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Home , Education in Finland

Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in ~ Research Brief

The Secret to ’s Success: Educating Teachers

September 2010

About this Brief By Pasi Sahlberg Director General, Centre for International Mobility and Cooperation In the last decade, Finland has emerged as the leading ith its high levels of educational achievement and attainment, Fin- OECD country in educational land is regarded as one of the world’s most literate societies. More achievement. In examining the than 98 percent attend pre-school classes; 99 percent complete sources of Finland’s dramatic Wcompulsory basic education; and 94 percent of those who start the rise to the top, research shows academic strand of upper graduate. Completion rates in one key element that has vocational upper secondary school also reach close to 90 percent (Statistics impacted Finland’s success Finland, 2010; Välijärvi & Sahlberg, 2008). above all others: excellent teachers. This policy brief Since it emerged in 2000 as the top-scoring OECD nation on the international details the key elements of PISA assessments, researchers have been pouring into the country to study Finland’s successful system, the “Finnish miracle.” How did a country with an undistinguished education examining teacher preparation, system in the 1980s surge to the head of the global class in just few decades? professional learning and Research and experience suggest one element trumps all others: excellent development, decision-making teachers. This policy brief examines the crucial role that teachers and teacher systems and practices for education have played in the dramatic transformation of Finland’s education curriculum and assessment, system. future policy issues for Finland, and lessons that the United The Teacher within Finnish Society States can learn from Finland’s Education has always been an integral part of Finnish culture and society, and success. teachers currently enjoy great respect and trust in Finland. regard teach- ing as a noble, prestigious profession—akin to medicine, law, or economics— This brief is made possible by and one driven by moral purpose rather than material interests. a generous grant from the Ford Foundation. Teachers also are the main reason Finland now leads the international pack in , science, and math. Until the 1960s the level of educational attainment in Finland remained rather low. Only 1 out of 10 adult Finns in that time had completed more than nine years of basic education; achieving a degree was an uncommon attainment (Sahlberg, 2007). Back then, sco e the education level of the nation was comparable to that of Malaysia or Peru, Stanford Center for and lagged behind its Scandinavian neighbors, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Opportunity Policy in Education Today, Finland publicly recognizes the value of its teachers and trusts their Stanford University professional judgments in schools. Without excellent teachers Finland’s School of Education current international success would have been impossible. Barnum Center, 505 Lasuen Mall Stanford, CA 94305 These educational accomplishments seem all the more remarkable given that Finnish children do not start until age seven. The educational http://edpolicy.stanford.edu system in Finland today consists of an optional pre-school year at age six, [email protected] followed by nine-year basic school (peruskoulu)—a six-year primary school 650.725.8600 and a three-year lower secondary school (junior high school)—compulsory to all. This is followed by voluntary three-year upper with 2 Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education

two streams: general and . to explain why they have decided to become Content experts and subject-focused teachers teachers. These highly capable candidates provide instruction in the upper grades of basic complete a rigorous pro- school as well as at the upper-secondary level. gram at government expense.

