Physics Teacher Preparation at University of Helsinki Finland

Physics Teacher Preparation at University of Helsinki, Finland Ari Hämäläinen, University of Helsinki Dan Mac. Isaac, Buffalo State College www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto

Education System in Finland [1] Faculty of Science / Ari Hämäläinen www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 2012 -7 -30 2

Finnish Education System Free and universal No high-stakes testing, except Matriculation examination in the end of the Upper Secondary School Entrance examinations to universities etc. (often the same thing) Less than in most other countries´ school systems: school hours & homework testing & grading control of schools & teachers variation between schools Faculty of Science / Ari Hämäläinen www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 2012 -7 -30 3

Finnish Grade School detail National, obligatory curriculum guidelines; schools make their localized curricula based on the guidelines In lower grades, same teachers usually follow the class for several years, becoming expert on individual child and accountable for child’s learning Approximately half of all Finnish children receive formal special education intervention; differentiated instruction, career guidance, counseling, and special education are integrated as required Faculty of Science / Ari Hämäläinen www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 2012 -7 -30 4

Finnish Grade School detail (cont. ) Gr 5 -9 physics is conceptual (Hewitt at grades 7 -9 in KSYK 1) HS physics is algebraic (Knight alg-trig at KSYK) HS has 8 physics courses, of which 1 is compulsory; courses are short & intensive, 5 -7 weeks HS “long form” sequence math ends about US Calc II Long form math: 13 courses, 10 compulsory Regular form math: 8 courses, 6 compulsory Readiness: University of Helsinki first year physics starts with Calc Based Intl Ed of Knight in English 1. Kulosaari secondary school, http: //www. ksyk. fi/en/ is an international school following the national curriculum Faculty of Science / Ari Hämäläinen www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 2012 -7 -30 5

“Less is more” 2000 2003 2006 2009 Scientific literacy #3 joint #1 #1 #2 Reading literacy #1 #1 #2 #3 Mathematics skills #4 #2 #2 #2 Ranking of Finland in Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) surveys [2] Faculty of Science / Ari Hämäläinen www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 2012 -7 -30 6

Teacher Education: General Attractive Academic Research-based Master's Degree Faculty of Science / Ari Hämäläinen www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 2012 -7 -30 7

Subject Teacher Education: General Two main paths to enter In the beginning of one's academic studies After completing a Master's degree in one major and 1 -2 minor subjects Cooperation Subject department: subject-matter program for teachers Department of Teacher Education: pedagogical studies Faculty of Science / Ari Hämäläinen www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 2012 -7 -30 8

Physics Teacher Preparation Program at University of Helsinki Physics as the first teaching discipline Bachelor's degree in physics Master's degree in physics education Total of 300 ECTS credits, 3 + 2 years (1 credit equals 25 – 30 h full-time studying) Physics content targets fostering deep conceptual understanding of the physics studied in grade school No upper-division physics courses such as Classical Mechanics, Mathematical Methods, etc. Faculty of Science / Ari Hämäläinen www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 2012 -7 -30 9

Bachelor's degree (3 years) Physics contents: the same as for all physics students Mechanics Electromagnetism Electrodynamics Waves and fields Basic relativity Thermophysics Measurement methods Structure of matter Laboratory work Faculty of Science / Ari Hämäläinen www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 2012 -7 -30 10

Bachelor's degree (cont. ) Minor in the second teaching discipline (usually mathematics or chemistry) General studies (IT, language, etc) Subject teacher studies at Department of Teacher Education Developmental psychology and learning Special education General and subject-specific didactics Basic teaching practice in Teacher Training School Seminar: teacher as a researcher. Preparation of a research plan. Bachelor´s thesis (Dept of Physics) often has the same topic as the upcoming Master's thesis Faculty of Science / Ari Hämäläinen www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 2012 -7 -30 11

Master's degree (2 years) Specific physics courses for teachers (Dept of Physics) Teachers' laboratory I & II Concepts and structures of physics I & II History and philosophy of Physics Teachers' thesis seminar Optional physics courses Faculty of Science / Ari Hämäläinen www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 2012 -7 -30 12

