Skip to main content
Jaana Kettunen
  • Finnish Institute for Educational Research
    P.O.Box 35
    FI-40014 University of Jyväskylä
  • +358 40 805 4255
This study contends that phenomenography offers both a useful research method and practical tools for developing education and training for career practitioners. After introducing the basic principles of phenomenography, the study reviews... more
This study contends that phenomenography offers both a useful research method and practical tools for developing education and training for career practitioners. After introducing the basic principles of phenomenography, the study reviews previous research on its potential in developing pedagogical practices. It explores how the phenomenographic findings were utilized to design an online skills training programme for career practitioners. The study finds that phenomenographic research serves three practical pedagogical purposes: (1) revealing how learners understand certain concepts or phenomena, (2) elucidating how these understandings differ; and (3) identifying critical aspects in helping learners to widen and deepen their understanding.
This article reports the findings from a phenomenographic investigation into career experts’ conceptions of innovation in career development. The results show that conceptions of innovation in career development varied from (1) initiating... more
This article reports the findings from a phenomenographic investigation into career experts’ conceptions of innovation in career development. The results show that conceptions of innovation in career development varied from (1) initiating service, (2) developing demographic-based programmes, (3) professionalising the sector to (4) exploiting cross-sectoral synergies. The findings give us a more profound understanding of critical aspects that may have an important role in improving innovation in career development.
A study on lifelong guidance (LLG) policy and practice in the EU focusing on trends, challenges and opportunities. Lifelong guidance aims to provide career development support for individuals of all ages, at all career stages. It includes... more
A study on lifelong guidance (LLG) policy and practice in the EU focusing on trends, challenges and opportunities. Lifelong guidance aims to provide career development support for individuals of all ages, at all career stages. It includes careers information, advice, counselling, assessment of skills and mentoring.
This article reports the findings from a phenomenographic investigation into guidance counselors’ conceptions of career management skills (CMS). The results show that CMS was conceived as (a) information-based knowledge, (b) personal... more
This article reports the findings from a phenomenographic investigation into guidance counselors’ conceptions of career management skills (CMS). The results show that CMS was conceived as (a) information-based knowledge, (b) personal skills development, (c) interpersonal skills development, and (d) autonomous application of skills. The differences appeared along six dimensions of variation that included awareness of CMS, emphasis, promotion of CMS, teaching practice, assessment, and attitude. The findings give us a more profound understanding of critical aspects that may have an important role in the development of individual’s CMS.
This article reports the findings from a phenomenographic investigation into guidance counselors’ conceptions of career management skills (CMS). The results show that CMS was conceived as (a) information-based knowledge, (b) personal... more
This article reports the findings from a phenomenographic investigation into guidance counselors’ conceptions of career management skills (CMS). The results show that CMS was conceived as (a) information-based knowledge, (b) personal skills development, (c) interpersonal skills development, and (d) autonomous application of skills. The differences appeared along six dimensions of variation that included awareness of CMS, emphasis, promotion of CMS, teaching practice, assessment, and attitude. The findings give us a more profound understanding of critical aspects that may have an important role in the development of individual’s CMS.
Incremental changes in contemporary society increasingly steer collaboration between higher education and working life, simultaneously fostering a culture of continuous learning. Improved working life skills support students in applying... more
Incremental changes in contemporary society increasingly steer collaboration between higher education and working life, simultaneously fostering a culture of continuous learning. Improved working life skills support students in applying theoretical knowledge in practice and help in opening new avenues for future employment. At the societal level, developing connections between higher education and working life improves the availability of relevant workforce and speeds up students’ path to employment, which means more potential employees. In this study, we examine ongoing and finished development projects in Finland (n=12) related to the development of collaboration between higher education and working life, e.g. identifying models or changes in collaboration over the past 10 years. We gathered data from project participants during January–April 2019 through an email survey and through face-to-face or phone interviews. We supplemented the data with project plans, project-end reports ...