The Finnish education system does not employ Until the mid-1970s, primary school teachers were external standardized student testing to drive the prepared in teacher colleges. Middle and high performance of schools; neither does it employ a school teachers studied in subject departments of rigorous inspection system. Instead of test-based Finnish . By the end of the 1970s, all accountability, the Finnish system relies on the teacher education programs became university expertise and accountability of teachers who are based. At the same time, scientific content and knowledgeable and committed to their students. methodologies began to enrich the teacher education curriculum. Teacher educa- Becoming a Teacher tion is now research-based, meaning that it must be Among young Finns, teaching is consistently supported by scientific knowledge and focus on the most admired profession in regular opinion thinking processes and cognitive skills used in polls of high school graduates (Helsingin Sano- conducting research (Jakku-Sihvonen & Niemi, mat, 2004). Becoming a primary school teacher 2006). The entry requirement for permanent em- in Finland is a very competitive process, and only ployment as a teacher in all Finnish basic and high Finland’s best and brightest are able to fulfill those schools today is a master’s degree. and professional dreams. Every spring, thousands of teachers must have a bachelors degree. high school graduates submit their applications to the Departments of Teacher Education in eight Wages are not the main reason young people be- Finnish universities. Normally it’s not enough to come teachers in Finland. Teachers earn very close complete high school and pass a rigorous matricu- to the national average salary level, typically equiva- lation examination, successful candidates must lent to what mid-career middle-school teachers earn have the highest scores and excellent interpersonal annually in the OECD nations—about $38,500 in skills. Annually only about 1 in every 10 appli- U.S. dollars (OECD, 2008). More important than cants will be accepted to study to become a teacher salaries are such factors as high social prestige, in Finnish primary schools, for example. Among professional autonomy in schools, and the ethos of all categories of teacher education, about 5,000 teaching as a service to society and the public good. teachers are selected from about 20,000 applicants. Thus, young Finns see teaching as a career on a par with other professions where people work indepen- There are two phases to the selection process for dently and rely on scientific knowledge and skills primary school teacher education: First, a group that they gained through university studies. of candidates is selected based on matriculation Educating Teachers for examination results, the high school diploma is- Knowledge-Society Schools sued by the school, and relevant records of out-of- International indices suggest that Finland is one of school accomplishments. In the second phase: the most advanced knowledge societies (Sahlberg, 1. Candidates complete a written exam on as- 2007). Schools have played an important role in signed books on . transforming Finland from a traditional industrial- agrarian nation into a modern innovation-based 2. Candidates engage in an observed clinical knowledge economy. This would not have been activity replicating school situations, where possible without considerable improvements in social interaction and communication skills how Finnish teachers are prepared. come into play. Universal high standards 3. Top candidates are interviewed and asked All teachers hold master’s degrees. Primary school The Secret to Finland’s Success: Educating Teachers 3

teachers major in education, while upper grade Strong preparation in content and pedagogy teachers concentrate their studies in a particular A broad-based curriculum ensures that newly pre- subject, e.g., mathematics, as well as didactics, pared Finnish teachers possess balanced knowledge consisting of pedagogical content knowledge spe- and skills in both theory and practice. It also means cific to that subject. There are no alternative ways that prospective teachers possess deep professional to receive a teacher’s diploma in Finland: the insight into education from several perspectives, university degree constitutes a license to teach. including and sociology, curriculum theories, assessment, special-needs edu- Teacher education aims at balanced development cation, and pedagogical content knowledge in se- of the teacher’s personal and professional compe- lected subject areas. All eight universities have their tences. Particular attention is focused on building own teacher education strategies and curricula that pedagogical thinking skills that enable teachers are nationally coordinated to ensure coherence, but to manage the teaching process in accordance locally crafted in order to make the best use of the with contemporary educational knowledge and university’s resources and other nearby resources. practice (Westbury et al., 2005). Candidates in primary teacher education study three main ar- As a general rule, primary school teacher education eas: (1) the theory of education, (2) pedagogical includes 60 ECTS credits of pedagogical studies content knowledge, and (3) subject didactics and and at least 60 more ECTS credits for other courses practice. Each student completes a master’s the- in the educational sciences. The master’s thesis sis. Prospective primary school teachers normally requires independent research, participation in complete their theses in the field of education. research seminars, and presentation of a final educa- Secondary teachers select a topic within their tional study. The common credit weighting associ- subject. The level of academic expectations for ated with this research work in all universities is 40 teacher education is similar for all teachers, from ECTS credits. The renewed teacher education cur- elementary to high school. riculum in Finland expects primary school teacher candidates to complete a major in educational sci- Finnish teacher education is aligned to the Euro- ences and a total of 60 ECTS credit in minor stud- pean Area (2009) framework ies of subjects included in the National Framework being developed under the ongoing Bologna Pro- Curriculum for basic schools. cess. Currently, Finnish universities offer a two- tier degree program. An obligatory three-year Subject teacher education follows the same prin- bachelor’s degree program is followed by a two- ciples as primary school teacher education, but is year master’s degree program. These two degrees arranged differently. A prospective subject teacher are offered in multi-disciplinary programs con- majors in the field he or she will be teaching (e.g., sisting of studies in at least two subjects. Studies mathematics or music). For this subject, advanced are quantified in credit units within the Euro- studies involving 90 ECTS credits are normally re- pean Credit Transfer and Accumulation System quired. In addition, 60 ECTS credits are required in (ECTS) used in 46 European countries. ECTS is a second school subject. Generally, the Department based on the assumption that 60 credits measure of Teacher Education organizes courses in peda- the workload of a full-time student during one gogical studies in collaboration with subject-matter academic year, and each ECTS credit stands for programs offered by certain faculties, which also around 25 to 30 working hours. Teacher educa- are responsible for teacher education of their own tion requirements are 180 ECTS credits for a students. Academic subject faculties, who also have bachelor’s degree followed by 120 ECTS credits an important role in teacher education in Finland, for a master’s degree. Successful completion of a issue master’s degrees for subject teachers. master’s degree in teaching (including the bach- elor’s degree) generally takes from five to seven- There are two main ways to become a subject and-a-half years (Ministry of Education, 2007). teacher. Most students first complete a master’s de-

