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Anna Uitto
Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

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Research article
Published: 29 April 2021 in International Journal of Science Education
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Understanding how teaching affects students' attitudes and beliefs is notoriously difficult, specifically in a quickly evolving and societally relevant field such as genetics. The aim of this survey study is to capitalize our previous research and examine how teaching relates to Finnish secondary school students’ liking of, self-concept in and experienced utility of genetics, attitude towards gene technology and belief in genetic determinism. In this unique setting, we used as explanatory variables their teachers’ teaching emphases and learning materials, and as student-related factors, we used gender and the number of biology courses attended. Item-response theory with exploratory, confirmatory, and explanatory analyses were carried out to model the data. Teaching explained students’ attitudes and beliefs: if the teacher’s emphasis was Hereditary or the textbook with stronger Mendelian emphasis was used, students tended to havemore negative attitudes towards learning genetics and stronger belief in genetic determinism . Our results also suggest gender differences: male students had more positive attitude towards gene technology, higher self-concept, whereas as utility of genetics and belief in genetic determinism were higher in females. The results suggest that teaching’ approaches as well as learning materials need updates to fulfil the needs for genetics literacy.

ACS Style

Tuomas Aivelo; Anna Uitto. Factors explaining students’ attitudes towards learning genetics and belief in genetic determinism. International Journal of Science Education 2021, 43, 1408 -1425.

AMA Style

Tuomas Aivelo, Anna Uitto. Factors explaining students’ attitudes towards learning genetics and belief in genetic determinism. International Journal of Science Education. 2021; 43 (9):1408-1425.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tuomas Aivelo; Anna Uitto. 2021. "Factors explaining students’ attitudes towards learning genetics and belief in genetic determinism." International Journal of Science Education 43, no. 9: 1408-1425.

Journal article
Published: 15 May 2020 in Education Sciences
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In this article we discuss, as a proof of concept, how a network model can be used to analyse gaze tracking data coming from a preliminary experiment carried out in a biodiversity education research project. We discuss the network model, a simple directed graph, used to represent the gaze tracking data in a way that is meaningful for the study of students’ biodiversity observations. Our network model can be thought of as a scanning signature of how a subject visually scans a scene. We provide a couple of examples of how it can be used to investigate the personal identification processes of a biologist and non-biologist when they are carrying out a task concerning the observation of species-specific characteristics of two bird species in the context of biology education research. We suggest that a scanning signature can be effectively used to compare the competencies of different persons and groups of people when they are making observations on specific areas of interests.

ACS Style

Enrique Garcia Moreno-Esteva; Anttoni Kervinen; Markku S. Hannula; Anna Uitto. Scanning Signatures: A Graph Theoretical Model to Represent Visual Scanning Processes and A Proof of Concept Study in Biology Education. Education Sciences 2020, 10, 141 .

AMA Style

Enrique Garcia Moreno-Esteva, Anttoni Kervinen, Markku S. Hannula, Anna Uitto. Scanning Signatures: A Graph Theoretical Model to Represent Visual Scanning Processes and A Proof of Concept Study in Biology Education. Education Sciences. 2020; 10 (5):141.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Enrique Garcia Moreno-Esteva; Anttoni Kervinen; Markku S. Hannula; Anna Uitto. 2020. "Scanning Signatures: A Graph Theoretical Model to Represent Visual Scanning Processes and A Proof of Concept Study in Biology Education." Education Sciences 10, no. 5: 141.

Articles
Published: 13 March 2020 in Journal of Biological Education
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Biology education should be relevant to young students so that they can become interested in biology and understand biological topics in their everyday and vocational lives. We conducted interviews and collected mind maps to examine Finnish pre-service biology teachers’ (N = 16) views on the relevance of biology education. Furthermore, we analysed Finnish secondary school biology curricula, which were compared with the pre-service teachers’ answers. We classified the views on relevance into nine main categories using grounded theory as the methodological frame of reference. Pre-service teachers emphasised the relevance of biology to the student’s own life, whereas scientific practices and the nature of science were expressed in secondary school curricula more often. Novice pre-service teachers put more value on general knowledge, while more experienced pre-service teachers were more likely to mention sustainable futures and societal aspects in their reasoning. Based on the results, we identified two stages in the development of the views. This study suggests that pedagogical studies, teaching experience and teacher training have an impact on the pre-service teachers’ views about the relevance of biology education. Moreover, we could find differences between curricula and pre-service teachers’ views, especially regarding scientific practices and the role of the nature of science in biology education.

