DailyDirt: No More Teaching To The Test?
from the urls-we-dig-up dept
A Singaporean math test question went viral not too long ago, confusing some people and making others wonder how American kids should be taught math. Plenty of other countries perform better on international standardized tests than US kids do, but it doesn't always mean the US should adopt other countries' lesson plans and policies. However, there's always some political pressure to try to change things (not always for the better). Check out some links on Finland and how it has been working to improve its school system since the 1960s.- Finland is often cited as the shining example for how to run an educational system. However, the detailed story of Finland's educational system is complex, without much evidence to support the narrative that a more relaxed approach is the reason behind the country's high test scores. [url]
- The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests surprised some people by ranking Finland among the top ten nations to administer the test in 2009, but the scores highlighted the decades-long efforts of Finns to improve their school systems. Standardized test scores were not the goal of the Finland school system, but students seemed to do well regardless. So there may be lessons in how Finns raise their kids, but it's not clear how well their system can be translated to other locations. [url]
- Finnish children start school at age 7 and have shorter school hours than US kids do. Teachers in Finland have a lot of training and are highly respected professionals. Pouring more money into education isn't necessarily a silver bullet solution, but making teaching a highly respected career might require a bit more funding. [url]
Filed Under: education, finland, pisa, schools, singapore, standardized testing, teachers