4 Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education

Table 1. Structure of subject teacher education program at the University of

Bachelor’s level (25 ECTS credits) Master’s level (35 credits) First Term (18 credits) ▲ Third Term (17 credits) ❒ Developmental psychology and learning (4) ❒ Social, historical and philosophical foundations of education (5) ❒ (4) ❒ Evaluation and development of teaching (7) ❒ Introduction to subject didactics (10) ❒ Advanced teaching practice in Teacher Second Term (7 credits) Training School or Field School (5) ❒ Basic teaching practice in Teacher Research seminar (4) Training School (7) Fourth Term (12 credits) ❒ Final teaching practice in Teacher As part of Master’s program: Training School or Field School (8) ❒ Research methodology (6)

gree with one major subject and one or two minor Integration of theory, research, and practice subjects. Students then apply to the department of Finland’s commitment to research-based teacher teacher education for their focus subject. One aca- education means that educational theories, research demic year (60 ECTS credits) is spent in pedagogi- methodologies and practice all play an important cal studies, focusing on subject-oriented teaching part in preparation programs. Teacher education strategies. The other way to become a subject curricula are designed to create a systematic path- teacher is to apply directly to the teacher educa- way from the foundations of educational thinking tion program when applying to study a subject. to educational research methodologies and then on Normally, after the second year of subject studies, to more advanced fields of the educational scienc- students start pedagogical studies in the education es. Each student thereby builds an understanding department. The curriculum for this second path- of the systemic, interdisciplinary nature of edu- way is identical to the first, only scheduled dif- cational practice. Finnish students also learn the ferently within the bachelor’s and master’s tracks, skills of how to design, conduct, and present origi- typically over four academic terms as shown in an nal research on practical or theoretical aspects of example of the in Table 1 education. Another important element of Finnish (above). research-based teacher education is practical train- ing in schools, which is a key component of the Instruction in Finnish teacher-education depart- curriculum, integrated with research and theory. ments is arranged to reflect pedagogical principles that newly prepared teachers are expected to prac- Teaching practice is integrated into both theoreti- tice in their own classrooms. Although each uni- cal and methodological studies. Over the five-year versity teacher has full pedagogical autonomy, ev- program, candidates advance from basic practice to ery department of teacher education in Finland has advanced practice and then to final practice. During a detailed and often binding strategy for improv- each of these phases, students observe lessons by ing the quality of its teacher-education programs. experienced teachers, practice teaching observed Subject-focused pedagogy and its research in, for by supervisory teachers, and deliver independent example, are well-advanced in lessons to different groups of pupils while being Finnish universities. Strategies of cooperative and evaluated by supervising teachers and Department problem-based learning, reflective practice, and of Teacher Education professors and lecturers. computer-supported education are common in all Finnish universities. A Finnish higher education There are two main kinds of practicum experi- evaluation system that rewards effective, innova- ences within teacher education programs in Fin- tive university teaching practice has served as an land. The first—a minor portion of clinical train- important driver of these positive developments. ing—occurs in seminars and small-group classes The Secret to Finland’s Success: Educating Teachers 5

