Faculty

Faculty of Education and Culture

Tampere University

edu.tau [at] tuni.fi (edu[dot]tau[at]tuni[dot]fi)

+358 294 5211

Main Campus Virta, Åkerlundinkatu 5, Tampere,

Postal Address: Faculty of Education and Culture P.O.Box 700 FI-33014 Tampere University

The Faculty of Education and Culture consists of three units with different tasks.

The Unit of Education is a research and learning community investigating the state of education in society and reshaping education. We are training experts and change-makers with strong social and cultural awareness and an analytical mindset for the education sector.

The Faculty also includes the Tampere University Teacher Training School, which trains future teachers, and the Language Centre, which provides the communication and language studies included in all the degrees completed at the University.

Unit of Education

We train experts and change-makers with strong social and cultural awareness and an analytical mindset for the education sector at all levels of education from early childhood to adult education. Our research focuses on educational activities, educational knowledge, and educational institutions.

Unit of Education

Tampere University Teacher Training School

Tampere University Teacher Training School is an integral part of the activities of the Faculty of Education and Culture. It is a teacher training school and serves as a centre for developing school activities.

Tampere University Teacher Training School

Tampere University Language Centre

Tampere University Language Centre is part of the multidisciplinary teaching and research community at the Faculty of Education and Culture. The Language Centre teaches communication and language studies included in all university degrees.

Tampere University Language Centre

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Equal opportunity to learn

Children’s and young people’s opportunities for learning and success are important both to them and to the future of entire societies. With competence in special education pedagogy, we are enabling the equal learning of all kinds of learners. By donating, you enable the implementation of high-quality research and education in special education pedagogy in Tampere.

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Education in biodiversity increases people’s understanding of biodiversity and the significance of viable nature for prosperous societies and the planet. There is a great need for research and education in the field in Finland and internationally. At Tampere University, we foster the environmental relationship of future generations through research-based education.

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News

Story

Our alumni

Tampere University

Our alum Samah Al-Hethaf: Adult education feels important and rewarding

Published on 4.11.2024

updated on 4.11.2024

Story

Our alumni

Tampere University

Our alum Ida Kuvaja: Education studies open professional doors in many directions

Published on 18.10.2024

updated on 30.10.2024

News Article

Press release

Tampere University

Tampere will host an international conference on educational research in August 2026

Published on 4.10.2024

More news from the Faculty of Education and Culture

Events

Event

Congress

Tampere University

Association for Moral Education Conference 2025

7.8.2025 10.00–9.8.2025 16.00

Kalevantie 4, 33100 Tampere • City Centre Campus

Multidisciplinary research on education

Most of the research at the Faculty of Education and Culture is conducted at the Unit of Education. Tampere University Teacher Training School and Language Centre have their own national and university-level tasks as they focus on providing research-based teaching. Researchers at the Unit of Education and teachers at the Teacher Training School work in close cooperation as the teacher training school provides researchers with a fruitful living research environment.

We produce research-based knowledge for societal decision-making and developing educational institutions and organisations. Our research can be used to support the agency, empowerment, and educational process of individuals and communities.

Three mutually complementary and intertwined themes can be outlined in our Faculty’s research activities. Both empirical and theoretical research is conducted in the thematic areas which comprise education in society, communities in education, and learning, pedagogy, and learning cultures.

The thematic research areas

Education in society

Research in this thematic area considers education as a societal, institutional, and political phenomenon. These issues are explored at various levels from everyday practices to wider societal perspectives.

Communities in education

The research undertaken in this thematic area focuses on factors at the community and operating system level. They are examined from the perspectives of social and cultural values and goals, in relation to the conditions for the development of agency and expertise, and the forms of organisation of social learning practices in different communities.

Learning, pedagogy and learning cultures

Research in this thematic area focuses on learning, pedagogy and learning cultures at all levels of education and training, as well as in diverse learning and work communities. We are investigating the significance of individual, community, content, contextual, and cultural factors in education and learning.

Research Centres

The Faculty of Education and Culture is coordinating the operations of the Research Centre on Transnationalism and Transformation (TRANSIT) and the Research centre for Education, Assessment and Learning (REAL). The Faculty also participates in joint research centres with two other faculties: the Research Centre of Gameful Realities is coordinated by the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences, and PERLA - Tampere Centre for Childhood, Youth and Family Research is coordinated by the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Research Centre on Transnationalism and Transformation

Research centre for Education, Assessment and Learning (REAL)

PERLA - Tampere Centre for Childhood, Youth and Family Research

Unit of Education

Find out more about the research at the Unit of Education

Research projects at the Unit

Publications and research activities at the Unit

Research, experimentation and development activities at the Tampere University Teacher Training School

In addition to teaching and teacher training, the Teacher Training School is responsible for providing diverse research, experimental, and development activities. The Tampere University Teacher Training School participates in several development projects and studies.

