Developing Competency in Guidance (5cr)

Evaluation scale

Pass/Fail

Content scheduling

Start-up webinar Wed 28.1.2026 from 16.00 to 18.00
2nd webinar meeting Tue 14.4.2026 from 16.00 to 18.00

Objective

The purpose of the study unit 

During this study unit, you will familiarise yourself with the guidance counselling that takes place at educational institutions, or how employees are guided and supported in their work communities/organisations to perform their tasks, develop their competence and cope at work.

Study unit competences:
Ethics (s able to promote ethically sustainable activities and the realisation of ethical refle
tion in their different operating environments.)
Learning to learn (Is able to assess and develop their expertise diversely and in a goal-ori
ented manner at different stages of their career and life, Is able to acquire, critically as-sess
and produce information while taking into account the perspectives of different fields)
Proactive development (Is able to analyse the current situation and anticipate the future of
their field and changes in the operating environment)
Operating in a workplace (Promotes the resilience of a work community)


During this study unit
- You will develop your guidance skills by familiarising yourself with the basics of guidance activities and their theoretical, ethical and practical starting points in either educational institutions or other work communities.
- Your social skills by identifying phenomena, relationships and changes taking place in education, the world of work and society, as well as the guidance needs of students/employees to which they give rise.
- Your networking skills by acquiring skills to identify appropriate cooperation relationships and partner-ships related to guidance activities, and to understand the importance of coordinating guidance activities taking place in your organisation.
- Your development skills by critically reflecting on your own and your community’s guidance activities in relation to the changing operating environment, and by setting goals for developing guidance activities in both knowledge-based and experience-based ways.
- Your reflection skills by identifying and critically evaluating your basic concepts, values and attitudes related to guidance and the identity of a guidance counsellor, your own thinking patterns and operating models, the ethical starting points of your own activities and thinking, and your ability to assess the development of your competence.

Learning objectives

You understand the importance of guidance activities as part of students’/employees’ effective learning, coping at work, and well-being. You know how to set goals for guidance activities and their provision and evaluation, as well as their development in relation to changes in the operating environment. You are able to assess the development of your own guidance competence and vision.

Content

Concepts of counseling and study guidance, guidance and changing operating environment, organization and evaluation of guidance

Materials

Pirttiniemi, J., Kasurinen, H., Kettunen, J., Merimaa, E. & Vuorinen, R. (toim.) 2018. OPO 2. Opinto-ohjaajan käsikirja. Helsinki: Opetushallitus.

Arola, M. 2020. Elinikäinen oppiminen Suomessa 2019 - kyselyn tulokset. Helsinki: Sitra. Viitattu 19.4.2024. https://media.sitra.fi/2020/01/23135035/elinikainen-oppiminen-suomessa-2019-kyselyn-tulokset.pdf.

Elinikäisen ohjauksen käsikirja - Katsaus elinikäisen ohjauksen valtakunnalliseen kehittämiseen 2020 - 2024 ja uusiin ohjaustyötä tukeviin työkaluihin. Viitattu 28.4.2025. http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-327-616-1

Elinikäisen ohjauksen strategia 2020–2023: ELO-foorumi. 2020. Valtioneuvoston julkaisuja 2020: 34. Viitattu 19.4.2024. https://julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi/handle/10024/162576

Hyvän ohjauksen kriteerit perusopetukseen, lukiokoulutukseen ja ammatilliseen koulutukseen. 2014. Helsinki: Opetushallitus. Viitattu 19.4.2024. https://www.oph.fi/sites/default/files/documents/hyvan_ohjauksen_kriteerit_0.pdf.

Opinto-ohjaajan työn eettiset periaatteet. 2009. Tampere: Suomen opinto-ohjaajat ry. Viitattu 19.4.2024. https://www.sopo.fi/yhdistys/eettiset-periaatteet/.

Työhyvinvointi ja työkyky -sivusto. Helsinki: Työterveyslaitos. Viitattu 19.4.2024. https://www.ttl.fi/teemat/tyohyvinvointi-ja-tyokyky/.

You will find additional learning materials and assignments in the online learning environment.

Teaching methods

Open UAS students and Master's Degree education students: This study unit is implemented as online studies. It is based on independent work and possibly work done in pairs. The course includes online guidance.

The study unit has two webinar meetings, a starting webinar and a peer-to-peer guidance webinar taking place in the middle of the semester. Otherwise, the learning assignments are completed and the guidance is implemented online and through independent work.

During this study unit, you will acquire the desired competence by familiarising yourself with both the study material of the course, as well as the objectives, provision, evaluation and development of guidance counsel-ling/guidance in the educational institution/work community of your choice. The acquisition of competence also involves self-assessment of the development of your own competence.

You can demonstrate the desired competence by completing the learning assignments included in the study unit and by participating in the two webinar meetings.

The implementation methods deepen your professional skills and the development of your own profession.

International connections

Students that familiarise themselves with the guidance of a work community/organisation may also choose to focus on an international work community/organisation.

Student workload

In total, the course consists of 135 hours (5 x 27h) of students’ work:
- Orientation 5 h (incl. a start-up webinar 2 h)
- Second webinar meeting 2 h
- Self-directed learning in online environment, reading the learning materials, completing the learning assignments and participating in online discussions 126 - 120 h
- Peer tutoring, self-assessment and feedback 8 h

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

The criteria for assessing the approved (Pass) level are as follows:

Guidance skills
- You have familiarised yourself with the key concepts and ethical principles of guidance activities, and the pro-vision of guidance in practice.

Social skills
- You recognise the importance and impact of a changing operating environment in terms of guidance and its provision.

Networking skills
- You understand the importance of networks as part of guidance and its provision.

Development skills
- You have the skills and vision to develop study guidance/counseling in your own operating environment.

Reflection skills
- you are able to assess your own learning and competence in a relevant manner.

0 (Fail):
The student does not achieve the competence goals of the course

Further information

The assessment is qualitative and is based on learning objectives. The methods for evaluation of the learning process are feedback and self-assessment. Competence assessment is based on criteria and the teacher educator makes the assessment decision once all the learning tasks have been completed. The assessment material consists of the learning tasks of the course and self-assessment tasks.