in the Department of Education, where students in supervision and teacher professional develop- practice basic teaching skills in front of their peers. ment and assessment strategies. The second—the major teaching practice—hap- pens mostly in special Teacher Training Schools Professional Learning and Development governed by the universities, which have similar Finnish teachers possessing a master’s degree have curricula and practices as normal public schools. the right to participate in post-graduate studies to Some student teachers also practice in a network supplement their professional development. Many of selected Field Schools. Primary school teacher teachers take advantage of the opportunity to education students devote approximately 15 per- pursue doctoral studies in education, often while cent of their intended study time (about 40 ECTS simultaneously teaching school. For doctoral stud- credits) to practice teaching in schools. In subject ies in education, students must complete advanced teacher education, practice teaching comprises studies in the educational sciences. This means about one third of the curriculum. that subject teachers much change their focus from their initial academic concentration, e.g., chemis- Although Teacher Training Schools constitute try, to education, so that they not only understand the main portion of the network where Finnish their subject expertly, but also how the content can students complete their practice teaching, some be better taught. normal public schools (called Municipal Field Schools) also serve the same purpose. (See Figure While Finnish teacher education has been praised 1, below.) Schools where practice teaching occurs for its systematic academic structure and high have higher professional staff requirements, and overall quality (Jussila & Saari, 2000), professional supervising teachers have to prove that they are development and in-service programs for teachers competent to work with student teachers. Teacher are more variable. In Finland, induction of new Training Schoolsare also expected to pursue re- teachers into their first teaching position is less search and development roles in collaboration with uniform than initial preparation. It is up to each the Department of Teacher Education and, some- school and municipality to take care of new teach- times, with the academic faculties who also have ers’ induction to their teaching assignments. Some teacher education functions. These schools can, schools, as part of their mission, have adopted therefore, introduce sample lessons and alterna- advanced procedures and support systems for new tive curricular designs to student teachers. These staff, whereas other schools simply bid new teach- schools also have teachers who are well-prepared ers welcome and show them their classrooms. In

Figure 1. Structure of the University of Oulu and the organization of teacher education

UNIVERSITY OF OULU

Administration Board Teacher Training School Faculty of Faculty of Faculty of Science Humanities Education Municipal Field Teacher Training Schools Faculty of Faculty of Faculty of School Technology Economics Medicine

Research Independent Regional Coordination Units Units Faculties with Units teacher education 6 Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education

some schools, induction is a specific responsibility the focus of the training, based on current national of school principals or deputy principals, while in educational development needs, and the training is others, induction responsibilities may be assigned contracted out to service providers on a competitive to experienced teachers. Teacher induction is an basis. The Finnish Ministry of Education (2009), in area that requires further development in Finland, collaboration with municipalities, plans to double as has been pointed out in a recent European Com- the public funding for teacher professional develop- mission report (2004). ment by 2016.

