Research based Class Teacher Education

1. Research based Class Teacher Education matti.meri @helsinki.fi12.09.08

2. Stucture of Class Teacher Education • A Master of Education degree (5 years, 300 study points/ECTS) • The main subject is education or educational psychology • The obligatory minor subject is a multidisciplinary module, that consists of subject didactics for subjects taught in comprehensive school • Studies in a minor subject (60 study points) gives the class teacher the qualification to teach the subject in the upper level of comprehensive school

3. THE MAIN IDEA OF CLASS TEACHER EDUCATION INTERACTION, PROFESSIONALITY AND SOCIETY • The student’s professional development is supported with collegial working culture, different modes of action and student’s argumentation skills. • Teacher education produces the teachers, who have wide professionality. The professionality is based on pedagogical thinking, teacher as researcher approach and personal practical theory. • The student teachers are guided to reflect on the ethical issues of education and to work as active change agent at school community and in society.

4. THE AIMS OF CLASS TEACHER EDUCATION • Humanistic conception of man and educational science • The individual’s personal growth and the social and cultural meanings of education are united in teacher education. • They promote individual’s life long learning. • Studying skills • The student develops her/his observation skills, reflection skills and analysis skills by practicing her/his pedagogical thinking.

5. Research-based Teaching at the Heart of Class Teacher Education • The research-based approach • is the central guiding theme of teacher education in Helsinki • is integrated into every course of the education • courses in research methods are introduced from the very beginning of the studies • Along with this approach, the aim is to achieve a balanced development of the teacher's personality in which the teacher’s pedagogical thinking is essential

6. Research-based ApproachFrom Theory to Practice – From Practice to Theory • 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

7. Teacher’s Core Competences • Self-confidence • Creativity • Meta-cognitive skills • Skills to direct interaction • Ability to create effective teaching-studying-learning environments

8. DEDUKTIVE Kontext- competeces Research- competences R A T I O N A L E I N T U I T I V E Problemsolve-competences Reflection-compentences INDUKTIVE

10. THE CONCLUSION OF STUDIESIN CLASS TEACHER EDUCATION R e s e a r h s t u d i e s (70 sp) P r a c t i c u m s t u d i e s (20 sp) Cultural bases of education (15 sp) Psychological bases of education (15 sp) Pedagogical bases of education (20sp) Multidisciplinary studies (60 sp) Optional minor studies (75 sp) Communication and orienting studies (25 sp)