1. INSIGHTS INTO
EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
AND RESEARCH-BASED
TEACHER EDUCATION
IN FINLAND
Auli Toom, PhD, Adjunct Professor, University of Helsinki
auli.toom@helsinki.fi
2. INTRODUCTION
Orientation
The basic principles of Finnish educational system
The intended competencies and qualifications of a future
teacher
The basic ideas, structures and contents of Finnish
research-based class teacher education
Conclusions
3. FINLAND
independent since 1917, member of
the European Union since 1995
total area 338,000 km2, population
5.4 million (15,7 inhabitants / km2)
two official languages:
Finnish (91 %), Swedish (5,4 %)
Sámi (0,03 %)
Lutheran (80,7 %), Orthodox (1,1
%)
immigrants: 2 % of population
4. ORIENTATION
The wide international interest towards Finnish schools and
teacher education among researchers and in public
PISA results
The specific characteristics of Finnish teacher education
The huge amount of applicants in teacher education
Current challenges and teacher’s responsibilities
High goals of the national core curriculum
Size of classes
Pupils with needs of special education
Multicultural issues
5. EDUCATIONAL POLICY DEFINITIONS
A central aim of the Finnish educational policy is to
provide all citizens with equal opportunities to receive
education irrespective of age, domestic place, economic
status, sex or mother tongue.
regional accessibility of education
equal opportunities to education for both language
groups, Finnish and Swedish
no separation of the sexes
free of charge
6. ADMINISTRATION
The broad national objectives and the division of teaching
time between school subjects are decided by the
government
The National Board of Education defines the objectives
and core contents of teaching by confirming the national
core curriculum
Local schools prepare their own detailed curricula
In Finland, each local authority is obligated to provide
basic education for all children living within the
municipality
7. SCHOOL AUTONOMY IN PRINCIPLE
Profiling of schools
Text books and other teaching materials
Teachers choose and decide the materials
Since 1993, no state official control of the materials
used at schools
Broad pedagogical autonomy of teachers
Schools decide on group forming, work schedules, daily
work rhythm and other practices
Voluntary participation in national development programs
(e.g. ICT use at schools, pedagogical innovations etc.)
8. CURRICULUM
National Core Curriculum (2004)
determines the national objectives and guidelines for
instruction and main contents in all school subjects
is based on the basic ideas of socio-constructivist
conception of learning
guidelines by the municipality – local orientation
School-based curriculum
schools are required to develop their own visions,
aims and strategic actions within the nationally
determined guidelines and goals
contents are determined in a more specific way
10. THE STRUCTURE OF
THE FINNISH EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
Higher Education
Universities
Polytechnics
Upper Secondary Education
General Upper
Secondary
Vocational Education
Basic Education
Pre-School Education
11. PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION
is intended for six-year-olds, who will
start their comprehensive school in the
following year
participation is voluntary, about 90% of
all six-year-olds participate
is provided mainly in kindergartens,
but also in pre-school classes
operating in connection with
comprehensive schools
kindergarten teachers
are focused on play and a positive
attitude towards life
12. BASIC EDUCATION
the general and compulsory education
provided for each age group
is intended for children from 7-16
years
comprehensive school lasts 9 years
(with voluntary 10th grade)
during the first 6 years, class teachers
teach most of the subjects
in the 3 highest grades, different
subjects are taught by subject
teachers
13. BASIC EDUCATION
The aim is to support pupils’ growth towards humanity
and ethically responsible membership of society, and to
provide them with the knowledge and skills necessary in
life.
