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The Idea of Finnish Comprehensive School – Grounding Principles and Future Challenges. Auli Toom, PhD, Adjunct Professor In Terms of Equity – Quality in Teaching and Learning Conference 30.9.-2.10.2009 Helsinki, Finland. Faculty of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki. Introduction. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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The Idea of Finnish Comprehensive School – Grounding Principles and Future Challenges
Auli Toom, PhD, Adjunct Professor
In Terms of Equity – Quality in Teaching and Learning Conference
30.9.-2.10.2009 Helsinki, Finland
Faculty of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki
Introduction
Orientation
The idea of Finnish comprehensive school
Current and future challenges in comprehensive school
Finnish research-based teacher education in the
background
Conclusions and considerations of the future challenges
between Finnish comprehensive school, teacher
education and society
Orientation
The wide international interest towards Finnish schooling system
among researchers and in public
PISA results
The secrets of Finnish comprehensive school
The specific characteristics of Finnish teacher education
Current viewpoints and teacher’s responsibilities
High goals and demanding contents of national core curriculum
Pupils’ welfare and educational equity
Pupils with needs of special education
Multicultural issues
Size of classes
The future of Finnish comprehensive school and teacher’s work?
Finnish comprehensive school:Historical perspectives and early stages
The societal situation and educational influences under
which the development and decisions of present Finnish
comprehensive school started to take form
The controversial issues the structure of comprehensive school teachers’ competence demands of civilization school administration
Finnish comprehensive school:Basic ideas and practical solutions
The practical decisions and solutions framing the
everyday practice at schools
Administrative organisation Curricular issues Subject matter issues Teacher qualification issues
Finnish comprehensive school:Current state and future challenges
The recent reforms and their influences to the present and future
state of comprehensive school
Administrative changes between grades 1-6 and 7-9 of
Finnish comprehensive school
Curriculum development and its responsibilities
High goals and demanding contents of national core
curriculum
Development of new pedagogies
Diversity at schools: needs for special education and
multicultural issues
Pupils’ welfare and educational equity
Finnish comprehensive school:Current state and future challenges
FINNISH SOCIETYdiversity – economic issues – support for education
SCHOOL TEACHINGcurricular demands – needs for special education –
multiculturalism – pedagogical challenges
TEACHER EDUCATION
CIVILIZED CITIZENhumanity – ethical responsibility – zest for life
Finnish research-based teacher educationin the background
The characteristics of Finnish teacher education have
come into discussion as a part of the qualities of Finnish
educational system How does the teacher education influence into the
Finnish comprehensive school? What is the relationship between Finnish
comprehensive school and teacher education? What does it mean that Finnish teachers are
academically educated? What kind of strengths, possibilities, threats or
challenges include in this relationship?
D E D U C T I V E
I N D U C T I V E
I N
T U
I T
I V
E Research-based
Problem based,case approach
School based
Experiential,personal
Pedagogical thinking
Th
e w
ay
of
org
an
izin
g a
ctiv
itie
s
Different teacher education programmes (Kansanen, 2005)
R A
T I O
N A
L
PRACTISING TEACHING PRACTISING RESEARCHING
everyday thinkingskills-based teachingteaching recipes, routines, tips
GENERAL LEVEL
metacognitionreflectionpedagogical thinking
producing researchexpertise
Making pedagogical decisions Inquiring one’s own work
RESEARCH-BASED TEACHER EDUCATION
Krokfors et al., 2007
adaptationconsuming researchknowledge-based
Two levels of research-based teacher education- the characteristics of twofold practice
BASIC LEVEL
Challenge 1:The complex working conditions at schools
Maintaining the research-based approach in TE MA degree Pedagogical thinking and decision making skills
The inquiry-oriented teachers produced by research-
based teacher education are needed in the near future
Teaching in today’s world requires pedagogical thinking
skills and dynamic professional competencies Inquiring approach towards teacher’s work Skills for interaction and extensive knowledge of
teaching methods High level practice calls for this kind of approach
Research-based approach in teacher education
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
General cognitive structures and processes grow while methodological and argumentative thinking skills are developing.
Theoretical and methodological thinking skills are best developed by promoting student teachers’ knowledge of methodology as well as their know-how about research methods.
Argumentative thinking skills are developed through working methods which allow active and interactive approaches to teaching and studying.
