Academic articles
- Posti-Ahokas, H. & Janhonen-Abruquah, H. (submitted). Towards equity literacy: exploratory inquiry with Finnish student teachers. European journal of teacher education.
- Janhonen-Abruquah, H. & Haverinen, L. (submitted). Glimpses of altruism in everyday practices at home. Journal of Leisure Research.
- Posti-Ahokas, H., Janhonen-Abruquah, H., & Adu-Yeboah, C. 2020. From Cultural Visits to Intercultural Learning: Experiences of North-South-South collaboration. In Dervin, F., Moloney, R. and A. Simpson (Eds) 2020. Intercultural Competence in the work of teachers: Contrasting Ideologies and Practices. London: Routledge.
- Posti-Ahokas, H., Moate, J. & Lehtomäki, E. 2020. How higher education students negotiate global responsibility in education? Bourn, D. (Ed). 2019. Bloomsbury Handbook for Global Education and Learning. https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/the-bloomsbury-handbook-of-global-education-and-learning-9781350108752/
- Riitaoja, A-L., Posti-Ahokas, H. & Janhonen-Abruquah, H. 2019. North-South-South collaboration as a context for collaborative learning and thinking with alternative knowledges. International journal of development education and global learning. 11(2), 189–203.
- Lehtomäki, E., Moate, J., & Posti-Ahokas, H. 2019. Exploring global responsibility in higher education students’ cross-cultural dialogues. European Educational Research Journal, 18 (2), 218-233.
- Janhonen-Abruquah, H., Topp, J. & Posti-Ahokas, H. 2018. Educating professionals for sustainable futures. Sustainability, 10(3), 592; doi:10.3390/su10030592
- Janhonen-Abruquah, H., Heino, L. Tammisuo, S. & Posti-Ahokas, H. 2017. Adapting to change – building learning space in a culturally responsive manner. International Journal of Home Economics 10(2), 40–50.
- Janhonen-Abruquah, H., Posti-Ahokas, H., Edjah, H, & Amu, M. 2017. Towards contextual understanding of gender: teacher students’ views on home economics education and gender in Ghana and Finland. in Lehtomäki, E., Janhonen-Abruquah, H. & Kahawanga, G. Culturally Responsive Education: studies in the Global South and North. Routledge. (pp.143-162)
- Posti-Ahokas, H., Janhonen-Abruquah, H. & Longfor, R. 2017. GET OUT! Developing pedagogical practice for extended learning spaces in intercultural education. In Itkonen, T. & Dervin, F. 2016. Silent Partners in Multicultural Education. Research in Multicultural Education and International Perspectives, Information Age Publishing. (pp.147–172)
Master’s thesis
Saastamoinen, Roosa (2020). Kielellisesti vastuullinen kotitalousneuvonta
Erämo, Ilona (2019). Kotitalouden oppimistulosten arviointi: sukupuolen ja tasa-arvon välinen yhteys
Pakarinen, Jarkko (2019). Miesparien arki
Hämäläinen, Marjut (2018). Havainnointitutkimus sukupuolten tasa-arvosta kotitalousluokassa
Oikarinen, Kati (2018). Vallankäyttö ruokailutilanteessa: vanhemman ja lapsen väliset diskurssit
Anttila, Sonja (2017). “Lapsen hankinta on tuonut vahvan kokemuksen elämän merkityksellisyydestä”: Sateenkaariperheiden vanhempien perheytymisprosessit
Other publications
Kotitalousopettajien liiton blogi 16.10.2019: Miesparien arki esiin realistisesti ja positiivisesti
Helsingin yliopiston uutiset 17.12.2018: Suomalaisen kotitalousopetuksen ydin: yhdessä toimimisen taito
University of Helsinki News 17.12.2018: Cooperation skills are at the core of Finnish home economics teaching
Helsingin Sanomat 07/02/2018: Ylihuolehtivainen vanhempi voi jättää lapseen syvät jäljet – Helikopterivanhemmuus tuottaa hermostuneisuutta, masennusta ja tyytymättömyyttä elämään aikuisena
Kotitalous, 80(3), 6-8. Janhonen-Abruquah, H., Posti-Ahokas, H., Venäläinen, S., & Palojoki, P. (2017). Kotitalousopettaja tasa-arvon edistäjänä.
Conference presentations
Reflective practices for Home Economics teachers’ professional development
Kati Oikarinen & Hille Janhonen-Abruquah
XXIV IFHE World Congress 2020, Home Economics: Soaring Toward Sustainable Development, 2 – 8 August 2020, Atlanta/Georgia, USA
The globally agreed sustainable development goals challenge professional fields to reflect and revise current educational programs and practices from a sustainability perspective. Home economics teachers need both research findings and practical tools to improve the quality of their professional work towards socially sustainable practices.
This study maps the ways how video-aided reflective practices have been used in teachers’ professional development. A systematic literature review was conducted to describe the field of video-enhanced reflective practices and to analyze how to best promote home economics teachers´ expertise towards socially sustainable education. The data consisted of peer-reviewed educational science articles published within last ten years. In the preliminary literature search “video-aided reflection, education, peer-group, professional development” were used as keywords.
Deductive content analysis of the data indicated that various reflective practices in professional development, especially when carried out collaboratively and by using video recordings, were reported to be effective. Several themes showed the power of video-aided reflection. Teachers reported that video recordings of their professional practice offered an exceptional possibility to be able to analyze one´s own teaching and identify specific changes. Video recordings allowed them to become observers of their own classroom practices and to gain new perspectives. Studies also indicated that it was beneficial for teachers to discuss the recordings with peer-groups and the feedback from others was an influential element. Participating in video reflections increased teachers´ desire to change their practices and to see their own progress.
Reflectivity in one’s own profession opens avenues for change as constantly diversifying schools are challenging teachers. It requires courage to alter traditional ways of acting. Socially sustainable schools are equitable, diverse and democratic and they provide wellbeing for students and teachers.
How is gender present in home economics education?
Hanna Posti-Ahokas, Sonja Anttila & Hille Janhonen-Abruquah
Gender and Education Conference, Calgary 12.-15.6.2020
The paper discusses Home Economics as a basic education school subject in Finland with references to other educational systems. We argue that the hands-on, collaborative approach of the subject may allow gender be more visible and determinative of pupils’ roles and their participation. A review of existing research and other published texts analyses how gender is present and discussed in discourses around home economics education. The findings show how home economics education can make gender more tangible, being represented in everyday practices as well as in larger structures and thereby contribute to development of increasingly gender responsive basic education.
