Virve Keränen

Docent (Education, especially Early Childhood Education), PhD
University Lecturer

Early Childhood and Music Education Studies
Faculty of Education and Psychology

I work as university lecturer and researcher in early childhood education. Earlier I worked as a post doctoral researcher in RELA-research project 2020-2024 (Unpacking and Redefining Changing Relationships in Teachers’ Work) funded by Research Council of Finland.

Research interests

Feminist theories
Embodiment
Childhood studies
Teacher studies

Researcher information

Researcher profiles

ORCID

Publications

Keränen, V., & Lanas, M. (2025). What’s love got to do with it? Thinking touch in education with theories of love. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2025.2599743
Petäjäniemi, M., Puutio, E., Keränen, V., Väisänen, A-M., Kauhanen, I. & Lanas, M. (2025)."Ihan vaan kaverin puolesta" - Chattibotti akatemian epäkohtia ratkaisemassa. Teoksessa: M. Matikainen, A. Piironen & P. Silvén (toim). Akateeminen kapinakirja. Kauno- ja kaunakirjallisuutta yliopiston epäkohdista ja niitä vastaan kapinnoinnista. Vastapaino.
Petäjäniemi, M., Lanas, M., Keränen, V., Alamikkelä, K., Kauhanen, I., Väisänen, A. M., & Juntunen, E. (2025). ‘In the best interest of the child’: misopedy in education. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2025.2574972
Keränen, V., Uitto, M., Lutovac, S., & Cekaite, A. (2025). “I hope that it comes across to the children that I am there as a human being”: teachers’ embodiment in the digital era. European Journal of Teacher Education, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/026197
Tahkola, E., & Keränen, V. (2025). Tunteita ja ruumiillisuutta: Päiväkodin kasvattajien kertomuksia tunteista kasvattajien ja lasten välisissä suhteissa. Kasvatus & Aika, 19(1), 90–105. https://doi.org/10.33350/ka.130105
Keränen, V. & Kinnunen, S. Do I have to wear mud pants? (2025). Mud pants as material agent in Finnish preschool. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2025.2452398
Keränen, V., Uitto, M., Martin, A., Kettunen, A., Körkkö, M. & Lutovac, S. (2024). Creative writings, creative analysis – Narrative approaches to analyse teachers’ creative writings. In: E.K. Hyry-Beihammer, M. Uitto & O. Ylitapio-Mäntylä (eds.) Narratives in Education. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-68350-3_8
Lutovac, S. Keränen, V. Körkkö, M., Uitto, M: & Clandinin, J. (2024) A shifting professional knowledge landscape: Teachers’ experiences of being unsettled within parent relationships. Teacher and teacher education. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2024.104790
Lutovac, S., Uitto, M., Keränen, V., Kettunen, A. & Flores, M.A. (2024) Teachers’ work today: exploring Finnish teachers’ narratives. Teaching and Teacher Education, 137 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2023.104378
Ylitapio-Mäntylä, O., Uitto, M., Keränen, V. Rossi-Salow, M. & Lanas, M. (2024)”Koko talo kasvattaa”- Kertomuksia toimijuudesta monitoimitaloissa. [Whole house educates? Stories of agency in multipurpose community centres] Kasvatus ja aika 18(3). https://doi.org/10.33350/ka.122887
Keränen, V. & Ylitapio-Mäntylä, O. (2023). Big and small, girls and boys; Intersecting gendered touch practices in early childhood educators’ discourses. Gender and Education, 36(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2023.2282985
Keränen, V. & Uitto, M. (2023) Can I Kiss a Child? Balancing between different views of touch in early childhood educators’ work. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 67(2), 181-193. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2021.1990124
Keränen, V., Viljamaa, E., & Uitto, M. (2020) Touch in children’s everyday peer relations in preschools. Childhood, 28(1), 86-102. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0907568220953514
Keränen, V., Juutinen, J., & Estola, E. (2017) Kosketus päiväkodin kasvattajien kertomuksissa. [Touch in early childhood educators’ stories] Varhaiskasvatuksen tiedelehti –Journal of Early Childhood Education Research 6(2), 249-269.

Contact information

E-mail

virve.keranen@oulu.fi

Phone number

+358505278502

Visiting address

Yliopistonkatu 9
90014 Oulun yliopisto

Postal address

Kasvatustieteiden tiedekunta
PL 2000
90014 Oulun yliopisto

Keywords

Educational sciences Education, teaching, learning childhood research early childhood education narrative research

Virve Keränen

Research interests

Researcher information

Researcher profiles

Publications

Contact information

E-mail

Phone number

Visiting address

Postal address

Keywords

Projects

Unpacking and Redefining Changing Relationships in Teachers’ Work

Related to the researcher

CHEF- Childhood, Ethics and Feminism

Postal address

Street address