Registration will be open from March 27 till April 27, 2026. Participation in the conference is free of charge for all EDUCA-related researchers. Registration link will be posted here on March 27.
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EDUCA Mini-Conference 2026
Start
End
Location
Aalto University, Espoo
Contact
Anna Holvio
The EDUCA Mini-Conference in May 2026 brings together researchers from across the flagship to share and discuss their work. Hosted by Aalto University in Espoo, the conference is open to all EDUCA researchers. The program includes keynote speeches from Professor Eric Taylor from Harvard University and Associate Professor Miriam Wüst from the University of Copenhagen, parallel sessions that present current EDUCA research, and social program.
Registration
Preliminary program
The program for doctoral researchers will begin at 13:00 on Tuesday, May 19th. The conference will commence at 12:00 on Wednesday, May 20th. The conference concludes at 15:20 on Thursday, May 21st.
You will find the preliminary program below. After the room number you will find the building (BIZ = School of Business Building).
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Time | Program | Room (building) |
|---|---|---|
14:00-17:00 | EDUCA Doctoral pilot workshop: Secondments and worklife collaboration | F102 (Väre) |
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Time | Program | Room (building) |
|---|---|---|
9:00-11:00 | EDUCA Doctoral pilot workshop: Career planning | U006 (BIZ) |
10:00-11:00 | EDUCA Doctoral pilot: Supervisors' meeting | T003 (BIZ) |
11:00-12:00 | Lunch | |
12:00-12:15 | Opening of the EDUCA Mini-Conference | Aalto Hall (Otakaari 1) |
12:15-13:30 | Keynote speech: Professor Eric Taylor, Harvard University | Aalto Hall (Otakaari 1) |
13:30-14:00 | Coffee break | BIZ Lobby |
14:00-15:30 | Parallel sessions 1-6 | see section "Parallel sessions" |
15:30-16:00 | Coffee break | BIZ Lobby |
16:00-17:30 | Parallel sessions 7-12 | see section "Parallel sessions" |
17:30- | Evening program | BIZ Lobby |
Thursday, May 21, 2026
Time | Program | Room (building) |
|---|---|---|
8:30-10:00 | Parallel sessions 13-17 | see section "Parallel sessions" |
10:00-10:30 | Coffee break | BIZ Lobby |
10:30-12:00 | Invited sessions: Advanced research methods and analyses using register data | see section "Invited sessions" |
12:00-13:00 | Lunch | |
13:00-14:15 | Keynote speech: Miriam Wüst, University of Copenhagen | Aalto Hall (Otakaari 1) |
14:15-14:30 | Break | |
14:30-15:15 | Panel discussion: TBA | Aalto Hall (Otakaari 1) |
15:15-15:20 | Closing of the Mini-Conference | Aalto Hall (Otakaari 1) |
Parallel sessions
The book of abstracts will be added here soon.
Parallel sessions 1-6 (Wed, May 20, 14:00-15:30)
Session name | Presenters | Description | Room (building) |
|---|---|---|---|
1: Education, Society and Inequality | Mailis Elomaa: Unpacking contextual factors in school leadership: Principals' experiences across ecological systems Rasmus Mellanen: Intergenerational Effects of Social Security Cuts Marc Perkins: Towards a Cohesive Conceptualization of Crises for Education and Beyond | This session addresses how educational processes are embedded in wider social and economic structures. | V001 (BIZ) |
2: Evaluating Interventions and Reforms | Valtteri Eskola: Implementation fidelity in teacher delivered whole-classroom interventions: A systematic review Sonja Julkunen: Effects of Multiplication Interventions on Multiplication Learning in Elementary School Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Tong Li: Effects of the Bologna Degree Reform on Time to Graduation and Labor Market Outcomes | The presentations examine how studies address implementation fidelity, effects of interventions, and how structural policy changes shape educational outcomes. | L102 (Väre) |
3: Mathematics Learning, Instruction and Skill Development | Heli Nurminen: Fraction learning in a digital learning environment: A pilot study Katariina Nuutila: Predictions between students’ anxiety, self-efficacy, and perceived difficulty during math tasks Pauliina Salonen: The Development of Preservice Primary School Teachers’ Rational Number Knowledge During a Mathematics Didactics Course | This session examines instructional interventions, conceptual development, and classroom practices in mathematics. They highlight both cognitive and pedagogical dimensions of mathematics education. | T003 (BIZ) |
4: Student Engagement and Learning | Prince Das Adhikary: Uncovering Hidden Learner Profiles: A Narrative-Based Approach to Diagnosing Student Engagement Haoyan Huang: Mind the Trap: The Complex Role of Curiosity and Persistence in School Engagement and Burnout Auli Lehtinen: Beyond passive use: cognitive engagement and technology use in Finnish secondary classrooms | This session examines how students engage with learning through motivational, emotional, and behavioral processes. The presentations focus on how curiosity, persistence, and individual responses to learning situations shape engagement in school. | Q201 (Väre) |
5: Technology and Student Experiences | Saswati Chaudhuri: Associations between students’ ICT use, academic emotions and cognitive engagement in 7th grade Sonja Hartio: “As Long as You Have Your Smartphone, You’re Connected with Friends“ – Lower Secondary Students’ Perceptions of Smartphones’ Role in Social Relationships Fatemeh Irani: Problematic Internet Use and Adolescent Well-Being: Cognitive and Emotional Impairment as a Key Mechanism | This session examines how digital technologies shape students’ experiences of learning. The presentations focus on motivation, attention, emotions and social relationships when technology is present. | F102 (Väre) |
