Teacher Education and Teacher Training in Finland

1. Teacher Education and Teacher Training in Finland Edited by Principal Eija Valanne, Teacher Training School of the University of Lapland

3. Pre-primary Education • Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide pre-primary education. • For children the participation is voluntary. • Pre-school usually starts at the age of six. • Pre-school education is geared to develop children’s learning skills as part of early childhood education and care. • The average length of a pre-school day is four hours. • About 96 % of the age group participate in preschool education.

4. Basic Education • Finnish children start their actual schooling at the age of seven at a comprehensive school. • Basic education is provided free of charge including all the school material and warm meals every day. • The nine-year education is the same for all pupils. • The leaving certificate gives eligibility for all types of upper secondary education and training.

5. A school year is 190 school days, starting in mid- August and ending in early June. • The maximum duration of a school day is five lessons during the first two years of basic education and up to seven lessons after that (19 – 30 lessons per week). • The government determines the national objectives of basic education and the allocation of lesson hours between different subjects. • Schools’ curriculums are based on the national core curriculum drawn up by the National Board of Education.

6. Upper Secondary Education • After the basic education half of the age group choose the upper-secondary school (another half continue education in vocational studies). • General upper secondary education is course-based and ends in a national matriculation examination – generally in three years. • Before graduating, a minimum of 75 courses have to be passed. • The national matriculation examination comprises exams in the mother tongue, the first foreign language, mathematics, humanistic studies and science studies. • Four of the exams have to be passed for the matriculation certificate, which provides eligibility for universities and higher vocational education.

7. Reasons for the learning results • Basic teaching can be characterized as efficient • The time students spend studying was one of the lowest in the countries surveyed • The resources allocated to education are OECD average • Teachers’ commitment and high ethics are the key strengths of our education • Teacher’s profession is highly appreciated • All the basic education teachers have a Master’s degree • Teachers are quite independent and trustworthy • There are • no inspections • no obligatory national testing during basic education • no public ranking lists

8. Pre-school teacher • The competence of a kindergarten teacher can be obtained by passing a Bachelor’s Degree (180 ECTS) in Educational Science. • A polytechnic Degree in Social Services may also, with certain provisions, deliver the competence. • Local authorities can decide whether to organize pre-school at the local school or kindergarten.

9. Class and Subject Teachers • Class teachers are qualified to teach all subjects in years 1-6 • Class teachers’ basic requirement is a Master’s degree (300 ECT) majoring in education sciences • Subject teachers work with classes 7-9 of basic education, in upper secondary level and in vocational education • Subject teachers conclude their Master’s degree with 300-350 ECTS credits • In addition to studies in major and minor subjects, subject teacher qualifications comprise pedagogical studies of at least 60 ECTS credits, including teaching practice.

10. Special-education Teacher and Student Counsellor • Universities also educate special-needs teachers and guidance counsellors • They both pass a Master’s Degree majoring in Educational Sciences • Special-needs teachers work in basic education and in vocational education and training. • Student counsellors mostly work with classes 7-9 of basic education, upper secondary and vocational institutions.

11. The Main Elements of Teacher Education Consist of Studies in: • Academic disciplines • Research Studies consisting of methodological studies including a BA thesis and an MA thesis • Pedagogical studies: obligatory for all teachers and include teaching practice • Communication, language and ICT studies • A personal study plan • Optional studies

12. Abilities needed in teaching professions • The ability to support different learners • The ability to co-operate with other teachers in schools or other educational settings • The ability to promote co-operation with parents, authorities, businesses, etc. • The ability to develop and improve the curriculum and learning environments • The ability to solve problems in school life • The ability to reflect on one’s own professional identity

13. The quality of teaching practice defines the quality of teacher education (Zeichner 1990) • The Finnish teacher education system has a strong emphasis on research. • The central aims of the teaching practice periods are for the students • to evolve into pedagogically thinking teachers, • to grow into the profession, • to become aware of their practical theories and views on educational matters. • The aim of research-based teacher education is to educate students to be able to make educational decisions based on rational argumentation in addition to intuitive argumentation.

14. Participants in Teaching Practice • Theoretical aspects integrate with practice during the studies at all stages. • In teaching practice there are four participants whose interaction with each other plays an important role • student teacher him/herself • peer student teachers • supervisor from the university (university lecturer) • supervisor at the school where teaching practice takes place • The aim of the dialogue between these participants is to help the student teacher • to conceptualize, • to develop ones meta-cognitive skills and • to apply theory in practice.