Welcome to the first issue of the Nordic Journal of Transitions, Careers and Guidance (NJTCG), a new international forum for the growing body of research in the Nordic region. Resume Velkommen til forste udgave af Nordic Journal of... more
Welcome to the first issue of the Nordic Journal of Transitions, Careers and Guidance (NJTCG), a new international forum for the growing body of research in the Nordic region. Resume Velkommen til forste udgave af Nordic Journal of Transitions, Careers and Guidance (NJTCG), et nyt internationalt forum for en stodt stigende publicering af forskning om indenfor overgange, karriere og vejledning i Norden. Abstrakti Nordic Journal of Transitions, Careers and Guidance (NJTCG) on uusi kansainvalinen julkaisufoorumi kasvavalle pohjoismaiselle ohjausalan tutkimukselle. Tervetuloa ensimmaisen numeron pariin. Utdrattur Velkomin, og takk fyrir innlitið i fyrsta hefti Nordic Journal of Transitions, Careers and Guidance (NJTCG), sem er alþjoðlegur vettvangur fyrir rannsoknir i nams- og starfsraðgjof a Norðurlondunum. Abstrakt Velkommen til forste utgave av Nordic Journal of Transitions, Careers and Guidance (NJTCG), et nytt internasjonalt forum for det okende omfanget av forskning i Norden. Abst...
This article reports the findings from a phenomenographic investigation into career experts’ conceptions of innovation in career development. The results show that conceptions of innovation in career development varied from (1) initiating... more
This article reports the findings from a phenomenographic investigation into career experts’ conceptions of innovation in career development. The results show that conceptions of innovation in career development varied from (1) initiating service, (2) developing demographic-based programmes, (3) professionalising the sector to (4) exploiting cross-sectoral synergies. The findings give us a more profound understanding of critical aspects that may have an important role in improving innovation in career development.
This article aims to identify different ways of using mobile devices in students’ learning in higher education. This qualitative research presents the findings from a phenomenographic research of students’ conceptions of mobile learning... more
This article aims to identify different ways of using mobile devices in students’ learning in higher education. This qualitative research presents the findings from a phenomenographic research of students’ conceptions of mobile learning (m-learning) in higher education. A cohort of 16 students from four universities of Bangladesh took part in semi-structured interviews to explore their in-depth understandings and experiences of m-learning. The findings indicate that university students perceived five qualitatively different ways of using mobile devices in their learning: a medium for communication; a medium for management of learning materials; a tool for effective learning; a means for collaborative learning; and a means for development of new ideas. The findings of this research demonstrate students’ pedagogical understanding of using mobile devices in higher education. The outcomes of this research could play a crucial role in informing students on how they can use their mobile d...
This study contends that phenomenography offers both a useful research method and practical tools for developing education and training for career practitioners. After introducing the basic principles of phenomenography, the study reviews... more
This study contends that phenomenography offers both a useful research method and practical tools for developing education and training for career practitioners. After introducing the basic principles of phenomenography, the study reviews previous research on its potential in developing pedagogical practices. It explores how the phenomenographic findings were utilized to design an online skills training programme for career practitioners. The study finds that phenomenographic research serves three practical pedagogical purposes: (1) revealing how learners understand certain concepts or phenomena, (2) elucidating how these understandings differ; and (3) identifying critical aspects in helping learners to widen and deepen their understanding.
This article reports on a phenomenographic investigation into practitioners’ conceptions of ethical practice in social networking in career services. The results show that ethical practice was conceived as stemming from: (1) an... more
This article reports on a phenomenographic investigation into practitioners’ conceptions of ethical practice in social networking in career services. The results show that ethical practice was conceived as stemming from: (1) an information orientation, (2) a networking orientation, (3) an educational orientation, and (4) a collaborative orientation. Differences appeared along six dimensions including: approach, activities, level of usage, perception, strategy and ethical principles. The findings give us a more profound understanding of critical aspects that may have an important role in relation to further developments and the successful implementation of existing and emerging technologies in the career service sector.
