Effectiveness of the KiVa Antibullying Program

According to the participant role approach (Salmivalli, Lagerspetz, Björkqvist, Österman, & Kaukiainen, 1996), bullying is a group phenomenon that is largely enabled and maintained by the classmates taking on different participant roles (e.g., reinforcers or assistants of the bully). There is, however, very little evidence on whether the bystander behaviors actually have an effect on the risk for victimization. Furthermore, the participant role approach implies that the bystanders should be used in putting an end to bullying. This view has been put into practice in the KiVa antibullying program, but it has not yet been investigated whether the program is effective. Four studies were conducted to investigate, (a) whether the behaviors of bystanders have an effect on the risk for victimization (Study I) and (b) whether the KiVa program reduces bullying and victimization and has other beneficial effects as well (Studies II–IV). The participants included large samples of elementary and lower secondary school students (Grades 1–9) from Finland. The assessments were done with web-based questionnaires including questions about bullying and victimization (both self- and peer reports), and about several bullying-related constructs. The results of this thesis suggest that bystander behaviors in bullying situations may influence the risk for victimization of vulnerable students. Moreover, the results indicate that the KiVa antibullying program is effective in reducing victimization and bullying. The program effects are larger in elementary schools than in lower secondary schools, whereas in Grades 8 and 9, they are larger for boys than girls for some peer-reported outcomes. The magnitude of the overall effects can be considered practically significant when obtained in a large-scale dissemination of the program.

Lounais-Suomen ympäristöohjelma 2010–2013 : Ohjelmakauden 2007–2012 välitarkistus

Lounais-Suomen ympäristöohjelma on ohjelmakauden 2007–2012 välitarkistus. Se toteuttaa lyhyellä aikavälillä Lounais-Suomenympäristöstrategiaa 2020. Ohjelma sisältää strategisten tavoitteiden saavuttamiseksi tarpeelliset tavoitteet ja toimenpiteet vuosille 2010–2013. Tarkistus on toteutettu alueen keskeisten toimijoiden laajana yhteistyönä. Toimenpiteiden toteuttajia ovat Varsinais-Suomen ja Satakunnan alueen kunnat ja muut julkishallinnon organisaatiot, toiminnanharjoittajat, järjestöt ja muut yhteisöt sekä asukkaat. Ympäristöohjelman tarkistuksessa korostuivat entistä enemmän ilmastonmuutokseen ja sitä kautta energiaan ja yhdyskuntarakenteeseen liittyvät asiat. Tarkistuksen yhteydessä päädyttiin jatkamaan ohjelmakautta vuodella eteenpäin, vuoteen 2013. Tarkistuksen yhteydessä toimenpiteitä päivitettiin ottaen huomioon tapahtuneet muutokset toteuttajatahoissa ja uudet sektorikohtaiset ohjelmat ja suunnitelmat. Ympäristöohjelman rakenne muutettiin strategian jaottelun mukaiseksi. Tästä poiketen ympäristötutkimusta ja -seurantaa käsiteltiin omana aiheena nimeten sille painopisteet sekä muut tavoitteet ja kehittämistarpeet. Ympäristöohjelman teemoina ovat pintavedet, ilmastonmuutos, pohjavedet ja maaperä, ympäristövastuullisuus ja ekotehokkuus, alueiden käyttö ja yhdyskuntarakenne, ympäristövaikutukset ja –riskit, luonnon monimuotoisuus, kulttuuriympäristö ja luonnonmaisema, elinympäristö, luonnonvarat sekä ympäristötutkimus ja ympäristön tilan seuranta. Ympäristöohjelma soveltuu työvälineeksi ja tueksi alueen toimijoiden laatiessa omia strategioita, ohjelmia ja toimintasuunnitelmiaan. Se toimii myös vahvana perusteena, kun hankkeille haetaan rahoitusta eri rahoituslähteistä. Ympäristöohjelman tarkistusta on rahoitettu maakuntien kehittämisrahalla Varsinais-Suomen liitosta ja Satakuntaliitosta. Muita rahoittajia ovat olleet Turun ja Porin kaupungit sekä Varsinais-Suomen ELY-keskus.

