Miracle of Education -- CONTENTS -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -- PREFACE: Perspectives for the Future of the Teaching Profession -- BIBLIOGRAPHY -- AFFILIATIONS -- PART I INTRODUCTION: CURRENT EDUCATIONAL FRAMING FACTORS AND CONDITIONS IN FINLAND -- 1. AMAZING PISA RESULTS IN FINNISH COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOLS -- ABSTRACT -- PISA STUDY -- HIGH LEVEL OF PISA RESULTS -- Finnish Students among Top-achievers in PISA -- Reading Literacy -- Reading Results -- Mathematical Literacy -- Mathematics Results -- Scientific Literacy -- Science Results -- ABOUT PISA ITEMS -- Interest in Reading and Reading Strategies Important -- Trends in Performance of Finnish Students -- EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN -- Between School Equality -- Equality Related to Family Background -- CHALLENGES TO EDUCATIONAL EQUALITY -- Gender Difference -- Difference between the Language Groups -- Immigrant Education -- EFFECTIVE EDUCATION SYSTEM -- High Performance with Average Investment -- High Results with Minimum Instruction Hours -- Small Class Sizes -- SUMMARY -- REFERENCES -- AFFILIATIONS -- 2. THE SOCIETAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO EDUCATION AND SCHOOLING IN FINLAND -- ABSTRACT -- THE FINNISH EDUCATION: EQUITY AND QUALITY AS ITS MAIN OBJECTIVES -- Introduction -- Respect for Learning and Education in the Finnish Culture Education of a Nation and Comprehensive Schooling for All -- Educational Policy for Equity -- THE STRUCTURE AND AIMS OF THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM -- ENHANCEMENT-LED AND FORMATIVE EVALUATION POLICY FOR PROMOTING QUALITY -- Balancing between a Centralized and Decentralized Administration -- TEACHER EDUCATION AS A KEY PLAYER -- Pedagogical Studies -- A Research-Based Approach as a Main Guideline -- The Social and Moral Code of the Teaching Profession -- Integration of Theory and Practice -- TEACHERS AS PROFESSIONALS - TRUST IN UNIVERSITIES AND TEACHERS' WORK -- CONCLUSION.

REFERENCES -- WEBSITES -- 3. FINNISH TEACHERS AS 'MAKERS OF THE MANY': Balancing between Broad Pedagogical Freedom and Responsibility -- ABSTRACT -- INTRODUCTION -- TEACHERS' WORKING SPACE IN FINNISH SCHOOLS AND CLASSROOMS -- TEACHER'S RESPONSIBLE PEDAGOGICAL ACTION -- Finnish Teachers' Role Requirements -- Finnish Teachers' Personal Characteristics and Qualities -- EDUCATING WITHIN A SOCIETY-THE MINDSET OF THE FINNISH EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM -- Trust in Education -- Hope for a Better Society and Individual Life -- DISCUSSION: NEGOTIATING FOR A HOPEFUL CURRICULUM AND SCHOOL PRACTICES -- REFERENCES -- AFFILIATIONS -- 4. THE CORE OF SCHOOL PEDAGOGY: Finnish Teachers' Views on the Educational Purposefulness of Their Teaching -- ABSTRACT -- INTRODUCTION -- MAIN CONCEPTS IN RESEARCH ON TEACHING -- Didactics -- Pedagogical Content Knowledge -- Teaching-Studying-Learning Process -- EDUCATIONAL PURPOSEFULNESS -- Teachers' Views on the Educational Purposefulness of Their Teaching -- General Purposes in Teaching According to Teachers -- The General Purposes in Teaching According to Student Teachers -- Subject-matter Specific Purposes in Teaching According to Teachers -- Subject-matter Specific Purposes in Teaching According to Student Teachers -- THE CORE OF SCHOOL PEDAGOGY -- REFERENCES -- AFFILIATIONS -- PART II THE FOUNDATIONS: THE DESIGN OF EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM ON VARIOUS LEVELS -- 5. STRIVING FOR EDUCATIONAL EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE: Evaluation and Assessment in Finnish Basic Education -- ABSTRACT -- THE UNIQUENESS OF FINNISH BASIC EDUCATION -- EDUCATIONAL EQUITY - THE FOUNDATIONAL VALUE OF FINNISH EDUCATION -- STRIVING TOWARDS EXCELLENCE AND A JOY OF LEARNING: THE FINNISH BASIC EDUCATION SYSTEM -- THE PREMISES OF EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT IN FINNISH BASIC EDUCATION -- School Assessment -- Teacher Competencies in Assessing Learning Outcomes -- Teacher Appraisal.

