Pihlaja, Päivi

I work in the Department of Applied Education and Teacher Education at the University of Eastern Finland as a Professor of Education and my special field is early childhood education. I have been a teacher trainer for over 20 years and have trained, among other things, special education teachers for basic education and teachers for early childhood education. My research activities have focused on special education and early childhood education, as well as their combined surface, i.e. early childhood special education. My research interests have been, and still are, children's social and emotional development and learning difficulties, toddler pedagogy, inclusion with its many dimensions, and educational policy themes such as privatization and early childhood education policy. Methodologically, I am oriented towards qualitative research and my quantitative research has been relatively limited The research projects I have been charge on include The support system and administrative processes in ECE (2022- 2023), Toddler research (2018 2020), Development of information technology and early childhood education (together with Professor Hannu Salmela (University of Turku) (2006 2009), Socio-emotional difficulties and day care (2005 2006). EduSteps, or Keys to Education, that is a part of the extensive and multidisciplinary longitudinal research on the Steps-study (Steps to the Healthy Development and Well-being of Children), which began in 2007 in the University of Turku. Also following study has been in keen interest of mine: Early Childhood Education Policy in Finland and Sweden in cooperation with Umeå University. Currently, I lead the Research Consortium for Vakaata Tukea - Effective Support for Early Childhood Education Reform (2023 2025). In addition, I have been involved in national special education development and reserach projects where special teacher training has been developed (Supporting Together!, University of Oulu) and in the HOHTO project where special pedagogical and inclusive themes were developed in teacher education. I am very happy to work for children's development, learning and well-being as well as early childhood education in a variety of ways.