Faktaa. From thematic weeks to development projects FACTS AND FIGURES. A study on international dimension in Finnish schools.

Transcription

1 Faktaa. FACTS AND FIGURES 1C 2009 Siru Korkala: From thematic weeks to development projects A study on international dimension in Finnish schools Kansainvälisen liikkuvuuden ja yhteistyön keskus Centret för internationell mobilitet och internationellt samarbete Centre for International Mobility

2 Siru Korkala: From thematic weeks to development projects What did we study? CIMO sought answers to the following questions: 1. What kind of international work are Finnish schools engaged in and how is it organised? 2. How do local authorities view inter- International work at Finnish schools is diverse 1 national work of schools? A study on international dimension in Finnish schools 3. What impact has international work had on the everyday life in schools? 4. What resources do schools need to be able to engage in international work successfully? 5. Why do some schools choose not to engage in international work? According to the survey, international work is becoming an established part of the everyday life of Finnish schools. It has become more and more common from the 1990s onwards when Finland joined the European Union. Schools view international dimension as interaction between pupils and teachers from different cultural backgrounds. Up to 71% of the schools who respond- The target group of the study were Finnish ed to the survey had been engaged in international comprehensive schools and upper secondary work during the past five years. The level of inter- Background schools as well as senior officers from local education authorities. The study was carried national dimension varies considerably, however. Some schools contend with internationalisation Internationalisation and the international dimension are commonplace in general education in Finland today. Although the financial resources available for international work are more modest in primary and secondary schools than at other education levels, many of them are still very actively involved in it. out during the academic year of The survey consisted of an online survey and interviews. A total of 1,010 schools submitted the survey, 963 of which were Finnish-speak- at home whereas others participate in big development projects. It is common that schools are engaged in a variety of international activities at the same time. The impact of schools international work has traditionally been studied from the point of view of individuals, looking at the experiences of pupils and teachers. In its recent study From Thematic Weeks to Development Projects, the Centre for International Mobility CIMO focused on the school s point of view and on what kind of lasting impact international work has had on the day-to-day life in Finnish schools. The aim of the study was also to highlight the diversity of international activities schools are engaged in. At best, international work brings joy to the whole school, new experiences and new ways of working, remembered and applied for years to come. ing schools and 47 Swedish-speaking schools. The response rate was 31%. The survey was complemented by interviews, involving 12 teachers, 8 head teachers and 4 senior officers from local education authorities. The complete report in Finnish is published in pdf format at CIMO s website at For some schools, international work is already an established part of their activities. The size of the school does not seem to make a difference on how active they are: a small size does not seem to be an obstacle to international work; small schools were enthusiastic and had resources, too. This publication presents the main results of the study. The complete report in Finnish is published in pdf format in the series Faktaa - Tietoa ja tilastoja (facts information and statistics) (4/2009). Julkaisut ja tilastot Tutkimukset ja selvitykset Tietoa ja tilastoja -raportit Siru Korkala: Teemaviikoista kehittämishankkeisiin. Selvitys koulujen kansainvälisestä toiminnasta. 4/ FAKTAA. FACTS AND FIGURES FAKTAA. FACTS AND FIGURES 3

