National survey of reading comprehension in Finland

As a part of an extensive project for the evaluation of the Finnish comprehensive school, a recently developed reading comprehension measure; a hierarchy‐rating test, and a more conventional multiple‐choice task were used to assess reading comprehension skills in population‐based samples of 2,891 sixth‐graders (12–13 years old) and 1,953 (15–16 years old) ninth‐graders. The hierarchy‐rating task was constructed within the theoretical framework proposed by W. Kintsch and van Dijk (1978). It was designed to examine the cognitively high‐level text processing, or macroprocessing, of expository passages. The multiple‐choice task and the hierarchy‐rating task showed only a moderate intercorrelation. Girls outperformed boys regardless of the comprehension measure. Performance on both measures, but particularly on hierarchy‐rating, correlated with school achievement (r=0.44 and 0.53 respectively, p<0.001). In general, the results are in agreement with previous research. The paper also discusses the educational implications of the survey.     

National Evaluation of Bologna Implementation in Finland: Procedures and outcomes

Finland has performed, as one of the first Bologna countries, a national evaluation of the outcomes of the implementation of the Bologna process. The evaluation was organized by the Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council and performed by an independent expert group during 2010. In general, the reform was conceived as a significant development project which was carried out in a well-organized manner in a relatively short period of time. A closer look at the details show, however, that many of the objectives of the reform were not achieved. This article describes the background and procedures of the evaluation and discusses the main results and conclusions for Finnish higher education policy. The reception, success and implications of the evaluation will also be discussed.

     

芬兰《幼儿教育和保育国家课程指导》的内容与启示

《幼儿教育和保育国家课程指导》是芬兰政府颁布的指导芬兰幼教工作的纲领性文件。芬兰的幼儿教育和保育强调尊重儿童的内在价值,为儿童发展提供支持。在课程实施中体现公平性、整体性、集体性、环境舒适性、快乐性、语言中心等原则:课程内容主要包括数学、自然科学、社会-历史、艺术、道德和宗教一哲学等六个方面。芬兰《幼儿教育和保育国家课程指导》重视保障体系的建构,关注地方差异,强调政策的弹性,对我国具有借鉴意义。     

Malta's National Curriculum: A critical analysis

Malta has recently introduced a National Minimum Curriculum (NMC) for primary, secondary and post-secondary levels. The authors of this article argue that the NMC, like similar national curricula in Britain, the United States and other countries, is underpinned by a conservative ideology. They criticize the NMC for, among other things, discriminating against women, giving insufficient value to non-European cultures, and promoting a hierarchical form of education that is geared to a capitalist concept of work. They argue that the curriculum, in its present form, cannot serve to promote a genuinely democratic education.

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Zusammenfassung Malta hat vor kurzem ein National Minimum Curriculum (NMC — Nationales Minimum Curriculum) für Schulen der Primar-, Sekundar-und Post-sekundarbildung eingeführt. Die Autoren dieses Artikels argumentieren dahingehend, daß dem NMC, wie ähnlichen nationalen Curricula in Großbritannien, den Vereinigten Staaten und anderen Ländern, eine konservative Ideologie zugrunde liegt. Sie kritisieren das NMC u.a. für eine Diskriminierung der Frauen, eine ungenügende Integration nicht-europäischer Kulturen und die Förderung einer hierarchischen Bildungsform, die in ein kapitalistisches Arbeitskonzept mündet. Sie argumentieren, daß das Curriculum in seiner gegenwärtigen Form der Förderung einer wahrhhaft demokratischen Erziehung nicht dienlich sein kann.

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Résumé Le gouvernement de Malte a récemment instauré un programme minimum national (NMC) pour les cycles primaire, secondaire et universitaire. Les auteurs de l'article objectent que ce programme, comparable à ceux de Grande-Bretagne, des Etats-Unis et d'autres pays, se fonde sur une idéologie conservatrice. Ils dénoncent entre autres la discrimination des femmes, la mise en avant de la culture européenne, et la défense d'une hiérarchie pédagogique orientée vers une conception capitaliste du travail. Ils affirment que ce programme dans sa forme actuelle ne peut constituer le fondement d'une éducation véritablement démocratique.

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Sumario Malta acaba de introducir un Curriculum Mínimo Nacional (NMC) para niveles primarios, secundarios y post-secondarios. Los autores de este artículo sostienen que el NMC, al igual que otros currículos similares de Gran Bretaña, los Estados Unidos y otros países está apuntalado por una ideología conservadora. Entre otras cosas, ellos critican el NMC por discriminar a la mujer, valorar insuficientemente las culturas no europeas y promover una forma de educación jerárquica orientada hacia un concepto de trabajo capitalista. Además, opinan que el currículo en su forma actual no podrá servir para promover una educación genuinamente democrática.

