The Teacher Education Development Programme

3.5.1. Background for the Development Programme

166.In 1998–2000, two notable projects were implemented in Finland in support of the development of initial and continuing teacher education and training. The Higher Education Evaluation Council evaluated all teacher education and training provided by universities and polytechnics. This evaluation involved faculties of different subjects, faculties of education, departments of teacher education, teacher training schools and student unions. The evaluation consisted of the future anticipation work of educational institutions and teacher education, self- evaluation, document analyses and evaluation visits of an external evaluation group. The evaluation group made national and university-specific recommendations based on their findings. (Jussila & Saari 1999; Lämsä & Saari 2000)

167.In addition, an extensive project was carried out in parallel to anticipate teachers’ initial and continuing education and training needs by the year 2010. The project produced several reports on changes in teaching work and on qualitative and quantitative educational needs and it issued a large number of development recommendations. The project applied a process-like working method and, in addition to the educational administration and researchers, it also involved representatives from universities, polytechnics, students, teachers, local authorities and labour market organisations. The project published its Final Report in the summer of 2000. (Luukkainen 2000)

168.Based on the results of these evaluation and anticipation efforts and on subsequent recommendations, the Ministry of Education prepared the Teacher Education Development Programme. The preparations also involved an extensive round of opinion gathering. The Development Programme was published in the autumn of 2001. The recommendations of the programme deal with initial and continuing teacher education and training. The recommendations are directed at universities, polytechnics, educational administration as well as local authorities and other maintaining bodies of educational institutions. (Ministry of Education 2001.)

3.5.2. Recommendations of the Development Programme

169.The results of the evaluation and anticipation efforts indicate that there are key educational development needs in four sectors of teacher education and training. These include selection procedures, pedagogical studies, status of teacher education and training, and continuing teacher education and training. Consequently, the recommendations focus on these aspects. (Ministry of Education 2001) The Ministry of Education is monitoring the achievement of the programme recommendations through annual evaluations and through a national evaluation scheduled for 2005. The first follow-up was carried out in April 2002, when the Higher Education Evaluation Council conducted an extensive questionnaire survey targeting teacher trainers and students at universities and vocational teacher education colleges. The survey investigated the views of teacher trainers and students on the achievement of the recommendations set out in the Teacher Education Development Programme.

Selection procedures

170.According to the Teacher Education Development Programme (Ministry of Education 2001), the development of all selection procedures should specifically emphasise the importance of assessing aptitude. The aim is to raise aptitude, motivation and commitment for teaching work as key targets in the development of selection procedures.

171.Based on follow-up conducted by the Higher Education Evaluation Council, it can be concluded that both university teacher trainers and students perceived the assessment of aptitude, motivation and commitment to be well implemented in selection procedures. More than 80% of respondents felt that the situation was good. Teacher trainers were almost equally satisfied with the way in which previous work experience was taken into account in selection procedures. Students’ views were somewhat different: about 60% of them felt that previous work experience was taken into account properly in selection procedures. (Saari 2003)

Pedagogical studies

172.The Teacher Education Development Programme (Ministry of Education 2001) points out that pedagogical training provides qualifications for teaching posts at all types of educational institutions. This is why these studies must contain both elements that reinforce the common teacher identity and specialised competence needed in different teaching assignments. For the development of lifelong learning, it is essential that teachers share and internalise a common idea of teaching. This is crucial for successful co-operation across institutional boundaries.

173.The Development Programme also points out that key contents in pedagogical studies in all teacher education include interpersonal and interaction skills and prevention of learning difficulties and exclusion. Guidance skills, curricular and assessment issues, pedagogical use of ICTs, multiculturalism and capabilities to develop the working community are important aspects shared by all teachers. Pedagogical studies will also form the basis for resources that maintain the ability of teachers to cope at work and to develop their professional skills.

174.Pedagogical studies should be developed in such a way that the studies prepare teachers to work with learners of different ages. Diverse teaching practice plays a key role in this respect. The development of teaching practice should take account of the long-term process of becoming a teacher, which requires personal support and guidance. Sufficient time must be reserved for teaching practice.