6: Well-Being of Student Teachers, Teachers, and Principals | Ema Demir: Invisible Pressures, Measurable Strain: Educator Well-Being through Wearable Technology and Work Activity Mapping Olli-Pekka Heinimäki: Mapping Occupational Wellbeing: A Structural Topic Modelling Study of Teachers’ and Principals’ Perspectives Ella Kämper: A person-specific study of an ACT online intervention for pre-service teachers’ mental well-being during teaching practicum | These studies examine educator well-being through subjective and physiological perspectives. | U006 (BIZ) |
Parallel sessions 7-12 (Wed, May 20, 16:00-17:30)
Session name | Presenters | Description | Room (building) |
|---|---|---|---|
7: Artificial Intelligence in Education | Tero Lakkonen: Generative AI in AI literacy research for elementary school in 2021—2025, themes from a systematic literature review Daranee Lehtonen: Changes in Teachers’ AI Literacy and Pedagogical Positioning after Professional Development Thomas Viik: “Just tell me the answer”: How pre-service teachers engage with a pedagogical AI chatbot | This session examines how artificial intelligence is entering educational contexts through literacy research, teacher professional learning, and human–AI interaction in pedagogy. | V001 (BIZ) |
8: Development of Core Academic Competencies | Anne Föhr: Individual differences in kindergartners' and first graders' early numeracy Axel Norgren: Deciphering the Reading Puzzle: Teacher Value Added Across Core Literacy Tekla Seppälä: 5-year-old Finnish children’s self-regulation profiles: the role of child characteristics and educators' support practices | These presentations focus on foundational learning processes that support academic development across domains, including reading, mathematics, and self-regulation. | T003 (BIZ) |
9: Learning Processes, Cognitive Demands and Task Engagement | Heidi Kaarto: The effects of students’ reading comprehension skills and instructions’ linguistic complexity in computational thinking tasks Elina Ketonen: When digital devices distract learning: An experience sampling study of student motivation (EDUCA-DIGI) Reetta Kyynäräinen: Lower secondary school students’ perception of errors: how do gender, achievement, and grade-level predict adaptive error beliefs and reactions? | These presentations focus on how students manage cognitively demanding learning situations involving attention, task interpretation, and self-regulation. | L102 (Väre) |
10: Migration and Supporting Integration | Riikka Jaatinen: Supporting Newly Arrived Migrant Students through Teacher Collaboration: A Culturally Responsive Education Perspective Lachlan Paterson: Certified language skills, citizenship, and immigrant integration Ve Romey: Teacher educators’ perceptions of and approaches to cultural diversity in initial teacher education | The presentations examine factors that promote immigrant integration. | Q201 (Väre) |
11: Parents, Home Environment and Development of Children and Youth | Arto Lehtola: Young adults’ narratives of parental support during their school path Lauri Turkia: How parental wealth shapes selection and success in tertiary education Yixin Zhang: Key Parenting Practices for Children’s Positive Social Development: A Cross-National Study of Multi-dimensional Parental Involvement and Social Skills | These papers examine how parental practices and home environments shape children’s development and educational decisions across different stages of childhood and youth. | Q202 (Väre) |
12: Teachers' and Principals' Professional Practices and Organization of Work | Lauri Lehtonen: Technical trainers’ instructional decision-making in immersive virtual reality environments Sahsenem Öz: Collaborative ICT-Related Learning Among Finnish Teachers: Insights from the ICILS Study Hiroyuki Toyama: Does job crafting help school principals mentally detach from work during off-job time?: Investigating the effect of approach- and avoidance-oriented job crafting on the long-term dynamics of psychological detachment, job performance, and health | This session examines how teachers and principals shape their work, collaborate, and engage in professional practices and decision-making. | F102 (Väre) |
Parallel sessions 13-17 (Thu, May 21, 8:30-10:00)
Session name | Presenters | Description | Room (building) |
|---|---|---|---|
13: Computational Thinking and Technology Use in Learning | Cristiana Mergianian: Profiles of computational thinking task behaviour Inka Palimo: Examining the relationship between ICT utilization in enquiry-based learning activities and student academic achievement in PISA 2022 in Finland Marika Parviainen: Exploring the Role of Computational Thinking in Mathematical Word Problems | This session focuses on how students approach cognitively demanding tasks that require reasoning, interpretation, and structured problem solving. The presentations examine computational thinking and inquiry-based learning. | T003 (BIZ) |
14: Leadership Among Teachers and Principals | Janni Alho: Principals’ perceptions of leadership in a school’s professional community Satu Kulmala: Teachers’ transformative professional agency in multi-level professional networks Sanna-Mari Muta: Finnish Principals' Work Passion Profiles and Associations with Psychological Flexibility | These studies examine teachers' and principals' leadership, agency, and flexibility in community and networks. | Q103 (Väre) |
