The Future of Schools and Teacher Education: How Far Ahead is Finland?

by Eduardo Andere

Overview

In 100 years as a nation-state, Finland has become the world's benchmark for quality in school education. Despite the fact that Finland is consistently top ranked by international performance measures, the country continues to rapidly change their curriculum and educational policies.

This book documents these main curricula changes, telling the story of the future of school education in Finland as it begins to develop in 2016, 2017, and 2018 onwards. Drawing from 14 original case studies, the book presents the stories of 14 principals and 29 teachers with a systematic and methodological uniformity. Intertwining the Finnish example with a greater narrative about how universities are changing their teacher education to face the complex challenges of education in the 21st century, this book documents cutting-edge advancement in the field of international school education.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780190938123
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	04/29/2020
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	9.40(w) x 6.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Eduardo Andere is an educational analyst and writer on topics of public policy, education policy, and comparative education. He is a visiting scholar at the Political Science Department at Boston College, and is affiliated with the Centro Regional de Formación Docente e Investigación Educativa in Mexico. Dr. Andere holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Boston College (1992) and Master degrees in Economics and Public Administration from Boston University (1981) and Harvard University (1984). He earned his law degree from Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City. He is the author of 13 books in education and learning, comparative education, education policy, and education leadership.

Table of Contents

Contents

Preface by the author

Foreword by Professor Pentti Moilanen, University of Jyväskylä

Foreword by Professor Jouni Välijärvi, University of Jyväskylä

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter 1. Finnish Educational Background

Chapter 2. The New National School Curricula

Chapter 3. Preservice Teacher Education: A Phenomenal Change

Chapter 4. The Schools

Chapter 5. Is There a Degree of Repetitiveness in Schools and Teachers in Finland?

Epilogue

References

Editorial Reviews

"Eduardo Andere has immersed himself in Finnish education and become deeply knowledgeable about this nation that has captured the attention of educators around the world. Andere helps us understand the inner life of a national school system that refuses to follow the path of standards-testing-accountability and markets that has taken hold in other nations, especially the U.S., the U.K., and Australia. Finland has put the well-being and creativity of children first. Andere's book is invaluable in helping readers learn how Finnish educators think about their work and what we can learn from recent changes in the Finnish curriculum."
— Diane Ravitch, Research Professor of Education, New York University

"This is a great book! Educators and education policy-makers from around the world have been fascinated by Finland, inspired by its stellar results in PISA and intrigued because its model contradicts conventional wisdom about educational success. The Future of Schools and Teacher Education: How Far Ahead is Finland? provides the inside story of the Finnish model, written by someone who has actually been there, and who has accompanied students, educators and administrators with the sharp eye of a researcher in their efforts and struggles to build a better future for Finland."
— Andreas Schleicher, Director for the Directorate of Education and Skills, OECD

"At the end, everything in the education system that is important happens where learning happens. In this book, you find a holistic walkthrough of the Finnish system including teachers' values, pedagogical solutions, and management culture and implementation challenges. It is not about structures, but day-to-day reality. I would have guessed the author is a native Finn! A valuable book to read for us Finns too!"
— Olli-Pekka Heinonen, Director General of the Finnish National Agency for Education and
Former Minister of Education (1994-99)

"This book is about education and learning in my home country. Based on what experts in education say, and the skyrocketing number of visitors to Finnish school in the last 15 years, Finland has become a global phenomenon in education. Dr. Andere has published three books about Finnish education. I know of no other foreign national who has written so much and with so deep understanding of Finnish culture and education. This latest book is about the future of education seen from the Finnish perspective. I strongly recommend it for a fresh, updated, and fascinating reading about education and learning in today's Finland."
— Anne Lammila, Consul General of Finland in Saint Petersburg and Former Ambassador of Finland to Mexico (2011-15)

From the Publisher