Teacher Training School

Find out more about the Finnish FCLab (Future Classroom Lab) network

Research environments and activities at out faculty

Find out more about the research infrastructures at our faculty

Find out more about the publications at our faculty

Educational professionals in various sectors of society

Language Centre organises communication and languages studies included in all the degrees for all the 22,000 students on all the campuses of the University. Students may also take free choice studies in communication and several foreign languages.

Teacher Training School provides basic education, upper secondary education, and organises the supervised teaching practice which is part of the teacher’s pedagogical studies of class teacher and subject teacher students. Currently, there are some 940 pupils and students at Teacher Training School, and some 300 teacher students annually complete their supervised teaching practise. Basic education is organised in Nekala, and upper secondary education on the University’s city centre campus. In addition to teaching and guidance, the Teacher Training School provides active research, experimentation and development activities and offers continuing education in teaching.

The Unit of Education organises degree education and trains the graduates to become experts in education and training and to work as teachers, educators, and teaching professionals in many sectors of society from early childhood to adult education. Basic and intermediary studies in education may be studied at Open University, and a wide range of continuing education is offered in the various projects of the Unit of Education.
The Units collaborate in educational activities. For example, all the supervised teaching practice of teacher students and subject teacher students is completed at the Teacher Training School.

Degree Education

Lifelong learning and education, degree programme in educational sciences (in Finnish)

Special education teacher, degree programme in educational sciences (in Finnish)

Class teacher, degree programme in educational sciences (in Finnish)

Early Childhood Education (Bachelor's Degree)

Teaching, Learning and Media Education (Master's Degree)

Doctoral Programme of Education and Society

Teacher’s Pedagogical Studies

Subject teacher’s Pedagogical Studies

University pedagogy

Continuous Learning

Open University studies

Continuing education

Language Centre

Curriculum of communication and language studies

Teacher Training School

The Tampere University Teacher Training School

We actively participate in societal development.

We have societal impact through education and research and interact with partners and societal actors.

High-impact education

We are training teachers, educators, and experts for the future. Their work will have an impact on society for generations. At the Teacher Training School, we train future generations by producing high-quality comprehensive and upper secondary education. Our Language Centre provides studies that promote the accumulation of language and communication skills of all the degree students at the University.

Through our degree programmes and continuous education, the latest research data is transmitted to the work of teachers, principals, and education professionals. We provide research-based knowledge and expertise to the field both nationally and internationally in development and transnational education projects.

Find out more about the recent education activities and projects:

• The JOVAP Eligibility and Qualification Studies in Early Childhood Education support people with an immigrant background to gain eligibility for an early childhood education and care teacher (ECEC) and enter the Finnish labour market.
• Tampere University has been granted the educational responsibility for special education teacher training starting from 2024

Information for the needs of society

The research we conduct produces information for the development of the education and training sector, working life and educational institutions and creates pedagogical innovations and tools for future education professionals. We actively conduct research together with public actors, organisations, and businesses. Our experts provide research-based knowledge to regional, national, and international decision-makers and participate in developing the field in several working groups.

Our researchers participate in the activities of the TURNS (Tampere Urban Research Network for Sustainability) and DigiSus (Double-Edged Sword: Digital and Sustainability Transitions in Society) research platforms at Tampere University.

Find out more about our research projects, which provide a wide range of information for the needs of society.

•   CRITICAL Technological and social innovations to support critical reading in the age of the internet
•   SCHOOLWELL Future School of Comprehensive Well-Being
•   PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment)
•   BiciZen - a collaborative platform that aims to make city regions more bikeable

Our cooperation networks

We are active in various local, national, and international cooperation networks in the field of education and training.

