The appreciation and realisation of research‐based teacher education: Finnish students' experiences of teacher education

Finnish pupils have scored well on international comparative students' achievement tests. Apparently, this is the main reason for the current wide international interest in the Finnish teacher education system and its research‐based approach. The aim of this article is to describe student teachers' perspectives on the research‐based approach. We will report their attitudes towards the approach and what kinds of experiences they have concerning the realisation of the research‐based approach in their studies. The subjects of the research were part of a special group of students, who all had worked as teachers without being officially qualified to do so before they entered teacher education. The research was carried out as a web‐based survey (n = 113). The questionnaire was based on the structure of the curriculum of the teacher education programme, including items from each part of the curriculum. The subjects were asked about both attitudes and experiences. According to our results, the students appreciate the research‐based approach as the main organising theme of teacher education. They presume that this approach is detectable in every part of their studies, as was the case in most of the courses.

Les étudiants finlandais ont obtenu de bons résultats dans les comparaisons internationales de résultats scolaires. Ceci doit être la raison principale de l'intérêt international aujourd'hui répandu pour la formation des enseignants basée sur la recherche. Cet article traite des vues des futurs enseignants finlandais sur l'approche basée sur la recherche. Plus précisément il s'agit de l'appréciation qu'ils portent à cette approche et de sa mise en ?uvre durant leurs études. Les personnes interrogées sont des étudiants en formation multiforme qui ont travaillé comme enseignants sans qualification avant de commencer la formation et dont la plupart travaillent comme enseignants à côté de leurs études. Le matériel a été obtenu par le moyen d'un questionnaire électronique (n = 113). Les parties du questionnaire étaient basées sur la structure du plan d'études et contenaient des thèses sur chacun des modules d'études. L'étude a porté sur les appréciations et les expériences. D'après les résultats, les étudiants apprécient l'approche basée sur la recherche et en général l'attendent également de leur formation.

Die finnischen Studenten haben gute Resultate in den internationalen vergleichenden Schulleistungstesten (PISA). Vermutlich ist dies die Ursache für die heutige weltweite Interesse für die finnische Lehrerausbildungssystem, das auf der wissenschaftliche Research beruht. Die Ursache für dieses Artikel ist, dass wir finden wollten, welcherlei Aspekte die Referendaren/Innen zu ihrem Studium auf der wissenschaftliche Betonung (research‐based) haben. Wir wollen berichten, welcherlei Einstellungen die Studenten zu diesen Betonung der Studium haben und welcherlei Erfahrungen sie in ihren Studium bekommen haben. Die Studenten in diesem Erforschung sind eine speziale Gruppe. Sie haben alle als unqvalifizierte Lehrer vor ihrem Lehrerstudium gearbeitet. Diese Erforschung wurde als einem Survey in Internet verwirklicht (n = 113). Der Survey war auf den Strukturen des Unterrichtsprogramms für die Lehrerstudenten/Innen begründet. Beinhaltet waren auch Thesen aus allen Teilen des Unterrichtsprogrammes. Es wurden sowohl Bewertungen als auch Einstellungen befragt. Nach unserem Resultaten die Studenten bewerten wissenschaftliche Betonung des Studiums und das erwarten sie auch von dieser Ausbildung. So war es in den meisten Fällen der verschiedenen Kursen.

En comparaciones internacionales sobre resultados escolares, los estudiantes finlandeses han obtenido buenos resultados. Ésta es, con toda probablidad, la razón principal por la cual la formación pedagógica finlandesa basada en la investigación es, actualmente, objeto de gran interés a nivel internacional. En este artículo se estudian las opiniones de alumnos de formación de profesores sobre el enfoque investigador de la formación. Con más exactitud, se trata de saber si los alumnos valoran esta orientación y cómo, según sus experiencias personales, se cumple el enfoque investigador durante sus estudios. Los encuestados son alumnos de la formación multimodal de profesores. Han trabajado como profesores no titulados antes de empezar estos estudios, y la mayoría continúa trabajando como profesores también durante la formación. Los datos fueron obtenidos a través de una encuesta virtual (n = 113). Las diversas partes de la encuesta se basaban en la estructura del plan de estudios de la formación de profesores y contenían afirmaciones sobre cada uno de los componentes del plan. Se estudiaron tanto las valoraciones como las experiencias de los alumnos. Según los resultados, los alumnos valoran el enfoque investigador de la formación y, por regla general, también esperan que sea un aspecto importante de sus estudios.     

