The finnish model of teacher education

Re-concep ualizing he p o essional iden i y o he Eu opean eache . Sha ing Expe iences 885 THE FINNISH MODEL OF TEACHER EDUCATION1 Reijo Laukkanen Ex-Counsello o Educa ion Boa d. Uni e si y o Tampe e (Finland) Finnish educa ion sys em has go much publici y because o being on op in in e na ional PISA e iews. The e o e in Finland he e ha e been huge amoun o isi ing g oups ying o unde s and wha he Finns ha e done o he wise e han o he s. Du ing he yea s when I wo ked in he Finnish Na ional Boa d o Educa ion in Helsinki I pe sonally me hund eds o esea ches, jou nalis s, minis e s, membe s o pa liamen , o he poli icians and ci il se an s om all o e he wo ld. One impo an issue was o ell ha in Finland de eloping quali y educa ion has needed no one bu se e al di e en e icien changes be o e i became o be a sys em as i looks like oday. Always my lis o hose impo an elemen s included: Fi s equi y is basic alue which means equal oppo uni ies and ai ness. O he impo an alues a e suppo and us . We suppo a he han con ol. We us ou eache s and ou eache s us us. I has been impo an o ge uni e si y esea che s o wo k wi h s a e cen al educa ion adminis a ion. I has been bene icial o inc ease openness and anspa ency. I has been essen ial o se high expec a ions o all s uden s. I is necessa y o know how o use inancial esou ces e icien ly o ge he bes possible e u n om hem. You mus suppo s uden s who seem o all behind o he s. Se ing long e m s a egic objec i es has been impo an . Compe en eaching o ce, o -cou se, is he key. Highly quali ied eaching o ce is an impo an quali y gua an ee o any educa ion sys em. Quali y eache s pe suade s uden s’ in e es o s udying and knowing. They gi e ood o hough and imagina ion and know how o enhance lea ning. They open doo s o he wo ld. In es ing in eache s is pe haps he bes way o imp o e educa ion quali y. Teache s need comp ehension o he issues and, subjec s augh . Howe e ha is no enough ha hey need because being a good p o essional eache equi es also expe ise in eaching, s udying and lea ning. Teache should imp o e s uden s’ abili ies o unde s and and use heo ies o p ac ical solu ions. Being able o do ha eache should also ha e some unde s anding o educa ional esea ch indings. Tha is wha eache educa o s in Finland say. Today eache s’ wo k is mo e and mo e demanding because o con inuous changes in socie y, because o beha io al p oblems in classes and because o o example ha he e a e mo e and mo e pa en s who challenge eache ’s choices. I is good o no ice ha all pa en s ha e some kind o unde s anding o who is a good eache . Opinions di e bu many adul s, like me, emembe eache s who we e s ong pe sonali ies, and a li le bi s ange. They made a big in luence also in my mind. Some o hem also we e able o aise my in e es in wha hey augh . I wan o ell his because he pe sonali y is a e y s ong ins umen o any eache . My opinion is ha all eache s can make hei own cha isma i hey build hei beha io on hei ue belie es and pe sonali y. I is eally impo an ha we ha e eache indi iduals 1 Es a comunicación ue seleccionada pa a su publicación en e sión ex endida en el núme o 15, 2014, Junio de la e is a Fuen es, cuya emá ica monog á ica ue “La in es igación sob e la iden idad p o esional del p o eso ado en Eu opa” h p://ins i ucional.us.es/ uen es Re-concep ualizing he p o essional iden i y o he Eu opean eache . Sha ing Expe iences 886 (hope ully in all schools) who can inspi e s uden s o ind new openings and new p ac ices and esea ch indings. Howe e , i is p oblema ic ha eaching a schools is mo e and mo e ha d. We ha e seen much news abou eache s lea ing hei eaching jobs in many coun ies, hough no in Filand. Same applies wi h he school heads. I is mo e and mo e di icul o ec ui hem and keep hem in he pos s. The e o e o ins ance he Eu opean Commission has made special ecommenda ions o he go e nmen s o handle his p oblem. In Finland esea che s o eache educa ion a e qui e unanimous o he p esen s demands o eache s. Jouni Välijä i (2006, 21 -22) desc ibes he p esen si ua ion in Finland as ollows: Fi s : Teache s’ wo k is con inuous in ellec ual, social and emo ional coope a ion wi h s uden s, colleagues and pa en s. I is inc easingly also coope a ion wi h he es o he socie y. De elopmen o in o ma ion sys ems has gi en possibili ies o c ea e new lea ning en i onmen s. Teache s can nowadays be seen mo