Moninaisuus osana elämänkaarta ja perhe-elämää (työryhmä)
Perhetutkimuksen päivät 2020, 16.-17.4.2020
Sonja Anttila, Helsingin yliopisto, sonja.anttila@helsinki.fi & Minna Laiti, Turun yliopisto, Työryhmän koordinaattorit
Perhetutkimuksen päivien teema tulevaisuuden uhista ja mahdollisuuksista koskettaa myös erilaisia vähemmistöryhmiä, kuten sateenkaari-ihmisiä (LHBTQI+), heidän perheitään ja läheisiään. Seksuaali- ja sukupuolivähemmistöjen perheiden määrä on kasvanut jatkuvasti, mutta edelleen näitä perheitä kohtaan esiintyy tietämättömyyttä, ennakkoluuloja ja kielteisiä asenteita jopa eduskunnan ja muiden päätöksentekijöiden tasolla. Suomessa mietitään, miten syntyvyys saataisiin nousuun, mutta samaan aikaan valtio rajoittaa tiettyjen ihmisryhmien mahdollisuuksia perustaa perhe.
Osa nykyisistä sateenkaarinuorista haluaa tulevaisuudessa perustaa perheen ja näiden nuorten tämänhetkinen hyvinvointi vaikuttaa heidän tulevaisuuteensa. Uuden Kouluterveyskyselyn tulosten mukaan joka neljäs sateenkaarinuori kokee kiusaamista ja jopa 40 prosenttia sukupuolivähemmistöön kuuluvista nuorista kokee ahdistelua. Monet sateenkaarinuorista joutuvat kokemaan kiusaamista ja syrjiviä asenteita omassa kodissaan.
Suomalainen perhelainsäädäntö on kehittynyt paljon erityisesti viimeisen kymmenen vuoden aikana, mutta edelleen osa perhemuodoista jää lainsäädännön ulkopuolelle. Erityisesti tämä koskettaa niitä, jotka elävät vallitsevan parisuhdenormin ja avioliittoinstituution ulkopuolella. Sateenkaari-ihmiset ja sateenkaariperheet kohtaavat arjessaan eriarvoistavia käytäntöjä, sosiaalisia haasteita ja puutteita palvelujärjestelmässä. Toisaalta koululla ja terveydenhoitoalalla on mahdollisuuksia tukea sateenkaari-ihmisten toimijuutta.
Toivomme teemaryhmään esityksiä seksuaali- ja sukupuolivähemmistöjen perhe- ja läheissuhteista elämänkaaren eri vaiheissa. Aiheita voivat olla sateenkaari-ihmiset osana lapsuudenperhettään ja sukuaan, sateenkaari-ihmisten parisuhteet, lasten hankkimisen monet tavat, sateenkaariperheiden arkielämä sekä muuhun, kuin sukulaisista koottuun, itse valittuun perheeseen (chosen family) kuuluminen. Kiinnostavia aiheita ovat myös sateenkaariperheiden toimiminen sijais- ja tukiperheinä, sateenkaariperheiden eroprosessit ja niihin johtaneet syyt sekä sateenkaariperheiden lasten näkökulmat.
Home Economics teachers’ professional development through self-reflection
Oikarinen, Kati and Janhonen-Abruquah, Hille
NERA/ NFPF 4-6 March 2020 | Turku, Finland https://nera2020.fi/
Research aim
It requires courage to alter traditional ways of teaching. Reflectivity towards one’s own professionalism opens potential avenues for change. Systematic process of collecting and analyzing information of one’s own teaching may help to explore the underlying beliefs (Atkinson & Bolt, 2010; Pollard, 2008), Through a process of self-observation and self-evaluation in collaboration with peers (Sinkinson, 2011; Kurtts & Levin, 2000) may lead into changes and improvements in one’s own teaching. The necessity to develop home economics teachers’ pedagogical practice comes both from the cultural changes in the context (Janhonen-Abruquah, Heino, Tammisuo & Posti-Ahokas, 2017) and the sustainability demands (Janhonen-Abruquah, Topp & Posti-Ahokas, 2018).
Research design
This study maps the ways how reflective practices have been used in teachers’ professional development. A systematic literature review was conducted to describe the field of reflective practices and to map the best reflective practices to promote teachers´ expertise. The data consisted of peer-reviewed educational science articles published within last ten years. In the preliminary literature search “self-reflection, video-aided reflection, education, peer-group, professional development” were used as keywords. Deductive content analysis was based on cultural responsiveness (Gay, 2013) framework.
Findings
The analyzes indicated that various reflective practices in professional development, especially when carried out collaboratively and by using video recordings, were reported to be effective. Several themes showed the power of video-aided reflection. Teachers reported that video recordings of their professional practice offered an exceptional possibility to be able to analyze one´s own teaching and identify specific changes. Video recordings allowed them to become observers of their own classroom practices and to gain new perspectives. Studies also indicated that it was beneficial for teachers to discuss the recordings with peer-groups and the feedback from others was an influential element.
Altruismin häivähdyksiä kodeissa
HILLE JANHONEN-ABRUQUAH JA LIISA HAVERINEN
Kasvatustieteen päivät Joensuussa, Itä-Suomen yliopisto 21. – 22.11. 2019
Viimeaikaiset yhteiskunnalliset muutokset ovat vaikuttaneet moniin arjen käytänteisiin niin työelämässä kuin vapaa-aikanakin. Kotityö ja sen muuttuvat toteutustavat ovat kuitenkin pysyvää toimintaa, joiden avulla voidaan antaa malli vastuullisesta toiminnasta. Niiden kautta tuleva sukupolvi voidaan ankkuroida yhteiskunnan jäseniksi, jotka osaavat ajatella myös toisia ihmisiä ja oman toiminnan vaikutuksia. Sosiaalinen media on luonut monia mahdollisuuksia kotitalouden toiminnan kulttuurisen ja sosiaalisen kestävyyden tarkasteluun ylisukupolvisesti. Tässä tutkimuksessa kotitalouden altruistista toimintaa – palkatonta ja pyyteetöntä työtä toisen hyvinvoinnin eteen – tarkasteltiin pääosin kasvatusfilosofisesta näkökulmasta. Kotitaloustyötä tutkittiin blogikirjoitusten kautta, joissa blogistit jakoivat yksityisiä arjen hetkiään julkisesti sosiaalisessa mediassa. Kuutta perheblogia seurattiin kymmenen kuukauden ajan. Aineisto koostui 315 blogikirjoituksesta. Näistä narratiiviseen analyysiin valittiin 77 blogikirjoitusta, joissa oli sekä kuvattu (sanoin ja/tai kuvin) että pohdittu toisen hyvinvoinnin luomiseen tähtäävää kotitalouden toimintaa. Tutkimuksessa kysyttiin: Millaisia merkityksiä perheiden altruistiselle toiminnalle annettiin? Miten altruismi näkyi hoivassa? Miten altruistinen toiminta koettiin perheen yhteenkuuluvuuden tunteessa? Millaisia merkityksiä se sai kasvatuksessa? Kodin toiminnan altruistisia merkityksiä voidaan narratiivisen analyysin mukaan kuvata seuraavien ulottuvuuksien kautta: (1) turvallisuudentunteen luominen, (2) ilon ja rakkauden kokeminen, (3) varmuus ja luottamus terveellisestä kasvusta, (4) vastuu itsestä ja läheisistä sekä (5) kuuluminen yhteisöön. Blogit eivät ainoastaan avanneet yksityisiä hetkiä julkiseen tarkasteluun vaan mahdollistivat näkymättömän ja yksinäisen kotityön jakamisen sosiaalisen median yhteisön kanssa. Altruistinen toiminta, itsensä uhraamisen ja uupumuksen sijaan, näyttikin tuovan iloa ja onnea.
