EBS Gümnaasiumi matemaatikaõpetaja Kaire Kivistik pälvis professor Gerhard Rägo nimelise mälestusmedali
8. november 2025
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EBS Gümnaasiumi matemaatikaõpetaja ja õppealajuhataja Kaire Kivistik pälvis oma pühendunud töö eest professor Gerhard Rägo nimelise mälestusmedali. Medal antakse üle 6. detsembril Tartus.
Professor Gerhard Rägo nimeline mälestusmedal on Tartu Ülikooli ja Eesti Matemaatika Seltsi poolt 1990. aastal asutatud autasu.
Medalit antakse silmapaistvate teenete eest õpetaja- või õppejõutöös; õppe- ja metoodilise kirjanduse, programmide, õppetehnika jms. väljatöötamise ning tõhusa kaasabi osutamise eest matemaatika õpetamise täiustamisele eesti koolides.
Kaire Kivistik on EBS Gümnaasiumi matemaatikaõpetaja. Ta on lõpetanud Tartu Ülikooli matemaatika-informaatika teaduskonna. Juba ülikooliõpingute ajal õpetas ta gümnaasiumiõpilastele informaatikat, hiljem on ta pühendunud matemaatika õpetamisele – ikka ja jälle matemaatikale.
Ta on öelnud: „Mulle meeldib matemaatika, eriti koolimatemaatika, sest see on puhas ja selge.”
Kaire Kivistik on teinud suure töö kitsa matemaatika õpetamisel ja õppijate toetamisel gümnaasiumis. Tema hinnangul on kitsa matemaatika õppimine hea võimalus parandada põhikoolis katkenud suhet matemaatikaga. Ta on palju panustanud õpilastesse, kes tulevad põhikoolist veendumusega, et nad ei oska ega hakkagi kunagi matemaatikat oskama. Õpetaja Kivistiku käe all on ajapikku olnud võimalik seda mõtlemist muuta. Tema õpilased, kes on läbinud kitsa matemaatika kursuse, on aastate jooksul edukalt sooritanud ülikooli sisseastumiseks vajalikke matemaatikateste ja asunud õppima inseneriteadust.
Kaire Kivistiku pühendumust ja mõju hindavad kõrgelt ka tema õpilased.
“EBS Gümnaasiumisse tulles valisin kitsa matemaatika, kuna sel ajal olin matemaatikas nii nõrk, et kartsin õppeaasta algust juba ette. Minu õpetajaks sai Kaire Kivistik. Ta on õpetaja, kes oskab teha raskete asjade õppimise lihtsaks. Ta tegi kõik teemad mulle selgeks nii, et gümnaasiumi jooksul sain matemaatikas üheks paremaks meie klassis.
Selle asemel, et pidada pikka teoreetilist loengut, selgitas Kaire, kuidas on kõige mõistlikum ülesandeid lahendada. See, et ta õpetas asju lihtsalt ja arusaadavalt, ei takistanud sugugi raskemate ülesannete mõistmist. Pigem vastupidi – kui ma ei pidanud enam nö pinnal püsimisega metsikult vaeva nägema, oli mul aega tunda huvi matemaatika seoste vastu ja lahendamise protsessi isegi nautida. Olen talle tänulik!”
“Ma nägin põhikoolis õudusunenägusid matemaatikatundidest. Ma ei osanud arvatagi, et matemaatikast saab mu lemmikaine, kui õpetajaks saab Kaire Kivistik.
Tänu õpetaja Kaire sõnadele "matemaatika on mäng" läksin ma riigieksamit sooritama rõõmsalt – ma ei kartnud, vaid ootasin seda pikisilmi, et näha, milleks ma olen võimeline. Ma tunnen end matemaatikas kindlalt ja kasutan seda siiani puhkuseks pärast pingelist ülikoolipäeva.
Tema tööeetika eeskuju on põhjus, miks ma saan tänagi hakkama suure õppekoormusega ega anna alla – „kui kuidagi ei saa, saab kuidagi ikka.” Igatsen tagasi tema tundi.”
Oleme Kaire üle uhked ja tänulikud, et ta on osa meie kogukonnast!
Teised uudised
Mohammad Toyon’s Doctoral defence highlights retention of working university students in Estonia
On December 18, 2025, at Estonian Business School, Mohammad Abu Sayed Toyon stood before a defence committee to present five years of work on a question that affects students more than most universities and policymakers care to admit: what happens when students have to work to pursue their education?
