How to Train Good Teachers in Finnish Universities? Student Teachers’ Study Process and Teacher Educators’ Role in It
Due to Finnish pupils’ achievements in international comparisons, also Finnish teacher training has been widely acknowledged. Today’s educ.
- Pub. date: October 15, 2012
- Pages: 339-352
- 1145 Downloads
- 1709 Views
- 9 Citations
Due to Finnish pupils’ achievements in international comparisons, also Finnish teacher training has been widely acknowledged. Today’s educational policies aim at making teacher training more effective in Finland. However, in order to realize this in practice, not only reforms in educational policy or institutions are enough. More attention should be paid on student teachers’ study processes as a whole. In this article, we introduce an illustration of the factors that comprise student teachers’ study processes at universities. Based on the illustration, we will discuss what makes a good study process as the teacher’s academic degree and how teacher educators can make students’ progress on their study paths motivating and fruitful. We argue that teacher educators should be more thoughtful and willing to genuinely help and confront students as individuals: teacher educators should act as mentors who further students’ engagement in studying.
Keywords: Teacher training, studying, teacher student engagement, teacher educators, higher education
9
References
Alaoutinen, S., Bruce, T., Kuisma, M., Laihanen, E., Nurkka, A., Riekko, K., Tervonen, A., Virkki- Hatakka, T., Kotivirta, S., & Muukkonen, J. (2009). LUT:n opettajan laatuopas [Quality Man- ual for Teachers in Lappeenranta University of Technology]. Lappeenranta: Lappeenranta Uni- versity of Technology. Retrieved from http://www.lut.fi/fi/lut/introduction/quality/qualitybook/Documents/Opettajan_Laatuopas_B5_f inal.pdf.
Allen, D. (1999). Desire to finish college: En empirical link between motivation and persistence. Research in Higher Education, 40(4), 461-485.
Atjonen, P. (2007). Educational technology and technology education for a better private and public life- Principles and practices from the Finnish viewpoint. In R. Jakku-Sihvonen & H. Niemi (Eds.),
Education as a Societal Contributor (pp. 91-110). Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.
Biggs, J. B. (1987). Student Approaches to Learning and Studying. Hawthorn: Australian Council for Educational Research. Retriewed from http://eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED308201.pdf.
Carver, C. S., & Scheier, M. F. (2002). Optimism. In C. R. Snyder, & S. J. Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology (pp. 231-243). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Cassidy, S., & Eachus, P. (2000). Learning style, academic belief systems, self-report student profi- ciency and academic achievement in higher education. Educational Psychology: An Interna- tional Journal of Experimental Educational Psychology, 20(3), 307-322. doi:10.1080/713663740
Cruce, T., Wolniak, G. C., Seifert, T. A., & Pascarella, E. T. (2006). Impacts of good practices on cog- nitive development, learning orientations, and graduate degree plans during the first year of col- lege. Journal of College Student Development, 47(4), 365–383.
Economist Intelligence Unit. (2012). The learning curve. Lessons in country performance in education. London: Pearson. Retrieved from: http://thelearningcurve.pearson.com/the-report
Flores, M. A., & Day, C. (2006). Contexts which shape and reshape new teachers’ identities: A multi- perspective study. Teaching and Teacher Education, 22, 219–232. doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2005.09.002
Gettinger, M., & Seibert, J. K. (2002). Contributions of study skills to academic competence. School Psychology Review, 31(3), 350-365.
Greenwald, R., Hedges, L. V., & Laine, R. D. (1996). The Effect of School Resources on Student Achievement. Review of Educational Research, 66(3), 361-396.
Haapaniemi, T., Voutilainen, U. & Ikäheimonen K. (2001). Millä eväillä ohjauskokeiluihin? [With what provisions to mentoring experiments?] In U. Voutilainen & T. Haapaniemi (Eds.), Ohjaus- opiskelun voimavara [Mentoring – a Resource for Studying] (pp. 97-112). Kuopio: University of Kuopio.
Heikkilä, V., Uusiautti, S., & Määttä, K. (2012). Teacher students’ school memories as a part of the development of their professional identity. Journal of Studies in Education, 2(2), 215-229. doi:10.5296/jse.v2i2.1580
Huebner, E. S., Gilman, R., Reschly, A. L., & Hall, R. (2009). Positive schools. In S. J. Lopez & C. R. Snyder (Eds.), Oxford handbook of positive psychology (pp. 561-568). 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Jakku-Sihvonen, R. (2007). Curricula for majoring in education. In R. Jakku-Sihvonen & H. Niemi (Eds.), Education as societal contributor (pp. 207–225). Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.
