Teacher education in Norway and Finland compared : what can Norway learn from the Fininnish teacher education about curriculum, recruitment and attitude to globalization?

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate if Norway can learn from the Finnish teacher education system, with focus on curriculum, recruitment and attitude to globalization. The study compares the teacher education systems in the two countries. The research is based on qualitative research approach, with content analysis of documents and literature. To explain globalizations influence on the two countries teacher education systems, central concepts in globalization and reform theory are presented. The curriculum of the Finnish teacher education provides students with the opportunity to specialize on specific grade levels and subjects in the compulsory school. Further, the education offers the students an education with profound knowledge. The Norwegian education does not offer the opportunity to specialize on subjects or grade levels in the compulsory school, although it provides the students with insight in all subjects. The Finnish teacher education recruits the nations best secondary school graduates, while the recruitment to the Norwegian teacher education is described as low quality. Further, there is a more complex admission and selection procedure for entering the teacher education in Finland than in Norway. Globalization has produced common educational reforms in Norway, contrary to Finland, that has implemented other types of educational reforms. It is possible to conclude that there is a lesson to be learned from Finland’s organization of the content and structure of their teacher education. In addition, Norway can gain knowledge from the procedures of admission and selection for recruitment to the Finnish teacher education. Norway can also learn from how Finland has managed the pressure for educational reforms as a result of globalization.