Proactive and Preventive Student Welfare Activities in Finnish Preschool and Elementary School: Handling of Transition to Formal Schooling and a National Anti-Bullying Program as Examples

Prerequisites and effects of proactive and preventive psycho-social student welfare activities in Finnish preschool and elementary school were of interest in the present thesis. So far, Finnish student welfare work has mainly focused on interventions and individuals, and the voluminous possibilities to enhance well-being of all students as a part of everyday school work have not been fully exploited. Consequently, in this thesis three goals were set: (1) To present concrete examples of proactive and preventive psycho-social student welfare activities in Finnish basic education; (2) To investigate measurable positive effects of proactive and preventive activities; and (3) To investigate implementation of proactive and preventive activities in ecological contexts. Two prominent phenomena in preschool and elementary school years—transition to formal schooling and school bullying—were chosen as examples of critical situations that are appropriate targets for proactive and preventive psycho-social student welfare activities. Until lately, the procedures concerning both school transitions and school bullying have been rather problem-focused and reactive in nature. Theoretically, we lean on the bioecological model of development by Bronfenbrenner and Morris with concentric micro-, meso-, exo- and macrosystems. Data were drawn from two large-scale research projects, the longitudinal First Steps Study: Interactive Learning in the Child–Parent– Teacher Triangle, and the Evaluation Study of the National Antibullying Program KiVa. In Study I, we found that the academic skills of children from preschool–elementary school pairs that implemented several supportive activities during the preschool year developed more quickly from preschool to Grade 1 compared with the skills of children from pairs that used fewer practices. In Study II, we focused on possible effects of proactive and preventive actions on teachers and found that participation in the KiVa antibullying program influenced teachers‘ self-evaluated competence to tackle bullying. In Studies III and IV, we investigated factors that affect implementation rate of these proactive and preventive actions. In Study III, we found that principal‘s commitment and support for antibullying work has a clear-cut positive effect on implementation adherence of student lessons of the KiVa antibullying program. The more teachers experience support for and commitment to anti-bullying work from their principal, the more they report having covered KiVa student lessons and topics. In Study IV, we wanted to find out why some schools implement several useful and inexpensive transition practices, whereas other schools use only a few of them. We were interested in broadening the scope and looking at local-level (exosystem) qualities, and, in fact, the local-level activities and guidelines, along with teacherreported importance of the transition practices, were the only factors significantly associated with the implementation rate of transition practices between elementary schools and partner preschools. Teacher- and school-level factors available in this study turned out to be mostly not significant. To summarize, the results confirm that school-based promotion and prevention activities may have beneficial effects not only on students but also on teachers. Second, various top-down processes, such as engagement at the level of elementary school principals or local administration may enhance implementation of these beneficial activities. The main message is that when aiming to support the lives of children the primary focus should be on adults. In future, promotion of psychosocial well-being and the intrinsic value of inter- and intrapersonal skills need to be strengthened in the Finnish educational systems. Future research efforts in student welfare and school psychology, as well as focused training for psychologists in educational contexts, should be encouraged in the departments of psychology and education in Finnish universities. Moreover, a specific research centre for school health and well-being should be established.

Kaivohuone : Toukokuun ohjelma. Brunn : Maj månads program

Ravintolan viihdeohjelmisto. Suomen- ja ruotsinkielinen.

Kaivohuone : Ohjelma. Brunn : Program : 1939 [kesäkuu]

Ravintolan viihdeohjelmisto. Ajalle 1.-30.6.1939. Suomen- ja ruotsinkielinen.

Kaivohuone : Ohjelma. Brunn : Program : 1939 [heinäkuu]

Ravintolan viihdeohjelmisto. Ajalle 1.-31.7.1939. Suomen- ja ruotsinkielinen.