15: Perspectives of Parents and Education Professionals on Children's Development | Anniina Eklöf: Parents’ experiences of interaction with school welfare professionals during Finnish comprehensive school Daria Khanolainen: Longitudinal Profiles of Socio-Emotional Support and Their Associations with Academic and Psychological Functioning Shizhao Zhang: Moderating Factors of Mother-Teacher Ratings Discrepancy Towards Preschoolers Social Emotional Development | This session examines the perspectives and support of parents and education professionals on childrens development. | V001 (BIZ) |
16: Recruitment, Labor Markets and Career Choice of Educators | Kelly Ferber: School Principals’ Professional Goals and Well-Being: Promoting sustainable working conditions Ville Mankki: Insights from Teacher Recruitment Research: Employers’ Expectations for Teachers and Teaching Ulla Wirtanen: Monopsony Power in Early Childhood Education and Care | This session focuses on professional entry points and labor market dynamics in teaching careers. The presentations examine how institutions shape recruitment, professional choices, and working conditions. | V002 (BIZ) |
17: Support and Student Well-Being in Longitudinal Studies | Miruna Bivol: Intersectional Differences in Adolescent Well-Being Profile Transitions and STEM-Oriented Career Choices Emmi Koukkari: Profiles of Teachers' and Students' Perceptions of Educational Support: Associations with Subsequent Socioemotional Functioning and Academic Performance Mathilda Sandman: The Longitudinal Interplay of Mathematics Self-concept, Interest, Cost, and Performance – a Random Intercept Cross-lagged Panel Model | This session examines how educational support, well-being, and motivational beliefs shape students’ educational trajectories. | U006 (BIZ) |
Invited sessions
In addition to the parallel sessions, we will host three invited sessions around the theme "Advanced research methods and analyses using register data" on Thursday morning between 10:30 and 12:00.
Travel and accommodation
Participants will be responsible for booking and paying for their own travel and accommodation according to their university's guidelines.
Travel
The Aalto University campus is located in Otaniemi, Espoo, around 10 kilometers from the center of Helsinki. It can be reached by metro, light rail and bus. The campus is in Zone B.
You can find more information about reaching the campus here.
On Thursday, 21 May, the conference will conclude in time to allow participants to catch the 16:20 train from Helsinki to Jyväskylä.
Accommodation
Radisson Blu Hotel Espoo and Heymo 1 by Sokos Hotels are within a walking distance from Aalto University. In addition, hotels in the center of Helsinki are a short metro ride away from the campus.
Radisson Blu Hotel Espoo has alloted 45 rooms for conference guests from May 19 to 21, 2026 as follows:
- 150 EUR per night in a 1-person standard room
- 180 EUR per night in a 2-person standard room
The price includes breakfast, sauna, Wi-Fi and VAT. The room allotment will be released to the general public on May 6, 2026.
To book a room from the allotment, use the code EDUCA:
- Phone: +358 300 870 010
- E-mail: reservations.finland@radissonblu.com
- Online: www.radissonhotels.com/fi-fi
The reservation must be confirmed with a credit card at the time of booking or paid in advance. Please kindly note that credit card details must not be sent by e-mail. The last day for free cancellation is 4 days prior to the arrival date.
Call for abstracts
The call for abstracts has now ended!
We invite abstract submissions on all topics related to the research areas of the EDUCA Flagship, both ongoing research and completed projects. The call for abstracts is open to all researchers working within the EDUCA Flagship, and we welcome researchers at all career stages, from doctoral researchers to senior researchers.
All accepted submissions will be oral presentations in parallel sessions. The estimated duration of each presentation is 30 minutes, including discussion, although the exact length may change depending on the total number of presentations. Please note that the conference will be held in-person only, and there is no possibility for remote presentations.
Submissions will be accepted only through the online form (below). Abstracts must be submitted in English as a Word file using the abstract template (below). The file must include the title of the presentation, the name of the presenter, and an abstract of no more than 200 words. Late submissions will not be accepted.
All abstracts will be reviewed by the organizing committee of the conference. Our aim is to provide a presentation slot for all interested researchers. If it is not possible, priority will be given to researchers who did not present at the EDUCA Summer School in September 2025.
All accepted abstracts will be published in the Book of Abstracts, which will be available on the conference webpage. By submitting an abstract, presenters agree to attend the conference if their abstract is accepted.
For any questions regarding abstract submissions, please contact EDUCA Coordinator Anna Holvio from Aalto University (anna.holvio@aalto.fi).
Important dates
- The deadline for abstract submission is February 27, 2026.
- Notifications of acceptance will be sent by March 27, 2026.
- Conference registration will open on March 27, 2026.
- Conference registration will close on April 27, 2026.
Abstract template
Use this template for your abstract, please.
Submit your abstract
Link to the form: https://link.webropol.com/s/educa-miniconf-2026