DEVELOPING THINKING SKILLS
Pedagogical thinking skills
THINKING AS LOGIC
Methodology Working culture
THINKING AS ARGUMENT
Methodological thinking skills
Argumentative skills
The core of research-based teacher education
(Krokfors, 2005)
Challenge 2:High goals of national core curriculum
Relevant contents of research-based teacher education
High learning goals of national core curriculum PISA success
Increased diversity and heterogeneity at schoolsEclectic basic values, ideals and ambitionsIncreased needs of special education
Interaction skills, pedagogical skills
Civilized citizens to Finnish society
Three levels of research-based teacher education:Organising theme – theories – action
EVERYDAY ACTION
Theories models
GUIDING PRINCIPLE – GENERAL IDEA
CONCEPTUALISATION OF ACTION
Research-based approach
Teaching
EvaluatingPlanning
SCIENCE
THEORETICAL BASE
EXPERTISE
PROFESSIONALSKILLS IN ACTION
THEORY – PRACTICE INTERACTION
(Kansanen, 1994; Krokfors, 2005)
The contents of class teacher education
OPTIONAL STUDIES 15 ECTS
COMMUNICATION AND ORIENTING STUDIES 25 ECTS
MAIN SUBJECT STUDIES Education
140 ECTS
CULTURAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND 50 ECTSPEDAGOGICAL BASES OF EDUCATION
TEACHING PRACTICE 20 ECTS
RESEARCH STUDIES IN EDUCATION 70 ECTSResearch methodsBachelor’s thesisMaster’s thesis
MINOR SUBJECT STUDIES
120 ECTS
OPTIONAL MINOR SUBJECT STUDIES 60 ECTS
MULTIDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 60 ECTSIN SUBJECTS TAUGHT IN SCHOOL
MA
ST
ER
’S
DE
GR
EE
30
0 E
CT
S
Challenge 3:Suitable and professional teachers at schools
How are we able to choose the best and most suitable
applicants to teacher education, who will enjoy teacher’s
work and stay at schools?
Student selection in teacher education Needs of everyday practice at schools New requirements for teachers New criteria of student selection
The attractiveness of teacher profession
Teacher’s work attracts young people in Finland
High number of applicants to teacher education Possibility to choose the best applicants to teacher
education
Two-phase selection procedure Book test (multiple choice questions) for all Interview for a selected group of applicants
After some years of teaching at schools, (too) many
young teachers consider to change to some other
profession
The qualities of a future teacher
COMMITMENT
SUITABILITY
(vrt. Kansanen, 2004)
Personality
Motivation
Educability
The core competencies of a future teacher
Social and interaction skills, empathy
Ability to tolerate uncertainty, incompleteness, and
imperfectness
Metacognitive skills
Self-confidence
Pedagogical skills for creating relevant teaching-studying-
learning environments
Challenge 4:Continuous in-service teacher education
The importance of continuous in-service teacher
education to make sure that our academically educated
teachers would not escape to other professions
The continuum between pre-service and in-service
teacher education General pedagogical content knowledge Contentual knowledge of school subjects Competence of various teaching methods Knowledge of recent research
Support for life-long learning and professional
development
STUDIES IN EDUCATION
STUDIES IN SUBJECT DIDACTICS
Ped
ago
gic
al c
ore
co
nte
nts
PRACTICUM
RESEARCH STUDIES
THEORY PRACTICE
Ref
lect
ive
teac
her
Pre-service education In-service education
How to become – and stay – as a reflective teacher?(Krokfors 2005)
Challenge 5:Continuous societal support for basic education
General social and political ethos supporting basic
education and schooling as well as teacher education Social and political consensus of educational issues Sufficient and stable financial resources for schooling
What would happen if the support was diminished or lost? How would pupils and teachers manage and ”survive”? What would happen for the aims of educational equity in
comprehensive school?
Social dimension of education and schooling
S O C I E T Y
Teacher as researcherpedagogical thinkingmastery of methodological skillspersonal practical theoryethical issues of educationactive agent of change in school and society
(cf. Krokfors, 2005)
Pupil(s) as active learner(s)pedagogical thinking
mastery of learning skillspersonal knowledge structures
ethical and responsible ways of actionactive agent of change in school community
I N T E R A C T I O N
S C H O O L
The core of teacher profession
THE PRACTICAL DIMENSIONInteraction
THE COGNITIVE DIMENSIONKnowledge base
THE ETHICAL DIMENSIONValues and choices
THE ETHICS
THE EXPERTISE
The profession
(Krokfors, 2005)
Conclusions:Future challenges of comprehensive school
Challenge 1: The complex working conditions at schools
Challenge 2: High goals of national curriculum
Challenge 3: Suitable and professional teachers at
schools
Challenge 4: Continuous in-service teacher education
Challenge 5: Continuous societal support for basic
education
Final considerations
Close interaction and reciprocal relationship between Finnish society, comprehensive school, and teacher education
Congruent general conceptions of the directions in
Finnish education and schooling
The aim of educating the civilized citizens to current and
future society
The aims, current challenges and future visions of all
these three parties are taken into account
THANK YOU!
For further information, please contact
PhD, Adjunct Professor Auli Toom ([email protected])