EdLearn Students

Q: Where are you from? 
I am from Taradell, a town in Catalonia between the beautiful Pyrenees and the Mediterranean Sea.

Q: Why did you decide to pursue the LLEES programme at UTU? 

I decided to study at UTU because I did my internship for my bachelor’s degree as a preschool teacher in a playschool in Turku last year, and I found out about the LLEES programme. When I read about it, I thought I had to do all my best to get accepted because I wanted to improve the education in my country.

Q: What is your favorite aspect of the programme? 
My favorite aspect of the programme is to learn how to do research in my professional field, but also the fact that we get to know how the Finnish educational system works. Moreover, the mandatory internship will help me in the future when I work in a school environment, to develop new teaching approaches, methodologies, and transform the environment to help the students to build self-confidence, autonomy, self-esteem and acquire knowledge while enjoying their time in the school.

Q: What is your research about? 
I am still thinking about a specific topic for my thesis, but it will be related to Multicultural Education. Nowadays, we are becoming very multicultural all over the world, and I believe that intercultural activities are a must in the curriculum from the very beginning. Moreover, I also think that in Early Childhood Education, teachers should teach more values than subjects.

Q: How do you think your degree will help you in the future? 
I hope that after this programme, I will go back home with a lot to contribute in the education field because a lot of things are changing in my country at the moment, and my aim has always been to be part of this change.

Q: What would you say to someone considering studying at UTU?
Remember Nelson Mandela’s words “Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world.” So, you can do this as well!

Q: What is your name?
Muhammad Fadlian Amhar

Q: Where are you from?
Indonesia

Q: Why did you decide to pursue the LLEES programme at UTU?
To broaden my view of education field of study and expertise, I chose this programme. Also, the LLEES curriculum gives the access to see a complete view of education in Finland, particularly in the city of Turku. It just fits my personality when I watched the video about this campus, and Finland’s natural environment.

Q: What is your favorite aspect of the programme?
I would say independence to study is essential and broad study opportunities within, including scholarships. The international environment teaches me a lot about studying in different circumstances by interacting with very different cultures, and how I myself independently decide what to react to this situation. I see it is important as a simulation to international carrier and process of maturing myself. We are taught to be more responsible for our actions.

Q: What is your research about?
Study of ICT Policy Implementation in Education

Q: How do you think your degree will help you in the future?
Although it is a totally different situation here than in my home country, I would like to see the education field in a wider scope, so I can study how to respond to challenges in education. Hopefully, having a Master of Arts in Education can lead me to activate my whole senses and practice, especially in educational management while at the same time I maximize potentials from inside and outside of myself.

Q: What would you say to someone considering studying at UTU?
"Chin up!" It is illogical to be hesitant to show your true self as an international student. It is because even though you are standing among hundreds or thousands of UTU applicants, once you stay being your-better-self and effectively utilize your prior experience, you can survive especially when you have wonderful colleagues. Realizing that UTU offers a friendly academic environment and support and also presence of opportunities, I can say that you should also try to pursue the scholarship as well. As the founding father of Indonesia has said, we should dream as high as the sky because we will still be among the stars even if we fall. See you soon!

Q: What is your name? 
Avanti Chajed

Q: Where are you from? 
I am from the U.S. though ethnically Indian.

Q: Why did you decide to pursue the LLEES programme at UTU? 

I came to Turku on a scholarship to learn more about Finnish Education, but I have learned much more than that while I have been here.

Q: What is your favorite aspect of the programme? 
My favorite part, aside from having international classmates, who bring a diverse perspective to education, has been the diversity in the classes. We take classes in a variety of subject areas from the narrow lens of student motivation to the broad lens of the influence of international organizations on educational policy.

Q: What is your research about? 
I am researching and comparing the values and purposes of early childhood education in the U.S. and in Finland with the hope of one day improving early childhood education in the U.S. for low income students.

Q: How do you think your degree will help you in the future?

I would say that coming to UTU was one of the biggest and best decisions I have made both personally and professionally as it has given me clarity in who I am as a person and who I wish to be in my profession. Educational reform has always interested me though I did not know how I would go about doing it. Now I know.

Q: What would you say to someone considering studying at UTU?

I have fallen in love with the city, the school and the people and I think others will feel the same.

