Centre for Research on Lifelong Learning and Education CELE

Comparative and International Education Research Group (CIERG)

The emphasis of the work of the CIERG lies on guidance and supervision of doctoral theses, creation of scientific knowledge and construction of profound understanding in the field of comparative education. The salient aim of the research group is to support doctoral and postdoctoral research. The studies conducted within this research domain cover various topics from early childhood education to higher education, spread geographically across all continents and seek to contribute to the latest scientific discourses in comparative research.The group promotes scientific thinking and acquisition of advanced research skills, and, based on the foregoing, conducts in-depth research in the field of comparative and international education.

Research Group Members

Johanna Kallo, Postdoctoral Researcher

Risto Rinne, Professor

Olli Suominen, Doctoral Candidate

Zhou Xingguo, Doctoral Candidate

Suvi Jokila, Doctoral Candidate

Elizabeth Eta, Project Researcher

Kalypso Filippou, Doctoral Candidate

Sevcan Hakyemez-Paul, Doctoral Candidate

Gabriel Ezechukwu, Doctoral Student

Hannu Simola, Professor

Fazal Rizvi, Visiting Professor

Larimatti Teelmäki, Doctoral Student

Adrita Ghosh, Doctoral Student

CELE Research Group for Educational Policy, Equality and Justice

The research group of educational policy, equality and justice at CELE promotes a wide range of research on educational policy, politics, governance, educational systems, equality and justice in education, and the educational trajectories of young people. The research group’s main focus is on internationally comparative and cross-disciplinary perspectives. The group brings together CELE researchers who are in different career stages and possess a broad range of methodological expertise.

The members of the group are active in applying research funding that it uses to conduct its projects and promote international mobility. The group promotes the writing of doctoral theses, publishing, postdoctoral careers, and disseminates its research results both inside and outside academia. The members of the group collaborate with various national and international research projects as well as with education policy makers and other educational stakeholders.

This research group is currently host to two international research projects that are funded by the Academy of Finland for 2017–2021:

• Education Systems, Learning and Social Change: A Comparative Longitudinal Study on Young People’s Educational Trajectories and Learning of the 21st Century Skills in Europe, Australia, South America and North America (EduSys). PI: Associate Professor Tero Järvinen.
• Hollowing Out of Public Education Systems? Private Actors in Compulsory Schooling in Finland, Sweden and New Zealand (HOPES). PI: Professor Piia Seppänen.

Research Group Members

Tero Järvinen, Associate Professor

Piia Seppänen, Professor

Anna-Kaisa Berisha, Doctoral Candidate

Taina Heinonen, Doctoral Candidate

Sonia Lempinen, Postdoctoral Researcher

Katariina Löfblom, University Teacher

Marja-Liisa Mäkelä, Doctoral Candidate

Aino Nevalainen, Doctoral Candidate

Elina Nikula, University Teacher

Jenni Tikkanen, Project Researcher

Piia af Ursin, Senior Researcher

Markku Vanttaja, University Research Fellow

Junghyun Yoon, Doctoral Candidate

Lisbeth Lundahl, Visiting Professor

Fazal Rizvi, Visiting Professor

Linda Rönnberg, Senior Researcher

CELE Research Group for University and Higher Education

The research group gathers together researchers who are interested in higher education in the societal, political and cultural context from national and international perspective. HE in its different forms and levels is examined in the context of global and national higher education policy and politics as well as in the context of transformations and organisational change of HE institutions. Theoretically the research relies on the policy studies, socio-historical and sociocultural research traditions as well as practice theory. Both quantitative and qualitative methods are applied versatilely. The main research fields cover 1) HE policy and governance, 2) Academic work, 3) Access and widening the participation in HE, 4) Student engagement and agency, 5) Graduate employability and labour market trajectories.

The group promotes doctoral thesis writing, publishing, postdoctoral careers and disseminates research results.