ACS Style

Justus Mutanen; Anna Uitto. Make biology relevant again! Pre-service teachers’ views on the relevance of biology education This paper was presented at the ERIDOB conference 2020. Journal of Biological Education 2020, 54, 202 -212.

AMA Style

Justus Mutanen, Anna Uitto. Make biology relevant again! Pre-service teachers’ views on the relevance of biology education This paper was presented at the ERIDOB conference 2020. Journal of Biological Education. 2020; 54 (2):202-212.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Justus Mutanen; Anna Uitto. 2020. "Make biology relevant again! Pre-service teachers’ views on the relevance of biology education This paper was presented at the ERIDOB conference 2020." Journal of Biological Education 54, no. 2: 202-212.

Original paper
Published: 21 January 2020 in Cultural Studies of Science Education
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Science education can be alienating for students, as it is apart from the mundane world with which they are familiar. Science education research has approached the gap between everyday understandings and science learning largely as a challenge arising while learning about science concepts and the kinds of instructional approaches that may support this. However, the forms of everyday ways of relating to the world fundamentally expand beyond conceptual understandings. In this study, we use data from an outdoor science learning setting to examine a range of non-conceptual but culturally possible and intelligible ways in which students actually connect science learning processes to their everyday world and its characteristic commonsense understandings. Our study shows how students’ (a) spontaneous embodied explorations, (b) humor in all of its bodily and grotesque forms, and (c) narrative representation and interpretation of the world are used to contextualize science learning, namely its environment and content, within their familiar world. We show how students draw on these fundamental cultural forms of understanding the world even without particular instructional support while, at the same time, completing their science tasks according to the goals set by their teachers. Our findings suggest that the ways in which students connect their everyday world with science learning do not have to be explicitly related to the particular conceptual learning goals but can parallel conceptual learning while contextualizing it in affectively meaningful ways.

ACS Style

Anttoni Kervinen; Wolff-Michael Roth; Kalle Juuti; Anna Uitto. The resurgence of everyday experiences in school science learning activities. Cultural Studies of Science Education 2020, 15, 1019 -1045.

AMA Style

Anttoni Kervinen, Wolff-Michael Roth, Kalle Juuti, Anna Uitto. The resurgence of everyday experiences in school science learning activities. Cultural Studies of Science Education. 2020; 15 (4):1019-1045.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Anttoni Kervinen; Wolff-Michael Roth; Kalle Juuti; Anna Uitto. 2020. "The resurgence of everyday experiences in school science learning activities." Cultural Studies of Science Education 15, no. 4: 1019-1045.

Journal article
Published: 24 November 2019 in Learning, Culture and Social Interaction
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Current mainstream practices of education tend to have an authoritative and serious side through their emphasis on the transmission and reproduction of canonical knowledge. Simultaneously, there are calls for dialogical approaches that provide students with opportunities to express their understandings and thereby increase engagement in learning. Yet there is little educational research on the students' ways of coping with the authoritative dimensions as these arise. In this study, we use data from an outdoor science setting where the teacher is not physically present to identify students' ways to act upon authoritative feedback. Our study shows that dialogic interactions among the students, which might be considered unacceptable behavior or off-topic activities, allow students to (temporarily) regain some level of control over the authoritativeness of teaching. The students use abusive language, humor and derision to oppose and degrade authoritativeness conveyed in the teacher's evaluative feedback in ways that would not be accessible to them with the teacher present. Simultaneously, disrupting the authoritative role of academic learning reinforced its serious nature, which manifests itself in the way that the students follow the teacher's instructions and improve their level of performance as if the negative emotions had been coped with in affectively meaningful ways.

ACS Style

Anttoni Kervinen; Wolff-Michael Roth; Kalle Juuti; Anna Uitto. “How stupid can a person be?” – Students coping with authoritative dimensions of science lessons. Learning, Culture and Social Interaction 2019, 24, 100367 .

