Motivation, Belonging, Identity & Learning in School Environments 

MoBILiSE

Dr Junlin Yu is Academy Research Fellow at the University of Helsinki. His research centres on motivation in educational settings, with a particular focus on growth mindset, achievement goals, and the impact of gender. Currently, he leads a Finnish Research Council-funded project on creating classroom contexts that foster students' growth mindset (2023-27). Before joining the University of Helsinki, he received his PhD and MPhil from the University of Cambridge.

Doctoral Researchers

Yirou is part of the G-Versity network and a recipient of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship. Her academic background encompasses developmental psychology and gender studies. She studies gender differences in workplace well-being, with a keen interest in the impact of gender roles and stereotypes on the development of job burnout. In addition to academic work, Yirou collaborates with organizations to help create interventions and improve gender-related policy. She holds an MA in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago.

Johannes is interested in understanding the influence of teacher beliefs and practices on students' growth mindset. Having completed his Master's in Education from the University of Helsinki, Johannes is committed to enhancing educational practices and fostering environments where teachers and learners can thrive and grow. Before starting his PhD, Johannes had over two years of experience as a project coordinator and research assistant in multiple projects.

Kezia studies the gendered factors that influence students’ motivation in STEM, primarily through the lens of expectancy-value theory. She is passionate about using insights from quantitative analysis to inform researchers, policymakers, and schools about the individual and social factors that shape students' motivation and aspirations in STEM. Her research is supported by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship. She completed her Master's in Behavioural and Social Sciences at the University of Groningen.

Photos

Group photo 2023