Early Childhood Education in Finland
Education plays an essential role in student achievement; hence, governments should aspire to introduce successful education systems in their schools. Finland is famous because of its learning outcomes. The country is known for having teachers who effectively prepare young people for their upcoming roles in the society. Early childhood education is essential as it introduces students to the school environment. Early childhood education acts as a foundation upon which the children’s learning capability is developed. Most students learn to collaborate and think while they are in kindergarten. The paper discusses Finland’s education system, the country’s beliefs, attitudes, and values on children’s learning and development, Finland’s philosophy and views on content and teaching methodologies, and how Finland’s learning curriculum informs the researcher’s redesigning and teaching techniques.
Why Finland’s Education System was Chosen
Finland’s education system is highly ranked globally. The country is celebrated for its superior teachers, schools, and students. The country’s concepts on education have been attributed as the reason for the country’s education system success (Uusiautti, Paksuniemi & Maatta, 2013). The student to teacher ratio in Finland is a major contributing factor to the success of the county’s education system. A class is composed of averagely twenty students, which allows teachers to focus on each student. The teachers have manageable responsibilities, and students have more contact with their teachers. Finnish classrooms often lack teacher assistants and instructional aids as the classroom teacher is expected to give direct instructions to students. The other reason for the success of the country’s education system is the socioeconomic status of the students. Finland has less than five percent nationwide child poverty (Sahlberg, 2013). As a result, students can focus on their learning process as opposed to meeting their basic needs.
Finland’s education system has reformed to give teachers autonomy in their classes. The teachers in Finland are highly trained. The teachers have the freedom to teach students based on their needs as opposed to following a curriculum developed by the government. The teachers are no longer required to report on what they teach their students, which has gone a long way in improving the quality of education in the country. Teacher autonomy results in innovation in creating lesson plans, hence a successful education system ((Salminen et al. 2012). Teachers in Finland are allowed to experiment on their training endeavors and teaching techniques, which is a necessary step in enhancing the education system in a country.
Early childhood education prepares children for learning; hence, it is an essential part of the education system. Finland’s teachers effectively teach students teamwork and how to communicate with fellow students and teachers in a correct manner. Finland’s education system allows students to explore learning processes that aid in the development of both the internal and external mental and emotional abilities of the students (Uusiautti, Paksuniemi & Maatta, 2013). The education system offers students the ability to improve their reading and writing. The content covered in schools includes Science, mathematics, languages, art, and social studies, among other valuable lessons. The teachers who handle early childhood education classes understand the significance of their role; hence they prepare the children for lifelong learning. The country was chosen after comparing its education systems with the education systems for other developed countries.
Finland’s Attitudes and Beliefs on Children’s Development and Learning
Finland believes in the practice of lifelong learning. Finland is keen on correcting flaws existence in its children’s’ development and learning systems. Finland’s attitude towards education has resulted in the exemplary education system. The country has been undergoing a slow progression towards improving its education system (Ulrich, 2015). The teacher-centered system has ensured that teachers receive training and funding to enhance their research and teaching skills. The Finnish teachers in training undergo extensive coursework and state of the art research which prepares them to teach students. The teachers are additionally expected to gain clinical experience at a school which has collaborated with the university for at least a year. Teachers in Finland are expected to be experts in their line of field hence the need to take part in lifelong learning. Teachers who practice continual learning are more likely to mentor their students into becoming lifelong learners.
Children with special needs are identified in maternity hospitals and helped all through their education. The children who experience delays in learning may receive the extra assessment. Children with special needs are taken to specialized schools whenever their demands are detected (Sahlberg, 2013). The staff working in specialized schools receives training to ensure that they meet the needs of their students. Students attending individual schools are required to have personal plans for their education. The personal plan illustrates the students’ abilities, description of their pleasant school setting, objectives of training, the people in charge of monitoring the student, and the suggested assessment methodologies.