Lainsuojattomat, mutta neuvokkaat – Neuvottelut sateenkaariperheissä osana perheytymisprosesseja
SONJA ANTTILA
Kasvatustieteen päivät Joensuussa, Itä-Suomen yliopisto 21. – 22.11. 2019
Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on tarkastella sateenkaariperheiden vanhempien perheytymisprosseja keskittyen neuvotteluihin osana näitä tapahtumasarjoja. Perheytymisprosessi käynnistyy yksilön halusta saada lapsi. Sateenkaariperheissä tarvitaan usein lasten hankintaa varten perhemuodosta riippuen yksi tai useampi vanhemmuuskumppani lisää, luovutettuja sukusoluja tai ostettavia palveluita; tässä vaiheessa astutaan yksityisenä pidetyn perhe-elämän ulkopuolelle. Tavoitteena on kuvata, miten tulevat vanhemmat neuvottelevat perheytymisestä keskenään, muiden ihmisten ja yhteiskunnallisten instituutioiden kanssa. Tutkimus on toteutettu laadullisilla menetelmillä. Tutkimusaineisto on koottu verkkokyselylo-makkeella, johon sateenkaariperheiden vanhemmat (n=74) vastasivat perheytymisprosesseihin-sa liittyviin kysymyksiin. Tekstitiedostoon siirrettynä kyselylomakkeen vastausten yhteispituus on 126 sivua. Aineisto on analysoitu aineistolähtöisellä- ja teoriaohjaavalla sisällönanalyysilla. Yhteiskunnallinen keskustelu ja lasten hankinnasta haaveileville suunnatut palvelut ovat edelleen usein ydinperhekeskeisiä ja binääriseen sukupuolijaotteluun perustuvia. Vanhemmuuteen liittyy vahvoja heteronormatiivisia oletuksia. Vastaajat olivat neuvotelleet keskenään taloudellisista seikoista sekä lasten hankintatavoista ja -ajankohdista. Lähipiirin kanssa oli neuvoteltu mahdollisesta tuesta tulevien lasten synnyttyä. Yhteiskunnallisten palveluiden osalta neuvot-telut olivat koskeneet mahdollisuutta saada hedelmöityshoitoja. Neuvotteluita ei aina käydä tietoisesti tai niihin ei aina ole edes mahdollisuutta. Vastaajien perhemuoto oli ratkaisevassa asemassa siinä, olivatko he päässeet lainkaan neuvotteluasemiin asioidessaan yhteiskunnallisten instituutioiden kanssa. Tutkimustulokset osoittavat, että seksuaali- ja sukupuolivähemmistöihin kuuluvat henkilöt ovat usein monenlaisten päätösten edessä hankkiessaan lapsia. Perhemuodostaan riippuen heidän on neuvoteltava lastenhankintatavoista, mahdollisten hoitojen kustannusten rahoittamisesta ja uusien vanhemmuuskumppanien etsimisestä. Tutkimustulokset avaavat sateenkaariperheiden todellista arkea ja tuovat uuden näkökulman sekä yhteiskunnallisen päätöksenteon, että sosiaali- ja terveysalan ja opetus- ja kasvatusalan kehittämistoiminnan tueksi. Tulokset ovat sovellettavissa opetuskäyttöön opettajankoulutuksessa ja perusopetuksessa.
Vallankäyttö ruokailutilanteessa: vanhemman ja lapsen väliset diskurssit
KATI OIKARINEN
Kasvatustieteen päivät Joensuussa, Itä-Suomen yliopisto21. – 22.11. 2019
Vanhemman ja lapsen välinen ruokailutilanne on arkinen kohtauspaikka, joka tarjoaa näyttämön monimuotoisille ilmiöille. Ruokailutilanne on dynaaminen, muuttuva ja siinä tapahtuva vuorovaikutus vanhemman ja lapsen välillä voi esiintyä epäsymmetrisenä. Tutkimuksen teh-tävänä oli kuvailla ja ymmärtää vanhemman ja lapsen välistä vuorovaikutusta vallankäytön näkökulmasta sekä tarkastella sitä, millaisia diskursseja rakentuu vanhemman ja lapsen yh-teisessä ruokailutilanteessa. Näkökulmana oli vanhemman vallankäyttö eli millaisten kielellisten vaikuttamisen keinojen avulla vanhempi käyttää valtaa lapseen syömisen kontekstissa. Ruokapöytäkeskustelusta nousevien diskurssien kautta tavoitteena oli ymmärtää ruokailutilanteen merkityksiä sosiaalisena vuorovaikutustapahtumana ja lapsiperheen arjen kuvaajana. Tutkimuksen lähestymistapana ja analysointimenetelmänä oli diskurssianalyysi, jonka avulla vuorovaikutuksen mikromaiseman tarkastelu oli mahdollista. Tutkimusaineisto koostui kolmen lapsiperheen ruokapöytäkeskusteluista, joissa oli yksi noin 3-vuotias lapsi. Aineisto hankittiin äänitallentamalla jokaisen perheen ruokapöytäkeskustelut kolmen vuorokauden ajalta. Äänitallentaminen tapahtui ilman tutkijan läsnäoloa perheen luonnollisissa tilanteissa pääsääntöisesti kotona. Aineisto sisälsi 45 ruokailutilannetta ja 9h25min äänitallenneaineistoa, joka litteroitiin analysointia varten. Tässä tutkimuksessa aineistoa lähestyttiin poikkiaineistollista koodaus- ja luokittelustrategiaa noudattaen koodaten toistuvia teemoja. Äänitallenneaineistoa täydennettiin ruokailupäiväkirjoilla, jonka avulla saatiin tarkempaa tietoa ruokailun ajankohdasta, paikasta ja siihen osallistuneista henkilöistä. Vanhemman ja lapsen keskustelut ruokailutilanteessa näyttäytyivät moninaisena. Ruokailutilanne on arkinen keskustelutilanne, joka kutsuuesiin erilaisia diskursseja kertomaan lapsiperheen arjesta, joita tässä tutkimuksessa olivat syömisdiskurssi, toiminnan diskurssi, meidän arki -diskurssi ja ympäristödiskurssi. Vallankäyttöä ilmeni kaikissa perheissä, joista yleisimmin vanhempi käytti suostuttelun eri keinoja. Myös palkitsemista, auktoriteettiaseman käyttöä, kehumista, uhkailua ja miellyttämistä esiintyi vanhemman ohjatessa lapsen syömistä. Perheiden ruokailutilanteet näyttäytyivät hyvin vahvasti neuvotteluna. Tutkimus osoitti, että vuorovaikutuksen mikrotason tarkastelu paljastaa hienosyiset ilmiöt ja sosiaaliset tilanteet voivat saada sitä kautta uusia merkityksiä.
