Faculty of Education Action Program for
Research in 2015–2019
Research in the Faculty of Education is associated with the focal area of Cultural Identity and Interaction in the
research strategy of the University of Oulu, representing the developmental area of Research-Based Teacher
Education.
The Faculty’s mission is to conduct multidiscplinary educational research that
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has a high international level, is distinctive and has social relevance
produces new knowledge as a basis for the training of experts in education, especially teachers
reinforces competences to promote well-being and sustainable development especially in northern
Finland and in the Arctic region
An effort is made through multidisciplinary research cooperation to reform pedagogical expertise on the
local, national and international levels.
Goals by the Year 2025
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The Faculty is conducting state-of-the-art research on the national and international level based on
a distinctive research program of a high scientific quality
Teacher education and other Faculty programs, especially the multidisciplinary Master’s programs,
have a solid basis in research
Research-based teacher education is a remarkable part of the entire research profile of the
university and one of its strengths
The Faculty has a central role in Eudaimonia and in the development and research of researchbased doctoral education at the University of Oulu
These goals will be achieved by intensifying the work of and cooperation between the Faculty’s research
groups. Research will be further aligned on the university’s research strategy
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By tying research and cooperation between faculties to the focal area of Cultural Identity and
Interaction and
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By focusing resources on the developmental area of Research-Based Teacher Education
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By promoting, based on the results of the RAE assessment, selected areas of research to the top of
the Faculty’s research profile
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The LeaF research infrastructure has a central position in the execution of the action program for
research
The Faculty’s Research Profile:
Challenges of Education in a Diversifying World
The research areas in the Faculty of Education are based on the research subjects of the researcher
communities that were the most successful in the international assessment (RAE 2014) of research carried
out at the University of Oulu. The assessment was conducted in three different categories: 1) new openings
(Veni), 2) projects well in progress (Vidi) and 3) world-class research (Vici). The assessment was taken part
in by seven research communities in which the Faculty of Education had a leading or collaborative role.
The following research communities emerged strongly at the top of the assessment:
Vici / Oppimisen ja Koulutusteknologian tutkimusyksikkö – Learning and Educational Technology
Research Unit (LET)
Vidi / Elävä Kertomus - Living Stories
Veni / INSPIRES – Institutions and Practices of New Literacies
All the research communities that were successful in the RAE assessment represent the research profile of
the Faculty of Education: Challenges of Education in a Diversifying World.
The research profile encompasses the following research areas of the Faculty
Learning and Learning Processes
This area studies the learning of individuals and groups in different learning environments and
technology-enhanced models of learning in multidisciplinary research cooperation. Applied research
related to this area develops the forms and environments of learning and interaction and examine
the learning of skills required by them.
Teachers, Teaching and Educational Communities
This area studies the identity of teachers and the work of educators in various educational and
teaching environments. The examination focuses especially on the relationships between these
environments and individuals. The research aims at developing teacher education and the
environments of education and teaching from different points of view.
Values, Ideologies and Social Contexts of Education
This area studies the theoretical and philosophical grounds, base values and social contexts of
education and educational research. Education and educational research are considered in terms of
historically constructed phenomena and mindsets. The goal is to construct a critical theoretical and
practical understanding of education and pedagogy.
Aims for Research at the Faculty
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To ensure the continuity and regeneration of persistent basic research
To ensure the development of competitive strengths
To enhance the opportunities for staff to pursue research activities
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To help research become more international
To be an essential agent in national and international networks of research on doctoral education.
To develop doctoral education in the university’s graduate school.
To add to and develop research infrastructure and support for research (e.g. LEAF 2.0 and
Eudaimonia)
To enhance collaboration between research communities locally, nationally and internationally.
To enhance the visibility of research-based teacher education as a strategic area of development at
the university.
Measures to Achieve the Aims
Strengthen staff resources in line with the Faculty’s research profile
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By opening short and long term positions for researchers
By making recruitments to reinforce research areas pursuant to the research profile
By acquiring further strategic start-up funding from the university
By intensifying acquisition of external funding, also by intensifying research coordination in the
Faculty
By carrying through new research openings through new recruitments
Add to internationality of research
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By recruiting international research personnel
By supporting and implementing researcher exchange and visits and international research
networks
By developing Master’s and doctoral programs offered in English
By supporting international publishing and development of international research cooperation skills
Develop the current research context
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By making use of the Teacher Training School as a research environment, especially in research of
pedagogical innovations
By supporting progress in research career
By offering the university’s graduate school expertise in the development of research-based
doctoral education
By adding to the development of research-based innovations, both to acquire external funding (e.g.
TEKES) and to enhance the impact on society
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By supporting research groups in their aspirations towards national and international leadership
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By supporting cooperation between research groups and international and national networking