01芬教师教育：状与末来资料解读.doc

Teacher education in Finland: current trends and future scenarios Hannele Niemi University of Helsinki Hannele.niemi@helsinki.fi Abstract This article aims to draw a picture of current trends in Finnish teacher education and to explore the question of how TE should be developed in the near future. Following a short historical background, the main strategies and results of the research project, Effectiveness of Teacher Education, will be introduced. The project created and implemented a concept of communicative evaluation. The results clearly showed that Finnish teacher education has been successful in many respects, but there are also critical points which require revisions. The important finding is that institutional and professional cultures in schools and TE institutions have a strong influence on the effectiveness of teacher education. They reinforce each other. TE cannot affect real changes if schools are not prepared to change and, vice versa, schools cannot change if teachers do not have the skills needed. Another important viewpoint is the fact that system-level structures may support the objectives of high quality learning in schools and teacher education, but system-level structure may also colonise and destroy a new culture which should be created. A short history of Teacher Education policies in Finland Teacher education for elementary and secondary schools was transferred to universities in the Finnish educational system through the Teacher Education Law, in 1971. The earlier teacher training colleges, the seminars for the primary level, were attached to Education Faculties as newcomers. Secondary school subject-teacher education was also renewed by expanding pedagogical studies. The purpose was to unify elementary and secondary school teacher education and to develop an academically high standard education. It was also necessary to answer to the needs of a new comprehensive school system which was implemented in the sixties. In the la