     

Finland: Modern Language Teaching

The Committee on Language Teaching Policy has submitted its report to the Ministry of Education. The Committee, chaired by Mr. Jaakko Numminen, was set up in 1976 with the task of investigating to what extent the two national languages, Finnish and Swedish, and foreign languages are taught in the Finnish educational system and to outline a plan, which would guarantee that provision for the teaching of languages in formal and informal education is adequate in the light of national needs and national cultural policy.     

高等教育在芬兰国家创新体系中的角色及启示

高等教育在芬兰国家创新体系中扮演着重要的角色,承担着社会、经济、文化等广泛多样化的责任,并与区域发展政策密切相关。作为芬兰国家创新体系的重要组成部分,高等教育不仅为其输送了大量高层次创新型人才,而且在其中扮演着知识创新者角色,并为其提供智力支持。我国高等教育同芬兰大致相同,基本属于政府驱动型发展模式。因此,深入探究芬兰高等教育在国家创新体系中的角色与作用,对于深化我国高等教育改革、实现我国创新型国家建设目标具有积极的借鉴意义。     

Finland

芬兰位于欧洲北部,约有18．8万个湖泊,因此有“千湖之国”之称。芬兰还是圣诞老人的故乡。据说,圣诞老人就住在芬兰北部的圣诞老人村里。     

芬兰《学前教育国家核心课程》的背景、特点及其启示

芬兰政府颁布的《学前教育国家核心课程》被认为是世界上最优秀的课程标准之一。该课程标准是在特定背景下颁布的,具有以下特点:立场明确,保护儿童权利;内容丰富,发展幼儿个性;信任儿童,鼓励自由表达;注重环保,培养审美能力;强调互动,侧重发展性评价等。其对中国幼儿园课程开发的启示包括:坚持主体性原则,打破狭窄的课程定位;坚持整合性原则,树立开放的课程观念;坚持发展性原则,重视创新的课程架构等。     

A comparative analysis of primary teacher professionalism in England and Finland

Policy‐makers' conceptions of teacher professionalism currently differ markedly in England and Finland. In England they are shaped by agendas associated with the drive to raise standards and ‘commercialized professionalism’ whilst in Finland they are influenced by notions of ‘teacher empowerment’. This article analyses findings on the theme of teacher professionalism derived from re‐interviewing a sample of English and Finnish teachers in 2001 as a follow‐up to earlier ethnographic research in six schools in each country during 1994–1996. Issues of professionalism are addressed through three broad themes: the impact of curriculum and pedagogical reforms; working together to implement these reforms; and accountability and control. It is argued that in each country teachers' conceptions of their professionalism were undergoing reconstruction. These conceptions were shaped by past and present ideology, policy and practice and displayed multiple and situational dimensions.     

The National Survey of Student Engagement: A university-level analysis

The National Survey of Student Engagement has been administered to freshmen and seniors at colleges and universities across the USA and Canada, since the spring of 2000, to gather information about the nature and the quality of their education. After each administration, participating schools are provided with an institutional report, including results for five benchmarks of effective educational practice. The purpose of this study was to examine the utility of these benchmark scores at a particular university. The results of a confirmatory factor analysis suggest that the benchmarks are not valid indicators of students’ perceptions at this school. Discussion regarding uses of national data collections for individual institutions is provided.

     

Teacher Identity and Curriculum Change: A comparative case-study analysis of small schools in England and Finland

The findings reported in this article form part of a wider comparative research project investigating the processes of curriculum change in primary schools in England and Finland. This comparison has a special interest because in many respects the current policies of the two countries are moving in opposite directions, with Finland dismantling its long-standing subject-based national curriculum and encouraging school-based curricula incorporating integrated topic work. Data are presented from qualitative research case studies of four schools-two in each country-in relation to three themes: teachers' values, curriculum and classroom organisation and curriculum planning. It is argued that teachers' self-identities are powerful mediators in terms of their interpretations of and responses to imposed changes and that the ethos of very small schools enables teachers to preserve their prior value systems more easily than their colleagues in other schools.     

终身学习在芬兰：政策与问题

20世纪80年代以来芬兰推行了市场导向的教育政策。在这一政策的基础上，芬兰提出了发展终身学习的新举措，同时也其面，临着新的问题。     

芬兰的非大学高等教育：多科技术学院

20世纪90年代初，芬兰根据当时社会的需要，在高等教育改革中创办了多科技术学院。这一举措开创了芬兰双轨制高等教育的历史。10多年后的今天，芬兰发达的经济、科技以及接近普及化的高等教育都证明多科技术学院的实验取得了很大成功。     

Towards inclusive education: the case of Finland

The article examines the Finnish system of basic education and the means it employs to support good learning and healthy growth and development for all students. The excellent learning outcomes of the Finnish comprehensive school indicate that it is possible to develop a system with both quality teaching and learning, and equity and equality for students. Throughout the article, special needs education is seen as an important, but not dominant, aspect of Finland’s inclusive policies. The article concludes with five theses central to a working model of inclusive education.