teacher education as a future-moulding factorteacher education as a future-moulding factor...

1

J. Jussila & S. Saari (Eds.)

Teacher Education as a Future-mouldingFactor

International Evaluation of Teacher Education in FinnishUniversities

PUBLICATIONS OF FINNISHHIGHER EDUCATION EVALUATION

COUNCIL 9:2000

http://www.minedu.fi/minedu/education/finheec/finheec.html

2Version: April 27, 2000

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J. Jussila & S. Saari (Eds.)

Teacher Education as a Future-mouldingFactor

International Evaluation of Teacher Education in FinnishUniversities

PUBLICATIONS OF FINNISHHIGHER EDUCATION EVALUATION

COUNCIL 9:2000

4

FOREWORDHigh-standard education is regarded as a central success factor in the future of

Finnish society. Success cannot be achieved without the participation of teachers withuniversity-level education. Teacher education is a significant task for universities, a taskwhich has a multi-faceted implications on the whole of society. Although the academictradition of teacher training is not very long, Finland�s high-level teacher education isinternationally recognised as a certificate of quality.

Academic teacher education is diverse both in its content and implementation.The educational system is two-fold: education is partly the responsibility of faculties ofeducation and partly realised through cooperation with the subject departments. Earlierevaluations of teacher education have been conducted separately, reflecting the struc-tures and viewpoints of subject teacher education and educational science.

The aim of this evaluation was to assess the institutional state of teacher educationprovided by universities and the teacher education in different Finnish universities. Theconcept of change, embracing past-oriented, present-oriented and future-oriented per-spectives, was the key theme in the assessment of teacher education. The methodused, communicative evaluation, elicits development and encourages cooperation. Allthe various parties in teacher education � students, departments of education and fac-ulties providing teacher education in various subjects, university training schools, deansof faculties, administrative staff, and university management � participated in the evalu-ation. The documentation data, self-evaluation and site visits by an external evaluationteam were used in order to bring out the polyphony and multiple perspectives of teachereducation.

This report entitled �Teacher Education as a future-moulding factor�, is an inter-pretation based on extensive data on teacher education in contemporary Finland. It isinevitable that the amount of information has its limits. We must, however, hope that thisevaluation, combined with the university-specific documents and self-evaluation mate-rial both on the national and university level, will raise questions and encourage teachereducators to intensify their cooperation. The Introduction sheds light on the objectives,tasks, evaluation process and methods used. The second chapter deals with the past,present and future of teacher education on the basis of development documents andearlier evaluations. The third chapter concentrates on general evaluation and recom-mendations for universities in general, whereas the fourth offers insights into individualuniversities.

A Finnish version without international evaluation has been published under thetitle �Opettajankoulutus tulevaisuuden tekijänä. Yliopistoissa annettavan opettajan-koulutuksen arviointi. Helsinki: Edita. 11:1999�. The chapters from 1 to 5 has beentranslated into English as itself including Universities Helsinki, Joensuu and Oulu andexcluding the others.

The international part of the evaluation (chapters 6 and 7) will give an extensiveview to the development and evaluation project of teacher education in Finland. Meta-evaluation is a valuable tool of developing teacher education. I express my gratitude toProf. Campos and Prof. Louis for their devoted commitment to the project.

Tampere, April 27, 2000

Anna Raija NummenmaaChair of the Steering Committee

5Preface ...................................................................................................................................................................... 5

1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................... 81.1 On the necessity to evaluate teacher education ............................................................................................................. 81.2 The goal of the evaluation ................................................................................................................................... 91.3 Framework and objectives ..................................................................................................................................101.4 Methods and procedures of evaluation .............................................................................................................11

2 Document analysis as background for assessments and recommendations ............................................................142.1 The past-oriented perspective � earlier opinions and estimates ........................................................................152.2 Present-time perspective � the position of teacher education in universities ....................................................172.3 The future-oriented perspective and its challenges ...........................................................................................182.4 The basis and context of recommendations .......................................................................................................21

3 National recommendations for teacher education reform ..........................................................................................233.1 Framework for teacher education reform ............................................................................................................233.2 Cooperation between the organisers of teacher education ................................................................................243.3 Profiling ..............................................................................................................................................................263.4 Extending the scope of teacher qualification ......................................................................................................263.5 Increasing teacher education among students of natural sciences and mathematics ........................................283.6 Improving evaluation in departments .................................................................................................................283.7 Postgraduate studies and continuing education ................................................................................................293.8 Pedagogical studies and teaching practice ........................................................................................................303.9 Recruitment and admission of students .............................................................................................................393.10 Central recommendations for the organisers of teacher education ...................................................................40

4 University-specific evaluations and recommendations .............................................................................................434.1 The University of Helsinki ..................................................................................................................................434.2 The University of Joensuu .................................................................................................................................474.3 The University of Oulu .......................................................................................................................................51

5 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................54INTERNATIONAL EVALUATION OF TEACHER EDUCATION ................................................................................566 A view from outside ...................................................................................................................................................56

Professor Bártolo Paiva Campos from Portugal6.1 Impact of previous evaluation ............................................................................................................................566.2 The process of the evaluation project ................................................................................................................606.3 My particular emphasis in developing the teacher education in Finland ...........................................................61

7 Meta-evaluation ........................................................................................................................................................63Professor Roland Louis from Canada7.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................637.2 Context of the Meta-evaluation ..........................................................................................................................637.3 Conclusion on the Meta-evaluation ...................................................................................................................667.4 Particular aspects that need consideration .........................................................................................................66

BIBLIOGRAPHY 68APPENDICES 72

Appendix 1 Statistics of the degrees completed in different universitiesAppendix 2 The evaluation of teacher education institution with a view to the future per-

spective of teaching (chart)Appendix 3 The members of the Evaluation Planning Team; teacher education provided

by Finnish universities in spring 1998Appendix 4 Universities that took part in evaluation, site visits (dates) and evaluators in

February � March in 1999.Appendix 5 The site visit programme

Appendix 6 TheDelphi-group

6Steering Committee

ChairMs Anna Raija Nummenmaa, Professor, University of Tampere, Finnish Higher

Education Evaluation CouncilMembersMr Juhani Hytönen, Professor, University of HelsinkiMs Armi Mikkola, Counsellor for Education, Ministry of EducationMr Reijo Raivola, Professor, University of TampereMs Helena Sulkala, Professor, University of OuluMs Taru Tujunen, Student, National Union of Finnish StudentsMs Anna-Maija Liuhanen, Senior Advisor, Finnish Higher Education EvaluationCouncil; Special Advisor for the Committee

External Evaluation Team

ChairMr Juhani Jussila, Professor, University of Lapland

Vice-chair and memberMr Pertti Kansanen, Professor, University of Helsinki

MembersMs Irmeli Halinen, Head of Education, Helsinki City Education DepartmentMr Markku Ihonen, Professor, University of TampereMr Pauli Juuti, Research Director, Finnish Employers� Management Develop-

ment InstituteMr Erkki Leppäkoski, Professor, Åbo AkademiMs Marjukka Nurmela-Antikainen, Managing Principal, Joensuu University

School for Practice TeachingMr Kari Purhonen, Director, Confederation of Finnish Industry and EmployersMr Risto Rinne, Professor, University of TurkuMs Inkeri Sava, Professor, University of Art and Design Helsinki UIAHMs Irma Taavitsainen, Professor, University of HelsinkiMr Keijo Väänänen, Professor, University of Oulu

Secretary for the Steering Committee and External Evaluation TeamMr Seppo Saari, Project Manager, Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council;researcher, University of Helsinki

International External Evaluators

Mr Bártolo Paiva Campos, Professor, University of Porto Mr Roland Louis, Professor, University of Sherbrooke

71 Introduction

1.1 On the necessity to evaluate teacher educationIn Finland, teacher education is offered by eleven universities. Degree programmes

in educational science and studies in line with the decrees on teacher education arepossible at eight universities, four of which have two departments for teacher educa-tion. The faculties of education are responsible for educating special education teach-ers, kindergarten teachers, class teachers, study counsellors, and subject teachers ofhome economics, textile crafts, technical handicrafts and, to some extent, music. Sub-ject teachers� training is usually arranged cooperatively by departments of teacher edu-cation and the subject departments of universities. The art academies, such as theUniversity of Industrial Arts, the Theatre Academy and the Sibelius Academy havetheir own special units for teacher�s education.

The previous evaluation of teacher education was made in conjunction with theevaluation of humanities, natural sciences and educational science in 1992-1994. Theevaluation of educational science was carried out in four stages: firstly as self-evalua-tion of the educational units, starting in 1993; secondly as visits to the correspondingfaculties in autumn 1993; thirdly as an international evaluation; and finally as a nationalseminar arranged on the subject. The results of the evaluation were published in twosub-reports. The final report specified the problems brought to light by the feed-backand development documents, the site visits and the evaluation discussions. The reporttook a stand on the requirements, contents and structures of studies in the field ofeducation. Moreover, it suggested guidelines for improving curricula, student selection,and evaluation (OPM 1994:16). The international working group evaluating the cur-ricula and teaching methods in educational sciences, especially teacher education, drewattention to certain problems in subject teacher�s education and the small proportion ofpsychological and social elements in study programmes (OPM 1994:14).

Furthermore, the present state of teacher education and its need for reform havealso been discussed in evaluations made of the humanities and natural sciences. Theevaluation report on natural science education takes a stand on the structures of degreeprogrammes and major studies, recommending a transfer of teaching posts to the cor-responding subject departments; better integration of teaching practice and theoreticalstudies; more flexible opportunities for completion of postgraduate degrees; and inte-gration of continuing studies and postgraduate studies (OPM 1993:3).

The evaluation of humanities suggested a reduction in the extent of study pro-grammes in subject teacher�s education and a diversification of their content. The cur-ricula for educational sciences should also to be reduced. The working group suggestedan overall evaluation of the field of educational sciences, including teacher education.The evaluation should be carried out by all parties concerned (Disciplinary Evaluationof the Humanities, 1993).

The Parliamentary Committee for Education and Culture has on many occasionsexpressed its views on the present state of teacher education and the need for reform.Although the quality of teacher education in Finland is agreed to be high, by interna-tional standards, there are some areas that require special attention. A major problemseems to be that teacher education is lagging behind the changes taking place in society.The theory and practice of education seem to be far apart, and education does notsufficiently promote investigative, critical attitudes in students.

In the Committee�s view, teacher education does not sufficiently provide the pro-spective teacher with the skills required for the cooperation with parents and otherteachers, in pupil welfare, extracurricular activities or interpersonal relations. The Com-mittee emphasises the teacher�s educational tasks, including his/her ability to cope withstudents with learning disabilities, to recognise mechanisms of social exclusion, and totreat both genders equally. In addition, the Committee emphasises the importance of

8adequate methods of student selection. (Committee for Education and Culture 2/1996).

The general evaluation work to be carried out in Finland is laid down in a pro-gramme designed by the Finnish government for improving education and research atinstitutions of higher education during the years 1995-2000. According to the programme,all institutes of higher education will be evaluated by the end of the planning period. Sofar, the work has been completed for some institutes of higher education, but for others,evaluation is currently taking place or is still in the planning stage. In addition to anoverall evaluation of the institutions of higher education, evaluations shall be made on anational level of the individual disciplines, study programmes and of special themes. Theevaluations will target areas or programmes of special importance, or those which aregrowing rapidly or have problems in terms of the educational or social policy. So far,only the evaluations made of health-care education and training given in a foreign lan-guage have touched on teacher education (Tella, Räsänen & Vähäpassi 1999; Perälä& Ponkala 1999).

In late winter 1997, Minister of Education Olli-Pekka Heinonen initiated in theMinistry a discussion on the question of whether any noticeable change or improvementcould be observed in the departments of teacher education and the teacher trainingschools as a result of the evaluations of teacher education. The Ministry of Educationset up a project group under Secretary General Vilho Hirvi to examine the matter.According to this group, the following areas would need special attention in the projectfor improving teacher education: selection of students for teacher education; evaluationof the contents of teacher education; continuing teacher education; determination of thequantitative need for teacher education.1

An evaluation of the teacher education of universities was included in the FinnishHigher Education Evaluation Council Action Plan for 1998-1999. According to the as-sessment by the Evaluation Council, the evaluation of teacher education should exam-ine how the national and international evaluation of teacher education carried out inearly �90s had affected teacher education. The evaluation should also consider thoseportions of the project which would increase the Finnish students� skills in mathematicsand natural sciences that affected teacher education.

1.2 The goal of the evaluationThe main goal of the evaluation has been to develop self-evaluation and teacher

education in the departments of teacher education. The theoretical starting point was acommunicative evaluation that places the main emphasis on personal interaction. Inaddition, the evaluation aimed at improving cooperation between the faculties involvedin teacher education.

1 According to the statistics in �Koulutus Suomessa� (�Education in Finland in 1998�), compiled by the Central Boardof Statistics, 13,227 students were studying in the teacher education programmes of universities. This was slightlymore than ten percent of all university students. There are no national statistics on the total number of degreescompleted in pedagogics. Formerly, there was only scattered information, from different sources, on intake to thedifferent subject departments. In addition, there is a discrepancy between the number of degrees completed ineducational faculties and those completed in subject departments: in the faculties of education, studies in pedagogicsare statistically registered after the completion of 35 credit units, whereas the subject departments register studies ofpedagogics only after the whole degree programme has been completed. It sometimes happens that students changetheir plans and take pedagogical studies as a separate course although their original intention had been to takepedagogics as part of the degree. In such cases, the courses do not necessarily show in the subject department�sstatistics as a degree in teaching. The statistical data of this report are based on information obtained from thefaculties, on the number of graduated teachers during the period 1996�1998. The respective tables can be found inAppendix 1.

The National Board of Education has charted the number of full-time teachers in comprehensive and uppersecondary schools. The investigation also covered information on teachers� ages, degrees, qualifications and thesubjects taught (On full-time teachers in comprehensive and upper secondary schools in autumn term 1997. Paper 32/1998. National Board of Education).

91.3 Framework and objectives

At its meetings and the hearing held for the heads of educational faculties andteacher education units on March 30, 1998, the planning group discussed the frame-work and goals of the evaluation project, issuing the following statements:

First: it may be a problem to take as the only starting point the impact that theproject for evaluating and developing the educational degree programmesmay have had on the present state of teacher education at universities, sincethe evaluation of educational science played no part in the plans designed toimprove education and research in universities. The plan for 1991-1996 wasconfirmed by Parliament on June 18, 1993, i.e. before the project for evalu-ating educational science was completed in May 1994.Secondly: after the evaluations of the early 1990s, the field of pedagogiceducation has experienced remarkable changes creating new conditions forthe development of teacher education in universities. The Decree on Exami-nations in Educational Science and Teacher Education (Decree 576/95) hasto some extent re-defined the educational responsibility of educational units,the examinations, the scope of examinations, their main structures and goals,and the study modules contained in the individual teacher education pro-grammes. The universities� result-oriented management system and the newUniversities Act coming into force on August 1, 1998, will create new struc-tures steering the field of education.Thirdly: the general legislation on education has recently undergone remark-able changes. The new educational laws and the Qualifications Decree, ef-fective from the beginning of 1999, will have a direct impact on teacher edu-cation, its position, structures and contents.When evaluating the present state of teacher education, a future-orientedview should be considered alongside the view based on past developments.We should ask ourselves what challenges future society and future educa-tional systems will place on teacher education. A number of visions and de-velopment schemes have been created to answer this question. The strategyof lifelong learning, the report �Suomi tietoyhteiskunnaksi� (Finland on itsway to information society) and the OECD reports on education, provide ageneral framework for analysing the qualifications required in the futureand creating, on the basis of this analysis, new concepts of school, teachingand teacher education.

The evaluation assignment has meant evaluating the state of teacher education atuniversities in a future perspective of teaching. The evaluation in question is so-calledprogramme evaluation, broadly understood; i.e. it covers instruction, learning, studies,training, examinations and research as a part of the education, as well as the way inwhich the students take their course, the necessary measures of support, teaching ar-rangements, and educational organisations.

The evaluation targets key issues relevant from the point of view of earlier evalu-ations and future teacher education, such as:

1. Recruitment and selection of students2. Content and organisation of pedagogical studies3. Research as a part of education4. Further education and continuing studies for teachers5. Links with working life

In addition, the evaluation targets the following internal structures of education,crucial to the development of teacher education as a part of the university as a whole:

10

1. Teacher education as part of the strategy of university development2. Cooperation of the parties in teacher education3. Improvement of the methods of admission4. Evaluation and feedback systems

Estimates and recommendations with regard to the above issues have been madeon a national level and on the level of individual universities.

1.4 Methods and procedures of evaluationIn the opinion of the project planning group, the evaluation process had to be as

open to and comfortable for the individual units as possible. In trying to detect thoseareas of teacher education which are most in need of reform, several methods wereused in evaluating the different elements of education. The effects of the evaluation onteacher education have been charted with a number of documents and a questionnaireaddressed to the universities.

Communicative evaluationA communicative evaluation comprises the stages of description and prediction

and the effort to help the parties involved cooperate and communicate. Evaluation is notunderstood as an attempt to put things in order of quality, but as an invitation to a broaddiscussion on a better future and on ways to make such a future come true. Changealways calls for courage to overstep traditional boundaries.

The evaluation in question is a systematic evaluation that, using various evaluationmethods, proceeds on several levels at the same time. Communicative discussion re-quires practically that the universities recognise their need for change, question theirpatterns of thought and operation, weigh the different alternatives and possibilities, andmake the appropriate choices. The starting point is the idea of the university as a com-munity open to communication and willing to promote creativity and the spirit of entre-preneurship (Niemi & Tirri 1997).

The evaluation used a number of methods: material analysis, self-evaluation andcommunicative peer evaluation. Self-evaluation can promote cooperation within theinstitution, define the institution�s individual needs, create a forum for internal discus-sion, improve the conditions for focusing the institution�s operations, clarify and supportits basic tasks, and find common operational strategies (Piirainen 1996).

The evaluation reflects a wide variety of viewpoints as it involved the heads ofuniversities and faculties, representatives of teacher education, student bodies, adminis-tration, delegates and government officials. The purpose of the evaluation was not tocreate further bureaucracy, but to initiate a genuine dialogue between the various par-ties on various levels. Thus, it enabled the parties involved in teacher education to jointlyconsider their work.

The main project stagesThe main project stages are specified below. Their timing and the interdepend-

ence of the different stages can be seen from the annexed diagram (Appendix 2).

1. Collection of future-related material using the �Delphi� technique; in August1998;

2. Self-evaluation questionnaire addressed to universities; the inquiry was basedon earlier evaluations and future-related material: from August to November 1998;

3. Analysis of the documents obtained from universities: from October to Decem-ber 1998;

4. Training of an External Evaluation Team: February 1999;

115. Site visits and discussions: from February to March 1999;6. Reporting: from April to June 1999;7. Report publication: September 1999;8. International external evaluation on the present and evaluation of teacher edu-

cation: from October to December 1999.

Planning Team and Steering CommitteeA planning team for preparing the evaluation of university teacher education was

set up at the meeting of the Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council on February 4,1998 and the meeting of its special committee on February 18, 1998. After five meet-ings, the Planning Team had completed its work by May 28, 1998 (Appendix 3), and thetask of coordinating the evaluation work was transferred to the Steering Committee.

Preparation of a questionnaire by an expert team; the Delphitechnique

A self-evaluation questionnaire, including five pages of future-related material aboutschool, training and teacher education, was sent to the universities. The questionnairehad been written by a group of 16 experts in education and the future, recommended bythe Finnish Ministry of Education. The method used was the so-called Delphi tech-nique. The production of material proceeded as follows: first the project group compiledmaterial comprising scenarios of future schools, education and the future requirementsfor teachers. The feed-back from experts was collected and put in a concise form,after which it was sent back for further processing. Subsequently, a session was held,under Professor Reijo Raivola, to work out from the material a common view for thegroup. The experts are introduced in Appendix 6.

Self-evaluation of universitiesThe self-evaluation questionnaire was sent to all universities and institutions of

higher education concerned with teacher education, i.e. to units of teacher education(including subject faculties/departments), to teacher training schools and to student or-ganisations. The purpose of the questionnaire was to define if, and in which way, theevaluation carried out in the early 1990s, the present situation and future perspectives,influence teacher education. In addition, the universities received the future-orientedmaterial prepared by the Delphi Group, and were asked to specify points to be takeninto consideration when developing teacher education and to make general comments.The self-evaluation produced about 700 pages of feedback, which was compiled andarranged by themes.

External evaluationExternal evaluation was to be carried out on a broad basis. Therefore, the team

involved a representative of the Department of Teacher Education and/or the Facultyof Education, the subject department, the school inspection department, the municipalboard of education, and the world outside school and educational life. Evaluation visitswere made to all universities. For each individual team member, the average number ofvisits was between 4 and 6. The visits covered a period of four weeks, from February17, 1999 until March 11, 1999. All members of the Evaluation Team were Finnish, andthe number of members per visit was between 5 and 6 on average. The evaluators�areas of expertise are specified in Appendix 4.

On February 10, 1999 the External Evaluation Team held a one-day session todiscuss key issues of the project. The aim was to reach an agreement, on the basis ofthe replies received from universities and using two cases in particular as an example,on the issues requiring critical, in-depth evaluation. The session set basic guidelines forthe visits, and defined the team members� roles and duties. It also discussed how to best

12utilise the individual visitor�s special strengths and areas of competence, agreed onvisiting programmes, collection of data and reporting.

The team paid each university a one-day evaluation visit. The discussions held inconnection with the visits were attended by representatives of all parties that had re-sponded to the self-evaluation inquiry. In addition, a representative of the University ofHelsinki participated in the joint evaluation event for art academies. The programmesand dates of the visits and the individual visitors are specified in Appendix 5.

The evaluations produced by the team members were based on documentarymaterial, self-evaluation material and the evaluating visits. Each member of the Evalu-ation Team submitted several written opinions. The common sections of the externalevaluations have been jointly worked out by the Evaluation Team. For the individualuniversities, evaluation and reporting was made only by those team members who hadvisited the universities in question. If an evaluator had an employment relationship witha university, s/he did not participate in the evaluation of that university.

Since the Evaluation Team was jointly responsible for the reporting, it held threesessions (on April 6, May 10, and June 11, 1999) to discuss the content of the report.During the writing process, members of the Evaluation Team corrected and comple-mented their interim reports. The background material used as basis for the evaluationhad been collected by the team secretary who, together with the chair, also edited thepoints of view that had been presented, thus creating from the evaluators� feed�back acoherent whole. The secretary did not act as an evaluator.

An international point of viewA request has been made to find for the report some non-Finnish evaluators. Thus,

part of the report will be submitted, in English, to three or four foreign evaluators to asktheir opinion. That report will be published separately. The foreign evaluators representexpertise in teacher education an/or evaluation. They will have access not only to thereport, but also to other material about the Finnish system of teacher education. Sincethe background material has been so extensive, it was practically impossible to involveforeign evaluators in the evaluation visits: even Finnish evaluators had to work veryhard to become familiar with earlier evaluations, committee papers, legislative reform,future-oriented material, self-evaluation material and the documents compiled fromuniversity documents.

Critical project pointsTo ensure success of the project, it was important to anticipate the critical project

points:Excessively busy schedules on the part of universities and the evaluation project

on the one hand, coupled to an unwillingness of departments of teacher education andsubject departments to commit themselves to the evaluation project on the other, maylead to failure of the project. The risk of such failure can be minimised by publicising thegeneral framework of the evaluation in advance; in this case it was early summer of1998. Furthermore, the amount of work required from the individual units must be re-strained within reasonable limits.

Valid, reliable evaluation data can be obtained only if the units to be evaluated aremotivated. The benefits of evaluation, i.e. the usefulness and comparability of informa-tion offered in the report, and the chance to generate new ideas, can be highly motivat-ing for the units.

