Peer-reviewed article
From active joining to child-led participation: A new approach to examine participation in teaching practice
Reetta Niemi ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined how student teachers in Finland implemented multidisciplinary learning modules and the forms of student participation they supported. Researchers analysed teaching practices used by four third-year student teachers in a teacher training school through interviews and field notes. The study found that most practices supported active joining and collaborative participation, while artistic activities supported child-oriented participation, but no practices achieved child-led participation.
Key points
- Most teaching practices supported active joining and collaborative forms of participation
- Artistic learning outcomes were associated with child-oriented participation
- No teaching practices observed supported child-led participation
- Student teachers learned to analyse different forms of participation in their teaching
- The study used semi-structured group interviews and field note diaries as data collection methods
Limitations
The study involved only four student teachers in one teacher training school context, so findings may not generalise beyond this setting. The document does not provide quantitative data on the frequency or magnitude of different participation forms observed.
Abstract
Background: The new core curriculum for basic education in Finland emphasises the interrelation between learners’ participation and multidisciplinary learning. Each learner must be provided with an opportunity to join at least one multidisciplinary learning module each year. Hence, student teachers also implement a multidisciplinary learning module as part of their teaching practice at the University of Helsinki. Aim: In this article, I describe how two multidisciplinary learning modules were implemented by four third-year student teachers in a teacher training school and how they were educated to analyse the different forms of participation in their teaching. Setting: The research question of this article is as follows: How do different teaching practices used in multidisciplinary learning modules support learners’ participation? Methods: The data of this study consist of two documentation forms: two semi-structured group interviews and a field note diary. Results: The results showed that most of the practices used in multidisciplinary learning modules supported an active joining form of participation and a collaborative form of participation. In the multidisciplinary learning modules, a child-oriented form of participation was supported through practices that related to creating artistic learning outcomes; however, no practices supported a child-led form of participation . Conclusion: In this study, the student teachers learned to analyse the different forms of participation in their teaching. Nevertheless, more data about the workability of the mentoring method in other contexts are needed.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Implementation of multidisciplinary learning modules by student teachers, with education on how to analyse different forms of participation in their teaching
- Population
- Four third-year student teachers and their learners in a teacher training school in Finland
Key finding
Most practices supported active joining and collaborative participation