Network for ECIU Teacher Education Communities
eTED Professional Development Network for Teacher Educators (in Finnish)
FinEd – The Finnish Multidisciplinary Doctoral Training Network on Educational Sciences
FCLab.fi (Future Classroom Lab)
Kasvatustieteellisen alan valintayhteistyöverkosto (Network for Admissions Cooperation in the Pedagogical Field, in Finnish)
Juniversity - science learning experiences to children and young people
KOPTUKE – National Network for Teacher Education Development and Research
LUKE – Lukioiden kehittämisverkosto (National upper secondary education development network under the Finnish National Agency for Education, in Finnish)
Suomen yliopistollisten harjoittelukoulujen yhteistyöverkosto eNorssi (Cooperation network of the Finnish University Teacher Training Schools, in Finnish)
SVV – Freedom and Responsibility of Liberal Adult Education
Education network in teacher training of the city of Tampere, Tampere University Teacher Training School, and the Unit of Education
Tampereen seudun kasvatus- ja opetusalan osaamisen kehittämisen palvelu Osake (Osake - capacity building development service in education and training in the Tampere region, in Finnish)
Compact Global Innovation Network for Teaching and Learning(GINTL)
UNESCO Associated Schools Network - ASPnet
The Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Network
Yrittäjyyslukioiden verkosto (Business and Entrepreneurship Education network of upper secondary schools, in Finnish)

Faculty Administration

Faculty email address edu.tau [at] tuni.fi (edu[dot]tau[at]tuni[dot]fi)

Management

Dean
Tiina Silander
tiina.silander [at] tuni.fi (tiina[dot]silander[at]tuni[dot]fi)

Vice Dean for Education
Jyri Lindén
jyri.linden [at] tuni.fi (jyri[dot]linden[at]tuni[dot]fi)
+358 50 318 6969

Vice Dean for Research
Tiina Soini-Ikonen
tiina.soini-ikonen [at] tuni.fi (tiina[dot]soini-ikonen[at]tuni[dot]fi)
+358 40 190 1753

Management Support

Special Adviser
Sanni Irjala
sanni.irjala [at] tuni.fi (sanni[dot]irjala[at]tuni[dot]fi)
+358 50 447 8351

Executive Assistant
Annika Vastamäki
annika.vastamaki [at] tuni.fi (annika[dot]vastamaki[at]tuni[dot]fi)
+358 50 578 0849

HR Specialist
Sari Kalmanlehto
sari.kalmanlehto [at] tuni.fi (sari[dot]kalmanlehto[at]tuni[dot]fi)
+358 40 190 1477

HR Coordinator
Jaana Tamski
jaana.tamski [at] tuni.fi (jaana[dot]tamski[at]tuni[dot]fi)
+358 50 384 4899

HR Partner
Minna Viinikainen
minna.viinikainen [at] tuni.fi (minna[dot]viinikainen[at]tuni[dot]fi)
+358 50 318 6619

Finance

Senior specialist, finance
Saila Kallioinen
saila.kallioinen [at] tuni.fi (saila[dot]kallioinen[at]tuni[dot]fi)
+358 40 198 1107

Financial Specialist
Juhani Lehtinen
juhani.lehtinen [at] tuni.fi (juhani[dot]lehtinen[at]tuni[dot]fi)
VIRTA 208
+358 50 318 7569

Research

Research Specialist
Anneli Lehtisalo
anneli.lehtisalo [at] tuni.fi (anneli[dot]lehtisalo[at]tuni[dot]fi)
VIRTA 207
+358 50 437 7233

Innovation Specialist
Matti Majuri
matti.majuri [at] tuni.fi (matti[dot]majuri[at]tuni[dot]fi)
050 026 2440

Education

Head of Study Services
Elina Kangastupa
elina.kangastupa [at] tuni.fi (elina[dot]kangastupa[at]tuni[dot]fi)
+358 50 437 7008

Education Unit Staff

Teacher Training School Staff

Composition of the Faculty Council

Members and deputy members between 1.1.2023 - 31.12.2026

Professors:

Harju-Luukkainen Heidi (Millei Zsuzsanna)
Kiili Kristian (Kallio Kirsi Pauliina)
Kaukko Mervi (Nokelainen Petri)
Toiviainen Hanna (Sannino Annalisa)
Vainikainen Mari-Pauliina (Kauko Jaakko)

Teaching and research staff and support staff:

Aarnio-Linnanvuori Essi (Annala Johanna)
Hanska Jussi (Koskinen-Sinisalo Kirsi-Liisa)
Saarinen Paula (Helkala Sonja)
Saha Mari (Hjelt Hanna)
- (Östring Heidi)

Student representatives:
(term running from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2024)

Virtanen Santeri (Ranta Olivia)
Kara Yasmin (Hakala Emilia)
Lahtinen Eemeli (Harinen Anni)
Rokosa Inna (Takala Elsa)
Kurkinen Janika (-)

Guidelines for Applying for the Title of Docent

Please find the guidelines for applying for the title of docent and guidelines for evaluation of teaching competence and teaching demonstration on the page Applying for the title of docent.

Contact: edu-docents.tau [at] tuni.fi (edu-docents[dot]tau[at]tuni[dot]fi)