Most empirical knowledge on the processes and challenges of conducting youth participatory action research (YPAR) in the school setting stems from research in the US; only a few studies exist among European youth. In addition, what youth participation looks like in YPAR is rarely described. The present study investigates the experiences of…

Finland is known for its high-performing educational system, but local assessments have shown that performance has declined during the past decade. We report the results of nationally representative learning to learn assessments in which 15-year-olds took an identical test in the same schools in 2001, 2012 and 2017. The results show that the level…

Gifted students may be at risk of school disengagement due to lacking intellectual challenges. Four talent centers were established to offer makerspace enrichment programs, because makerspace activities promote engagement and science, mathematics, and technology learning. In the current study, we investigated gifted students' experiences with…

There is sparse research on whether different dimensions of perceived support from teachers relate differentially to engagement among male and female students. Accordingly, the current study examined gender differences in links between perceived support from teachers (emotional support, structuring of learning activities, learning process support)…

Personality results from the complex interactions among multiple learning and memory systems. There is a need to examine the personality-learning association using a personality model that captures this complexity: Cloninger's psychobiological model. The study addresses this need using a person-centered approach. In total, 686 adolescents…

The relationship between teaching and learning is a most central issue in education research, but it is yet to be fully understood. Variation Theory provides an explanatory account for teaching and learning and offers a specific view on what it means to learn: to discriminate and to discern critical aspects of the object of learning. This paper…

The aim is to describe and define constructive competition as an educational phenomenon in different learning contexts. The study involved a total of 78 children aged between 5 and 18, and 29 teachers from pre-schools, compulsory school, and upper secondary programs. Data were generated in individual interviews and use was made of critical…