3 General education in Finland is normally provided by local authorities In Finland, general education is normally provided by a local authority or a consortium of local authorities who have the responsibility for providing basic education for children in their area. In addition, the state, private associations and foundations may provide education. Teacher mobility 515 Education providers decide on many practical issues. They are steered by, for example, legislation and objectives set by the National Board of Education, which relate to goals and core con-tents of education and are recorded in the national curriculum. Local authorities or schools will then draft their own local curriculum based on these guidelines. Local authorities will have a politically elected body responsible for school affairs. (Source: the website of the Finnish Ministry of Education) The Finnish education system ISCEDclassification 6 Doctoral degrees -licentiate degrees Pupil mobility Virtual international cooperation Teaching assistants School projects Other activities Graph 1. The most common forms of international activities in Finnish schools (number) ISCED-classification 0 Preprimary education 1 Primary education or first stage of basic education 2 Lower secondary or second stage of basic education 3 (Upper) secondary education 4 Post secondary nontertiary education 5 First cycle of tertiary education 6 Second cycle of tertiary education and Duration in years MASTER S degrees BACHELOR S degrees Universities matriculation examination General upper secondary schools Additional basic education POLYTECHNIC MASTER S degrees Work experience 3 years POLYTECHNIC BACHELOR S degrees Polytechnics BASIC education (comprehensive schools) 7 16-year-olds Pre-primary education, 6-year-olds Work experience vocational qualifications Vocational institutions and apprenticeship training Specialist vocational qualifications Further vocational qualifications Work experience Finnish schools are active participants in Comenius partnerships Compared to other countries with a similar size of population, Finnish schools are very active in participating in school partnerships supported through the Comenius Programme. In comparison, the success rate of partnerships is also higher in Finland. This is because the Finnish Ministry of Education provides extra funding for the programme nationally. Comenius partnerships are school projects built around a jointly selected theme, spanning over two years. Partnerships include schools from at least three countries. The projects should be tied in to the normal work of the schools. One partnership can include at most two Finnish schools. Population Pupils Teachers Partnership budget Approved partnerships Success rate % Slovenia Lithuania Ireland Norway Finland Slovakia Denmark Bulgaria Austria Sweden Budget and success rate of multilateral Comenius partnerships in ten European countries. 4 FAKTAA. FACTS AND FIGURES FAKTAA. FACTS AND FIGURES 5

4 What does international work at schools mean in practice? Schools and local authorities have a positive view on international dimension 2 The most common form of international work in the schools who responded to the survey seems to be teacher and pupil mobility, that is, different types of visits of varying lengths to learn about school work abroad. The purpose of teacher mobility is often professional development. It can involve teacher ex-changes, study visits or further training. For pupils, mobility could mean meetings, visits and class or pupil exchanges during which they attend school in another country and learn about their language and culture. Mobility can also be a part of a school project in which participating schools work on a common theme and develop the quality of school work with partners from abroad. Areas of development may include, for example, pedagogic and didactic methods, well-being of teaching staff or school administration. Cooperation often involves pupils who work on a common theme as part of their school work. The duration of projects and the number of participants vary. Project work is supported through a number of funding sources, such as the EU s Comenius Programme, part of the Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) or the Nordic Nordplus Junior Programme. Virtual cooperation was also popular it uses the Internet, various online platforms and to either replace or complement other international activities. The etwinning Programme linked to the Comenius Programme is an example of a platform that offers schools a variety of tools to assist them in their project work. Many Finnish schools enliven their teaching by employing a European Comenius assistant. Comenius assistants can, for example, work along language teachers and make language learning easier by giving pupils a chance to use foreign languages in everyday situations. An international assistant teacher teaches pupils about his or her own country and culture and offers them an opportunity for internationalisation at home. This term refers to international activities that can be carried out in the school s own premises or in the local neighbourhood, such as different thematic weeks or the use of the Internet. It is typical for schools to have a variety of international activities going on at the same time: many projects, for example, involve both teacher and pupil mobility and virtual cooperation. The picture of international dimension at schools is often too simplistic: schools can be international without being directly involved in international projects. Other international activities can include camp schools, different thematic days and weeks, twin school activities, international guests, international pen pals and sponsoring children in the developing countries to support their education. 6 FAKTAA. FACTS AND FIGURES On the whole, the attitudes towards international work in schools are positive. 75% of respondents regard international work as essential for development. The senior officers from local authorities as well as head teachers that were interviewed emphasised the importance of international work as part of diverse education. According to the survey, the support from the local education authority and particularly from the school management is extremely important for the motivation and success of international work. In all schools interviewed, the interest of the head teacher and his/her input was the factor that kept the school going. A clear majority of schools said that their management supported international work. The attitudes of the local education authorities were also assessed as positive. However, more than a half of respondents were not happy with the financial support received. Financial concerns have a considerable influence on the international work of Finnish schools. It is not easy to increase international mobility with scarce financial resources. Considering their number compared to higher education institutions or vocational schools, the support comprehensive and upper secondary schools receive for their international work is relatively small. Local authorities promote more virtual cooperation as an alternative to mobility. International work in schools has a number of different funding sources Centre for International Mobility CIMO EU s Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) / Comenius EU s Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) / Study visits Nordplus Junior Nordplus Nordic Language and Culture Programme Nordplus Horizontal Finnish National Board of Education etwinning (EU s LLP / Comenius) Pohjola-Norden The Pestalozzi Programme of the Council of Europe Euroscola Programme The Swedish-Finnish Cultural Foundation Fulbright grants British Council Funding from local education authorities, ESF projects, Finnish Cultural Foundation, local parishes etc. In addition to exchanges of pupils, dialogue among adults is important exchange of experiences and learning about pedagogy in different countries and trying to learn from each other. - Director of Education, Local Education Authority FAKTAA. FACTS AND FIGURES 7

