Personal profile
Biography
I work as an Associate Professor and Academy Research Fellow at the department of special education. My research interests include students' academic well-being and motivation, with a particular focus on individual developmental trajectories of school well-being (i.e., school engagement and burnout) and mathematics motivation (expectancies, value-beliefs, costs). I am also interested in both the developmental and situational dynamics between school well-being, math motivation, academic performance, and educational aspirations. In my current project, I utilize both longitudinal and situational data.
Education/Academic qualification
PhD, PhD in Education
2017 → 2021
Award Date: 19 Oct 2021
Advanced Quantitative Research Methods in Education, University of Oxford
14 May 2019 → 24 May 2019
Award Date: 24 May 2019
Master, Master of special education, Åbo Akademi University
2011 → 2016
Award Date: 31 Aug 2016
External positions
Academy Research Fellow, Research Council of Finland
1 Sept 2024 → 31 Aug 2028
Visiting researcher, University of Eastern Finland
Oct 2023 → Oct 2024
Visiting researcher, Department of Education, University of Helsinki
1 Nov 2021 → 31 Jul 2022
Keywords
- L Education (General)
- BF Psychology
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
-
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
-
SDG 4 Quality Education
-
SDG 5 Gender Equality
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
-
Grogrund för svenskkunskaper i framtidens Finland – Motivation att lära sig svenska som andra inhemska språk i den grundläggande utbildningen
Henricson, S. (Principal Investigator), Wallinheimo, K. (Co-Principal Investigator), Widlund, A. (Co-Investigator), Carpelan, R. (Co-Investigator), Tiedemann Therese, L. (Co-Investigator), Nyqvist, E. L. (Co-Investigator) & Åberg, A.-M. (Co-Investigator)
01/01/26 → 31/12/29
Project: Foundation
-
Developmental and Situational Dynamics of Mathematics Motivation, School Well-being, and Learning
Widlund, A. (Principal Investigator), Korhonen, J. (Co-Investigator), Forsman, A. (Co-Investigator), Ventus, D. (Co-Investigator), Tuominen, H. (Co-Investigator), Viljaranta, J. (Co-Investigator), Niemivirta, M. (Co-Investigator), Lazarides, R. (Co-Investigator), Dietrich, J. (Co-Investigator) & Malmberg, L.-E. (Co-Investigator)
01/09/24 → 31/08/28
Project: Research Council of Finland/Other Research Councils
-
Kasvatusalan soveltuvuuskokeessa opiskelijaksi valittujen seurantatutkimus (KASVU)
Widlund, A. (Co-Investigator)
01/08/20 → …
Project: Research
-
Unga i kläm - balansen mellan prestationer och välbefinnande
Widlund, A. (Principal Investigator), Korhonen, J. (Co-Investigator), Svens-Liavåg, C. (Co-Investigator), Österholm, L. (Co-Investigator), Johansson, S. (Co-Investigator), Tuominen, H. (Project staff), Viljaranta, J. (Project staff) & Ventus, D. (Project staff)
01/08/26 → 31/07/30
Project: Foundation
-
SIKTE: Light in sight
Korhonen, J. (Principal Investigator), Widlund, A. (Co-Principal Investigator), Sundqvist, C. (Co-Principal Investigator) & Ström, K. (Co-Principal Investigator)
Svenska kulturfonden, Högskolestiftelsen i Österbotten
01/08/21 → 31/07/24
Project: Foundation
-
A Systematic Literature Review on University Students’ Expectancy-Value-Cost Profiles
Juntunen, H., Widlund, A., Viljaranta, J., Tähti, P. & Tuominen, H., 2026, (Accepted/In press) Routledge International Handbook of Learning and Instruction in University Education. RoutledgeResearch output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceeding › Chapter › Scientific › peer-review
-
CONSENSUS – Early multi-professional efforts for systematically supporting child and adolescent well-being in the school context: From research data to evidence-based collaboration. Technical report
Tuomela, S., Nordmyr, J., Österholm, L., Gädda, F., Widlund, A., Johansson, S., Björkgård, L., Sundqvist, C., Korhonen, J. & Forsman, A., Feb 2026, Åbo Akademi.Research output: Book/Journal/Report › Commissioned report › Scientific
Open AccessFile20 Downloads (Pure) -
Gendered Motivational Trajectories and Dimensional Comparison Processes Across the Elementary School Years
Widlund, A., Tuominen, H., Niemivirta, M. & Korhonen, J., 2026, (Accepted/In press) Research Handbook on Gender and STEM. Edward ElgarResearch output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceeding › Chapter › Scientific › peer-review
-
Student engagement and burnout profiles among elementary school students – stability and relations to academic performance
Österholm, L., Widlund, A. & Korhonen, J., 29 Mar 2026, In: European Journal of Developmental Psychology. 19 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
The effect of gender and social support on student-athlete and regular student burnout trajectories across lower secondary school
Saarinen, M., Phipps, D. J., Kuokkanen, J., Widlund, A., Bentzen, M. & Romar, J.-E., Feb 2026, In: Learning and Individual Differences. 126, 102871.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open AccessFile3 Downloads (Pure)
Prizes
-
Nomination for best paper presentation at conference Junior Researchers of EARLI
Widlund, A. (Recipient), 2017
Prize: Honorary award
Activities
-
Supervisor of Sara Johanssons PhD Dissertation in Special Education
Widlund, A. (Principal supervisor ) & Korhonen, J. (Second supervisor)
2025Activity: Supervision, mentoring and other activities › Supervision of postgraduate students
-
Supervisor of Ann-Katrin Risbergs PhD Dissertation in Special Education
Widlund, A. (Principal supervisor ) & Wolff, U. (Second supervisor)
2025Activity: Supervision, mentoring and other activities › Supervision of postgraduate students
-
Supervisor of Aida Ohtonen Piuvas PhD Dissertation in Education
Braskén, M. (Principal supervisor ), Widlund, A. (Second supervisor) & Korhonen, J. (Second supervisor)
2025Activity: Supervision, mentoring and other activities › Supervision of postgraduate students
-
Evaluation committee for Maria Rönn-Liljenfeldt's PhD thesis
Salo, P. (Member of examination board ), Aspfors, J. (Member of examination board ) & Widlund, A. (Member of examination board )
14 Jun 2024Activity: Evaluation, assessment or examination › Examination
-
Medlem i betygsnämnd
Salo, P. (Member of examination board ), Widlund, A. (Member of examination board ) & Aspfors, J. (Member of examination board )
14 Jun 2024Activity: Evaluation, assessment or examination › Pre-examination of dissertation or acting as opponent to doctoral students or membership of examination board
Press/Media
-
"Forskning visar att elevernas mående smittar av sig i klassen"
19/11/25
1 Media contribution
Press/Media
-
"GRAFIK: Flickor blir utmattade, pojkar blir cyniska – så mår eleverna i Vasa och Korsholm"
19/11/25
1 Media contribution
Press/Media
-
Forskare undersöker välmåendet i skolor i Vasa och Korsholm: ”En stor majoritet av eleverna mår bra”
Forsman, A., Widlund, A., Nordmyr, J. & Korhonen, J.
20/11/23
1 Media contribution
Press/Media
-
SAMSYN vill undersöka yngre elevers välbefinnande
Nordmyr, J., Widlund, A., Forsman, A., Korhonen, J. & Sundqvist, C.
31/01/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media
-
Elevers välmående kan inte alltid kopplas till skolprestationer
28/10/21
1 Media contribution
Press/Media