Finnish Teachers Research Articles

Analysing the nature of potentially constructed mathematics classrooms in Finnish teacher guides – the case of Finland

ABSTRACTGiven that curriculum materials serve as cultural artefacts, this study addresses the need for more research on curriculum materials in different contexts. Most studies concerning curriculum materials have been conducted in US and, therefore little is known about the nature of materials in other cultural-educational contexts. The aim of this paper is to identify the underlying cultural norms of potentially constructed classrooms, by analysing recurrent activities in the most commonly used Finnish teacher guides at primary-school level. We identified three norms embedded in them: (1) creating opportunities for learning through a variety of activities and communication; (2) keeping the class gathered around a specific mathematical topic; and (3) concurrent active involvement of teachers and students. The results add to knowledge about both teacher guides and the Finnish educational context. Moreover, it adds to the growing body of methodologies, as our analytical approach is novel in the context of textual analysis.

Teachers' attitudes and self-efficacy on implementing inclusive education in Japan and Finland: A comparative study using multi-group structural equation modelling

This study aims to explore relationships between teachers' attitudes, self-efficacy, and background variables regarding inclusive education by using a sample of 359 Japanese and 872 Finnish teachers. A multi-group structural equation modelling was conducted to find similarities and differences in how the background variables predict teachers' attitudes and self-efficacy. Experience in teaching students with disabilities had a positive effect on teachers' attitudes and self-efficacy in both countries. However, teachers' teaching career and the amount of inclusive education training affected them differently in Japan and Finland. The findings could be used to improve inclusive education training for pre- and in-service teachers.

Diverging discourses on multicultural education in Finnish teacher education programme policies: implications for teaching

ABSTRACTThe necessity to include multicultural education policies and practices in schools and teacher education has been widely recognized both in Finland and internationally. However, terms such as ‘multiculturalism’ and ‘multicultural education’ have contested and vague meanings in educational discourse. This paper investigates discourses on multicultural education from critical multicultural education and postcolonial theoretical perspectives. The focus is on the teacher education policies of all the eight primary teacher education programmes in Finland. Discourse theory analysis revealed six diverging discourses within a framework of conservative, liberal and critical multicultural education. The results show that it should not be taken for granted that policies including multicultural education contribute to social justice in education and teacher education. Consequently, policy-makers need to question the rhetoric regarding multiculturalism and to focus on how inequality is reproduced and upheld in discourses in teacher education and schools, and how this can be challenged.

Capability to be Educated—Inspiring and Inclusive Pedagogical Arrangements from Finnish Schools

The idea and concept of inclusive education have been debated, and different interpretations of what inclusion means and to whom it concerns have been presented. In this paper, we bring together notions of inclusive quality education, pedagogy, learning and teachers, and illustrate how the principle(s) of inclusion(s) has been enacted and translated into classroom practices in Finnish context. Drawing from Finnish teachers’ narratives, we highlight successful, small-scale and creative pedagogical arrangements and teachers’ sensitivity to recognize and commit to responding to the needs of diverse learners. Our argumentation is rooted in the capabilities approach. We carry out an evaluative exercise and examine how the classroom practices and teachers’ understandings of their students look like through the capabilities conceptualizations.

Teaching: A practical or research-based profession? Teacher candidates' approaches to research-based teacher education

This article analyses teacher training in Finland from the teacher candidate's perspective. The focus is on two key concepts, the Teacher as a Researcher and the Personal Practical Theory, which characterise the agenda of Finnish teacher education. Cluster analysis divided the respondents into five groups, and each cluster had a short textual description. Qualitative data were included in the summary. According to our analysis, the main concepts of the Teacher as a Researcher and the Personal Practice Theory are unclear to teacher candidates and are appreciated differently. Subject teacher candidates in particular, who come from other academic cultures, might consider these concepts educational jargon that have no substance. We also argue that teacher students are not always able to connect the theoretical parts of their studies with practice. These results challenge the claim that Finnish teacher education has resolved the demanding relationship between theory and practice.

A Teacher of Technological Education in Lithuania, Great Britain and Finland. What is She Like?