The defence, led by Associate Professor Riina Koris, brought together Associate Professor Maarja Beerkens from Leiden University and Senior Lecturer Oleg Badunenko from Brunel University as opponents. Both praised the thesis for clear research questions, rigorous focus, and genuine relevance.
Beerkens noted that she was initially sceptical about measuring dropout intention rather than actual dropout, “but I see it’s really well argued now... You convinced me entirely why this is a valid measure, perhaps even a better measure.” Badunenko emphasised the thesis’s value in “highlighting the realities of working students, how they see education and how universities need to align with this new reality.”
The supervisors, Professor Kaire Põder and Assistant Professor Niveditha Prabakaran Pankova, spoke with affection about the journey. “It was five years ago, 2020, when we first saw you,” Põder recalled, noting that Toyon entered during the pandemic, part of a cohort that learned to be independent researchers while isolated. “You were sitting in Sillamäe alone, no social capital, no peer effect, very limited teachers’ effect.” Pankova, who joined EBS the same year as Toyon, described growing together: “He’s my first PhD student... I could relate to him a lot because I was in his shoes not very long ago.” There was laughter when they recounted Toyon arriving with 300 pages, saying, “The thesis is done.”
After a brief deliberation, the committee returned with three unanimous votes in favour, awarding Toyon the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Management.
But the research itself demands attention beyond the ceremony. In a room full of academics, Toyon’s findings landed differently because they weren’t abstract. They were about the students sitting in every classroom, working night shifts between lectures, choosing between rent and textbooks.
Understanding the work: A conversation with Dr Mohammad Abu Sayed Toyon
What is your research about, and why does it matter?
My research focuses on the retention of working university students. It matters because retention is not only about keeping students enrolled, but also about how they are treated after they enter university. Just as organisations pay attention to the experience after a purchase (post-purchase experience), universities must recognise that students arrive with expectations, responsibilities, and lives that extend beyond the classroom.
This research centres on working students and gives them a voice. In Estonia, one in three students identifies primarily as a worker, and 37% of working students cannot afford higher education without paid employment. Yet higher education has long been imagined for a different kind of student: one with time to spare, sufficient financial security, and a life arranged neatly around the academic calendar. But today’s students live differently. They work to pay rent, to support families, and to build a future that cannot wait.
When institutions fail to recognise this reality, students rarely fail loudly; they simply leave. This research shows which groups of working students are most at risk of dropping out, why relationships within universities matter, and what working students need while integrating study and paid work. It also highlights what universities can do to better support them and help them stay.
What has the doctoral journey been like for you?
The doctoral journey has been full of memories, challenges, and insights. One of the most meaningful moments for an academic is seeing their academic works accepted by scholars in the field and made publicly available. This brings a sense of validation and motivation to continue contributing to the knowledge community, and I am no exception.
One of the main challenges has been learning that success in science is not only about what you know, but also about how well you communicate it and meet the expectations of others.
Who from the faculty has been instrumental to your journey?
Everyone at EBS has contributed in different ways, but Professor Kaire Põder has been especially instrumental in supporting and guiding my journey.
What has been the most rewarding part of this process?
The relationships and connections formed during this journey have been the most rewarding. Education is not a destination, but a never-ending path. What makes it meaningful is the sense that something uncertain still lies ahead, along with the hope that keeps one moving forward.
What advice would you give to other doctoral students or those considering a PhD?
I would advise thinking carefully before enrolling in a PhD programme, as it is very different from master’s-level study. It is not simply a matter of enrolling, publishing a few articles, writing a monograph, and then saying goodbye to the university. A PhD is a process of capital accumulation, where you build resources through connections, skills, and, most importantly, self-reliance.
What is next for you after the defence?
After the defence, I plan to focus on upcoming projects and continue applying the skills and insights gained throughout this academic journey.
Dr Mohammad Abu Sayed Toyon defended his doctoral thesis, “Retention of Working University Students in Higher Education: Insights from the Estonian Context,” on December 18, 2025, at Estonian Business School. The thesis was supervised by Professor Kaire Põder and Assistant Professor Niveditha Prabakaran Pankova. The defence committee was chaired by Associate Professor Riina Koris and assisted by EBS Research and Doctoral Studies Coordinator Sigrid Lainevee, with opponents Associate Professor Maarja Beerkens (Leiden University) and Senior Lecturer Oleg Badunenko (Brunel University London).
19. detsember 2025
Teised uudised
Mohammad Toyon’s Doctoral defence highlights retention of working university students in Estonia
On December 18, 2025, at Estonian Business School, Mohammad Abu Sayed Toyon stood before a defence committee to present five years of work on a question that affects students more than most universities and policymakers care to admit: what happens when students have to work to pursue their education?