Features of basic education ~ comprehensive school
no admission requirements
no charges
instruction arranged in schools near the home
provides eligibility to upper secondary education
every Finnish citizen is required to complete this
education
14. SUBJECTS IN BASIC EDUCATION
mother tongue (i.e. Finnish or Swedish)
other national language (i.e. Swedish or Finnish)
foreign languages
mathematics, physics, chemistry
biology, geography and environmental studies
history, social studies
religion or ethics
physical education, music, arts, crafts
health education
home economics
15. UPPER SECONDARY EDUCATION
- GENERAL UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL
offers general education for students
of about 16-19 years of age
more than half of each age group
complete upper secondary school
curriculum is planned for 3 years,
possible to finish in 2-4 years
ends to the matriculation examination
gives eligibility for studies at the next
educational level
16. UPPER SECONDARY EDUCATION
- VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
instruction is given in multi-field or
specialized vocational institutions in
almost all fields of working life
completion takes 2-3 years
aims primarily at the acquisition of the
vocational skills necessary in working
life
in addition, the three-year
programmes give general eligibility for
further studies at universities and
other institutions of higher education
17. HIGHER EDUCATION
- UNIVERSITY STUDIES
characterized by scientific research and
the teaching based on it
about one third of the age group
academic degrees:
Bachelor’s degree (3 years)
Master’s degree (3+2 years)
scientific postgraduate degrees:
Licentiate
Doctorate
18. HIGHER EDUCATION
- POLYTECHNIC STUDIES
oriented towards working life
provide vocational higher education in
multi-field environment
high vocational skill requirements are
emphasized
the completion of a polytechnic degree
takes 3,5-4,5 years
19. TEACHER EDUCATION IN FINLAND
The characteristics of Finnish teacher education have
come into discussion as a part of the qualities of Finnish
educational system
How does the teacher education influence into the
Finnish comprehensive school?
What is the relationship between Finnish
comprehensive school and teacher education?
What does it mean that Finnish teachers are
academically educated?
What kind of strengths, possibilities, threats or
challenges include in this relationship?
20. WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
SCHOOL TEACHING AND TEACHER
EDUCATION?
CIVILIZED CITIZEN
humanity – ethical responsibility – zest for life
TEACHER SCHOOL TEACHING
EDUCATION curricular demands – needs for special education –
multiculturalism – pedagogical challenges
FINNISH SOCIETY
diversity – economic issues – support for education
21. THE QUALITIES OF A FUTURE TEACHER?
COMMITMENT
Motivation
Personality
Educability
SUITABILITY
(vrt. Kansanen, 2004)
22. THE CORE COMPETENCIES OF A FUTURE
TEACHER?
Self-confidence
Interaction skills
Pedagogical skills for creating relevant teaching-studying-
learning environments
Ability to tolerate uncertainty
Metacognitive skills
23. DIFFERENT TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMMES
(Kansanen, 2005)
DEDUCTIVE
The way of organizing activities
RATIONAL
INTUITIVE
School based Research-based
Pedagogical thinking
Experiential, Problem based,
personal case approach
INDUCTIVE
24. TWO LEVELS OF RESEARCH-BASED
TEACHER EDUCATION
- the characteristics of twofold practice
PRACTISING TEACHING PRACTISING RESEARCHING
GENERAL metacognition producing research
LEVEL reflection expertise
pedagogical thinking
BASIC everyday thinking adaptation
LEVEL skills-based teaching consuming research
teaching recipes, routines, tips knowledge-based
Making pedagogical decisions Inquiring one’s own work
RESEARCH-BASED TEACHER EDUCATION
Krokfors et al., 2007
25. THE MAIN IDEA OF
CLASS TEACHER EDUCATION
The central idea is to support the students’ professional
development by evolving
collective working and action culture
N different working methods
ACTIO
IN TER students’ argumentation skills
The graduated class teacher’s expertise is based on
pedagogical thinking
active and wide knowledge base
T ISE
EXPER ability to work as a researching teacher
The class teacher education guides the students
to think on the ethical issues of education
to be active agents of change in school community,
ETY
S OCI teacher education, and society.
26. THE MAIN IDEA OF
CLASS TEACHER EDUCATION
S O C I E T Y
INTERACTION EXPERTISE
Collegiality Teacher as researcher
working and action culture
different working methods pedagogical thinking
argumentation skills mastery of methodological skills
personal practical theory
(Krokfors 2005)
27. RESEARCH-BASED APPROACH
IN TEACHER EDUCATION
Every study unit connected with research
The conceptualization of practice
Continuous courses of research methods
Quantitative methods – qualitative methods
Overall competence of research methods
“All are known generally, one is known specifically.”