The commitment of the universities to the evaluation should be as strong as possi-ble. If the parties can be persuaded to work together to evaluate their own work for thepurpose of its improving, the evaluation should be very meaningful.

It may present a problem if a new head, new management, or a new departmentcouncil has been elected to a department only recently. On the other hand, such a

13situation can open up possibilities for a new evaluation culture.

The last time teacher education in Finland was evaluated in connection with theevaluation of educational sciences was in the years 1992 - 1993. As Finland at that timewas suffering from a deep economic depression, evaluation could be feared to lead totermination of the unit evaluated. To create an open atmosphere for starting the newevaluation project, the planning group arranged, on March 30, 1998, a seminar for thedeans of educational faculties and heads of departments of teacher education. Theseminar discussed critical points of the evaluation carried out in the field of educationalscience and of the project to be started. Contributions to the discussion were made bySecretary General Mr Vilho Hirvi from the Ministry of Education, Counsellor for Edu-cation, Ms Armi Mikkola, and the Planning team�s chair, Assistant Professor Ms AnnaRaija Nummenmaa.

In spring 1998, the universities were informed of the objectives and timetable ofthe evaluation project. In order to strengthen the motivation for participating in theproject, special emphasis was placed on the developing effects of evaluation and theencounters expected between the participants.

Since self-evaluation questionnaires require from the various units process-likecooperation, a period of three months was rather too short a time. To produce, from therich self-evaluation and statistical material returned in so many different forms, a co-herent report for the external Evaluation Team, it was necessary to hire a researchassistant. Laura Salmi, Master of Political Science, was employed as a research assist-ant to the project from November 1, 1998 to January 31, 1999. Shortage of time alsomarked the visits of the Evaluation Team, since each university was visited for only oneday.

The National Union of Finnish Students arranged the student representation forthe evaluation project. There were some problems in the recruitment and motivation ofstudents. In addition, the art academies do not have separate subject-related studentassociations for those students studying to become teachers.

The Faculties of Education, responsible for the practical information and organisa-tional work in connection with the evaluation visits, arranged for the meetings an excel-lent framework. Dissemination of information and cooperation was carried out well.

The faculties and departments produced large quantities of elaborated self-evalu-ation material. Since reasonable amounts of such material were also returned by stu-dents, the evaluators really had sufficient advance material at their disposal.

An average of 30 to 70 people took part in the open discussion arranged at the endof the evaluation events. Generally, the number of students was remarkably low. Apositive aspect is, however, that as a result of the evaluation, the parties to teaching inseveral universities have become aware of the necessity for cooperation. As a conse-quence, the faculties and departments launched a number of projects of cooperation inthe course of the project. The meetings and discussions throughout the evaluation visitstook place in a constructive spirit.

2 Document analysis as background for assessments and recom-mendations

The documents were analysed to define the central arguments for improving teachereducation and the challenges they present. A further goal was to process the maindimensions and themes of the assessment for use in self-evaluation and the question-naires addressed to the educational units. The document analysis comprised three lev-els: the past, the present and the future.

142.1 The past-oriented perspective � earlier opinions and estimates

The past-oriented perspective served for obtaining, by means of self-evaluation,material from the universities to estimate the impact of former evaluations on the devel-opment of education. The project sorted out committee reports and former evaluations,formulating the questions for self-evaluation partly on their basis. Earlier material wasviewed beginning with reports in connection with the introduction of comprehensiveschools in 1967. The main views expressed in the document material are summarisedbelow:

Cooperation between the organisers of teacher educationThe study programmes for the various subjects should be worked out coopera-

tively between departments of teacher education and subject departments (KM 1989:26). The inter-faculty cooperation does not seem to work: educational science is cut offfrom the rest of the educational field, the basis of education is rather narrow (KM 1989:26). There are cooperation problems between the humanities and faculties of educa-tion: subject studies do not support teacher education, whilst students of humanities aredisappointed by pedagogical studies in teacher training (OPM 1993: 9). According tothe international evaluation report, the instruction offered in the subject faculties is notcoordinated with the instruction in the Faculty of Education; this is due to problems inpractical arrangements, a lack of cooperation and competition for resources (OPM1994: 14).

An evaluation of the field of education is needed to increase the cooperation withinthe humanities (OPM 1993: 9). The plan for the development of education (18.3.1993)suggests increased cooperation between the faculties of education and the subject de-partments in order to improve subject teacher education.

The international evaluation team considers that the best solution is to moveposts of subject-didactics to the faculties of education and to considerably intensify thecooperation between subject departments and faculties of education (OPM 1994: 14).

Profiling of teacher education unitsThe project for evaluating the field of education recommended a clarification of

the role of teacher education units (OPM 1994: 14).

Pedagogical studies in teacher training; teaching practiceThe documents regarding the development of teacher education focus on the struc-

ture of educational studies, pointing out that subject studies, pedagogical studies and theteaching practice of the prospective subject teachers are too widely separated (KM1968: A6).

Teaching practice should build on didactic theory. It should be individually tailored,supervised more analytically, and be closer to normal school teaching (KM 1967: A2;KM 1968: A6). The teaching practice is valued but seen in need of broader guidance(KM 1989: 26).

The content of educationThe content of education has been meagre (KM 1967: A2). The teacher needs

communication and cooperation skills, social awareness, continuous education, a readi-ness to experiment, a critical mind and scientific thinking (KM 1968: A6); the share ofsocial-economic elements in educational study programmes is too small (KM 1968:A6); the study programmes should be more polytechnic, theoretically and practicallymore oriented towards society (KM 1975: 75); the utilisation of modern technologyshould be intensified, and the communication skills of teachers should receive moreemphasis (Linna 1987). The content of study programmes should promote the develop-ment of a teacher personality, which is today impeded by fractionation of knowledge

15and lack of sociological, social-psychological and social elements in study programmes� teacher education needs an ethos and future orientation (Numminen 1987). The pro-grammes should contain more elements of educational philosophy and psychology oflearning, and promote interpersonal skills; business and industry worry about the socialrelevance of education (Suonperä 1987). The qualification requirements for compre-hensive school teachers should be defined more broadly (KM 1989: 26). The generalstudies for subject teachers should include orientation to the teaching profession (KM1989: 26). Education should be more self-steering and based on responsibility; it shouldoffer perspectives for personal growth and prepare for unpredicted change; the teach-ing profession requires a social mind; the ability to see social contexts, encounter differ-ent cultures, accept deviance, control changing processes, show initiative, make strate-gic plans, reach out towards the future, and create and implement information andeducational technology (OPM 1994: 14).

Subject teacher education and the question of natural sciencesEfforts to improve subject teacher education in natural sciences have not suc-

ceeded; the extent of subject combinations required for teaching posts has grown whilethe number of graduates has remained low (OPM 1993: 3). Subject studies and didacticstudies need to be better integrated; it should be possible to complete teaching practicewhilst teaching and not only at the teacher training schools; the subject departmentsshould assume broader responsibility for the education of subject teachers; it should bepossible to complete teaching practice and didactic studies in one year; the practicaltraining should also be possible in addition to studies, or even later (OPM 1993: 3).

The class teacher�s multidisciplinary studiesResearch conducted in the last ten years has shown that students studying to

become class teachers are not content with the basic courses offered in the subjectsthey are going to teach. Too packed study programmes are also seen as an impedimentto the internalisation of knowledge (KKN 1993).

Integration of theory and practiceTheory and practice are too widely apart; the study programmes are incoherent

(KM 1989: 26).

Recruitment and admission of studentsThe selection of students for subject teacher education should take place at the

very start of studies (KM 1975: 75). The system of admission should be developed tomake the profession attractive to the best applicants (Numminen 1987). Subject teachereducation has a recruitment problem (KM 1989: 26). To improve school instruction inmathematics and natural sciences, a special emphasis should be placed on the appli-cants� grades in these subjects upon graduating from upper secondary school (OPM1996: 1).

One teacher education for comprehensive schoolEfforts to improve education have pursued the idea of �one teacher education for

all levels of schools� (KM 1967: A2). Teacher education should be made more uniform(KM 1975: 75). Despite the goal of a more uniform education, educational programmeshave developed in different directions (KM 1989: 26). The teacher education offered inuniversities is still divided into two branches: the subject departments have not yet as-sumed the teacher educator�s role (Vanttaja & Ketonen 1995, 173).

16Adult education

Teacher education should also include adult education and generate broad-basedproficiency (OPM 1994: 16).

Further education and postgraduate degreesThe further education and retraining of teachers is poorly organised (KM 1967:

A2). The further education and retraining of teachers is not organised at all (KM 1968:A6). Teachers should have the opportunity of a career (KM 1968: A6). Teacher educa-tors should have an opportunity for some kind of sabbatical leave lasting for one term (L844/71). The licentiate degree would be a suitable postgraduate examination for teachers,provided that the salaries of licentiate graduates are adjusted accordingly (KM 1967:A2). The aim is to provide continuous education for teachers (KM 1975: 75). In theeducational sciences, the main emphasis should be placed on education following thebasic degrees, i.e. on a professional licentiate degree and doctoral studies (OPM 1994:16). The project for evaluation of educational sciences proposed the following degreeprogrammes: Master of Arts in Bachelor of Education (B.A. (Educ.)), Master of Artsin Education (M.A. (Educ.)), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D. (Educ.)), and a profession-ally oriented licentiate degree. In the educational sciences, the major subject should bedetermined by the institutions of higher education while the choice of minor subjectsshould be free (OPM 1994: 16).

2.2 Present-time perspective � the position of teacher education in universitiesFor the survey on the present-time perspective, the Evaluation Team had at its

disposal the documents submitted by the universities (including budget and action plans,annual and financial reports. The Evaluation Team compiled a 10�20 page summary ofeach university, with an appendix including statistics on the number of degrees taken,minor subjects, studying time, student intake, a list of the documents used, and extractsfrom study programme books.

The university-specific part of the summaries gives a general idea of the budgetplans, action plans and annual reports of the university in question. The documents helpto understand the position of teacher education in universities. The documents of somefaculties do not even mention teacher education although it may represent an importantorientation and career alternative to many students.

The place of pedagogical studies in educationThe teacher education offered by universities comprises degree programmes for

kindergarten teachers, class teachers and various subject teachers. The kindergartenteacher qualification takes at least 120 weeks of study, i.e. 120 credits, and leads to thebachelor�s degree. The other branches of teaching require the completion of at least160 or 180 credits and lead to the master�s degree.

Teacher education is clearly offered in two different forms: as educational scienceimbedded in other studies, or as separate studies of pedagogics. In the study programmesfor kindergarten teachers, class teachers and some subject teachers, educational sci-ence studies are imbedded into the programmes, the goal of the education being rightfrom the start to become a teacher. This is the case especially where the education isarranged by the Faculty of Education/Department of Teacher Education: it applies tokindergarten teachers, class teachers, teachers of technical crafts, textile crafts andhome economics, special education teachers, study counsellors except in the case wherethe student has already completed a teacher education degree. In the Faculty of Educa-tion, the major subject of study may be an educational science or one from the student�sown area of interest, e.g. textiles, clothing and craft design.

In the other areas of subject teacher education, pedagogical studies are completedin a separate study period lasting one to two years. Exemptions from this are the study

17programmes in physical education, visual arts and music; furthermore, the experimentsconducted at the Faculty of Science of the University of Helsinki, the Faculty of Sci-ence of the University of Joensuu, and the study programme for teachers of religion atthe University of Joensuu, to which students are admitted as a group of their own.Other faculties may also have special orientation alternatives for teachers: the subjectstudies may differ from the studies of other students in that they are directed morestrongly towards the needs of school life. Admission to teacher education is, however,sought only after admission to the faculty.

An orientation towards studies of pedagogics can be a problem if the studentdecides to seek qualification as a teacher at the final stage of his/her studies or evenafter graduation. In educational sciences, basic studies are offered in the form of masslectures or literature-based examinations. Therefore, there is no deeper interaction be-tween the lecturer and the student, and means for motivating the student are scarce.The separation of the student from his/her own subject department for at least a yearcan easily be experienced as a loss of time. The report makes some proposals to solvethese problems.

Present teacher qualification requirementsThe present teacher qualification requirements (Decree 1998/986) may to some

extent help to do away with the dual teacher education system consisting of classteacher education and subject teacher education. The universities can train teachersfor all comprehensive schools and beyond. This, however, requires cooperation be-tween the faculties of education and the subject departments in order for the students tomake the right choices for their minor subjects.

The present Teacher Qualifications Decree is more flexible with regard to orien-tation alternatives. The municipalities have the right to found teaching posts even fornon-traditional subject combinations. Since the teacher�s duties may now also containthings other than teaching, the students need to be encouraged to choose out-of-the-ordinary subject combinations to meet the new needs of working life and to have moreflexible career opportunities.

In line with the Teacher Qualifications Decree, universities regard the com-pletion of a higher degree programme as an essential, basic requirement for teachers.At the same time, the degree is a formal qualification for postgraduate studies.

2.3 The future-oriented perspective and its challengesThe future perspective of teacher education was analysed using material obtained

by future-oriented research methods and other material relevant from the point of viewof future education.

After first commenting on the extensive material, reflecting a wide range of dif-ferent views, the working group selected essential parts of the material for furtherprocessing. In that connection, the team members also generated new material. Theteam secretary summarised the material and a session was held to discuss it. The aimwas to agree on the views to be used for the material for self-evaluation (Appendix 8).

The document analysis dealt with the future perspective of teaching and learning.The views emerging were used to form groups of themes for the questionnaire/self-evaluation material to be sent to the units of teacher education.

The central issues of teacher education, produced by the Delphi technique andpresented to the universities in connection with the self-evaluation, were, in short, asfollows:

1. What will the environment for learning be like 2005 - 20102. What will be required of teaching3. What kind of students should be admitted to teacher education, and how shall it

be realised

184. What can be done to encourage the right students apply for admission5. What should the contents of study programmes be like6. How should teacher education be organised(7. Further aspects of developing teacher education)(8. Further comments)

The Delphi group produced the following views on future school, education andteacher education:

1. What will the environment for learning be like in 2005 - 2010

As a whole, the predictions were restricted to general education

If school still exists as an institution, the following may be reality at the sametime � although with different emphases:

1. Toleration of deviance � privatisation of schools, strongly individualisedschools � there will be more clearly bad and clearly good schools; the result:increased educational inequality;

2. Old-fashioned, defensive schools � hierarchic organisational structures;management as in times of industrial society � learning will be mainly based onthe reception of knowledge;

3. Elite school � requires everybody�s commitment � leads to more socialexclusion � not within everybody�s reach;

4. The model of a society of learners � schools will differentiate, but societywill take care of everybody�s educational needs � requires a self-steering learn-ing culture

School will inevitably lose its monopoly as a place for learning. The variouspaths to qualification will differ even more and leave behind the traditional formsof education and training:

a) the emancipatory approach � inventory discussions to prove qualificationb) joint portfolio discussions

Simulated situations � skill-based examinationsSchool will still have the following functions:a) an economic function; today the needs of business and industry have too

much weightb) the function of producing human (intelligence) resources;c) the function of facilitating choices at different stages of life;d) the function of transferring and developing culture;e) an emancipatory function � the perspective of the individual;f) a storing function � education creates reserves that can be utilised when

needed; ande) the function of providing the students with life-management skills; will

become increasingly important.In all education, the social community will receive more emphasise. Schools

as concrete places of learning will become centres for different activities evenoutside actual school hours. Schools will turn into multifunctional meeting places.School will produce social cohesion in a way no other institution can. In thatrespect, the school�s institutional role will grow even stronger.

The school system will become increasingly flexible. The direct interactionand encounter will, however, continue to be part of the learning process: despitethe benefits of increased information networking, learning without direct interac-tion will always be difficult for most students.

Information and communications technology will create well functioning so-

19cial networks. In education, technology will not mean isolation. We are inevitablyon our way to a society of networks.

With regard to society as a whole, there is no functioning democracy in theworld of information networks as only some population groups have proficiencyin their use. A situation in which old people and children have been forgotten isnot democratic. The present trend will increase social exclusion. Society is, how-ever, likely to react by creating protective networks for those left outside the in-formation networks.

The staff of a school will consist of professionals representing many fields ofexpertise. The school-maintaining organisation will decide on the whole of work-ing / on posts and positions. The school will be a work place for multidisciplinaryprofessionals. Starting at the beginning of next year, school maintaining organi-sations will be permitted to combine posts, and to determine, beyond traditionalstructures, the qualifications required in such situations. Qualification regula-tions will only define personal qualifications. Many teachers will have only lim-ited employment contracts or work part-time.

2. What will be required of teachingTeaching will continue to be human interaction. A teacher shall possess cer-

tain personal properties although expectations in this respect will no longer be asone-sided as they were in the traditional list of skills and knowledge expectedfrom a teacher. A teacher must possess professional skills based on scientific think-ing. Teaching will also mean mastery of the feed-back system in learning. Direc-torship in schools will become more complex: the school principal will be a deci-sion-maker with a broad array of competence for the learning centre as a whole,supporting the utilisation of the various strengths represented in school commu-nity.

A teacher should be able to design curricula and build units of teachingusing different teaching methods, depending on the situation. A teacher shouldpossess cultural know-how, be able to select contents, grasp whole entities andunderstand abstract matters. A teacher shall not only tolerate change: s/he mustmaster change. Both in his working community and outside it, the teacher acts asan expert. A teacher is an enthusiastic learner in at least one field of knowledge/skill. S/he is an expert in the processes of learning.

3. What kind of students should be admitted to teacher education, andhow should it be realised

The students admitted to teacher education will become partners of coopera-tion in everyday life; they should possess leadership qualities and be capable ofpursuing academic studies. Since studying will be arranged on an academic ba-sis, the applicant�s personal qualities may be an additional benefit but that willnot necessarily be enough. The students admitted to teacher education shouldbroadly represent the structure of society in order to make intensive cultural inter-action possible in the educational process.

Although the aspiring teacher cannot be expected to be an expert in every-thing, s/he should be a versatile person. Therefore, experience from other sectorsof working life should be valued. Unsuitable applicants should be excluded fromteacher education.

4. What can be done to have the right students apply for admissionTeaching should be marketed as an interesting profession which goes with

the times. To improve the public image of teaching, the schools� special post withregard to new information and communications technologies, for example, couldbe emphasised. The public image of school and education could also be made

20more exciting. Different methods of teaching and learning should be demonstratedin public. The teaching profession opens up a wide range of opportunities. Mu-nicipalities should present their schools as attractive working environments wherepay corresponds to performance. Schools need a career system with possibilitiesfor continuous education and additional qualification including additional pay-ment. This would make schools challenging, living working environments, attrac-tive even to men.

Teacher education should be presented in a broader framework: teachereducation provides qualification for duties even outside school. The status ofteacher education could be improved by presenting educational science as a sci-entific discipline. The professional qualification of teacher educators should beraised to meet present-day requirements.

Students with a social awareness should be challenged to make their school�look� the way they do. The recruitment basis, especially for class teachers, shouldbe broadened: the student could, e.g. first take a master�s degree and then chooseteacher education.

5. What should the contents of study programmes be likeThe studies should prepare the student for tasks serving the desirable learn-

ing environments of the future. This will include communal learning, cooperationskills, interpersonal skills, social awareness, information and communicationstechnology, ethical issues, mastery of processes, language skills, an ability tograsp the essential, cross-cultural understanding, mastery of the different formsof teaching and learning, and a broad knowledge of learning ranging from early-childhood learning to adult education.

6. How should teacher education be organisedTeacher education should combine science and practice in a functional man-

ner. During their education, the student should grow familiar with as many waysof learning as possible. To create possibilities for the exchange of experiences,teaching practice should be extended to all school stages. The cooperation withthe various partner institutions � libraries e.g. � should be practised, and thereshould be more mobility. Teachers are expected to think at the level of curricula �even here experience and training should be possible in the course of the studies.There should be more research on the contents and forms of teaching and theeveryday life of schools. We would need more pilot schools, workshop schools,for example.

Social behaviour can only be learnt in social communities � there should bemore opportunities for communal learning. Relations with the outside world shouldbe established on a broad basis during the years of study. Teacher educationshould be more open to society.

Have the professionals educating teachers done enough to increase theirown expert knowledge? Educators of teachers should be given more opportuni-ties for the research of teaching; the proportion of face-to-face teaching could bereduced.

2.4 The basis and context of recommendationsThe Evaluation Team based its work on former evaluations of teacher education,

documents delivered by the universities, summaries made of such documents, self-evaluations and site visits. The documents and themes of the self-evaluation question-naire were used in connection with the site visits. The material has been very extensive.The evaluation was based on an overall view consisting of different elements. Thebasic goal of the work has been to improve teacher education on a national level � notto observe any individual university in close detail.

21Since the site visits gave only a short observation of the situation in a university, the

evaluators tried to relate the information obtained through interviews to the extensivebackground material. The recommendations will provide ideas for development workbeyond individual phenomena. A further purpose of the evaluation has been to create anoverall picture of the present situation in Finnish teacher education; the evaluation re-sults must be seen in relation to this goal.

If the aim had been to rank the universities by their quality, the evaluation wouldhave required a more researching approach and a longer period of time. When assess-ing the use of resources in this extensive project, it must be considered that all evalua-tors did their work on the project in addition to their own professional duties.

Due to the character of constructive evaluations, the report placed the main em-phasis on recommendations. Thus, many good, or even excellent things about universi-ties may have been left without a mention.

For a period of 20-30 years, committees and evaluators have been trying to im-prove the conditions that gave rise to the recommendations of this evaluation. By refer-ring to former assessments, reports and opinions, the Evaluation Team wanted to em-phasise the long history of evaluation. It is hoped that this will lend more weight to therecommendations as part of a developing process that needs serious attention. Althougha great deal has been done during the past decades, many projects and results of evalu-ations have proven clearly that there is a permanent need for an open and criticaldiscussion on how to improve teacher education.

As regards teacher education, Finnish universities can be proud to be among thebest in Europe. If this is emphasised, the evaluation has an encouraging starting pointand can be seen in the right dimension. It is always possible to make good even better.Maybe it is the constructive criticism towards one�s own achievements that explainsthe level of Finnish teacher education. This view is supported also by comparativestudies of other countries and the publication �Teacher Education in Europe� (1996).

223 National recommendations for teacher education reform

3.1 Framework for teacher education reform

A focus on social development in teacher educationWhen defining objectives for teacher education, the work and procedures of teachers

including traditions, current practices and needs for further measurers, should be con-sidered in a wider socio-cultural context: students should be supported in the process ofacquiring competence to meet the complex reality of teacher�s work. The developmentof educational culture at different levels is also of primary importance.

Teacher education is a blend of many different fields of teaching including re-search and development, training, practise and information acquisition. Important fac-tors in education include disciplinary-specific pedagogical questions, and on the otherhand, collaboration between different disciplines to improve a culture of cooperation.

It is important to assess the expectations society places on teacher education andfind out ways to fulfil them. In this process, less significant factors and those having agreater impact should be distinguished. In projects funded by the Ministry of Education,the focus has been firmly on command of mathematics and natural sciences. The edu-cational system has failed to meet the challenges in this area: the demand for the skillsneeded in the information industry has greatly increased and caused serious problemsworld-wide. Teacher education provides the means of improving the situation, and thusthis matter should be addressed in all teacher education.

This means that we should pay more attention to the nature of change in society and the newopportunities created by and restrictions caused by information and communications technologies onour work. Real-time observation of global issues and learning new things should also not be overlookedeither. If development is considered from this perspective, school may lose its monopoly as a place forlearning. Nevertheless, teachers will always be needed to help students to acquire reliable information.Stereotypical views should not constitute the basis for conceptions of teacher�s tasks, not today, nor inthe future. 2

The concept of knowledge should be critically evaluated in teacher education.Attitudes and feelings also convey information. In an increasingly multicultural world,phenomena must be interpreted in their cultural contexts.

