Business Education Research Hub

The research group aims to bring together business teachers interested in learning and teaching issues and thus promote cross-disciplinary research on pedagogical topics and business disciplines.

The ongoing research project is titled A Strong and Communal Start? First-Year Experience and Modality Choice in Business Studies

This project examines how first-year business students at the University of Eastern Finland experience their studies when foundational courses are offered in parallel in-person, online and hybrid implementations and students freely choose their modality. We study why students make the choices they do, how they experience pedagogical wellness and psychosocial safety across modalities, and how these choices relate to academic performance and continuation in studies. Drawing on validated higher-education indicators alongside students’ own perspectives, the project contributes both to the development of business-education teaching at UEF and to broader scholarly discussion on the first-year student experience.The study is being conducted in collaboration with the University Pedagogy Research Group at the University of Eastern Finland, with Professor Heidi Hyytinen and University Lecturer Neea Heinonen participating in the project.