e and mo e as knowledge wo ke s. One o he special ea u es in eache s wo k is e hical consciousness o how o build connec ion o he new lea ning en i onmen s so ha i bes suppo balanced de elopmen o s uden s. The e hical app oach means ha he bes o each s uden is he highes c i e ia as eache makes his/he decisions in eaching. I is in e es ing o ell ha also Teache ’s Union emphasizes ha eache ’s wo k mus be based on a s ong alue base whe e essen ial is human digni y, e i y and ai ness (Niemi 2006, 84). Second: A he same ime also equi emen s o eache s g ow. And hese equi emen s a e con adic o y. Schools a e asked o c ea e new eadiness o use new lea ning en i onmen s as leaning sou ces bu a he same ime o concen a e o p ac icing in adi ional skills and knowledge. Also demands o ake b oade esponsibili y o social o cha ac e educa ion g ow. All hese de elopmen s make mo e and mo e s ess o eache s. Thi d: In eache s’ wo k p o essionalism is emphasized. P o essionalism means ha eache has abili y o wo k independen ly and au onomously us ing on his/he own compe ence. P o essionalism means o be ee om ou side s ee ing, bu also o be able o ecognize he changing demands o he socie y and be eady o coope a e wi h di e en ac o s. Fo h: In knowledge socie y and knowledge economy, he basis is knowledge, ha changes wi h mo e and mo e inc easing pace. The e o e li elong lea ning quali ies and skills a e u mos impo an o he eaching p o ession. Teache educa ion makes basis o ha . Teache s need skills o hei own choices, independen hinking, c ea i e planning o eaching and expe imen ing wi h di e en pedagogical choices. The g ea public us s ha eaching p o ession bases on high mo al and e hical p inciples. I is in e es ing o ell ha as an ini ia i e o he Teache Union an e hical council o he eaching p o ession was es ablished in 2000. I is an independen o ganiza ion ha published he i s e hical p inciples in 2000. Howe e , I don’ wan o gi e an o e oman ic iew om Finland. Theo y and p ac ice doesn’ o ally mee . Teache ’s wo k is o en seen o be lonely wo k behind he closed class oom doo s. Bu his is he same issue in mos o he wo ld, I suppose. Howe e , much o ha a i ude has changed wi h he younge eache age g oups. I suppose, ha migh be he esul o hei mode n educa ion. Re-concep ualizing he p o essional iden i y o he Eu opean eache . Sha ing Expe iences 887 EDUCATION SYSTEM OF FINLAND P ep ima y educa ion is no compulso y o child en bu howe e almos 100 % o child en pa icipa e in ha educa ion. Teaching is no di ided in o subjec s. Teache s a e educa ed in uni e si ies. The e hey each Bachelo o A s le el examina ion. Basic educa ion is compulso y o all. Abili y g ouping was used be o e in ma hema ics and o eign languages bu i was abolished in 1985. Teaching he e ogeneous g oups is one o he big challenges ha eache s ha e a he lowe seconda y educa ion. The go e nmen decides on gene al objec i es and dis ibu ion o lesion hou s. The Finnish Na ional Boa d o Educa ion decides on he Na ional Co e Cu iculum. All eache s s udy a uni e si ies o ge Mas e s’ Deg ee. In gene al uppe seconda y educa ion na ional uling ollows he same lines as in basic educa ion. A special y is ha cu iculum is cons uc ed o las 3 yea s bu he s uden s may comple e i in 2 o 4 yea s. A e comple ed all cou ses s uden s pa icipa e in na ional ma icula ion examina ion. Teache s a e educa ed in uni e si ies. Ini ial oca ional educa ion bases on comple ed basic educa ion. I is ins i u ion based. Adul s can ge hei oca ional quali ica ion by compe ence based es s. Teache educa ion p og am consis s o 60 c edi s, i is, one yea o ull s udy, and includes basic s udies in educa ional sciences, oca ional pedagogy s udies, eaching p ac ice and o he s udies. Eligibili y o s udies equi es: ele an uni e si y o poly echnics deg ee and, a minimum o h ee yea s’ wo k expe ience in ield co esponding o he deg ee. Teache s a e educa ed in Poly echnics. In o de o unde s and he lexibili y o he Finnish educa ional sys em i is ad isable o ollow he a ows in he cha o he sys em. A he uppe seconda y educa ion le el one can s udy a he same ime in bo h educa ion sec o s, gene al and oca ional. Mos schools a e publicly un. In gene al educa ion p i a e sec o is ma ginal. Teache s a e hi ed by municipali ies. Teache ’s pos s a e published in newspape s and indi idual eache s apply o pos s whe e hey wan o wo k. Educa ion is ee o ui ion