Liina Malva Receives Prestigious Women in Science Fellowship

Malva received the fellowship in the category for researchers with a doctoral degree in the social sciences or humanities. Her research focuses on mathematics learning difficulties and differentiated instruction in general education schools.

Recognition for the Field of Special Education

Malva received the news of the award at a particularly memorable moment. “I found out that I had been selected just before boarding a flight to attend a conference where I was going to present the results of our research group’s latest study. The news was certainly joyful and motivating, and both the flight and the conference were filled with positive emotions,” Malva said.

For Malva, the recognition is significant not only on a personal level but also for the field of special education as a whole. “To my knowledge, an educational researcher from Estonia has not previously received this fellowship, let alone a special education researcher. I therefore see it as recognition for the entire field – our work is being noticed and considered important both in academia and in society more broadly,” she said.

Fellowship Supports Research on Mathematics Learning Difficulties

The fellowship will enable Malva to further develop her research on mathematics learning difficulties and strengthen the links between research and university teaching. “With the support of the fellowship, I can further develop school-based research on mathematics learning difficulties. The results will also help me create better opportunities for teaching special education students at the university,” Malva said.

Malva studies differentiated instruction from the perspectives of students, mathematics teachers and special education teachers. Among other things, she examines changes in students’ perceived engagement, learning motivation and knowledge, as well as the development of teachers’ and special education teachers’ beliefs and skills in teaching students with mathematics learning difficulties. In collaboration with international researchers, her work is also helping to bring dyscalculia as a specific learning difficulty more clearly into focus in Estonian education and research.

This year, two other Estonian researchers, Pilleriin Peets and Anni Kasikov, have also been awarded fellowships in the “Women in Science” competition organised by the academies of sciences and UNESCO National Commissions of the Baltic States. A total of 44 women researchers applied for the three Estonian fellowships, including 15 doctoral students and 29 researchers with doctoral degrees.

The joint award ceremony for the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian laureates will take place on 1 October at 1 p.m. at the Estonian Academy of Sciences in Tallinn.

The “Women in Science” fellowships aim to support and encourage women researchers in their scientific careers. In Estonia, the competition and fellowships are funded by the Ministry of Education and Research.