Concerns have also been raised recently about The Teacher’s Tools: the variability of in-service education. Munici- Curriculum and Assessment palities, as the overseers of primary, middle and Since teacher education became part of academic high schools, are responsible for providing teach- university studies in the 1970s, Finnish teachers’ ers learning opportunities, based on their needs. professional identity and status have gradually Whereas some Finnish municipalities organize increased. During the course of Finland’s education in-service programs uniformly for all teachers, in reforms, teachers have demanded more autonomy others, it is up to individual teachers or school and responsibility for curriculum and student principals to decide how much and what type of assessment (Aho et al., 2006). The professional au- professional development is needed and whether thority and autonomy that teachers have in Finland such interventions will be funded. Although is an important factor in explaining why so many schools are equitably financed, the central govern- young Finns consider teaching as their most ad- ment has only limited influence on the budget deci- mired future job. sions made by municipalities or schools. Therefore, some schools receive greater allocations for profes- While the National Curriculum Framework for sional development and school improvement than Basic School and similar documents for upper others, especially where, during times of economic secondary education provide guidance to teachers, downturn, professional development budgets are curriculum planning is the responsibility of schools the first to vanish. and municipalities. The school-level curriculum is approved by local education authorities and teach- Teachers’ annual duties include three days devoted ers and school principals play a key role in curricu- to planning and professional development. Accord- lum design. Teacher education provides them with ing to a Finnish national survey, teachers devoted well developed curriculum knowledge and plan- about seven working days per year on average to ning skills. Moreover, the importance of curricu- professional development in 2007; approximately lum design in teacher practice has helped shift the half was drawn from teachers’ personal time. About focus of professional development from fragmented two-thirds of primary and secondary school teach- in-service training towards more systemic, theoreti- ers participated in professional development that cally grounded schoolwide improvement efforts. year (Kumpulainen, 2007). Along with curriculum design, teachers play a key In response to concerns that participation in pro- role in assessing students. Finnish schools do not fessional development may be decreasing (Ministry use standardized testing to determine student suc- of Education, 2009), the government is planning cess. There are three primary reasons for this. First, substantial increases in professional development while assessment practice is well-grounded in the budgets and considering ways to require that all national curriculum, in Finland teachers must have access to adequate profes- gives a high priority to individualized education sional training financed by municipalities. The and creativity as an important part of how schools state budget annually allocates some $30 million operate. Therefore the progress of each student in to professional development of teachers and school school is judged more against his or her individual principals through various forms of pre-tertiary and progress and abilities rather than against statistical . The government determines indicators. Second, education developers insist that The Secret to Finland’s Success: Educating Teachers 7

curriculum, teaching, and learning should drive with and improvement of teaching methods, some teachers’ practice in schools, rather than testing. of the most important aspects of their work are Student assessment in Finnish schools is embed- conducted outside of classrooms. ded in the teaching and learning process and used to improve both teachers’ and students’ work Future Policy Issues in Finland throughout the academic year. Third, determining Finland improves its schools and teacher educa- students’ academic performance in Finland is seen tion programs through continuous evaluation and as a responsibility of the school, not the external review. In 2007, the Ministry of Education identi- assessors. Finnish schools accept that there may be fied these issues as important to address: some limitations on comparability when teachers do all the grading of students. At the same time, 1. Responding to the changing society. Declin- Finns believe that the problems often associated ing age cohorts and growing retirements create a with external standardized testing—narrowing challenge for preparing enough new teachers for of the curriculum, teaching to the test, and un- the future. Meanwhile, Finnish schools must ac- healthy competition among schools—can be more commodate a growing number of immigrant and problematic. Since Finnish teachers must design special-needs students. Teacher education must and conduct appropriate curriculum-based assess- continue to adapt to prepare educators for work in ments to document student progress, classroom a changing social and cultural world. assessment and school-based evaluation are im- portant parts of teacher education and professional 2. Offering systematic professional develop- development. ment for all teachers. Teacher education and teacher professional development should form a stronger continuum, with induction available to Although Finnish teachers’ work consists primar- all teachers and included as part of lifelong pro- ily of classroom teaching, many of their duties lay fessional development. Municipalities should be outside of class. Formally, teacher’s working time required to ensure that each teacher has access to in Finland consists of classroom teaching, prepa- relevant professional development. ration for class, and two hours a week planning school work with colleagues. From an internation- 3. Creating a teacher education strategy for al perspective, Finnish teachers devote less time to each university. Each university offering teacher teaching than do teachers in many other nations. education should have an updated, comprehensive For example, a typical teacher in teacher education strategy, coordinated among the Finland teaches just less than 600 hours annually, university’s various units, and guaranteeing mobil- corresponding to about four 45-minute lessons a day. In the United States, by contrast, a teacher at the same level devotes 1,080 hours to teaching Figure 2. Average net teaching hours per year in over 180 school days as shown in Figure 2 (OECD, Finland, the United States, and OECD countries 2008). This means that a middle school teacher in 1200 the United States, on average, devotes about twice as much time to classroom teaching compared 1000 with his or her counterpart in Finland. 800