Kohti kokonaisvaltaista yhdenvertaisuusosaamista: opettajaksi opiskelevien käsityksiä yhdenvertaisuudesta ja moninaisuustaitojen itsearviointi
Hanna Posti-Ahokas & Hille Janhonen-Abruquah
FERA Conference on Education, Tampere, 15.-16.11.2018
Yhdenvertaisuusosaamista painottava opettajankoulutus tukee opiskelijoiden yhdenvertaisuutta edistävän pedagogisen osaamisen kehittymistä ja kannustaa tulevia opettajia tunnistamaan ja muuttamaan eriarvoisuutta aiheuttavia sosiaalisia käytänteitä ja rakenteita. Tutkimuksemme tarkastelee näiden kahden tavoitteen rajapintaa analysoimalla opettajaksi opiskelevien käsityksiä yhdenvertaisuudesta ja opettajan tarvitsemista moninaisuustaidoista. Aineistona käytettiin kotitalousopettajan koulutuksen maisterivaiheen opinnoissa tehtyjä moninaisuusosaamiseen liittyviä oppimistehtäviä (21 yksilö- ja 13 ryhmätehtävää), jotka analysoitiin laadullisella sisällönanalyysillä. Tulokset kuvaavat opettajaksi opiskelevien kollektiivisesti tuotettua ymmärrystä yhdenvertaisuudesta, heidän käsityksiään opettajan moninaisuustaidosta sekä itsearviointiaan näiden taitojen suhteen. Moninaisuustaitojen nähtiin muodostuvan omasta tietoisuudesta ja tiedostamisesta, moninaisuutta tukevasta toiminnasta ja moninaisuusosaamisen jatkuvasta kehittämisprosessista. Opettajaksi opiskelevat kokivat vahvuuksikseen kulttuurisen ymmärryksen ja kyvyn vastata oppilaslähtöisesti moninaisten oppilaiden tarpeisiin. Tulosten valossa yhdenvertaisuusosaamisen kehittämisessä olisi kiinnitettävä erityistä huomiota rakenteellisten eriarvoisuuksien tunnistamiseen, jotta tulevaisuuden opettajat voisivat toimia työssään aktiivisesti yhdenvertaisuutta edistäen.
The Effect of Overinvolved Parenting on Young Adults in U.S. and Finland
Poster presentation. 221-61 IN PO
By Ming Cui, Hille Janhonen-Abruquah, Carol Darling, Fiorella Carlos Chavez, Päivi Palojoki
The annual conference of the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR).
2018 NCFR Annual Conference, Nov. 7–10 in San Diego.
OS4: Good intentions – bad results? Family as a resource for well-being
Open symposia . The 9th Congress of the European Society on Family Relations
Porto, Portugal, September 2018,
Chairs: Hille Janhonen-Abruquah, (hille.janhonen-abruquah@helsinki.fi), Helsinki University; Finland Ming Cui, (mcui@fsu.edu), Fl orida State University; United States America.
Discussant: Katja Repo, University of Tampere, Finland.
As parents want the best for their children, they are willing to invest in all possible ways to facilitate their children’s path toward success. Many parents interpret indulgence as a form of love and a way to support their children. While parental indulgence may be gratifying for parents and enjoyable for children, such parenting practice may have long-term negative effects on both children and parents. Limited research suggested that indulgent parenting is associated with lower levels of coping and higher levels of interpersonal dependency; lower levels of autonomy, competence, and relatedness; and anxiety and depression. Indeed, parental indulgence may harm by preventing children from developing self-efficacy and achieving their full potential. Such negative effects on child development were found across different cultures, such as in U.S., China, Korea, and Australia. However, more research is needed to explore the phenomena of indulgent parenting from a cross-cultural perspective and among children of different developmental stages, especially the much ignored young adulthood. To address this gap, in this symposium, with data from Finland, Sweden, Singapore and U.S., the phenomena of parents’ role in their children’s well-being is studied in a multi-cultural context to increase the understanding of indulging parenting and its implications on children of various developmental stages. As parental indulgence can result in problems for both parents and their children now and in the future, it is therefore essential to better understand this trend globally and develop programs to assist schools, parents, and children to facilitate their wellbeing. The first two papers have a Nordic welfare state perspective. Specifically, Paper 1 focuses on home and school collaboration in Finland and Paper 2 highlights how food choices symbolize the stages of independent living of young adults in Sweden. Paper 3 reflects on the ethics and possible implications of research in understand the effects of a Child Support Model in serving young children from low-income families during the early childhood years in Singapore. Paper 4 studies young adult children’ well-being in relation to indulgent parenting in United States. Evidence from these studies can be implemented in parenting programs to clarify the misconceptions of parenting and discuss the potential negative consequences. Outcomes associated with the successful delivery of such programs may include enhanced parenting skills, improved parent-child communication, and reduced young adults’ emotional problems.
