CELE is home to multidisciplinary and comparative research on lifelong learning and education.
CELE is an international and interdisciplinary research centre on comparative education, sociology and policy of education and research on higher education, inclusive education and lifelong learning.
The research that we conduct focuses on the following areas:
- Sociology of Education
- Politics of Education
- Comparative International Education
- University and Higher Education
- Lifelong Learning and Adult Education
- History of Education
Our Research Groups
Comparative and International Education Research Group
The emphasis of the work of the Comparative and International Education Research Group 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, Academy Research Fellow
Risto Rinne, Professor Emeritus
Elizabeth Eta, PhD
Gabriel Ezechukwu, Doctoral Candidate
Kalypso Filippou, PhD
Sevcan Hakyemez-Paul, PhD
Suvi Jokila, PhD
Hannu Simola, Professor Emeritus
Olli Suominen,PhD
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.
Research Group Members
Tero Järvinen, Professor
Piia Seppänen, Professor
Anna-Maija Niemi, University Research Fellow
Aino Nevalainen, Doctoral Researcher
Elina Nikula, Doctoral Researcher
Fazal Rizvi, Visiting Professor
Heli Tirri, Doctoral Researcher
Iida Kiesi, Doctoral Researcher
Jaakko Honkanen, Doctoral Researcher
Jenni Tikkanen, Postdoctoral Researcher
Kaspian Herrala, Doctoral Researcher
Katariina Löfblom, Senior Researcher, Doctoral Researcher
Larimatti Teelmäki, Doctoral Researcher
Lisbeth Lundahl, Visiting Professor
Linda Rönnberg, Senior Researcher
Mari Siipola, Project Researcher
Markku Vanttaja, University Research Fellow
Nina Nivanaho, Doctoral Researcher
Piia af Ursin, Research Coordinator
Sonia Lempinen, University Teacher
Suvi Jokila, Postdoctoral Researcher
Taina Heinonen, Doctoral Researcher
Terhi Pasu, Project Researcher, Doctoral 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, Professor
Annukka Jauhiainen, Lecturer
Hanna Laalo, PhD
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
Päivi Siivonen, Professor
Nina Haltia, Postdoctoral Researcher
Heikki Kinnari, PhD
Hanna Laalo, PhD
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
Minna Kyttälä, Associate Professor
Anna-Maija Niemi, University Research Fellow
Joel Kivirauma, Professor Emeritus
Minna Saarinen, University Lecturer
Marianna Heinonen, University Teacher, Doctoral Researcher
Johanna Mäki-Havulinna, University Teacher
Sonia Lempinen, University Teacher
Outi Arvola, Post-doctoral Researcher
Milla rantamäki, Project Researcher, Doctoral Researcher
Susanna Valkama, Doctoral Researcher
Paula Laakso, Doctoral Researcher
Marja Junttila, Doctoral Researcher
Laura Heimo, Doctoral Researcher
Maija Gerke, Doctoral Researcher
Head of Centre for Research on Lifelong Learning and Education CELE
Recent publications
Shaping alternative education for all: Baden-Powell's affiliation network of educational reformers, 1900-1939 (2022)
Student-as-customer discourse as a challenge to equality in Finnish higher education – the case of non-fee-paying and fee-paying master's degree students (2022)
Governing the Life Course through Lifelong Learning: A Multilevel and Multidimensional View (2022)
Opettajaksi opiskelevien käsityksiä oppimisen ja koulunkäynnin tuen arviointivastuun jakaantumisesta (2022)
You might also be interested in
Previous events
CELE research group Inclusive and Special Education seminar with Fulbright Scholar, Associate Professor Sean Wachsmuth, Minnesota State University, USA
9.15–9.30 Seminaarin avaus ja tutkimusryhmän esittely | apulaisprofessori Minna Kyttälä
9.30–10.30 Associate Professor Sean Wachsmuth: A Sample of American Intervention Research
10.30–11.00 Tohtorikoulutettava Marianna Heinonen: Sosiaalis-emotionaalinen tuen tarve – käsityksiä tutkimassa
11.00–11.30 Yliopistotutkija Anna-Maija Niemi: Erityisopetuksen ja erityisen tuen tarpeen merkitykset koulutuselämänkulun kerronnassa
11.30–12.00 Yliopistonlehtori Minna Saarinen: Itsenäisesti vai kavereiden perässä? Vertaissuhteet ja maahanmuuttotausta koulutusvalinnoissa
12.00–12.15 Tilaisuuden päätös
Centre for Research on Lifelong Learning and Education CELE, University of Turku, will organise 2nd December a discussion of UNESCO’s Futures of Education initiative report.