The aim of the article is to compare the curricular of technology education and requirements for a technology education teacher in the analysed countries. The following conclusions have been made:
 1. The conceptions of technological education in Lithuania, Great Britain and Finland are closely related to the aspects of integrity with other study subjects and the aim to prepare learners for successful adaptation in society. During lessons of technologies in Lithuania the modules of nutrition, textile, constructive materials, electronics and design are learnt. The lessons of design and technologies in Great Britain include innovative project learning of digital and engineering technologies and school learners study textile, constructive materials, design and nutrition.
 During lessons of household economics in Finland, personal school learners’ qualities are developed while learning modules of nutrition and textile, whereas the subject-specific content of household economics is not emphasised. The aspect of technology modules is highlighted in the lessons of technologies and design and technologies, whereas that of social education is observed in household economics.
 2. The requirements imposed on teachers of technological education in the analysed countries include excellent subject-specific, pedagogical and psychological preparation, ability to help school students to build up their value-based attitudes on the basis of the personal value system of an educator and ability to cooperate and work in teams. The research revealed the following differences: Finnish teachers are required to creatively implement curriculum, to be able to ensure tolerance-based education in the multicultural environment and to develop school students’ entrepreneurship skills; implementation of scientific research activities in the process of education and integration of information communication technologies are important to Finnish and Lithuanian teachers. The requirements to teachers in Great Britain are similar to those imposed on teachers in the other analysed countries.

Preparing pre-service teachers for home–school cooperation: exploring Finnish teacher education programmes

Cooperation between home and school benefits pupils’ wellbeing in many ways. Hence, it is of utmost importance that teachers are able to cooperate with families in early childhood education as well as in primary and secondary education. In order to work effectively with the diversity of families, teachers need to develop their skills and knowledge while in teacher education programmes. Earlier research has suggested that teacher education programmes do not address this issue adequately. In this article, programme managers in Finnish teacher education programmes are asked to reflect on how cooperation is covered in their programmes. Based on the data, collected through an online survey, home–school cooperation can be considered an integral part of teacher training: most of the programmes surveyed offered modules that concentrated either solely on the issue or as part of other modules. Cooperation was also discussed from various perspectives during the modules. Respondents considered their graduates to be either competent or somewhat competent to cooperate with families. According to programme managers, modules should be developed in relation to strengthening the theoretical basis of cooperation, and especially in enabling pre-service teachers to practise their skills in cooperation while they are having their practical training at schools.

‘Complete freedom to choose within limits’ – teachers’ views of curricular autonomy, agency and control in Estonia, Finland and Germany

ABSTRACTTo examine different approaches to teacher autonomy in nation‐states, three countries were selected for a comparative study: Estonia, Finland and Germany. The emphasis of the study lies on the subjective perceptions of upper secondary school teachers (n = 33 semi‐structured interviews) regarding their curricular autonomy and experiences of being controlled by the system. The article discusses different concepts of teacher autonomy and agency theoretically and concludes that they are partly overlapping, but not the same. Agency can be understood as the realistic actualization of autonomy within the constraints of the teaching profession, while autonomy is, in theory, more liberating, focusing on self‐directedness, capacity for autonomous action and freedom from control. The data analysis showed that the expectations of teachers as to the amount of desired autonomy varied greatly. While the Finnish teachers in the study perceived control over teachers’ work to be unnecessary, due to their high professionalism, the Estonian and German teachers did not advocate absence of control, instead preferring to ‘have complete freedom to choose within limits.’

Inter-generational learning of teachers: what and how do teachers learn from older and younger colleagues?

This paper examines how and what teachers learn from their older and younger colleagues. Data were gathered from interviews and written reports from 27 Belgian and Finnish teachers. Thematic qualitative analysis was used. The results revealed differences in what teachers learn from older and younger colleagues. Teachers reported learning innovative teaching methods and ICT skills from younger colleagues, whereas practical information, classroom management skills, self-regulation and community building were learned mainly from older colleagues. Attitudes regarding teaching and different ways of being a teacher were learned from both younger and older colleagues alike. Similarities were also found in how teachers learned from their older and younger colleagues. Informal activities and relationships, different forms of mentoring, and working in subject teams or seminars were important sources of learning. An intergenerational learning perspective is important with respect to demographic changes in school staff and in preventing knowledge loss and teacher dropout.

Home and school responsibilities for children’s health literacy development: the views of Finnish and Russian parents and teachers

ABSTRACTThis study examined how parents and teachers of pupils aged 10–11 in North Karelia, Finland, and the Republic of Karelia, Russia, perceived the home and school responsibilities associated with providing children with information related to different health learning content areas. The majority of parents and teachers considered guiding pupils’ health learning as a joint responsibility of home and school. Finnish and Russian parents’ views differed in several areas; the largest differences concerned the areas of oral health and dental care and washing and hygiene. Teachers’ views were more consistent between regions than parents’ views; the largest difference was in the area of sexuality and reproduction. Within each region, teachers perceived more areas to be the school's responsibility than parents did.

