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At present, interprofessional collaboration is the agenda for progression in the Finnish ECEC field. Supporting students' professional development toward interprofessional collaboration during the pre-service time is regarded as important. This study examined interprofessional practicum in ECEC centres and explored both students’ and mentors’ perceptions on it. Focus group discussions were analysed through content analysis. The results revealed that students and mentors perceived interprofessional practicum as important in terms of professional development. The most rewarding experiences were related to the students' joint assignment, the Topaasia game, and the students' peer support. The negative experiences were related to organisational issues that complicated the preparation for the practicum period and limited collaboration between students. For appropriate implementation, the interprofessional practicum still requires long-term progression. Based on students’ and mentors’ perceptions, recommendations for organising interprofessional practicum in ECEC centres are presented.

Keväällä 2020 COVID-19-pandemian aiheuttama poikkeustila loi uudenlaiset olosuhteet myös varhaiskasvatustyölle. Tässä tutkimuksessa selvitetään päiväkotien varhaiskasvatushenkilöstön kokemuksia pedagogiikan toteuttamisesta poikkeusaikana. Aineistona tutkimuksessa ovat varhaiskasvatushenkilöstön kirjoittamat päiväkirjat (n = 14), joissa he kuvaavat omaa ja tiimin toimintaa poikkeusaikana. Tulosten mukaan poikkeusajalle muodostuneet olosuhteet toivat pedagogiikan toteuttamiselle sekä mahdollisuuksia että esteitä ja ohjasivat kehittämään pedagogiikan toteuttamista tilanteeseen sopivaksi. Poikkeusaikana havaittiin neljä kronologista vaihetta, joissa mahdollisuudet, esteet ja pedagogiikan kehittäminen näyttäytyivät hieman eri tavoin. Tulosten mukaan selkeät toimintamallit ja tavoitteet, henkilöstön vuorovaikutuksen ylläpitäminen sekä varhaiskasvatushenkilöstön eriytyvän osaamisen hyödyntäminen edistävät laadukkaan varhaiskasvatuksen ja pedagogiikan toteuttamista myös poikkeusaikoina.

Researching well-being has gained popularity over the last decades however, research methodologies have employed mostly surveys, and the use of qualitative and visual methods is still scarce. This study discusses using timelines as a tool for researching the well-being of student teachers in two different cultural contexts. Research data includes researchers' notes as well as focus groups and students' notions of using timelines as a course assignment, analyzed using thematic analysis. This study shares our justification for using qualitative, visual methods to collect data related to well-being and evaluates the strengths and limitations of timelining as a tool to do this, from both the participants' and researchers' viewpoints. The study argues that timelines have the potential not only to support reflections on well-being but also to provide an approach to support it during teacher training and beyond. The use of timelines as tools to explore the non-linear and dynamic experiences of well-being during student teachers' teaching practice in Finland and England will be discussed and recommendations for the further development of this approach shared.