2 According to the Parliamentary Committee for Education and Culture (1995, 1996), high-qualityteacher education is of central importance for the quality level of schools. In today�s rapidly changingworld, school education is a valuable tool for shaping an individual�s future life and preparing him/her forchange. It is largely the result of the teacher�s efforts if children and young people grow to become adultswho are ready for a satisfactory life but also ready for new situations and the difficulties change canmean. Teachers are expected to have proficiency in the subjects they teach but also to possess abilitiesgoing beyond that. In recent times, the educational task of the teacher has become even more important:the methods of teaching children with learning disabilities must be improved; in addition to teachers shouldlearn to recognise the mechanisms leading to social exclusion, and know how to intervene. Furthermore,teachers should create equal possibilities of development for both genders, and be willing to cooperatewith the other service sectors. Today�s curricular responsibilities have, to a large extent, been transferredto schools and teachers.

In the view of the Parliamentary Committee for Education and Culture, the role of teachers inevaluating, developing and researching their own work is becoming increasingly important. The constantlychanging concepts of learning and teaching are followed by constant changes in the structures andpractices of teaching (Report of the Parliamentary Committee for Education and Culture 6/1995 and Expertopinion 2/1996).

23

Raising the esteem of the teaching professionTraditionally, teachers have been held in high esteem. Class teacher education has

been popular, which indicates that the appreciation is still there. The subject teachereducation, however, has been in difficulties in some fields due to a small number ofapplicants. This reflects either the weak social appreciation or a low competitive ca-pacity of the profession. In some subject teacher fields the teacher programme is gradedas inferior, for example, by briefer master�s theses. Thus the esteem of the teacher�sprofession should be on the national agenda and measures should be taken to improveteacher�s status in cooperation with education providers.3

3.2 Cooperation between the organisers of teacher educationOrganisational structure, especially the faculty and department division, have of-

ten resulted in a situation where teaching aiming at the same objectives and having thesame contents is separately arranged for students of each department � even in thedepartments of the same faculty (e.g., behavioural sciences or education, and teachereducation on the other hand). There are universities where subject teacher and classteacher education is arranged totally separately. This is in conflict with the developmen-tal endeavours of the comprehensive school. Teachers at integrated comprehensiveschools should acquire a joint professional language and operational culture during basictraining.4

The support of cooperation and joint planning of teacher education organisersshould be strengthened (consultative committees and cooperation organs). Furthermore,all subject departments providing teacher education should have specific teacher edu-cation contacts and responsible persons who in turn would have corresponding coop-eration partners in the Department of Education and teacher training schools.

Research cooperation should be increased between departments, faculties anduniversities in issues related to learning, teaching, the teaching profession, and develop-ment of schools. The subject of students� theses should be education and pedagogics ina broad sense. The significance of research in subject teacher studies could be empha-sised by encouraging subject departments to allow theses with a didactic approach. It isimperative that faculties and departments pool their resources in theses supervision.Teachers working in the faculties of education could also act as supervisors. The divi-sion of work could be separately decided in each university. If subject didactics istaught in the subject departments, the growth process of becoming a teacher can besupported through entire studies.5

3 In Finland, the esteem of teaching and education differs from one university to another. According to a reviewsubmitted to the Committee for Education and Culture, the general valuation is not high, considering the significant role ofthe teacher in today�s society and in children�s education. The fact that students do not enrol for teacher education until theyare in the middle or at the end of their studies, may be one of the factors lowering the esteem of teacher education. (Report6/1995 and Expert opinion 2/1996 of the Parliamentary Committee for Education and Culture).

4 The report of the Committee for the Development of Teacher Education (1989: 26) refers to the problems emerging inthe field of cooperation between faculties when it comes to arranging subject teacher education. The problems are not onlyabout the contents of study programmes, but also about practical arrangements. The problem with studies of educationalsciences is that they are not really connected to subject studies; nor do basic studies of educational sciences connect withany other studies. Educational studies are often seen by students as something apart from everything else, whereasteaching practice and subject didactics are generally highly esteemed.

The Disciplinary Evaluation of the Humanities suggested that all the parties concerned should cooperate to furtherimprove subject teacher education. It is not possible to carry out major changes in only one educational sector. Therefore,the working group suggested an evaluation of the educational field and of overall teacher education as a part of it; theevaluation should involve all parties concerned. (OPM 1993: 9)

5 The international report on the evaluation of educational sciences drew attention to a lack of coordination betweensubject departments and faculties of education in their cooperation. This was due to problems in practical arrangements, anunwillingness to cooperate, competition for resources, and differences of opinion regarding the status of one�s own disciplineas compared to that of the other discipline. Reference to experience gained in other parts of Europe showed that a completetransfer of the pedagogical part of subject teacher education to subject departments would not be the solution, since therewould not then be enough pedagogical expertise to develop the subject teaching. The report shows, on the other hand, thatsubject teacher education as the sole responsibility of the faculties of education would lower the level of know-how in thetaught subjects. The evaluation team considers the best solution to be the establishment of subject-didactical posts in theeducational faculties, and a considerable intensification of the cooperation between subject departments and faculties ofeducation. (OPM 1994: 14)

24Cooperation between departments of teacher education, subject departments and

teacher training schoolsCooperation between subject departments, departments of teacher education and

teacher training schools is a stumbling block in every university. Units fail to dissemi-nate information, and students are faced with confusing information, concepts, valuationsand demands. Units transfer and evade responsibility, avoiding concrete cooperation.Division of work is inadequate, whilst the scientific value of some disciplines is some-times publicly challenged. Many subject departments fail to acknowledge their role asteacher educators although the majority of their students eventually become teachers.Special attention should be paid to development of cooperation, dissemination of infor-mation, and supervision. Students should be able to receive reliable information.

Dissolving the exclusive right regarding teachingNational exclusive rights concerning some educational field in one university should

not be favoured in teacher education nor in any other academic education. In particular,teachers of physical education must be able to study in more units than at present.

Resource allocation in teacher educationThe present, rather mechanical performance-based requirements placed on each

result unit focussing on quantitative requirements hamper rational arrangements of teach-ing and obstruct cooperation between different units. Therefore, joint achievementsshould be taken into account for the benefit of each cooperation unit.

Recommendations for improving cooperationWays of thinking, routines and conditions for operation which all influence the

current practices must be open to critical discourse and, if necessary, restructured. It isimperative that all parties in teacher education understand the impact of their ownactions on the overall process and commit themselves to comprehensive teacher edu-cation.

The Evaluation Team recommends the following measures be implemented in alluniversities:

1. The university management will define a comprehensive strategy for teachereducation.

2. The university will establish a prestigious, representative and motivated councilor other body preferably having authority. This council or body will supervise, co-ordi-nate and evaluate teacher education.

3. The subject studies of prospective teachers will be streamed in subject de-partments. The establishment of a new degree programme will be unnecessary, sincethe same effect can be achieved by course options. The arrangements are not to threatenthe equal value of degrees.

4. In each subject department, there will be at least one responsible person perdiscipline having a doctor�s degree and who has specialised in teacher education whosescope of operation will consist of development of studies to embrace teaching perspec-tives, and of keeping contact with the teacher education unit and teacher training school.

5. Teaching in didactics will be partially given in the subject department: theaim is to keep in touch with up-to-date scientific research/ knowledge of art in theconcerned field. For example, it is reasonable that laboratory works or the teaching ofit will take place in the subject department.

6. Considering that the need for improvements in cooperation between subjectdepartments, faculties of education, teacher training schools and other concerned part-ners is a well-known fact, unbiased interaction should be encouraged. In some casesdissemination of information can be eased by simply making use of existing informationand communications technology.

7. Regular cooperation must become a reality at the level of academic andadministrative staff.

25

3.3 ProfilingThe profiling of teacher education was one theme of the evaluation project. The

Evaluation Team discovered that specialisation had only taken place in class teachereducation. The issue of the profiling of teacher education departments was raised dur-ing the international evaluation of educational sciences. (1994: 14). 6

Policies and the operational cultures differ from one university to another. Thiscan be partly explained by traditions or the location, although primarily it is a question ofdifferent personal procedures � of professors, lecturers, researchers, assistants andadministrative staff. These differences should be regarded as opportunities and strengthsin the search for a unique image for different universities.

The profiling of teacher education can succeed if it is based on the strengths of theunit, sound educational policies and/or, if it has positive implications for whole country. Anation-wide report on quantitative and qualitative needs is required. So too is a nation-wide general plan on the division of duties, proportioning of teacher education, andstrategies of teacher education in different universities in which the target agreementsof both the universities and the Ministry of Education would be defined. Handbooksshould contain sufficient information on all profiling of teacher education departments.

3.4 Extending the scope of teacher qualificationDue to new educational legislation, which came into effect on January 1, 1999, the

distinction between lower-level and upper-level comprehensive school disappeared, thusmaking the difference between subject teachers and class teachers less prominent.7

The present emphasis on the number of degrees in target agreements should not beallowed to hamper class teachers� sensible choice of minor subject studies or the quali-fication of subject teachers to class teachers. The major subject of the students in theclass teacher education programmes could thus be any educational subject (e.g., edu-cational psychology or educational sociology).

�Extensive teacher education� was mentioned as a concept as early as 1975, in thereport by the Teacher Education Committee (KM 1975: 75). In the report, extensiveeducation is defined as teacher�s opportunity to choose between various posts in com-prehensive schools, secondary education or even adult education. In order to achievethis, the Committee recommended that education should include not only professional,theoretical and methodological skills but also scientific research into society�s opera-tions.8

8 The Teacher Education Committee (KM 1989: 26) defined the goals as follows: extensive professional qualification; flexible mobility; flexible opportunities for continuing education; support of teachers� professional growth; highervaluation of the teaching profession; intensification of the interaction between school, working life and teacher training;readiness for international interaction.

Although there will still be degree programmes for class teachers and subject teachers in the future, it will also bepossible to study and become qualified for the entire comprehensive school. Depending on the subject combination, theteacher may orient towards comprehensive school or secondary education; and in some cases even towards adulteducation (Report of the Committee for the Development of Teacher Education 1989: 26).

In today�s society, many factors require more possibilities for moving flexibly between the various teacher groups,school forms and school stages. This will require even more extensive degree programmes for teachers. The universitiesshould meet this need, e.g. by intensifying the cooperation between subject departments and teacher education. Thiswould make it possible for the students to pursue cross-disciplinary, more diversified degree programmes (Report 6/1995 and Expert opinion 2/1996 of the Parliamentary Committee for Education and Culture).

6 The evaluation by international experts showed several possibilities for developing teacher education. Theevaluation and development project emphasised the importance of developing work at the departmental level. Thedepartments were urged to clarify their role and to demonstrate their special know-how in research and teaching. Inaddition, the project emphasised the value of the following principles to the studies of educational sciences: self-directed learning, responsibility, perspective of personal growth, readiness to encounter unpredicted change, socialskills, consideration of social context, encountering different cultures, toleration of deviance, change management,initiative, strategic planning and future orientation, development and utilisation of information and communicationstechnologies. (OPM 1994:14)

7 Basic Education Act 1998. 21.8.1998/628.Basic Education Decree 1998. 20.11.1998/852Upper Secondary Schools Act 1998. 21.8.1998/629.Upper Secondary Schools Decree 1998. 6.11.1998/810.

26

One starting point for developing teacher education could be the strengthening ofthe already existing trend, in other words, the focus would be on pedagogically compe-tent teachers with extensive professional qualifications who master at least two otherspecial fields. These special fields could be related to some other field of knowledge, asubject, interdisciplinary programme (for example, multicultural studies and communi-cation) or educational field (study counselling or special education). Education shouldprovide an opportunity for working with different age-groups without forgetting suffi-cient theoretical and practical skills. Extensive teacher education could also result in abetter incorporation of the subject content and pedagogics.

Extensive teacher qualification requires flexible and versatile teacher educationwhich recognises the students� personal choices. Many degrees are, however, school-like in nature. Thus the opportunity of students studying in class teacher and kindergar-ten teacher programmes in particular to make any real choices are limited to haphazardinterchangeable optional courses. On the other hand, students� concepts are adapted tothe tradition and supply; in particular the degrees of those who specialise in languagesare narrow and resemble each other to a great extent.

It is desirable that special education teachers also have a class teacher qualifica-tion. Subject teachers should also be able to obtain the qualifications required for a classteacher, and vice versa. Similarly, kindergarten teachers should be able to continue theirstudies to be able to work as class teachers.

It is unnecessary to establish a teacher degree programme with lower academicrequirements which will not give eligibility for postgraduate studies. A Finnish teacherhas a minimum degree of 160 credits which, in international comparison, is quite exten-sive and scientifically competent. Very often degrees consist of 180 or even 200 cred-its.

Students must be able to receive teacher education in subjects which are nottaught in comprehensive schools or upper secondary schools. Teachers are needed inmany places other than schools: in upper secondary vocational education, adult educa-tion, central administration, societies, associations, and numerous other organisations.The pedagogical competence required for adult education should be focused on moreeffectively. Extending the scope of teacher education will not bring a great deal ofadditional costs to universities if pedagogical studies in teacher training are included in adegree as a minor subject. The capacity and resources of faculties of education mustnot be ignored.

Pro gradu thesesPro gradu studies should be equal in credit size for all students. Supervision of

didactic theses should be arranged more efficiently in a closer cooperation betweenfaculties of education and subject departments. These should provide students withequal eligibility for postgraduate studies in all universities. Presently, the practices indifferent universities vary.9

Minor subject studiesStudy programme books of each faculty often indicate that students are free to

choose their minor study subjects. In practice, the choices are limited. Universitiesshould therefore allow students an equal access to minor subject studies in their chosenfield which would provide them with an extensive professional qualification. Further-more, universities should actively promote new subject combinations, such as biology

9 According to the recommendations, the thesis should require the work of about 20 credits (Report of the

Committee for the Development of Teacher Education 1989: 26).

27 and chemistry. Subjects in which the number of class hours is small, i.e., philosophy ora religious subject could be recommended as minor subjects. General studies, for examplein history or geography and languages could be an appropriate combination in theincreasingly international school world.10

Universities should also actively encourage the maintainers of educationalestablishments to abandon overly demanding subject combinations and to includefunctional subject combinations in teaching posts to benefit both teachers and schools.

3.5 Increasing teacher education among students of natural sciences and math-ematics

Teacher Qualifications Decree 11 (1998/986) makes it difficult for those who wishto pursue subject teacher studies in natural sciences and mathematics. The majority ofteaching posts include three, or even four subjects (mathematics, physics, chemistryand computer science). Since the new decree stipulates that students must have atleast 35 credits on each subject, it is not even theoretically possible to have qualifica-tions in three subjects in a degree comprising 160 credits since four subjects requires atleast 215 credits. Simultaneously, demands for shortening studying time and with finan-cial aid restricted to only 55 months, students find themselves in an impossible situation.The Ministry of Education, universities, and teachers� trade unions should assume anactive role so that the necessity of having posts including two subjects would becomeclear to the municipalities, and would thus erase this problem. Furthermore, the subjectcombinations in posts could be more flexible.

In its programme on educational policy, the first cabinet of Paavo Lipponen (1995�1999) emphasised how Finnish competence in natural science and mathematics will beraised to an international level (1996, 1).12 The objective was that a greater number ofpupils and students would take an interest in mathematics and natural sciences. Inteacher education this would entail an increasing utilisation of university laboratoriesand clubs in physics and chemistry at schools. Visits to businesses would also help tounderstand industrial life and its requirements.

3.6 Improving evaluation in departmentsUp to now, departments participating in teacher education have practised only a

little such evaluation as would help students or teachers utilise the results. Upgradingskills in evaluation and development succeeds best during studies through those meth-ods by which each department guides its students to evaluate department policies, edu-cational objectives and content, implementation methods and their own studies. Forfuture teachers, this is a question of crucial professional skills and competence, there-fore this field should not be overlooked. It is possible to increase students� awareness ofthe objectives and to help them to understand their studies in a comprehensive way byindicating the central curricular objectives and the complementary areas more clearly inthe study programme book. The setting of the objectives for each course also

10 The Parliamentary Committee for Education and Culture takes a stand on minor subject studies (1995/1996). All

teacher education departments should have equal opportunities and sufficient resources to enable students to completeminor subject studies at different locations and faculties (Report 6/1995 and Expert opinion 2/1996 of the ParliamentaryCommittee for Education and Culture)

11 Teaching Qualifications Decree 1998. 14.12.1998/986

12 Projects for the development of teacher education: In the admissions to teacher education, the applicant�s grades

in mathematics and natural sciences upon graduation from upper secondary school should be given special consideration.Universities should design teacher education programmes with mathematics and natural sciences as the minor subjects.At least 15 percent of the prospective class teachers should complete a degree in mathematics or natural sciences. Everyyear, the number of subject teachers graduating with physics or chemistry as a major subject should be over 80. Thereshould be individually tailored programmes for master�s degrees, based on former studies, for persons (40 persons/year)in working life who would like to study to become teachers. (OPM 1996: 1)

28needs to be developed. Students should not only learn to evaluate their own work,progress and contribution but also larger unities and group activities thus training theirskills in the planning of schoolwork and self-evaluation, both important in the schoolcommunity.

3.7 Postgraduate studies and continuing educationWhile developing teacher education, we must remember that those teachers who

have only recently completed their degrees and started to work, cannot be familiar withall the demanding tasks of a teacher and educator. Therefore it is of primary impor-tance to decide what should be included in basic studies, what is the function of continu-ing education and which issues cannot be taught but are gained by experience andwork. Strengthening of the teacher identity and preparing students for the changingroles in the teacher�s profession are central to all teacher studies.

For several decades, the importance of further education for teachers has beenemphasised in different kinds of development projects.13

It is necessary to create versatile career paths and flexible opportunities for teach-ers. This can be done with the help of new recruiting models, choice of orientation andfurther studies.

Departments providing teacher education must establish an active relationship withthe labour market to continuously develop educational objectives, content, and proce-dures. Teachers should be able to participate in continuing education programmes atintervals of a couple of years with the help of a sabbatical system. This would enableteachers to follow the new developments in their field and prevent them from becomingexhausted by their workload. The system could be launched for teachers of teachertraining schools. Initially, the continuing education period could be shorter than in thepast � and it should be introduces as an opportunity, not as an obligation. Teachers oftraining schools in particular have, in addition to their everyday routines in teaching andadministrative work, to supervise student teachers � a task which requires up-to-dateexpertise. Although the supply of continuing education is fortunately sufficient at themoment, combining working and continuing education proves a harder task

The licentiate degree and the title of Senior TeacherThe licentiate degree should be re-established as a degree which would be taken

into account in the performance criteria of the Ministry of Education. This would en-courage departments to capitalise on postgraduate students who do not aim for themore time-consuming doctor�s degree. The licentiate degree would encourage workingteachers to start postgraduate studies. Postgraduate students studying for their li

13 The Teacher Education Act of 1971, prescribed for the teachers of teacher education units the right and the

obligation to hold a so-called sabbatical year for further education (Teacher Education Act 1971. 844/1971, 11§). Later on,the system of sabbatical leave was, however, abolished.

Since changes in regulations have enabled teachers at different school levels and different fields of education tomove, at reasonable cost, from one position to another, the institutions of higher education should assume responsi-bility for developing suitable programme offers. (Report of the Committee for the Development of Teacher Education1989: 26)

The Education Evaluation Project suggested that effective, internationally oriented, interdisciplinary programmesfor further education be drawn up within departments or in inter-departmental cooperation. In the field of education,more emphasis should be placed on postgraduate education, the professional licentiate degree, and the doctoraldegree. (OPM 1994: 16)

The government plan designed to promote research in education and the institutions of higher education during theperiod 1995�2000, placed special emphasis on continuing education.

The Expert opinion (1/1996) of the Parliamentary Committee for Education and Culture also drew attention toteachers� continuing education. The issue of continuing education is being solved by individual municipalities as seemsbest from the viewpoint of local development. This is the right policy as it safeguards the curricular work in municipali-ties and the individual schools. The result has, however, been that there are considerable differences in the continuingeducation offered to teachers in different municipalities. The present model does not guarantee, either, that all teachersbecome familiarised with the themes and topics of central national importance.

Teachers should have the right and the obligation to participate in longer, goal-oriented continuing education.Continuing education should offer tools for the research, evaluation and development of teacher�s work, thus makingteachers ready for change and capable of moving from the role of a knowledge provider to that of a learning assistant.(Report 6/1995 and Expert opinion 2/1996 of the Parliamentary Committee for Education and Culture)

29centiate degrees at their own expense while working are a valuable asset for Finnishsociety. The professional-scientific licentiate degree should be retained as an appropriatepostgraduate degree for working teachers.

Postgraduate degrees should be taken into account in remuneration. This is re-lated to the esteem of teachers; redressing this drawback might encourage more stu-dents to apply for teacher education. As regards remuneration, the most central issue isnot the lack of an increment paid on the basis of the doctor�s degree, but the presentlength-of-service bonus system which only covers service in an educational establish-ment which provides lower-level education than universities. The length-of-service bo-nus can amount to a rise of more than ten salary grades whereas the doctor�s degreeonly contributes to a rise of one or two salary grades. Consequently, a person with adoctor�s degree who has worked outside school or in the university as a researcher orteacher has to work some twenty years in school before s/he catches up with the salarydifferential.

The title of Senior Teacher has been formerly used in university training schools,and is now used in polytechnics. The title could also be suitable for academics with alicentiate or a doctoral degree or for otherwise accomplished teachers.14

3.8 Pedagogical studies and teaching practice

Pedagogical qualificationsA number of times, the Evaluation Team considered both the content of general

educational studies and their relationship to pedagogical studies, namely, the proportionsof pedagogics, didactics, other contents and teaching practice in studies. Many facultiesof education refuse to accept basic studies in education as such if they have beencompleted without courses in didactics and teaching practice, but require the missingcourses to be completed during teacher education. Subject studies in education andpedagogical studies worth 35 credits were inconsistent both in their content and struc-ture, even within the same university.

Pedagogical studies give general pedagogical qualification; a fact that has notbeen a properly addressed. For example, pedagogical studies in subject teacher traininggive students the qualification to work as class teachers. Bearing this in mind, thereshould be more common contents and teaching in joint groups for all students.15

Pedagogical studies can be arranged in several ways: the main principles includethe integration of theory and practice, pedagogical studies meant for all and specificpedagogical subjects aimed at different target groups. Teaching could be subject- andprogramme specific, including theme groups and school level (class teaching/subject

14 The report of the Teacher Education Committee suggested that two payment categories be introduced for seniorteachers; this would mean better pay for those teachers who have completed the licentiate degree. As an alternative,there could be the title or degree of Senior Teacher. The level of such a title or degree would be determined by thelicentiate degree (KM 1967: A2).

15 In 1967, the report of the Teacher Education Committee paid attention to the issue of proficiency in severalsubjects. Teachers should not be seen as specialists in only one subject. When working with children and adolescents,the teacher should act as an integrator who is doing his best to coordinate the various processes going on simultaneously.For that purpose, the teacher should view the educational process from the perspective of society as a whole, whilst,on the other hand, maintaining awareness of the socialisation process and learning in the individual student. As a whole,teachers should, to a certain degree, lean in their work on the intellectual patterns and methods used in acquisition andprocessing of information in the various fields of knowledge, and have a picture of the role of the individual disciplinesin the development of society (Report of Teacher Education Committee 1967: A2)

The Teacher Education Curricular Committee (KM 1968: A6) pointed out in its report that some teacher educationunits have made pedagogical studies in the faculty of education a part of the study programme for class teachers. Thisis a way to save costs. Basic studies (�approbatur�) in educational sciences are in line with the goals of class teachereducation. (Report of Teacher Education Curricular Committee 1968: A6)

One of the principles leading to organisational reform was to re-define the position of educational � in a wider sense:

30teaching in comprehensive school, youth education, adult education and vocationaleducation). This would entail pedagogical study modules which could be completed inparallel with other studies, for example, during subject studies. As regards choices madeby students, pedagogical studies must be considered with a view to aptitude for teachingin as wide a framework as possible.

