Student teachers’ experiences of using technologies to communicate their master’s theses in a popular scientific way – an innovative approach from Finnish teacher education

• In Event: Innovations in Nordic Teacher Education: Examples of integrating Digital Technologies for innovations

Abstract

Finland’s research-based teacher education aims to produce reflective, professional teachers who can base their teaching on research prin¬ciples and successfully use them to address the profession’s practical chal¬lenges (Krokfors et al., 2011; Tirri, 2014; Toom et al., 2010). The teaching profession is characterized by professional autonomy and teachers have gained trust, status and respect in Finnish society. The education is greatly appreciated and newly qualified teachers find that they have a stable foundation on which to build (Aspfors & Eklund, 2017). However, according to previous research teachers find it difficult to apply research-based knowledge to their day-to-day work. Here, the challenge is how to balance research-oriented activities, including the master’s thesis, in a way that promotes teachers’ professional development (Eklund, Aspfors & Hansèn, 2019; Husu & Toom, 2016; Sjølie, 2014).
In this study, the focus is on how technologies can be utilized to promote the professional development of future Finnish teachers. More specifically, the aim is to investigate student teachers’ experiences of using technologies to communicate their master’s theses in a popular scientific way to schools and school communities. The study poses three research questions:
1. How do student teachers experience the use of technologies?
2. How do student teachers experience the communication of their master’s theses in a popular scientific way?
3. How do student teachers experience the relation with schools and school communities?
60 student teachers participated in a campus-based course aimed at supporting them to use different kinds of technologies to communicate the main ideas behind their written master’s theses in a popular scientific way. All the students made video pitches as used digital materials in their thesis work. The digital products were available online and could be used by schools and school communities. The students also completed a SWOT analysis, wrote logbooks and evaluated two other students’ digital products. In the study, the following empirical materials were collected and analysed: the students’ SWOT analyses, video pitches, digital materials and logbooks. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the students’ experiences, qualitative interviews were carried out with ten of the student teachers.
In the presentation, the student teachers’ experiences of using technologies to communicate their master’s theses in a popular scientific way to schools and school communities will be highlighted. The results show that students express a wide range of positive and negative opinions about their understanding of the use of technologies, the communication of their master’s theses in a popular scientific way and the relation with schools and school communities. The results are further discussed in terms of how innovations and technologies can be utilized in order to promote the professional development of future teachers. Finally, a deeper dialogue about the development of a more digitalized teacher education will be initiated. Critical and constructive comments will be presented, together with suggestions about how to further develop teacher education in an international context.

Authors

• Jessica Aspfors, Abo Akademi University

• Gunilla Maria Eklund, Åbo Akademi University

• John Henriksson, Abo Academy University