Parents Taking Part in Their Children’s Lives in Finland
Janhonen-Abruquah, Hille
Open symposia. The 9th Congress of the European Society on Family Relations
In Finnish context, adults’ trust in their children to take care of themselves and manage on their own has decreased. It is argued that children’s lives have become more controlled with less time for individual and self-created activities. Parents’ have also now an active role in their children’s school choice. While parents are increasingly required to be involved in children’s activities, youth are not reporting higher levels of capability. On the contrary, the youth reported increased levels of life skills if they had experienced some lack in their basic needs as a child. The new National curricula for basic education (NBEC 2016) together with Finnish Parents’ League encourages for increasing parent – school collaboration and promotes finding creative ways for parent – teacher co-operation. In this study, the national curricula were analyzed through document analyses. The curriculum has a common part that is used for grades 1-9 and specific parts for each school subjects. Epstein et al. (2002) classification for parent school collaboration was used to structure the content analyses. The analyses show the type of collaboration and the specific areas of school life where parent teacher interaction is encouraged. There is also vast difference between school subject how parents are involved. Based on the results one can ask if the responsibility of child’s education unintentionally or intentionally shifting on parents’ shoulders and does this create inequality amongst pupils or is this a way to expand learners learning environment beyond class rooms.
Researching “Low-Income” Families – Ethics and Implications
Layne, Heidi & Hille Janhonen-Abruquah
Open symposia . The 9th Congress of the European Society on Family Relations
This paper aims to reflect on the ethics and possible implications of research in understand the effects of a Child Support Model in serving young children from low-income families during the early childhood years in Singapore. Research has shown that various risk factors are related to poverty, such as malnutrition, parental stress, parental substance abuse, lack of access to health and education services, social isolation, and low-quality housing (Shonkoff et al., 2012). The accumulation of risk factors experienced in children in the early childhood years could lead to poor outcomes later in adolescent and even adulthood (Sameroff, 2010; Hauser, Allen, & Golden, 2006). However, earlier research also state that teachers may lay expectations on children based on what they know about their family backgrounds. This paper is a literature review on two factors 1. intersections of ethics and methods in researching young children and low income families and 2. what are the possible implications of earlier research towards future research on low income families. Findings from the literature review may inform our understanding while preparing a case study approach to investigate the effectiveness of a specific Child Support Model and how it supports (if at all) the well-being and learning of young children, as well as providing information for improvement in future practices.
Helicopter Parenting and College Students’ Well-Being in the U.S.
Cui, Ming; Darling, Carol A. & Carlos Chavez, Fiorella L.
Open symposia. The 9th Congress of the European Society on Family Relations
Helicopter parenting is defined as a form of overinvolved parenting of young adult children (Segrin, Woszidlo, Givertz, & Montgomery, 2013). It could be a form of parental indulgence continuing into children’s young adulthood. Despite the growing trend and overwhelming media attention, issues of helicopter parenting and its effect on young adult children have not been carefully investigated by researchers. In this paper, we examine helicopter parenting and its association with college students’ well-being in the U.S. A sample consisted of 449 college students from two large universities who completed an online survey of their perceptions of their parents’ parenting and their own well-being. Among the participants, 89% were female, 84% were White, 32% were Hispanic, and 66% were from two-parent parent families. Helicopter parenting of mother and father was measured by a 5-item helicopter parenting scale (Bradley-Geist & Olson-Buchanan, 2014), and college students’ well-being was measured by anxiety (Beck et al., 1988), depression (Radloff, 1977), and emotional dysregulation (Victor & Klonsky, 2016). Measures of indulgent parenting during childhood and adolescence and parents’ well-being were also included. Results from structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed three major findings: (1) indulgent parenting during childhood and adolescence significantly related to later helicopter parenting in young adulthood (b = .69, p < .01); (2) helicopter parenting was positively associated with college students’ well-being problems (b = .25, p < .01); and (3) indulgent parenting was associated with parenting stress (b = .29, p < .01) and well-being problems (b = .26, p < .01).
Contemporary parenting. Family as a resource for children’s well-being?
Perhetutkimuksen päivät 2018, Tampere 19.4.2018 Family research conference 2018: Life course and generations 19.-20.4.2018, Tampere, Finland
Hille Janhonen-Abruquah, Ming Cui, Carol A. Darling, Fiorella L. Carlos Chavez, Päivi Palojoki,
Because parents want the best for their children, they are willing to invest in all possible ways to facilitate their children’s path toward success. Many parents interpret indulgence or over-parenting as a form of love and a way to support their children. While parental indulgence may be gratifying for parents and enjoyable for children, such a parenting practice may have long-term negative effects on both children and parents. When children become young adults, indulgent parenting typically takes on the form of helicopter parenting – defined as the over-involvement of parents in adult children’s lives. A study in this thematic working group examines helicopter parenting and its association with higher education students’ well-being in the U.S. and Finland. In 2017 a large online survey was completed by 449 U.S. and 342 Finnish higher education students of the perceptions of their parents’ parenting and their own well-being. The results of the survey will be presented. Because parental over-involvement can result in problems for both parents and their children now and in the future, it is therefore essential to better understand this trend. In this thematic working group, the phenomenon of the parents’ role in their children’s well-being is in focus to increase the understanding of indulgent parenting and its implications on children of various developmental stages. Research papers with different approaches and critical view points toward over-parenting are welcomed.
Educating home economics professionals for sustainable jobs: views through cultural sustainability
Hille Janhonen-Abruquah, Hanna Posti-Ahokas, Jenni Topp
Ghana Home Economics Association (GHEA) international conference, Accra, 27.-28.7.2018
The global UN Sustainable Development Goals call for actions in enhancing sustainability in education. Cultural sustainability as one of the pillars for sustainable development is given increasing theoretical emphasis in sustainability research and development of home economics education. This paper analyses the linkage between cultural sustainability and home economics education to support creation of sustainable professions.
The empirical study focused on a vocational catering programme in Finland. Document analyses for curricula texts were conducted together with teachers’ interviews. The data was analyzed through three continuums of cultural sustainability. Firstly, how cultural heritage was cherished but also how vital it was seen. Secondly, the balance between diversity and locality was studied. Thirdly, cultural sustainability seeking to find balance between natural environment and human actions was analyzed.
The findings show that cultural sustainability as a term is not well known even it appears in daily discussions, but themes like multicultural issues, equality, charity, and environmental responsibility were included in teachers’ practical lessons. Feasts and celebrations as teaching themes gave rich opportunities to view cultural sustainability from many sides. The study aimed to make the cultural elements of sustainable development visible in home economics education. As a result, a set of questions is suggested to help reflecting one’s own teaching and planning, to find and recognize culturally sustainable elements and to renew teaching. Cultural sustainability is presented as a tool to develop home economics practices, profession, pedagogy and potentially also the scientific approach within home economics science in various contexts.