How common are inclusive educational practices among Finnish teachers?

ABSTRACTSeveral instructional strategies have been recommended for use in heterogeneous classrooms, but the frequency of their actual use has remained largely unknown. Therefore, an electronic survey was sent to Finnish comprehensive school teachers (N = 2276) in order to assess the prevalence of three selected inclusive strategies: co-teaching, group work, and differentiation. The results showed that co-teaching was used by 42% and group work by 43% of the teachers at least on a weekly basis, while differentiation was used regularly by 83% of teachers. The application of all strategies was strongly associated with teacher category, with subject teachers using them less frequently than classroom teachers or special education teachers. There was a linear trend indicating that these teaching strategies were more prevalent in bigger municipalities and among younger teacher groups. Their use was also more prevalent among female than male teachers. Additionally, among classroom teachers, their usage was associated with a more positive attitude towards inclusive education. Among classroom and subject teachers, their use was also associated with a higher sense of teacher efficacy. It is suggested that subject teachers in particular need to use more versatile teaching strategies to strengthen their ability to cope with student diversity.

Teachers’ practices to support student work in digital storytelling: A study on Finnish and Chinese school teachers’ experiences

This study aims to discuss and analyze Finnish and Chinese primary school teachers’ practices when digital storytelling is the teaching method, aiming for student-generated stories in video format. To meet this end, teachers introduce digital storytelling in their practices and guide and support students into building and sharing digital stories in video format with peers in the classroom and online. In addition, they introduce the use of web-based environments and digital technologies, adapt their teaching plan accordingly, and enrich existing instructional material. As a result, teacher’s practices of organizing and facilitating student work and development change.In order to investigate how teaching practices change, this study draws from Chinese and Finnish teachers’ interviews and observation data and uses inductive analysis and constant comparison for more abstract themes and categories. The findings show that the teachers use formal and informal, natural and technological environments to organize student work and aim for freer learning in digital storytelling activities. Also, different aspects of collaborative work are used to facilitate and, mainly, structure student work and development.

The implications of teachers’ implicit theories for moral education: A case study from Finland

Implicit theories concerning the malleability of human qualities are known to have a powerful impact on motivation and learning, but their role in moral education is an under-researched topic. In this qualitative case study, we examined the impact of implicit theories on four Finnish teachers’ practices of teaching morally and in teaching morality. The data include preliminary and stimulated recall interviews (STR) as well as classroom observations. Our results demonstrate the multiple ways in which teachers’ implicit beliefs are communicated to students and influence teacher’s interpretations and endeavors to educate the ethical capabilities of students. The study provides evidence for the claim that implicit theories are an important construct which has been missing from the moral education literature. Directions for future research are suggested.

Theory and practice in Finnish teacher education: a rhetorical analysis of changing values from the 1960s to the present day

Our aim in this article is to examine the relationship between theory and practice in Finnish teacher education from the 1960s to the present. We identify four different periods to represent this relationship based on our analysis of national committee and evaluation reports. Theory and practice gradually converged, culminating in a research-based agenda that reflects the current situation. This relationship between theory and practice also reflects the ideal teacher of different times and what a teacher’s working orientation should be. We use rhetorical analysis and the concept of a ‘philosophical pair’ introduced by Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca to interpret this development.

Emotional labour in a school of individuals

The study examines Finnish discussions on student-centred school culture and teachers’ emotional labour from a sociological and historical perspective. It employs a thematic analysis of articles published in a Finnish teachers’ professional magazine from 1979 to 2011. In interpreting the data, the study draws from emotional labour research and Wouters’s studies on permissive culture. The results show that student-centred ideals retained their dominant position in Finnish schoolteachers’ professional discussions throughout the research period. However, the emotional stress involved in student-centred teaching evoked considerable criticism from teachers. Attitudes varied regarding the solutions to the problem of teacher stress: some of these solutions emphasised improving teachers’ emotional competence, whereas others centred on decreasing the amount of emotional labour in teachers’ work. The study also indicates the importance of teachers’ emotional labour in enabling students’ individual freedom at school.