Q: What is your name? 
Diana-Elena Gratie

Q: Where are you from? 
Romania

Q: Why did you decide to pursue the LLEES programme at UTU? 

I applied for the programme because I wanted to improve my knowledge and practices related to education by learning from the best.

Q: What is your favorite aspect of the programme? 
My absolute favorite aspect of the programme is the diversity. Students come from all corners of the world, and range in age from fresh graduates to retired, accomplished teachers. LLEES has provided us with the perfect environment to learn from each other, expand our horizons and bond in meaningful friendships. The richness that our diverse backgrounds provide is enhanced by the skills of our teachers and their excellence in various research areas.

Q: What is your research about? 
My thesis focuses on identifying strategies that players use while playing a mathematics computer game. I use multiple data collection and data analysis methods, and am most excited about the eye tracking method.

Q: How do you think your degree will help you in the future?

I have grown a lot since I joined this programme, therefore, I highly recommend University of Turku’s Master’s Degree Programme in Learning and Education to all those interested in educational research.

Q: What would you say to someone considering studying at UTU?

While studying at UTU, you will develop as a researcher. Don’t hesitate to apply and start making your dreams come true.

Q: What is your name? 

Paul Gyamfi

Q: Where are you from?

Ghana

Q: Why did you decide to pursue the LLEES programme at UTU? 
I decided to pursue this course due to my background in education and my future aspirations.
 

Q: What is your favorite aspect of the programme? 

My favorite aspect of the programme is the diversity amongst students, well-organized teaching environment and support from teachers and coordinators.

Q: What is your research about? 

My research is about pedagogical strategies in teaching environmental hazards in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Q: How do you think your degree will help you in the future? 

I believe this degree will help me in the future by paving the way for me to do my PhD and to become an international education/environmental researcher.

Q: What would you say to someone considering studying at UTU?

I would tell any student who is considering studying here to pursue it because this is the best place to learn and know much about the other parts of the world through colleagues.

Q: What is your name? 
Shane Horn

Q: Where are you from? 
I was born in the U.S. and raised all over the States, but have lived most of my adult life outside of my country-of-origin. 

Q: Why did you decide to pursue the LLEES programme at UTU? 
Finland holds a great deal of appeal for me, not just professionally as an educator, but personally as well. When I began looking at the available master's programmes for international students at Finnish universities, this curriculum stood out the most for me.

Q: What is your favorite aspect of the programme? 
Having a diverse cohort of classmates from all over the world with all sorts of educational backgrounds and experiences adds texture and depth to the learning. Because we're a small programme, many of our classes are small and we receive personalized attention from the instructors as a result. Regarding the curriculum, I've really enjoyed diving into the research aspects of educational science.  

Q: What is your research about? 
Broadly, I'm considering the confounding role of sociocultural variability across education science due to a lack of replication studies. More specifically, I'm looking into the efficacy and contextual transferability of critical thinking skills development at the upper high school level.

Q: How do you think your degree will help you in the future? 
As an international high school teacher, there is increased market value to having a master's degree in terms of the quality schools preferring teachers at this level and many offering greater remuneration. I'm at a stage in my career now where I'm considering more leadership roles such as curriculum coordinator or head of department, and this will help. For me, however, pursuance of the degree was more for the intrinsic value of it than for any sort of tangible benefit.   

Q: What would you say to someone considering studying at UTU?
As with any life decision along these lines, there are multiple factors to consider, but this is one well worth considering.

Q: What is your name? 
Jae Hee Kim

Q: Where are you from? 
I am South Korean, but I lived most of my life on the Northern Marianas Islands.

Q: Why did you decide to pursue the LLEES programme at UTU? 

I came to Finland because of the world renown reputation in Education. I specifically chose Turku because it isn't too far from the capitol city, Helsinki.

Q: What is your favorite aspect of the programme? 
My favorite aspect of the LLEES programme at UTU is that the students are required to do a lot of reading and writing of academic research. All the while, the professors/ researchers here are very flexible with the students' individual needs, and focused on the students' learning process more than the learning outcome. This allowed me to nurture my internal motivation and love for doing research.

Q: What is your research about? 
I am still struggling to formulate all my interests into a research question(s), but I will be joining a research team at the University of California, Berkeley as an intern to study more about the field of Multicultural Education.