Helicopter parenting and college students’ well-being in the U.S. and Finland.
The 29th International Congress of Applied Psychology (ICAP),
Radey, M., Cui, M., Janhonen-Abruquah, H., Darling, C. A., Palojoki, P., & Carlos Chavez, F. (2018, June 26 – 30,). Paper presented as part of the symposium “Factors linking culture, family, and psychological wellbeing: Implications for policy and practices.” The 29th International Congress of Applied Psychology (ICAP), Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (International)
Kulttuurinen kestävyys ammatillisen kehittymisen välineenä
Jenni Topp, Hille Janhonen-Abruquah & Hanna Posti-Ahokas
FERA Conference on Education, Rovaniemi, 30.11.-1.12.2017
YK:n kestävän kehityksen tavoitteet korostavat kestävän kehityksen sisältöjen tuomista aidosti osaksi opetusta. Kulttuurisen kestävyyden rooli ja merkitys osana kestävää kehitystä on viime vuosina saanut enemmän huomiota kestävän kehityksen tutkimuksessa. Ammatillisen koulutuksen näkökulmasta aihetta on tutkittu vähän, vaikka kulttuurisen kestävyyden huomioiminen tulisi nähdä osana koulutuksen suunnittelua.
Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli tuoda kestävän kehityksen kulttuurisia elementtejä näkyviksi ammatillisessa opetuksessa. Tutkimus tarkastelee ammatillisen koulutuksen ja kulttuurisen kestävyyden välisiä yhteyksiä opiskelijan ja opettajan ammatillisen kehittymisen sekä tulevaisuuden kestävämmän työelämän näkökulmasta.
Tutkimuksen aineisto koostuu sekä hotelli‐, ravintola‐ ja cateringalan opetussuunnitelmasta että opettajien haastatteluista. Dokumentti‐ ja haastatteluaineiston deduktiivinen sisällönanalyysi tehtiin kolmen kulttuurisen kestävyyden jatkumon avulla. Ensimmäisen jatkumon näkökulmana oli kulttuuriperimän elinvoimaisuus ja vaaliminen. Toisessa keskityttiin tarkastelemaan paikallisuuden ja moninaisuuden välistä suhdetta. Kolmannessa jatkumossa puolestaan pyrittiin löytämään tasapainoa ihmisen toiminnan ja ympäristön välille.
Tutkimuksen tulokset osoittivat kulttuurisen kestävyyden käsitteen olevan opettajille melko vieras, vaikka se arjen puheessa nouseekin esille. Kuitenkin teemat, kuten monikulttuurisuus, tasa‐arvo, hyväntekeväisyys ja ympäristövastuu kuuluivat osaksi opettajien käytännön opetusta. Juhlien ja perinteiden sisällyttäminen opetukseen nähtiin mahdollisuutena tuoda kulttuurisen kestävyyden teemoja esille.
Tulosten pohjalta laadittiin kysymyssarja, joka tukee opettajia tuntisuunnitelmien ja opetuksen reflektoinnissa sekä kannustaa kohti tutkivampaa työtapaa. Kysymykset auttavat tunnistamaan kulttuurisen kestävyyden teemoja sekä uudistamaan jo olemassa olevia käytänteitä vuorovaikutteisemmiksi ja moninaisia opiskelijaryhmiä paremmin huomioiviksi. Kulttuurinen kestävyys voidaankin esittää työkaluna, jonka avulla koulutuksen käytänteitä, opettajan ja opiskelijan ammatillista kehitystä sekä pedagogiikkaa voidaan kehittää. Opetussuunnitelmatyössä tulisi tarkastella kulttuuria niin opiskelijoiden kotikulttuurin, nuorisokulttuurin kuin paikallisenkin kulttuurin näkökulmasta.
Searching criticality through a collaborative research course in a North-South-South network
Hille Janhonen-Abruquah, Hanna Posti-Ahokas, Anna-Leena Riitaoja
Criticality in Education (Research), Helsinki, 31.8.-1.9.2017
This presentation explores critically what constitutes internationalization and international collaboration in the Faculty of Educational Sciences. We ask, with whom international collaboration takes place? Who benefits at institutional or personal level? What constitutes valuable collaboration – end products or the process, numbers or learning processes? What is considered as outcome at first place? We approach these questions from our experience within a North-South-South network of universities from Finland, Tanzania, Ghana and South Africa. Since 2010, the network has engaged in joint teaching and research, conferences and exchange programmes for students and faculty. Moving from educational tourism and cultural comparisons to collaborative learning and professional growth requires time. The currently available opportunities for cooperation with universities from the Global South are tied to development assistance and coordinated by the Northern institutions and thus resulting in asymmetric relations among partners. The conflicting demands by funding agencies and the academia challenge the collaboration in terms of quality and expected outcomes.
Perspectives on quality in higher education: knowledge work, ethics, care and educational commitment
Hille Janhonen-Abruquah, Hanna Posti-Ahokas & Anna-Leena Riitaoja
International Consortium for Education Development, Capetown 23.-25.11.2016
This paper explores ‘quality’ in higher education teaching and supervision as commitment to knowledge work (i.e. working on epistemologies) and related practices of ethics, justice and care. Drawing from postcolonial feminist theory and -education and culturally responsive education (e.g. Ellsworth 1997; Spivak 1993, 1999, 2004; Beauboeuf-LaFontant 1999; Jones 2001; Andreotti 2011; Gay 2010) we approach ‘quality’ as epistemological sensitivity: whose knowledge is used, who can participate in knowledge building and what are the consequences for different groups of people? How does the knowledge enable or disable us to recognise, examine and challenge these issues and power relations? Does higher education contribute to understanding of the relation between power and knowledge or does it aim to inscribe certain set of knowledge to the students?
This paper aims both for conceptual regeneration of how we understand quality in higher education as well as analysis of empirical material collected within a collaborative project interested in knowledge work in the academia. What matters of success we found and what problems we faced regarding knowledge work? We also offer insights how global collaboration can challenge the inconsistencies within academia and similarly contribute to ways of working otherwise. The material consists of examples of practices within the project as well as written feedback of BA, MA and PhD students who participated in an intensive course on qualitative research methods conducted collaboratively by researchers from universities in Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Cape Coast, Dar es Salaam and Pretoria. The analysis is based on qualitative content analysis.
Learning culturally responsive education within North-South collaboration
Education Africa? Prospects and Challenges of the New Generation(JYU). The Education Africa research seminar in 19.10.2016.
