For education and learningFor education and learning

IYC Conference for Nordic Chemistry teachers

Stockholm, 28.10.2011

Marja Montonen

Curriculum Development Unit

Finnish National Board of Education

Marja.montonen@oph.fi

For education and learning2

A subject teacher

• typically teaches at grades 7 to 12 (ages 13 to 19)• is qualified for teaching positions in all kinds of

schools in his or her major or minor subject• teaches typically one major and one minor

subjects (e.g. math and chemistry/physics)

A primary school teacher

• teaches at grades 1 to 6 (ages 7 to 13)• teaches typically all 13 subjects

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Structure of the master degree of a subject teacher: 3 + 2 years

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

Major Subject

Minor Subject

Pedagogicalstudies

Communicationand language

studies

Bachelor’s level (180 p.) Master’s level (120 p.)

Stu

dypo

ints

For education and learning

Science Curriculum

Phenomena Observations, describing,identification, classifying, presentation

Experiments,variables, correlationLaws and principles

Theory Understanding, models, explanations

1 - 4 5 - 9 Upper Secondary

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Competencies are complex by definition. They can be best developed by experiences; ”how” is even more important in education than ”what”

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What do we mean by competence?

Competence includes• Knowledge• Skills• Values• Attitudes• Ability to use all these elements in different

contexts in a relevant way

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Competence approach effects curricula and teaching

Competence is not a single skill, it is a very complex set of knowledge, skills, values, attitudes, and behaviour

This complexity sets high demands on curricula and teaching:

• How to create good knowledge base?

• How to provide opportunities to practice skills?

• How to help students to understand and adopt values?

• How to support students to develop their attitudes?

• How to combine all these together across different school subjects?

• How to strengthen students to understand different contexts (cultural and social literacy)

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Do we still need schools for learning?

We can learn practically everywhere but in school we can enhance

• the long-spanned, systematic learning• understanding of information and construction of

new knowledge• dialogue and cooperation between learners, and

between generations, between different people• coherence of pupil’s identity by taking care of

supportive, encouraging and respective atmosphere

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Cooperation between Nordic Countries

• Curriculum in Sciences• Assesment tools• Teachers in-service training • ICT in Chemical Education