5 The level of organisation of international activities varies 3 46% of schools that responded to the survey have an international strategy, though in most schools it is a part of their general strategy. Only 9% had a separate strategy for their international work. Just over a third of respondents were aware of their local authority having an international strategy, too. This relates to the knowledge of respondents so many people answered I don t know to this question that we cannot conclude that the rest of the local authorities would not have an international strategy. School has an international strategy Local authority has an international strategy % 20 % 40 % 60 % 80 % 100 % Yes No Don t know 68% of respondents say that international activities are part of their school s work plan. About one in four knew that there was a person in the local authority responsible for the international work of schools. Almost half of the schools also had an international coordinator. Graph 2. Does the school / local authority have an international strategy? Local authority has an international coordinator School has an international coordinator % 20 % 40 % 60 % 80 % 100 % Yes No Don t know Graph 3. Does the local authority / school have an international coordinator? 8 FAKTAA. FACTS AND FIGURES FAKTAA. FACTS AND FIGURES 9

6 Evaluation of the impact of international work is still tentative 4 The survey indicates that international work breeds more international work: participation motivates schools to increase and maintain their international activities. As a consequence: international dimension has become an integral part of school culture multiculturalism has become commonplace schools are more committed to promoting international dimension schools have got international contacts pupils have got international contacts pupils understanding of other cultures has improved meaningful and successful projects contribute to the well-being of school staff Experiences from Nordic pupil and teacher exchanges CIMO has studied schools from a Nordic point of view, too, this year: Katariina Rahikainen has examined the impact of the school work of the Norden Association. The survey targeted all Finnish pupils who participated in exchanges funded by the Norden Association between 2002 and In addition, the survey was sent to Finnish teachers who participated in teacher exchanges between 2004 and According to the study, the exchanges influenced the personal growth of participants. Students from vocational schools and pupils from Finnish-speaking upper secondary schools who spent four weeks in a school in Sweden thought that the experience had improved their career and study opportunities to some extent. Respondents were also asked to think if participation had had an impact on development of their Nordic awareness. Nordic awareness grew the most among teachers, which might be explained by the fact that cooperation with colleagues is important in order to maintain Nordic contacts. Exchanges also had a clear link to improvement of language skills. The survey is a part of a Master s study for the University of Helsinki and you can access it at CIMO s website at in the autumn of Source: Katariina Rahikainen Kokemuksia pohjoismaisista oppilas- ja opettajavaihdoista. Arviointitutkimus (experiences from Nordic pupil and teacher exchanges an evaluation study). 10 FAKTAA. FACTS AND FIGURES FAKTAA. FACTS AND FIGURES 11