AMA Style

Anttoni Kervinen, Wolff-Michael Roth, Kalle Juuti, Anna Uitto. “How stupid can a person be?” – Students coping with authoritative dimensions of science lessons. Learning, Culture and Social Interaction. 2019; 24 ():100367.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Anttoni Kervinen; Wolff-Michael Roth; Kalle Juuti; Anna Uitto. 2019. "“How stupid can a person be?” – Students coping with authoritative dimensions of science lessons." Learning, Culture and Social Interaction 24, no. : 100367.

Articles
Published: 22 November 2019 in International Journal of Science Education
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Science education strives to increase interest in science and facilitate active citizenship. Thus, the aspects of personal and societal relevance are increasingly emphasised in science curricula. Still, little is known about how teachers choose content for their teaching, although their choices translate curricula to teaching practice. We explored how teachers choose genetics content and contexts for biology courses on cells, heredity and biotechnology by interviewing ten Finnish upper-secondary school teachers. We studied how the teachers described teaching on three themes in which they have varying freedom afforded by curricula: genetically modified organisms, hereditary disorders, and complex human traits. We analysed interviews with theory-guiding content analysis and found consistent patterns in teachers’ perceptions of the themes in genetics teaching and teacher inclinations towards teaching genetics in human context. These patterns, which we call emphasis of content in genetics teaching were Developmental, Structural and Hereditary. Teachers with Developmental emphasis embraced teaching genetics in a human context, while teachers with a Structural emphasis avoided them. In general, teachers justified their choices by national, local school, and personal factors. While teachers mentioned that societal and personal contexts are important, at the same time teachers never framed the main themes in genetics with these contexts.

ACS Style

Tuomas Aivelo; Anna Uitto. Teachers’ choice of content and consideration of controversial and sensitive issues in teaching of secondary school genetics. International Journal of Science Education 2019, 41, 2716 -2735.

AMA Style

Tuomas Aivelo, Anna Uitto. Teachers’ choice of content and consideration of controversial and sensitive issues in teaching of secondary school genetics. International Journal of Science Education. 2019; 41 (18):2716-2735.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tuomas Aivelo; Anna Uitto. 2019. "Teachers’ choice of content and consideration of controversial and sensitive issues in teaching of secondary school genetics." International Journal of Science Education 41, no. 18: 2716-2735.

Journal article
Published: 03 August 2019 in Journal of Baltic Science Education
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This research clarifies how a collaborative team teaching model (CTTM) can support both pre-service and in-service teachers’ professional development in using inquiry-based science teaching in primary schools. The data were collected via a questionnaire-based survey approach after inquiry projects implementation at public schools in four Finnish cities. In total, 98 pre-service teachers and 51 in-service class teachers were involved in the research. According to their experiences collaborative team teaching was seen as an adequate teaching approach in primary school science lessons. Both in-service and pre-service teachers experienced inquiry-based science teaching enthusiastically and received new ideas, knowledge and skills to carry out inquiries during the school projects. Also, they became more confident to use inquiry-based approach in their teaching. The findings indicate that the CTTM combines pre-service teachers’ professional development and in-service teachers’ expertise and the model successfully support the use of inquiry-based practices in primary school science education. Keywords: collaborative team teaching model, inquiry-based science teaching, survey research, teachers’ experiences.

ACS Style

Sari Havu-Nuutinen; Anttoni Kervinen; Anna Uitto; Aulikki Laine; Anniina Koliseva; Lassi Pyykkö; Pentti Impiö; Tiina Aittola. PRE-SERVICE AND IN-SERVICE TEACHERS’ EXPERIENCES OF INQUIRY-BASED PRIMARY SCIENCE TEACHING: A COLLABORATIVE TEAM TEACHING MODEL. Journal of Baltic Science Education 2019, 18, 583 -594.