Q: How do you think your degree will help you in the future?

Through this whole experience, I will use my degree to fight and change discriminatory laws that systematically put minorities at a disadvantage due to their race, class, gender, sexuality, and/or ability.

Q: What would you say to someone considering studying at UTU?

If I can do this through UTU, so can you.

Q: What is your name? 
Qing “David” Liu

Q: Where are you from? 
China

Q: Why did you decide to pursue the LLEES programme at UTU? 

As focusing not only on teaching, but also on the learning environments and educational systems, the LLEES programme at UTU became my first option.

Q: What is your favorite aspect of the programme? 
My favorite aspect of the programme is the diversity. By studying with classmates from almost all the continents, I become more multi-cultural.

Q: What is your research about? 
My research interest falls on the comparison studies of educational systems within China to see how the systems are changing throughout time in different regions.

Q: How do you think your degree will help you in the future?

Studying at UTU helps me build-up my professional career, find my identity, and widen my horizon.

Q: What would you say to someone considering studying at UTU?

If you want the opportunity to develop yourself, UTU is the place to go!

Q: What is your name? 
Catalina Rusu

Q: Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Romania, in the Northern region of Bucovina, famous for its UNESCO sites (monasteries, villages, landscapes). I grew up in Vatra Dornei, a small town in the Carpathian Mountains, a well-known ski and sled resort spa.

Q: Why did you decide to pursue the LLEES programme at UTU?
On a personal level, I’d always had a soft spot for Finland: the people, the music, the landscape, Santa... But I also started to look up to Finland on a professional level, that of an educator. I completely fell in love with the Finnish educational system and found out more by participating in various workshops and conferences in my country. This is how I heard about the master’s programme at UTU. I made a short study trip last year, and I applied as soon as I came back home. I realized that out of all possible programmes, this one was the most relevant to me.

 Q: What is your favorite aspect of the programme? 
It is very hard to think of just one. Perhaps, the multitude of cultures one gets to be in contact with is the best part. Everyone in the programme comes from different parts of the world and each brings a little bit of his/her own culture, and professional and personal experiences. We learn by being in this wonderful community and sharing ideas, thoughts, and opinions. What I also love is the openness, friendliness and support of all the university staff, from coordinators to professors. The fact that this is a very research-based programme adds to the joy of being part of it; it trains my critical thinking. The wide variety of elective courses that teach important values has to be mentioned. 

Q: What is your research about?
Broadly speaking, I will be comparing Romania and Finland in terms of parent-teacher partnerships and communication effectiveness. Results might or might not show a need for parent-teacher communication exportability. I am also very much interested in multilingualism. So, I’m am that point where I am doing a lot of reading, hoping to decide what the topic would eventually be.

 Q: How do you think your degree will help you in the future? 
Although I am much more interested in how this degree is helping me become a better human being, I cannot say I don’t dream of contributing myself to the field of education. As a language teacher, translator and radio presenter, I am convinced that a master’s degree, and especially one from Finland, will create new opportunities for me to use my knowledge and the skills acquired here for the benefit of education. More specifically, I will be looking at more leadership roles, where I could work on implementing a new curriculum or create a platform for more parent-teacher interaction and collaboration or design new and interesting methods for children to learn. 

Q: What would you say to someone considering studying at UTU? 
"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." This applies so well to the UTU environment. Of all the things I’ve done in my life, coming here is by far one of the things I’m most proud of. And I’m sure one day, you will be too.

Q: What is your name? 
Chun-Min Chen

Q: Where are you from? 
Taiwan

Q: Why did you decide to pursue the LLEES programme at UTU? 

The micro and macro approach towards Education caught my attention.

Q: What is your favorite aspect of the programme? 
Seeing the holistic picture of Finnish Education is my favorite aspect of the programme. Moreover, through the programme, I got to know people from all over the world, who value the Finnish Education system.

Q: What is your research about? 
My research is about Finnish pupils’ English learning motivation and Finnish teachers’ perceptions about motivational strategies.

Q: How do you think your degree will help you in the future?

The degree enriches my thoughts, and will facilitate a friendly revolution in the Taiwanese educational system.

Q: What would you say to someone considering studying at UTU?

While studying at UTU, you will develop as a researcher as you experience a great autonomy and trust in the community.