Reasons behind Finnish students’ success in the PISA Scientific Literacy Assessment€¦ · · 2008-09-18Reasons behind Finnish students’ success in the PISA Scientific Literacy

Reasons behind Finnish students’ success in the PISAScientific Literacy Assessment

Jari Lavonen 1

Reasons behind Finnish students’success in the PISA Scientific LiteracyAssessment

Jari LavonenProfessor of Physics and Chemistry EducationDepartment of Applied Sciences of Education,University of Helsinki,Finland

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Structure of the presentation

1. Some PISA 2006 Scientific Literacy Assessment data2. Education policy in Finland3. Finnish comprehensive school

Structure of the comprehensive schoolGoals for science educationScience teacher educationHow science is taught in Finland(evaluated by the students)

4. Summary and comparison of Finnish approach to someother approaches in Europe


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PISA 2006 Scientific LiteracyAssessment

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Framework for PISA 2006Scientific Literacy Assessment

The PISA 2006 assessment emphasizes science competencies,defined in terms of an individual’s:

Scientific knowledge and use of that knowledge to……identify scientific issues,…explain scientific phenomena, and…draw evidence-based conclusions about science-related

issuesUnderstanding of science as a form of human knowledge andenquiryAwareness of how science and technology shape our material,intellectual and cultural environmentsWillingness to engage with science-related issues

A large proportion of complex open-ended tasks which can beclassified in several ways.


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ACID RAIN - Question 2 (S485Q02)Below is a photo of statuescalled Caryatids that werebuilt on the Acropolis inAthens more than 2500years ago. The statues aremade of a type of rock calledmarble. Marble is composedof calcium carbonate

In 1980, the original statues were transferred inside the museum of theAcropolis and were replaced by replicas. The original statues werebeing eaten away by acid rain.Normal rain is slightly acidic because it has absorbed some carbondioxide from the air. Acid rain is more acidic than normal rain becauseit has absorbed gases like sulphur oxides and nitrogen oxides as well.Where do these sulphur oxides and nitrogen oxides in the air comefrom?

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Students’ PISA scores in different competencecategories and knowledge areas

450 500 550 600

SwedenDenmarkNorway

UKPortugal

JapanNew ZealandCanada

FinlandIdentifying scientific issues

Knowledge about science

Earth and Space

Living systems

Explaining scientific phenomena

Drawing evidence-based conclusionsabout science-related issues


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Country percentile scores compared to theOECD average percentile scores in PISA 2006science scale

-50

-30

10

10

30

50

70

90

5%Percentile

10% 25% 75% 90% 95%

Finland

SwedenDenmarkNorway

Estonia

UKPortugal

OECD Average

Diff

eren

ce to

OE

CD

ave

rage

in P

ISA

sco

re- In Finland the

weak pupils arenot so weak thanin other OECDcountries

Canada

8

-80

-60

-40

-20

0

20

40

60

80

100

Ger

man

yC

zech

Rep

ublic

Aust

riaH

unga

ryN

ethe

rland

sBe

lgiu

mJa

pan

Italy

Gre

ece

Slov

akR

epub

licTu

rkey

Switz

erla

ndK

orea

Luxe

mbo

urg

Uni

ted

Stat

esPo

rtug

alM

exic

oU

nite

d K

ingd

omN

ew Z

eala

ndAu

stra

liaC

anad

aIre

land

Den

mar

kSp

ain

Pola

ndSw

eden

Nor

way

Icel

and

Finl

and

Variation in student performance in Science

Variation ofperformance

between schools

Variation ofperformance within

schools

In some, most of the variation liesbetween schools.

In some countries, schools aresimilar and quality is high.


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Students interest to learn about science topics.

HighInterest

MediumInterest

LowInterest

NoInterest

HighInterest

MediumInterest

LowInterest

NoInterest

Human biology

Topics in astronomy

Topics in physics

Topics in chemistry

The biology of plants

Topics in geology

What is required for scientific explanations

Ways scientists design experiments

Finland OECD

Education policy in Finland


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Asse

ssm

ent,

loca

l, PI

SA

Finnish Education Policy

Teacher training(pre -service and

In-service)

Study materials(publishing

houses)

Local curriculum(municipalities,

schools)

Science learning

General National Objectives and Education policy

International trends, OECD education policy

Competitive/ co-operativeschool culture

Parentalsupport

Voluntary education, likecram schools, evening lessons

Unofficial support to science learning

Science teaching

National Core Curriculum

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Main cornerstones of the education policy(can be found in policy documents)

1. Common, consistent and long-term policy2. A broad commitment to a vision of a knowledge-based-

society (parents, employers' and labour organisations )3. Educational equality (comprehensive school free of charge

to all, including books, meals, transport and health care;well-organized and effective special education).