Master’s thesis
Teachers as practitioner researchers
Producer of the research: ability to conduct the research
Consumer of the research: ability to understand and use
research results and information in own work
Direct access to doctoral studies
28. RESEARCH-BASED EMPHASIS
AT THE HEART OF PRACTICUM PERIODS
The research-based approach is integrated into every
course of the education, also into practice periods
The aim is to achieve a balanced development of the
teacher's personality in which the teacher’s pedagogical
thinking is essential
by applying the theory into practice
by conceptualizing the practice towards the theory
Teacher as researcher viewpoint
29. PRACTICUM IN CLASS TEACHER EDUCATION
General aims
curriculum and intentionality as a basis for teaching process
understanding of the phases of instruction: planning,
implementation and evaluation
continuous professional development and reflection
- ability to justify and explain own pedagogical decisions
understanding of the teacher’s role in society
Two practice periods
Minor subject practicum (12 sp), 3rd study year
- various didactical issues concerning different subjects
- different teaching methods, materials and aids
Main subject practicum (8 sp), 4th or 5th study year
- the knowledge of pupil and ability to support them
- the ability to co-operate with different instances
- the ability to be responsible of the wholeness of teacher’s
work
30. TEACHER TRAINING SCHOOLS
Two teacher training schools at the University of Helsinki
Viikki teacher training school
comprehensive school, upper secondary school
Helsingin Normaalilyseo teacher training school
upper levels of comprehensive school, upper secondary
school
The characteristics of teacher training schools
On the one hand “normal schools”…
pupils apply to the schools in the same way as to other
schools
function according with National Core Curricula
On the other hand “not so normal schools”
are administratively a part of the functions of university
teachers are required to have a PhD degree
school is didactically emphasized
teaching is done by student teachers to a great extent
31. FIELD SCHOOLS IN CO-OPERATION
Several field schools co-operate with University
normal schools that have a special contract with
university to organize the practice periods and supervise
student teachers
the principals and teachers are willing to be in
collaboration
teachers are educated to supervise student teachers at
our Department
teachers are paid for the supervision
The advantages of the field school system
variation in teacher student training contexts
possibility for the student teachers to get to know different
schools with different emphasis
appropriate solution to avoid a too big amount of students
in teacher training schools
32. SUPERVISION AND OTHER ACTIVITIES
DURING THE PRACTICE PERIODS
Supervision during the practicum
class teacher of training school
university lecturer
other student teachers
Observations of the lessons
teacher student’s teaching is observed
teacher student observes others’ teaching
Group discussions, feedback discussions
analyzing the lessons
structuring the practical experiences
Teacher student’s portfolio work
analysis of own aims, goals and their realization
construction of one’s own pedagogical thinking and practical
theory
33. THE LEVELS OF RESEARCH-BASED
TEACHER EDUCATION:
Organising theme – theories – action
SCIENCE OF
EDUCATION
Research-based
approach THEORETICAL
KNOWLEDGE
GUIDING PRINCIPLE – GENERAL IDEA BASE OF TEACHING
Theories
models
IC
AC ADEM SE THEORY – PRACTICE
TI
XPER INTERACTION
CONCEPTUALISATION OF ACTION
E
Teaching
Planning Evaluating
PRACTICAL
KNOWLEDGE
EVERYDAY ACTION
PROFESSIONAL
SKILLS OF TEACHING
(Kansanen, 1994; Krokfors, 2005)
34. THE PROCEDURE OF GUIDED REFLECTION
IN TEACHING PRACTICE PERIODS
HOT SYSTEM COOL SYSTEM
Incident CRITICAL INCIDENT
LESSON Incident Commonplace classroom event
Chosen by the teacher
Classroom Incident
events Criticality is defined according to
teacher’s conscious intentions to
Incident develop her-/himself
professionally
PORTFOLIO
max STIMULATED RECALL weeks,
VIDEOTAPING REFLECTIVE DISCUSSION
2 days INTERVIEW months, years
Focus on What happened? What happened in this incident?
teacher’s Why?
