Empowered Educators in Finland

BEST PRACTICES FROM FINLAND'S HIGH-PERFORMING SCHOOL SYSTEM Empowered Educators in Finland is one volume in a series that explores how high- performing educational systems from around the world achieve strong results. The anchor book, Empowered Educators: How High-Performing Systems Shape Teaching Quality Around the World, is written by Linda Darling-Hammond and colleagues, with contributions from the authors of this volume. Empowered Educators in Finland explores Finland's unique approach to teacher training that, combined with a national focus on equity and children, has led to strong student results on the OECD PISA and other international tests. Since the 1930s, every child born in Finland has been provided with a box of clothes, sheets, toys, diapers, and even a small mattress; the box itself can and often does serve as a simple crib. Intended to ensure that all Finnish children begin with the essentials, this box also serves as a clear symbol of the nation's emphasis on equality and opportunity. This book describes how what is commonly thought to be "e;just a part of Finnish culture"e; is actually the result of strong support for educators at all levels of government. From the Ministry of Education and Culture, to the Finnish National Board of Education, to regional and local policy makers, Finland has made deliberate choices to create and support a strong educational system. While there are unique political, cultural, and societal features of Finland as with all countries there are many lessons to be learned and practical ideas to be implemented across the world.

Foreword vAcknowledgments ixAbout the Sponsoring Organizations xiiiAbout the Authors xvOnline Documents and Videos xixThe Context 4Finnish Policies and Practices of Teacher Education 10Subject Teacher Education 29The Teachers' Academy at the University of Helsinki 32After Graduation: Supports for Quality Teaching in Schools 33The Role of the Teacher in Finnish Schools 33Multiculturalism in Schools 39Teacher Appraisal in Finnish Schools: A Focus upon Personal Responsibility and Feedback for Growth 40Teachers' Careers: Organic and Local Novice and Professional Development 44Decisions for the Future of Quality Teaching in Finland 51A Case of the "Construction" of Teacher Quality 54Aligned and Coherent Policies around Teaching and Teacher Preparation 55An Investment in Learning to Teach in Practice Paired with Considerable Theoretical Support 56A Focus upon Teachers' Agency and Responsibility 56A Conception of Professional Development as Organic, Local, and In-time 57A Focus upon Children--and a Refl ection of Key Ideas in Child Development 57A Continued Investment in Strengthening Teacher Education 59Looking Ahead 59Sample Documents 60Notes 61Appendix: Methodology 63References 65