Supplementary pedagogical studiesThe supply of supplementary pedagogical studies has decreased mainly for finan-

cial reasons because they do not lead to a degree. These kinds of studying opportunitiesshould be arranged always if there is space in the teaching or practice group. It is likelythat the demand for education will increase in the future, and supplementary studiesprovide a flexible way to meet this demand. Participants should be able to completetheir studies whilst working even if this takes several years. Supplementary studiesshould also be offered in the form of open and distance learning studies. The arrange-ment of supplementary studies should also be taken into account in funding.

Optional studiesCompared with the present-day upper secondary school where pupils have plenty

of choice both in terms of the content and schedules, for example, class teacher educa-tion, kindergarten teacher education and pedagogical studies in universities still deprivethe students of the freedom of choice. In teacher education, tight schedules, the evenprogress of studies, courses lasting for a year, and a large amount of courses whereattendance is obligatory is everyday reality. Students should be allowed to make choicesespecially in regard to their pedagogical studies and teaching practice. Different meth-ods of distant teaching and team work which better prepare for the demands of work-ing life than the present methods are required. Instead of mass lectures, working meth-ods which promote cooperation between different teacher groups should be employed.

Multidisciplinary studies in class teacher educationTraditionally, multidisciplinary studies in class teacher education have meant small

entities of studies, usually comprising a couple of credits. The leading principle is pre-sumably that everybody studies a range of subjects. The fragmentary nature of studies,however, should be reduced in the future. Concentration on fewer subjects, courseswith a limited scope which can be incorporated into larger wholes and abandoning therevision of upper secondary school courses would help. Thus students could deepentheir knowledge in their studied subjects. It is unnecessary for every prospective class

pedagogical � studies in teacher education.Pedagogic skills should be seen more broadly. Although didactics is still very important, the other aspects of

pedagogy should receive more emphasis. This is especially true for educational sociology and the psychology oflearning. The report of the Teacher Education Committee (KM 1975: 75) dealt, among other things, with the content ofeducational studies:

The aim was to require of all groups of teachers at least the completion intermediate studies (�cum laude�) inpedagogics. The pedagogical studies were thought to be, by and large, identical to those required of students ofeducational sciences.

Secondly, there was pressure towards integrating theory and practice. This goal is not new. The teacher�s approachto his work should be that of a researcher.

A third goal was to link pedagogical studies and subject studies even more closely. According to the report, this goalwas not new, either, since it is actually impossible to pursue pedagogical studies with no link to the content of thesubject to be taught.

The report of the Committee for the Development of Teacher Education of 1989 evaluated the state andneeds of class teacher and subject teacher education, using in this the basic principles outlined for development in the1973 report of the committee.

On the basis of the evaluation, the committee defined the goals of the work to improve teacher education asfollows:

(1) extensive professional competence;(2) flexible mobility and flexible opportunities for continuing education in the field of teaching;(3) support for teachers� professional development and valuation of the teaching profession;(4) interaction of school, working life and teacher education;(5) international interaction. (KM 1989: 26)

31teacher to study every subject that is taught in comprehensive school. Multidisciplinarystudies should also be provided in thorough unities which exceed present subjectboundaries.

Despite theme study modules being mentioned in the Decree on Degrees along-side disciplines, and in an even more detailed way in the grounds for the comprehensiveschool curriculum, they are barely discernible. The absence of theme modules in stud-ies is unfortunate, and inconsistent with the decree: the task of all teachers is also toeducate citizens. Topical theme modules include legitimacy, traffic, health and familyeducation. Negligence in this area is difficult to rectify afterwards. One option is todevelop working life contacts and entrepreneurship education as theme modules. Op-tional studies and personal initiative on the one hand and the integration of theme mod-ules and subject studies on the other could form the basis of studying arrangements.

Opportunities for more extensive minor subject studies should also be supportedalso in practice by reducing face-to-face teaching, presently regarded as obligatory.Formal performance points should not obstruct diversification of studies. The masteryand comprehension of mathematics and mother tongue in teacher education should begiven more weight.

Theory as an instrument of developmentThe often repeated claim that theory and practice only partially meet, indicates

that they have difficulties in defining the status and significance of theory in teachers�work. The students themselves have a central role in creating an overall picture. Con-sidering that the actual teaching includes so many simultaneous processes, it is onlynatural that students are unable to anticipate different situations in a detailed or similarway at the same time, nor do they have similar ideas of them. The comprehensivewhole cannot be served to students: they have to form it for themselves. Therefore theconcept of developing teaching skills cannot be built on the learning of some haphazardprocedures let alone the idea that professional teaching could result from the directallocation of a theoretical model in practice. Teacher education must help students toform a comprehensive picture of what they are studying.

The Finnish educational system has been developed according to the theory thatteachers are required to assume an independent and critical approach to teaching. Thusteacher education should emphasise the development of their own pedagogical think-ing. Theoretical knowledge, however, is significant in teaching: it encourages studentsto question and conceptualise educational situations. Teachers have to learn to act ra-tionally in different situations, ranging from the setting of objectives with a view to therequirements and needs in different situations. They also have to choose appropriatemeasures in each situation and finally to evaluate the results. The grounds for educa-tional thought, decision-making and procedures can be obtained through educationaltheories. Therefore it is necessary that students have the opportunity of analysing theirteaching at a theoretical level to justify their choices.

When we speak of the relationship between theory and practice, the central aimof teacher education should be stressed: the achievement of integration between differ-ent courses and their content. This means that studying theoretical issues has a differ-ent function at different stages of the studies. This includes a notion of growing intoresearcher-oriented thinking and argumentation. Theoretical studies also provide eligi-bility for postgraduate studies.

Students seem to have somewhat vague ideas of educational theory, and oftendemand superficial, recipe-like recommendations. It seems that the theory-based ap-proach crumbles. The significance of theoretical viewpoints could be made more con-crete: the starting point could include the problems arising from a specific educationalsituation. Students could then apply different kinds of theoretical approaches to thesesituations. Simultaneously, the notion that teaching and education is not a technique,which can be applied superficially, should be emphasised. This might help students to

32grasp the practical nature of educational theory. A competent teacher needs a profoundknowledge of social conditions, human interaction and solutions related to special edu-cation; this applies to all teacher categories.16

Pedagogical teaching in art academiesThe Evaluation Team recommends that since there are qualified teachers of arts

subjects with a formal qualification as a teacher educator, art academies could inde-pendently offer a module consisting of 35 credits in cooperation with the faculty ofeducation. Cooperation agreements would safeguard versatile supply and high qualityof educational knowledge. Art academies could more actively engage in cooperationwith each other in arranging studies.17

3.2.1 The content of pedagogical studiesWhen evaluating the content of pedagogical studies, we must consider the objec-

tives of general education. Among others, in its report on new educational legislation(1997), the Parliamentary Committee for Education and Culture deals with perspec-tives of the Basic Education Act and Upper Secondary Schools Act which should influ-ence the content of teacher education.

Teacher education programmes claim to educate students for professions whichinclude inter-personal relationships, interaction and cooperation, even though this is notsufficiently apparent in the evaluated curricula. In psychology teaching, development,learning and teaching are included in the curriculum, but then again social-psychologicalperspective is conspicuous by its absence. The amount of sociological, educational phi-losophy and societal material is too small. Prospective teachers can still graduate with-out any studies in special education. Problems which teachers increasingly encounter intheir working lives, such as restless working environments, mental problems, drugs andcriminality, are by and large ignored in the curricula.

The content definitions and development required in teacher education is bestachieved by analysing teacher�s work and future.18

16 The Report of the Teacher Education Committee (KM 1967: A2) stated in its assessment of secondary teachereducation that education aiming at proficiency in the teaching subjects, and pedagogical training were completelyseparated. The pedagogic part of the studies often contained little, if any, elements of general pedagogy.

In the view of the Parliamentary Committee for Education and Culture, the relationshipof theory with practice was not clear enough. According to a report submitted to the Committee, proposals have beenmade to reduce the share of student teaching in teacher education, which would further separate theory and practice(Report 6/1995 and Expert opinion 2/1996 of the Parliamentary Committee for Education and Culture).

17 According to the report of the Committee for the Development of Teacher Education, the level of teachereducation has risen in subject teacher education for skills and arts. Subject-related didactics has formed a link betweensubject and school (Report of the Committee for the Development of Teacher Education 1989: 26).

18 In the report of the Committee for the Development of Teacher Education (1989: 26), the areas that should becovered by pedagogical studies are specified as follows: planning skills, curricular design and development; overallconcept of teacher�s work; pedagogic use of lesson hour quota including the ability to cooperate with fellow-teachersbeyond subject boundaries; work with heterogeneous student groups; encountering deviant children; extra-curricularforms of learning; evaluation of the work of own school; psychology of learning and coping with learning disabilities. Inthe future, teacher should be prepared for their work not only in terms of knowledge and skills but also in terms ofattitudes. Teacher education should make the students competent for a variety of educational duties. This includes theability to cooperate with fellow-teachers, other members of school personnel and with parents.

Teacher education has to seen as a means of influence since it is a channel for changing the nation. Teachers passon the attitudes, knowledge and skills they have internalised in their years of study and in their personal lives. This isa challenge to education. Because of their social task, teachers will be increasingly seen as assistants in growth andlearning. Teachers teach their students to acquire knowledge independently, and support the student�s own activity inselecting, editing, processing and applying information. Teacher education should strengthen the new role of teachersas guides for learning, teaching people how to learn, supporting growth and learning with the students. (Report 6/1995

333.2.2 Content areas in need of further measures

Central development areas include:� Societal linkages, and contexts in educational administration;� theoretical understanding and an ability to work with different kinds of pu-

pils and students in practice; this includes skills and competence in special educationand social-psychology, understanding learning capacity and learning processes, work-ing with pupils who are either under threat of becoming socially excluded, or on theother hand, exceptionally talented, pupil welfare, evaluation of pupil/student and educa-tion, working community procedures and skills needed in dealing with conflicts;

� skills needed in supervision and study counselling, interactive skills and thecapacity required to meet pupils and their parents/guardians,

� skills needed for an international and multicultural approach and in interculturalinteraction;

� competence to draw up a curriculum, planning and evaluation skills;� theoretical knowledge of school procedures and skills needed in the devel-

opment of school organisation;� skills in information and communications technology, the ability to under-

stand the impact of information and communications technology on learning, the learn-ing environment and teaching, and the skills to use information and communicationstechnology in searching, producing, analysing and disseminating information either indi-vidually or in groups, and in interactive and networked tasks;

� skills needed in self-management, motivation and development of profes-sional skills; and

� the observation of theme modules embracing many subjects which are listedin the grounds for curricula and the Decree on Degrees.

The evaluation discussion repeatedly involved the following subjects, which will bemore closely described in the following section.

According to the Committee for Education and Culture, skills and arts subjects should have more weight in teachereducation. These subjects are very important for the emotional basis of learning and the integration of the variousschool subjects. The pedagogical part of teacher education programmes should include more elements of specialeducation, psychology and sociology. To meet the challenges of rapidly growing information technology, electroniccommunications and increasing internationalisation, teacher education needs more funds and resources.

According to the Parliamentary Committee for Education and Culture, research has shown that teacher educationdoes not always provide the future teachers with the skills needed for cooperation with the parents and fellow-teachers,for student welfare, extra-curricular activities and management of interpersonal relations. For this reason, the socialskills of teachers need to be developed. (Report 6/1995 and Expert opinion 2/1996 of the Committee for Education andCulture)

In a pluralistic society, the school community must cooperate closely with the interest groups in its environment,clarify its value basis by taking into account, among other things, the individual person�s relation to his own self, toother people, to work, society, religion, culture and nature. Young people�s view of the world as a whole � its emotional,functional, social, cultural and knowledge-related dimension � is an important starting point when planning the educa-tional and teaching duties of school (Report of the Committee for Education and Culture. New educational legislation.3/1998 � HE 86/1997)

Ethical reflection is needed to determine the value basis more precisely. Today�s values have emerged from thefundamental classical values and from respect for humanity and life. Equality, promotion of sustainable development,cultural identity, multicultural values and internationalisation, psychological and social welfare as well as growth intomembership of the democratic society are highly significant values. The educational task of schools means fosteringfaith in life, personal identity and social behaviour. (Report of the Committee for Education and Culture. Neweducational legislation. 3/1998 � HE 86/1997)

Upper secondary school education aims at guaranteeing a high level of general education. This qualifies the studentfor further education and makes him/her fit for life. A broad-based general education includes knowledge of thehumanistic foundations of society but also of sciences. Knowledge of the philosophical and ethical basis of societysupports the student�s growth into a good, well-balanced individual and member of society. (Report of the ParliamentaryCommittee for Education and Culture. New educational legislation. 3/1998 � HE 86/1997)

Today, teacher education does not sufficiently promote critical, researching attitudes in teachers, nor does itmotivate a search for alternative solutions in the design and realisation of curricula. (Report of the Committee forEducation and Culture. New educational legislation. 3/1998 � HE 86/1997)

34

Links with working life and entrepreneurshipCreativity, diligence and entrepreneurship should be understood so that children

and adolescents have, right from the beginning, the capacity for self-employment. In aninterview carried out by the Trade Union of Education in Finland OAJ and EconomicInformation Office, more than 50 % of teachers thought that cooperation with businessand industry in comprehensive school was inadequate and that information on theeconomy was too weak. The opinions coincided fairly closely with those in the uppersecondary school. It seems that making pupils familiar with working life as an inte-grated part of their education has failed, although this objective is included in the plans.

In conclusion, the share of economic knowledge and business economy should beincreased in teacher education. Using visiting lecturers from industry or business mightimprove the situation. Teachers should be able to understand both external entrepre-neurship, i.e., working as an entrepreneur and the competence to work as an entrepre-neur, and secondly, internal entrepreneurship, i.e., acting in a productive way, learning tobe creative, setting objectives, and result-orientation in one�s own work.

Teacher education in fine arts, textile, clothing and craft design, technical crafts,and home economics, in particular, should capitalise on establishing links with workinglife. Students often regarded their encounters with their future working communitiesand links with working life as superficial.

The requirements in the information and know-how societyThe objectives and content of the curriculum in many teacher education units

include a section dealing with know-how in the latest information and communicationstechnology. Although departments have adequate equipment, versatile knowledge andcompetence in media technology, the mastery of the field is still in its infancy. Forexample, departments of teacher education which have a subsidiary department in an-other town, could engage in developing distance learning didactics and produce innova-tions in the field.

There are students in subject teacher programmes who claim that during theirpedagogical studies, the use of information technology in teaching was not even men-tioned whereas other students were quite familiar with distance learning and web-based pedagogics. In the field of the humanities, in particular, the gap between differentsubject departments is alarmingly wide.

It is important to stimulate the use of information and communications technologyin all teacher education. E-mail and mailing lists can be used in all kinds of communica-tions, video negotiation systems in keeping contacts and Internet-based systems in feed-back and evaluation.

It is important to train future teachers to critically evaluate the impact of informa-tion and communications technology on teaching. They should also learn and utilise newtools and understand the significance of information and communications technology asa part of general education.19

19 As a result of fast developing information technology and its advances in school life after the project �Suomitietoyhteiskunnaksi� (�Finland on its way into an information society�), the possibilities of teachers to help students in theuse of modern EDP equipment are limited. If the students in teacher education have not yet learned the use of informationtechnology, they will not have the opportunity to acquire the level of proficiency in information and communicationstechnology needed in schools today. Therefore, information technology should be emphasised, especially in the continuingeducation of teachers. (Report 6/1995 and Expert opinion of the Parliamentary Committee for Education and Culture)

35Multicultural aspects

Multicultural aspects are included in several curricula of teacher education. In themajority of departments, students found teaching involving this theme scarce. If weconsider the future, multicultural aspects should be emphasised in theory and practice.This will help students to gain thorough knowledge of problems, opportunities and needsfor change in teacher�s work with respect to multicultural issues.20

The strengthening of national identity and self-image, encountering foreign cul-tures and religions, and understanding the customs of foreigners are, among others,prerequisite for internationalisation. Students also need to understand the significanceof different cultural customs, and learn the presentation and debating skills to expresstheir own opinions and to understand those of others.

Special educationThe need for special education in schools is on the increase. Students need infor-

mation on how to deal with pupils with difficulties. Since there are no special educationclasses in teacher training schools, not all students may have the opportunity of experi-encing the needs special education. Pedagogical studies of all teacher groups shouldtherefore include studies in special education. Furthermore, questions related to pupilswith learning difficulties or otherwise problematic pupils should be adequately dealtwith during teaching practice.21

Contents of subject teacher education and pedagogical studiesThe students in the subject teacher education programmes criticise pedagogical

studies most severely. Pedagogical studies should have more emphasis on improvingstudents� skills to deal with adolescents and young adults. Development of subject di-dactics requires increasing cooperation between subject departments and teachers ofsubject didactics.

Thus far, the needs of the school in relation to particular subjects and teachereducation have not been properly defined in planning and implementation. Subject teachersshould also familiarise themselves with theme modules. It must be noted, however, thatthere are departments in which the school and teacher�s work have had an excellentinfluence on the development of teaching, for example, in the form of alternative minorsubject studies.

In subject teacher education, it is essential to guarantee the general mastering ofthe subject, whilst also ensuring that students have the prerequisites for studying. Peda-gogical studies of subject teachers should be integrated into the subject studies in sucha way that interaction between the taught subject and pedagogics during 1.5-2 yearsbecomes possible. According to the subject departments, the teacher�s degree is toopacked, which in turn undermines versatility and thoroughness, thus preventing studentsfrom making meaningful optional choices.22

20 Since operating environments in schools are changing rapidly, teacher education should place more emphasis onmulticultural education. The growing number of foreign students in Finnish schools calls for a multicultural perspective.The use of information networks and international learning material will, for its part, turn schools into global, multiculturallearning environments. (Report 6/1995 and Expert opinion 2/1996 of the Parliamentary Committee for Education andCulture)

21 Teacher education should more than ever emphasise the teacher�s responsibility for the whole age group. For thisreason, it is necessary to add to the teacher education programmes more material on special education, learningdifficulties and social exclusion. The requirements of individualisation call for more attention to the disabled, the poorlymotivated, the gifted, and any other student groups needing special support. (Report 6/1995 and Expert opinion 2/1996of the Parliamentary Committee for Education and Culture)

22 The problem with subject teacher education has been that study programmes have been too extensive andloaded; the cooperation between the faculties of humanities and education has not always been free of friction.Students of the humanities have been particularly disappointed by their basic studies of educational science: theyhave experienced these studies as superficial and superfluous. On the other hand, subject studies have not alwayssupported teacher education: if the topic of the thesis is too far away from the teaching world, it is not necessarily verymotivating. (OPM 1993: 3)

Today, teacher education does not sufficiently promote researching, critical attitudes in teachers, nor does itmotivate for alternative choices in the design and realisation of curricula. (Report 6/1995 and Expert opinion 2/1996 ofthe Parliamentary Committee for Education and Culture)

36Foreign-language literature

Study programme books reveal that there is no standard practice regarding theforeign-language literature related to educational studies: the requirements are quiteinconsistent. Examinations based on Finnish summaries seems to be, unfortunately, awide-spread phenomenon � to such an extent that students in the class teacher educa-tion programmes might not have to read a single book in a foreign language during theirstudies. This is a major impediment to internationalisation. The availability of examina-tion books from libraries, which is a constant concern of students, is one reason for this.A considerable number of students share the same study requirements; a fact whichshould not be overlooked in book acquisition financing.

Study programme book revisionStudy programme books should be revised by describing the basic tasks of educa-

tion, aims, central core competencies and forms of study. The fragmentary nature shouldbe reduced by abandoning insignificant courses irrelevant to teacher education as awhole. The objectives of education should be discussed with students, especially intransition phases: at the beginning of their basic studies, when starting intermediatestudies and advanced studies, at the beginning of pedagogical studies, when startingteaching practise and before the writing of the master�s thesis.

3.2.3 Teaching practice

The central role of the university teacher training schoolAn academic educational establishment, the university training school should be

viewed as the heart of pedagogical studies, especially during the practical training peri-ods when close contact with an instruction provided by the university is necessary, andwhere teacher educators are expected to have special skills in supervision or evalua-tion. Similarly, teacher training schools should focus more efficiently on the integrationof theory and practice in teacher�s work.

A teacher training school should be a clearly organised training venue, especiallyat the beginning of studies. It should be a place where a student teacher could enjoyguidance in becoming familiar with the basic elements of school work and teaching.Teacher training schools can also be cradles of innovation, and provide advanced-levelstudents or teachers having continuing education with an opportunity to reflect on theirown work and to engage in research.

Given that teacher training schools are schools providing general education, it isnot possible to arrange teaching practice in as versatile way as required by the orienta-tion options in pedagogical studies, stipulated by the Decree on Degrees. In contrastwith field work, the problem of university training schools is that students easily becomeaccustomed to working with better resources than those available in everyday schoollife. For these reasons, it ought to be possible to arrange teacher training in other educa-tional establishments as well. A network of cooperation schools and educational estab-lishments, which can flexibly coordinate training, should therefore be established incooperation with teacher training schools.

The capacity of teacher training schools should be nationally utilised especially insubject teacher training; if there is a queue for one training school in a particular subject,another school should be available. All teacher training schools offer teaching in sub-jects which are not included in the teacher education programme of a particular univer-sity. National cooperation in arranging teaching practice would benefit both teachereducators and students. Examples of subjects in which exchange would be possibleinclude firstly, skills and arts subjects, since there is a substantial number of qualifiedlecturers in those subjects who supervise teacher trainees very little, because the teachereducation in that particular subject is concentrated in some specific universities. The

37second situation relates to less studied languages, such as Russian and thirdly, to sub-jects for which students have to wait in order to start teaching practice.

Teacher training schools should not evolve into some kind of elite or special schools,irrelevant in terms of university teacher education or from the viewpoint of Finnishschools in general. Teacher training schools should discard development and coopera-tion projects which are irrelevant to their main mission.23

Although the primary task of teacher training schools is related to the basic educa-tion of teachers, more resources are required for development and pilot activities, andfurther education. This requires a revision in post structure, working hours and remu-neration system on the basis of a total remuneration principle. Joint posts with universi-ties, possibly determined for a fixed period of time, would enable closer interaction withschools and universities in the special tasks of the training schools.

Teaching practice in other educational establishmentsTeacher training should also be increased in other educational establishments.

Resources allocated to the education of teachers in these establishments are thereforenecessary. Teaching practice outside teacher training schools could focus on, for exam-ple, independent work, encounters with school and home, the societal mission and posi-tion of schools, the world of young people outside school and in participation in drawingup the curriculum. As regards implementation of teaching practice, cooperation withthe education providers, in addition with individual schools, must be increased. Theeducation of supervising teachers also requires attention.

Versatile teaching practiceStudents should have an opportunity to teach pupils from all age groups. Training

situations could provide a channel for creating a natural relationship with working lifeand educational administration. In any case, goal-orientation and supervision are keyissues in teaching practice.

All prospective subject teachers should have the opportunity to practice teachingat different levels of schools, ranging from comprehensive lower level to adult educa-tion. A versatile approach can be enhanced by also providing training in subject depart-ments: supervising exercises, working as an assistant teacher, teaching student classteachers or teaching peer groups, etc.

Decree Concerning University Degrees in Education (16 ¤) requires that the focalareas of teaching practice must be chosen. Students can choose between 1) compre-hensive schools, 2) upper secondary school and vocational institutes or 3) adult educa-tion. These focal areas, however, are not very much emphasised in the teacher educa-tion curriculum, nor are these principles applied in practice. Freedom of choice in termsof objectives, content and educational establishment should also be provided in teachingeducation.

