Researchers
Researchers of the LECI Expert Group
Kemal Ahson

Postdoctoral Researcher

Research themes

Assessing citizen engagement and participation in science and technology, exploring the use of 'space' and 'place' in different education and learning contexts, considering the role of digital (health) literacies and technologies, and investigating 'ecological imaginations' in children.

Find out more:

University of Helsinki Research Portal

    Contact information

    e-mail: kemal.ahson@helsinki.fi

    Mareike Bacha-Trams

    Postdoctoral researcher

    Research themes

    Social interaction, Critical thinking, Media Literacy, Perspective taking

    Current projects

    Studying news evaluation, peer feedback and critical thinking in adolescents

    Contact

    mareike.bacha-trams@helsinki.fi

    Yrjö Engeström

    Professor Emeritus, Research Director

    Director of the Center for Research on Activity, Learning and Development CRADLE

    Research themes

    Cultural-historical activity theory; theory and practice of expansive learning; methodology of formative interventions. 

    Current projects

    Learning in Productive Social Movements

    Find out more:

    University of Helsinki Research Portal

    Contact information

    E-mail: yrjo.engestrom@helsinki.fi

    Skype: yrjosaccount

    Jaakko Hilppö

    University Lecturer, PhD

    Research themes

    Children’s agency and sense of agency, children’s learning, development and everyday life, children’s projects, co-participatory methodology in research with children, Cultural-Historical Activity Theory

    Current projects

    Compassionate projects: new forms of children’s civic engagement (2019-2020, Academy of Finland)

    Find out more:

    Research hub CHiLD

    University of Helsinki Research Portal

    ResearchGate

    Twitter

    GoogleScholar

      Contact information

      E-mail: jaakko.hilppo@helsinki.fi

      Skype: Hilppo

      Tel: +358 40 533 4643

      Anu Kajamaa

      Expert Group Co-Leader

      PhD, Adjunct Professor, Principal Investigator

      Research themes

      Learning, development, organizational change, strategic change, organizational communication and collaboration, interprofessional working, sociocultural theories, activity theory and other practice based approaches, qualitative research methods, formative interventions and ethnography e.g. in the context of health care and social care, schools and entrepreneurship hubs.

      Current projects

      • The Playful Learning Center (PLC)
      • DigiChild
      • Learning by Making: The Educational Potential of School-Based Makerspaces for Young Learners' Digital Competencies (iMake) (Academy of Finland)
      • CO-LAB project: Improving collaborative working between correctional and mental health services (EU HORIZON 2020, MSCA-RISE, 2016-2020)

      Find out more:

      University of Helsinki Research Portal

      ResearchGate

      Twitter

        Contact information

        E-mail: anu.kajamaa@helsinki.fi

        Skype: akajamaa

        Tel: +358 40 8232358

        Jonna Kangas

        University Lecturer, PhD

        Research themes

        Pedagogy in early childhood education, children's participation, participatory learning, best practices of early childhood education, child initiated play, pathways of play, play-based learning, multi-professional co-operation in early childhood education, ethics in research methods, dialogic development of education, media education in early years.

        Find out more:

        University of Helsinki Research Portal

        Contact information

        E-mail: jonna.kangas@helsinki.fi

        Hannele Kerosuo

        Docent (Adjunct professor), PhD (Adult Education)

        Research themes

        My current interests are on boundary crossing and development of knotworking in construction industry. Furthermore, I examine transformative agency in several fields of study. I use activity-theoretically oriented ethnographic and interventionist methodologies and methods in my research.

          Current projects

          Recent projects

          Find out more:

          DigIT Research Group

          University of Helsinki Research Portal

          ResearchGate

          Contact information 

          E-mail: hannele.kerosuo@helsinki.fi

           

           

          Pia-Maria Koirikivi (née Niemi)

          University lecturer, Postdoctoral researcher, PhD

          Research Themes

          Young people’s sense of belonging; peer relations; construction of worldviews; didactics. 