According to PISA School Questionnaire data- 97.1% of the schools are public schools (OECD: 82.7%).- More than 97.5 % of the schools reported that morethan 99% of the funding came from the government.

- 64.3% (33.3%) of the schools reported that students werenot grouped by ability into different classes in any subject


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Main cornerstones of the education policy

5. Devolution of decision power and responsibility at thelocal level (local authority can levy taxes, plan localcurriculum; organise general assessment and use thisdata for evaluating educational policy).

6. The culture of trust (no inspectors, no national exams …)

According to PISA School Questionnaire data- in 65.3% of the schools a principal teacher formulatesthe school budget (53.2%)

- in 96.0% of the school, principal teacher and teachersare responsible for disciplinary policy (80.5%)

- in 97.0% of the school, principal teacher and teachersare responsible for assessment policy (76.9%)

Comprehensive school in Finland


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The Finnish education system

The Finnish education system consists ofcomprehensive school (grade 1 – 9),upper secondary school or vocational school(grade 10 – 12),higher education (3 + 2 years) andadult education.

In 2006, there were 3393 comprehensive schools and578 918 students in those schools (Tilastokeskus, 2007).53.3% of the students continued their studies in uppersecondary school and 41.8% in vocational schoolsAccording to PISA 2006 School Questionnaire data, therewere in 49.9% of the classes less than 20 students and in47.4% of the classes there were 21 – 25 students.

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Allocation of science subjects to grades incomprehensive school

Grade 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12Students’age

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Sciencesubjects

Integrated environmentaland natural studies

Altogether 9 hours/week/4year= 2.25 hours/week/year

IntegratedBiology andgeography1.5 hours/week/yearIntegratedPhysics andchemistry1 hours/week/year

Separate:Biology 1.2 hoursGeography 1.2 hoursPhysics 1.2 hoursChemistry 1.2 hours/week/yearHealth education1 hours/week/year

Separate:Biology 2+3 coursesGeography 2+2coursesPhysics 1+7 coursesChemistry1+4 coursesHealth education

Comprehensive school, Basic education

primary school lower secondaryschool

upper secondaryschool, high school

Level

Compulsory/Optional

C C+O O


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Nature of a teaching/learning process inFinnish national science curriculum

The starting points for science instruction are thestudents' prior knowledge, skills, and experiences, andtheir observations and investigations …

… From these, the instruction progresses towards theconcepts and models (Not a discovery approach!)The purpose of science education is to help the students(i) to perceive the nature of science;(ii) to learn new concepts, principles, and models;(iii) to develop skills in experimental work and(iv) cooperation; and(v) to stimulate the students to study science (interest).”the role of a teacher is emphasised in the process.

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Examples of goals for learningscientific method:

The pupils will learn in physics and chemistry:- scientific skills, such as the formulation of questions … ,- to make observations and measurements,- to look for information on the subject of study,- to make, compare, and classify observations, measurements,

and conclusions;- to present and test a hypothesis,- to process, present and interpret results,- to formulate simple models, to use them in explaining …,- to make conclusions about their observations and

measurements and recognize the causal relationshipsassociated with the properties of natural phenomena

- to carry out simple scientific experiments clarifying theproperties of phenomena.


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Examples of contents of physical systems:

- producing heat, light (grades 5 – 6),- motion and equilibrium due to forces (grades 5 – 6),- natural structures and proportions (grades 7 – 9),- motion and forces, models of uniform and uniformly

accelerating motion (grades 7 – 9) ,- various basic phenomena of vibrations and wave motion;

production, detection, observation, reflection, and refraction ofwave motion (grades 7 – 9),

- interpretation of chemical reaction equations and the balancingof simple reaction equations (grades 7 – 9),

- composition of air; the atmosphere (grades 7 – 9),- properties of water and its importance as a solvent;

investigation of natural waters; water purification (grades 7-9).

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PISA 2006 framework for scientific literacy

… capacity to use scientific knowledge, to identifyquestions and to draw evidence-based conclusions inorder to understand and help make decisions about thenatural world and the changes made to it through humanactivity. …

The OECD definition of scientific literacy fits well with thegoals for science education in Finland


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Textbooks?

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Introduction to thetheme of the chapter

A demonstration aboutmagnetic interactionbetween a wire and amagnet

Emphasis of importantnatural law

A model for observedphenomena


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Role of science-basedtechnology: Howelectricity is producedin a water powerstation

Living systems andenergy: How kineticenergy is transferred.

Chemical energy andhuman being

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Some ideas how thephenomena will beinvestigatedStudents are asked to

think about possiblereasons for friction.

Students are asked tomake conclusionsbased on theirinvestigations.

Students are asked tocompare theirconclusions andhypothesis.