AMA Style

Sari Havu-Nuutinen, Anttoni Kervinen, Anna Uitto, Aulikki Laine, Anniina Koliseva, Lassi Pyykkö, Pentti Impiö, Tiina Aittola. PRE-SERVICE AND IN-SERVICE TEACHERS’ EXPERIENCES OF INQUIRY-BASED PRIMARY SCIENCE TEACHING: A COLLABORATIVE TEAM TEACHING MODEL. Journal of Baltic Science Education. 2019; 18 (4):583-594.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sari Havu-Nuutinen; Anttoni Kervinen; Anna Uitto; Aulikki Laine; Anniina Koliseva; Lassi Pyykkö; Pentti Impiö; Tiina Aittola. 2019. "PRE-SERVICE AND IN-SERVICE TEACHERS’ EXPERIENCES OF INQUIRY-BASED PRIMARY SCIENCE TEACHING: A COLLABORATIVE TEAM TEACHING MODEL." Journal of Baltic Science Education 18, no. 4: 583-594.

Articles
Published: 26 November 2018 in Journal of Biological Education
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Fieldwork is an important part of biology as well as science and biology education. However, teachers perceive several reasons for the limited use of fieldwork in schools. Further, outdoor education is often organised as a single fieldtrip guided by outdoor educators, and little research has been done on fieldwork as a regular part of formal biology education. This case study explores three secondary-school biology teachers who untypically use outdoor education as a major part of their ecology courses for 8th grade students (median age 14). Berger and Luckmann’s theory of the process of institutionalization as a theoretical background is used to interpret the pedagogical and organizational choices of the case study teachers. Analysis of the interviews of the selected three teachers revealed pedagogical and organizational means through which outdoor teaching is institutionalized into a regular activity in biology lessons. The teachers considered regularity, assessment practices and the school curriculum as major tools to legitimate outdoor learning as a formal schoolwork and foster successful learning. However, they also emphasised students’ freedom during outdoor activities. The findings are discussed in terms of how the teachers succeeded in combining the institutional order of formal schooling with students’ freedom in nature.

ACS Style

Anttoni Kervinen; Anna Uitto; Kalle Juuti. How fieldwork-oriented biology teachers establish formal outdoor education practices. Journal of Biological Education 2018, 54, 115 -128.

AMA Style

Anttoni Kervinen, Anna Uitto, Kalle Juuti. How fieldwork-oriented biology teachers establish formal outdoor education practices. Journal of Biological Education. 2018; 54 (2):115-128.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Anttoni Kervinen; Anna Uitto; Kalle Juuti. 2018. "How fieldwork-oriented biology teachers establish formal outdoor education practices." Journal of Biological Education 54, no. 2: 115-128.

Preprint
Published: 02 July 2018
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The skills required to understand genetic phenomena and transfer knowledge to real world situations are an important part of 21st century scientific literacy. While socio-scientific issues (SSI) are increasingly emphasised in science curricula, teachers have low interest in adopting SSI in teaching. Little is known about how teachers choose content for their teaching, although this process translates curricula to teaching practice. We explored how teachers choose content and contexts for biology courses on cells, heredity, and biotechnology by interviewing ten Finnish upper-secondary school teachers. We studied how the teachers described teaching on genetically modified organisms, hereditary disorders, and human traits. Teachers’ perceptions on genetics teaching were classified to Developmental, Structural and Hereditary approaches. The approaches were connected not only to the teachers’ perceptions of the more important content, but also teacher inclinations towards teaching genetics in the human context and perceptions of students’ interest in different topics. Teachers’ justified their choices by national, local school, and teacher’s personal-level factors. While teachers mentioned that SSI are important, they were never mentioned among the important contexts. Nevertheless, some teachers embraced teaching genetics in the human context while others avoided them. Teachers justified their avoidance for personal and pedagogical factors, such as their competence in dealing with these contexts. Experience played a part in the approach that teachers had, and contrary to the results of previous research, the less experienced teachers were more open to discussing human genetics. We conclude that curriculum development is important to encourage teachers to adopt more SSI-oriented teaching.Disclosure statementTuomas Aivelo has participated in writing biology textbooks for upper-secondary school biology for eOppi Oy. None of the teachers involved in this study used biology textbooks from eOppi Oy.

ACS Style

Tuomas Aivelo; Anna Uitto. Teachers’ approaches to genetics teaching mirror their choice of content and avoidance of sensitive issues. 2018, 350710 .