          Current projects

          Radical nationalistic worldviews of young people in Finland and Canada (starting in autumn 2017)

          Find out more:

          University of Helsinki Research Portal

          Niemi's profile on ResearchGate

          Contact information

          E-mail: pia-maria.niemi@helsinki.fi

           

          Kristiina Kumpulainen

          Expert Group Leader, Professor, PhD

          Research themes 

          Sociocultural theories; Social interaction and learning and development; Human agency; Formal and informal Learning; Learning across contents; Digital learning; Multiliteracies; Pedagogy and leraning environments; Teacher professional develoment; Creativity and co-creation; Participatory research methods; Visual research

          Current projects

          Find out more:

          University of Helsinki Research Portal

          ResearchGate

          Academia

          Kristiina Kumpulainen's personal Webpage

          LinkedIn

          Twitter   

            Contact information

            E-mail: kristiina.kumpulainen@helsinki.fi 

            Skype: kristiinakkk

            Tel: +358 50 3185221

             

            Arniika Kuusisto

            University Lecturer, Docent, PhD

            Research themes 

            Most of Arniika's research projects have been based on a mixed methods design. These cover her PhD works and the present projects, in which she places value learning trajectories in the center of her research interest. In her publised doctoral disseratation, Arniika examined young people’s value learning, socialization experiences and agency. She also carried out two projects on diversity in Early Childhood Education and the comprehensive school age groiup. At present, she is working on young children's value learning, and the value learning trajectories of an older participant age group. She is also working on various other smaller projects related to value learning trajectories and life histories. 

            Current projects

            Nature or Nurture? Technology Assisted Multi-Method Autobiographical Approach to Value Learning during Transition to School

            Find. out more:

            University of HelsinkiResearch Portal

            Contact information

            E-mail: Arniika.Kuusisto@helsinki.fi

            Tel: +358 2941 29339 / +358 503187293

            Elina Kuusisto

            Docent, ThD, MA (Ed.)

            Research themes

            Moral and religious education, more specifically - 1) moral sensitivities such as ethical sensitivity, intercultural sensitivity, interreligious sensitivity; 2) purposeful teaching and life purposes; 3) talent development and growth mindset.

            Current projects

            Find out More:

            University of Helsinki Research Portal

            ResearchGate

              Contact information

              E-mail: Elina.kuusisto@helsinki.fi

              Tel: +358 2941 29865 / +358 503180309

              Sonja Laine

              Postdoctoral researcher, PhD

              Research themes

              Gifted education, conceptions of giftedness; differentiated teaching; teachers’ and students’ mindset about learning

              Current projects

              Find out more:

              University of Helsinki Research Portal

              ResearchGate

              Contact information

              E-mail: sonja.laine@helsinki.fi

              Tel: +358 2941 29838, +358 5031 82182

              Lasse Lipponen

              Professor, PhD

              Research themes

              Cultures of Compassion; Leadership in Early Childhood Education; Play Interactions; Social Interaction 

              Current projects

              Constituting Cultures of Compassion in Early Childhood Education, 2016-2020, Academy of Finland.

              Vital Voices 2 Perspectives on (Educational) Equity on the Early Childhood Sector in Singapore: Mapping the Best Practices (Funded by Lien Foundation 01.01.2018 - 31.12.2018).

              Find out more:

              University of Helsinki Research Portal

              GoogleScholar

              Contact information

              E-mail: lasse.lipponen@helsinki.fi

              Skype: lasse_lipponen

              Reijo Miettinen

              Professor Emeritus

              Research themes

              Cultural-historical activity theory; learning in technological innovations; teacher’s work and the relationship between schools and society.

              Recent projects

              Learning from projects: Managing, organizing and coordinating of building information modeling in building projects (2015-2016). For more information see also here.

              Find out more:

              University of Helsinki Research Portal

              Contact information

              E-mail: reijo.miettinen@helsinki.fi

               

              Signe Juhl Møller

              Postdoctoral researcher

              Research themes

              The art of theorisation and theory generating research - ethnographic experimental research. Technology and materiality. Creativity, learning and development. Change as interactants creative co-construction of culture. Cultural-historical theory and cognitive domain theories on moral development and ethics. Minority- majority categorization and transgression. Observation to study development, e.g. using tablets, sociometric badges or interaction-based video observation and the quantification of observation such as in-footage coding.

              Current projects

              • Changing conversations: Study on exploring children’s reasoning and perspective-taking when booklets containing illustrative stories on peer rejection are digitalized and displayed on tablets.