Why this incident important and
action
What did you think about? meaningful?
Why?
How has this incident affected to
your thinking and actions?
What is the more general meaning
chers
dent tea aching
of this incident in wider context?
tu
four s al te
uring fin
What can/will you do
d with that you have understood?
practice
35. CHANGES IN THE FOCUS OF REFLECTION:
RESEARCH RESULTS
Reflection in STR-interviews – a hot stance
Reflection in reflective discussions – a cooler stance
Reflection in portfolio presentations – a coolest stance
The procedure of guided reflection
100
90
80
70
60 self
50 task
40 impact
30
20
10
0
str rd portf
36. TEACHER EDUCATORS’ UNDERSTANDING
OF THE RESEARCH-BASED APPROAC
(Toom et al., 2008; 2010)
Four dimensions
I The context – Academic teacher education
II The approach – Main organising theme of teacher
education
III The content – Curriculum of teacher education
IV The aim – Teacher’s pedagogical thinking
37. THE RELEVANCE OF THE RESEARCH-BASED
APPROACH TO TEACHER’S WORK
(Toom et al., 2008)
The research-based approach is seen clearly relevant to
the teacher’s work.
Teachers are actively involved in curriculum development
and different evaluation processes.
Teacher’s work includes multi-professional collaboration.
The school is no longer a static workplace for which the
teacher education prepares students: future teachers
need dynamic competencies.
38. THE STRUCTURE AND CONTENTS
OF CLASS TEACHER EDUCATION
COMMUNICATION AND ORIENTING STUDIES 25 ECTS
300 ECTS
MAIN SUBJECT STUDIES CULTURAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND 50 ECTS
PEDAGOGICAL BASES OF EDUCATION
Education
RESEARCH STUDIES IN EDUCATION 70 ECTS
140 ECTS Research methods
Bachelor’s thesis
Master’s thesis
MASTER’S DEGREE
TEACHING PRACTICE 20 ECTS
MINOR SUBJECT STUDIES MULTIDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 60 ECTS
IN SUBJECTS TAUGHT IN SCHOOL
120 ECTS
OPTIONAL MINOR SUBJECT STUDIES 60 ECTS
OPTIONAL STUDIES 15 ECTS
39. THE STRUCTURE AND CONTENTS
OF SUBJECT TEACHER EDUCATION
COMMUNICATION AND OPTIONAL STUDIES 60 sp
300 sp
MAIN SUBJECT STUDIES A SCHOOL SUBJECT
A degree in the respective faculty
120 sp Includes a Master thesis
MASTER’S DEGREE
MINOR SUBJECT STUDIES ANOTHER SCHOOL SUBJECT 60 sp
120 sp
PEDAGOGICAL STUDIES 60 sp
Education
Subject didactics
Teaching practice
40. HOW TO BECOME – AND STAY – AS A REFLECTIVE TEACHER
(Krokfors 2005)
Pedagogical core contents
RESEARCH STUDIES
Reflective teacher
STUDIES IN EDUCATION
THEORY PRACTICE
PRACTICUM
STUDIES IN SUBJECT DIDACTICS
Pre-service education In-service education
41. WEB SITES
Department of Teacher Education/Helsinki
http://www.helsinki.fi/teachereducation/
Finnish National Board of Education
http://www.oph.fi/english
Hinweis der Redaktion
In this slide I have the Introduction for this presentation, and as you see, I have six main points in my lecture: Orientation The basic principles and practices of research-based teacher education The intended competencies and qualifications of a future teacher The teaching practice periods of class teacher education The basic structure and contents of research-based class teacher education Conclusions So, first I will orientate you to the current situation related with Finnish teacher education. Then I will present you the basic principles and theoretical structures influencing behind our research-based teacher education program. Then I will concentrate on the intended competencies and qualifications of a future teacher and focus on teaching practice periods of class teacher education as well as the basic structure and contents of research-based class teacher education . Among these issues I will present the future challenges of teacher education. If you have any questions concerning the issues that I am presenting, please interrupt me and ask. We also have short time for discussion after this presentation, so you can ask your questions then also.
