The Societal Factors Contributing to Education and Schooling in Finland
The chapter introduces the reasons why teaching and learning have a high priority in Finnish society and how teacher education support teachers’ role to work as high quality professionals. The chapter provides a brief review of the historical and cultural
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2. THE SOCIETAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO EDUCATION AND SCHOOLING IN FINLAND The Finnish Education: Equity and Quality as Its Main Objectives
ABSTRACT
The chapter introduces the reasons why teaching and learning have a high priority in Finnish society and how teacher education support teachers’ role to work as high quality professionals. The chapter provides a brief review of the historical and cultural movements that have had an influence on respect for education and learning in Finnish society. The chapter also provides a description of the Finnish educational system with the comprehensive school as one of its important element. The major reasons for the success of Finnish education are a combination of political will, purposeful efforts to promote equity by the educational system, high quality teacher education, teachers’ professional and moral responsibility, and society’s trust in the educational actors. Keywords: teacher education, equity, educational system, teaching profession, teachers INTRODUCTION
The Finnish education system has received attention from all over the world because of the great success of Finnish 15-year-olds in the OECD’s PISA surveys in 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, and 2012 (e.g. OECD, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013). The knowledge and skills of Finns in problem solving, scientific, mathematical and reading literacy are representative of the highest level of international standards. Only a very few Finnish students are in the lowest PISA categories. Likewise, the differences of learning outcomes among schools are small. Major reasons for these high learning outcomes are a purposeful educational policy and the high standards of teachers. According to researchers (Schleicher, 2005; Välijärvi, 2004; Simola, 2005; Laukkanen, 2006; Niemi & Jakku-Sihvonen, 2006), the Finnish educational policy has aimed at equity in education and has promoted the common comprehensive school model. In the process, many important decisions have been made. One of those has been the decision that all teacher education, including primary school teacher education, was raised to the MA level (5-year programs). This chapter gives an overview of the major drivers of this policy, why they were taken, and H. Niemi et al. (Eds.), Miracle of Education, 23–40. © 2016 Sense Publishers. All rights reserved.
h. niemi
how they have influenced educational practice and teachers’ professional roles. In the beginning of the chapter there is a brief review of the historical and cultural movements that have influenced Finnish education. Thereafter the structure and major features of the Finnish educational system are introduced. Finally there is a description of the Finnish research-based teacher education and its major qualities. Respect for Learning and Education in the Finnish Culture – Education of a Nation and Comprehensive Schooling for All In Finland, the promotion of equity, learning and education is a central factor in our national history, which can be seen in the framework of cultural and historical background factors. Thus, in Finl
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