| Summary: | Abstract Working peace is a basic requirement for teaching and learning, yet it provides constant challenge for teachers. Although working peace and working peace disturbances at school are well known phenomena, there is little specific knowledge of working peace in home economics, despite home economics differing from the other subjects of comprehensive school upper classes. Furthermore, where knowledge does exist, it seldom appears to be fully exploited. The purpose of this study is to increase understanding of working peace disturbances within home economics. By examining home economics teachers’ perceptions of working peace, this doctoral dissertation aims to clarify how working peace disturbances are seen by those who are in the key position to solve them. The topic is approached by using phenomenography that enables clarification of variations in individual views. Consequently, the everyday thinking within the target group becomes visible. The data for this study were collected by interviewing 14 home economics teachers in Northern Finland. The interview themes followed three viewpoints derived from scientific literature: how to define working peace disturbances, what are seen as factors behind working peace disturbances, and how to intervene in these disturbances. Based on the findings of this study, home economics teachers’ perceptions of working peace can be condensed into four categories of perception representing an expanding awareness of working peace disturbances. Working peace disturbances can be seen either as an unavoidable nuisance, as a result of deficient resources, as a matter of atmosphere, or as a teaching task. Seeing working peace disturbances as unavoidable does not give constructive options to influence working peace. Focusing on deficiencies in physical learning environments gives useful knowledge for those allocating school resources but does not help with everyday working peace disturbances. On the other hand, seeing working peace disturbances as questions of atmosphere or as ...
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