Mirva Poikola

Mirva Poikola is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the School of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Eastern Finland. Her work focuses on inclusive education, legal frameworks governing education, and students' rights within the Finnish education system. She contributes to projects such as the RESISTANCE initiative (2024–2028) and the VAKA-TUVET program, emphasizing policy implementation and teacher support.

Her research explores intersections of law and education, including special needs legislation, teacher perceptions of support systems, and student participation in shaping inclusive practices. Notable publications include analyses of legal foundations of inclusion and empirical studies on students' perspectives in Finnish schools.

Current projects address early childhood education reforms and the administrative challenges faced by educators. She collaborates with interdisciplinary teams like the EDGE research group and the VAMOS collective to advance evidence-based educational policies.