Children's discourse patterns and power relations in teacher‐led and child‐led sharing time

This study investigates children's language and interaction patterns during sharing time in a first grade classroom. When sharing time shifted from a teacher‐led to a child‐led event, corresponding changes appeared in children's language, including in discourse routines, style, content, and frequency of verbal interactions. In child‐led formats, peer culture flourished. Several linguistic routines were developed and used by children as a means of social control, as an agent for group bonding, and as expressions of care and concern. Two different child‐led formats revealed how the event's structure regulated participation and length of turn during sharing sessions. We suggest that teachers create speech situations that children are allowed to control. Such occasions encourage children's language development, learning through language, and the kind of collaboration essential for growth of peer culture.     

Narrative autoethnography and the promotion of spiritual well‐being in teacher research and practice

This article demonstrates through an example the usefulness of autoethnography as a mechanism for teachers acquiring clarity about their spiritual experiences, which has the potential to contribute to facilitating pupils’ spiritual growth. I begin by examining the role of the spiritual dimension in the promotion of a holistic model of education. The purposes and ethical implications of autoethnographic research and its benefits for teacher development are addressed. A story about illness, neurosurgery and rehabilitation is presented, written according to introspective and autoethnographic techniques. The narrative reflects aspects of the writer’s spiritual growth and highlights the need among teachers to explore their own spiritual well‐being as much as the spiritual well‐being of their pupils. Suggestions are made about the diverse use of narrative to promote spiritual learning experiences in the classroom. This is an important part of the work carried out by teachers in the delivery of a curriculum that prepares learners to fulfil their potential in life and work.     

Investigating Finnish teacher educators’ views on research‐based teacher education

In this article, we examine teacher educators’ views on research‐based teacher education. Finnish research‐based teacher education has four characteristics: (1) the study programme is structured according to a systematic analysis of education; (2) all teaching is based on research; (3) activities are organized in such a way that students can practice argumentation, decision‐making and justification when inquiring about and solving pedagogical problems; and (4) the students learn formal research skills during their studies. According to the results, teacher educators appreciate the research‐based approach to which the university is committed, although they were sceptical about how well this vision transfers to the students.     

The reflection on the blackboard: student teacher self‐evaluation

A common aim of teacher education is to encourage prospective teachers to analyze carefully their instructional performance. Yet, research on teacher cognition heretofore has concentrated primarily on experienced teachers’ planning and instructional thinking. We need more information on how student teachers think about and engage in the evaluation of their teaching performance. This study used data from initial structured interviews to elicit student teachers’ self‐evaluation concerns and examined the student teachers’ journals, a final written self‐evalution, and tapes from post‐teaching interviews to create a profile of each student teacher's responses about self‐evaluation. In this paper I analyze the student teachers’ pre‐conceptions about success, examine their processes of self‐evaluation, and explore a conception of “interactive self‐evaluation.” I offer suggestions about the conditions that may enable student teachers to enhance their analytical processes.     

The teacher‐counselor partnership: Helping effective teachers of the gifted become more affective

A Counselor‐Teacher Education Program provides a workable model for teachers and counselors to integrate their skills and be more effective in programs for the gifted.     

The ideal research‐teaching nexus in the eyes of academics: building profiles

Research and teaching are supposed to be closely related in universities. Among academics the belief in a symbiotic relationship is strong. However, it is unclear what form this relationship can take. Several authors have presented categories and dimensions to clarify this relationship and the aim of this project was to contribute to this discussion by understanding what academics’ ideal research‐teaching nexus would look like. The ideal images of 30 academics were investigated using a mental visualisation assignment. Respondents were encouraged to describe in detail what for them the linkage between research and teaching would look like in the ideal situation. Five profiles of the research‐teaching nexus could be distinguished: teach research results; make research known; show what it means to be a researcher; help to conduct research; and provide research experience. These profiles are related to dimensions proposed earlier in the literature on the research‐teaching nexus.     

Cost‐effectiveness of online teacher training

This study aims to compare the cost‐effectiveness of an online teacher training method with a face‐to‐face training method in teaching ‘ICT integration in the school curriculum’. In addition, the study explores the possibilities of a school‐based voluntary training method in supporting other approaches to ICT teacher training. The analyses of various quantitative and qualitative data showed that online teacher training was more cost‐effective than face‐to‐face teacher training, mainly due to the lower opportunity cost of the participants. The voluntary teacher training revealed the possibility of providing cost‐effective training, especially in the actual application of ICT in classrooms. Based on the results of the study, factors affecting cost‐effectiveness of the teacher training approaches are discussed and further research areas suggested.     