23 The reports of the 1967 Teacher Education Committee and the 1968 Teacher Education Curricular Committeerecommend that practical training for class teachers be built on didactic theory: rather than grading the performance,the supervisor should attempt to analyse the process itself; practical training should come closer to real school life; thetrainee�s individual development should be supported by directing him to work according to his personal ability (KM1967: A2; KM 1968: A6).

According to the Committee�s (KM 1968: A6) recommendation, the basic practical training should be divided into afield practicum and a class practicum, each lasting half a term. The Committee emphasises the importance of studentguidance in field practicum, regarding it as a demanding task. The guidance should also pay attention to the handlingof other matters, not only to teaching lessons.

The report of the Committee for the Development of Teacher Education (KM 1989: 26) recognises the importanceof practical teacher education but criticises the guidance as too narrow.

In the opinion of the Parliamentary Committee for Education and Culture (1995, 1996), theconcentration on lessons, and the guiding practices in teaching practice are in many ways ineffective: the picture thatthe student obtains of school life and teaching is rather one-sided as regards the school routines and development. Thelessons of practical training easily become teaching demonstrations, with no link to a broader context in terms ofproficiency and development.

In teacher education, the integration of theory and practice is not sufficiently emphasised. According to areport submitted to the Committee, proposals have been made to reduce the share of practical teacher training evenmore; this would lead to an even stronger separation of theory and practice (Report 6/1995 and Expert opinion 2/1996of the Parliamentary Committee for Education and Culture).

38Credits and teaching practice

Credits reserved for teaching practice are so limited that they barely give an op-portunity to learn basic skills. Consequently, it is even more difficult to include optionalchoices or develop the versatile skills required by extensive qualification. Short practiceperiods prevent students from going deeply into their subjects and making long-termplans. The relationship between students and supervisors is often superficial. The lownumber of credits endangers the integration of theory and practice. Teaching practicein its various forms should be sufficiently extensive, with integrated theoretical studiesto support the objectives set for academic teacher education.

Supervisors of teacher trainingLecturers in didactics of teacher education departments or lecturers of teacher

training schools are responsible for supervising almost all teaching practice. The lectur-ers in teacher training schools are faced with many challenges: they are primarily re-sponsible for their pupils and also have the role of adult educators.

Teachers who supervise teaching practice should have adequate field practice,otherwise up-to-date supervision is difficult. Courses on university pedagogics, whichare arranged for supervisors, also serve teacher education. In some teacher trainingschools, the professional skills of supervisors are upgraded by arranging lectures byprofessors in charge of theoretical subjects in education, and by discussions related tothese subjects. Without continuous supervisor training, the perspectives of supervisorsare in danger of becoming too narrow.

The division of supervisors� work should be made clearer, information dissemina-tion should be improved and joint planning activities increased. In their projects of de-velopment and evaluation, universities could utilise the expertise of teacher trainingschool lecturers in questions pertaining to teaching and schools much more than previ-ously.24

Joint posts for faculties, departments and schools should be subjected to consid-eration. This would enable combining teaching, supervision and work, the researcherlecturer is an example.

3.9 Recruitment and admission of studentsThe present admission procedure is functional as it is, although there is, compared

to demand, a shortage of students willing to become subject teachers. Departments ofmathematics and natural sciences have addressed this problem by making subject teacherprogrammes more effective which has resulted in an increased number of teachergraduates in mathematics. In class teacher education, for all education except that witha special emphasis on some subject, students have been selected on the basis of jointselection in which the students are admitted on the basis of the university�s own selec-tion.

Students should be able to apply for subject teacher education during differentphases in their studies, either as they enter university, during their studies or after theyhave completed their degree. Therefore, the pedagogical studies should be arranged sothat rigid schedule-related issues do not obstruct teacher education studies. Coopera-tion with departments participating in teacher training should be increased to get rid ofthe out-dated auscultation ideology prevalent in many departments today.

24 Teacher education with a scientific-professional basis, the requirements of quality teaching and research, makeit necessary to improve and develop the structures of posts. There should be new posts in research, present ones shouldbe redirected and job descriptions defined more broadly. This would help to utilise the existing resources in a moremeaningful way. (Report of the Committee for the Development of Teacher Education 1989: 26, 65)

39The recruitment of teachers in arts and mathematics and sciences has proved

especially difficult. On one hand, it is a question of remuneration and on the other, oftraditions. The demand for those mastering information technologies is also increasing.And finally, procedures firmly fixed in individual schools also have their implications.

Selection for subject teacher education should be arranged in cooperation be-tween subject departments, teacher education units and teacher training schools. Thecriteria for selection should be discussed in more depth and extent, and this informationshould be available for applicants. The selection procedure should ensure that unsuit-able candidates be discarded irrespective of whether the quota is filled or not. Althoughjoint policies are justified in terms of organising, the units should be able to make indi-vidual exceptions in selection schedules and pedagogical studies.

Working life experience should receive greater emphasis in the selection process,since experience is important for development of teacher�s profession. Irrespective ofthe admission methods, universities should be free to recruit students suitable for theirown profile.

Since it is possible to take the matriculation examination in two stages, both inspring and autumn, universities should consider student intake twice a year.25

3.10 Central recommendations for the organisers of teacher education

Ministry of EducationA licentiate degree should be included as professional postgraduate degree in all

institutes of higher education providing teacher education. The degree should be viewedas a target outcome, as should the bachelor�s degree.

The Ministry of Education should also relieve the Teacher Qualifications Decreeon minor subjects. If there are more than two supporting subjects included in the post ofa subject teacher in a comprehensive school, studies comprising 15 credits should suf-fice for third and fourth subjects. This would ease the situation, especially in mathemat-ics, physics and information technology.

The retirement of the baby boom generation will result in a substantial lack ofteachers in forthcoming years. The number of students should be increased in someeducational fields as soon as possible. Simultaneously, the qualification of unqualifiedteachers should be made possible with special arrangements. Universities need addi-tional resources to meet educational needs. For example, the establishment of a net-work between teacher training schools requires, because of supervisor education, addi-tional resource allocation early enough.

25 The Teacher Education Committee (KM 1975:75) states in its report with regard to selection of students forpedagogical studies: the recommendable basic solution for the part of comprehensive-school teachers and uppersecondary-school teachers would be that the students were admitted expressly to teacher education before or at theend of their first year of study. The possibility of completing pedagogical studies after the academic graduation should,however, should still exist. The share of men studying for the teaching profession is too small. The admission methodsshould be developed to attract more men who are motivated and suited to the profession.

According to a report submitted to the Parliamentary Committee for Education and Culture, some units ofteacher education are regrettably shifting the emphasis in admission tests from an examination of the applicant�spersonal properties, motivation and aptitude to the testing of the applicant�s theoretical knowledge. To the Committee,such a development is not acceptable. (Report 6/1995 and Expert opinion 2/1996 of the Committee for Education andCulture)

The admission guidelines should be developed to allow the use of broader criteria: working experience,additional studies, courses completed in open university, competence in skills and arts subjects could be an additionalmerit, and the use of methods similar to aptitude tests should be encouraged. This would make teacher educationattractive to different kinds of applicants. In addition, the Committee draws attention to the problems that quotasdesigned for applicants who have graduated from secondary-school in the year of their application to teacher educationmay create: such quotas would not necessarily help to attract the most suitable.

40University management

In order to achieve better cooperation between universities in the planning of teachereducation, universities should have an authoritative cooperation body with representa-tives from all relevant units participating in teacher education. The university manage-ment is in charge of defining the development strategy.

Universities� target agreements should take into account the unique nature of teachereducation and the resources needed for cooperation required in this diverse field. Theperformance evaluation and fund allocation should not present an obstacle to appropri-ate cooperation arrangements and education in the most suitable units.

The licentiate degree should be included in teacher�s postgraduate studies by scoringthe degree as target outcome of the faculty in proportion to the doctoral degree.

The management of art academies should ascertain that the administrative staff issufficiently familiar with teacher education, and that its position is acknowledged so thatboth management and administration are ready to support the development of teachereducation within the academy. An integrated artist-teacher identity should be consciouslysought after.

Faculties of education / departments of teacher educationThe revision of the objectives and contents of education, earlier evaluations and

recommendations of this project require attention. Education providers should monitorthe change. It is imperative that departments of teacher education be able to define thefuture challenges of teacher education, adjust curricula according to changing situa-tions, and draw up the necessary strategies within the university. The profiling of teachereducation units should be based on the national qualitative and quantitative demand forteachers and rational division of work between universities in terms of educationalpolicies. Teacher education units and subject departments should agree on teacher edu-cation quotas, schedules for selection, selectors, the content of pedagogical studies andhow they are integrated within studies, and also ensure that subject teachers have aquota for completing multidisciplinary studies aimed at class teachers.

The departments of teacher education units should draw up a plan concerningteaching practice which will take place outside teacher training schools. Departmentsshould also try to arrange teaching practice in educational establishments other thanschools and try to bridge the gap between theory and practice. The fragmentary natureof studies should be reduced, especially in the multidisciplinary studies of class teachersand in pedagogical studies of subject teachers to form holistic unities. Study programmebooks should be written more clearly so that it is easier for students to gain a coherentpicture on how different courses are incorporated in the whole.

Faculties of education should grant subject teachers the right to take themultidisciplinary studies of the class teacher programme. Pedagogical studies and re-lated practice should be more clearly aimed for, in the spirit of Degrees ConcerningUniversity Degrees on Education (576/95, 16 ¤), to tasks in 1) comprehensive schools,2) upper secondary school and vocational institutes or 3) adult education.

Teacher educators should be given the opportunity to flexibly define their tasks inthe framework of a total working hour quota which would leave time for their ownresearch. Teacher educators should also see to their own further education. Relevancein the context of working life also is an important issue: the educators have to be awareof the demands in the educational field, especially questions relating to special educa-tion and knowledge of Finnish society.

The credits given for pedagogical studies are efficiently used in all universities.Thus it is difficult to add any new content to them. Topical issues, such as multiculturalism,social exclusion and entrepreneurship should be optional, and incorporated into morecomprehensive unities. This would mean that students will genuinely have the responsi-bility for orientation, specialisation and the development of their profession.

41As a part of their studies, students should participate in planning, evaluation and

monitoring of different stages of teacher education. Students should be provided withthe skills to cooperate with all teacher groups.

Faculties and departments offering subject teacher educationSubject departments should clarify their status as a partner in teacher education

and define objectives, contents and strategies together with departments of teachereducation.

Student teachers should have orientation courses on teaching right from the begin-ning. The contents of subject studies should be aimed at education or the needs ofschools.

Subject departments should provide an opportunity for prospective class teachersto choose minor subjects from subjects taught in comprehensive school (also 35 cred-its). Students should be able to apply for teacher education at any stage of their studies.In order to develop the teacher�s profession, pedagogical studies should extend over alonger period than at present. Students in the teacher education programmes must haveas extensive a master�s thesis as other students to give them eligibility for postgraduatestudies.

Teacher training schoolsTeaching practice should also be decentralised outside teacher training schools,

even outside schools altogether. Teacher training schools should assume an increasingresponsibility for combining theory and practice, together with departments of teachereducation and, consequently, pay attention to how theory can support practical proce-dures and in what way different courses and contents are related to each other.

Furthermore, teacher training schools should develop cooperation in teaching prac-tice, to further education of teachers, experiments and development not only with uni-versities but also with other educational establishments in the region.

A topical task for many collaborators is the development of the teaching poststructure � working hours and remuneration system � so that it more effectively sup-port teacher training schools and their development as university training schools.

Maintainers of educational establishmentsThe maintainers of educational establishments should establish teaching posts with

out-of-ordinary subject combinations which do not require such extensive degrees. Theyshould work in cooperation with departments of teacher education, also providing de-partments of teacher education with practice in addition to teaching practice. Themaintainers of educational establishments should offer teacher a salary which corre-sponds to their education and should also assume the responsibility for their continuingeducation.

424 University-specific evaluations and recommendations

4.1 The University of Helsinki

There are nine faculties in the University of Helsinki: the Faculty of VeterinaryMedicine, Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Agri-culture and Forestry, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Theology, andFaculty of Social Sciences. Students of the Faculty of Education, Faculty of Arts, Fac-ulty of Science, Faculty of Theology and Faculty of Social Sciences can complete teach-er�s pedagogical studies as a part of their master�s degree. In 1998, the student intakeinto the programmes leading to a master�s degree was 3735.

The Faculty of Education includes departments for education, teacher education,home economics, and textiles, clothing and craft design studies. The library of the Fac-ulty of Education, two university training schools (Helsingin normaalilyseo and HelsinginII normaalikoulu), and Continuing Education Unit of the Faculty of Education are alsoseparate units of the Faculty. In addition, there are research and teaching units. TheFaculty of Education has cooperated with university�s Centre for Continuing Education,polytechnics situated in the Helsinki area, Vocational Teacher Education College ofHämeenlinna and National Defence College. Development projects have included me-dia education and a centre for evaluation of education.

The Department of Teacher Education provides education for subject teachers,special education teachers, kindergarten teachers and class teachers.

It also offers education leading to the bachelor�s degree (Education) and master�sdegree (Education) in the class teacher and special education programmes. The studiesof kindergarten teachers comprises 120 credits leading to the bachelor�s degree ineducation. During the academic year 1996-1997, the Faculty initiated a degree pro-gramme in early childhood education which leads to a master�s degree. The Depart-ment of Teacher education also offers courses in special education, educational scienceand media education as minor subjects. Since the academic year 1996-1997, the MediaEducation Centre has been operating in the department of teacher education. It is alsopossible to complete class teacher studies majoring in educational psychology. Studiesin home economics and textiles, clothing and craft design are carried out in their respec-tive departments. The Faculty of Home Economics and Textiles, Clothing and CraftDesign functions as the subject department and is responsible for the education ofsubject teachers in the aforementioned fields. All degrees in the department are subjectteacher degrees: both subject studies and pedagogical studies are integrated togetherand students start subject teacher studies immediately.

In the subject teacher education programme, the pedagogical studies in teachertraining are completed in connection with intermediate level studies in education com-prising 35 credits and students can also complete special teacher education 35 or 50credits. It is also possible to complete supplementary pedagogical studies in teachereducation with an emphasis on adult education.

Since the academic year 1995-1996, students of the Faculty of Social Sciences,have been able to complete pedagogical studies in teacher training while the year forthe Faculty of Education was 1994. Bilingual subject teacher education, launched in1994-1995, continues.

Of all degrees completed in the University of Helsinki annually, approximately 20-30 % include pedagogical studies in teacher training (that is, in those faculties whereteacher education leading to a degree is possible)

43General evaluation

A number of faculties and departments at the University of Helsinki participate inteacher education, and therefore special resources for arranging joint negotiations andconcluding agreements are required. The esteem of teacher education is rather low atthe University of Helsinki, and thus it is not very prominent among the focal areas of theuniversity and disappears amongst other task fields. The University has partially failedto recognise the role of academic teacher education as the core of the evolution ofnational culture. The same applies to the Faculty of Education: its role in teacher educa-tion does not seem to be fully accepted, or even understood. On the other hand, the roleof subject departments in teacher education has not been fully acknowledged either inthe Faculty of Education or in the Ministry of Education.

In the budget and action plan, and the annual report of the University of Helsinki(TTS 1999-2000, and the annual report 1997), teacher education is mostly dealt with inthe section concerning the Faculty of Education. The target agreement of the Facultyof Arts mentions subject teacher education (1998-2001) and, in the supplementary re-port, bilingual subject teacher education. In 1997, the need for subject teachers wassurveyed in the Faculty of Arts, and the education of teachers of philosophy in theFaculty of Social Sciences and the Faculty of Arts. The education of subject teachers israther briefly dealt with in the reports submitted to the evaluation project by the subjectdepartments. The Departments of Science were an exception: according to their docu-ments, they capitalise on teacher education. Many Departments of the Faculty of Sci-ence extensively described development projects in teacher education, whereas thedocuments from the Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Theology and Faculty of Social Sci-ences barely touch on the subject.

StrengthsThe University of Helsinki is the most versatile teacher education provider in Fin-

land. Class teacher education has a clear and established role in the Faculty of Educa-tion whose strengths include: a variety of options, scientific expertise in the educationalfield, and a large number of teachers and students. The number of students applying forclass teacher education and special teacher education is high � as is their rate of em-ployment.

The position of teacher education varies from faculty to faculty. Cooperation be-tween the Faculty of Science, Faculty of Theology, Faculty of Social Sciences andFaculty of Education is reasonably good, and the relevance of pedagogical studies isquite well acknowledged. For example, the Department of Physics and Faculty of The-ology have established new posts to this end.

The recently established Advisory Board on Subject Teacher Education and theprecedent extensive report on subject teacher education create a basis for future devel-opment in the field.

WeaknessesCooperation between the organisers of teacher educationFrom the perspective of the Department of Teacher Education, the most severe

problem is cooperation with a multiplicity of partners. There is a conflict between theFaculty of Arts and Faculty of Education as what is equivalent amount of studies andthe emphases of taught subjects in the subject departments. The proposals made by theFaculty of Arts indicate that there is a willingness to reduce the amount of pedagogicalstudies and to emphasise the scientific mastery of the subject. The Faculty of Artswould be willing to tailor pedagogical studies subject by subject, arranging instruction insmall groups. The Faculty would also be willing to arrange some of the studies them-selves.

Although cooperation between teacher educators has increased in recent years,

44the differences between departments remain great. The departments regarded the op-erational culture difference as one of the obstacles to cooperation: several subject de-partments were of the opinion that their task is only to promote research in their ownfield. The cooperation between subject departments and the Faculty of Education wasalso hampered by the fear that the Department of Teacher Education wants to includesubject teachers in their own number of MA degrees.

The proposed new division of resources was another of disquiet. This new divisionproposes that lecturers in subject didactics and their remuneration costs should be trans-ferred from the Faculty of Education to the subject departments. It became evidentduring the evaluation that some subject departments do not appreciate teacher educa-tion.

The content and implementation of teacher educationProspective subject teachers frequently regarded the instruction provided by Fac-

ulty of Education as unsatisfactory, both in form and in structure. Courses were thoughtof being too theoretical, disconnected, fragmentary and alien to the practices of schools.Students wanted to have more practical guidance in dealing with problematic situationsin school. This indicates that instruction should place more emphasis on the link be-tween theoretical educational science and everyday work.

Teachers and students of the Faculty of Arts in particular criticise the instruction ineducational science on the same grounds, and emphasise the significance of contents inthe taught subject. Since pedagogical studies are usually completed at the end of stud-ies, the gulf between pedagogical studies and basic studies in educational science ispractically unbridgeable. Some students felt that instruction in education too heavilyconcentrates on the growth of the individuals � at the expense of social perspectivesand society in general.

One problem of the Faculty of Education is the fact that despite its increasingresearch activities, the position structure is still teaching-oriented and the amount offace-to-face teaching is high. Mass lectures without the lecturer�s own familiarity withresearch fail to support the scientific objectives of teacher education. Moreover, therealso is a need for a greater variety in forms of teaching.

Students consider the difficulty to see the whole process of teacher educationproblematic. This concept is obviously shared by students, teachers and administrativestaff alike. One reason for this might result from the formal and structural deficienciesin the study programme book: instead of concentrating on the whole, it concentrates onparts. If selection for subject teacher studies were at the beginning of the studies, itmight help students to find the essentials of the path to becoming a teacher.

Pedagogical studies are usually divided into unnecessarily small fractions. For ex-ample, pedagogical studies for students studying in the subject teacher programmesmight include as many as 31 individual courses. Pedagogical studies in particular wereconsidered to have deficiencies in contents. The detachment of subject departmentinstruction in relation to teaching work was also considered as an obstacle in growinginto the teacher�s profession.

Evaluation and its impact on developmentStudents regard the evaluation concerning teaching formal in general: actual infor-

mation on utilising evaluation for improving teaching is almost non-existent.

RecommendationsIncreasing the esteem of teacher educationThe university management should pay special attention to preventing teacher

education from being overshadowed by other fields of education.

45Intensifying cooperation between faculties; strategy designInter-faculty cooperation could be promoted by internal structural decisions, in-

cluding such solutions as joint lectureship, financed by the respective faculties. The roleof subject departments in pedagogical studies should be strengthened: in some disci-plines, teachers are specialised in issues related to teaching and teacher education, andthis practice should be introduced to other departments as well. .

The Advisory Board on Teacher Education established at the university is a goodstart for intensifying cooperation. It should taken an active role in creating the strategyfor and attending to the planning and coordination of teacher education as well as en-suring that new models of operation become a reality. The Advisory Board shouldurgently define a joint strategy for teacher education to be submitted to the departmentsand faculties. The establishment of an even more extensive group on the overall strat-egy of teacher education in the University of Helsinki and the metropolitan area mightcome in question. The matter should not be the sole responsibility of individual faculties.The interaction and dissemination of information between the organisers of teachereducation must be improved.

As regards the development of Swedish-language teacher education, increasingthe cooperation between the university and the Vaasa-based teacher education depart-ment of the Åbo Akademi is imperative. The development of Swedish-speaking teachereducation should be continued with a view to the need for Swedish-speaking classteachers and subject teachers in the Helsinki area.

ResourcesIndicators related to the resource usage in basic education, such as master�s de-

grees, should be considered when designing fund allocation models. Credits completedin the faculty provide further information on resource usage needed in performance-based steering.

Resources should be targeted at information technology instruction whilst takinginto account that knowledge and skills of students vary considerably.

The content and implementation of teacher educationStudents should be helped to better grasp the whole process of teacher education

from the early studies to their working lives and continuing education programmes.Study programme book design should promote this objective.

Pedagogical studies in teacher training; teaching practiceThe joint strategy of the university should be the basis for the development of

teacher�s pedagogical studies. Pedagogical studies should include more optional choices.Implementation methods should be more flexible encompassing students� skills and com-petence. This could be done by offering optional two or three-channel teacher educa-tion lines. One solution includes the suggestion that students complete pedagogical stud-ies simultaneously with their other studies, which would allow early orientation towardsteacher education studies. The opportunity to complete pedagogical studies towards theend of studies or after graduation should, however, be retained.

The urban developments in the Helsinki area require social and educational atten-tion. The need for an emphasis on studies of special education, educational sociologyand social psychology in subject teacher and class teacher education is more than obvi-ous.

464.2 The University of Joensuu

The University of Joensuu has five faculties: the Faculty of Humanities, Faculty ofEducation, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Forestry, and Faculty of Social Sciences.Excluding the Faculty of Forestry, students have the opportunity to include pedagogicalstudies in teacher training in their master�s degree granting them qualification to workas a teacher. The Faculty of Education operates in Joensuu and Savonlinna. The Fac-ulty arranges education which qualifies students to work as special education (class)teachers, class teachers, study counsellors, subject teachers (home economics and tex-tiles and clothing as the major subject), or kindergarten teachers (B.A.). Furthermore,the faculty arranges pedagogical studies enabling students of the Faculty of Humanitiesand Faculty of Science to become qualified as subject teachers. Moreover, separatestudies leading to qualification for teaching in special education and subject matters areavailable. Since 1998, it has been possible to complete teacher�s pedagogical studies insocial sciences.

In 1998, there were a total of 50 places for bachelor�s degree (pre-school educa-tion) and 943 for master�s degree in different faculties of the University. Nearly 50% ofthese are reserved for degrees giving a qualification for teacher�s post. The studentintake into the Faculty of Education was 274, entitling students to pursue studies leadingto a higher degree, and the number of students in the teacher education programmewas 200. In the Faculty of Humanities, the number was 228, the share of studentsparticipating in teacher education programmes being 86-91 in alternate years. The Fac-ulty of Science had an annual intake of 286, the number of students studying teachereducation was 85.

60-70% of master�s degrees completed in the University of Joensuu include teach-er�s pedagogical studies (that is, in those faculties where teacher education leading to adegree is possible).