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Science teacher education inFinland

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A subject teacher

typically teaches at grades 7 to 12 (ages 13 to 19)is qualified for teaching positions in all kinds of schools inhis or her major or minor subjectteaches typically one major and one minor subjects (e.g.math and physics)

A primary school teacher

teaches at grades 1 to 6 (ages 7 to 13)teaches typically all 13 subjects


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Structure of the master degreeof a primary teacher: 3 + 2 years

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

MajorSubject

Education

subsidiarysubjectstudies

MinorSubject

Communicationand language

studies

Bachelor ’s level (180 p.)Bachelor ’s level (180 p.) Master’s level (120 p.)

Master-thesisMaster-thesis

Stud

ypo

ints

Science

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Subject teacher’s Master’s degree

Master's degree: 3 + 2 years (180 + 120 credits)

Major subject (e.g. physics) 120 credits1. minor subject (e.g. chemistry) 60 credits2. minor subject (pedagogical studies) 60 creditsLanguage and communication studies

Competent to continue postgraduate studies


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Structure of the master degreeof a subject teacher: 3 + 2 years

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

MajorSubject

MinorSubject

Pedagogicalstudies

Communicationand language

studies

Bachelor’s level (180 p.) Master’s level (120 p.)

Master-thesis

Stud

ypo

ints

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Basic strategies guiding planning of theteacher education

Research-based teacher education(University’s strategy)Wide pedagogical competence through teachereducation: from primary schools to polytechnics(Ministry of Education)…

Based on national and local strategies science teachereducation have been developed in Finnish universitieslocally


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Teacher Education Development Programme(2002): The teacher education programmesshould help students to acquire:

high-level subject knowledge and pedagogical contentknowledge, and knowledge about nature of knowledge,academic skills, like research skills; skills to usepedagogically Information and Communication Technology,skills needed in processes of developing a curricula,social skills, like communication skills; skill to cooperate withother teachers,knowledge about school as an institute and its connections tothe society (school community and partners, local contextsand stakeholders),moral knowledge and skills, like social and moral code of theteaching profession,skills needed in developing one’s own teaching and theteaching profession.

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Subject teacher education at theUniversity of Helsinki

University of Helsinki (11 faculties, 38 000 students, 7 400 staff members)

Faculty ofBehaviouralSciences

FacultyofArts

FacultyofScience

FacultyofBiosciences

FacultyofTheology

FacultyofSocialSciencesDept. of

Applied Sci. ofEducation

TeacherTrainingSchools

Subject teacher education section, pedagogical studies

ArtAcademy(Ateneum)

MusicAcademy(SibeliusAcademy)

TheatreAcademy

Curriculum planning forpedagogical studies

40 experts from various organisations


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Expertise needed in the profession of a science teacherAgreed together with university teachers working in scienceteacher education in the University of Helsinki

1. Subject knowledge and skills:well organised knowledge structure (expert)understanding nature of knowledge and how knowledge is

acquired in the subject (e.g. nature of experiments),

2. Pedagogical knowledge and skills:an expert teacher can plan, implement and evaluate

learning activities and learning (psychological,philosophical, historical and sociological background)

competence to choose a variety of teaching andmotivation methods

3. Competence for continuous professional development:readiness to learn new subject and pedagogical knowledge

and skills (teacher as a researcher)skills for reflective thinking and collaborative working

How science is taught in Finland(evaluated by the students)


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Teaching method

“Teaching method” is used here as a synonym for a- learning or instructional method/model/strategy,- student activity or classroom practice.Teaching methods are- goal-oriented and- emphasise social interaction among students and

between students and the teacher.

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Teaching Methods in Science Education inFinland

There is little research which describes what really happensin Finnish science classrooms.Norris et al. (1996) observed science lessons andinterviewed teachers and students in 50 lower and uppersecondary schools. They conclude that teachers werepedagogically conservative, and the teaching and learningtraditional, mainly involving frontal teaching of the wholegroup of students. However, during science lessons therewere a lot of practical work.Simola (2005) explains that this kind of behaviour of ateacher is supported by social trust and teachers’ highprofessional academic status. It is possible to teach in the“traditional” way in Finland because teachers believe in their“traditional” role and pupils accept their “traditional” position.


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According to PISA 2006 Student questionnaire:Activities dealing with practical work

Students are allowed to design their own experiments

Students are given the chance to choose their owninvestigations

Students are required to design how a schoolscience question could be investigated in the laboratory

Students are asked to do an investigation to test outtheir own ideas

Students spend time in the laboratory doing experiments

Experiments are done by the teacher as demonstrations

Students do experiments by following theinstructions of the teacher

Students are asked to draw conclusions from anexperiment they have conducted

OECD AverageFinland

Act

iviti

es d

eal

ing

with

pra

ctic

al w

ork

never or hardly never (1) in most lessons (3)in some lessons (2) in all lessons (4)