The influence of formal and informal formative pre‐service experiences on teacher self‐efficacy

Formal pre‐service training has been shown to be effective in building teacher self‐efficacy beliefs. However, the impact of other, less formal, ‘teacher‐like’ pre‐service experiences on the formation of efficacy beliefs has not previously been investigated. This study examines the associations between both formal and informal formative pre‐service experiences and teacher self‐efficacy. In addition, the effect of years of teaching experience on these associations was investigated. Three hundred fifteen teachers of general and Judaic studies in Jewish day schools in the USA responded to a survey about their formal pre‐service experiences; informal experiences as youth advisors, camp counsellors and childcare supervisors; and two measures of teacher self‐efficacy. Formal pre‐service training and positive student‐teaching experiences, as well as each of the three informal experiences, were found to be associated with positive teacher self‐efficacy. Interestingly, formal and informal pre‐service experiences appear to be associated with different aspects of teacher self‐efficacy. Formal teacher training was most strongly associated with efficacy for instructional practices, while the positive informal experiences were most strongly associated with efficacy for student engagement. The potential impact of both formal and informal experiences did not appear to fade over time. On the contrary, for those variables where an interaction with years of teaching was detected, it was the efficacy beliefs of the most senior teachers that were most related to their pre‐service experiences. These findings have important implications for the practice of both teacher trainers and those charged with recruiting and supporting teachers.     

The measurement of teacher efficacy: Hong Kong primary in‐service teachers

This study sought to measure general teacher efficacy levels of in‐service primary teachers in Hong Kong. Participants included 725 Hong Kong in‐service teachers, who were invited to take part in the study. These in‐service teachers came from 28 different primary schools ranging from government, aided, private and direct subsidy schools. The Chinese version of the 12‐item Teachers' Sense of Efficacy (C‐TSE) Scale was applied to investigate the efficacy of the teachers. A factor analysis of these 12 items when male and female datasets were combined led to the extraction of only one factor. But separation of the two datasets led to the extraction of different factor analysis models. This could reflect the different perceptions that male and female teachers had about the formation of teacher efficacy. Overall, this study showed that female teachers were significantly more efficacious than male teachers. Moreover, years of teaching experience showed a weak but significant correlation to levels of general teacher efficacy. Interestingly, educational levels did not have a significant effect on the efficacy of this group of in‐service primary teachers. Overall, the C‐TSE was found to be a valid and reliable scale for measuring the efficacy levels of this particular group of in‐service primary teachers in Hong Kong.     

The story of leading mathematics teachers from teacher‐trainees to key positions

The present study depicts the story of three elementary school mathematics teachers who come from a different socio‐economic background but have similar entrance characteristics for college studies. They have chosen teaching as their first and sole alternative and as their preferred profession in life. All three were integrated into the education system upon graduation from college and, a short time later, less than three years, are playing key roles in the field of education in addition to their teaching practice in class. The study aims to identify unique characteristics of college graduate teachers who undergo an accelerated process of professional development. Their stories illustrate that the attitude towards the discipline (love of the profession, the wish to teach it), the wish to make an impact on what is transpiring in the system, personality variables and the school context in which they work as teachers are major and significant factors in their professional growth.     

The effect of culture on the learning of science in non‐western countries: the results of an integrated research review

Abstract

An increasing number of researchers are investigating the effect of students’ prior knowledge and beliefs on their development of scientific concepts. Much of this research is taking place within the framework of constructivism, and is attracting the attention of science educators in non‐western countries. This integrative research review has been undertaken to help researchers and practitioners to identify issues for further investigation and reflection. The results suggest that ‘cosmetic’ attempts to nationalize western science curricula in non‐western countries are likely to prove ineffective because the problem, from the students’ perspective, is one of poor ‘fit’ between their world‐views, language meanings and prior beliefs and those inherent in the subject. A constructivist paradigm seems to offer good prospects for both understanding the problem and formulating learning strategies in science education which are better suited to non‐western cultures. Nevertheless, constructivist pedagogies imported from the West should be examined for their cultural appropriateness.     

One‐year teaching internships and the dimensions of beginning teacher development

The authors draw on data from weekly e‐mail responses to a questionnaire completed by beginning teachers placed in one‐year, paid, internships. Interns were assigned mentors who responded every several weeks, also via e‐mail, to a questionnaire about the interns and their development. Data from 23 interns were analyzed. Seven themes were identified that capture various dimensions of intern development. To portray the nature, direction and complexity of intern development, each of the dimensions is conceptualized in terms of opposable orientations to the defining aspect of each theme. The authors use the dimensions and their related orientations to organize the data for discussion. Conclusions related to each dimension are situated within the wider research literature on teacher development, and some similarities and differences are noted between this group of interns and what is widely reported about beginning teacher development.

One‐year teaching internships and the dimensions of beginning teacher development

All authors

Robert V. Bullough, Jr * , Janet Young & Roni Jo Draper

https://doi.org/10.1080/1354060042000224124

Published online:

04 August 2006

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