7 Respondents found it difficult to assess the impact Joint planning has increased at school. International dimension is more prominent in the curriculum. The school has introduced new teaching methods and materials. There is more emphasis on in-service training of teachers than before. International dimension is more prominent in different subjects. The range of languages taught at school has increased. The IT skills of staff have improved. The general atmosphere at school has improved. Cooperation between staff members in general has increased. 1,8 2,2 2,7 2,8 2,6 of international work. In addition, many thought that there was often very little time to evaluate the impact of projects. Finnish schools tend to be very careful about making any statements on the impact of international work on schools, which does not necessarily mean that there is none. It is not uncommon that schools do not stop to think about their achievements after an international project comes to an end. When there is no continuity from project to another or when people can t see the relevance to the school work, they do not appear to have a permanent impact on schools.the fact that international work still mainly relies on few individual teachers does not help either. The fact that most respondents were head teachers might also have influenced the assessment of impact in the sense that they are not necessarily as involved in international work The project has helped us understand our position in the European school system, where most of our links exist. It helps us relate our issues to a wider context. Many basic things are extremely good in Finland. On the other hand, I think we have been able to give our partner schools some useful information. I have got the impression that all the schools we have worked with have appreciated our system. I think we have a lot to give. - Head teacher of a primary school The quality of education has improved. as other teachers. Cooperation between the school and education providers has increased. Cooperation between staff and management has increased. International dimension has become an established part of school work. Multiculturalism and tolerance have become part of the school s ethos. The school is more committed to promoting the international dimension. The school has adopted new ways of working. Graph 4. Direct impact of international work on school practices was rated at most as average. 1 = not at all, 2 = very little, 3 = relatively much, 4 = very much 2,2 1,0 1,5 2,0 3,0 3,5 4,0 2,7 3,0 3,0 3,0 Although respondents found the assessment of impact difficult, it is clear that international work has resulted in many permanent changes. The most common results include improvement of the language skills of pupils and staff, development of food culture, increased study motivation of pupils and sponsoring children in developing countries. Good projects also improve the well-being of school staff, which was brought up as an important point. Furthermore, international interaction can increase one s respect for one s own school system. Many of the above issues have improved in the school but not only because international work but thanks to enthusiastic and dedicated staff in general. International work is a nice addition and a new source of ideas. - a teacher 12 FAKTAA. FACTS AND FIGURES FAKTAA. FACTS AND FIGURES 13

8 The impact of international work increases when it is well planned and results are disseminated 5 According to the study, international experiences are often not spread outside of schools. It does not seem to be common to tell about results of projects outside one s own school, for example. Respondents themselves often stress the importance of active dissemination however, due to lack of time it often does not get done. Activities have more impact when schools have their own international strategy and when international work is integrated in their work plans. They also have more impact when the whole of school staff is involved. In practice, however, it is very common that international work relies on a few enthusiastic teachers. There has been a lot of exchange of information between those participating in international activities. Participants in international work disseminate information about their experiences to others in the school. 3,0 2,9 Experiences have also been disseminated to other schools. Experiences have also been disseminated to other external stakeholders, such as homes. 2,3 2,4 Graph 5. Opinions about dissemination of results 1 = not at all, 2 = very little, 3 = relatively much, 4 = very much 1,0 1,5 2,0 3,0 3,5 4,0 14 FAKTAA. FACTS AND FIGURES FAKTAA. FACTS AND FIGURES 15