Student Assessment Is Part of Daily Schoolwork -- External National Assessments of Learning Outcomes -- CHALLENGES OF FINNISH BASIC EDUCATION -- Responding to the Multiple Needs of Diverse Learners -- STEPS FORWARD IN ENSURING EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE FOR EVERY LEARNER -- REFERENCES -- AFFILIATIONS -- 6. THE FINNISH NATIONAL CORE CURRICULUM: Structure and Development -- ABSTRACT -- MAIN FEATURES OF THE CURRENT CURRICULUM SYSTEM IN FINLAND -- The Steering System of Basic Education -- THE STRUCTURE OF THE FINNISH NATIONAL CURRICULUM -- The Functions of Finnish Curriculum -- The Pedagogical and Ideological Background of Finnish Curriculum Design -- The Need for Coherence between Aims, Contents and Practices -- THE FINNISH CURRICULUM IN AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE -- REFERENCES -- AFFILIATIONS -- 7. RESEARCH-ORIENTATION IN A TEACHER'S WORK -- ABSTRACT -- INTRODUCTION -- TEACHING IN FINNISH SCHOOLS -- Statistics of Schooling in Finland -- The Everyday Life of a Finnish Teacher -- TOWARDS INQUIRY-ORIENTED TEACHING -- The Teachers' Conceptions of Research-Orientation -- Inquiry-orientation in an Individual Teacher's Work -- Inquiry-orientation in the Practice of the School Community -- Teacher Educators' Views of the Research-based Approach -- Student Teachers' Views of Research-based Approach -- WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? -- REFERENCES -- AFFILIATIONS -- PART III TEACHING AND LEARNING FOR LIFE: ACADEMIC SUBJECTS -- 8. PROMOTING MATHEMATICAL THINKING: in Finnish Mathematics Education -- ABSTRACT -- INTRODUCTION -- THE STARTING POINT OF FINNISH MATHEMATICS EDUCATION -- The Core Idea of Mathematics Education According to the National Core Curriculum -- Teacher Education and the Main Principles of Good Mathematics Education -- IMPLEMENTATION OF MATHEMATICS EDUCATION IN FINNISH COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOLS -- Distribution of Lesson Hours in Mathematics.

Learning Materials as a Resource for Teaching and Learning -- Teaching Mathematics in Finnish Classrooms -- Assessment Policy -- Talent Development for All Students -- CONCLUDING REMARKS -- REFERENCES -- AFFILIATIONS -- 9. SCIENCE AT FINNISH COMPULSORY SCHOOL -- ABSTRACT -- INTRODUCTION -- SCIENCE IN THE NATIONAL LEVEL CURRICULUM -- SCIENCE TEACHERS -- SCIENCE TEACHING AND LEARNING AT SCHOOL -- DISCUSSION -- REFERENCES -- APPENDIX -- AFFILIATIONS -- 10. LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE EDUCATION: Principles and Reflections on Mother Tongue and Literature -- ABSTRACT -- INTRODUCTION -- THE LINGUISTIC SITUATION IN FINLAND -- MOTHER TONGUE AND LITERATURE -- ELABORATION ON SOME BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE SUBJECT: CHAMELEON -- Chameleon -- The secret of mutability is flexibility. -- TRAINING TEACHERS OF MOTHER TONGUE AND LITERATURE -- NOTES -- REFERENCES -- AFFILIATIONS -- 11. LANGUAGE EDUCATION FOREIGN LANGUAGES -- ABSTRACT -- THE CORNERSTONES OF THE CURRENT LEARNING OUTCOMES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES -- Introduction to the Current Situation -- Research-based Teacher Education and FL Teaching A Brief History of Foreign Language Teaching in Finland -- Main Aims Set in the Language Core Curricula -- Approaches and Methods in Finnish Language Classrooms -- Assessment of Learning Outcomes -- Language Teacher Education -- In-service Support -- CHALLENGES OF FUTURE QUALITY WORK TO DEVELOP THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING AND LEARNING IN FINNISH BASIC EDUCATION -- REFERENCES -- AFFILIATIONS -- 12. RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: in Finnish School System -- ABSTRACT -- BACKGROUND -- THE FINNISH SOLUTION FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS -- THE NATURE AND ROLE OF RE IN BASIC EDUCATION -- Integrative Practice -- Intimate Interaction -- Critical Thinking -- Holistic Knowledge -- RE TEACHERS IN FINLAND -- DISCUSSION -- REFERENCES -- AFFILIATIONS.