December 2, at 2–4 p.m. (EET) at the online-webinar
UNESCO will launch its long-awaited report 'Reimagining our futures together: a new social contract for education?' on 10th of November 2021. The UNESCO report asks us to rethink the ways in which knowledge, education and learning have the potential to address some of the most serious challenges we face in an increasingly complex, uncertain and fragile world. It expresses great confidence in education’s capacity to address issues of social fragmentation, strains to natural ecosystems, and threats to peaceful coexistence across cultural divides. While acknowledging that recent technological developments can enhance human welfare, the report also notes that these developments pose serious ethical concerns and challenges for governance. It invites us to reimagine a future in which a new social contract is negotiated,that puts education at the heart of our attempts to build peaceful, just, and sustainable futures for all.
How realistic is this agenda for transformation and how should we approach the work that needs to be done to realize the report’s bold aspirations?
You are most welcome to join a discussion of the challenges for education posed by this report, led by an international panel of experts:
Dr. Noah Sobe Senior Project Manager, UNESCO Futures of Education Initiative
Emeritus Professor and Visiting Professor Fazal Rizvi (University of Melbourne, University of Turku)
Professor Kristiina Brunila (University of Helsinki)
Academy Research Fellow Johanna Kallo (Academy of Finland, University of Turku).
Chair: Professor Piia Seppänen Director of Centre for Research on Lifelong Learning and Education CELE (University of Turku)
Programme
2 p.m. Event commences online
Dr. Noah Sobe: Introduction to the UNESCO report
Comments from Professor Fazal Rizvi, Professor Kristiina Brunila and
Academy Research Fellow Johanna Kallo
3:10 p.m.
Questions from audience
4 p.m.
Event concludes
3rd December at Educarium EDU 3 (Assistentinkatu 5)
10–11 My CELE friends: Get to know your colleagues
- explore the halls of 3rd Educarium and learn something new about your "CELE friends" by visiting
their doors | Ystäväkirjat ovilla
Open doors at CELE library & meeting room
12.00 Opening | Director of CELE, Professor Piia Seppänen
12.15 Lecture: Risk Society and Prospects of Lifelong Learning | Visiting Professor Fazal Rizvi (join online)
13.45 Professor talk: Koulutuskilvoittelu tasa-arvon haasteena – Positional competition is a challenge for egalitarian education | Professor Ulpukka Isopahkala-Bouret
14.00 Coffee
14.30 Book projects with national and international collaborators of CELE - Introducing three edited book projects (join online)
14.30–15.00 Fazal Rizvi, Bob Lingard and Risto Rinne (eds.) 2022: Reimagining globalization and education policy (Routledge)
15.00–15.30 Martin Thrupp, Piia Seppänen, Jaakko Kauko and Sonja Kosunen (eds.) 2022: Finland’s Famous Education System - Unvarnished insights into Finnish schooling (Springer)
15.30–16.00 Päivi Siivonen, Ulpukka Isopahkala-Bouret, Michael Tomlinson, Maija Korhonen, Nina Haltia and Katri Komulainen (eds.) tba: Rethinking graduate employability in context. Discourse, policy and practice (negotiation Palgrave Macmillan)
16.00–16.15 Closing