175.The spring 2002 follow-up showed that university teacher trainers and students felt that the best content areas in pedagogical studies in terms of implementation included knowledge of the learning process, planning and assessment skills, pedagogical use of ICTs and dealing with ethical responsibility in teaching work. The views of teacher trainers and students differed in terms of the pedagogical use of ICTs. Students were not as satisfied with the ICT skills provided by teacher education as teacher trainers. (Saari 2003)

176.Conversely, university teacher trainers and students felt that dealing with multicultural issues, abilities to solve conflicts and prevention of exclusion were poorly implemented in pedagogical studies. Students were more dissatisfied with elements concerning learning difficulties and guidance skills compared with teacher trainers. (Saari 2003)

177.Teacher trainers and students in vocational teacher education and training felt that knowledge of the learning process and achievement of planning and assessment skills were the best implemented elements. Teacher trainers felt that the skills objective for curricular design and the objectives of the pedagogical use of ICTs had been well implemented. However, students were not quite so satisfied with the achievement of these objectives. Prevention of learning difficulties, prevention of exclusion and dealing with multicultural issues were considered by teacher trainers and students to be the most poorly implemented elements of teacher education. (Saari 2003)

The status of and co-operation in teacher education

178.There are distinct differences in appreciation of teacher education and training at different universities and polytechnics. Some of them consider teacher education and training to be an important mission, whereas others give them secondary status. The Teacher Education Development Programme (Ministry of Education 2001) considers it important for universities and polytechnics to clarify their roles in initial and continuing teacher education and training. This has already been done by some institutions through drawing up their own development strategies for teacher education and training. Experiences gained from such work have been positive. Some universities, for example, have thus been able to reinforce mutual co-operation between subject departments, departments of teacher education and teacher training schools. Key content areas in the development strategies have included student selection procedures, practical study arrangements, research, supervision of theses, pedagogical studies and their links to subject studies, as well as continuing education and training.

179.It is necessary to increase co-operation between universities in teacher education and training, in order to provide students orientating towards teaching assignments with more diversified opportunities to study different subjects and for teaching practice. This objective can be promoted through co-operation within the virtual university framework, for example.

180.According to the Development Programme, the status of teacher education and training in the current performance agreement practice will have to be clarified and such education and training will have to be assigned targets specific to each higher education institution. This objective was achieved in the performance negotiations covering 2004–2006 held between the Ministry of Education and the universities.

181.Based on the follow-up results, it can be concluded that the status of and co-operation in teacher education and training are developing positively. Almost 80% of teacher trainers perceived that appreciation of teacher education and training is at least moderate at their own university. One fifth perceived appreciation as being poor or non-existent. Satisfaction with own university’s co- operation bodies or consultative committees for teacher education and training was expressed by more than 60%, while only 10% perceived the situation as being poor. The flow of information between the department of teacher education and the teacher training school was felt to be at least moderate by 60%, while 26% perceived the situation to be poor. Supervision of thesis work causes problems in co-operation between different faculties and departments. The situation was judged to be poor by 40% of teacher trainers. (Saari 2003)

Continuing teacher education and training

182.The demanding nature of teaching and educational work requires that teachers can regularly update and develop their professional skills. At present, opportunities to participate in education and training differ to such an extent that it justifies comments about inequality between different teacher groups and regions. The Teacher Education Development Programme stresses that local authorities and other maintaining bodies of educational institutions should allocate sufficient resources to continuing teacher education and training.

183.Continuing education and training deal with teaching as quite a uniform phenomenon, without taking the different phases of teaching careers into account. Education and training primarily focus on individuals and do not favour approaches that would take the entire school community into account. Current continuing education and training are often haphazard in terms of both funding and provision. As provision of education and training is often based on disconnected training days and courses, school communities and teachers are not able to methodically obtain support for their work from education and training. The Development Programme requires reform of continuing education and training in terms of contents and implementation methods in order to provide support for both the different phases of teaching careers and school communities. At the same time, this would also promote the ability of teachers to cope at work. One important reform need is the introduction of induction training for teachers.

184.Initial and continuing teacher education and training have relatively few contacts with each other. As continuing education and training do not function methodically, it follows that providers endeavour to include everything that they believe that teachers will need during their careers in initial education and training. The Development Project sets the objective of developing the continuum between initial and continuing education and training. This would enable a more appropriate division of key contents relevant to teaching work between initial and continuing education and training. The Development Programme considers it necessary for universities and polytechnics to assume greater responsibility for the planning and contents of continuing education and training.

185.In order to reduce the inequalities in the continuing education and training opportunities of teaching staff, the Development Programme sets the objective of increasing the resources of continuing education and training funded through the State Budget to enable about 22,000 teachers to participate in such education and training each year. The aim is to reach a situation where each teacher could participate in free-of-charge continuing education and training with a scope of at least three credits every four or five years. This would lead to an increase of about 7,000 trainees per year compared with the present amount of 15,000 participants. For the time being, the set objective

has not become reality, because the resources available for continuing education and training funded through the State Budget have not increased.

186.There are no follow-up results available on the achievement of the recommendations for continuing education and training set out in the Teacher Education Development Programme (Ministry of Education 2001).

4. ATTRACTING ABLE PEOPLE INTO THE TEACHING PROFESSION