Her main areas of research include linguistically and culturally responsive teaching, advocating multilingualism, language learning, and especially language learning by singing, the method that can be used especially with illiterate immigrants. 

Alisaari has been training teachers and teacher students at different educational levels: early childhood education, primary school, secondary school, upper-secondary school, vocational training and adult education. She has also been involved with curriculum design in national and municipal level in Finland.