FEWL events

• Seminars

 FEWL project meeting at Jyväskylä University

From August 19–23, 2024, a meeting of the FEWL project partners took place at the University of Jyväskylä, where workshops supporting the completion of doctoral theses for junior researchers and brainstorming sessions for senior researchers to write a new project proposal were held. For example, junior researchers learned how to prepare a poster presentation, how to manage their time better, and how to use quantitative methods in their studies. They also
learned about the specifics of science communication.

FEWL team participated in the EARLI SIG14 conference in Jyväskylä

The FEWL project team participated in the EARLI SIG14 conference at the University of Jyväskylä from August 19–23, 2024, where an invited symposium on integrating workplace learning and formal education was conducted. For the first time, this symposium addressed the integration of workplace learning with school education at various educational levels: primary, secondary, vocational, and higher education, as well as non-formal workplace learning. The symposium was led by the FEWL project leader, Professor Inge Timoštšuk from Tallinn University, who also gave a presentation. Other presenters were Birgit Peterson, a doctoral student from Tallinn University, Professor Päivi Tynjälä from the University of Jyväskylä, and Professor Christian Harteis from the University of Paderborn. The presentations were reflected upon by Professor Stephen Billett from Griffith University in Australia who was in the role of a discussant.

In her presentation, Inge spoke about the possibilities of linking the world of work with primary education, and Birgit focused on the work experiences of high school students, what aspects they find meaningful in workplace learning, and the connections they see between learning at school and at the workplace. Päivi introduced her integrative pedagogy model, created 25 years ago, and its recent developments in integrating what is learned in (vocational) school with work practice. Christian discussed the difficulties in connecting theory and practice in the context of the German dual vocational education system.

RMA team from TLU visited Paderborn University

In April 2024, research management personnel from the School of Educational Sciences visited Paderborn University to exchange experiences between the two universities. During the visit, they got to know the team dealing with the applications and implementation of projects, and many other employees of the university research support activities. In addition to the academic tour, they also got a practical overview of the university's top-level research and innovative solutions offered in various fields.

Photo: UPB press office

FEWL project seminar at Paderborn University from June 12–15 2023

From June 12–15, a seminar for Early Stage Researchers and a meeting for the lead group of the FEWL project currently took place at the Paderborn University in Germany. There were PhD students from three countries, Germany, Finland and Estonia, who participated in the seminar.

On the first day, Ph.D. students introduced their research topics, mapped common research interests and overlaps with the FEWL project. On the second day, there was a workshop about academic publishing and new research methods such as eye movement tracking and historical analysis. The last day was dedicated to a workshop on academic writing. The feedback of Ph.D. students to the event was very positive.

Simultaneously, the lead group of FEWL project discussed the deliverables of the project that are due in June 2023 such as the communication and dissemination plan and data management plan. Additionally, plans for further research cooperation were discussed. All participants took part in the common dinner in the restaurant Bobberts. There was also some time left for exploring the Old Town of Paderborn. We want to express our gratitude to the Paderborn University team for the excellent organisation of the seminar!

• Webinars

• Project meetings

On the 19th of January 2023, the kick-off meeting of the project took place at Tallinn University, where partner organizations and project participants introduced the vision and schedule of each work package, and the following meetings and activities were planned. Maria Erss, the project's communication manager, also conducted an interview with project partners (Christian Harteis and Päivi Tynjälä), where she discussed the partners' expectations for the project, as well as the challenges related to the project. Read the interview here.

• Other events

Primary school children were introduced to the world of work and money at the Museum of the Bank of Estonia

At the School of Educational Sciences of Tallinn University, the FEWL project researchers are investigating how to link formal education and the world of work. Professor Inge Timoštšuk emphasizes that children's understanding of work and the working world is connected to their home experiences, and school can expand these work-related experiences. Teachers can integrate the topic of work into the curriculum and organize suitable field trips. For example, the 3rd-grade students of Gaia School learned financial literacy at the Museum of the Bank of Estonia, where they explored the history of money, discussed earning, saving, and potential risks, and even viewed a real gold bar.

Class teacher and Tallinn University junior researcher Kaidi Nurmik noted that such authentic environments, where learning activities are conducted under the guidance of a specialist, enrich the learning process and make learning more meaningful for students.