13. HISTORY, SOCIAL SCIENCE AND GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION: in Finnish Schools and Teacher Education -- ABSTRACT -- INTRODUCTION -- HISTORY, SOCIAL SCIENCE AND GEOGRAPHY IN THE NATIONAL CORE CURRICULUM OF FINNISH COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOLS -- ON THE ESSENTIAL NATURE OF SPECIFIC SUBJECTS -- History and History Education -- Social Studies and Social Science Education -- Geography and Geography Education -- LITERACY OF HUMANITIES (PISA, TIMMS, ICCS) -- Activating Teaching Methods -- Assessment -- THE EDUCATION OF HISTORY, SOCIAL STUDIES AND GEOGRAPHY TEACHERS -- COMMON CHALLENGES -- REFERENCES -- AFFILIATIONS -- 14. ARTS EDUCATION: Instruments of Expression and Communication -- ABSTRACT -- ARTS AND CULTURE IN EDUCATION -- ARTS EDUCATION IN FINNISH SCHOOL SYSTEM -- AIMS OF VISUAL ARTS AT SCHOOL -- CONTENTS OF VISUAL ARTS -- DYNAMICS OF INTERNAL INTEGRATION IN VISUAL ARTS -- SECURE SENSE THROUGH SOUND AND MUSIC -- HANDS-ON ART FOR CLASS TEACHER STUDENTS -- ARTS EDUCATION VISION: WE HEAR THE FUTURE -- REFERENCES -- AFFILIATIONS -- PART IV REFLECTIONS: FUTURE SCENARIOS AND INVESTMENTS FOR PATHWAYS OF SUCCESS -- 15. DRAMA EDUCATION IN THE FINNISH SCHOOL SYSTEM: Past, Present and Future -- ABSTRACT -- PAST: THEATRE AND DRAMA TRADITIONS IN THE FINNISH SCHOOL SYSTEM -- PRESENT: DRAMA EDUCATION IN FINLAND IN THE 2000'S -- PRESENT: DRAMA EDUCATION IN TEACHER EDUCATION -- FUTURE: CHALLENGES OF FINNISH SCHOOL SYSTEM AND DRAMA EDUCATION -- REFERENCES -- AFFILIATIONS -- 16. ICTS IN A SCHOOL'S EVERYDAY LIFE -- ABSTRACT -- MEDIA CULTURE IS PART OF CHILDREN'S EVERYDAY LIFE IN FINLAND -- THE RATIONALE FOR ICT: 21ST CENTURY SKILLS -- WILL SCHOOL FADE OUT OF YOUNG PEOPLE'S EVERYDAY LIVES? -- THE NATIONAL PLAN FOR THE EDUCATIONAL USE OF ICTS: SOME PROSPECTS -- RECENT RESEARCH FINDINGS OF THE PRESENT STATE ABOUT THE EDUCATIONAL USE OF ICTS IN FINLAND -- CONCLUSION -- REFERENCES.

AFFILIATIONS.