Sara Sintonen

Sara Sintonen serves as Professor in the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Turku's Rauma campus, specializing in teacher education and early childhood pedagogy with particular expertise in digital competence development and posthuman theoretical frameworks.

Her research program centers on Early Childhood Education, Teacher Education, and Digital Pedagogy, employing new materialist and posthuman lenses to investigate child-matter-environment interactions. Key contributions examine affective dynamics in educational settings, the role of physical elements like heat and stones in learning environments, and reflective practices for educators. Ongoing projects analyze professional development for teacher educators amid digital transformation and reconceptualize infancy through non-humanist perspectives.

Analysis of her 2023-2025 publications reveals consistent thematic focus on materiality and affect in Finnish early childhood contexts, with methodological emphasis on qualitative and reconceptualizing approaches. The 2025 longitudinal study on digital competence development represents a significant contribution to teacher educator training, while 2024 works advance understanding of slow pedagogy, aesthetic flux, and posthuman baby studies.

Information regarding doctoral student supervision, research grants, laboratory affiliations, or scientific awards is not documented in available sources.