Higher Seminar in Education

I am Ninni Lankinen, a doctoral researcher at University of Helsinki, Department of Education. My research interests lie mostly in linguistic and cultural diversity in Finnish schools. My research falls in the field of sociology of education, and is connected to questions about resources, gender, language, ethnicity and racism. I have done ethnographic fieldwork in two lower secondary schools (9th grade) in the Helsinki metropolitan area.

My first publication Finding safety or detachment. Post-comprehensive educational choices of girls with a migrant background looked into post-comprehensive educational choices among girls with migrant background, and the barriers in their educational paths. The paper is in Finnish, but an English abstract can be found here. My second article Developing linguistically responsive school culture: The role of leadership in Finnish lower secondary school context is under review. My third article Bridging School and Migrant Families: Multilingual Tutors as New Professionals in Finnish Schools concentrates on multilingual tutors, and their work as linguistic and cultural "brokers".

Previously I have worked in a research project about language learning in preparatory education for newly arrived pupils (Vastaantulo - Meeting in the Middle), and have been involved in developing linguistically responsive methods in education.

My background is in teaching Finnish as a second language, and I have worked over ten years as a teacher in vocational education and introduction/integration courses. I speak Finnish, English and Swedish.

ninni.lankinen@helsinki.fi