Adipokine genes and radiographic hand osteoarthritis in Finnish women: a cross-sectional study

Objectives: Available evidence suggests that genetic factors and overweight play major roles in the aetiology of osteoarthritis (OA). We analysed the association of 18 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from nine adipokine and adipokine receptor genes (LEP, LEPR, ADIPOQ, RETN, NAMPT, SERPINA12, ITLN1, RARRES2, and APLN) with radiographic hand OA.Method: The study design was cross-sectional. Bilateral hand radiographs of 542 occupationally active Finnish female dentists and teachers aged 45–63 years were examined and classified for the presence of hand OA using reference images. Hand OA was defined as at least three finger joints with radiographic OA of grade 2–4. The genotypes were determined using polymerase chain reaction-based methods. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated based on self-reported height and measured weight. Associations of the individual SNPs and their haplotypes with hand OA were tested using logistic regression analysis.Results: The minor allele of RETN rs10401670 was associated with a decreased [odds ratio (OR) = 0.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.55–0.97, p = 0.03] and RARRES2 rs4721 with an increased (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.07–1.87, p = 0.01) prevalence of hand OA. Also, LEPR AC (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.01–2.35, p = 0.05) and RETN GGTT (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.37–0.93, p = 0.02) haplotypes were associated with hand OA. These associations were modified by BMI when comparing normal and overweight women. However, the associations lost their statistical significance after adjusting for multiple testing.Conclusion: Our results suggest weak associations between the studied variations in LEPR, RARRES2, and RETN genes and hand OA in Finnish women, and that the associations are modified by BMI. However, these associations could not be verified in the current study.

Comparing Professional Self-Confidence: Opinions of Lithuanian, Ukrainian and Finnish Teachers

The current study reports findings of quantitative investigation of the opinions of Lithuanian, Ukrainian and Finnish teachers on their perceived professional self-confidence with a sample of 393 practicing teachers. Teachers’ self-esteem, self- and collective efficacy were examined as components of teachers’ professional self-confidence. Collective efficacy beliefs were measured in terms of teachers’ subjective perception of efficacy of school community members, namely, the principal, colleagues, students and their parents. The results indicated that Finnish teachers have a significantly higher level of professional self-esteem, while Lithuanian teachers indicated a lower level, and Ukrainian - the lowest. There is no significant difference between self- and collective efficacy of Lithuanian and Finnish teachers, while Ukrainian teachers scored significantly lower. Consequently, Finnish teachers have the highest level of professional selfconfidence, while Lithuanian teachers have an average level, and Ukrainian teachers have the lowest. Lithuanian, Ukrainian and Finnish teachers indicated different patterns of their perceptions of the extent to which members of the school community meet their obligations.

A child’s psychological adjustment impacts teachers’ instructional support and affective response

This cross-lagged longitudinal study examines the evocative impact of a child’s psychological adjustment on teachers’ affective response and instructional support for a child, and the influence this support and response has on the child’s subsequent adjustment. A hundred and seventeen Finnish teachers self-rated the instructional support they gave, and the affect they experienced while teaching 307 children from school grades 1, 2 and 3. Teachers also rated the level of prosocial and externalizing problem behaviour among children. Results showed that the more children exhibited externalizing problem behaviour in grades 1 and 2, teachers not only did provide more instructional support for them a year later but, at the same time, they reported feeling less positive affect. Low levels of positive affect were also reported by teachers a year later with regard to children who had received more instructional support from them in grades 1 and 2.

Exporting Finnish teacher education: Transnational pressures on national models

This article analyses empirical data to assess the possible transfer of Finnish teacher education policy, and more specifically, the university training school, into another context. Transnational organisations increasingly pressure nation-states to carry out education policy change, especially due to dissatisfaction with international assessment outcomes. As a high performer in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), administered by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Finland has been at the centre of international attention. PISA revealed that the high quality of Finnish teachers contributes to the overall calibre of the country’s education system. Thus, Finnish teacher education has become a model for other education systems. This article uses empirical research to explore the export possibilities of the Finnish normaalikoulu, or university training school. It implements qualitative methodology, using semi-structured interviews with Finnish educationalists to explore the possible export of Finnish education, the implications in terms of policy transfer, and the migration of ideas, specifically the university-affiliated, teacher training school. The export and migration of Finnish education and its impact on education policy are discussed in this article, along with educational export’s position in transnational policy formation.

Investigating Finnish Teacher Guides as a Resource for Mathematics Teaching

ABSTRACTThe most commonly used Finnish mathematics teacher guides (Grades 1–6) are investigated so as to determine what kind of resource they constitute for teachers in planning and enacting mathematics teaching and what kind of mathematics classroom they promote. The structure and the main contents of the guides were found to be quite homogeneous. The nature of communication was mostly descriptive, but the separate activities suggested for each lesson were quite explicitly described. Suggested activities, such as mental calculation tasks and homework assignment, were typically motivated by non-specific rationales, and many activities seemed to be taken for granted in the Finnish mathematics classroom culture. The results add both to knowledge about how to analyse teacher guides and to knowledge about Finnish educational features.