Leadership in Educational Contexts in Finland

Leadership in Educational Contexts in Finland PDF

Author: Raisa Ahtiainen

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2023-10-06

Total Pages: 387

ISBN-13: 3031376048

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This open access book provides a comprehensive overview and in-depth coverage of contemporary aspects of leadership in the field of education in Finland. It brings together Finnish scholars to critically explore and discuss leadership in education in the context of the Finnish education system and in relation to international discourses around the topic. It discusses the phenomenon of leadership in educational contexts through several novel empirical and theoretical research designs. It includes themes such as distributed leadership and collaborative governance, changing aspects in the leadership profession, and contradictions in everyday organizational practices and realities. The work also combines conceptual discussions in educational and pedagogical leadership to analyze and to clarify the theoretical and conceptual multidimensionality and ambiguities.

Re-centering the Critical Potential of Nordic School Leadership Research

Re-centering the Critical Potential of Nordic School Leadership Research PDF

Author: Lejf Moos

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2020-10-19

Total Pages: 247

ISBN-13: 3030550273

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This volume contributes significantly to the ongoing international and Nordic paradigm shift in educational leadership research. It advocates for going from a contemporary, mainstream functionalist paradigm to a reflexive paradigm, based on educational values and knowledge. The volume is built on the shared basis, that the purpose of education is, and must be, fundamental for school leadership practice. However, that is often forgotten in educational governance and policy. The basis of the argument is, that educational leadership needs to change from focusing on effectiveness and narrowly defined accountability towards focusing on leadership that is contributing to the general education of students. That entails that leadership research need to focus on complex perspectives like context, relations, trust, sense making and social and human values, and less on control, outcomes, accountability and testing. The volume reminds readers about the need to raise awareness of the contexts of education and research, be they political, cultural, economic or ideological. Chapters analyze, discuss and compare research from Nordic educational leadership research systems: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The cross-system insights clarify the fundamental relations between policy/governance and research/practice are and discuss forgotten dependencies and opportunities.

Finnish Lessons

Finnish Lessons PDF

Author: Pasi Sahlberg

Publisher: Teachers College Press

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 193

ISBN-13: 0807770884

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“It is now time to break down the ideology of exceptionalism in the United States and other Anglo-American nations if we are to develop reforms that will truly inspire our teachers to improve learning for all our students—especially those who struggle the most. In that essential quest, Pasi Sahlberg is undoubtedly one of the very best teachers of all.” —From the Foreword by Andy Hargreaves, Lynch School of Education, Boston College Finnish Lessons is a first-hand, comprehensive account of how Finland built a world-class education system during the past three decades. The author traces the evolution of education policies in Finland and highlights how they differ from the United States and other industrialized countries. He shows how rather than relying on competition, choice, and external testing of students, education reforms in Finland focus on professionalizing teachers’ work, developing instructional leadership in schools, and enhancing trust in teachers and schools. This book details the complexity of educational change and encourages educators and policymakers to develop effective solutions for their own districts and schools.

Teacher Leadership and Educational Management in Finnish School System

Teacher Leadership and Educational Management in Finnish School System PDF

Author: Ransome Ngaajieh Nnane

Publisher: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing

Published: 2010-05

Total Pages: 136

ISBN-13: 9783838358048

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This qualitative exploratory study examines the nature of teacher leadership in Jyvaskyla, Finland, by examining the principals' and teachers' perceptions of the phenomenon. There is a substantial international literature focusing on teacher leadership that has contributed to the grounding of this study (Harris, 2003a). Although a significant part of the literature on teacher leadership is generated by scholars in the United States of America, Canada, and the United Kingdom, few studies have been published that focus on the Finnish school context. This study makes a contribution towards building a knowledge base on teacher leadership in Finland. The data was gathered by semi-structured interviews conducted in four different upper secondary schools. Eight teachers were interviewed in focus groups; individual interviews were carried out with four teachers and four principals. The data was analyzed using the content analysis method. The findings from the four schools indicate collaborative, teamwork, fluid and emergent leadership that embedded teacher leadership characteristics, perceived from both principals' and teachers' perspectives."