There are four departments in the Faculty of Education: The Department of Edu-cation, Department of Special Education, Department of Applied Education in Joensuu,and a subsidiary Department of Teacher Education in Savonlinna. The Joensuu unitalso consists of a joint Department of Sociology (two faculties), Joensuu and Savonlinnateacher training schools, and interdisciplinary research in counselling.

General evaluationThe establishment of the University of Joensuu dates back to the regional univer-

sity policies, and to the question of the �Eastern Finland university�. Joensuu was as-signed the task of the regional teacher education. Teacher education is thus, at least inthe light of the official statements, the most pivotal focal area of the university � whichis an undisputed strength of the university. The challenge is to show this in practice,since teacher education will also have a crucial role in the University of Joensuu in thefuture.

The operational plan of the University of Joensuu results in an interdisciplinary andextensive teacher education. Teacher education is listed in all target agreements ofdepartments offering teacher education. The grounds for student admission also men-tions teacher education (budget and action plans (TTS), target agreements between theRector and the departments, 1997). The only professorship in educational sociology inFinland is in Joensuu. The University is also known for its significant contribution tospecial education and student counselling.

StrengthsCooperation between organisers of teacher educationThe profiling of class teacher studies in Finland is quite unique: skills and arts

subjects are studied as minor subjects in Savonlinna Department of Teacher Educationwhile Joensuu concentrates on providing education in other minor subjects. The profile

47of Savonlinna seems to have been carefully considered, and the development trend canbe deemed, by and large, appropriate. The emphasis on mathematics and sciences inclass teacher education is significant.

In natural sciences and theology, cooperation between the organisers of teachereducation is quite good. The University�s Advisory Board on Cooperation provides agood forum for collaboration for faculties and departments.

The content and implementation of teacher educationOne strength of the University of Joensuu is its orientation towards providing teach-

er�s qualification for all comprehensive school levels. Education is extensive and theperspective of pre-school education has also been taken into account. Furthermore, theuniversity provides professional, general vocational teacher education as adult educa-tion. Both class teachers and subject teachers complete pedagogical studies comprising20 credits. The opportunities for cooperation in this field, however, are not fully utilised.

The perspective of pedagogical ethics is exceptionally conspicuous in pedagogicalstudies. The studies in counselling emphasise values and future perspectives.

The position of teacher education, especially in the field of natural sciences andmathematics, has been significantly strengthened. The university has come a long wayin developing the increasing mobility of teachers and new opportunities provided byeducational legislation: the opportunity for extensive qualifications which makes theprofessions of subject teachers and class teachers more flexible. The Faculty of Sci-ence has developed many good solutions for teacher�s command of a discipline whichinclude a great amount of practical exercises and field work. The detachment of sub-ject studies and teacher�s pedagogical studies has been reduced by integrating peda-gogical studies into studies on subject mastery.

The university has succeeded in indicating that if expert knowledge is used whilecapitalising on the teaching of mathematics and natural sciences class teachers willchoose mathematics as their minor subject much more readily than in other depart-ments of teacher education.

During teaching practice, good innovations have been both developed and imple-mented. These include teaching practice with the same class, community service, learningat work and interdisciplinary approach.

WeaknessesThe position of teacher education; cooperation between the organisers of

teacher educationThe Evaluation Team considers that the cooperation between teacher education

units clearly falters at times. On the basis of the site visit and the self-evaluation report,there are some personal problems in departments of both the Faculty of Humanities andthe Faculty of Education. The deans of both faculties, however, describe the relation-ship at the departmental level as good.

The organisational reform which transferred the instruction in arts subjects toSavonlinna while the status of natural sciences was strengthened in Joensuu, has led toa situation in which prospective class teachers interested in arts are unable to studythese subjects in Joensuu. Many are unhappy with the profile. The university manage-ment, however, regards the division necessary in terms of resources. The implementa-tion methods of the reform has continued to cause unrest amongst the staff.

The positive development in arts and textiles, clothing and craft design most prob-ably results from the profiling effort. The provision of optional subjects in Savonlinna is,however, small. In Joensuu, the teaching of arts and skills subjects at a distance isregarded as a shortcoming. The interviewees expressed their concern that the absenceof arts as a minor subject in Joensuu may lower the level of applicants.

Teacher training schools and teachers of education have sometimes failed to planand coordinate instruction. Class teachers feel that the primary purpose of their educa-

48tion is to become researchers, and that theoretical studies are detached from reality.Students are unable to see either the usefulness or significance of theoretical studies inrelation to their future occupation, while the notion that education fails to offer anypractical or theoretical tools to deal with everyday problems is generally widespread.

The content and implementation of teacher educationThe studies in subject mastery are too loosely integrated in pedagogical studies in

teacher training, especially in the Faculty of Humanities. Only a little materials touchingon socio-cultural aspects is offered, despite the fact that both teachers and studentsemphasise its significance in relation to tackling different problems in school.

Pedagogical studies in teacher training; teaching practiceProblems in organising teaching practice coupled with financial issues have mainly

hampered the arrangement of the training period in a field school.

RecommendationsThe position of teacher education; cooperation between the organisers of

teacher educationThe active role of the university management would make the position of teacher

training clearer, and increase inter-departmental cooperation. Representatives of edu-cation and the humanities in particular should soon convene to consider the future ofteacher education. In developing the teacher�s profession, the university of Joensuucould launch a regional pilot project, encouraging not only the students of natural sci-ences but also other prospective subject teachers to participate in the project.

Professors and lecturers of didactics have a decisive role in combining forcesbetween different scientific fields. Their connections to both the disciplines and educa-tion should be strengthened and their working conditions improved.

Measures for further development include firstly the evaluation of society, schooland education, followed by profiling. In the overall strategy, the University of Joensuushould further consider the specific type of teacher education profiles. The universityshould inform teacher education applicants more efficiently, so that they would be awareof the various possibilities. The university should also deal with the significance of pro-filing in the national joint selection of teacher trainees.

Sufficient studying opportunities in skills and arts subjects should be provided forstudents in the class teacher education programme in Joensuu. Profiling could be ar-ranged so that students could complete their studies more flexibly in both Joensuu andSavonlinna. Universities could specialise more actively according to their strengths. Arapid organisational change requires more effective working community training.

The cooperation between teacher education in mathematics and natural sciencesand class teacher education in Joensuu is nationally justified. It may attract studentsfrom elsewhere from Finland to the eastern part of the country. Cooperation with theschool system in the neighbouring area could be intensified to ensure the concentrationof competence in mathematics and science. Simultaneously, continuation and furthereducation in the spirit of life-long learning should be implemented. This would enhancedevelopment in the area and attract students to Joensuu. Positive development will nottake place unless graduates stay in the region in which they have studied.

Those subject departments which have shown only vague interest in teacher edu-cation, should be encouraged to cooperate. They should also realise that the objectivesin teacher education are different from those in the education aiming at doctoral de-gree. Nevertheless, these objectives do not prevent the student from approaching thesubject in depth.

Field work could be increased by utilising regional cooperation. There should becommon studies for prospective class teachers, subject teachers, special education teach-ers and study counsellors to establish a basis for their future cooperation in schools.

49Teacher education should emphasise multiprofessionalism and establish contacts withbusiness and industry.

The content and implementation of teacher educationThe proportion of special education should be increased in all teacher education.

The use of experts in educational sociology and special education should be strength-ened, especially in teacher�s pedagogical studies. Perspectives gained in studies oncounselling could be utilised in teacher education in general.

The amount of foreign-language literature should be increased in teacher�s peda-gogical studies to widen perspectives and strengthen command of languages. Moreemphasis should be placed on the evaluation of teaching and learning by paying moreattention to the utilisation of received information.

Recruitment and admission of studentsJoensuu should open new kinds of recruitment channels for students. It seems

unjustified to choose teachers from among pupils who have only just matriculated, andwho, although with excellent grades, have only little experience of educational work orteaching. When selecting special education teachers in particular experience is an as-set. The University of Joensuu could act as a pioneering university which would valueapplicants who have experience in working life outside school.

Pedagogical studies in teacher training; teaching practiceAs in other universities, the students of the University of Joensuu felt that educa-

tional science is theoretical, fragmentary and alien to the practice. Students also thoughtthat pedagogical studies in teacher training were most successful when they were over-lapping their subject studies whereas most unsuccessful in a situation when they tookplace when the main subject studies were in the final stages or completed. The ad-vanced theme practice (4 credits) of prospective class teachers should be further de-veloped to emphasise the notion of teachers as researchers of their own work.

The structure of teacher�s pedagogical studies should be revised to become morecomprehensive, while fragmentation in content should be decreased. The aim is toeducate teachers who have a profound theoretical knowledge of the essence of thesocial and psychological behaviour of children and adolescents, the history of education,training and teaching, the impact of students� cultural background on learning motiva-tion or the essence of social deviation. Joensuu has good prerequisites to implement anddevelop interdisciplinary study modules for example in media education, cultural educa-tion and multicultural approach.

In order to improve teaching practice, it is essential to define the role of teachertraining schools and outside schools and extend training opportunities to other fields ofeducation. Practical training could also be included in other pedagogical studies thanteaching practice proper.

The meaningfulness of teaching practice could be increased by connecting it moreefficiently to its theoretical basis and vice versa. More attention should be paid to thetheorisation of education and special characteristics of practical education. Practicalexercises could be included in theory courses, which would enable students to see thelink between theory and practice, and understand its essentials.

ResourcesThe research resources of departments should be increased. The supervision of

postgraduate studies and the closer incorporation of these studies with the teacher�sprofession and teaching is necessary.

504.3 The University of Oulu

There are five faculties in the University of Oulu: the Faculty of Arts, Faculty ofEducation, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Technology.

Teacher�s pedagogical studies can be taken as a part of a master�s degree in theFaculty of Arts, Faculty of Education and Faculty of Science. It is possible to takepedagogical studies in the degree programme for health care teachers. This disciplinewas not a part of this evaluation project but was evaluated as a part of health careeducation.

In addition to the Department of Education at the University of Oulu, class teachereducation and early childhood education are provided in the Kajaani Department ofTeacher Education.

The student intake in class teacher education was 40, whereas the intake in theMaster of Education/International Programme was 20 and, finally, 20 in class teachereducation with an emphasis on technology. The intake in educational science was 30.Furthermore, the student intake in music education is 18, whilst there are 40 places inearly childhood education leading to a lower academic degree.

In the Kajaani Department of Teacher Education, the intake in class teacher edu-cation is 65. 30 students are accepted to complete their studies leading to a master�sdegree. The degree can be completed in educational science, class teacher educationor early childhood education. 20 students taking part in the degree programme in earlychildhood education leading to a master�s degree are students of the Kajaani Depart-ment of Teacher Education while the rest study in Oulu. In 1999, 12 students begantheir studies in Oulu and 8 in Kajaani. 30 matriculated students are accepted annually tocomplete a master�s degree in education. A further 15 students who have completed akindergarten teacher�s degree or the bachelor�s degree with a qualification to work askindergarten teachers were also admitted.

8-16 students, who either study class teacher or kindergarten teacher education,are accepted in the Swedish-language immersion teacher education of the KajaaniDepartment of Teacher Education. Approximately half of the studies are completed inthe Österbottens högskola in Vaasa.

Subject teacher education is possible in both the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty ofScience. Annually 207 students are accepted to pursue studies leading to a master�sdegree in the Faculty of Arts, while 450 new students, of whom 80 study in the subjectteacher education programme, are annually accepted in the Faculty of Science.

Approximately 50% of the master�s degrees taken in the University of Oulu in-clude teacher�s pedagogical studies (that is, in those faculties where teacher educationleading to a degree is possible)

General evaluationThe University of Oulu has effectively capitalised on the development of teacher

education, as it has endeavoured to increase cooperation between partners in teachereducation. Academics with doctoral degrees have been detached from their normalduties to undertake planning and coordination work. Those involved in teacher educa-tion have healthy self-esteem and pride of their status as teacher education providers innorthern Finland. They have a far-reaching vision of their tasks in the future.

This is especially apparent in the class teacher education study programme bookand related strategy, and this spirit was also aptly conveyed in student evaluations.Teachers have generally committed themselves to the developmental efforts of theuniversity management. This is illustrated by the self-evaluation reports, versatile studymodules of the Faculty of Education, cooperative nature of studies and the goal-di-rected supervision of students.

The continuing pedagogical education of teachers has been given an emphasisedposition. The same critical approach applies to continuous self-evaluation in terms of

51departments participating in teacher education from the Faculty of Science deal

with the subject in the documentation provided (the target agreement between therector and the Faculty of Science, 1998).

StrengthsThe position of teacher education; cooperation between the organisers

of teacher educationCooperation in teacher education is extraordinarily smooth in the Faculty of Sci-

ence. The faculty produces 25% of the subject teachers in this field in Finland. Thebase for teacher�s work is soundly built on scientific thinking. Contacts between theUniversity and business and industry are frequent.

The content and implementation of teacher educationThe university utilises cooperative forms of work, such as group examinations

and working in pairs. Thanks to the strong technological environment, modern premisesand excellent equipment, students are familiar with the latest information and commu-nications technology. The university is engaged in a lively dialogue with Finnish society.Teacher education with technological emphasis has successfully increased contactswith the business and industrial world. The Evaluation Team considers the inclusion ofFinnish as second language and Finnish as foreign language in the education programmein mother tongue a welcome development.

Multicultural education is a unique focal area of teacher education. Critical andradical pedagogics and equality training are also interesting study modules. The Uni-versity has a functional feed-back and evaluation system which includes regular gen-eral meetings.

WeaknessesThe position of teacher education; cooperation between the organisers

of teacher educationOwing to their locations, the music teacher education in Oulu and the early child-

hood education in Kajaani are, in several ways, separate from the other teacher edu-cation. The Department of Behavioural Sciences and the Department of Teacher Edu-cation in Oulu are also unnecessarily detached. Cooperation between the Departmentof Teacher Education and certain subject departments is relatively weak. Cooperationwould enhance the utilisation of resources. The partners implementing teacher educa-tion are scattered across the university, and due to the physical distance, the coordina-tion of operation and dissemination of information is often unsuccessful. The vision ofcooperation incorporated in the studies has not yet evolved into the established work-ing procedure of all teachers.

The dean of the Faculty of Education says that the cooperation between earlychildhood education and teacher education in Kajaani Department of Teacher Educa-tion is unconventional:

� Minor subject studies � with the exception of qualification studies � are com-pletely common to all;

� students are free to choose their project groups;� teachers in class teacher education or early childhood education teach both

student groups over the educational boundaries;� both student groups partly share their general studies and research courses in

their major subject; and� Kajaani is engaged in cooperation with the early childhood education teaching

in Oulu.

52The dean points out that the problematic issue is the relationship between educa-

tional science and early childhood education. Teacher education often emphasises edu-cational studies in education aimed at school children, thus excluding pedagogics forchildren under three, studies in games etc. Students should be able to increasingly streamthe content of teacher education, or alternatively, advanced level studies should beestablished in the early childhood education programme.

The content and implementation of teacher educationAccording to the Evaluation Team, the excessive use of portfolios and reports is

partly in conflict with the aim � the students found that this kind of study in excessprevents critical self-reflection and self-knowledge, and also impedes the achievementof the concept of learning to learn. The multicultural and international ideas of thecurricula are not fully utilised in Kajaani, in particular.

Pedagogical studies in teacher training; teaching practiceProspective subject teachers felt pressurised when defining timetables for subject

studies and pedagogical studies. They felt that they needed more educational skills todeal with pupil encounters, also outside the classrooms.

RecommendationsThe position of teacher education; cooperation between organisers of

teacher educationBoth special endeavours and flexibility are necessary to establish natural coopera-

tion between teacher education partners. Academic community and aspects ofsocialisation are important, especially in locations where students have practically noother contacts outside in their own discipline. For example, students of early childhoodeducation, students of music education, or Kajaani students in the class teacher educa-tion programmes rarely have a chance to meet students outside their own field.

The condition of students of early childhood education should be improved, andcooperation increased with early education belonging to class teacher education. Teach-ers of subject didactics should acquire more experience from the field practice. TheFaculty of Education should ensure that the Kajaani department has equal developmentopportunities as does the University of Oulu.

The content and implementation of teacher educationThe prospective class teachers in Oulu emphasise the high quality in skills and arts

subjects transposed into development and research works in these fields. According tothe self-evaluation report, no such projects were arranged.

The regional significance of the University of OuluThe regional significance could be increased by launching a school principal pro-

gramme in cooperation with the University of Lapland, thus addressing the needs ofnorthern Finland. Continuing education for teachers at the University Oulu might be indemand regionally. The greatest challenge of the University of Oulu is the promotion ofworking life contacts in northern Finland.

Rationalising the evaluation processThe university management and administration should, for their part, ensure that

the staff is able, has time and is willing to further develop their work in relation to thejoint objectives and future needs. It is essential that reform is not hampered by overfrequent evaluations or other time-consuming duties.

53

5 Conclusion

The rapid changes and the necessity of multicultural approach in Finnish societyrequire that teacher education critically evaluates knowledge concepts and deals withissues in their cultural context. International comparison has shown that the teachereducation provided by Finnish universities is of a high standard. The prerequisites forreshaping Finnish teacher education on the principle of profound knowledge of scien-tific research and artistic activities by employing long-term objectives is therefore good.

The evaluation results show that the development of teacher education providedby Finnish universities is a topical theme of continuous open discussions. Many recom-mendations made in the course of this report concern issues that have actually beendiscussed, although in different connections, sometimes for decades. These issues, how-ever, are such that progress does not take place overnight, but can be achieved gradu-ally.

A goal-directed development in teacher education is impossible without a substan-tial increase in cooperation between teacher educators in universities. Moreover, thereis a need to improve the dissemination of information. It is important to note that suchperformance-based steering procedures which underline the competition for resourcesbetween different units yet failing to serve the whole, easily become an obstacle toflexible cooperation.

In some units, the profiling of teacher education in some special fields of compe-tence should be increased so that national appropriateness and educational policy con-siderations are also taken into account. In class teacher education, it is rational to as-sume that it is unnecessary for each student to study all subjects taught in the compre-hensive school. It would be more important to study some subjects or subject combina-tions in more depth. Students admitted to teacher education should have a definite ideaof what opportunities each unit has to offer.

The prevalent trend, which already indicates the willingness to educate teacherswith extensive qualifications, should be strengthened. The integration of subject studiesand pedagogical studies should be implemented more actively. This would allow thestudent to acquire both the theoretical knowledge and the practical skills to work withpupils from all age groups and in different kinds of educational establishments.

The links of teacher education with working life should be strengthened, alongsidewith connections to different forms of social life. The fact that learning is not restrictedto the educational system alone should not be ignored. In this kind of situation, thecentral task of a teacher is to help pupils to integrate the learnt material into meaningfulwholes. Besides education aiming at increasing knowledge and skills, social and ethicaleducation should not be disregarded in the teacher�s job: teaching and educating gohand in hand. A teacher without a task of upbringing is an impossible thought.

All prospective teachers should learn to be sensitive at discerning those pupils whoare vulnerable to learning difficulties or who are exceptionally gifted in some fields.Simultaneously, pupils under the threat of becoming socially excluded, or who havedisturbances in development should be noticed so that action may be taken to theirbenefit. Thus, studies in special education and social sciences should be included in thecurricula of all students in the teacher education programmes.

Teacher education provided by universities has a good opportunity to further thedevelopment of teachers as researchers of their own work. In order to analyse theinformation flood, we should view teacher training schools as a source providing theintellectual tools to evaluate knowledge and to apply knowledge and skills in practice ina functional manner. This would promote an unprejudiced approach to the new learningrequirements elicited by the changes in our operational environment. Teacher educa-tors are also required to increase the use of information technology in teaching. Theyalso need skills to integrate distance and face-to-face learning in an appropriate

54way. Universities should ensure that when developing libraries and other services,

the special needs of teacher education are taken into account.The primary task of teacher training school is to offer a clear and well organised

practising forum, especially at the early stages of studying. The opportunities of teachertraining schools to offer teachers further and continuing education, and opportunities forresearch, development and pilot activities must be improved. The network consisting ofeducational establishments working in cooperation with teaching education must bemade more inclusive. This will help the teacher educators to supervise teaching prac-tice in a flexible way.

Consistent evaluation system should be created in all teacher education units tobenefit on the one hand, the administration of universities, faculties, and departments,and on the other hand, teacher educators and students. The students� skills in self-evaluation and monitoring progress should be upgraded: evaluation is a crucial skill inschool life.

Resources must be increased to develop teacher education. The establishment ofefficient continuing education programmes with related systems of sabbatical leave forboth teachers and teacher educators are of primary importance, otherwise the mainte-nance of professional skills suffers. Students should be financially able to take coursesin other Finnish universities, in a same way as they are able to study in foreign univer-sities.

By increasing resources allocated to teacher education, forms of teaching couldbe improved. Instead of mass lectures, which are generally considered inappropriate,teaching in small groups and using teaching methods which are based on both teachers�and students� cooperation could be utilised. It should be ensured that pedagogical stud-ies in teacher training would be counted as performance points of the teacher educationunits. Similarly, B.A.-level kindergarten teacher degrees should be considered in thetarget agreement negotiations. In relation to this, the applicability of the present basicfunding model in teacher education should be surveyed.

55

26 These reports (hereafter referred to only as 1994 and 1999) have been read with the support of somebackground documents, namely Hansen (1996, 1999) and Ministry of Education (1998). Further access to somedocuments only available in Finnish would have helped to dilute the feeling of little familiarity with the Finnishcontext this view from outside will inevitably show, moreover because it is limited to the data available in both theabove mentioned reports.

27 The 1999 report also mentions some features that have already been pointed out in other evaluations oranalyses; they are generally coincident with those of the international evaluation. These other evaluations oranalyses will be invoked whenever appropriate.

INTERNATIONAL EVALUATION OF TEACHER EDUCATION

6 A view from outside

Professor Bártolo Paiva Campos - Portugal

This international external evaluation of teacher education evaluation in Finnishuniversities is merely backed on the data elicited in two reports provided by the FinnishHigher Education Evaluation Council. The first report concerns 1994 international evalu-ation (Buchberger et al, 1994) and the second one is related to the national externalevaluation recently carried out (Jussila & Saari (ed.), 1999).26

Outer evaluators� terms of reference are:1. To evaluate the status quo of the teacher education in Finnish universities ac-

cording to the documents (in relation to previous evaluation 14/1994).2. To evaluate the process of our evaluation project.3. To give particular emphasis in developing the teacher education in Finland.

This view from outside will follow these three issues: (1) Impact of previous evalu-ation; (2) The process of the evaluation project; (3) My particular emphasis in develop-ing the teacher education in Finland.

In the framework of a communicative evaluation Finnish colleagues privilege, thiscontribution aims to widen the personal interaction this evaluation presumes to foreign-ers� experiences and perspectives in an internationalization view the report values.

6.1 Impact of previous evaluationEvaluations undertaken in the early 90�s make the concern understandable on

possible changes that might have occurred in the last five years in relation with criticalfeatures then identified in teacher education in Finnish universities.

Recent evaluation report hasn�t sought to meet this issue in a systematic way notonly because the Evaluation Planning Group has considered the existence of severalfactors would make it problematic but also because it has estimated that changes re-quired in a future-oriented view should be privileged. Anyway, there are elements in thereport, most of them more or less implicit in the recommendations for the future, thatpermit to approach a response.

The international evaluation report is the main source for the identification, with noconcern to be exhaustive, of some critical features already pointed out in the early 90�sevaluations27. However, it should be stressed that this one confines to �educationalstudies in teacher education� and does not comprise �subject-matter studies�.

1 No significant changes have occurredConfrontation on the same issues between estimates more or less explicitly re-

lated to critical features of teacher education at the beginning and at the end of the 90�s(cf. Figure 1) suggests the following remarks:

The issues under analysis are generally considered as important for the quality ofteacher education, with no disregard of other equally important ones.

