Based upon a three week (17 day) international field experience in Finland, I investigated the answers to the following inquiry questions:
Q1: Does the history curriculum teach Finnish students about US History? If so, what content?
Resource: Mutala School
"American culture is everywhere in Finland"
Resource: Martinlaaskso Upper Secondary School (Vantaa)
Roles played in big wars such as WWI, WWII
US Civil War
US Independence
US situation in world economics
US case studies and politics and economics
Resource: National Framework for Finnish K-12 Educaton
Basic Education Act (628/1998)
National Core Curriculum
Local Curricula developed by Education Provider and by School
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Q2: How is Social Studies/History taught in Finland in the areas of national history, international history, multicultural education and African American history?
Resource: University of Eastern Finland
Major in History or Major in Geography (Natural Sciences) which include Human Geography and Geology. No longer have Citizenship Science.
Elementary Schools have Environmental Studies [combined earth science, citizenship, and bioogy] which is everyday multidimensional issues.
Resource: Mutala School in Joensuu, Finland
5th Grade: Pre-History (Stone Age Medieval,as well as Finnish Ancient History) to cultures in Greece, Rome, China, Egypt, Mesopotamia
6th Grade: Renaissance, Exploration, Reformation to North and South America Culture until French Revolution
Resource: Piekisjoki School in Joensuu, Finland
7th Grade-HISTORY FOCUS: Neopolean War/French Revolution to WWI (2 hours per week History Instruction)
8th Grade-HISTORY FOCUS: World War II to Present (2 hours per week)
9th Grade- CITIZENSHIP/CIVICS FOCUS: Social Studies and Eoncomies (2 hours Social Studies and 1 hour Economics)
Lessons are 45 minutes
Resource:Piekisjoki School
SAMPLE 8th GRADE UNITS OF STUDY
I. Finnish Civil War and Independence from Rusia
II. Democracies and Dictatorships and Holocaust
III. World War II
IV. Cold War (Korea, Cuba, Berlin) Finnish Years of Danger-Threat Soviet Union might conquer Finland
V. Collapse of Soviet Union and End of World War (Becomes Russia)
VI. Globalization ( India, Japan, Middle East, China) Effect on World Economics and World Politics
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Q3: In teacher education programs, how are preservice teacher candidates prepared to teach Social Studies (elementary or secondary level)?
Resource: Introduction to Teacher Education in Finland in the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) School of Applied Educational Science and Teacher Education [Joensuu, Finland]
Teacher training practice system and the steps of the pedagogical portfolio of professional development: (1) Orientation practice (2) Basic practice (3) Advanced Practice and Integrative Teaching (4) Applied Pracitce
Teacher Qualifications: Subject Area Teachers: Masters Degree (in Main Subject) include Teacher's Pedagogical Studies, and Minor Subject(s) is (60+60)
Resource: Piekisjoki School
"We get a lot of applicatns for Social Studies Teachers if we have History teacher openings"
Resource: Maininki Comprehensive School (Espoo, Finland)
300 credits/5 year (bachelors and masters degree) for teaching either in education or in their subject area (major/minor)
field practicums with university partners with public schools that serve as mentors
Resource: University Teacher Training School (Joensuu, Finland)
Integration theory into practice
Guided practice, not only work training
group and individual guidance and feedback
classroom management and teaching methods-exploration, testing
planning, teaching, and assessment in practice
reflection and support to develop skills
cooperation and socially intensive
holistic development as a teacher
strong link between high quality research and educational practices
several teachers have a post graduate degree or are working on a doctoral thesis
nationally well known textbook authoers
experts and lecturers in their field
active developers of teaching materials
Teacher Training Schools: administratively part of the facilities of School of Education, education and didactic theories & know how in practice, connection between teacher training school-departments of education-other departments
Teacher’s pedagogical studies (60 ECTS)is included in ‘Education’, thusgiving a teacher qualification to subjects where the required amount ofstudies have been completed (60 ECTS for lower secondary schools-YEAR ONE 35credits YEAR TWO 25 credits