Näkökulmia ammattikorkeakouluopettajan oppimiseen ja osaamishaasteisiin

Abstract

The aim of this research was to study teachers´ descriptions of their own learning, their experiences of utilization of information and communications technologies (ICTs), and their competence challenges in collaboration with the world of work at Finnish universities of applied sciences. Qualitative data about teachers’ own learn-ing and their use of ICTs were collected with open-ended questions included into a questionnaire. The number of participants was 1622 in the study on teachers’ learn-ing, and 733 in the study on ICT use. Data on teachers’ competence challenges con-cerning collaboration with workplaces were gathered by interviewing teachers (n=16). In two sub-studies the data were analyzed with phenomenographical analy-sis techniques and in one sub-study with thematic analysis. In one study, the qualita-tive data were quantified and analyzed with descriptive statistics. The phenomenographical analysis of teachers’ descriptions of their own learn-ing produced four hierarchical categories: 1) individual learning, 2) collegial learning, 3) team learning and 4) innovative partnership learning, in which the first represents the narrowest and the fourth the widest description of learning. The quantitative analysis of teachers’ learning descriptions revealed that about half of the teachers described their learning as an individual activity. Only a small group of forerunners described their learning taking place in innovative partnerships. Teachers’ experi-ences of utilization of ICTs varied from seeing it as a necessary evil to considering it as an opportunity, desirable and a ubiquitous help. Most of the teachers utilized ICTs for online teaching, searching and delivering materials for students, and for interac-tion with colleagues and students. Main competence challenges in the collaboration with workplaces were changes in relationships between education and work, net-working, adoption of versatile skills in addition to substance competence, and re-forming of learning conceptions and pedagogy. Partnerships with workplaces re-quire establishing and maintaining a sense of community across staff and students as well as workplaces. The results of this research can be used in developing teachers` competencies and collaboration with the world of work.