AMA Style

Tuomas Aivelo, Anna Uitto. Teachers’ approaches to genetics teaching mirror their choice of content and avoidance of sensitive issues. . 2018; ():350710.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tuomas Aivelo; Anna Uitto. 2018. "Teachers’ approaches to genetics teaching mirror their choice of content and avoidance of sensitive issues." , no. : 350710.

Chapter
Published: 11 July 2017 in Insights from Research in Science Teaching and Learning
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This edited volume is comprised of selected studies that were presented at the 11th European Science Education Research Association (ESERA) Conference, held in Helsinki, Finland, from 31 August to 4 September, 2015. The conference was attended by nearly 1300 science education researchers from around the world. The ESERA science education research community consists of professionals with diverse disciplinary backgrounds from the natural sciences to social sciences. This diversity provides a rich understanding of cognitive and affective aspects of science teaching and learning. This book brings forth intriguing research that is both novel and innovative in the field of science education. The chapters are multifaceted and examine different science education phenomena in a wide range. To help the reader, the chapters are loosely organized into six parts, each of which revolves around certain cognitive and/or affective aspects in science education research. The parts are Teacher Knowledge, Student Engagement, Student learning and assessment, Language in science classrooms, Professional development, and Expanding science teaching and learning. This introductory chapter will give the reader a quick overview of the variety of themes or topics, different subjects, contexts and countries, and research approaches dealt with in the chapters.

ACS Style

Kaisa Hahl; Kalle Juuti; Jarkko Lampiselkä; Anna Uitto; Jari Lavonen. Introduction. Insights from Research in Science Teaching and Learning 2017, 3, 1 -12.

AMA Style

Kaisa Hahl, Kalle Juuti, Jarkko Lampiselkä, Anna Uitto, Jari Lavonen. Introduction. Insights from Research in Science Teaching and Learning. 2017; 3 ():1-12.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kaisa Hahl; Kalle Juuti; Jarkko Lampiselkä; Anna Uitto; Jari Lavonen. 2017. "Introduction." Insights from Research in Science Teaching and Learning 3, no. : 1-12.

Journal article
Published: 04 January 2017 in Education Sciences
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Sustainability education (SE) is included in school curricula to integrate the principles, values, and practices of sustainable development (SD) into all education. This study investigates lower secondary school subject teachers as educators for sustainability. A survey was used to study the perceptions of 442 subject teachers from 49 schools in Finland. There were significant differences between the subject teachers’ perceptions of their SE competence, and the frequency with which they used different dimensions of SE (ecological, economic, social, well-being, cultural) in their teaching varied. Teachers’ age had a small effect, but gender, school, and its residential location were nonsignificant factors. Teachers could be roughly classified into three different subgroups according to their perceptions of the role of SE in their teaching; those who considered three SE dimensions rather often and used holistic sustainability approaches in their teaching (biology, geography, history); those who considered two or three dimensions often but were not active in holistic teaching (mother tongue, religion, visual arts, crafts, music, physical and health education, and home economics) and those who used one SE dimension or consider only one holistic approach in their teaching (mathematics, physics, chemistry and language). Subject teachers’ awareness of their SE competence is important to encourage them to plan and implement discipline-based and interdisciplinary SE in their teaching. The specific SE expertise of subject teachers should be taken into account in teacher training and education.

ACS Style

Anna Uitto; Seppo Saloranta. Subject Teachers as Educators for Sustainability: A Survey Study. Education Sciences 2017, 7, 8 .

AMA Style

Anna Uitto, Seppo Saloranta. Subject Teachers as Educators for Sustainability: A Survey Study. Education Sciences. 2017; 7 (1):8.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Anna Uitto; Seppo Saloranta. 2017. "Subject Teachers as Educators for Sustainability: A Survey Study." Education Sciences 7, no. 1: 8.

Book
Published: 01 January 2017 in Cognitive and Affective Aspects in Science Education Research
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ACS Style

Kaisa Hahl; Kalle Juuti; Jarkko Lampiselkä; Anna Uitto; Jari Lavonen. Cognitive and Affective Aspects in Science Education Research. Cognitive and Affective Aspects in Science Education Research 2017, 3, 1 .