Finnish parents are fully involved in the education of their children. The parents cooperate with teachers in the early childhood education system (Salminen et al. 2012). The teachers retain professional autonomy and allow the parents to take up the rest of the responsibilities of bringing up a socially acceptable adult. The different cultural beliefs and practices are considered by schools to ensure that all families feel free to take part in school activities.
Comparison with the US
Teacher training in the US is quite different factored to instruction to finish teachers. In the United States, teachers make individual decisions to undergo training in a college of their liking. On admission to the college, teachers choose their majors (Ripley, 2013). The teachers on training have to finish the required classes, teach for one semester before their graduation. Research conducted among early childhood education teachers showed that most new graduate teachers felt unprepared to teach, especially during their first year in the profession (Sahlberg, 2013).
The United States’ child poverty rate is high, which impacts the child’s ability to seek learning. Research shows that the child poverty rate is approximately twenty percent, which reduces the child’s focus on education (Ripley, 2013). The reduced concentration in classroom activities has been correlated to poor performance and low excellence rating in the US. The US has a little teacher to student ratio, which has resulted in positive outcomes for the early childhood educational system. The needs of students with special needs are similarly taken care of by the schools in the US.
Parents in the US are involved in the education of their children. Approximately half of the American parents believe that they have to be involved in the educational activities of their children. The parents acknowledged that they attend school meetings, engage in special projects, and attend class trips (Salminen et al. 2012). However, most parents avoid becoming too involved in the assessment of their children. The parents opt for their children to engage in self-assessment.
Finland’s Guiding Philosophy, Views, and Theories on Different Content Areas, Teaching Approach and Methodology
The Finnish education system uses learner and teacher-centered approaches. The schools give teachers autonomy in their classrooms. The teachers are given the responsibility to choose the learning content depending on the needs of their students. The teachers receive training, which prepares them to develop their students’ skills. Teachers who are highly trained are better equipped to teach students compared to untrained teachers. The university level training offered to teachers was first implemented during the 1960s (Sahlberg, 2013). The rigorous training is correlated to the high students’ attainment in Finnish classrooms.
The university level training is a competitive program that attracts a high number of applicants. The training program is based on foundational ideas that ensure that the initial objectives of education are respected despite the global changes in educational trends. The teacher training program prepares early childhood education teachers to ensure that schools are equipped with trained teachers (Salminen et al. 2012). Students with special needs are integrated with other students, which points towards collaboration and respect for people from all walks of life. The students with special needs who cannot attend regular schools have specialized schools to meet the needs of these students.
Finland advocates for minimal assessment frequency in schools and gives autonomy to teachers. Before 1980, schools had accountability measures for teachers and numerous testing methodologies for students. In the 1990s, the accountability measures and testing were removed as a way of giving the teacher’s autonomy and ensuring that students do not repeat classes (Ulrich, 2015). The country’s education system operates in the belief that qualified teachers can act as reformers for the education sector. Therefore, teachers undergo extensive training to ensure that they are equipped with the necessary skills needed in teaching students. The Finnish teachers currently have the autonomy to teach their students and provide them with skills as they deem fit as opposed to being guided by the government’s decree. The decision to give teachers the autonomy over their students resulted in a shift in the desired outcomes of learning. Despite students being tested, assessments are only used to ensure that the schools are attaining success. Students in Finland undergo a comprehensive evaluation at the end of a semester. The PISA test is a standardized test that should be taken by a student after several years (Uusiautti, Paksuniemi & Maatta, 2013).
Finland’s Education History
Finland’s education system has undergone several reforms for it to be deemed successful. The changes which started during the eighteenth century were guided by the country’s educational reformers. The objective of the reformers was to prepare responsible citizens who are accepted by society. During the eighteenth century, the Christian Church was in charge of public schools in Finland (Sahlberg, 2013). Consequently, the schools’ teachings were greatly influenced by Christian dogma and catechism. Over time, it was evident that the needs of students were evolving. Therefore, the Finnish government-appointed Uno Cygnaeus as the person in charge of reforms in public schools. Cygnaeus understood the importance of education concerning the development of a county. He was an educated man who had gone through university and became a bishop. In a quest to enabling Finland to become a great nation, he recommended the standardization of education in Finland in 1866.
