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Teaching in relations-event 

Come and meet new honorary doctor of the Faculty of Education and Psychology, prof. Geert Kelchtermans! Unpacking and Redefining Changing Relationships in Teachers’ Work (RELA)-project, in which prof. Kelchtermans is a collaborator, is organizing an event on 21^st of May at 12.00-15.00 at Linnanmaa campus (LO124). 

The event “Teaching in relations” consists of an interview with prof. Kelchtermans, panel presentations and discussion. Coffee, tea and snacks will be served. For that, please register https://link.webropolsurveys.com/S/4A928D34B6988D25 by 8^th of May. 

Unpacking and Redefining Changing Relationships in Teachers’ Work (RELA) -project examines teachers’ changing work and the meaning of it for different relationships in basic education. The project is funded by the Academy of Finland (2020–2024) and conducted by Minna Uitto (PI), Sonja Lutovac (Co-PI), Virve Keränen (postdoctoral researcher), Anniina Kettunen (doctoral researcher), and Minna Körkkö (collaborating postdoctoral researcher) 

Prof. Geert Kelchtermans is a world-renowned researcher in the field of education sciences and teacher education. His research focuses on topics such as innovation processes in the field of education and the work life of teachers, with an emphasis on organisational, social and material working conditions. Kelchtermans has a long-term connection with the University of Oulu. He has actively collaborated with researchers in the Faculty of Education and Psychology. 

We are now looking for a postdoctoral researcher to work for the project ‘Pre-service Teachers Navigate Teachers’ Changing Work and Its Relationality (NAVI). Application should be submitted by 27.2.2022 23:59.

Click link below for more information!

https://rekry.saima.fi/certiahome/open_job_view.html?did=5600&jc=1&id=000012683&lang=fi

The research project ‘Pre-service Teachers Navigate Teachers’ Changing Work and Its Relationality’ (NAVI) received funding from Eudaimonia institute in the University of Oulu!

The project will occur at the University of Oulu (2022–2025) in collaboration with the research project ‘Unpacking and Redefining Changing Relationships in Teachers’ Work’ (RELA) funded by the Academy of Finland. NAVI-project will focus on pre-service teachers’ sense-making of teachers’ changing work and its relationality.

See more https://www.oulu.fi/en/university/faculties-and-units/eudaimonia-institute

Over the past year, we have had a possibility to interview school teachers for our research material. The interview material has now been compiled and we have started analyzing the material. Work on the analysis will continue next year. Interesting themes that have emerged from the material have been, for example, the student-teacher relationships, the hectic nature of the teacher’s work and how multidimensional it is today.

We have done a lot of preliminary work and planning for gathering the next research material, but like many other projects, we have had to be flexible in our plans because of the corona pandemic. We hope to be able to implement our plans next year.

Many thanks to Unna and Marita, trainees who were in the RELA project and whose training ended in early December. Good luck with your master’s theses!

Holiday wishes,

Minna, Sonja, Virve and Anniina

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Teachers, teaching and educational communities (TTEC) arranged its annual symposium virtually. The topic for this year were research and research results regarding teachers, teaching, educational communities and teacher education. The virtual nature of the symposium made it possible for people to follow the presentations, whether it be from their workplaces or remote workstations from around the world.

RELA -project was presented in the symposium. RELA challenges the views of teacher’s work’s relations and it charts the changes of teacher’s work nowadays. Discussion was created of the importance to listen to the experiences of teachers and also of the teacher’s relations amidst changes and action.

Teacher education has changed when it comes to interaction, teaching and learning. Digitalization and remote teaching are topical issues in teacher education and important when it comes to the research of teacher education. The structures and resources of teacher education influence professional development and also the interactive relationship between instructive teacher and the student when developing into a professional.

There was also arisen the important topic which handled equality, responsibility and love towards children. Inequality and bullying are still problems. Teacher’s ability to recognize the sub-areas needed for supporting a student, require understanding and tools.

Text: RELA trainees Antti Salminen and Saana-Lotta Korkala

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Hi! We are Antti and Saana, master’s degree students in the Faculty of Education at University of Oulu. We are trainees in the RELA -research project.

The RELA -project provides a wide range of opportunities to explore and participate in research. In this project we have been able to use our experience, learn new about research and do teamwork with the researchers in the project.

Antti’s leisure activities include swimming, skiing and playing video games and board games. Some of these hobbies have been on a break due to the pandemic. Saana spends her leisure time jogging in forest and training agility with her Dutch shepherd dogs, Ove (the darker and bigger dog) and Hannes (the black and white puppy dog). The dogs are Schapendoes breed.

Antti will graduate with a master’s degree in Education during this spring and in his master’s thesis he is studying the effectiveness of bullying intervention programs in Nordic countries. Saana will first graduate with a master’s degree of Arts by May, as well as a subject teacher of Swedish, German and health education. Her master’s thesis is studying group development and group dynamics of subject teachers of Swedish and German in teaching practice. The master’s thesis is written in Swedish. Alongside she studies master’s degree in Education and the subject of her master’s thesis deals with learning, learning perceptions, teaching foreign languages and teachers’ work.

The graduating is getting close and we both aim to work on further research. Being part of the RELA -project has strengthened our belief that we want to do educational research.

Hello teacher working in basic education!

What changes have you encountered in your work as a teacher? What kind of work environment is today’s school? How do the relationships in a teacher’s work look to you? In the RELA project, we are interested in the changes in teachers’ work and the significance of these changes for the different relationships of the work in Finnish basic education. The project, funded by the Academy of Finland, will be implemented at the University of Oulu in 2020-2024. The research material is collected by interviewing teachers.

We invite you to participate in the research and share your experiences of the changing working conditions and diverse relationships of teachers’ work. Your experiences and knowledge are paramount to the perception of teachers’ changing work and to the development of teacher education. By participating, you play a key role in creating an understanding of today’s teachers’ work.

There is no need to prepare for interviews; just being yourself is enough. Researchers will protect confidentiality and the names or jobs of the interviewees do not come up at any stage of the research process. The interviews are narrative and conversational.

We will be happy to answer any questions you may have. When you want to join the research, please contact us. The interview can also be conducted remotely.

On behalf of the project,

Anniina Holappa Research Assistant for the RELA project

anniina.holappa@oulu.fi, tel. 0505639655

For more information, please contact Minna Uitto, Principal Investigator; minna.uitto@oulu.fi