AMA Style

Kaisa Hahl, Kalle Juuti, Jarkko Lampiselkä, Anna Uitto, Jari Lavonen. Cognitive and Affective Aspects in Science Education Research. Cognitive and Affective Aspects in Science Education Research. 2017; 3 ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kaisa Hahl; Kalle Juuti; Jarkko Lampiselkä; Anna Uitto; Jari Lavonen. 2017. "Cognitive and Affective Aspects in Science Education Research." Cognitive and Affective Aspects in Science Education Research 3, no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 27 December 2016 in LUMAT: International Journal on Math, Science and Technology Education
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The article discusses the development of an educational model intended to support teachers’ professional development in science education. In this research and development project, LumaLähetit, pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, and teacher educators formed teams to collaboratively plan teaching and produce material for inquiry-based and integrative science instruction in primary schools. The results are based on three design cycles of the model. Thus far, ten schools, 24 in-service teachers, 30 pre-service teachers, and 560 pupils have participated. The results, which are based on the qualitative content analysis of participants’ open answers to a questionnaire, indicate that the developed collaborative model for science education supported preservice teachers and in-service teachers’ professional development in many ways. Several processes mediating the embodiment of the designed model were identified, especially during the second or third design cycles. Participants reflected on theory and practice. They experienced increased knowledge about inquiry and integrative approaches, collaborated in teams to some extent, and found this to be supportive during the project. Also, pre-service teachers appreciated the opportunity to teach in the schools. In general, careful goal setting, collaboration between the participants, and guidance by teacher educators during the initiation of the project were found to be crucial to the further success of the project. The results highlight a need for further research in order to better meet to the challenges of team teaching, inquiry-based instruction, and integrative teaching. The designed model was developed between the cycles and must be further developed in the future, especially in terms of supporting collaboration and clarifying theoretical concepts during the project.

ACS Style

Anttoni Kervinen; Anna Uitto; Arja Kaasinen; Päivi Portaankorva-Koivisto; Kalle Juuti; Merike Kesler. Developing a collaborative model in teacher education – An overview of a teacher professional development project. LUMAT: International Journal on Math, Science and Technology Education 2016, 4, 67 -86.

AMA Style

Anttoni Kervinen, Anna Uitto, Arja Kaasinen, Päivi Portaankorva-Koivisto, Kalle Juuti, Merike Kesler. Developing a collaborative model in teacher education – An overview of a teacher professional development project. LUMAT: International Journal on Math, Science and Technology Education. 2016; 4 (2):67-86.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Anttoni Kervinen; Anna Uitto; Arja Kaasinen; Päivi Portaankorva-Koivisto; Kalle Juuti; Merike Kesler. 2016. "Developing a collaborative model in teacher education – An overview of a teacher professional development project." LUMAT: International Journal on Math, Science and Technology Education 4, no. 2: 67-86.

Journal article
Published: 30 June 2016 in LUMAT: International Journal on Math, Science and Technology Education
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ACS Style

Tuomas Aivelo; Anna Uitto. Digital gaming for evolutionary biology learning: The case study of parasite race, an augmented reality location-based game. LUMAT: International Journal on Math, Science and Technology Education 2016, 4, 1 -26.

AMA Style

Tuomas Aivelo, Anna Uitto. Digital gaming for evolutionary biology learning: The case study of parasite race, an augmented reality location-based game. LUMAT: International Journal on Math, Science and Technology Education. 2016; 4 (1):1-26.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tuomas Aivelo; Anna Uitto. 2016. "Digital gaming for evolutionary biology learning: The case study of parasite race, an augmented reality location-based game." LUMAT: International Journal on Math, Science and Technology Education 4, no. 1: 1-26.

Journal article
Published: 01 September 2015 in Journal of Environmental Psychology
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This study investigates how sustainability-related in-school experiences, through psycho-social variables, influence adolescents' out-of-school general ecological intentions and behaviors. Data from a nationally representative sample of 2361 Finnish adolescents was used to test a hypothetical model. Effects of school experiences were studied using structural equation modeling. Excellent model fit showed that in-school agency and prosocial experience enhance adolescents' pro-environmental values, personal norms and self-efficacy for general ecological behavior. Ecological and pro-environmental intentions and behaviors outside of school were strengthened by the psycho-social constructs, especially by pro-environmental value and self-efficacy. In-school agency and prosocial experiences had stronger effects on psycho-social constructs, while the effect of ecological experiences was low. The model suggests that school's sustainability education should not provide only ecological experiences, but more importantly connect pro-social and agency experiences through an approach that emphasizes pro-environmental values and self-efficacy for general ecological behavior.

