This article examines the design and evaluation of a self-paced online mathematics course developed for NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) learners in Finland. The course aims to lower barriers to education by providing foundational mathematics, digital skills, and field-specific modules, all structured to support self-directed learning (SDL). The pedagogical model emphasizes authenticity, guidance, and feedback-rich assessment to foster learner autonomy and engagement. The study analyses quantitative data from three pilot groups (2024–2025), revealing statistically significant improvements in mathematical skills among participants. Key SDL dimensions - motivation to learn and self-control - were found to be associated with course completion, though high scores in Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) alone did not guarantee success, highlighting the importance of additional factors such as time management and accurate self-assessment. Participant feedback was generally positive, though technical barriers, particularly a complex login process, affected participation rates. The findings underscore the importance of accessible onboarding, immediate feedback, and inclusive learning environments. The results demonstrate that a well-designed, flexible, and feedback-rich online course can effectively support the development of mathematical skills and self-directed learning among NEET learners, thereby promoting their re-engagement with education.
Suomea toisena kielenään (L2) oppivien lasten matemaattiset taidot kehittyvät selvästi suomea äidinkielenään (L1) puhuvia heikommin ja matemaattinen sanasto on taitojen kehittymisen kannalta keskeisessä asemassa. Tässä tutkimuksessa selvitettiin esiopetusikäisten L2-lasten matemaattisen sanaston osaamista sekä sen yhteyttä lapsen ikään, sukupuoleen, kotikieleen ja varhaiskasvatukseen osallistumisen kestoon. Aineisto kerättiin esiopetusikäisiltä L2-lapsilta (N = 100) pääkaupunkiseudulla. Matemaattisen sanaston osaamista tarkasteltiin SMST-kuvasanavarastotestin avulla. Tulokset osoittavat, että matemaattisen sanaston osaamisessa on havaittavissa selkeitä yksilöiden välisiä eroja, joita selittivät osin lasten ikä ja varhaiskasvatukseen osallistumisen kesto. Tyttöjen ja poikien sanaston osaamisessa ei ollut tilastollisesti merkitseviä eroja, kun iän vaikutus vakioitiin. Kotikieliryhmät eivät eronneet toisistaan tilastollisesti merkitsevästi matemaattisen sanaston osaamisessa. Tutkimus antaa uutta tietoa esiopetusikäisten L2-lasten matemaattisen sanaston osaamisen yksilöllisistä eroista, mitä voidaan hyödyntää heidän matemaattisten taitojen kehityksen tukemisessa ja tuen tarpeen arvioinnissa. Mathematical vocabulary in kindergarten-aged children who speak Finnish as a second language Children learning Finnish as a second language (L2) have weaker mathematical skills than native Finnish speakers, and mathematical vocabulary plays a key role in this development. In this study, we investigated the mathematical vocabulary of kindergarten-aged L2 children and analysed the relationship between age, gender, home language and duration of participation in early childhood education and mathematical vocabulary. The data were collected from kindergarten-aged L2-children (N = 100) from kindergartens in the Helsinki metropolitan area. The mathematical vocabulary was assessed using the SMST Picture Vocabulary Test. Results show clear individual differences in mathematical vocabulary knowledge, partially explained by children’s age and the duration of their participation in Finnish early childhood education. There were no statistically significant differences in mathematical vocabulary between girls and boys after controlling for the effect of age. There were no differences in the home language groups in mathematical vocabulary. This study provides new evidence on individual differences in the mathematical vocabulary knowledge of kindergarten-aged L2 children, which can be used to support the development of their mathematical skills and to evaluate the need for educational support.
