Many Different Influences
One of the things I have learned since arriving to Finland is that there is a depth to Finns that only the lucky ones get to learn from. I am incredibly thankful for all those who let me in to try to understand this beautiful country.
My initial research question was this:
My initial research question was this:
What factors influence a student’s decision to attend an academic or vocational school for upper secondary schooling?
That seemed like it was going to be an easy answer, maybe even a list of things. I was naive enough to think that I could take this list and figure out how to make it work in the context of the US educational system. Instead, what I found was a deeply engrained value that the Finns have for education. Every interview, every observation, every conversation and all of the fun Finnish experiences along the way have showed me how deeply connected this country is to it’s values and history.
Pasi Salburg has become an international spokesperson for Finnish education and has brought much attention to this small country of 5.3 million people. I fully agree with his arguments that were presented in the article that appeared in The Washington Post, “What if Finland’s Great Teachers Taught in US Schools?”
Pasi Salburg has become an international spokesperson for Finnish education and has brought much attention to this small country of 5.3 million people. I fully agree with his arguments that were presented in the article that appeared in The Washington Post, “What if Finland’s Great Teachers Taught in US Schools?”
“I argue that if there were any gains in student achievement they would be marginal. Why? Education policies in Indiana and many other states in the United States create a context for teaching that limits (Finnish) teachers to use their skills, wisdom and shared knowledge for the good of their students’ learning. Actually, I have met some experienced Finnish-trained teachers in the United States who confirm this hypothesis. Based on what I have heard from them, it is also probable that many of those transported Finnish teachers would be already doing something else than teach by the end of their fifth year – quite like their American peers.
Conversely, the teachers from Indiana working in Finland—assuming they showed up fluent in Finnish—stand to flourish on account of the freedom to teach without the constraints of standardized curricula and the pressure of standardized testing; strong leadership from principals who know the classroom from years of experience as teachers; a professional culture of collaboration; and support from homes unchallenged by poverty.”
It is clear that the culture and influences around Finnish education is unique to this country and one that cannot be fully replicated in the US culture. However, the factors that influence the successful educational system in Finland should not be ignored just because our countries are so different.
My attempt to understand the influences on the Finnish educational system and the influences behind individual student choices will be a life-long learning process for me. It seems quite fitting that I, too, would be influenced by some of the same factors and values that make this system so unique.
My attempt to understand the influences on the Finnish educational system and the influences behind individual student choices will be a life-long learning process for me. It seems quite fitting that I, too, would be influenced by some of the same factors and values that make this system so unique.