Education became compulsory during the nineteenth century with an upsurge of schools in the countryside. Teaching in public schools became liberal and moved away from the influence of churches (Ulrich, 2015). Periodically, church-centered schools were entranced, which created a new culture in Finland’s education system. In 1921, school districts were created, resulting in high attendance rates in schools.
Finland’s change in economic and political systems have influenced its education system. In the early 1700s, parents were expected to teach their children or send them to schools or other informal institutions of learning (Ulrich, 2015). Over time, the responsibility for providing knowledge has been given to the government. By the late 1800s, education was compulsory for children between seven and thirteen years of age. Teachers were given more roles and responsibilities both inside and outside of the classroom, especially after making education compulsory for all children. Finland’s shift from farming to the industrialization age resulted in a surge in the schools’ population. During the agrarian times, most Finnish families lived in rural areas (Ulrich, 2015). Industrialization resulted in most families shifting to cities. The manufacturing required the Finnish population to seek training and develop their skills in preparation for taking up the available jobs.
Lessons from the Project
The beliefs, views, and philosophies of parents and teachers are essential in teaching children. The classroom setting should be redesigned to encourage the participation of children and parents from different cultures. The classroom should take in and consider feedback from all stakeholders to show inclusivity. Culturally inclusive classes have been reported to experience enhanced participation from families and students. The knowledge gained from this project will be used in coming up with innovative lesson plans which meet the needs of students. The lesson plans will be created after conducting surveys among students. The investigations which aim at gaining information on the most required skills will be used in the creation and implementation of lesson plans. The class will have a minimal comprehensive assessment. The assessment has been positively correlated with reduced knowledge retention in schools (Ulrich, 2015). Therefore, best practices, such as conducting assessments on a minimum frequency, will encourage learning.
In conclusion, early childhood education is an essential part of the education system as it forms a foundation for learning among young people. Finland has one of the best education systems globally. The Finnish people hold certain beliefs, attitudes, and values on children learning and development. The views and perspectives have resulted in an improvement in the country’s education system. Continual learning, correcting existing flaws, and teacher and student-centered educational strategies have resulted in successful educational systems in Finland. Finland and the United States’ early childhood education systems and beliefs on children’s’ development and learning are comparable. The two systems have similarities and differences, as outlined in the paper. Finland’s educational system has undergone several reforms that have resulted in the redesigning of the training, instruction, and assessment methods in schools. The project illustrates the importance of culture in family involvement hence the need for inclusivity.
References
Lamar County School District Student/Parent Handbook & Student Code of Ethics, 2015-2016. (2015). Retrieved on 23rd June 2020 from http://www.lamarcountyschools.org/cms/lib03/MS01001945/Centricity/Domain/1902/20 15-2016%20Student-Parent%20Handbook.pdf
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Salminen, J., Lerkkanen, M., Poikkeus, A., Pakarinen, E., Siekkinen, M., Hännikäinen, M., Rasku-Puttonen, H. (2012). Observed classroom quality profiles of kindergarten classrooms in Finland. Early Education & Development, 23(5), 654-677. doi:10.1080/10409289.2011.574267.
Ulrich, L. (2015). “Finland vs. the United States: Similarities and Differences in Kindergarten” Honors Theses. 342.
Uusiautti, S., & Määttä, K. (2013). Significant trends in the development of Finnish teacher education programs (1860-2010). Education Policy Analysis Archives, 21(59).
Uusiautti, S., Paksuniemi, M., & Maatta, K. (2013). At the roots of Finnish elementary education: How were children raised in the first Finnish elementary schools? International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 5(2).