Frivolous Finnomena: An examination of the impacts of recent Finnish educational reform

 Henry Mäkinen

 Abstract:

 The sustained high rankings in the PISA exams and the subsequent international media attention have created a façade over the gradual decline of Finnish education. Concurrently, this has culminated in an environment which encourages decisions-makers to pursue the implementation of evermore radical educational reforms including phenomenon-based learning and qualitative assessment. These reforms threaten to inadvertently create various unfavorable socioeconomic outcomes that harm the long-term prosperity of the country. Phenomenon-based learning increases the responsibility of the student and fundamentally alters the role of the teacher in overseeing learning resulting in several problems. Firstly, autonomy creates a greater disparity in the acquisition of knowledge between students of varying ability than before. Secondly, diminishing the role of the teacher encourages students to rely more on their parents for guidance. Together these factors contribute to the gradual formation of a class divide in Finnish society where educational background becomes a significant indicator of future success. Studies indicate that adopting phenomenon-based learning also has negative effects on teachers such as increasing confusion and stress. Hence, Finland risks tampering with its greatest educational asset; the effectiveness and core competence of subject teachers. Currently Finland is facing several challenges including an aging population, record high government debt and crippling welfare system which demand sustained economic growth driven by well-educated and skilled individuals. Thus, implementing reforms that have been shown to weaken student performance and decrease the likelihood of students being able to continue onto higher education should be avoided at all costs.

 Key words: Finnish education, phenomenon-based learning, qualitative assessment, educational reform,

 

 

 

 Editorial

 The direction in which Finnish decision-makers are attempting to force basic education continues to be a mystery. The reasons even more so. Clearly blinded by the flashes of the cameras belonging to the international media, they attempt to justify the need for gradually leaving behind the system that gave Finland its educational reputation and instead venture out into a completely unknown frontier. A frontier full of autonomy, ambiguity and phenomena. All this risk is happily accepted so they can continue giving tours of Finnish schools to often misinformed foreign admirers.

So what is this reform that has begun the crumbling of once all-mighty Finnish education?

Phenomenon-based learning.

No textbooks. No subjects.  No exams. More autonomy. More responsibility. More reliance on parents. Decline in results. Decline in high school enrolments. Decline in educational attainment.

Sounds promising, right?

This is the type of reform that Finland is seeking to implement on basic education. By giving students greater autonomy over their studies while simultaneously diminishing the role of the teacher to merely a “guide”, a gap between educational attainment of students will gradually emerge. Surely this is a great way to hinder the relatively equal society that Finland has had for decades. What’s worse, the teachers don’t seem to be receptive to it either. A study conducted by Hanna Lepinniemi in 2016,  interviewed teachers who overwhelmingly described this mandatory learning method as confusing. If the teachers don’t get it, how do we expect the children to?

So what should be done? Instead of coming up with these so called “innovative” educational reforms, decision-makers should look into the past for guidance on how to create a system that produces results. Innovation for the sake of innovation is detrimental.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Last modified: Tuesday, 17 November 2020, 1:32 AM