The current situation in Finland is – as you know - such that the wide international interest has focused on our educational system and research-based teacher education among researchers and in public discussion Our PISA results are one big influencing factor at the moment, as you know very well. People around the world have also heard about the specific characteristics of Finnish teacher education People also wonder the fact, that we have a large amount of applicants in teacher education. We have the possibility to choose the best students to our teacher education from huge amount of applicants. Despite these facts, we also have realities that we are facing all the time with our teachers and teacher education. Teachers have big responsibilities in their everyday work. They have lately mentioned, that The high goals of the national core curriculum, Quite big classes, Pupils with needs of special educational, as well as Multicultural issues are things that confuse them at moment. They have started to think about, that what actually is the core of teacher ’ s work and how should they be prepared for it
The Finnish national core curriculum have to be discussed together with the steering system behind it in order to understand its functions in Finnish comprehensive school. The steering system of Finnish basic education has multiple hierarchical levels: The foundation of the system is the Basic Education Act and decrees. The Council of state determines the general goals of education and the time allocations for various subjects. The National Board of Education develops the national core curriculum, which outlines the local curricula at municipalities. In Finland, education providers form their own local curriculum. This might be a joint curriculum for all schools in the municipality area or schools might form their own curricula, which are then approved by the school officials of the municipality. Municipalities and schools are granted great autonomy in organising education and implementing the core curriculum, which is to ensure freedom to make individual choices based on the local needs of different schools. Local decision-making is also seen as a means of increasing local actors’ commitment to the curriculum process and implementation of the curriculum. Their active involvement in the process is reinforced by the autonomy and freedom that they are afforded. In addition to the curriculum, educational resources shape teaching and education in schools. Textbooks and materials have strong effect on teaching and learning at schools. The curriculum process is a product of the steering system. When the curriculum finally reaches the local authorities it has gone through several levels of administrative work. Still, this is the process where educational professions, parents and wide range of society interest groups have been consulted. Collaboration between national and local levels is really intensive.
As an orientation to the theme of this presentation, I show you a theoretical model of different teacher education programmes There are two structuring dimensions in this model : The deductive-inductive –dimension describes the structure of curriculum in teacher education. The rational-intuitive –dimension describes the quality of pedagogical thinking, which is emphasised during teacher education. So, different teacher education programmes can be described with this four-parted figure, where the quality of teacher education curriculum and teacher ’ s thinking work as structuring factors . The various teacher education programmes have been put into the figure according to their characteristics. 1) We can talk about personal and experiential way of action, when the phenomena are structured inductively and teacher ’ s thinking is intuitive. Maybe this kind of model is not possible as teacher education programme, but it describes the situation, where incompetent teachers are (and we have this kind of situations in Finland at the moment). They just do teacher ’ s work and build their conceptions and principles of teaching. 2) In school-based programmes, a student ’ s pedagogical thinking is based on intuitive and experiential knowledge. In this kind of programmes, the action is structured by doing teachers everyday work. The students learn teacher ’ s profession by teaching, not by analyzing teaching. National curriculums and everyday routines at schools guide teachers ’ work. In this kind of teacher education programme, the teacher ’ s profession is thought to be developed in this controlled system. 3) In problem based, case approach programmes, the rational argumentation is required in finding solutions to inductively constructed cases. Constructivistic and socio-constructivistic conceptions of learning have produced teacher education programmes, which are based on case approach and special phenomena solutions. 4) I would like to focus your attention especially to research based teacher education programmes , where student ’ s rational pedagogical thinking is emphasised. The structure of teacher education curriculum is deductive and it is based on systematic and scientific theory of education. In this kind of model the clear structural main subject, methodological studies and intensive relation with real school life are in central position.
We as teacher educators are trying to face these challenges by setting explicit aims and goals as well as by the nature and quality of our research-based teacher education. The Main Idea of our Class Teacher Education … can be presented in three concepts: interaction, expertise and society The idea of interaction is implemented in practice by supporting the students ’ professionality in maintaining collective working and action culture maintaining different working methods and developing students ’ argumentation skills The graduated class teacher ’ s expertise will be based on pedagogical thinking active and wide knowledge base ability to work as a researching teacher The class teacher education guides the students to think on the ethical issues of education to be active agents of change in school community, teacher education, and society .
