Teacher Education in Europe

IP/VilniusJuly 8 2010

Jens Rasmussen, Danish School of Education, University of Aarhus

Teacher education countsTeachers are of major importance to student outcomes

Most important single factor to explain student outcomes (Darling-Hammond & Young, 2002), (Darling-Hammond & Brasford, 2005) (OECD, 2005), (Day, Day, Qing, & Stobart, 2009)

Teacher quality correlate significant and positive with student outcomes (Hanushek, 2002)

“The quality of an educational system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers” (Barber & Mourshed, 2007)

Teacher education matter (Darling-Hammond, Hammerness, Grossmann, Rust, & Schulman, 2005), (OECD, 2005)

McKinsey & Company

Two students withsame performanceTwo students withsame performance

* Among the top 20% of teachers** Among the bottom 20% of teachersSource: Sanders & Rivers Cumulative and Residual Effects on Future Student Academic Achievement

Student with low-performing teacher**

Student with high-performing teacher*

90th percentile

50th percentile

0th percentile

100th percentile

8

Age (yrs)

37th percentile

53 %

11

Student performance

Challenges to teacher education

• Recruitment• Theory and practice• Research based

The studyDifferences between Finland and the rest of the Nordic

countries

LiteratureHistorySurvey

Potential applicants (last year) Teacher education students (1. year)

Focus group interviews Potential applicants (last year) Teacher education students (1. year)

Background

• Few applicants• Entrance level• Completion

Completion

• Denmark: 62%• Norway: 47%• Sweden: 77%• Finland: Nearly all

Applicants

0

5.000

10.000

15.000

20.000

25.000

30.000

1970

1972

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

Danmark ansøgere 1. prioritet

Finland ansøgere total

Island ansøgere 1. prioritet

Norge ansøgere 1. prioritet

Sverige ansøgere 1. prioritet

Reforms

Denmark 1966 1991 1997 2001 2006

Finland 1974 1979 2005

Iceland 1971 1978-79 1988 1993 2007-08

Norway 1973 1994 1999 2003 2009

Sweden 1965 1978 1988 2001 (2010)

Pedagogics

Denmark

1966 1991 1997 2006

Ca. 54 ECTS 42 ECTS 33 ECTS

Finland 1974 1979

1.-6.: 60 ECTS7.-9.:

25 + 10 ECTS

1.-6.: 120-140 ECTS

7.-9.: 40 ECTS

Iceland 1971 1993 2008

42 ECTS 50 ECTS

Norway 1973 1994 1999 200360 ECTS iincl.

practicum 60 ECTS incl. practicum

30 ECTS incl. practicum

30 ECTS

Sweden 1965 1988 2001

90 ECTS incl. practicum

90 ECTS incl. practicum

90 ECTS incl. practicum  

Practice teaching

Denmark

1966 1991 1997 2006

30 ECTS 36 ECTS 36 ECTS

Finland 1974 1979

35 ECTS Vary, 20 ECTS

Iceland 1971 1993 2008

24 ECTS 24 ECTS 24 ECTS

Norway 1973 1994 1999 2003

16-18 weeksinkl. incl. practicum

18 weeksincl. practicum

20-22 weeks incl. practicum

Sweden 1965 1988 2001

Vary, ca. 30 ECTS

Vary, at least 30 ECTS

Vary, at least 30 ECTS

Salary

Teaching hours

Factors of importance for choice of education

• Education– Interesting and demanding– City– University– Time for other activities

• Employment– Salary– Interesting work– Job security

Teacher education

• University– Research environment

• Interesting and demanding• Academic demanding

What counts? Education• University

• Orientation at the profession – Pedagogic and didactics– Communicator, teacher

• Teaching subjects– Research based– Valence

• Environment– City with a good reputation– Academic development more than social club activities

What counts? Employment• Status

– High status in Finland and Iceland– Low status in Denmark and Norway

• Job security

• Orientation at profession• Expert in teaching

• http://www.norden.org/sv/publikationer/publikationer/2010-533

Theory and practice 1

Theory Practice

Theory and practice 2

Theory Practice

Theory Practice

Theory and practice 3

OISE/UT, Canada

Denmark

University of Hensinki, Finland (1)

University of Hensinki, Finland (2)

NIE, Singapore