Special Features of the Finnish Education System: Teacher as Future-Maker: Research-Based Teacher Education in Finland

Auli Toom of the University of Helsinki gave a presentation entitled, Teacher as Future-Maker: Research-Based Teacher Education in Finland.

Here are the notes from the presentation:

Orientation

• wide international interest in Finnish teacher education
• PISA
• specific characteristics of Finnish teacher education
• huge number of applicants
• MA for teachers
• practice for teacher education in special teacher education schools that are part of universities
• popular -- best applicants chosen

Teachers' responsibilities and current challenges

• high goals of national core curriculum
• increasing size of classes
• pupils with special educational needs
• multicultural issues -- more immigrants

What is the core of teachers' work?

• teach
• educate
• take care
• all of the above?
• correspondence between competence and qualification

Different teacher education philosophy in Finland

• e.g. deductive/intuitive approaches, school-based as in the PGCE in England
• e.g. intuitive/inductive approaches, experiential and personal
• e.g. rational/inductive approaches, problem-based, case approach
• e.g. deductive/rational approaches, research-based, as in Finland with the theoretical view of pedagogical thinking, justified in the classroom

Two levels of research-based teacher education

• e.g. general level/teaching practice --> pedagogical thinking
• e.g. basic level/teaching practice --> everyday thinking
• (these approaches help the teacher trainee make pedagogical decisions)
• e.g. general level/research practice --> producing research expertise
• e.g. basic level/research practice --> adaptation and consuming of research
• (these approaches help the teacher trainee think critically about their own work)

Research-based approach to teacher education

• every unit connected to research
• conceptualization of practice
• research methods courses, both quantitative and qualitative approaches
• overall competence of research methods
• Master's degree thesis
• teachers utilize practitioner research
• producer of research -- ability to conduct own research
• consumers of research -- ability to understand and use research results and inform their own work
• direct access to doctoral programs
• completion of a teaching degree allows admission to PhD programs
• many undertake a doctorate simultaneous to teaching

Principles of teaching practice

• 2 practice periods

1. focus on pedagogical practice (5 weeks, either 3rd and 4th year, or 2nd and 4th year)
2. overall teaching practice (5 weeks)

• most teacher education instructors have PhDs
• "field" or "lab" schools cooperate with the teacher education courses
• teacher education schools are part of the university

Supervision of teaching practice

• interaction with mentors
• tips and rational explanation
• reflection in portfolio

Assessment of teaching practice

• no grades -- pass/fail
• teacher education schools supervised by those with PhDs
• "field" or "lab" school supervisors trained to do teacher education and are compensated with money or academic credit (for a supervisor portfolio)

Teacher educators understanding of the research-based approach

• 4 dimensions:

1. context -- academic teacher education
2. approach -- organizing theme of teacher education
3. content -- curriculum of teacher education
4. aim -- teachers' pedagogical thinking

• relevance of the approach

1. relevant to teachers' work
2. teachers actively involved in curriculum development and action
3. profession -- multi-professional collaboration
4. no longer a static workplace

Core competencies of a future teacher

• self-confidence
• interaction skills
• pedagogical skills
• tolerate uncertainty
• metacognitive skills

Admissions process (University of Helsinki)

• book test
• interview
• group interaction/teaching exercise (e.g. 6 applicants, 15 minute mini lesson for others)

Main idea of classroom teacher education

• interaction
• expertise
• society