9 6 Participation in international work is a question of both attitudes and resources The study revealed that participation Not all Finnish schools are keen on international in international work relied on both re- work but have decided not to get involved. The sources and attitudes. 70% of respondents thought following reasons for this were offered in the that participation was down to resources. A slightly survey: bigger group -85% - thought that it was down to attitudes; a third of them actually thought that international work tends to take place outside participation in international work had nothing to do with resources but was purely a question of attitudes. normal working hours unequal division of workload there is a lot of work but on the other hand those involved are The school has sufficient financial resources for international work. 2,3 envied international work does not really interest pupils We do not have enough staff resources for international work. 2,6 And what is surprising and I m not just talking about our school but more generally is that people just see the amount of work and not the benefits and rewards. a secondary school - A teacher from parents international work takes resources away from the core functions of schools people don t see the benefits of international work people don t regard international dimension as necessary for development there are bad experiences from previous involvement the management of the school does not support international work The schools that had not been as active in international work as others tended to put the lack of participation down to lack of time. These schools also tended to be unhappier about the support received from the local authority and the school management than other respondents. School management supports international work. The local authority and decision-makers have supported international work. Local education authority has a positive attitude towards the school s international work. The school has received enough information about international opportunities. There is not enough time for international work. The support from the local authority is important in encouraging schools to participate in international work. The goals of international work must be defined clearly in the curriculum. International work supports the goals of the curriculum sufficiently. 2,9 3,1 3,0 2,8 3,3 3,3 3,6 3,6 Graph 6. Opinions about sufficiency of support and resources. 1 = disagree completely, 2 disagree somewhat, 3 = agree somewhat, 4 = agree completely 16 FAKTAA. FACTS AND FIGURES FAKTAA. FACTS AND FIGURES 17

10 7 International work can also have unexpected impact on school work What kind of international work is the most beneficial? 8 Respondents identified many unexpected sometimes carried over to leisure time, was a sur- There are many factors that make international results from international work. The per- prise to many. This conflict has demotivated some work relevant to participants. sonal relationships formed, for example, had been and is one reason to hinder participation in inter- a positive surprise for many. national work. International work should International work should not It would appear, however, that the unexpected target all staff and all pupils remain just a hobby of a few teachers results were more often negative. The most un- be an integral part of school work and be isolated projects that are a disturbance wanted result was the envy of colleagues that some a continuous process to the core work of the school and an extra teachers who were actively involved in international be voluntary and be based on the interests load to staff work had encountered some still seem to regard international work as a little extra fun and an opportunity to travel with the school s money. Furthermore, the amount of extra work, which I would guess that when people plan these projects they don t really realise all the benefits that they can bring. I believe that they have more impact than people often foresee. - A teacher from a secondary school of those participating be formulated into a strategy and be part of the curriculum be coordinated (a coordinator in the local authority and/or at school) be open and experiences gained should be disseminated to all be approved and supported by the school management. The steering group for the study be compulsory not everybody will be motivated be known only by those who directly participate in it. Research Manager Irma Garam, CIMO, chair of the steering group Assistant Director Mikko Nupponen, CIMO Head of Unit Nina Rekola, CIMO Programme Manager Nina Eskola, CIMO Senior Programme Adviser Tytti Voutilainen, CIMO Development Manager Juha Karvonen, Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities Regional Head Teacher Leena Liusvaara, Municipality of Salo Senior Adviser, Education Paula Mattila, National Board of Education Senior Research Officer Siru Korkala works at CIMO s Communications and Information Services where she is mainly responsible for research and studies on international dimension in adult and general education and vocational training. 18 FAKTAA. FACTS AND FIGURES FAKTAA. FACTS AND FIGURES 19

11 The Centre for International Mobility CIMO provides specialist services to facilitate international interaction in education, work and culture, and among the youth. Working under the Ministry of Education, CIMO administers and implements various exchange and scholarship programmes. CIMO is the national agency for European Union education, training and youth programmes, and the information centre for the EU programmes Culture and Europe for Citizens. CIMO also supports the teaching of Finnish language and culture at universities outside Finland. And finally, CIMO gathers, processes and distributes relevant information to serve its many different customers. Photo: Hannu Piirainen, Janne Westerlund and Satu Haavisto. The CIMO study, analysis and evaluation team produces information and knowledge to help in the planning and development of international cooperation in education. CIMO monitors international student mobility and conducts surveys about internationalisation in education and other current issues of international educational collaboration. FAKTAA - Facts and Figures is a series of fact sheets on the key findings of CIMO s study, analysis and evaluation team (printed and pdf format). The full reports are available as pdf publications at Publications. FAKTAA - Facts and Figures 1/2009 was edited by Tiina Lehmusvaara. ISSN (pdf) ISBN This publication has been funded by the European Commission. The Commission accepts no responsibility for the contents of the publication.