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Kultalahti ja Jaskari
30.01.2025

First appointments as Senior University Lecturers – Susanna Kultalahti and Minna-Maarit Jaskari emphasise pedagogical skills and educational development

Kirjoittajat
Tiina Ramsila
Susanna Kultalahti and Minna-Maarit Jaskari are the first to be appointed as senior university lecturers at the University of Vaasa. The revised career model at the university creates unique opportunities for advancing a teaching-oriented career to more senior, expert levels. The senior university lecturer is the highest level in the teaching-focused career path.

The appointments of Susanna and Minna-Maarit are a significant indication that teaching is valued and there is a commitment to educational development at the University of Vaasa.

– Personally, this is a huge recognition: I have done the right things and done things right. Even more important is that our university enables us to advance in the field of teaching. However, it is not just about teaching and guiding, it is also about developing education. It is great to see that all the time I have invested in various working groups has been meaningful, Susanna reflects.

At the University of Vaasa, teaching-focused tasks include university teacher, university lecturer, and senior university lecturer, the latter two requiring a doctoral degree. The responsibility for developing and leading teaching increases as one progresses in their career.

– I am very proud of this appointment. It is important that the university has implemented the highest career levels for teaching staff as well. In this role, the development of teaching is emphasised, but research activities are also increasingly important, Minna-Maarit explains.

Opportunity for career advancement

Susanna Kultalahti and Minna-Maarit Jaskari have both made significant contributions to the development of teaching and education at the University of Vaasa. Despite their different backgrounds, they both emphasise the importance of pedagogical skills.

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Susanna Kultalahti.

Susanna has been heavily involved in teaching since her doctoral studies, and has participated in various administrative bodies and working groups. After completing her doctoral thesis, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher but was drawn to teaching and educational development. She is grateful for the opportunity to complete both professional teacher education and university pedagogical studies alongside her work. Susanna began as a university lecturer in 2022 and has since been involved in numerous work-life projects and initiatives.

– In the role of senior university lecturer and during the evaluation, development and diverse participation are highly valued. This includes working in various groups and contributing to societal impact through different forums and networks. It is great that our career model does not favour only certain types of individuals, but our university is open to various profiles and areas of expertise, Susanna says.

Minna-Maarit previously worked in the private sector before starting teaching roles at Laurea University of Applied Sciences and later at the University of Vaasa as head of education. After completing her licentiate thesis on consumer research, she became increasingly interested in researching higher education in marketing, and in her doctoral dissemination, she examines the development of marketing skills in creative processes. She has always been interested in work-life-oriented teaching, experiments with educational technology, and the development of practical teaching methods. After completing her doctoral thesis, Minna-Maarit continued teaching and became a university lecturer. She has maintained a strong focus on research throughout her career, publishing scientific studies related to both higher education in marketing and consumer research. Additionally, she leads the higher education marketing research programme within the marketing and consumer research group.

– The development of the career model opened up opportunities for career advancement. Pedagogical skills and the development of higher education have always been the cornerstones of my career, she emphasises.

At the university, teaching is content-wise based on research. According to Minna-Maarit, the methods of teaching should also be research-based. Both Minna-Maarit and Susanna encourage teaching staff to acquire the pedagogical skills required at the highest level of the career model. Minna-Maarit stresses that understanding how to teach and inspire students better is beneficial for everyone. Susanna agrees.

– I gained a lot of help from my studies for my work; I simply did my job better. I hope that participating in pedagogical studies becomes a given and integrated into the career path, Susanna says.

"I have told students that my main goal is for their thinking skills to develop, and that is what we aim for. Developing thinking is hard work and requires time, which is not a given in today's world. This message has resonated with students."
Minna-Maarit Jaskari

Tools, big picture, and critical thinking

Susanna Kultalahti and Minna-Maarit Jaskari emphasise that teaching and learning should provide students with tools, an understanding of the big picture, and critical thinking skills. The diversity of students is constantly increasing, with more students at different stages of life, which must be considered in teaching.

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Minna-Maarit Jaskari.

– I have told students that my main goal is for their thinking skills to develop, and that is what we aim for. Developing thinking is hard work and requires time, which is not a given in today's world. This message has resonated with students. They have started to realise that working might be easier than studying, which requires thinking about how things are connected and how the big picture forms, Minna-Maarit explains.

Susanna's guiding principle is that teaching should provide tools.

– Of course, there is also the substance, but nowadays you can leave anything to AI or various technologies to solve, and that won't help you succeed. A course has a theme and content, but it also includes other elements that help understand future work challenges, such as managing the big picture, healthy critical thinking, and analysing, processing, organising, and understanding information. Teaching staff have a significant responsibility, especially in the pedagogical aspect: how to build comprehensive entities that achieve their goals and fulfill their intended purpose, Susanna says.

Interaction and sociability are crucial in teaching

Susanna and Minna-Maarit have seen teaching change during their careers. Remote teaching has brought challenges but also opportunities. Both emphasise the importance of interaction in teaching.

– It is an important work skill to get along with others. It is a skill just like solving an equation. If we have 50 or 100 black screens and you are not interacting with others, how can you manage interaction skills in the workplace? It is a big challenge to consider what kind of graduates we are sending into the working life and with what methods, Susanna reflects.

– Perhaps due to the pandemic, at some point, all exercises became fragmented. Now students demand clear and detailed instructions on how to complete each exercise. At the same time, as a teacher, you think that students should be able to understand the big picture and figure out how to solve tasks with the information they have. We have extremely smart students, and when they are present, you can discuss things from multiple perspectives. It is difficult to achieve the same depth of understanding remotely, Minna-Maarit continues.

"Nowadays you can leave anything to AI or various technologies to solve, and that won't help you succeed. A course has a theme and content, but it also includes other elements that help understand future work challenges, such as managing the big picture, healthy critical thinking, and analysing, processing, organising, and understanding information."
Susanna Kultalahti

Susanna and Minna-Maarit enjoy the comprehensive nature of teaching and the ability to help students realise and grow. Susanna emphasises coaching leadership and guidance situations, while Minna-Maarit focuses on keeping student’s learning at the center.

– It is wonderful to see when a student has an "aha" moment, grows in their role, and their understanding increases from something I have said or done, Susanna says.

Minna-Maarit nods in agreement.

– I believe in learning through actions, which is why I am often a demanding teacher. I know that some students like this and some do not. I have always been on the side of the student in all development, ensuring that the student is at the center and that we make decisions that advance students and teaching. As a teacher, I am someone who gets excited about what I teach. This makes teaching sometimes a bit demanding, but what can you do when you are passionate about it?

– Our students are very smart and goal-oriented. We have real gems in our hands, and we are fortunate to work in such a wonderful place, Minna-Maarit smiles.

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