ERIC Number: EJ931215
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011
Pages: 5
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0148-432X
EISSN: N/A
The Professional Educator: Lessons from Finland
Sahlberg, Pasi
American Educator, v35 n2 p34-38 Sum 2011
Since Finland emerged in 2000 as the top-scoring Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nation on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), researchers have been pouring into the country to study the so-called "Finnish miracle." How did a country with an undistinguished education system in the 1980s surge to the head of the global class in just a couple of decades? Research and experience suggest that one element of the Finnish system trumps all others: excellent teachers and leaders. This article looks at how Finland develops such excellence in its teacher workforce. (This discussion is also relevant to excellence among leaders; in Finland, those who aspire to leadership positions must be effective teachers before they can begin leadership training.) (Contains 16 endnotes.)
Descriptors: Higher Education, Teacher Effectiveness, Leadership Training, Foreign Countries, Leadership, Academic Achievement, High Achievement, Teacher Education, Professional Autonomy, Curriculum Design, Teacher Qualifications
American Federation of Teachers. 555 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001. Tel: 202-879-4400; e-mail: amered@aft.org; Web site: http://www.aft.org/newspubs/periodicals/ae
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education; Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Finland
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Program for International Student Assessment
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A