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This study explores the level of congruency between students' ratings of their own emotional and behavioral strengths and difficulties, and their teachers' ratings of these factors, when compared amongst two neighboring countries, Estonia and Finland. Secondly, it investigates the level of agreement between sixth grade students' ratings and their teachers' ratings of their emotional and behavioral strengths and difficulties, within each country. Both the students' version (aimed at 11-17-year-olds) and teachers' versions of the Estonian and Finnish Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) were used in the study to measure these issues. No gender differences were found between the students' overall SDQ scores. However, girls experienced a greater number of emotional problems than boys did. In general, Estonian teachers reported more externalized problems among their students compared to Finnish teachers. Finnish teachers, however, reported more emotional problems among their students. The findings suggest that, in both countries, estimations by teachers and students regarding existing emotional and behavioral difficulties are mismatched. These findings extend the findings of earlier research and provide indications for future teacher training.

At-risk students like those with special educational needs, learning difficulties, or pupils at risk of exclusion frequently struggle in transition from basic to secondary vocational education and training, often due to poor personal, learning and social skills. Therefore, several countries implement transition programs like the choice of profession training (CoPT) in Estonia to support youngsters' readiness to continue their studies. This study aimed to identify how the characteristics of powerful learning environments in vocational education (PoLEVE) appear in CoPT in VET teachers and support specialists' experiences. The deductive thematic analysis of 16 semistructured interviews illuminated the development of learning-, life-, cooperation- and self-determinations skills through adaptive teaching and learning support in a safe and positive learning community. Nevertheless, the results also call for empowering at-risk students to cope independently, supporting their construction of vocational knowledge through reflective dialogue and intellectually challenging problem-solving.

This comparative study focuses on the prevalence, nature, and manifestations of experienced bullying among faculty personnel, that is, both academic and management staff of universities in Estonia and Finland. A total of 1,191 respondents from Estonia (n = 864) and Finland (n = 327) responded to identical questionnaires. The results show that 27 per cent of respondents in Estonia and 18 per cent in Finland had experienced bullying within six months prior to the study. In Estonia bullying is most commonly straightforward and may include insulting an individual in the presence of colleagues, while in Finland people typically get indirectly slandered behind their back. In Estonia, work-related threats of blame, violence, humiliation and ridicule are typical, whereas it is more ordinary to make negative work-related remarks in Finland. The dissimilar factor models and the categories based on open-ended answers also confirm the presupposition of academic bullying as a culture-related phenomenon.

The aim of this study is to determine the features of bullying in Estonian universities. In the spring of 2014, 864 faculty members answered our e-mail questionnaire. This questionnaire was based on the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R22); eight additional items dealt with sexual harassment, cyberbullying, and work-related malpractice. Structural equation modelling was used to confirm a model composed of five first-order factors as well as a second-order model that encompassed these five first-order factors. According to these models, representative forms of bullying in Estonian universities included personal insults, work-related blame, professional understating, unreasonable work-related demands, and work-related malpractice. The Academic Bullying Inventory (ABI-10) that was developed is a reliable and valid instrument with which to measure workplace bullying in universities.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to reveal the degree of intention to leave and the relation between bullying and intention to leave, as well as the relation between features of the working environment and intention to leave among Estonian university personnel. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 864 faculty members from nine Estonian universities answered the e-mail questionnaire in the Spring of 2014. The nature of bullying was measured with the help of the Negative Acts Questionnaire. The Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire was applied in a survey of characteristics of the work environment. The relations were analysed with the help of structural equation modelling. Findings: More than one third of the respondents had considered quitting sometimes, quite often, or very often. The results show that perceived bullying is a predictor of intention to leave, whereas a favourable working environment prevents quitting. Research limitations/implications: The present results can be utilised from at least three perspectives: cultural and institutional studies, leadership practices and personal work control. Practical implications: Knowing the characteristics of bullying helps in recognising and preventing bullying and aids in improving the working atmosphere at universities. Originality/value: This study revealed that besides directly, bullying is related to explained intention to leave indirectly, mediated by (negative) work environment perceptions. This indicates that bullying gives rise to an unfavourable working atmosphere and further to intention to leave.

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