Before I told you about the basic structures of research-based teacher education: The deductive structure of the curriculum, and emphasis on rational pedagogical thinking as well as the ideas of two levels of teacher education and two-fold practice. These were quite abstract descriptions of research-based teacher education, and in practice, Research-based approach in Teacher education means, that Every study unit is connected with research in a way or another The conceptualization of practice is the way to handle and understand it in more general, theoretical and rational way From the beginning of the studies the continuous courses of research methods are organized Students study both quantitative research methods and qualitative methods With this we are aiming at overall competence of research methods The principle is that “All methods are known generally, one method is known specifically.” With these research abilities, every student conducts her/his own master ’s thesis As I mentioned in the previous slide, Future teachers are seen as practitioner researchers, and there are two viewpoints in this Teachers are seen as producers of the research: they have the ability to conduct educational research They are also seen as consumers of the research: they should have the ability to understand and use research results and information in their own work MA in education offers a possibility, a direct access to doctoral studies
In this three-stage model of our teacher education… The highest level describes our research-based approach of teacher education, which works as a meta-theory of our program. The Second level is a level of various educational theories, special theoretical models and educational emphases. They can be changed a little in teacher education and they can be adapted according to the trends and tendencies of time. A central question is, what kind of contents and theories are chosen and to be taught for our students that would help them in teaching practice. The first level is factual action level in teacher education and at schools. All single courses, different alternatives and practical arrangements are there. These should be in line with the reality and current challenges at schools. In conclusion, there should be intensive interaction between scientific knowledge of teacher education and practical reality at schools .
The data collection of our study was conducted by using this procedure of guided reflection just described and pictured in this figure more carefully. The data presented in this paper was collected from four student teachers during their final teaching practice period. After videotaping an optional lesson and the stimulated recall interview, student teachers chose an incident according their own intentions for further examination during the following reflective discussion. At this meeting, around a week later, student teachers considered their critical incident from possible different perspectives and in wider context with the help of the researcher. In the third phase, reflection was conducted in the form of a reflective portfolio presentation. In portfolios, student teachers were advised to evaluate their aims and goals of practicum teaching in the light of theoretical ideas. Especially they were asked to reflect on the critical incident from videotaped lesson in broader context.
The analysis proved that student teachers ’ reflection in first STR-interviews, so called hot stance, was mainly focused on themselves. The amounts of task-related reflection and impact-related reflection were quite small. The reflections were emotional, quite simple and quick interpretations of the classroom situations that student teachers just had gone through. This shows that habitual, introspective and associative conceptions and thoughts are deeply rooted in teachers ’ thinking. In the second phase of the procedure, a cooler stance, the amount of self-focused reflection was smaller than in the first phase, whereas the amounts of task-focused reflection and impact-focused reflection were increased. Student teachers were more able to consider their work in classroom. They had had time to think about the events of the lesson on a more general level partly because they got some support to enlarge and widen their perspectives. In the third phase of the procedure, a coolest stance, the emphasis was still in the self-focused reflection, but the amounts of task-focused reflection and impact-focused reflection were even bigger. During the portfolio writing, the student teachers were able to think about the practical issues of teaching more thoroughly and on a more general level. Their reflections were mainly cognitive, more complex and thorough interpretations of the situations than in previous phases.
In this slide the wholeness and all the contents of class teacher education is presented.
In this slide the wholeness and all the contents of subject teacher education is presented.
You have heard the central ideas of our teacher education, the research-based approach and the emphasis of pedagogical thinking Based on this, our central question is, How our teachers become – and stay – as a reflective teachers? We educate our student teachers extremely profoundly by teaching them education and subject didactics In research studies they practice researching and in practicum studies they practice teaching With these, we aim at educating reflective teachers In order to preserve this reflective orientation towards teacher ’ s work, we think that the continuum between pre-service and in-service teacher education should be organised more systematically