Jakku-Sihvonen, R., & Niemi, H. (2006a). Introduction to the Finnish education system and teachers’ work. In R. Jakku-Sihvonen & H. Niemi (Eds.), Research-based teacher education in Finland – Reflections by Finnish teacher educators (pp. 7–13). (Research in Educational Sciences 25.) Helsinki: Finnish Educational Research Association.
Jakku-Sihvonen, R., Tissari, V., Ots, A. & Uusiautti, S. (2012). Teacher education curricula after the Bologna Process – a comparative analysis of written curricula in Finland and Estonia. Scandi- navian Journal of Education, 56(3), 261-275.
Jokinen, H., & Välijärvi, J. (2006). Making mentoring a tool for supporting teachers´ professional de- velopment. In R. Jakku-Sihvonen & H. Niemi (Eds.), Research-based teacher education in Fin- land – Reflections by Finnish teacher educators (pp. 89-102). Turku: Finnish Educational Re- search Association.
Jyrhämä, R. (2006). The function of practical studies in teacher education. In R. Jakku-Sihvonen & H. Niemi (Eds.), Research-based teacher education in Finland – Reflections by Finnish teacher educators (pp. 51-70). Turku: Finnish Educational Research Association.
Karjalainen, A. (1996). Pieni tutoropas yliopisto-opettajille [A little tutoring manual for university teachers]. Oulu: University of Oulu.
Kezar, A. J., & Kinzie, J. L. (2006). Examining the ways institutions create student engagement: the role of mission. Journal of College Student Development, 47(2), 149-172. doi: 10.1353/csd.2006.0018
Kuh, G. (2003). What we’re students. Benchmarks for effective educational practices. Change, March/April, 24-32.
Lahtinen, A.-M. & Toom, A. (2009). Yliopisto-opetuksen käytäntö ja yliopisto-opettajan ammatillinen kehittyminen [The practice of university teaching and university teachers’ professional devel- opment]. In S. Lindblom-Ylänne & A. Nevgi (Eds.), Yliopisto-opettajan käsikirja [A university teacher’s manual] (pp. 31-45). Helsinki: WSOYpro.
Laine, T. (2004). Huomisen opettajat. Luokanopettajakoulutus ammatillisen identiteetin rakentajana [Teachers of tomorrow. Class teacher training as the constructor of professional identity]. (PhD, diss. University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland).
Lavonen, J., & Laaksonen, S. (2009). Context of teaching and learning school science in Finland: Re- flections on PISA 2006 results. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 46(8), 922–944. doi: 10.1002/tea.20339
Lindblom-Ylänne, S., & Pihlajamäki, H. (2003). Adjusting law teaching to social change: an historical perspective to legal education. Retfaerd, 101, 5-19.
Lowe, J., & Gayle, V. (2007). Exploring the work/life/study balance: the experience of higher educa- tion students in a Scottish further education college. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 31(3), 225-238. doi: 10.1080/03098770701424942
Maddux, J. E. (2002). Self-efficacy. The power of believing you can. In C. R. Snyder, & S. J. Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology (pp. 277-287). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Mayya, S. S., & Roff, S. (2004). Students’ perceptions of educational environment. Education for Health, 17(3), 280 – 291. doi: 10.1080/13576280400002445
Mäkinen, M. (2000). Mikä minusta tulee “isona”? Yliopisto-opiskelijan ammattikuvan kehittyminen [What will I become “when big”? The development of a university student’s professional im- age]. In P. Tynjälä, J. Välimaa, & M. Murtonen (Eds.), Korkeakoulutus, oppiminen ja työelämä [Higher education, learning, and working life] (pp. 77-90). Jyväskylä: PS-Kustannus.
Määttä, K. (2011). The dissertation process described by doctoral students in Finland. E-International Journal of Educational Research, 2(1), 66-80.
Määttä, K. (2012). The pedagogy of supervising doctoral theses. In K. Määttä (ed.). Obsessed with the doctoral theses: The supervision and support in the phases of dissertation process? (pp. 143- 160). Rotterdam: Sense Publishers. Doi: 10.1007/978-94-60091-678-6_26.
