' attitudes about these issues. Finland offers a particularly interesting context for research, given its relatively new, small, yet rapidly growing Muslim population, its prominence of negative attitudes to visible religiosity, and its official policy of multiculturalism. This articl…
Developing teachers' intercultural sensitivity: Case study on a pilot course in Finnish teacher education
How young people perceive factors that support or prevent understanding between worldviews: Perspectives of Finnish lower secondary school pupils
This paper investigated Finnish youth’s perceptions on what supports or prevents understanding between people holding different worldviews, especially religious and non-religious ones. A survey using projective, open-ended questions was conducted examining factors that enhance or damage inter-worldview dialogue among Finnish lower secondary school students (N = 563). The data was analysed using qualitative content analysis. Abu-Nimer’s developmen…
How Do School Children and Adolescents Perceive the Nature of Talent Development? A Case Study from Finland
This article examines how school children and adolescents (N = 607) perceive the nature of talent development. More particularly it is investigated whether students perceive intelligence and giftedness as developing or as inherent and how students' perspectives on talent development are related to their learning outcomes. Participants were students in elementary (n = 200), lower secondary (n = 256), and upper secondary school (n = 151). The resul…
In search of a growth mindset pedagogy: A case study of one teacher's classroom practices in a Finnish elementary school
In this article we take up the two-fold task of creating a framework for a growth mindset pedagogy on the basis of our previous studies and exploring the critical points of this pedagogy in the classroom of a mixed-mindset teacher. The data include classroom observations and stimulated recall interviews. The results show how a teacher who is socialized into the Finnish educational system pursues core features of growth mindset pedagogy, despite n…
Virtues that create purpose for ethical leadership: Exemplary principals from Estonia and Finland
This study investigates how moral virtues create purpose for ethical leadership. Four exemplary principals, two from Estonia and two from Finland, were interviewed to study their perceptions of critical incidents in their work and how moral virtues are manifest in their reflections. The results of qualitative content analysis showed that the critical incidents were related to themselves as principals and to their work with teachers, students and …
Introduction to religions and world views creating purpose and meaning for learning
The topic of this special issue is ‘Religions and worldviews creating purpose and meaning for learning’. Scholars such as Noddings (1993) and Nash (2002) have called for increased attention to issu
Moral conflicts in Iranian secondary schools
This article examines moral conflicts identified by students (N = 302) and teachers (N = 20) in the context of Iranian schools. The data were gathered in 2016 fromtwo lower secondary schools in Tehran, one for girls and one for boys. The content analysis of students’ essays and teachers’ interviews reveal that moral conflicts in Iranian secondary schools have four main themes: 1. Matters related to Staff’s behaviour, 2. Matters related to Student…
Implementing and Evaluating Growth Mindset Pedagogy – A Study of Finnish Elementary School Teachers
This article presents a study of five teachers at a Finnish elementary school who implemented and evaluated growth mindset pedagogy (GMP). The teachers received GMP training and conducted student interventions in their classrooms. We analyzed the impact of GMP on the teacher’s pedagogical thinking and practices and found significant differences between fixed-mindset and growth-mindset teachers in the ways they internalized and applied GMP princip…
How Finnish and Portuguese Parents’ Implicit Beliefs About Learning Actualize at Home
The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore parental engagement in the home learning environment, and parents’ implicit beliefs about learning underlying such engagement. Nineteen parents of school children between 7 and 12 years old were interviewed in two different cultural contexts, Finland ( N = 10) and Portugal ( N = 9). The interviews were subjected to inductive and deductive content analysis. Forms of parental engagement at home w…
Finnish and Portuguese Parents’ Perspectives on the Role of Teachers in Parent-Teacher Partnerships and Parental Engagement
The current educational reforms in Finland and Portugal require a holistic engagement of parents with learning, bringing parents and teachers together as partners. This qualitative study, which interviewed Finnish (N = 10) and Portuguese (N = 9) parents, aimed to explore parents’ views on the role of teachers in supporting parent–teacher partnerships and parental engagement with the school. Inductive content analysis was performed to analyze the …
The Challenge of Educating Purposeful Teachers in Finland