Opetusharjoittelun rooli opettajankoulutuksessa on merkittävä, sillä oppituntien suunnittelu, toteuttaminen ja reflektio ovat keskeinen osa opetustyötä. Kehitimme opetusharjoittelua varten didaktisen tuntisuunnitelmalomakkeen, joka tarjoaa opettajaopiskelijoille erilaisia vaihtoehtoja opetuksen toteuttamiseen ja pyrkii siten monipuolistamaan opetusharjoittelussa pidettyjä oppitunteja. Tutkimukseen osallistuneet matemaattisten aineiden aineenopettajaopiskelijat (N=18) luovuttivat tutkimusta varten kaikki pedagogisen opiskeluvuoden aikana tehdyt tuntisuunnitelmat. Analysoimme klusterianalyysin keinoin, millaisia vaihtoehtoja opettajaopiskelijat lomakkeesta tyypillisesti valitsevat. Tulosten mukaan tuntisuunnitelmat jakautuivat yleisyysjärjestyksessä kolmeen pääkategoriaan: perinteiset, ongelmalähtöiset ja kokeelliset oppitunnit. Koska perinteisen oppitunnin piirteitä korostavia suunnitelmia laaditaan opetusharjoittelussa turhankin paljon, kyseisten suunnitelmien määrää pienentämällä voisi opetusharjoittelukokemusta monipuolistaa. Didaktisen tuntisuunnitelmalomakkeen instrumentilla on potentiaalia tutkia opetusharjoittelua systemaattisesti, ja sitä voidaan laajentaa myös muihin opettajankoulutusyksiköihin ja oppiaineisiin. STEM subject teacher training: What kind of lessons are planned in teaching practice? Abstract: The role of teaching practice in teacher education is significant, as lesson planning, implementation and reflection are a central part of teaching work. We developed a didactic lesson plan form for teaching practice, which offers teacher students different options for implementing teaching and thus aims to diversify the lessons held in teaching practice. The mathematics subject teacher students who participated in the study (N=18) submitted all lesson plans made during the pedagogical study year for the study. We analyzed using cluster analysis what options student teachers typically choose from the form. According to the results, the lesson plans were divided into three main categories in order of prevalence: traditional, problem-based and experimental lessons. Since majority of the plans emphasize the features of a traditional lesson, the teaching practice experience could be diversified by reducing the number of such plans. The didactic lesson plan form instrument has the potential to systematically study teaching practice and can also be extended to other teacher education units and subjects. Keywords: Teacher education, teaching practice, lesson plans, STEM-subjects, assessment and development
The aim of this systematic review is to examine the possibilities of incorporating music education into STEAM education. The review was conducted and reported in accordance with the PRISMA statement and examines the ways in which music is used as part of STEAM and the role of music in STEAM processes across different educational contexts. A systematic search was carried out in January 2025 in four databases: EBSCO, Scopus, Pro Quest Social Science Premium Collection, and ScienceDirect. The inclusion criteria comprised peer-reviewed articles, dissertations, and empirical studies published in English between 2015 and 2025 that addressed educational contexts from primary school to higher education and incorporated music education within a STEAM context. Exclusion criteria included studies involving children under primary school age, pedagogical texts, conference presentations, therapeutic contexts, research without musical activities, and publications before 2015. Seventeen studies were selected for the extraction phase, two of which did not fully meet the eligibility criteria: one involved preschool-aged students and one was not peer-reviewed. Due to the limited number of available studies, these were included because they addressed musical activities within STEAM in a school context. The data were analysed using thematic and theory-informed qualitative synthesis, drawing on frameworks of interdisciplinarity, pedagogical integration, and aesthetics. The results indicate that music can be integrated into STEAM in multiple ways, including music theory learning, playing, singing, composing, and bodily musical expression. The role of music ranged from a motivational element supporting learning to a phenomenon under study within the STEAM process. However, not all music-related activities identified in the reviewed studies included aesthetic or creative expression, and the heterogeneity and limited number of studies constrain the generalisability of the findings. The review was not registered.
The mathematics teaching that young students encounter affects not only the mathematics they are given the opportunity to learn but also their view of what mathematics is, how mathematics is taught, and how they view their own ability to learn mathematics. In this article, we explore how six-year-old students’ participation in an intervention focused on problem solving and problem posing is associated with differences in their views of what it means to be taught and to learn mathematics. We compare drawings of mathematics classrooms created by students from different classes, some of whom had participated in the intervention and others who had not. The results reveal notable differences in the actors and objects included in the drawings. The control group commonly drew textbooks, teachers, and mathematical symbols, whereas the intervention group also depicted other aspects, such as collaborative settings and manipulatives. Thus, a more diverse view of mathematics education appeared in the drawings of the students who participated in the intervention. We argue that these differences may be related to students’ experience with problem solving and problem posing, as well as to critical aspects of these activities, such as creativity and autonomy.
