Alex Mäkiharju

Dr. Alex Mäkiharju is a Researcher at Åbo Akademi University's Faculty of Education and Welfare Studies, Department of Education. Their work bridges cultural-historical activity theory with contemporary educational governance challenges.

• Key research areas: Curriculum Leadership, Cross-curricular Teaching, Cultural-historical Activity Theory
• Active in Nordic educational policy analysis and leadership studies
• Collaborates with researchers across Finland, Sweden, and Norway

Research Focus: Examines how educational leadership navigates policy expectations while implementing cross-curricular reforms, particularly in Finland's trust-based governance system.

Publications: Recent works analyze principals' autonomy tensions, transnational policy influences, and epistemological shifts in curriculum development. Articles show specialization in Nordic educational systems (66% of output) and leadership dynamics (50% of publications).

Activities: Regularly presents at Nordic educational conferences, including NERA (Nordic Educational Research Association) and contributes to editorial work for academic journals.