Janhonen-Abruquah, Hille; Lehtomäki, Elina; Mohlakwana,Agnes; Komba, Aneth; Adu-Yeboah, Christine; Riitaoja, Anna-Leena & Palojoki, Päivi
This paper presents experiences from a North-South student and staff mobility project and further collaboration. The Culturally responsive education (CRE) network, started in 2012, implemented Gay’s (2010, 2013) theoretical thinking through collaboration of five universities in Finland, Ghana, South Africa and Tanzania. Culturally responsive education aims for empowering, transformative and emancipatory, contextually and culturally meaningful learning processes, equipping students to understand global and local power structures that hinder such learning to take place.
Within the network the partners peer reviewed good practices in culturally responsive teacher education in the partner universities. The participants engaged in a dialogue with students, teachers and teacher educators during exchange activities, intensive courses on qualitative research methods, network meetings and conference presentations and were then guided to analyse gained experiences and findings and to bring these back to their learning communities. A peer reviewed edited volume (Lehtomäki et al., in press) gave voice to the discussions carried out within the network.
The presentation discusses the strengths and outcomes of the network as well as shortcomings that need to be addresses in future collaboration. Ways of building on the main strength identified in this network, i.e. collaboration between African scholars and students, are explored.
Home Economics Science Students Envisioning the Future
Edjah, H.B. & Janhonen-Abruquah, H.
IFHE 2016 World congress. Hope & Happiness: The role of Home Economics in the pursuit of hope & happiness for individuals and communities now and in the future. 31.7.-6.8.2016
This paper seeks to throw light on Ghanaian and Finnish Home Economics Science students’ thinking on the lives and homes of individuals and families in the future beyond 2020 in order to guide students as they navigate through their professional lives as home economists
The data was collected through a modification a story writing method. Both researchers first gave introductory lectures to first year home economics students about home economics as a field of study and then a short You‐tube video clip on ‘House of the Future, 1957’ was shown to students. A short introductory lecture was given by the researchers based on the future studies mega trends (Scenario 2013) and UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) to inspire students envisioning. Stories were then after written by 140 Ghanaian and 32 Finnish participants. Ghanaian students worked in groups of 7 and Finnish students worked individually. Students were asked to make projections of five probable trends in 2030 bearing in mind their own role as home economics professionals
Interestingly, we found out that students are able to envisage the future scenarios but they need to be encouraged to do so. This study is probably an exercise that has the capability of enhancing students’ critical thinking skills. Students should thus be encouraged from the beginning of their studies so that they don’t take educational knowledge as a given but understand their role as future developers of the field. In other words, students need to take an active role in thinking, criticising and creating useful knowledge for themselves and the future generation of home economics. We also released that even though the cultural context is different, the students shared similar hopes, wishes and threats regarding family life and their role as home economist in ensuring sustainable lives in future.
Building a comprehensive learning space in a culturally responsive manner
Janhonen-Abruquah, H. & Heino, L.
IFHE 2016 World congress. Hope & Happiness: The role of Home Economics in the pursuit of hope & happiness for individuals and communities now and in the future. 31.7.-6.8.2016
Culturally responsive teaching aims that learner’s home and school cultures are meaningfully connected in learners’ learning environment. To put the theoretical thinking into practice, an action research was conducted in a school to answer the following questions: How can culturally responsive learning environment be created within compulsory school? How could the schools benefit from the cultural knowledge and skills possessed by the learners and their families? Which kinds of tools can create learning space for culturally responsive learning?
Action research “Perhe koulussa / koti koulussa” seeks to answer these questions. In addition to the already existing forms of parent – school interaction like meetings, on-line notebook, newsletters this intervention aimed to develop new ways for communication and sharing. The need to develop new ways for parent – teacher interaction had risen from the fact that the home and school cultures may be very different and to help the learning process of a child mutual understanding between school and home should be created. The intervention took place during one semester. Participant voice – pupil, teacher, parent, school administration – was studied in order to develop the practices further.
The theoretical framework for the study is drawn from culturally responsive education and social theory of learning. Culturally responsive education addresses the learner in a comprehensive way through multi-dimensional engagement in learning activities. As culturally responsive learning aims for change and freedom it is both transformative and emancipatory. On the other hand, social theory of learning sees learning as an experience, as doing, as belonging and as becoming. The focus is on the process of being an active participant in the practices of social communities and constructing identities in relation to these communities.
Home Economics Education for Diversities (HEED)
Janhonen-Abruquah, H., Posti-Ahokas, H. & Venäläinen, S.
IFHE 2016 World congress. Hope & Happiness: The role of Home Economics in the pursuit of hope & happiness for individuals and communities now and in the future. 31.7.-6.8.2016
The research focuses on developing Finnish Home Economics Education for diversities at both university and compulsory school levels in order to effectively contribute to implementing the aims of the new university degree requirements and the national curriculum for comprehensive schools 2016.
overall objective of developing Home Economics education for diversities in line with the new curricula for comprehensive education and the degree requirements for Home Economics teacher education.
In this study, these new documents are scrutinized in dialogue with pupils, teachers and teacher students. The research combines quantitative approaches to study of learning outcomes, qualitative student-voice research and school-based action research aiming at teacher’s professional development. Data for the study is drawn from the recent National Assessment of Home Economics learning outcomes, curricula texts for Home Economics education, students’ essays and feedback from University courses and school-based action research.
Through the project, shared knowledge on diversities in Home Economics education is constructed amongst researchers, teacher students and practicing teachers. The integral connection to Home Economics Teacher Education ensures an immediate impact on teacher education development. By connecting the research with the National Learning Assessment and the work of Finnish Home Economics Teachers’ Association, the research will support collaboration among national and local actors. The study contributes to research based development of Home Economics Education and enhances the role of Home Economics in supporting sustainable futures.
In this research, a particular focus is on diversities related to cultural background and gender. As a school subject characterized by collaboration and communication, Home Economics provides a favorable context to learn the skills needed in an increasingly diverse world. To benefit from this potential, Home Economics teachers need both theoretical and practical tools that help them to better understand the ongoing changes in society and to work with diverse learners. In this research project hosted by the Department of Teacher Education, University of Helsinki, Finland, student voice and collaborative approaches to teacher education development are utilized to create a shared space for knowledge construction on critical aspects of diversities in relation to teacher professionalism.
Understanding gender differences in Finnish Home Economics classrooms
Venäläinen, S., Janhonen-Abruquah, H., Wirén, J. & Palojoki,P.