ACS Style

Anna Uitto; Jelle Boeve-De Pauw; Seppo Saloranta. Participatory school experiences as facilitators for adolescents' ecological behavior. Journal of Environmental Psychology 2015, 43, 55 -65.

AMA Style

Anna Uitto, Jelle Boeve-De Pauw, Seppo Saloranta. Participatory school experiences as facilitators for adolescents' ecological behavior. Journal of Environmental Psychology. 2015; 43 ():55-65.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Anna Uitto; Jelle Boeve-De Pauw; Seppo Saloranta. 2015. "Participatory school experiences as facilitators for adolescents' ecological behavior." Journal of Environmental Psychology 43, no. : 55-65.

Journal article
Published: 26 May 2015 in Nordic Studies in Science Education
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Genetics is a fast-developing field and it has been argued that genetics education is lagging behind. Genetics education has, for example, been suspected of indoctrinating strong genetic determinism. As the updating of the national upper secondary school curricula is about to start, we decided to study how the current curriculum manifests in Finnish biology textbooks. We studied the main four textbooks for historical gene models and definitions of genes using content analysis. Hybrid models were pervasive in textbooks. The textbooks expressed sometimes even strong genetic determinism, which might be linked to the dominance of older historical models in the textbooks. We also found instances of determinism which we call ‘weak determinism’: genes were depicted as more important factor than environment in relation to the expressed properties. Subsequently, there were no modern gene models found. We suggest gene models should be presented explicitly to reduce misconceptions about genes. We argue that genetics education needs to take more into account than environmental effects and there needs to be more emphasis on the temporal and developmental aspect of genotype-phenotype link. Specifically in Finland this could be done by a more explicit formulation of the national curriculum.

ACS Style

Tuomas Aivelo; Anna Uitto. Genetic determinism in the Finnish upper secondary school biology textbooks. Nordic Studies in Science Education 2015, 11, 139 -152.

AMA Style

Tuomas Aivelo, Anna Uitto. Genetic determinism in the Finnish upper secondary school biology textbooks. Nordic Studies in Science Education. 2015; 11 (2):139-152.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tuomas Aivelo; Anna Uitto. 2015. "Genetic determinism in the Finnish upper secondary school biology textbooks." Nordic Studies in Science Education 11, no. 2: 139-152.

Journal article
Published: 01 February 2014 in International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education
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The aim of the study was to discover the contribution of students’ interest in school biology, as well as their self-efficacy and attitudes towards different science subjects and mathematics when explaining students’ orientation towards biology-related careers at upper-secondary school. The data of 321 K-11 students (49 % women) were analyzed. Human biology and gene technology was the most interesting topics of biology among the students. The students’ self-efficacy belief was highest in geography and lowest in mathematics. Male students had higher self-efficacy in mathematics and science subjects, but in biology, no gender difference was found. Self-efficacy in biology and geography intercorrelated, as did self-efficacy in mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Regression analysis revealed that interest and self-efficacy in biology and positive attitudes to biology as school subjects explained girls’ orientation towards a biology-related career, as did low self-efficacy in physics and geography. For boys, only interest in biology, positive attitudes to biology as a school subject, and self-efficacy in biology explained their biology-related career orientation. The students’ attitudes and self-efficacy beliefs in science subjects should be taken into account in secondary school biology education, because gender stereotypes and low self-efficacy beliefs may affect students’ future career plans.

ACS Style

Anna Uitto. INTEREST, ATTITUDES AND SELF-EFFICACY BELIEFS EXPLAINING UPPER-SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ORIENTATION TOWARDS BIOLOGY-RELATED CAREERS. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education 2014, 12, 1425 -1444.