The defence, led by Associate Professor Riina Koris, brought together Associate Professor Maarja Beerkens from Leiden University and Senior Lecturer Oleg Badunenko from Brunel University as opponents. Both praised the thesis for clear research questions, rigorous focus, and genuine relevance.
Beerkens noted that she was initially sceptical about measuring dropout intention rather than actual dropout, “but I see it’s really well argued now... You convinced me entirely why this is a valid measure, perhaps even a better measure.” Badunenko emphasised the thesis’s value in “highlighting the realities of working students, how they see education and how universities need to align with this new reality.”
The supervisors, Professor Kaire Põder and Assistant Professor Niveditha Prabakaran Pankova, spoke with affection about the journey. “It was five years ago, 2020, when we first saw you,” Põder recalled, noting that Toyon entered during the pandemic, part of a cohort that learned to be independent researchers while isolated. “You were sitting in Sillamäe alone, no social capital, no peer effect, very limited teachers’ effect.” Pankova, who joined EBS the same year as Toyon, described growing together: “He’s my first PhD student... I could relate to him a lot because I was in his shoes not very long ago.” There was laughter when they recounted Toyon arriving with 300 pages, saying, “The thesis is done.”
After a brief deliberation, the committee returned with three unanimous votes in favour, awarding Toyon the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Management.
But the research itself demands attention beyond the ceremony. In a room full of academics, Toyon’s findings landed differently because they weren’t abstract. They were about the students sitting in every classroom, working night shifts between lectures, choosing between rent and textbooks.
Understanding the work: A conversation with Dr Mohammad Abu Sayed Toyon
What is your research about, and why does it matter?
My research focuses on the retention of working university students. It matters because retention is not only about keeping students enrolled, but also about how they are treated after they enter university. Just as organisations pay attention to the experience after a purchase (post-purchase experience), universities must recognise that students arrive with expectations, responsibilities, and lives that extend beyond the classroom.
This research centres on working students and gives them a voice. In Estonia, one in three students identifies primarily as a worker, and 37% of working students cannot afford higher education without paid employment. Yet higher education has long been imagined for a different kind of student: one with time to spare, sufficient financial security, and a life arranged neatly around the academic calendar. But today’s students live differently. They work to pay rent, to support families, and to build a future that cannot wait.
When institutions fail to recognise this reality, students rarely fail loudly; they simply leave. This research shows which groups of working students are most at risk of dropping out, why relationships within universities matter, and what working students need while integrating study and paid work. It also highlights what universities can do to better support them and help them stay.
What has the doctoral journey been like for you?
The doctoral journey has been full of memories, challenges, and insights. One of the most meaningful moments for an academic is seeing their academic works accepted by scholars in the field and made publicly available. This brings a sense of validation and motivation to continue contributing to the knowledge community, and I am no exception.
One of the main challenges has been learning that success in science is not only about what you know, but also about how well you communicate it and meet the expectations of others.
Who from the faculty has been instrumental to your journey?
Everyone at EBS has contributed in different ways, but Professor Kaire Põder has been especially instrumental in supporting and guiding my journey.
What has been the most rewarding part of this process?
The relationships and connections formed during this journey have been the most rewarding. Education is not a destination, but a never-ending path. What makes it meaningful is the sense that something uncertain still lies ahead, along with the hope that keeps one moving forward.
What advice would you give to other doctoral students or those considering a PhD?
I would advise thinking carefully before enrolling in a PhD programme, as it is very different from master’s-level study. It is not simply a matter of enrolling, publishing a few articles, writing a monograph, and then saying goodbye to the university. A PhD is a process of capital accumulation, where you build resources through connections, skills, and, most importantly, self-reliance.
What is next for you after the defence?
After the defence, I plan to focus on upcoming projects and continue applying the skills and insights gained throughout this academic journey.
Dr Mohammad Abu Sayed Toyon defended his doctoral thesis, “Retention of Working University Students in Higher Education: Insights from the Estonian Context,” on December 18, 2025, at Estonian Business School. The thesis was supervised by Professor Kaire Põder and Assistant Professor Niveditha Prabakaran Pankova. The defence committee was chaired by Associate Professor Riina Koris and assisted by EBS Research and Doctoral Studies Coordinator Sigrid Lainevee, with opponents Associate Professor Maarja Beerkens (Leiden University) and Senior Lecturer Oleg Badunenko (Brunel University London).
19. detsember 2025