Finnish Education in Practice: School Visits in Oulu

Description

Finland’s education system is often associated with excellence, trust, equality, and learner autonomy.

However, these apparently abstract principles become meaningful especially when seen in everyday school practice (that is to say, in classroom routines, teacher-student collaboration, student support, and the overall learning environment).

This course intends to offer participants the opportunity to explore first-hand Finnish education – and gain insights into its best practices – through a week of guided school visits in the dynamic and innovation-oriented city of Oulu.

Rather than focusing on rankings or simplified “success stories”, the course invites participants to observe how Finnish values can be successfully translated into concrete choices at the school level, directly affecting positive classroom culture and student wellbeing.

Throughout the course, participants will be introduced to the key features of the Finnish education system and its latest trends, such as digital learning and phenomenon-based approaches.

Always focusing on daily school life, they’ll learn how in Finland teaching is organized, how relationships are built, and how trust and shared responsibility are supported.

During the school visits, participants will have the opportunity to meet with local educators, explore learning environments, and observe real lessons.

Each visit will then be followed by a guided discussion and reflection, helping participants connect what they see to their own educational contexts, analysing what can be realistically adapted (and at what conditions), and reflecting on the strengths and challenges of their own country and schools.

By the end of the course, participants will leave with a clearer understanding of Finnish educational culture (and its international success) and a set of professional insights drawn from real school observation, together with concrete ideas for reflecting on and strengthening their own classroom and school practices.

Also, the course will help them expand their professional networks.

Please note: Transportation tickets for study visits are not included in the course fee.  

Concept by Mirjami Junnikkala

Learning outcomes

The course will help participants to:

• Gain an understanding of the principles of the Finnish education model – and how they are reflected in everyday school practice;
• Identify how key values such as trust, equality, and autonomy shape Finnish classroom routines;
• Reflect critically on similarities and differences between Finnish schools and their own educational contexts;
• Identify realistic ideas and strategies that can be adapted to their own classrooms or schools.

Tentative schedule

Day 1 – Introduction to the course and Finnish education context

• Introduction to the course and the Academy;
• Introduction to the host city and the week’s cultural activities;
• Icebreaker activities;
• Presentations of the participants’ schools and institutions;
• Overview of the Finnish education system and its guiding principles;
• Preparing for school visits: what to observe, how to reflect, and how to connect practice to values.

Day 2 – Everyday school life in Finland

• Exploring how Finnish schools are organized in practice;
• Key values in Finnish education: trust, equality, autonomy, and students’ wellbeing;
• Guided reflection: how values become visible in routines, relationships, and everyday learning culture;
• Discussion on current trends (digital learning, phenomenon-based learning).

Day 3 – First school visit

• Introduction to the host school and its context;
• Guided tour and exploration of learning environments;
• Observation of daily school life and teaching (depending on available lessons);
• Group discussion: guided reflection and discussion with educators.

Day 4 – Second school visit

• Introduction to the host school and its context;
• Guided tour and exploration of learning environments;
• Observation of daily school life and teaching (depending on available lessons);
• Focused observation task: classroom culture, student support, teacher collaboration;
• Discussion and reflection: what can be transferred, what absolutely depends on context.

Day 5 – Planning for the future

• Synthesising key insights from the week: what have we learned from the Finnish education model?;
• Make plans for the future: identifying realistic ideas to adapt to participants’ own contexts;
• Action planning: small changes and long-term inspiration;
• Sharing plans and peer feedback;
• Course evaluation: round up of acquired competences, feedback, and discussion;
• Awarding of the course Certificate of Attendance.

Day 6 – Structured cultural activities

• Structured cultural activity(ies) according to the hosting location;
• Learning journal: individual written reflection on the course experience;
• Course reflection: self-reflection and review of course materials and resources.

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