56

�(�) passive learning in the form of intakeof presented information is still too pre-dominant.� (1994: 11)

�Discussion on the size of different classesand the number of students participating inparticular seminars and lectures might benecessary.� (1994: 34)

�In educational sciences, basic studies are offered in the formof mass lectures or literature-based examinations� (1999: 15)

�(�) the realization of [the] integratedteaching expertise is mostly rather problem-atic, especially with respect to subject teachers.(�) there is a lack of coordination andcooperation between the Faculty of Educa-tion and the other Faculties which areresponsible for the teaching of subject-matterdomains.� (1994: 12)

Cooperation between departments of teacher education,subject departments and teacher training schools is a stum-bling block in every university (�). Many subject departmentsfail to acknowledge their role as teacher educators althoughthe majority of their students eventually become teachers.(1999: 22)

�Education studies are often seen by studentsas something apart from everything else,whereas teaching practice and subject didacticsare generally highly estimated� (1999: 21) �Theory and practice are too widely apart.�(1999: 13)

�(�) [the] normal schools are not representa-tive of the �real� school in which the studentswill ultimately have their job as a teacher. (�)the additional practice teaching in so-calledfield schools is not so well organized andguided.

(�) cooperation between Faculty staff andtraining school teachers has not developed tothe same in the different Departments. (�) there is less overall satisfaction [of thestudents] about the feedback and the guid-ance from the Faculty staff during teachingpractice (1994: 13-14)

�Students seem to have somewhat vague ideas of educationaltheory, and often demand superficial, recipe-like recommenda-tions. It seems that the theory-based approach crumbles. Thesignificance of theoretical viewpoints could be made moreconcrete: the starting point could include the problems arisingfrom a specific educational situation.� (1999: 31)

�Credits reserved for teaching practice are so limited that theybarely give an opportunity to learn basic skills. (�) Shortpractice periods prevent students from going deeply into theirsubjects. (�) The relationships between students andsupervisors is often superficial.� (1999: 37-38).

�Teaching practice should also be decentralized outsideteacher training, even outside schools altogether. Teachertraining schools should assume an increasing responsibilityfor combining theory and practice (�) and (�) pay attentionto how theory can support practical procedures�� (1999: 41)

Previous evaluation Recent evaluation

Figure 1. Confrontation of previous education with the recent one in some issues

I. ISSUES OF CURRICULUM CONTENT AND PEDAGOGY1. Teaching practices

2. Coordination of subject-matter teaching and acquisition of pedagogical-instructional knowledgeand skills

3. Relationships of theoretical studies and practice teaching

57

�(�) in Faculties of Education systematicevaluation (�) is hardly present, or even almosttotally lacking.� (1994: 15)

�Up to now, departments participating in teacher educa-tion have practiced only a little such evaluation as wouldhelp students or teachers utilise the results. (�) Thesetting of the objectives for each course also needs to be

�(�) an integration of these subsystems [ofteacher education as a continuous process]seems to be still missing.� (1994: 35) �(�) another fundamental measure (�) is theestablishment of an induction period (�).Such a measure (�) would imply a reconsidera-tion of the whole structure of teacher educa-tion� (1994: 14)

�Therefore it is of primary importance to decide whatshould be included in basic studies, what is function ofcontinuing education and which issues cannot be taughtbut are gained by experience and work.� (1999: 26)

�(�) [teacher] education does not sufficientlypromote investigative, critical attitudes instudents.� (1999: 5)

�This attention to research, particularly amongpractitioners is laudable (�) we could see noevidence, however, that any distinctions weremade between the preparation of differentkinds of practitioners and the preparation [of]researchers. (�) All the three of the universitieswe visited, students argued they did not receivesufficient guidance during the thesis.� (1994:20)

�Discussion seems to be necessary whether abetter coordination of research activities withinthe Faculties of education and the developmentof medium term plans for research with clearlydefined priorities might contribute to qualityand increased productivity.� (1994: 35)

�Research cooperation should be increased betweendepartments, faculties and universities in issues related tolearning, teaching, the teaching profession, and develop-ment of schools (�). It is imperative that Faculties anddepartments pool their resources in theses supervision.�(1999: 21)

�Students (�) must have as extensive a master�s thesis asother students (�).� (1999: 41)

�(�) Training courses for teachers (�) andcoherent programmes for staff developmentmay be very helpful to improve the quality ofteaching.� (1994: 34)

�Teacher educators should also see to their own furthereducation. Relevance in the context of working life also isan important issue: the educators have to be aware of thedemands in the educational field, especially questionsrelating to special education and knowledge of Finnish

4. Evaluation of education and training

5. Links with continuous professional development

II. ISSUES OF RESEARCH-BASED TEACHER EDUCATION

III. ISSUES OF ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

58

�New structures of administration andmanagement will be necessary at the (�)Faculties of education. (�) some depart-ments are experimenting with new ap-proaches (�) but the situation may becharacterized by many uncertainties.� (1994:30)

�(�) Explicit description of responsibilitiesand tasks [of the different persons workingat university and of different units atfaculties/departments] (and correspondingmechanisms of quality control) may be seenas major elements of quality management.�(1994: 34)

�(�) management by results may be seenas a measure to increase quality and produc-tivity and to reduce costs.� (1994: 35)

Having the available documents as a basis, the conclusion seems legitimate that nosignificant changes have occurred concerning these features in teacher education inFinnish universities between the beginning and the end of the decade. Other featuresthat have not been highlighted in the international evaluation but in national ones, asmentioned in the 1999 report, might allow for the same conclusion on trusting the dataavailable in this latter report.

The fact is the above-mentioned critical points, on which no significant changesseem to have occurred, are problematic issues in most if not in all European Unioncountries with no disregard of due nuances.

Any recommendation towards improvement risks being ineffective if it is not em-bodied in the context of an answer, although hypothetic, to the question �Why didn�t thechanges occur?�.

2. The challenges of teacher professional education �universitarisation�I wonder if the core of the critical points identified is not related to the challenges

that teacher professional education brings to its �universitarisation�. University�s aca-demic tradition and its lack of a teacher education professional culture are perhaps atthe heart of the difficulty to solve them. If this is the case, the construction is needed ofa specific professional culture eventually inspired in medical professional education.Even if it is true that the main investment in the construction of such a culture belongsto the universities, it is also true a major question arises on whether this will be possiblewithout the stimulus of external factors.

59

6.2 The process of the evaluation projectThe evaluation project and the demand of the Finnish Higher Education Evaluation

Council: to improve or to proveEmergence of the question of change difficulty. For the Evaluation Council

�the evaluation of teacher education should examine how the national and internationalevaluation of teacher education carried out in early 90�s had affected teacher educa-tion� (1999: 5-6). The Education Council would presumably wish to know if significantchanges would have occurred between the beginning and the end of the decade in whatrespects the points identified as critical at the beginning of the decade even if with nogreat concern on changes� specific causes.

The Evaluation Planning Group mentions several reasons that lead them to con-sider as �a problem� �the analysis of the impact of previous evaluations in present stateof teacher education at universities� (1999: 6). Besides, the evaluation project has privi-leged its contribution to improve (and not to prove) teacher education in a future-ori-ented perspective. This is the reason why it has placed its fundamental emphasis inrecommendations rather than in estimates.

However, �to create an overall picture of present situation in Finnish teacher edu-cation� (1999: 6) was also considered to be a purpose of evaluation. Moreover, asafore-mentioned, although the report does not explicitly systematize the comparisonbetween the state of teacher education at the beginning and at the end of the decade, itprovides some elements that allow for it. Considering as one of the evaluation strengthsthe focus on the improvement of teacher education according to future demands inteachers� performance, I wonder whether it wouldn�t have been important to face thiscomparison straightforwardly so that the question of change difficulty might have emergedfrom evaluation in a more explicit way.

Did the evaluation project attain its own goals?For the Evaluation Planning Group the goals of the evaluation were:(i) to develop self-evaluation in the departments of teacher education.(ii) to develop teacher education in the departments of teacher education.(iii) to improve cooperation between the faculties involved in teacher education.However, a restriction should be stressed as for this improvement goal: �The basic

goal of the work has been to improve teacher education on a national level � not toobserve any individual university in detail� (1999: 19).

As for the attainment of the evaluation goals, on the basis of the data available theonly possibility is to analyze to what extent its framework, objectives, methods, proce-dures and products can contribute to reach them.

Framework and objectivesFuture-oriented perspective. One of the strengths of the evaluation project is the

aim to evaluate �the state of teacher education at universities in a future perspectiveof teaching� (1999: 6-71) (underlined by remark). In fact, prospective teachers willstart functions in a few years time and for a long period while demands on teachingperformance are suffering accelerated changes.

Subjects teacher training. However, it seems �subjects teacher training� doesnot constitute a key issue of evaluation not even as for the preparation level attained inthis component when it precedes pedagogical studies.

Teacher education outcomes. In the key issues considered no concern is alsonoticed as for the outcomes teacher education courses achieve in prospective teach-ers. However, there are some suggestions of outcomes to be achieved in future-ori-ented material.

Programme standards. Finally, although the �so-called programme evaluation�(1999: 7) is broadly understood, there is no reference in the report to a previous clarifi-cation of the criteria or standards that have ruled both experts� appreciations on eachone of the �key issues� or �internal structures of education� and their subsequent rec-

60ommendations. These criteria or standards should be known not only to the externalevaluation team but also to the institutions for the self-evaluation to be carried out.However, in future-oriented materials some criteria can actually be found, although notorganized around these key issues.

Methods and proceduresCommunicative evaluation. As the evaluation project�s main goals are not to

prove but to improve present state of teacher education in a future-oriented perspec-tive, adoption both of the communicative peer evaluation and of activities aiming tomotivate teacher education institutions to actively participate constitute true relevantchoice; this context justifies the emphasis on recommendations rather than on esti-mates. This interaction-based methodology could be improved if the institutions wouldbe given the chance to pronounce themselves on the draft version of the external evalu-ation team�s report. It could also be improved if training of the external evaluation teamand site visits would profit from some more time.

Teacher education prospective. Future-related material previously worked outto make the privileged future-oriented perspective possible also constitutes one of theproject�s strengths.

Recommendations (and estimates)Diagnostic of inadequacies� persistence. Even if it is true that some recom-

mendations refer to changes justified by education and teacher future role demands, itis also true that most of them drive from present demands and imply an implicit appre-ciation on the inadequacy of teacher education present state (it must be noted thatappreciation is sometimes explicit). However, recommendations concerning estimatedinadequacies of the situation are not grounded on an at least hypothetic diagnosis of thereasons for their emergence and persistence, which limits these recommendations� pos-sibility to stimulate strategic changes.

Definition of priorities. Apart from the estimates� accuracy and the recommen-dations� relevance, which seem outstanding to me � I�d rank first �theory as an instru-ment of development� (1999: 30), although it has not been complemented with identicalconceptualization on the place to be held by teaching practice in the acquisition ofteacher�s expertise �, one can notice they are numerous and with no definition ofpriorities among them, what would allow the institutions to focus the most importantones or those providing a wider range of influence over the desired changes.

Exclusive inner process of change. Finally, recommendations are mostly di-rected to the universities whose investment can in fact operate the desirable changes.Yet, one assumption should be questioned: they only consider factors and strengthsinner to the universities as sufficient.

6.3 My particular emphasis in developing the teacher education in Finland1. Is development necessary and what kind?My particular emphasis in developing teacher education in Finland would be the

need to explicitly clarify whether and why it is necessary to develop. Only then, will itmake sense to examine the questions what for? and how?. Which undesirable out-comes in basic and secondary education in Finland might be attributed to teacher edu-cation inadequacy, or might be, at least partially, overcome by another kind of teachereducation. If there are any, which are the features of this inadequacy that should beovercome and which features of teacher education should be innovated?

2. Clear definition of responsibilities, tasks and qualification of teachersIn order to the organization and evaluation of teacher education programmes is

important to clarify, first of all, the qualifications to be acquired by prospective teacherstaking their future responsibilities and tasks in schools into account. These are obviouslycomplex issues, always open and in progress. However, response approaches to theseissues are needed at any time and should be produced in the context of a wide socialparticipation.

61Definition of criteria for the evaluation of teacher education programmesThe definition of criteria aiming to evaluate the adequacy of teacher education

programmes to their future professional performance demands is also a priority. Thesecriteria should comprise not only the inputs and process, but also the outcomes aboveall. They should be broad and abstract in order to allow for a diversity of adequatesolutions to be met by the autonomous institutions and therefore to be evaluated only byexperts.

How to promote the process of change?It would be important to know which other factors beyond the ongoing ones (de-

velopment of self-evaluation, communicative evaluation, recommendations and publicdiffusion�) would be capable of promoting the necessary change. Difficulty in chang-ing is either due to some of these factors� embryonic condition (v. g. self-evaluation) oris the whole set of them still insufficient? If the inner factors are not considered assufficient, will the ongoing outer ones be sufficient?

Lisbon, December 1999Bártolo Paiva Campos

E-mail: [email protected]

REFERENCES

Buchberger, F., et al (1994). Educational studies and teacher education in Finnish universities1994: A commentary by an international review team. Helsinki

Hansén, Sven-Erik (1995). Teacher Education in Finland: Description and analysis. In Sander, T.et al (eds.). Teacher-Education in Europe: Evaluation and perspectives (103-126). Osnabrück

Hansén, Sven-Erik (in press). Teacher Education in Finland: Up-dating the Sigma-report from1996.

Jussila, J. & Saari (eds) (1999). Teacher education as future-moulding factor: Evaluation of teachereducation in Finnish universities. Helsinki: Higher Education Evaluation Council

Ministry of Education (1998). Higher Education Policy in Finland. Helsinki: Author.

62

7 Meta-evaluation

Professor Roland Louis - Canada

7.1 IntroductionAs an international expert in educational program evaluation, I was contacted by

Mr. Seppo Saari, Project Manager, Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council, togive my opinion on the evaluation that was conducted in 1998-1999. A report titled�Teacher Education as a Future-moulding Factor: Evaluation of Teacher Education inFinnish Universities� is submitted as the principal data base for that work. The mandategiven to me was to look at the evaluation report and:

1. To evaluate the status quo of teacher education in Finnish universities in relationto the previous evaluation 14/1994.

2. To evaluate the process of the current project evaluation.3. Pinpoint particular aspects that need consideration in developing teacher educa-

tion in Finland.

To achieve my mandate, I decided that it was best to proceed with a meta-evalu-ation � the evaluation of the evaluation � and to look at the particular aspects thatneed consideration.

7.2 Context of the Meta-evaluation

Before proceeding, I want to remind the reader that, as a non-Finnish evaluator,my opinions will be somewhat culturally biased by a North American view of teachereducation and by the way educational program evaluation is conducted. Nevertheless,I hope the reader will �adapt� my point of view and use it at best.

1 Looking at the Evaluation of the Status Quo of Teacher Education in Finn-ish Universities

As mentioned in the submitted report �although the quality of teacher education inFinland is agreed to be high, [�..] there are some areas that require special attention�.The Evaluation Report cites a few problems:

1. Teacher education is lagging behind the changes taking place in society;2. Theory and practice seem to be far apart, and teacher education does not

sufficiently promote investigative and critical attitudes in student;3. Teacher education does not sufficiently provide the prospective teacher with

the skill required for the cooperation with parents and other teachers in pupil welfare,extracurricular activities or interpersonal relations;

4. Teacher education does not sufficiently prepare prospective teachers to copewith student learning disabilities, to recognize mechanisms of social exclusion, and totreat both genders equally;

5. The method of selecting student teachers must be improved.

Those problems had been pinpointed in a previous evaluation report (1994) and aprogram for improving education and research at the institutions of higher education inFinland has been designed and implemented. As I see it, the present evaluation has toinvestigate whether noticeable changes or improvements have occurred and, if so, to

63analyze the merit and worth of those changes and improvements.

Let me now look at the procedures adopted in conducting the evaluation. To do so,I must refer to the report submitted and I will apply the Standards for EducationalEvaluation28 as a framework to present my view. The Joint Committee defines Evalu-ation standard as �A principle mutually agreed to by people engaged in the profes-sional practice of evaluation, that, if met, will enhance the quality of and fairness of anevaluation.�

2 Applying the Standards to the Evaluation of Teacher Education in FinnishUniversities

The Program Evaluation Standards include four categories that account for thecharacteristics of a good program evaluation. I will analyze the Evaluation report fromthis perspective. I will present each general category and look at the report in each ofthe sub-categories concerned. The meta-evaluation will try to verify if the evaluationconducted, as presented in the report, addressed those standards.

Utility standards: to ensure that the evaluation will serve the information needsof intended users. Utility Standards include a few sub-categories, which will be exam-ined in the following analysis.

Looking at the present evaluation report, one observes that this standard wasaddressed in a large part. The proper identification (Stakeholder identification stand-ard) of a number of people who had a vested interest in that evaluation was done andthese were contacted for their view. The identification was done through the use of theDelphi technique and through the questionnaires submitted to those people. However, itis important to mention here that the students, as a vested group, are absent.

The credibility of the evaluators seems well-established (Evaluator credibilitystandard): I refer to the members of the Steering Committee, the selection, the prepa-ration of the visiting evaluators and the planning of those visits. The information col-lected (Information scope and selection standard) is sufficiently broad and the ques-tions addressed about the program seem to be responsive to the needs and interests ofthe individuals or groups involved or interested in the evaluation.

The base value (Values identification standard) adopted to interpret the resultsand propose the recommendations seems very clear. The report gives a clear descrip-tion (Report clarity standard) of the program being evaluated, its context, and thepurposes, procedures and results (recommendations) of the evaluation. However, inthis category (Utility standards), it seems to me that there are two standards notaddressed. First, the Report timeliness and dissemination standard: that means sig-nificant interim findings and evaluation report should be disseminated to intended usersso that they can be used in a timely fashion.

The next standard (Evaluation impact standard) is directly affected by the pre-ceding one. Generally, if an evaluation must have an impact, it has to be reported atsome �strategic time�, and in a way that encourages follow-through by the individualsor group involved in or affected by the evaluation. Very often, program evaluators missthat point and the report arrives too late or comes with too many recommendations thatare nearly impossible to fulfill, even though those recommendations come with a goodstrategic planning. I am not saying that the process applied in this particular case missedthose standards. I simply noticed that the report failed to mention those activities.

Feasibility Standards: to ensure that the evaluation is realistic, prudent, diplo-matic, and economical.

The report completely addressed the different standards addressed by this cat-

64egory. The evaluation process met the standard of practical procedures: the methodol-ogy adopted was very practical and pinpointed the exact information needed (PracticalProcedures Standard). The process was planned and conducted with the anticipationof the different positions of various interest groups (Political Viability Standard). Ithink this evaluation has produced information of sufficient value to justify the resourcesimplied (Cost Effectiveness Standard).

Proprietary Standards: to ensure that the evaluation is conducted legally, ethi-cally, and with due regard for the welfare of those involved in the evaluation, as well asthose affected by its results. There are eight sub-categories: Service Orientation Stand-ard, Formal Agreements Standard, Right of Human Subjects Standard, Human Interac-tions Standard, Complete and Fair Assessment Standard, Disclosure of Findings Stand-ard, Conflict of Interest Standard, and Fiscal Responsibility Standard.

Of those standards, only the first one (Service Orientation Standard) seemspartially addressed. As far as the report and my understanding are concerned, it is verydifficult to identify program effects, intended or not, on learners (the students in teachereducation program). For example, it seems to me that, in this evaluation, students werenot considered as an important group, so their concerns are absent. Consequently, theinstructional processes were not sufficiently documented to allow the examination ofstrengths and deficiencies, and to allow the possibility to make specific recommenda-tions.

I consider this aspect as a very important one in evaluating educational program,specifically when considering the problems identified above and presented in the nextparagraph:

1. Teacher education is lagging behind the changes taking place in society;2. Theory and practice seem to be far apart, and teacher education does not

sufficiently promote investigative and critical attitudes in student;3. Teacher education does not sufficiently provide the prospective teacher with

the skill required for the cooperation with parents and other teachers in pupil welfare,extracurricular activities or interpersonal relations;

4. Teacher education does not sufficiently prepare prospective teachers to copewith student learning disabilities, to recognize mechanisms of social exclusion, and totreat both genders equally;

These problems force us to look at the process of delivering instruction to find thedeficiencies in the process and to understand the position and vision of both parties:professors and students in the classroom setting.

Accuracy Standards: to ensure that the evaluation will reveal and convey techni-cally adequate and accurate information about the features that determine worth ormerit of the program being evaluated.

The program being evaluated was clearly documented and well-identified (Pro-gram Documentation Standard). The context in which the program of teacher educa-tion in Finnish universities exists was examined in detail and with accuracy. The influ-ences of the context on the functioning of the program was identified and considered(Context Analysis Standard). The purposes and procedures of the evaluation waswell-monitored and described in sufficient details (Described Purposes and Proce-dures Standard). The sources of information used and the adequacy of the informationwere well-described (Defensible Information Standard). The evaluation itself is evalu-ated by international experts (Meta-evaluation Standard) and, thus, this standard is ad-dressed.

However, there are two standards in that category that seems, according to meand as far as the report is concerned, not addressed. The conclusions reached and theproposed recommendations are not explicitly demonstrated by the data obtained, so that

65groups or individuals involved or interested in that evaluation can assess them or verifythe soundness of the conclusions or recommendations (Justified Conclusions Stand-ard). The report did not show the data that permits and justifies reaching the conclu-sions and making the recommendations. In the absence of this data, it will be difficult tosee if the reporting procedures could guard against distortion caused by biases of theparty conducting that evaluation (Impartial Reporting Standard).

7.3 Conclusion on the Meta-evaluation

We can say that the process of the present evaluation was well-conducted. Theconclusions reached and recommendations actually proposed can be considered asimportant for the future of teacher education in Finnish universities. However, we men-tioned a few weaknesses that may contribute to delay the application of those recom-mendations. I think the deficiencies noticed are inherent to the evaluation model adoptedhere and the focus selected.

7.4 Particular aspects that need consideration

The report addressed all the pertinent questions about the Teacher Education Pro-gram in Finnish universities, chiefly at the structural and administrative levels. As men-tioned before, at the class process level, there is still a lot of work to be done. Whatdo the students think about the teaching format in their faculties and departments? Howdo university professors envisage their courses in the light of the problems addressed bythe evaluation? What are the differences between the views of the students and thoseof the professors? What is needed to fill the gap? Are university professors in thedisciplinary departments or professors in pedagogical studies ready to accept changingthe way they actually do business?

There is another aspect that I consider very important that the report brings to lightand for which it proposes some pertinent recommendations. I mean the �mutual dis-credit� phenomenon between university teachers and teachers in the training schools.This is an international problem that needs future research. In the USA, ProfessionalDevelopment School (PDS) was created in order to overcome this problem. However,many studies on PDS have revealed that the problem still exists (see Book, 1996; Imigand Switzer, 1996).

In Québec, this problem has been addressed by giving the faculties of Educationthe leadership to prepare future school teacher and by creating a core curriculum wheremembers of disciplinary departments, pedagogical studies, and training schools worktogether to prepare and plan interventions intended for student teachers. Five yearslater, the problem has not diminished (see Louis and Gariépy, 1996; Louis, Hensler andJutras, 1996).

In France, where they opted for a marriage between University and Normal Schoolby creating the Institut Universitaire de Formation des Maîtres (IUFM), the problemappears with greater severity.

As mentioned by some researchers (see Brookhart and Loadman, 1992, Book,1996), it is a cultural problem that can be observed through four aspects : a) the focus:what is important to know (theory vs. practice); b) the tempo: when both culturesoperate under different rhythm and length of time to examine an issue; c) the rewards:�whereas the rewards for teachers are more likely to be intrinsic, the rewards foruniversity faculty come primarily from publication, recognition in an academic field��(Book, 1996); d) the power: where �the way in which the two cultures promote a senseof efficacy and power can be different.� (Book, 1996)

It is worth mentioning that the present evaluation of teacher education in Finnishuniversities has pinpointed this problem and has given sound recommendations. Therenow remains:

66to watch whether or not those recommendations will be followed; andto see if the structure recommended deals appropriately with the problem.