This article discusses the challenges of educating teachers in Finland. As a goal in teacher education for the 21st century we propose the purposeful teacher, referring to a teacher who has a long-term moral commitment to serve students, the school community and society. Our data collected from student (N = 912) and practising (N = 77) teachers yielded information on the purposes they identified as important in their lives. The survey included qu…
Psychometric Properties of Student Evaluation of Teachers’ Performance Scale: Evidence from Debre Markos University Students’ Evaluation Dataset
Introduction. Student evaluation of teachers’ effectiveness is one of the most common tools used as a measure of teaching performance and accountability by various universities across the globe. The major purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity and underlying structure of students’ evaluation of the higher education teaching effectiveness scale used by all public universities in Ethiopia. Methodology. Data collected from 1397 students …
Current Challenges in School Leadership in Estonia and Finland: A Multiple-Case Study among Exemplary Principals
The purpose of this study was to find out what current challenges successful principals in Estonia and Finland identify in developing their schools. The strategies used in dealing with these challenges were also analyzed within the framework of "growth-mindset pedagogy" as an educational approach to school leadership. The principals were interviewed, and the resulting data were analyzed by means of both inductive and deductive content analysis. T…
Finnish and Estonian teachers’ views on the nature of intelligence
The purpose of this study was to investigate Finnish ( n = 226) and Estonian ( n = 347) teachers’ views on the nature of intelligence. The study utilized a survey that included a qualitative, open-ended question about teachers’ definition of intelligence and the quantitative inventory Implicit Theories of Intelligence (ITI). We then employed a convergent mixed-method design to understand teachers’ views on the nature of intelligence. These views …
Exemplar Parents’ Practices of Engagement with Their Children’s Learning in Finland and Portugal: A Multiple-Case Study
Parental engagement is a central aspect of children’s holistic education, i.e., schooling-related and nonschooling-related learning. Parents’ role in supporting such integrative learning is increasingly necessary to develop students’ social, emotional, and intellectual skills. Nonetheless, it remains unclear which parental practices support holistic learning. The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to identify and describe the cur…
Sustainability as a purpose in life among Dutch higher education students
Given the prominence of sustainability in current global crises and the commitment of societies to the Sustainable Development Goals, this mixed methods study ascertains how Dutch higher education students (N = 549) integrate sustainability into their life purposes. From quantitative data, we identified four purpose profiles: purposeful (33%), dreamer (32%), self-oriented (18%), and disengaged (17%), signifying a potential commitment to sustainab…
Life purposes: Comparing higher education students in four institutions in the Netherlands and Finland
Universities worldwide are beginning to counter the prevailing neo-liberal ideology by paying renewed attention to the moral development of students and fostering their life purposes. This mixed methods study investigates the life purposes of higher education students in four institutions in the Netherlands (nDutch = 663) and Finland (nFinnish = 846). Based on quantitative data, we identified four purpose profiles: purposeful, self-oriented, drea…
Ethical sensitivity of Finnish and Estonian teachers
The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers’ ethical sensitivity in Finland (N = 255) and Estonia (N = 412). The survey included the quantitative Ethical Sensitivity Scale Questionnaire and a qualitative open-ended question about successful teaching. In order to capture its essential characteristics, ethical sensitivity was examined using a four-factor structure. Triangulated data indicated that Caring by connecting to others was the mo…
Civic Purpose among Higher Education Students – A Study of Four Dutch and Finnish Institutions
Given the increasing interest in academic citizenship in higher education, this study examines the civic purposes of higher education students in two European countries, namely the Netherlands and Finland, and relations between students’ worldviews and their civic purposes. The majority of students was categorized as so-called disengaged or dreamers, respectively either not civically interested or active or then visioning but not actualizing civi…
Psychology (32 works) · Pedagogy (25 works) · Sociology (23 works) · Social Psychology (17 works) · Political science (15 works) · Mathematics education (14 works) · Social science (9 works) · Developmental psychology (8 works) · Global Education and Multiculturalism (8 works) · Qualitative research (8 works)