              • How to foster awareness rather than biases? A wholeness perspective on the development of conventional beliefs. Designing an interactive app/computer game to support a playful attitude towards social conventions and challenge young people’s beliefs about gender and ethnicity building on moral questions based wihin an interview frame similar to studies on peer rejection and moral reasoning.

              Collaborators: Erika Löfström University of Helsinki, Harriet Tenenbaum University of Surrey, Anna Stetsenko, City University of New York.

              Find out more:

              University of Helsinki Research Portal

              Contact information

              E-mail: signe.moller@helsinki.fi

              Reetta Niemi

              Lecturer at Viikki Teacher Training School, PhD

              Research themes  

              My work focuses on developing participatory pedagogy through narrative learning projects, as well as methodological issues of pedagogical action research.  I have developed visual participatory research methods in order to perceive children’s meaningful learning experiences. My research has also centered on understanding how children’s meaningful experiences can help teachers to develop their practical theories and pedagogical actions in classrooms.

              Find out more:

              University of Helsinki Research Portal

              Contact information

              E-mail: reetta.niemi@helsinki.fi

              Sami Paavola

              Associate Professor (tenure track), Docent, PhD

              Research themes

              Technology mediated collaborative learning, inquiry and work; theories of learning; trialogical learning; practice methodologies - cultural-historical activity theory, pragmatism; abductive methodologies of discovery

              Current projects

              CO-LAB - Improving collaborative working between correctional and mental health services (2016-2020).

              Recent projects

              Learning from projects: Managing, organizing and coordinating of building information modeling in building projects (2015-2016).  See also here.

              Find out more:

              DigIT Research Group

              University of Helsinki Research Portal

              GoogleScholar   

              Academia.edu   

              ResearchGate   

              Twitter   

              LinkedIn    

              Contact information

              E-mail: sami.paavola@helsinki.fi

              Skype: samipaavola

              Annukka Pursi

              University lecturer

              Research themes

              My research involves using video data to analyze children's social interactions, and adult-child pedagogical interactions in ECEC settings. My recent research topics include emotions in social interaction, and pedagogy for children under 3 years of age.

              Current projects

              Children’s grief and grieving in institutional early childhood education

              Find out more:

              Research hub CHiLD

              Contact information

              annukka.pursi@helsinki.fi

              +358504428860

              Anna Rainio

              Senior University Lecturer, Docent

              Research themes

              • Research on educational interaction: The development of student agency, ambivalence and engagement in early education and youth work contexts
              • Cultural-historical research on adult-child joint play and play-based pedagogies
              • Research on educational change and interventions, teachers’ professional development, particularly discursive methodologies

              Recent projects

              • Longitudinal study on children taken into care in Finland. Responsible researcher in the sub study Art-based Activities With Youth in Foster Care. (Academy of Finland, 2010-2013)

              Find out more:

              University of Helsinki Research Portal

              Academia  

              GoogleScholar

              Contact information

              E-mail: anna.rainio@helsinki.fi

              Tel: +358 50 3180 306

              Antti Rajala

              Postdoctoral researcher, PhD

              Research themes

              Learning, Collaborative learning, Social interaction, Peer interaction

              Current  projects

              Find out more:

              University of Helsinki Research Portal

                Contact information 

                E-mail: Antti.Rajala@helsinki.fi

                Giuseppe Ritella

                Postdoctoral researcher, PhD

                Research themes

                My main research interests are computer-supported collaborative learning, digital learning environment, professional training (especially for in service teachers), space–time organization (chronotope), collaborative sense-making,qualitative research, video analysis, dialogical theory, sociocultural research, and activity theory.

                Contact information

                E-mail: giuseppe.ritella@helsinki.fi

                 

                 

                Mohsen Saadatmand

                Postdoctoral researcher, PhD

                Research themes

                technology enhanced learning, online/blended learning environments, online courses and MOOCs, learning design, learning technologies, open education, networked learning.

