Transcript Towards Research based Teacher Education in Future Finnish

1
TOWARDS RESEARCH BASED TEACHER EDUCATION IN
FUTURE
FINNISH TEACHER EDUCATION AS A POSSIBILITY AND
ITS CHALLENGES
R&D days 14.11. 2013
University of Uludag
FACULTY OF EDUCATION Leena Syrjälä
18.7.2015
2
MY BACKGROUND
• Long career as teacher educator and researcher in
Finland
• My research interests focus on change in schools,
teachers’ life and work, teacher education, and
wellbeing of teachers and children
• Qualitative methods: action research and
narrative research
• http://elavakertomus.wordpress.com/
FACULTY OF EDUCATION Leena Syrjälä
18.7.2015
AIMS
• To describe research-based teacher
education. What does it mean in
practice in the University of Oulu?
What are its strenghts and
challenges?
• To present some concluding
remarks about developing teacher
education for the future.
FACULTY OF EDUCATION/ Leena Syrjälä
18.7.2015
3
4
INTRODUCTION
• PISA-miracle has highlighted
interest on Finnish school system and
teacher education
• All Finnish primary school teachers
graduate as Masters of Education in the
University
• They have education as major
• studies at the Department of
Teacher Education
• master´s thesis (research Master)
• The unity of research and teaching,
FACULTY OF EDUCATION Leena Syrjälä
18.7.2015
5
Teacher education is very popular in Finland.
The students admitted to primary teacher education are highly motivated and
talented not only in academic studies but in music, arts and sports
The big majority of students are women
Teacher education is provided in eight universities in Finland
FACULTY OF EDUCATION Leena Syrjälä
18.7.2015
6
TEACHER EDUCATION CURRICULUM IN FINLAND
• A quite common structure of teacher education
• Each university has the autonomy to develop its
own curriculum based on its current research
profile
• Teaching practice system mainly in the University
Teacher Training Schools, so called Normal Schools
FACULTY OF EDUCATION Leena Syrjälä
18.7.2015
7
THE MAIN PRINCIPLES
• To educate teachers as high-quality autonomous
professionals with an emphasis on strengthening the
following areas
– creating a research-based professional culture in
which each teacher possesses critical scientific
literacy;
– establishing the social and moral code of the
teaching profession;
– integrating theory and practice;
– educating teachers to be responsible for local
curriculum design and students’ assessments
(Niemi 2013)
FACULTY OF EDUCATION Leena Syrjälä
18.7.2015
8
CONDITIONS FOR RESEARCH BASED
TEACHER EDUCATION IN OULU
• Research strategy – research based teacher
orientation as a development area in the Oulu
university research strategy
• Joint vision and focused research : Learning and
Interaction; Teacherhood in Global and Local
Environments; Education, Bildung and Equity
FACULTY OF EDUCATION Leena Syrjälä
18.7.2015
9
• Competent staff, courses
and seminars for publishing,
supervising etc.
• Research groups, from small
to bigger ones
• Infrastructure, LeaForum:
observation-space, laboratory,
Ubiko-project
• Funding
FACULTY OF EDUCATION Leena Syrjälä
18.7.2015
WHAT DOES RESEARCH BASED ORIENTATION
MEAN IN PRACTICE?
• Research-based orientation to one´s work – teacher as a
practical researcher
• Developing teacher education as a continuous action
research process.
– Individual teacher-educator and students involved in
the processes
• Teaching based on newest research
FACULTY OF EDUCATION Leena Syrjälä
18.7.2015
10
11
• Targeting research to teacher education for promoting
quality of it.
• Developing gradually the skills to understand research
reports and do research.
• A commitment to act for the best of the student - ethic
courses
• Inquiry oriented, collaborative learning, learning skills
• Reflection and collaboration as means during studies.
– Writing essays, learning journals and many kinds of
small research tasks within courses
FACULTY OF EDUCATION Leena Syrjälä
18.7.2015
12
SOME CONCLUDING REMARKS
• Teacher educators appreciated the research-based
approach, although they were skeptical about how well
this vision transfers to the students. (Krokfros et al. 2011)
• The student teachers see research studies as valuable for
the teaching profession and regard their future work as
continuous developmental task. Research studies also
received criticism. The quality of teaching and
arrangements were not always good enough. (Jyrhämä et
al.2013)
FACULTY OF EDUCATION Leena Syrjälä
18.7.2015
FOCUS AREAS WHEN DEVELOPING TEACHER
EDUCATION FOR THE FUTURE
• A continuum of career-long education for teachers
– Peer-group mentoring (PGM), is a Finnish approach
supporting new teachers in their early career.
– In-service teacher education
–
–
–
–
–
more active and collaborative learning,
ICT pedagogical applications,
inclusive education in schools,
teaching and learning in multicultural schools,
greater competences in collaborating in school
communities and with partners outside the school
FACULTY OF EDUCATION Leena Syrjälä
18.7.2015
13
14
FINALLY
• Being a teacher is encountering and caring, closely
embodied to emotions
• Narrative approaches in teacher education
• Research-based orientation is a good basis for developing
future teacher education
• Can't transfer as such to other countries
• No ideal way to organize teacher education
• Commitment to joint principles behind the development
FACULTY OF EDUCATION Leena Syrjälä
18.7.2015
15
REFERENCES
• Niemi, Hannele. (2013). The Finnish teacher education. Teachers for equity
and professional autonomy. Revista Española de Educación Comparada, 22,
117-138.
• Niemi, Hannele. (2012). Relationships of Teachers’ Professional
Competences, Active Learning and Research Studies in Teacher Education in
Finland. Reflecting Education. 8(2): 23-44.
• Krokfors et al. (2011). Investigating Finnish teacher educators’ views on
research‐based teacher education. Teaching Education. 22(1): 1-13.
• Toom et al. (2010) Experiences of a Research-based Approach to Teacher
Education: suggestions for future policies. European Journal of Education.
45(2): 331-344.
• http://elavakertomus.wordpress.com/
FACULTY OF EDUCATION Leena Syrjälä
18.7.2015