During my TET internship from the 10th to the 14th of November, I had the privilege of undertaking my TET experience here at the Faculty of Educational Sciences at the University of Helsinki. I have developed new skills, worked with researchers, and gained a valuable understanding of what it is like to be at the University of Helsinki and a researcher, while being supported by a kind and welcoming research group.
I have also developed a better understanding of the Faculty of Educational Science through exploring its website and learned more about their projects, such as Active Early Numeracy, as well as the researchers, doctoral assistants, and research assistants involved in the research group. I was fortunate enough to meet and work together with a few of them. Everyone was very cheerful, energetic, and welcoming, and the atmosphere was very positive.
One of my activities involved collecting data received from educational games on the Google Play Store. After gathering the information, I provided a detailed explanation, analyzing and evaluating it through several categories while organizing the data in a structured table. I have interpreted them through categories such as the game’s features that entice kids to play, our own personal observations of the game, and the kind of mathematical thinking involved, including arithmetic, word problems, comparison, geometry, patterns, and number lines. We also verified the language options in each game to determine if they were limited by language barriers. Additionally, I noted the target age of the game and identified its developer, and explored how they got revenue, such as through advertisements or in-app purchases. Furthermore, I also provided reviews through my own experience as well as others’ on the Google Play Store. Through this, we verified if the game’s claim was good for children. I have also utilized and improved in using various digital tools such as Excel and Google Sheets while doing this.
During my internship, I also attended a lecture about quantitative research methods. I learnt about reliability and acquired a rough understanding of the different types, such as test reliability, which checks if a test provides stable and repeated results, reflecting that the results are reliable. Frankly, at first, I had the impression that lectures were very tense, but when I went there, it felt really calm. Although I did not fully understand all the concepts (especially the math), it was a valuable experience and gave me an overall idea of what lectures are like as well. It was also great that while I was not part of the lecture, I could take pictures of the research paper and read it. It was informational and interesting. I also learnt that some lectures are recorded, so that people who are not in the lecture class or hall physically might be at home listening and learning. I found this really convenient and nice, as you can learn something anywhere, and you would not miss a lesson. However, it is still better to be there physically, in case you have questions.
I have also designed course materials for master’s students here at the University of Helsinki using PowerPoint. Through this, I have developed skills in PowerPoint and gained a general understanding of factor analysis and programs such as Jamovi through reading the PowerPoint. Not only did I receive the opportunity to read the course materials, but I also put them into practice. In the master’s course on Quantitative Research, part 2, I could listen and participate in the course. It was extremely fun and interesting and unlike anything I have ever done before. I credit my progress to my supervisor Natalia, as the material was extremely comprehensive, easy to understand, and follow. I learnt how to install Jamovi and gained an understanding of what the software does. Using the data provided, I learnt how to manipulate data through filtering so that only data that meets the specific condition is shown, and the rest is excluded. I also learnt the various functions of Jamovi and what each button does. Additionally, I learnt various vocabulary, such as what “mean” means, and understood the difference between nominal, ordinal, and continuous data. I practiced assigning variables according to whether they are nominal, ordinal, or continuous, which generated descriptive statistics. It displayed the results through a table with various values, such as the mean or median of a variable. Jamovi also displayed frequency tables, but I learnt that frequency tables can be used for nominal and ordinal data, but not for continuous data. It also allowed for bar graphs, which made it easier to compare. I also learned how to compute a new variable by specifying a formula, which then allows you to create a compound variable (formed by combining other variables). I also understood that to make a formula, you can use the existing variables, arithmetic, or logical expressions. Then, a new column with the compound variable is made. This experience was extremely educational, fun, and I am inspired to try this again at home.
I also participated in a meeting with a research group for planning a conference and got to experience first/hand what it was like to be in a meeting, as well as how they discussed together to ensure that the conference goes smoothly, and gave their own personal opinions on how to improve and the weaknesses. I was surprised by how much work researchers put into the planning, and that is not including the actual execution, too.
Even in the lunches we had with our supervisor, I learnt something new every day. Through our discussion, I realized that credible information in research papers can contain inaccuracies, especially if it is related to something subjective. Consequently, it is vital to search for information from several reliable sources instead of relying on a single piece of paper. It offers us a wider range of views, evidence, and perspectives for us to analyze. I have also learnt about the long process of publishing an article. It is a process where a researcher proofreads their paper for grammar, formatting, and clarity before submitting it to reviewers. The reviewers then evaluate it and provide the author with feedback to improve their work. This is a repeated process that occurs anonymously, so that there is no bias. This process might take an entire year. Additionally, I learnt that being a researcher is not only about research but also about finance. Sometimes, researchers may require funding for their work. I also learnt that being a researcher requires resilience as well as excellent time-management skills to juggle many things immediately, while ensuring they are done before the due date.
While completing these activities, I also collaborated with another intern from Espoo International School. We worked together in most of the activities, helping and communicating with each other, and showing great teamwork skills. I also interacted with our research group. They were extremely kind and helpful, especially my supervisor Natalia, who helped us when we were in doubt. The atmosphere of the research group was positive, cheerful, and welcoming. Veikko and Anne, who were also part of the research group with Professor Natalia, were also very kind, and we would often talk actively during lunch. It was overall a great experience at the University of Helsinki. I have done a wide range of tasks, from collecting data, designing course materials, and gaining a fundamental insight into how to use Jamovi, an advanced statistical software. I experienced various things, such as a lecture and meetings, while working with another TET intern. I am grateful to be accepted into the University of Helsinki, and this has been a fun and educational journey. If I have another opportunity to work there, I would definitely go for it.