Students are given the chance to choose their owninvestigations

Students are required to design howscience question could be investigated

Students do an investigation to test outtheir own ideas

Students spend time in the laboratory doing experiments

Experiments are done by the teacher as demonstrations

Students do experiments by following theinstructions of the teacher

Students are asked to draw conclusionsFrom their experiments

Students are allowed to design their own experiments

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According to PISA 2006 Student questionnaire:Activities dealing with student talk

OECD AverageFinland

There is a class debate or discussion

The students are asked to apply a school scienceconcept to everyday problems

Students have discussions about the topics

The lessons involve students’ opinions about the topics

Students are given opportunities to explain their ideas

Act

ivit

ies

deal

ing

with

stu

den

t ta

lk


There is a class debate or discussion

The students are asked to apply a school scienceconcept to everyday problems

Students have discussions about the topics

The lessons involve students’ opinions about the topics

Students are given opportunities to explain their ideas


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According to PISA 2006 Student questionnaire:Activities dealing with teacher talk

OECD AverageFinland

The teacher uses examples of technologicalapplication to show how school science is relevant

The teacher uses school science to helpstudents understand the world outside school

The teacher clearly explains the relevance of “broadscience” concepts to our lives

The teacher explains how a school science idea canbe applied to different phenomena

Act

iviti

es

dea

ling

with

tea

che

r ta

lk


The teacher uses examples of technologicalto show how science relevance

The teacher helpstudents understand the world outside school

The teacher explains the relevance ofscience concepts to our lives

The teacher explains science ideas canbe applied


Summary


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Explanations Made Based on PISA 2000 and2003 Results by Jyväskylä group

Finnish students’ success in PISA was explained withcomprehensive school pedagogy, students’ own interestsand leisure activities, the structure of the educationsystem, teacher education, school practices, and Finnishculture – shortly pedagogical philosophy and practice(Välijärvi, Linnakylä, Kupari, Reinikainen & Arffman, 2002)On the basis of the multilevel modelling procedureaffective factors particularly students’ self-concept relatedto mathematics were the strongest predictors ofperformance variation in mathematical literacy. (Välijärvi,Kupari, Linnakylä, Reinikainen, Sulkunen, Törnroos &Arffman, 2007).

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Conclusions Made Based on the Book “HowFinns Learn Mathematics and Science?”

Editors (Pehkonen, Ahtee & Lavonen, 2007) suggest basedon 40 Finnish mathematics, physics and chemistry teachers’educators and researchers several reasons for the success:

the general education policy and its implementationstrategies, especially high quality teacher educationand national core curriculum and its realisation throughscience teaching in the classroom,realisation of the core curriculum through local leveldecisions making (no inspectors, no national evaluationof learning materials, nor national assessmentFinnish teachers are educated to be autonomous andreflective academic experts,Finnish pupils’ good understanding in reading.


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Aho, Pitkänen & Sahlberg: Policy Developmentand Reform Principles of Basic and SecondaryEducation in Finland … (The world bank)

A stable political environment for education reforms whichhave been based on long-term vision, hard work, good willand consensus.Political, cultural and economical success of the educationalsystem and its interaction with other sectors.Education reform has been evolutionary rather thanrevolutionary.Comprehensive school that offers all children the same topquality, publicly financed education.

Laukkanen (2008) discuss similar issues and presentsfollowing reasons: high standards in education, support forspecial education, qualified teachers, and balancingdecentralism and centralism.

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Obvious reason for Finnish students successin PISA 2006 science items based onpreliminary analysis of PISA 2006 data

Finnish culture: trust for education, high status of teachersEducation policy:

Videly accepted vision of a knowledge-based-societyEducational equalityDevolution of decision power and responsibility atthe local levelTrust

Comprehensive school:Goals for science education and textbooksThe headmasters work as a pedagogical directorSchool practices: several subjects, lunches, smallgroups, high quality equipments, special education

Teacher education


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Comparison of Finnish education policy to theglobal education movements(Hargreaves, Earl, Shawn & Manning, 2001, Sahlberg, 2004)

Trust through professionalismCulture of trust that values teachers’ andheadmasters’ professionalism in judgingwhat is best for students and in reporting onprogress of their learning.

Consequential accountabilityThe school performance is closely tied tothe “inspection” and ultimately rewardingor punishing schools and teachers.

Broad knowledgeFocus on broad learning; equal value to allaspects of individual’s growth in personality,moral, creativity, knowledge and skills.

Literacy and numeracyBasic knowledge and skills in reading,writing, mathematics and science(= prime targets of education reform).

Flexibility and diversitySchool-based curriculum development,networking through steering by informationand support.

StandardizationStandards for schools, teachers andstudents to improve the quality ofoutcomes

Education development in FinlandGlobal Education Reform Movement

Documents

Reasons behind Finnish students’ success in the PISA Scientific Literacy Assessment€¦ · · 2008-09-18Reasons behind Finnish students’ success in the PISA Scientific Literacy