IFHE 2016 World congress. Hope & Happiness: The role of Home Economics in the pursuit of hope & happiness for individuals and communities now and in the future. 31.7.-6.8.2016
The recent (2015) National Home Economics Learning Assessment in Finland showed differences in boys’ and girls’ learning outcomes. It assessed ninth graders level of competence in relation to curriculum objectives, students’ attitudes and off-school activities as well as teachers’ views on assessment, the curriculum and their own teaching practices. All together 3 541 pupils took part in the assessment. Written part was completed by 3 473 pupils and 817 pupils participated in the practical assessment. Teachers (n=163) filled a questionnaire and 92 principals took part in the survey as well. The research was carried out in 104 different schools.
The striking result showed that girls’ scored higher in each of the home economics content area and succeeded better both in written as well as in practical assessment. This current study seeks to find answers for the unequal learning out comes from the national data. The study answers how can the differences in girls’ and boys’ achievement be explained in Home Economics subject? The differences in boys’ and girls’ attitudes in relation to their actual performance in the National Assessment were compared. Also boys’ and girls’ own views towards their own skills were analysed. Furthermore, the results of teachers’ survey was viewed in relation to boys’ and girls’ attitudes towards Home Economics school subject.
The study shows how normative gender roles are easily maintained unless special attention is paid to gendered practices by Home Economics teachers and teacher educators.
Experiencing culturally responsive networking
Hille Janhonen-Abruquah, Elina Lehtomäki, Agnes Mohlakwana, Aneth Komba, Christine Adu-Yeboah, Anna-Leena Riitaoja & Päivi Palojoki
Cultural Diversity, Migration, and Education Conference. July 7th – 9th, 2016, University of Potsdam, Germany
BEING TOO GOOD OF A PARENT: CONNECTING PARENTING STYLE TO FAMILY WELL-BEING
Hille Janhonen-Abruquah, Carol Anderson Darling & Ming Cui
Perhetutkimuksen päivät 2016 11.-12.4.2016 Helsinki Moninaiset perheet – perhetutkimuksen päivät 2016 . Työryhmä 10. Vanhemmuuden tuki
The study examines parental overinvolvement – indulgent, helicopter, or curling parenting – and how it affects families’ emotional and behavioural well-being. As parents want the best for their children, they are willing to invest in all possible ways to speed the child’s path toward success. With potential data from US, China, and Finland, cross-cultural investigation can increase the understanding of the phenomena in a global context.
Many parents interpret indulgence as a form of love and a way to support their adolescents . While indulging children may be gratifying for parents and enjoyable for adolescents, indulgent parenting has long-term problematic effects for both parents and children. It is associated with lower levels of coping and higher levels of interpersonal dependency ; lower levels of autonomy, competence, and relatedness ; and anxiety and depression . It harms and/or prevents individuals from developing self-efficacy and achieving their full potential. In China parental overinvolvement was associated with anxiety and depression and in Korea with lower levels of locus control, which was associated with emotional well-being problems . An Australian study suggested that overparenting is associated with a sense of entitlement and lack of resilience and life skills .
In Finnish context, adults’ trust in their children to take care of themselves and manage on their own has decreased . Children’s lives have become more controlled with less time for individual and self-created activities. While parents are increasingly required to be involved in children’s activities , youth are not reporting higher levels of capability . On the contrary, if there was a lack in taking care of a child’s basic needs, as these children grew up, they reported increased level of life skills. Polarization of youth, as shown in the health study of immigrant youth points out clear differences between first generation immigrant youth compared to other youth groups. The role of first generation immigrant parenting needs further investigation.
As parental overinvolvement can result in problems for both parents and their children now and in the future, it is therefore essential to better understand this trend globally and develop programs to assist schools, parents, and children to facilitate their wellbeing.
Lessons learned through the Culturally responsive education (CRE) network
NERA – Nordic Education Research Association conference NERA 2016 / Network 10. 9.3.-11.3.2016; Helsinki
Hille Janhonen-Abruquah, Elina Lehtomäki & Päivi Palojoki
This paper presents what we have learnt through a North-South-South student and staff mobility network project funded by the Finnish Centre for International Mobility (CIMO). The network Culturally responsive education (CRE) network has implemented the theoretical thinking related to cultural responsiveness in education through collaboration of five universities in Finland, Ghana, South Africa and Tanzania. Culturally responsive teaching (Gay 2010, 2013) aims that learning is meaningful for the learner. Learner is addressed in a comprehensive way and engaged multi-dimensionally into learning activities. Learning should also be empowering. As learning aims for change and freedom it is both transformative and emancipatory (Gay 2013).
The Culturally responsive education (CRE) network builds on the university co-operation started in 2012. The well-established connections (Lehtomäki et al.2014) encouraged for further co-operation. The network extended the previous collaboration by peer reviewing good practices in culturally responsive teacher education in the partner universities in the three African countries and in Finland. The participants engaged in a dialogue with students, teachers and teacher educators during exchange activities, intensive course and network meetings, and were guided to analyse gained experiences and findings and to bring these back to their learning communities.
Intensive courses on qualitative research were planned as a response to the suggestion of the partners in the South. The first jointly organized intensive course took first place as an online course in March 2015 and then as a face-to-face course in Ghana in November 2015. The courses offered opportunities to widen the scope of activities from individual exchange towards collaborative research training, institutional learning and internationalization at home. The aim of the intensive courses was to develop skills necessary for culturally responsive education, and more precisely, to pay attention to the aspects of cultural responsiveness and social justice, including their contextual implications as well as other contextual perspectives to the issue and to enhance students’ understanding of key concepts, terms and assumptions related to qualitative research.
One outcome of the project was a peer reviewed edited volume Culturally Responsive Education: studies in the Global South and North (Lehtomäki, Janhonen-Abruquah & Kahangwa, in press) that gave voice to the discussions carried out within the network. Through the articles educational leaders’, teacher students’, students’ and teachers’ voice was heard and the challenges of educational contexts were discussed across universities.
The network has contributed through knowledge, research, teaching experience and resource sharing in seminars, workshops and through access to online resources. One of the strengths has been the complementarity: members’ knowledge, skills and expertise benefit each other and impacts on teaching and collegiality in the workplace. Another strength has been the capacity building and professional development of members’ subject expertise and research. The mobility programme has helped to appreciate cultural diversity and made members adopt culturally responsive activities and strategies in teaching. Exchange visits have helped to identify good practices which were then remodified and replicated in other contexts. The collaborative work within the network has encouraged continuation of sharing ideas on culturally responsive education and its use in developing education in specific contexts.