15. The Unique Way of Organizing Teacher Training in Finland • Every university organizing teacher education has a teacher training school. • There are 13 teacher training schools, which are administratively part of the faculties of education. • The quality of supervision in teacher training schools is considered to be as particularly high. • The functional connection between teacher training schools, departments of education and other university departments • Applying educational and didactic theory and know-how in practice • Evaluation of teaching practice and supervision • Schools’ operations are governed and financed by the Ministry of Education.

16. Teacher Training Schools in Finland

17. TURUN NORMAALIKOULUTeacher Training School in Turku - The school of the Faculty of Education in Turku University - The largest teacher training school in one locality in Finland - There are all levels of general education from comprehensive school to upper secondary school

18. TNK in numbers • 1100 pupils (7 – 19 years) • 100 teachers • other staff 20 • 85 student teachers at primary school • 250 student teachers in subject teacher training • school building 10 000 m2 (built 1980)

19. Our specialities • Bilingual education in English (1st …) • MYP, Middle Years Programme (5 – 9) • IB, International Baccalaureate Programme (in the upper secondary school) • Cooperation with the Turku International School TIS • Distance teaching

20. UNESCO-SCHOOL • Turun normaalikoulu has been a UNESCO-school since 1999 • Currently about twenty nationalities are represented in the student body of approximately 1100 students • Co-operation both at national and international level is of high importance for the school, which takes part actively in EU projects.

21. The Qualification Requirements for Teachers at the Teacher Training Schools • Master’s degree + • Pedagogical studies (60 ECTS credits) • A minimum of two years of full-time teaching experience • Good teaching skills • A demonstration of teaching skills when applying for a vacancy

22. Duties of Teacher Training Schools • Providing teaching • Tutoring student teachers • Teaching experiments and research • Providing in-service education

23. Teaching • Teacher training schools provide teaching for comprehensive and upper secondary levels. • The size of the teacher training schools vary from primary level to schools providing teaching from pre-school to upper secondary level. • The number of pupils and students in all of the teacher training schools is 8000. • The number of student teachers practising every year is 3000. • The number of teaching staff altogether is 800.

24. Teaching practise • The aim is that 2/3 of teaching practice takes place in the universities’ teacher training schools and 1/3 in the municipal field schools. • The overall proportion of practical studies is 20-30 study credits. • The form of practical studies can differ a little according to universities but basically the practicums consist of • Introductory phases • Developing knowledge of pupils and teaching environments • Minor subject practicums • Concentrating on limited subject areas and didactical skills • Major subject practicums • Applying theories of teaching comprehensively

25. Teaching experiments and research • The teaching experiments and educational research connected with practice teaching aim at creating an innovative and analytical attitude among the prospective teachers. • Teacher training schools provide context for research conducted by different faculties. • Teachers of teacher training schools are strongly committed to professional in-service education • 17 % of teachers in teacher training schools have a PhD or licenciate degree. • A research-based teacher education means that • teachers and student teachers are given possibilities for experimental teaching and doing scientific research • research-networks are created for national and international connections

26. In-service training • The purpose of continuing professional in-service education is to maintain and update teachers’ pedagogical skills • The responsibility for teachers’ in-service training mainly rests with employers (a minimum of three days of training every year). • In addition to that teachers voluntarily participate in in-service training during the school year. • Teacher training schools have a good opportunity to provide in-service training • being part of universities and having access to recent knowledge of learning, teaching and curriculum contents, • taking part in ongoing research and nationally relevant topics, • having efficient teaching and mentoring skills within the staff, • having wide network possibilities nationally and locally, • having modern facilities and equipment.

27. References and further information: • Reseach-based Teacher Education in Finland –Reflections by Finnish Teacher Educators, 2006, Ritva Jakku-Sihvonen and Hannele Niemi (eds.) • Education in Finland 2006, Statistics Finland • Teacher education in Finland, www.oaj.fi • PISA 2003 –tutkimus, http://ktl.jyu.fi/pisa • Education and Science in Finland, 2006, Ministry of Education • http://www.minedu.fi • http://www.oph.fi (curricula) • http://virtual.finland.fi • http://www.eurydice.org