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

Elizabeth Eta, PhD

Gabriel Ezechukwu, Doctoral Candidate

Kalypso Filippou, PhD

Sevcan Hakyemez-Paul, PhD

Suvi Jokila, Doctoral Candidate

Hannu Simola, Professor Emeritus

Olli Suominen, Doctoral Candidate

Xingguo Zhou, PhD

Fazal Rizvi, Visiting Professor

Adrita Ghosh, Doctoral Candidate

Larimatti Teelmäki, Doctoral Candidate

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: 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, Professor

Piia Seppänen, Professor

Anna-Kaisa Berisha, Doctoral Candidate

Taina Heinonen, Doctoral Candidate

Mira Kalalahti, Collegium Researcher

Sonia Lempinen, University Teacher

Katariina Löfblom, University Teacher

Marja-Liisa Mäkelä, PhD

Aino Nevalainen, Doctoral Candidate

Elina Nikula, Doctoral Candidate

Jenni Tikkanen, Senior Researcher

Piia af Ursin, Senior Researcher

Markku Vanttaja, University Research Fellow

Junghyun Yoon, PhD

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

Nina Haltia, Postdoctoral Researcher

Heikki Kinnari, Doctoral Candidate

Anne Laiho, University Lecturer

Outi Lietzén, Doctoral Candidate

Tiina Tuijula, University Lecturer

Anna Eskola, Doctoral Candidate

Eeva Hörkkö, Doctoral Candidate

Susan Porkka, Doctoral Candidate

Mari Sundström, Doctoral Candidate

Heli Tirri, Doctoral Candidate

Elina Uusitalo, Doctoral Candidate

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

Päivi Pihlaja, Docent, University Research Fellow

Joel Kivirauma, Professor (emeritus)

Marianna Heinonen, Project Researcher

Heli Ketovuori, Doctoral Candidate

Jaana Kiviluote, Postdoctoral Researcher

Minna Kyttälä, Associate Professor

Paula Laakso, Doctoral Candidate

Sonia Lempinen, University Teacher

Marja-Liisa Mäkelä, PhD

Miina Orell, Doctoral Candidate

Suvi Puolakka, Project Researcher

Piia af Ursin, Senior Researcher

Susanna Valkama, Doctoral Candidate