Teach Like Finland: 33 Simple Strategies for Joyful Classrooms

Teach Like Finland: 33 Simple Strategies for Joyful Classrooms PDF

Author: Timothy D. Walker

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Published: 2017-04-18

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 1324001267

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The best-selling book of easy-to-implement classroom lessons from the world’s premier educational system—now available in paperback. Finland shocked the world when its fifteen-year-olds scored highest on the first Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a set of tests evaluating critical-thinking skills in math, science, and reading. That was in 2001; even today, this tiny Nordic nation continues to amaze. How does Finnish education—with short school days, light homework loads, and little standardized testing—produce students who match the PISA scores of other nations with more traditional “work ethic” standards? When Timothy Walker started teaching fifth graders at a Helsinki public school, he began a search for the secrets behind the successes of Finland’s education system. Highlighting specific strategies that support joyful K–12 classrooms and can be integrated with U.S. educational standards, this book, available in paperback for the first time, gathers what he learned and shows how any teacher can implement many of Finland's best practices. A new foreword by the author addresses the urgent questions of teaching, and living, in these pandemic times.

Early Childhood Education Leadership in Times of Crisis

Early Childhood Education Leadership in Times of Crisis PDF

Author: Elina Fonsén

Publisher: Verlag Barbara Budrich

Published: 2023-04-24

Total Pages: 266

ISBN-13: 3847418556

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Die COVID-19-Pandemie hat weltweit dramatische Auswirkungen auf sämtliche Aspekte des Berufs- und Alltagslebens, auch auf den Bereich der frühkindlichen Bildung und Betreuung. Dieser Band beleuchtet das Thema Führung in Kitas: Wie erleben Leitungskräfte die Herausforderungen, mit denen sie konfrontiert sind, und welche Bewältigungsstrategien wenden sie an, um mit den Veränderungen im Alltag und in der Praxis in der Kita umzugehen? Autor*innen aus zwölf Ländern präsentieren empirische Befunde, die Informationen über verschiedene Mechanismen der Krisenbewältigung von Kinderbetreuungssystemen auf der ganzen Welt liefern.

Education and Democracy in the Nordic Countries

Education and Democracy in the Nordic Countries PDF

Author: Ann Elisabeth Gunnulfsen

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2023-07-14

Total Pages: 190

ISBN-13: 3031331958

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This book discusses principals’ prerequisites and work within the five Nordic countries and focuses on schools as formal institutions that carry out functions delegated to them by the social collective. It includes a discussion about what kind of state policy demonstrates autonomy in Nordic schools, as well as the ways in which school leaders as sense makers in local schools possess and enact policy in a globalized economy and a changing world. The book draws both on a range of theoretical frameworks and educational leadership and policy research to provide multiple comparative perspectives of school leadership in the Nordic countries, the moral purpose of schooling, school governance and power relations, expectations towards school leadership, handling of crises, and cultures of trust. The chapters range from in depth-case studies and policy document analyses to large-scale data sets and literature reviews. All chapters have multiple messages for practitioners, policy makers and researchers as they seek to engage with school leadership as a core activity in times of societal changes. As democratic welfare states, the five Nordic countries have many similarities, but also differences which makes it interesting to understand more about various ways to strive towards democracy and well-educated citizens.

Continuing Professional Development of Teachers in Finland

Continuing Professional Development of Teachers in Finland PDF

Author: Yongjian Li

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2018-08-24

Total Pages: 214

ISBN-13: 3319957953

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This book examines continuing professional development (CPD) of teachers in Finland. As one of the best-performing countries in terms of education, the Finnish education system is often revered and held up as an example to follow. However, the authors argue that CPD actually constitutes the Achilles’ heel of this ‘miraculous’ system, demonstrating that in fact it is a victim of contradictory discourses and actions among decision-makers, teacher educators and practitioners. Including extensive interviews from CPD providers, teachers and other educational actors, the authors critically discuss the ‘wonders’ of Finnish education, in the process debunking various myths created both inside and outside Finland. The authors also call for a new approach to comparative and international education. Based on over 20 years of experience in Finnish education, this pioneering book will be of interest and value to students and scholars of Finnish education, continuing professional development and international education branding more generally.

Pedagogical Leadership in Early Childhood Education

Pedagogical Leadership in Early Childhood Education PDF

Author: Mona Sakr

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2022-06-30

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 135025049X

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Pedagogical leadership views leadership as something separate from formal authority or qualifications, seeing educators' understanding, interpretation and passion as the key lever for continuous improvement in early childhood education (ECE). This book shows how effective pedagogical leadership can create the right conditions for quality ECE provision, to increase motivation and engagement among staff, and impact positively on staff recruitment and retention. Written by a team of international experts based in Australia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Greece, Finland, Norway, Sweden, the UK and the USA, this book explores pedagogical leadership in ECE in-depth and through an international lens. The chapters address questions including: what is pedagogic leadership?; what does it look like?; what impact can pedagogic leadership have on the everyday work of nurseries and other ECE providers? The contributors cover a range of topics including trauma-responsive pedagogy, child-initiated pedagogies, conflict management, change management theory and social leadership theory.