                Current projects

                Find out more:

                University of Helsinki Research Portal

                GoogleScholar 

                Twitter  

                LinkedIn 

                ResearchGate 

                Academia  

                  Contact information

                  E-mail: mohsen.saadatmand@helsinki.fi

                  Skype: saadatm1

                   

                  Annalisa Sannino

                  Academy Research Fellow, Docent, PhD

                  Research themes

                  My work focuses on the emergence and enactment of transformative agency from the perspective of cultural-historical activity theory, how this type of agency relates to learning and how it can be identified, supported and enhanced through formative interventions within communities, educational and work settings. 

                  Current projects

                  Academy Research Fellowship project on “The Emergence of Agency: Foundations for Educational Change from Below” (2012-2017)

                  Find out more:

                  University of Helsinki Research Portal

                  Academia   

                  GoogleScholar

                  Contact information

                  E-mail: annalisa.sannino@helsinki.fi

                  Skype: ansannino

                  Tel: +358 04 51 35 6343

                  Laura Seppänen

                  Senior Researcher, DSc (Agr. & For.), Adjunct Professor

                  Finnish Institute of Occupational Health

                  Research themes

                  Learning and development in platform economy work; service networks and relational agency in many fields of work. Proactivity, e.g. interpretive practice in robotic surgery. Collaborative tools and developmental intervention methodologies in activity theories and other practice-based approaches.

                  Current projects

                  Find out more:

                  LinkedIn

                  Contact information

                  Email: laura.seppanen@ttl.fi

                  Skype: leseppa1

                  Tel: +358468514752

                   

                  Kirsi Tirri

                  Professor

                  Dr. Kirsi Tirri is a full Professor of Education and a Research director at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies at the University of Helsinki. She serves as a President of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters. She is also a Visiting Professor at the St. John's University, New York, USA. Tirri has been the President of ECHA (European Council for High Ability) for the years 2008-2012 and the President of the SIG International Studies at AERA (American Educational Research Association) for the years 2010-2013.

                  Research themes

                  School pedagogy; moral and religious education; gifted education; teacher education and cross-cultural studies.

                  Current projects

                  Find out more:

                  University of Helsinki Research Portal

                  ResearchGate   

                  LinkedIn   

                  Tirri's profile on Academia

                    Contact information

                    E-mail: kirsi.tirri@helsinki.fi

                    Tel: +358 2941 29838, +358 5031 82182

                    Tapio Toivanen

                    University lecturer, Docent, PhD (Doctor of theatre and Drama)

                    Research themes

                    Developing drama and theatre education; Creativity in drama and theatre education; Creative teaching, Interaction and learning; Playfull learning

                    Current projects

                    Challenge of the Empty Space (2011-).  Part projects 1) What is creativity in drama and theatre education?  2) What is quality in drama and theatre education? 3) Developing Teachers' Body Awareness and Holistic Interactions Using Theatre Based Methods.

                    Find out more:

                    University of Helsinki Research Portal

                    Contact information

                    E-mail: tapio.toivanen@helsinki.fi

                    Jenni Vartiainen

                    University lecturer, PhD

                    Research themes 

                    • Play and imagination in early childhood science & STEAM education 
                    • Inquiry-based learning and exploration in early childhood education 
                    • Sustainability education in early childhood 

                    Current projects 

                    Play and imagination in early childhood science education 

                    KETTU – kestävä tulevaisuus varhaiskasvatuksessa 

                    Kide Science - Play-based STEAM education

                    Find out more: 

                    University of Helsinki Research Portal

                    LinkedIn

                    Contact information 

                    E-mail: jenni.vartiainen@helsinki.fi 

                    Tel: +358 50 401 5465 

                    Liubov Vetoshkina

                    Postdoctoral Researcher, PhD  

                    Research themes

                    The role of objects and technologies in work activities, communities, and networks; cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT);  application of ethnography for studying work, work change, and digitalization. 

                    Affiliations

                    The DigIT research group.

                    Recent projects

                    Find out more:

                    University of Helsinki Research Portal

                    LinkedIn 

                    Academia 

                    ResearchGate 

                    Twitter

                    Liubov Vetoshkina's Blog

                      Contact information

                      E-mail: liubov.vetoshkina@helsinki.fi

                       

                      Jaakko Virkkunen

                      Professor Emeritus

                      Research themes 

                      cultural-historical activity theory; developmental work research; work-related learning.

                      Contact information

                      E-mail: jaakko.virkkunen@helsinki.fi