The research group is host to one research project (HighEmploy) funded by the Academy of Finland for 2018–2022 and one sub development project (TRY) funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture of Finland for 2018–2020

• Higher Education Graduates' Employability and Social Positioning in the Labour Market (HighEmploy). PI: Associate Professor Ulpukka Isopahkala-Bouret
• Alternative Paths to University (TRY). PI: Professor Arto Jauhiainen. Project manager: Postdoctoral Researcher Nina Haltia.

Research Group Members

Arto Jauhiainen, Professor

Ulpukka Isopahkala-Bouret, Associate Professor

Annukka Jauhiainen, Lecturer

Hanna Laalo, Doctoral Candidate

Raakel Plamper, Doctoral Candidate

Hanna Nori, University Research Fellow

Marja Peura, Doctoral Candidate

Kristiina Ojala, Postdoctoral Researcher

Mikko Aro, Postdoctoral Researcher

Yoojin Kim, Doctoral Candidate

Mervi Lahtomaa, Project Researcher

CELE Research Group for Adult Life

Researchers related to CELE have been conducting adult education research since the 1980s with historical and registry data, as well as survey methods. The subject of research on Adult Education, Lifelong Learning and Working Life (Adult Life -research group) within CELE is understood broadly, with approaches derived from of historical, sociological and education policy research. The focus is not only in adult education and learning. Today, adult life – especially related to knowledge and skills, thinking and behavior of citizens’ – is subject to a wide range of expectations, demands and influence attempts. Knowledge, skills and attitudes required from the citizen as an employee, consumer and political actor, as well as a member of the family and many other communities, are constantly changing. The Adult Life research group approaches these changing and often conflicting demands and lifelong learning from various perspectives. On the one hand, learning and training opportunities and needs for citizens living in different social classes and in different socio-cultural conditions are being studied. On the other hand, lifelong learning and lifelong learning policies are analysed with tools of governmental analytics, whereby lifelong learning, with its demands, is approached as governing of the population and individual subjects, as governing of thinking and action. The Adult Life research group is actively following the policies of lifelong learning at both national and international levels.

Research Group Members

Heikki Silvennoinen, Professor

Heikki Kinnari, Doctoral Candidate

Nina Haltia, Postdoctoral Researcher

Anne Laiho, University Lecturer

Outi Lietzén, Doctoral Candidate

Tiina Tuijula, University Lecturer

Anna Eskola, Doctoral Student

Eeva Hörkkö, Doctoral Student

Susan Porkka, Doctoral Student

Mari Sundström, Doctoral Student

Heli Tirri, Doctoral Student

Elina Uusitalo, Doctoral Student

Inclusive and Special Education

Inclusive and special education studies focus on individual, community and societal levels. We acknowledge the importance to see need of support in wider context but not forgetting the individual factors. The research in this group varies from disability studies to immigrant studies, from medical model to social model and from early childhood to adulthood. We have both cross-sectional, longitudinal and intervention studies. Both quantitative and qualitative paradigms are represented.

Main research themes are as follows:

• Special education and inclusive school reform – values, policy and implementation in school level
• Social and emotional difficulties / challenging behavior
• Learning and learning difficulties
• Intervention studies

Research Group Members

Joel Kivirauma, Professor

Päivi Pihlaja, University Research Fellow

Minna Kyttälä, University Lecturer

Lilja Aikio, University Teacher

Marja-Liisa Mäkelä, Doctoral Candidate

Marianna Heinonen, Project Researcher

Members of the board of the Centre for Research on Lifelong Learning and Education CELE (term 1.1.2018–31.12.2019)

Professor Joel Kivirauma, chairman (Department of Education)
Professor Veli-Matti Ritakallio, vice-chairman (Department of Social Research)
Professor Kari Teräs (Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tampere)
Professor Anne Kumpula (Faculty of Law)
Professor Piia Seppänen (Department of Education)
Professor Risto Rinne (Director of CELE, Department of Education)

Deputy member

Senior Researcher Juhani Tähtinen (Department of Education)

Secretary

Planning officer Jaakko Kuha (Research development)