Roland LouisQuebec, CanadaE-mail: [email protected]

REFERENCES

Book, L. C. (1996). Professional Development Schools. In J. Sikula (Ed.). Handbook of Research onTeacher Education, Second Edition. New York : Macmillan.

Brookhart, S.M. & Loadman, W.E. (1992). School University Collaboration : Across Cultures. TeachingEducation, 4(2), 53-68.

Imig, D.G. & Switzer, T.J. (1996). Changing Teacher Education Program: Restructuring Collegiate-basedTeacher Education. In J. Sikula (Ed.). Handbook of Research on Teacher Education, Second Edition.New York : Macmillan.

Jussila, J. & Saari, S. (Eds.) (1999). Teacher Education as a Future-moulding factor: Evaluation of TeacherEducation in Finnish Universities. Helsinki : Publications of Higher Education Council, 1-2000.

Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation (1994). The Program Evaluation Standards, 2nd

Edition. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.Louis, R. & Gariépy, W. (1996). Évaluation de l�implantation du programme de baccalauréat en enseignement

secondaire (BES). Rapport interne. Sherbrooke: Université de Sherbrooke, Faculté d�éducation.Louis, R., Hensler, H. & Jutras, F. (1996). Des objectifs aux compétences: implications pour l�évaluation

de la formation initiale des maîtres. Revue canadienne de l�éducation, 21(4), 414-422.

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Education for the Twenty-first Century. Pariisi: UNESCO Publishing.Laukkanen, R. (toim.) 1994. Koulutus kansainvälisessä vertailussa. Opetusministeriö ja

opetushallitus. Helsinki: Hakapaino.Laukkanen, R. (toim.) 1997. OECD-maiden koulutuspolitiikan analyysi. Helsinki: Hakapaino.Malaska, P. 1998. Vapaa tulevaisuus. Mercurius 1/1998, 30 - 32.Meristö, T. 1998. Tulevaisuudentutkimus � vaihtoehdoista valintoihin. Mercurius 1/1998, 6.Mikkola, A. 1998. Opettajan pedagogiset opinnot � Taistelua opintoviikoista?Teoksessa Nikki, M.-L. (toim.) Mitä on LAAJA-ALAISUUS opettajan pedagogisissa opinnois-

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REPORTS OF THE COMMITTEES

KM 1967: A2. Opettajanvalmistustoimikunnan mietintö. Opetusministeriö. Helsinki: Valtionpainatuskeskus.

KM 1968: A6. Opettajanvalmistuksen opetussuunnitelmatoimikunnan mietintö. Helsinki: Val-tion painatuskeskus.

KM 1975: 75. Vuoden 1973 opettajankoulutustoimikunnan mietintö. Helsinki: Länsi-Suomi.KM 1989: 26. Opettajankoulutuksen kehittämistoimikunnan mietintö. Kehittyvä opettajan-

koulutus. Opetusministeriö.KM 1991: 31. Opettajien kelpoisuustoimikunnan mietintö. Opetusministeriö.Korkeakoulujen rakenteellinen kehittäminen. Kannanotot ja kehittämisprojektien raportit ke-

väällä 1993. Korkeakouluneuvoston julkaisuja 5/1993.Kasvatustieteellisen alan tutkintojen arviointi- ja kehittämisprojektin väliraportti. Korkeakoulu-

neuvoston julkaisuja 6/1993.OPM 1993: 3. Luonnontieteellisen koulutuksen arviointiryhmän loppuraportti. Opetusministe-

riön koulutus- ja tiedepolitiikan linjan julkaisusarja 3.OPM 1993: 9.Humanistisen koulutusalan arvioinnin tulokset. Humanististen tutkintojen työ-

ryhmän loppuraportti. Helsinki: Opetusministeriön työryhmien muistioita 1993: 9.Kasvatusalan kehittämissuunnitelma. 18.3.1993VNp 1993. Koulutuksen ja korkeakouluissa harjoitettavan tutkimuksen kehittämissuunnitelma

vuosille 1991�1999. Valtioneuvoston päätös 18.6.1993. Helsinki: Opetusministeriö.OPM 1994: 16. Kasvatusala kohti tulevaisuutta. Kasvatustieteellisen alan tutkintojen arviointi-

ja kehittämisprojektin loppuraportti. Helsinki: Opetusministeriön koulutus- ja tiedepoli-tiikan linjan julkaisusarja 16.

OPM 1994: 14. Educational Studies and Teacher Education in Finnish Universities, 1994. ACommentary by an International Review Team. Helsinki: Opetusministeriön koulutus- jatiedepolitiikan linjan julkaisusarja 14.

Valtioneuvoston korkeakouluissa harjoitettavan tutkimuksen kehittämissuunnitelma vuosille1995�2000.

OPM 1996: 38. Suomalaisten matematiikan ja luonnontieteiden osaaminen vuonna 2002.Opetusministeriön koulutus- ja tiedepolitiikan linjan julkaisusarja 38.

Eduskunnan sivistysvaliokunnan kertomus 6/1995 vp ja lausunto 2/1996.Lipposen I hallituksen koulutuspoliittinen ohjelma 1995�1999.KM 1997: 14. Oppimisen ilo. Kansallinen elinikäisen oppimisen strategia.Sivistysvaliokunnan mietintö. Uudet koululait. 3/1998 vp � HE 861/1997 vp.Yliopistoissa annettavan opettajankoulutuksen arviointi. Kasvatustieteellisten tiedekuntien

dekaaneille ja opettajankoulutuslaitosten/yksiköiden esimiehille/johtajille sekä opettajan-koulutuksen suunnitteluryhmän jäsenille järjestetyn seminaarin muistio 30.3.1998. Kor-keakoulujen arviointineuvosto.

LAWS AND DECREES

Opettajankoulutuslaki 1971. 844/1971.Asetus taideteollisen alan yliopistollisista tutkinnoista 1978. 948/1978.Harjoittelukoululaki 1985. 143/1985.Harjoittelukouluasetus 1985. 336/1985.

70

Opettajankoulutusasetus 1986. 486/1986.Asetus humanistista ja luonnontieteellisistä tutkinnoista 1994. 245/1994.Asetus Sibelius-Akatemian tutkinnoista 1995. 148/1995.Asetus teatteri- ja tanssialan yliopistollista tutkinnoista 1995. 216/1995.Asetus teologisista tutkinnoista 1995. 517/1995Asetus kasvatustieteellisen alan tutkinnoista ja opettajankoulutuksesta 1995. 576/1995.Asetus Sibelius-Akatemian tutkinnoista annetun asetuksen 14 ¤:n muuttamisesta 1998. 255/

1998.Asetus taideteollisen alan yliopistollisista tutkinnoista annetun asetuksen 14 ¤:n muuttami-

sesta 1998. 256/1998.Asetus teatteri- ja tanssialan yliopistollisista tutkinnoista annetun asetuksen 5 ja 17 ¤:n muut-

tamisesta 257/1998.Asetus kasvatustieteellisen alan tutkinnoista ja opettajankoulutuksesta annetun asetuksen

liitteen muuttamisesta 1998. 276/1998.Perusopetuslaki 1998. 21.8.1998/628.Perusopetusasetus 1998. 20.11.1998/852.Lukiolaki 1998. 21.8.1998/629.Lukioasetus 1998. 6.11.1998/810.Koulutuksen lainsäädännön kokonaisuudistus. Perusopetuslaki ja sen perusteluita. (http://

www.eduskunta.fi/triphome/bin/thw/trip/)Asetus opetustoimen henkilöstön kelpoisuusvaatimuksista 1998. 14.12.1998/986.Lakikokoelma 1999. Koulusäädökset. Helsinki: Edita.

OTHER WRITTEN SOURCES

Tiedekuntien itsearviointiaineisto 1998.Tiedekuntien opinto-oppaat 1997; 1998.Tiedekuntien tilastot opettajankoulutuksen aloituspaikoista ja suoritetuista tutkinnoista 1996�

1998.Tiedekuntien ja yliopistojen rehtorin väliset tulossopimukset 1997; 1998.Yliopistojen vuosikertomukset 1997.Yliopistojen toimintakertomukset 1997.Yliopistojen toiminta- ja taloussuunnitelmat vuosille 1999�2000; 2001; 2002.Yliopistojen valintaopas 1998. Opetushallitus.

71APPENDICES

Appendix 1 Statistics of the degrees completed in different universities 73Appendix 2 The evaluation of teacher education institution with a view to the future

perspective of teaching (chart) 75Appendix 3 The members of the Evaluation Planning Team; teacher education provided

by Finnish universities in spring 1998 76Appendix 4 Universities that took part in evaluation, site visits (dates) and evaluators in

February � March in 1999. 76Appendix 5 The site visit programme 77Appendix 6 TheDelphi-group 77

72APPENDIX 1

STATISTICS OF THE MASTER�S DEGREES COMPLETED IN DIFFERENT UNIVERSITIES

Table 1. Intakes and graduations in teacher education; total of master�s degrees, and the share of teaching

graduations, expressed as a percentage, during the period 1996 - 1998.

University/ Faculty

1 UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI

1.1 Faculty of Education

Masters degree in teaching

Total of master�s degrees

Graduations in teaching as a

percentage of all master�s

degrees

1.2 Faculty of Arts





degrees

1.3 Faculty of Science





degrees

1.4 Faculty of Theology





degrees

1.5 Faculty of Social Sciences



Graduation in teaching as a


degree

Total as a percentage

Intake to teacher education Master�s degree Share in percentage of master�sdegree completed in the Faculty

1996 1997 1998 1996 1997 1998 1996 1997 1998

190 190 190 154 155 144

227 252 225

68 62 64

152 164 159 57 52 72

373 351 394

15 15 18

115 200 190 45 55 71

279 343 403

16 16 16

30 30 30 16 40 28

116 158 134

14 25 21

15 15 15 10 14 16

261 264 279

4 5 6

22 23 23

Note! �Share as a percentage� refers only to the number of degrees completed in the faculties mentioned above for the universities offering teacher education in social sciences, thenumber of degrees in teacher education is low, due to the smalla number of degrees completed in teacher education in the Faculty of Social Sciences. The shares in percent includepedagogical studies in teacher training only where they are part of a gedree programme.

73

University/ Faculty

2 UNIVERSITY OF JOENSUU

2.1 Faculty of Education





degrees






degrees

2.3 Faculty of Arts





degrees

Total as a pecentage

3 UNIVERSITY OF OULU

3.1 Faculty of education





degrees






degrees

3.3 Faculty of Arts





degrees

Total as a percentage

Intake to teacher education Master�s degree Share in percentage of master�sdegree completed in the Faculty

1996 1997 1998 1996 1997 1998 1996 1997 1998

205 224 226 246 202 223

291 235 269

85 86 83

65 65 80 37 37 36

102 97 95

36 38 38

102 87 102 68 52 46

174 116 107

39 45 43

62 65 65

215 217 234 158 187 201

198 230 241

80 81 83

80 80 80 66 62 61

218 225 261

30 28 23

124 124 124 59 52 49

147 130 157

40 40 31

50 51 47

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APPENDIX 3

THE MEMBERS OF THE EVALUATION PLANNINGT TEAM; TEACHER EDUCATION PROVIDED BY FINNISH

UNIVERSITIES IN SPRING 1998

Chair

Ms Anna Raija Nummenmaa, Professor, University of Tampere,

member of the Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council

Members

Mr Juhani Hytönen, Professor, University of Helsinki

Ms Ulla Lahtinen, Professor University of Åbo Akademi

Ms Armi Mikkola, Counsellor for Education, Ministry of Education

Mr Pekka Neittaanmäki, Professori, University of Jyväskylä

Mr Reijo Raivola, Professor, University of Tampere

Mr Risto Rinne, Professor, University of Turku

Ms Helena Sulkala, Professor, University of Oulu

Ms Leena Syrjälä, Professor, University of Oulu

Ms Taru Tujunen, Student, National Union of Finnish Students

Ms Anna-Maija Liuhanen, Senior Advisor, Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council

Project Manager

Mr Seppo Saari, Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council, researcher, Univeristy ofHelsinki

APPENDIX 4

UNIVERSITIES THAT TOOK PART IN EVALUATION, SITE VISITS AND EVALUATORS IN FEBRUARY - MARCH

1999 IN 1999.

UNIVERSITIES AND DATES OF THE SITE VISITS

1 Helsinki University 17.02.1999 (international follow-up)

2 Joensuu University 24.02.1999 (international follow-up)

3 Jyväskylä University 03.03.1999

4 Lappi University 26.02.1999

5 Oulu University 23.02.1999 (international follow-up)

6 Sibelius Akademy of Finland 19.02.1999

7 University of Art and Design 19.02.1999

8 Tampere University 09.03.1999

9 Theatre Academy of Finland 19.02.1999

10 Turku University 11.03.1999

11 Åbo Akademi 10.03.1999

EVALUATORS AND THEIR SITE VISITS

Halinen 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11

Ihonen 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11

Jussila (chair/all) 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Juuti 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11

Kansanen (chair/4) 2, 4, 8, 11

Leppäkoski 3, 5, 10

Nurmela-Antikainen 3, 5, 8, 10

Purhonen 3, 5, 10

Rinne 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11

Sava 2, 4, 7, 9

Taavitsainen 5, 8, 10

Väänänen 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11

76

APPENDIX 5

SITE VISIT PROGRAMME

09.00-09.30 meeting of the evaluation team

09.30-10.10 students (two separate groups)

10.25-11.05 students and teachers (two separate groups)

11.15-11.50 teachers (two separate groups)

11.50-13.00 lunch break

13.00-14.00 university and faculty management

14.00-15.00 rector and deans

15.00-16.00 open discussion

16.00-16.45 discussion of the evaluation team

APPENDIX 6

DELPHI-GROUP

TEACHER EDUCATION IN FUTURE

Ms Liisa Huovinen, Advisor, In-service trainig center of Helsinki University in VantaaMs Vuokko Jarva, Researcher, University of HelsinkiMs Sanna Järvelä, Professor, University of OuluMr Antti Kauppi, Researcher, Polytechnics of Helsinki, HELIAMs Kaisa Kautto-Koivula, Head of department, Nokia TelecommunicationsMs Kirsi Lindroos, Development Manager, Alliance of Cities in FinlandMr Hannu Linturi, Principal, Academy of OtavaMr Juhani Mansikkamäki, Quality Manager, Siemens LtdMr Markku Markkula, Member of ParliamentMs Hannele Niemi, Professor, Univeristy of HelsinkiMr Eero Pantzar, Researcher, Univeristy of TampereMr Kari Purhonen, Chief, Industry and Employer National UnionMr Reijo Raivola, Professor, University of TampereMs Anita Rubin, Researcher, University of TurkuMr Matti Sinko, Senior Inspector, Ministry of EducationMr Tapio Varis, Professor, University of Tampere

77

PUBLICATIONS OF THE FINNISH HIGHER EDUCATIONEVALUATION COUNCILPOB 20, FIN-00501 HELSINKITel +358-9-7748 8410 Fax +358-9-7748 8414http://www.minedu.fi/asiant/kka.html

1:1997 Virtanen, A. (toim.): Armottomat ammattikorkeakoulut � matkalla kehittynei-siinarviointijärjestelmiin. Helsinki: Edita.2:1997 Liuhanen, A.-M. (toim.): Yliopistot arvioivat toimintaansa � mitä opitaan?Helsinki: Edita.3:1997 Korkeakoulujen arviointineuvoston toimintasuunnitelma vuosille 1998�1999.Helsinki: Edita.4:1997 Finska rådet för utvärdering av högskolorna: Verksamhetsplan 1998�1999.Helsingfors: Edita.5:1997 Action Plan of the Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council for 1998�1999.Helsinki: Edita.

1:1998 Virtanen, A. (toim.): Korkeakoulutettu poliisi. Poliisiammattikorkeakoulunulkoinen arviointi. Helsinki: Edita.2:1998 Kantola, I. & Panhelainen, M. (toim.): Kansainvälistyvät ammattikorkeakoulut.Jyväskylän, Tampereen ja Turun ammattikorkeakoulujen kansainvälistymisenasiantuntija-arviointi. Helsinki: Edita.3:1998 Junge-Jensen, F., Lundin, R., Nyman, G. & Wahlroos, B.: Vart är Hanken påväg? Rapport av en extern utvärderingsgrupp. Helsingfors: Edita.4:1998 167 syytä korkeakouluksi. Ammattikorkeakouluhakemusten arviointi 1998.Helsinki: Edita.5:1998 Yliopistokoulutuksen laatuyksiköt. Arviointineuvoston esitys korkealaatuisenkoulutuksen yksiköiksi vuosille 1999�2000. Helsinki: Edita.6:1998 Hämäläinen, K. & Moitus, S. (toim.): Laatua korkeakoulutukseen � teoriaa jakäytäntöä. Helsinki: Edita.7:1998 Pilot Audit of Quality Work in Kajaani, Turku, Lahti and Häme Polytechnics.Helsinki: Edita.8:1998 Dahllöf, U., Goddard, J., Huttunen, J., O�Brien, C., Román, O. & Virtanen, I.:Towards the Responsive University: The Regional Role of Eastern FinlandUniversities. Helsinki: Edita.9:1998 Programme Evaluation of Industrial Management and Engineering in FinnishHigher Education Institutions. Helsinki: Edita.10:1998 Quality Label? EQUIS Evaluation Report. Helsinki School of Economics andBusiness Administration. Helsinki: Edita.11:1998 Three Finnish Universities in the International Perspective. CRE InstitutionalReview of Helsinki University of Technology, Tampere University of Technology,and Åbo Akademi University. CRE Reviewers� Reports. Helsinki: Edita.

1:1999 Virtanen, A. (toim.): Viittä vaille valmis? Ammattikorkeakouluhakemustenarviointi 1999. Helsinki: Edita.2:1999 Vähäpassi, A. & Moitus, S. (toim.): Korkeakoulut alueidensa vetureina. Viisinäkökulmaa vaikuttavuuteen. Helsinki: Edita.3:1999 Booth, J., Erlhoff, M., Jones, A. & Paasikivi, P.: Strategies for the Future.Evaluation of University of Art and Design Helsinki UIAH. Helsinki: Edita.4:1999 Kähkönen, J. & Lipponen, M. (toim.): Laadun lähteillä. Itä-Suomen ammatti-korkeakoulujenitsearvioinnin kehittäminen. Helsinki: Edita.5:1999 Tella, S., Räsänen, A. & Vähäpassi, A. (Eds.): Teaching Through a ForeignLanguage. From Tool to Empowering Mediator. Helsinki: Edita.6:1999 Cheesmond, R., Grede, K., Lonka, K. & Román, G.: From the Cherry Orchardto the Future. The Report of the Peer Review Team of the Theatre Academy ofFinland. Helsinki: Edita.7:1999 Davies, J., Lindström, C.-G. & Schutte, F.: Five Years of Development. Follow-UpEvaluation of the University of Oulu. Helsinki: Edita.8:1999 Perälä, M.-L. & Ponkala, O.: Tietoa ja taitoa terveysalalle. Terveydenhuoltoalankorkeakoulutuksen arviointi. Helsinki: Edita.

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9:1999 Audit of Quality Work. North Karelia and Mikkeli Polytechnics. Helsinki: Edita.10:1999 Audit of Quality Work. Seinäjoki Polytechnic. Helsinki: Edita.11:1999 Jussila, J. & Saari, S. (toim.): Opettajankoulutus tulevaisuuden tekijänä. Yliopis-toissaannettavan opettajankoulutuksen arviointi. Helsinki: Edita.12:1999 Virtanen, A. & Mertano, S. (Eds.): Learning by Comparing. The Benchmarkingof Administration at the University of Helsinki. Helsinki: Edita.13:1999 Kuusinen, I. & Nurminen, M.: Korkeakoulukirjaston asiakaspalvelun arviointi.Kymenlaakson ammattikorkeakoulun, Helsingin kauppakorkeakoulun ja LeedsMetropolitan Universityn kirjastot. Helsinki: Edita.14:1999 Kuusinen, I. & Nurminen, M.: Evaluation of Customer Service in the AcademicLibrary. Libraries of Kymenlaakso Polytechnic, Helsinki School of Economics andBusiness Administration, and Leeds Metropolitan University. Helsinki: Edita.15:1999 Kristensen, B., Lindfors, T., Otley, D. & Stenius, M.: TSEBA as a LearningOrganisation. Evaluation of Turku School of Economics and BusinessAdministration. Helsinki: Edita.16:1999 Lyytinen, Heikki K.: Työelämäyhteistyön arviointi. Jyväskylän, Tampereen jaTurun ammattikorkeakoulujen työelämäyhteistyön ulkoinen arviointi. Helsinki:Edita.17:1999 Pehu-Voima, S. & Hämäläinen, K. (toim.): Opetusta kehittävää arviointia.Helsinki: Edita.

1:2000 Lehtinen, E., Kess, P., Ståhle, P. & Urponen, K.: Tampereen yliopistonopetuksen arviointi. Helsinki: Edita.2:2000 Cohen, B., Jung, K. & Valjakka, T.: From Academy of Fine Arts to University.Same name, wider ambitions. Helsinki: Edita.3:2000 Goddard, J., Moses, I., Teichler, U., Virtanen, I. & West, P.: ExternalEngagement and Institutional Adjustment: An Evaluation of the University ofTurku. Helsinki: Edita.4:2000 Almefelt, P., Kekäle, T., Malm, K., Miikkulainen, L. & Pehu-Voima, S.: Audit ofQuality Work. Swedish Polytechnic, Finland. Helsinki: Edita.5:2000 Harlio, R., Harvey, L., Mansikkamäki. J., Miikkulainen, L. & Pehu-Voima, S.:Audit of Quality Work. Central Ostrobothnia Polytechnic. Helsinki: Edita.6:2000 Moitus, S. (toim.): Yliopistokoulutuksen laatuyksiköt 2001�2003. Helsinki:Edita.7:2000 Liuhanen, A.-M. (toim.): Neljä aikuiskoulutuksen laatuyliopistoa 2001�2003.Helsinki: Edita.8:2000 Hara, V. , Hyvönen, R. , Myers, D. & Kangasniemi, J. (Eds.): Evaluation ofEducation for the Information Industry. Helsinki: Edita.9:2000 Jussila, J. & Saari, S. (Eds.): Teacher Education as a Future-moulding Factor. InternationalEvaluation of Teacher Education in Finnish Universities. Helsinki: FINHEEC.http://www.minedu.fi/minedu/education/finheec/finheec.html

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Teacher education as a future-moulding fac-torInternational Evaluation of Teacher Educa-tion in Finnish Universities

The purpose of the evaluation of teacher education inuniversities was to involve all parties in teacher educa-tion in a broad discussion on how teacher educationshould be developed. The evaluation was the product ofa multitude of reports and other documents, budget plansand action plans of universities, annual and financial re-ports, statistics, a broad self-evaluation and the materialobtained by interviews in connection with visits of theexternal evaluation team. Although academic teacher edu-cation has developed considerably in the last 25 years,the issues that seem to need further development areagain and again the same. They are: the problems in thecooperation of universities and faculties, the distributionof duties in university teacher education on national level,and the timing and content of pedagogical studies. Whatshould be done about them? The number of departmentsand faculties involved in teacher education is quite high.Therefore, the pedagogical education which is a respon-sibility of the faculties of education needs new guidelinesand university-related strategies on a national level. Theevaluation report draws attention to central developmentgoals common to all universities, the individual universi-ties� needs, strengths and weaknesses, and in doing so itcreates a picture of the present state of teacher educa-tion on the national level. The evaluation project commencedin spring 1998 and was concluded in September 1999.The international part of the evaluation was published inApril 2000.

teacher education as a future-moulding factorteacher education as a future-moulding factor...

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