Kaivohuone : Ohjelma. Brunn : Program : 1939 [toukokuu]

Ravintolan viihdeohjelmisto. Ajalle 1.-31.5.1939. Suomen- ja ruotsinkielinen.

Kaivohuone : Ohjelma. Brunn : Program : 1939 [elokuu]

Ravintolan viihdeohjelmisto. Ajalle 3.-31.8.1939. Suomen- ja ruotsinkielinen.

Kaivohuone : Ohjelma. Brunn : Program : 1939 [syyskuu]

Ravintolan viihdeohjelmisto. Ajalle 1.-9.9.1939. Suomen- ja ruotsinkielinen.

Kaivohuone : Juhlakausi : Kesäkuun ohjelma = 100 vuotta 1938 = Brunnshuset : Jubiläums-säsong : Juni-program : 100 år 1938 : [Kesäkuu]

Ravintolan viihdeohjelmisto, kesäkuu 1938. Suomen- ja ruotsinkielinen.

Kaivohuoneen ohjelma 15 – 25/8. Brunns Program 15 – 25/8

Ravintolan viihdeohjelmisto. Ajalle 15.-25.8.1937. Suomen- ja ruotsinkielinen.

Kaivohuoneen ohjelma 28 – 31/7 = Brunns Program 28 – 31/7

Ravintolan viihdeohjelmisto. Ajalle 28.-30.7.1937. Suomen- ja ruotsinkielinen.

Professional development among educators pursuing a B.Ed. program in special education in Tanzania : a study of motives and perceived outcomes

Implementation of different policies and plans aiming at providing education for all is a challenge in Tanzania. The need for educators and professionals with relevant knowledge and qualifications in special education is substantial. Teacher education does not equip educators with sufficient knowledge and skills in special education and professional development programs in special education are few in number. Up to 2005 no degree programs in special education at university level were available in Tanzania. The B.Ed. Special Education program offered by the Open University of Tanzania in collaboration with Åbo Akademi University in Finland was one of the efforts aimed at addressing the big national need for teachers and other professionals with degree qualifications in special education. This pilot program offered unique possibilities to study professional development in Tanzania. The research group in this study consisted of the group of students who participated in the degree program 2005-2007. The study is guided by three theoretical perspectives: individual, social and societal. The individual perspective emphasizes psychological factors as motives, motivation, achievement, self-directed behavior and personal growth. Within social perspective, professional development is viewed as situated within the social and cultural context. The third perspective, the societal, focuses on change, reforms, innovations and transformation of school systems and societies. Accordingly, professional development is viewed as an individual, social and societal phenomenon. The overall aim of the study is to explore the participants’ motives for participating in a B.Ed. Special Education program and the perceived outcomes of the program in terms of professional development. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, a case study approach was adopted. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were administered in three waves between January 2007 and February 2009 to the 35 educators participating in the B.Ed. Special Education program. The findings of the study reveal that the participants expressed motives which were related to job performance, knowledge, skills, academic degree and career. Also altruistic motives were expressed by the participants in terms of helping and supporting students with special needs and their communities. The perceived outcomes of the program were in line with the expressed motives. However, the results indicate that the participants also learned new skills, as interaction skills and guidance and counseling skills. Increased self-confidence was also mentioned as an outcome. The participants also got deepened understanding of disability issues. In addition, they learned strategies for creating awareness of persons with disability in the communities. Thus the findings of the study indicate positive outcomes of the program in terms of professional development. The conclusion of the study is that individual, social and societal factors interact when it comes to explaining why Tanzanian educators in special education choose to pursue a degree program in special education. The individual motives, as increased knowledge and better prospects of career development interact with the social and societal motives to help and support vulnerable student groups. The study contributes to increased understanding of the complexity of professional development and of the realities educators meet when educational reforms are implemented in a developing country.

Program för Finska Fältridtklubbens ridtävlingar söndagen den 9 oktober

12 x 26 cm