AMA Style

Anna Uitto. INTEREST, ATTITUDES AND SELF-EFFICACY BELIEFS EXPLAINING UPPER-SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ORIENTATION TOWARDS BIOLOGY-RELATED CAREERS. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education. 2014; 12 (6):1425-1444.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Anna Uitto. 2014. "INTEREST, ATTITUDES AND SELF-EFFICACY BELIEFS EXPLAINING UPPER-SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ORIENTATION TOWARDS BIOLOGY-RELATED CAREERS." International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education 12, no. 6: 1425-1444.

Journal article
Published: 08 April 2011 in Environmental Education Research
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ACS Style

Anna Uitto; Kalle Juuti; Jari Lavonen; Reijo Byman; Veijo Meisalo. Secondary school students' interests, attitudes and values concerning school science related to environmental issues in Finland. Environmental Education Research 2011, 17, 167 -186.

AMA Style

Anna Uitto, Kalle Juuti, Jari Lavonen, Reijo Byman, Veijo Meisalo. Secondary school students' interests, attitudes and values concerning school science related to environmental issues in Finland. Environmental Education Research. 2011; 17 (2):167-186.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Anna Uitto; Kalle Juuti; Jari Lavonen; Reijo Byman; Veijo Meisalo. 2011. "Secondary school students' interests, attitudes and values concerning school science related to environmental issues in Finland." Environmental Education Research 17, no. 2: 167-186.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2010 in Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences
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Education for sustainability (ESD) is meant to enhance learners’ knowledge, values, attitudes, and skills concerning sustainable development. In this study the relationships among Finnish grade nine students’ (N = 2,367) values, attitudes, interests, and motivations were studied. Human-centered values, biocentric nature value, pro-environmental and pro-social attitudes, interests, and motivations were found to be interconnected. Attitudes, interests, and motivations connected to dismissive human and utilistic nature value correlated negatively with the factors. It is important to notice the connections between students’ values and value-related orientations because they affect students’ engagement in issues and activities concerning ESD at school.

ACS Style

Anna Uitto; Seppo Saloranta. The relationship between secondary school students’ environmental and human values, attitudes, interests and motivations. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 2010, 9, 1866 -1872.

AMA Style

Anna Uitto, Seppo Saloranta. The relationship between secondary school students’ environmental and human values, attitudes, interests and motivations. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 2010; 9 ():1866-1872.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Anna Uitto; Seppo Saloranta. 2010. "The relationship between secondary school students’ environmental and human values, attitudes, interests and motivations." Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 9, no. : 1866-1872.

Journal article
Published: 20 August 2009 in International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education
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Students find science relevant to society, but they do not find school science interesting. This survey study analyzes Finnish grade 9 students’ actual experiences with science teaching methods and their preferences for how they would like to study science. The survey data were collected from 3,626 grade 9 students (1,772 girls and 1,832 boys) across randomly sampled secondary schools. Students were asked to evaluate how often a particular teaching method is used in science (chemistry and physics) teaching and how often they would like to see the teaching method used. Data were analyzed using nonparametric tests. Boys seemed to be more satisfied with current and traditional science teaching methods like direct teaching, solving basic problems, reading textbooks, and conducting practical work, while girls desired more discussion. Students who are interested in school science or think that school science is relevant in everyday life would like more creative activities such as brainstorming and project work. Results indicated that understanding the connection between student interest and teaching method preferences, especially interpreting interested students’ desire for creative activities, are important aspects for future research.

ACS Style

Kalle Juuti; Jari Lavonen; Anna Uitto; Reijo Byman; Veijo Meisalo. SCIENCE TEACHING METHODS PREFERRED BY GRADE 9 STUDENTS IN FINLAND. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education 2009, 8, 611 -632.

AMA Style

Kalle Juuti, Jari Lavonen, Anna Uitto, Reijo Byman, Veijo Meisalo. SCIENCE TEACHING METHODS PREFERRED BY GRADE 9 STUDENTS IN FINLAND. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education. 2009; 8 (4):611-632.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kalle Juuti; Jari Lavonen; Anna Uitto; Reijo Byman; Veijo Meisalo. 2009. "SCIENCE TEACHING METHODS PREFERRED BY GRADE 9 STUDENTS IN FINLAND." International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education 8, no. 4: 611-632.