Määttä, K. & Uusiautti, S. (2011a). Pedagogical love and good teacherhood. In Education, 17 (2). Määttä, K. & Uusiautti S. (2011b). Pedagogical authority and pedagogical love – connected or incompatible. International Journal of Whole Schooling, 8 (1), 21-39.
Määttä, K., & Uusiautti, S. (2011 c). How to enhance the smoothness of university students´ study paths? International Journal of Research Studies in Education, 1(1), 47-60. doi: 10.5861/ijrse.2012.v1i1.16.
Niemi, H. (2005). Suomalainen opettajankoulutus valmiina jo pitkään eurooppalaiseen korkeakoulualueeseen [Finnish teacher training has been ready for a long time to join the Euro- pean higher education area]. In R. Jakku-Sihvonen (Ed.), Uudenlaisia maistereita [New kinds of Masters] (pp. 187-218). Jyväskylä: PS-kustannus.
Niemi, H., & Jakku-Sihvonen, R. (2006). Research-based teacher education. In R. Jakku-Sihvonen &
H. Niemi (Eds.), Research-based teacher education in Finland – Reflections by Finnish teacher educators (pp. 31-50). Turku: Finnish Educational Research Association.
OECD. (2000). Knowledge and skills for life. Programme for international student assessment. Paris: OECD.
OECD. (2003). Learning for tomorrow’s world. First results from PISA 2003. Programme for interna- tional student assessment. Paris: OECD.
Ojanen, S., & Lauriala, A. (2006). Enhancing professional development of teachers by developing su- pervision into a conceptually-based practice. In R. Jakku-Sihvonen & H. Niemi (Eds.), Re- search-based teacher education in Finland – Reflections by Finnish teacher educators (pp. 71- 88). Turku: Finnish Educational Research Association.
Pajares, F. (2001). Toward a positive psychology of academic motivation. The Journal of Educational Research, 95(1), 27-35.
Parker, W. M., & Scott, J. (1985). Creating an inviting atmosphere for college students from ethnic minority groups. Journal of College Student Personnel, 26(1), 82-84.
Pascarella, E. T. (1980). Student-faculty informal contact and college outcomes. Review of Educational Research, 50, 545-595. doi: 10.3102/00346543050004545
Pimparyon, P., Roff, S., Mcaleer, S., Poonchai, B. & Pemba, S. (2000). Educational environment, stu- dent approaches to learning and academic achievement in a Thai nursing school. Medical Teacher, 22, 359 – 364.
Renchler, R. (1992). Student motivation, school culture, and academic achievement. What school lead- ers can do. Oregon: University of Oregon. Retrieved from http://eric.uoregon.edu/pdf/trends/motivation.pdf
Renn, K. A., & Arnold, K. D. (2003). Reconceptualizing research on college student peer culture. Jour- nal of Higher Education, 74(3), 261-291.
Richardson, P. W., & Watt, H. M. G. (2006). Who chooses teaching and why? Profiling characteristics and motivations across three Australian universities. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Educa- tion, 34(1), 27–56.
Richardson, V. (2004). Conducting research on practice. Educational Research, 23(5), 5-10.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motiva- tion, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68-78.
San Antonio, D. M. (2008). Understanding students’ strengths and struggles. Educational Leadership, Apr/2008, 74-79.
Schunk, D. H., & Pajares, F. (2005). Competence perceptions and academic functioning. In A. J. Elliot & C. S. Dweck (Eds.), Handbook of Competence and Motivation (pp. 85-104). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Shulman, L.S. (1987). Knowledge and teaching: Foundations of the new reform. Harvard Educational Review, 57(1), 1-22.
Välijärvi, J. (2012). The history and present of the Finnish education system. Paper presented at Sino- Finnish seminar on education systems, Shanghai, 31May -2 June 2012. Retrieved from: http://cice.shnu.edu.cn/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=U5rzr6FYThQ%3D&tabid=11413&language
Välijärvi, J., Kupari, P., Linnakylä, P., Reinikainen, P., Sulkunen, S., Törnroos, J., & Arffman, I. (2007). The Finnish success in PISA – and some reasons behind it 2. PISA 2003. Jyväskylä: In- stitute for Educational Research.
Watts, R. J., & Smolicz, J. J. (1997). Cultural democracy and ethnic pluralism. Multicultural and multi- lingual policies in education. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.
Zhao, C.-M., Kuh, G. D., & Carini, R. M. (2005). A comparison of international student and American student engagement in effective educational practices. The Journal of Higher Education, 76(2), 209-231.