600 This, however, does not imply that teachers in Finland work less than they do elsewhere. An 400 important—and still voluntary—part of Finnish 200 teachers’ work is devoted to the improvement of 0 classroom practice, the school as a whole, and Primary school Middle school High school work with the community. Because Finnish teach- Finland United States OECD average ers take on significant responsibility for curricu- lum and assessment, as well as experimentation Source: (OECD, 2008) 8 Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education

ity across institutions. These strategies should also References put a strong focus on enhancing the university’s Aho, E., Pitkänen, K. & Sahlberg, P. (2006). Policy role in providing in-service training and profes- development and reform principles of basic and secondary sional development to teachers. education in Finland since 1968. Washington, DC: World Bank. 4. Strengthening research on teacher educa- European Commission (2004). Common European prin- ciples for teacher competences and qualifications. Brus- tion. Research on teacher education should be sels: Directorate-General for Education and Culture. strengthened through a better, more coordinated Available at: http://www.see-educoop.net/education_in/ national research program that includes conduct- pdf/01-en_principles_en.pdf. ing research on effective teacher education. European Higher Education Area (2009). Bologna Pro- cess. Vienna: Austrian Federal Ministry of Science and Research. Available at: http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/ Lessons from Finland’s Success hogeronderwijs/bologna/documents/Bologna_booklet. No single thing can explain Finland’s outstanding pdf. educational performance. However, most analysts Helsingin Sanomat (2004). Ykkössuosikki: Opettajan am- observe that excellent teachers play a critical role. matti [Top favorite: Teaching profession]. February 11, Among the successful practices that we can take 2004. Jakku-Sihvonen, R. & Niemi, H. (Eds.) (2006). Research- from Finland are: based teacher education in Finland: Reflections by Finnish teacher educators. Research Report 25. : Finnish • The development of rigorous, research- Educational Research Association. based teacher education programs that Jussila, J. & Saari, S. (Eds.) (2000). Teacher education as a prepare teachers in content, pedagogy, and future-molding factor: International evaluation of teacher educational theory, as well as the capacity to education in Finnish universities. Helsinki: Higher Educa- do their own research, and that include field tion Evaluation Council. Available at: http://www.kka. fi/?l=en&s=4. work mentored by expert veterans; Kumpulainen, T. (Ed.) (2008). Opettajat Suomessa 2008 • Significant financial support for teacher [Teachers in Finland 2008]. Helsinki: Opetushallitus. education, professional development, rea- Ministry of Education (2007). Opettajankoulutus 2020 sonable and equitable salaries, and support- [Teacher education 2020]. Committee Report 2007:44. ive working conditions; Helsinki: Ministry of Education. • The creation of a respected profession in Ministry of Education (2009). Ensuring professional compe- which teachers have considerable authority tence and improving opportunities for continuing educa- tion in education. Committee Report 2009:16. Helsinki: and autonomy, including responsibility for Ministry of Education. curriculum design and student assessment, OAJ (2008). Teacher education in Finland. Helsinki: The which engages them in the ongoing analysis trade union of education in Finland. Available in the In- and refinement of practice. ternet at: http://www.oaj.fi/pls/portal/docs/page/oaj_inter net/01fi/05tiedotteet/03julkaisut/opekoulutuseng.pdf. Teachers’ capacity to teach in classrooms and work OECD (2008). Education at a glance. Education indicators. Paris: OECD. collaboratively in professional communities has Sahlberg, P. (2007). Education policies for raising student been systematically built through academic teacher learning: The Finnish approach. Journal of Education education. In addition, a critical condition for at- Policy, 22(2), 147-171. tracting the most able young people to teaching is Statistics Finland (2010). Education. Retrieved September that teacher’s work is an independent and respect- 4, 2010 from http://www.stat.fi/til/kou_en.html. ed profession, rather than just a technical imple- Westbury, I., Hansen, S-E., Kansanen, P. & Björkvist, O. mentation of externally mandated standards and (2005). Teacher education for research-based practice in expanded roles: Finland’s experience. Scandinavian tests. Teachers’ strong competence and prepared- Journal of Educational Research, 49(5), 475-485. ness creates the prerequisite for the professional Välijärvi, J. & Sahlberg, P. (2008). Should a ‘failing’ autonomy that makes teaching a valued career. student repeat a grade? Retrospective response from Finland. Journal of Educational Change, 9(4), 385-389. sco e Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education