“Empowerment of the teaching profession produces good results. Professional teachers should have space for innovation, because they should try to find new ways to improve learning. Teachers should not be seen as technicians whose work is to implement strictly dictated syllabuses, but rather as professionals who know how to improve learning for all” (Reijo Laukkanen, 2009).
A major push in the educational reform process in Finland centred on teacher education
A contributing ingredient in the Finnish success story after four decades of systematic reform is the extensive preparation for all teachers.
Investment in the capacity of teachers to ensure professional competency in both the individual teachers and the school community, “coupled with thoughtful guidance about goals, can unleash the benefits of local creativity in the cause of common, equitable outcomes” (Linda Darling-Hammond, 2010, p 4).
A major push in the educational reform process undertaken in Finland centred on teacher education. Teacher preparation emphasised the teaching of diverse learners higher-order skills like problem-solving and critical thinking.
Recruitment of teachers is done at postgraduate level, ensuring better prepared professionals, able to deliver high quality curriculums to all students.
Finnish education abolished exams and national testing, trusting instead “highly trained teachers to design curriculum around the very lean national standards” (Darling-Hammond, 2010).
Teachers are entrusted to guide students through feedback in narrative form, emphasising description of the learning progress and areas of growth.
Having invested in a skilful teaching force, education policymakers allowed local schools greater autonomy to decide how and what to teach. Such a system that expresses faith and trust in teachers’ abilities has yielded a profession that is held in high esteem.
In improving teachers’ preparation, student-teachers are given extensive coursework on how to teach effectively – with strong emphasis on research-based methods of instruction and at least a full year of school experience in one of the model schools associated with the university. Here, student-teachers are exposed to innovative practices and participate with the school teachers in research on learning and teaching.
Through such a rich experience student-teachers have the opportunity to learn how to create challenging curricula and learn to develop and evaluate local performance assessments that engage students in research and inquiry on a regular basis.
Teacher training emphasises teaching for diversity, including for those with special needs.
The teacher training curriculum has a strong emphasis on “multiculturality” and the “prevention of learning difficulties and exclusion”, as well as on the understanding of learning, thoughtful assessment, and curriculum development (Darling-Hammond, 2010).
Teachers here, as well as in many of the high-achieving nations, are given time for regular collaboration on issues of instruction. Teachers in Finnish schools meet at least one afternoon each week to jointly plan and develop the curriculum. Provision is also made available for professional development within the teachers’ workweek.
Nearly half of teachers’ school time is used to improve practice through school-based curriculum work, collective planning, and cooperation with parents, thus making Finnish teachers among the most conscious, critical consumers of professional development and in-service training (Pasi Sahlberg, 2007). This professional attitude contributed to the respect teachers have from parents and other professions.
Such emphasis on teacher training and continuous professional development, coupled with decentralised education management and increased school autonomy has “created a practice of reciprocal, intelligent accountability in education system management where schools are increasingly accountable for learning outcomes and education authorities are held accountable to schools for making expected outcomes possible” (Sahlberg 2007, p. 155).
This move allowed teachers space to explore different teaching methods without fear of failure.
What is worth noting in this analysis is that this culture of trust came once it was ensured that teachers had the professional and academic preparation to provide the best possible education for their students. This took over 20 years to achieve.
Another important aspect worthy of note is that, rather than using their energies to undergo wave after wave of reform, frequently emphasising the “implementation and consolidation of externally designed changes often resulting in frustration and resistance to change they enabled educational leaders and teachers to concentrate on developing teaching and learning as they best see it to be needed” (Sahlberg, 2007, p. 158).
Twelve lessons for Maltese education
The aim of this article is not to suggest emulating the Finish approach. However, we feel there are lessons to be learnt. We propose 12 points for reflection and potential action:
1. Education reform is a slow and arduous process requiring decades of hard work.
2. Reforms, to succeed, need the support, endorsement and engagement of teachers.
3. Reforms must be relevant to the direct/immediate needs facing teachers.
4. Teachers need to teach and lead teaching.
5. Reform requires highly qualified teachers.
6. Teachers need structured time for collaboration and ongoing professional development opportunities that are directly related to the ever-changing realities of the school context.
7. There is a focus on pedagogical discourse on an ongoing basis.
8. Teachers need to work in a context which is based on trust and so, because they are truly engaged as professionals, they know their job.
9. Teachers are valued and respected by the school community and society in general.
10. Top students are attracted into the teaching profession.
11. Teacher education institutions need to work alongside schools so that student-teachers engage in research and inquiry on a regular basis.
12. The link between theory and practice is maintained so that the engagement is rich, varied, creative and challenging.
This may be a rather long list but we believe they are within our grasp. To implement such changes teachers and schools need to be trusted and encouraged to develop initiatives and to make school- based pedagogical and curricular changes.
Teachers cannot be expected to address many changes simultaneously, especially when we have been used to a context and culture where teaching is practised mainly in isolation from each other. This calls for college-based and school-based professional development initiatives, ones based on the needs identified by the school members and its community.
Mr Calleja and Prof. Bezzina are from the University’s Department of Primary Education and Department of Education Studies respectively.