Master's degree (continued) Subject teacher studies at Department of Teacher Education Social, historical and philosophical foundations of education Advanced and final teaching practices in Teacher Training School or Field School Seminar: teacher as a researcher. Completing the research Master's thesis (Pro Gradu) (Dept of Physics) Faculty of Science / Ari Hämäläinen www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 2012 -7 -30 13

History of Physics Development of physics as a science and a discipline Utilizing history of physics as a didactical tool How central physics phenomena were found Progress of the scientific method Historical viewpoint to evolution of concepts, models and theories Faculty of Science / Ari Hämäläinen www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 2012 -7 -30 14

Concepts and structures of physics I & II Structure of physical knowledge Goals of physics as a science How does the scientific method and the interaction between empiry and theory control the evolution of the concept structure that is typical for physics Practical aims: Learn the physics way of thinking Learn “how to speak good physics” in teaching Learn how to use cooperation of theory and empiry for developing teaching strategies and setting goals Faculty of Science / Ari Hämäläinen www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 2012 -7 -30 15

Teachers' laboratory I & II Learn to implement and design teaching based on empirical concept formation Learn to use various equipment, including computer -based lab tools Lectures cover experiments in main physics topics from primary to upper secondary school Students choose 2+3 topics Written plan + concept map (links are experiments) Making the experiments Written report + revised concept map Faculty of Science / Ari Hämäläinen www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 2012 -7 -30 16

Teachers' laboratory I & II Forming concepts: Interaction, impulse, and inertial mass Faculty of Science / Ari Hämäläinen www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 2012 -7 -30 17

Pro Gradu: examples of topics Teaching the electron in high school physics and chemistry Environment and society in physics teaching: climate change The view of learning embedded in physics textbooks http: //per. physics. helsinki. fi/kirjasto/ont/msloan/Gradu%20 Final. pdf Constructing a set of concept map tools for teaching Teaching dynamics by experiments to visually impaired students Physics for preschoolers Physics for musicians Physics of clay shooting Quantitative exploration of the Doppler effect in teaching Faculty of Science / Ari Hämäläinen www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 2012 -7 -30 18

Physics Teacher Preparation Physics as a second teaching discipline First teaching subject of participants of Teachers' Lab courses in 2004 – 2011, N = 310 Most physics in schools is taught by math teachers! Most physics teachers are also math teachers Faculty of Science / Ari Hämäläinen www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 2012 -7 -30 19

Physics as a second teaching discipline Physics Education Minor program is part of the Bachelor's Degree (Physics Education Major program is a part of the Master's Degree) Basic studies in physics for minors Motion and forces Heat and energy Electricity and magnetism Matter and radiation Laboratory work (together with majors) Faculty of Science / Ari Hämäläinen www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 2012 -7 -30 20

Physics as a second teaching discipline (continued) Compulsory subject studies in physics Concepts and structures of physics I & II for minors Teachers' laboratory I & II for minors Optional subject studies in physics History and philosophy of physics 2 -3 Bachelor's Degree courses in physics, astronomy, geophysics or meteorology Faculty of Science / Ari Hämäläinen www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 2012 -7 -30 21

Teacher Qualification To get a tenure, one must be qualified (today, must have Master's Degree) Qualification is proven by a personal diploma given by the university; no central record of certifications Schools are allowed to hire unqualified teachers in temporary positions Many pre-service teachers work part-time as substitutes during their studies Faculty of Science / Ari Hämäläinen www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 2012 -7 -30 22

References and links 1. Sahlberg, P. Finnish Lessons. What can the world learn from educational change in Finland? Teachers College, Columbia University. www. finnishlessons. com. Pasi Sahlberg is a past Finnish math and physics teacher, amongst many other things. 2. www. pisa. oecd. org 3. www. oph. fi/english 4. per. physics. helsinki. fi/eng/ 5. www. helsinki. fi/teachereducation/ 6. tinyurl. com/Jan 2011 poster-ppt Faculty of Science / Ari Hämäläinen www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 2012 -7 -30 23

Thank you Questions, please! Ari. Hamalainen@helsinki. fi Faculty of Science / Ari Hämäläinen www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 2012 -7 -30 24