The use of social media expands the availability and sources of career information. However, the authorship of this information has changed from traditional print media and multimedia sources created by experts to social media–based... more
The use of social media expands the availability and sources of career information. However, the authorship of this information has changed from traditional print media and multimedia sources created by experts to social media–based career information created by the users themselves. Although variability in career information validity has been an issue for some time, rapid growth in the use of social media creates some unique challenges. The ease with which social media–based career information can spread creates the potential for rapid widespread dissemination of disinformation and biased perceptions. Potential sources of invalidity include intentional bias (with or without profit motive), unintentional bias, restricted range of experience, out‐of‐date information, popularity bias, similarity bias, and context deficiency. The authors examine potential sources of social media–based career information invalidity and suggest implications for practice to help individuals make the best use of such information.
This article reports the findings from a phenomenographic investigation into career development experts’ conceptions of challenges involved in the implementation of information and communication technologies (ICT) in career services. The... more
This article reports the findings from a phenomenographic investigation into career development experts’ conceptions of challenges involved in the implementation of information and communication technologies (ICT) in career services. The results show that these challenges varied from (1) inadequate access to ICT, (2) inadequate access to information, and (3) inadequate skills and competencies, to (4) inadequate integration. These findings provide a deeper understanding of critical aspects that may have an important role in the further development and successful implementation of existing and emerging technologies within the guidance service sector.
New technologies and social media offer important opportunities for improving career services. However, they also create demand for new competency among career practitioners. This study presents an overarching examination... more
New technologies  and social media offer important opportunities for improving career services. However,  they  also  create  demand  for  new  competency 
among career practitioners. This  study  presents  an  overarching  examination  of  career  practitioners’  varying  conceptions  of  social  media  and  competency  for  social  media  in  career services.  Knowledge  of  such  variation  can  support  successful  use  of  social  media  in  career  services  by  informing  theory,  practice,  and  training  in  the  field.  The study addresses practical and policy implications, as well as directions for future research.
This paper examines phenomenography as a viable qualitative approach in guidance and counselling research. A phenomenographic study maps the qualitatively different ways in which people experience a specific phenomenon and helps... more
This paper examines phenomenography as a viable qualitative approach in guidance and counselling research. A phenomenographic study maps the qualitatively different ways in which people experience a specific phenomenon and helps researchers to describe the aspects that make one way of experiencing a certain phenomenon qualitatively distinct from another. This paper presents an overview of phenomenographic research, encompassing theoretical, methodological and practical considerations. The application of this approach in guidance and counselling studies is illustrated with examples.
Research Interests:
This article reports findings from a phenomenographic investigation into European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network representatives’ conceptions of the role of information and communication technologies (ICT) related to national lifelong... more
This article reports findings from a phenomenographic investigation into European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network representatives’ conceptions of the role of information and communication technologies (ICT) related to national lifelong guidance policies. The role of ICT in relation to national lifelong guidance policies was conceived as (1) unexploited, (2) emerging, (3) acknowledged but fragmented, and (4) strategic. The hierarchical structure of the findings may serve as a tool to enable policy makers and other stakeholders to deepen their understanding of critical aspects that may have an important role in relation to further developments and the successful implementation of existing and emerging technologies in the guidance service sector.
This article reports findings from a phenomenographic investigation into career practitioners' understanding of competency for social media in career services. Sixteen Danish and Finnish practitioners with experience using social media in... more
This article reports findings from a phenomenographic investigation into career practitioners' understanding of competency for social media in career services. Sixteen Danish and Finnish practitioners with experience using social media in career services were interviewed in focus groups. Competency for social media in career services was conceived as (i) an ability to use social media for delivering information, (ii) an ability to use social media for delivering career services, (iii) an ability to utilise social media for collaborative career exploration and (iv) an ability to utilise social media for co-careering. The findings can be used to develop pre-service and in-service training of career practitioners and support for the deepening of their competency, using the critical aspects that were identified.
Authors: Jenny Bimrosea, Jaana Kettunen & Tannis Goddard. Much progress has been made in integrating information and communications technology (ICT) into careers practice, but there is still room for improvement. An international lens... more
Authors: Jenny Bimrosea, Jaana Kettunen & Tannis Goddard.
Much progress has been made in integrating information and communications technology (ICT) into careers practice, but there is still room for improvement. An international lens is adopted to examine some key elements that contribute to the successful integration of ICT into careers practice. We start by exploring the role of policy, using the UK as a case study. Next, the perceptions that Finnish career practitioners have of ICT are reviewed using research findings into the different ways they think about social media and its purpose in career services. Finally, lessons learned from the design and integration of online services within career development programming in Canada are discussed that ensure accessibility both to practitioners and their clients.
This article reports findings from a phenomenographic investigation into career practitioners’ ways of experiencing social media in career services. Focus-group interviews were conducted with 16 Danish and Finnish career practitioners... more
This article reports findings from a phenomenographic investigation into career practitioners’ ways of experiencing social media in career services. Focus-group interviews were conducted with 16 Danish and Finnish career practitioners with experience using social media in career services. Four qualitatively different ways of experiencing social media in career services were identified. Social media in career services was experienced as (a) a means for delivering information, (b) a medium for 1-to-1 communication, (c) an interactive working space, and (d) an impetus for paradigm change and reform. The results suggest that models of career intervention and ways of experiencing social media appear to be intertwined. The hierarchical structure of the findings may serve as a tool that enables career practitioners to deepen their ways of experiencing and understanding social media in career services by using the critical aspects that were identified.
Research Interests:
This article reports the outcomes of a study, undertaken from a phenomenographic perspective, of career practitioners' conceptions of social media usage in career services. Fifteen Finnish career practitioners – representing... more
This article reports the outcomes of a study, undertaken from a phenomenographic perspective, of career practitioners' conceptions of social media usage in career services. Fifteen Finnish career practitioners – representing comprehensive, secondary and higher education as well as public employment services – were interviewed in focus groups. The analysis of the interview data revealed five distinct descriptive categories reflecting the career practitioners' conceptions of social media's use in career services. Social media in career services was conceived as (1) unnecessary, (2) dispensable, (3) a possibility, (4) desirable and (5) indispensable. The results indicated associations between career practitioners' conceptions and their practice. Moreover, the critical aspects identified in this study can be used to support the career practitioners' understanding of new technologies in career services.
Authors: Jaana Kettunen & Raimo Vuorinen. This paper synthesizes the section of country reports that has addressed the role of emerging technologies in career development and public policies. The overall aim is to identify and describe... more
Authors: Jaana Kettunen & Raimo Vuorinen. This paper synthesizes the section of country reports that has addressed the role of emerging technologies in career development and public policies. The overall aim is to identify and describe the aspects that may play important roles in relation to further developments and successful implementation of existing and emerging technologies in the career service sector. This synthesis is based on the 15 country reports that covered the theme. 2. The Nature of the Problem Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in career development refers to the products, infrastructure, and electronic content that enhance policy and systems development for career services, resources, and tools. It refers to how interactive services, resources, and tools are designed and developed for citizens, how citizens use these, and how such uses in turn reshape their designs. It also refers to the digital competency required to use ICT in a career development context. Digitalization across our daily lives, including the use of ICT in career-related activities, has increased dramatically in recent years. This increase has led the career service development and public policy sector to acknowledge the need to expand its understanding of these emerging technologies and their impact on career development and public policy. A growing consensus exists both in research and in various policy documents reflecting the role of ICT in career development, which is both important and becoming increasingly essential.
ABSTRACT The increasing use of technology is placing new demands on career guidance practitioners. This article examines what changes, if any, have occurred in the perceptions of guidance practitioners regarding their role and the role of... more
ABSTRACT The increasing use of technology is placing new demands on career guidance practitioners. This article examines what changes, if any, have occurred in the perceptions of guidance practitioners regarding their role and the role of the internet in meeting guidance goals and delivering career guidance services. The data were collected in focus groups in 2001–2002 and a follow-up study in 2010. A total of seven focus groups were held. The data were analysed using combined methods. The results indicated that practitioners now observe that the need for differentiated service delivery modes is more explicit due to varied levels of readiness in decision-making and ICT literacy.