ees a all le els o educa ion. Lea ning ma e ials, school meal, school anspo a ion e c. a e o ally ee in p e-p ima y and p ima y educa ion. In Uppe -seconda y ins i u ions s uden s pay hei books and lea ning ma e ials. TEACHING FORCE Since 1974, eache educa ion o all eache s in basic educa ion has been a anged a uni e si ies. Be o e ha , p ima y school eache s we e educa ed a eache - aining colleges.2 In 1979, p ima y school eache educa ion was also upg aded o he le el o a Mas e ’s deg ee. The pu pose o his modi ica ion was o uni y he co e aspec s o p ima y and seconda y school educa ion and o de elop an academically high s anda d o educa ion o p ospec i e eache s. Teache educa ion o he seconda y school le el was also e o med expanding 2 Teache educa ion be o e ha , see Kansanen 2003. Re-concep ualizing he p o essional iden i y o he Eu opean eache . Sha ing Expe iences 888 he scope o pedagogical s udies. (Niemi & Jakku-Sih onen 2006). Compe i ion o eache educa ion specially o p ima y educa ion is eally ha d because only a ound 10 - 15% o applican s a e accep ed. Thus, i is ai o say ha eaching wo k is popula . We also ha e seen ha a ca ee as a eache in Finland is he mos popula choice amongs hose lea ing uppe seconda y educa ion. This was con i med in a poll ca ied ou by Helsingin Sanoma , he bigges newspape in Finland (Lii en 2004). Why is he eaching p o ession so popula ? Teache s’ sala ies in Finland a e only a he a e age le el in in e na ional compa isons, so his canno be he explana ion (Table 2). My own guess is ha he high popula i y is he esul o ou hings. 1) All Finnish eache s in basic educa ion and gene al uppe seconda y schools comple e an academic Mas e ’s deg ee ei he in educa ion o in one o wo eaching subjec s. Academic educa ion is espec ed. I eache s’ educa ion was s ill based a colleges, i migh no be so popula . 2) Finnish eache s enjoy signi ican au onomy in o ganizing hei wo k. Due o decen aliza ion, Finnish schools do ha e plen y o au onomy in e ms o he o ganiza ion o ins uc ion, pe sonnel managemen , planning and s uc u es and, deciding on he use o esou ces. 3) In Finland, educa ion has been espec ed h ough i s his o y. Thus, eache s ha e also enjoyed conside able espec . 4) Teache s a e sa is ied wi h hei posi ion. A e iew published in June 2012 e ealed ha eache s a e he mos sa is ied p o essional g oup in Finland (HS 2012). HOW TO GET IN TEACHER EDUCATION? As we alk abou eache educa ion ha is gi en o gene al educa ion eache s he basic equi emen is ha applican s ha e passed Uppe Seconda y Schools and he Na ional Ma icula ion Examina ion. The en ance examina ion o eache educa ion has 2 s eps. 1) Pa icipa ion in na ional en ance examina ion ha bases on gi en pedagogical ma e ial - book ha he applican ha e o ead. All who wan o apply o ha e eache educa ion can pa icipa e in his es in a gi en day. 2) A e he es he bes pe o me s a e in i ed o an one day in e iew o he uni e si y whe e he candida es ha e sen hei applica ion. This is o ganized and planned indi idually by each uni e si y so he e a e di e en a ian s. In he Uni e si y o Helsinki his sp ing he p ocess has been he ollowing: A ound 20 minu es be o e he indi idual in e iew he candida e ge s a pedagogical ex ha is gene al o ela ed o a school subjec . The in e iew las s 15 minu es and bases on he ex men ioned and on he in o ma ion gi en in he applica ion o m. The in e iew eam consis s o membe s om bo h he acul y o educa ion and he acul y o he subjec a ea i he case is o subjec eache s. They look a 3 issues: mo i a ion, in e ac ion skills and how ealis ic a e he Re-concep ualizing he p o essional iden i y o he Eu opean eache . Sha ing Expe iences 889 candida e’s plans. Mo e gene ally said he in e iew ies o examine sui abili y o eache ’s ca ee . The impo ance o his in ake p ocess can be seen o ins ance by he Uni e si y o Tampe e’s p ima y school eache selec ion. The uppe seconda y school epo ma ks and he Ma icula ion examina ion ma ks gi e only 20 % o he possible en ance poin s. Thus 80 % can be gained by pe o ming well in he en ance examina ion and he in e iew. This is o say ha sui abili y o eaching wo k is eally s ong c i e ia in Finland as s uden s a e aken o eache educa ion. The bes o he bes a e hose who ha e he possibili y o ha e eache ’s educa ion in Finland. Finland has egula ions on Bachelo ’s and Mas e ’s deg ees ha apply o all examina ions. Mas e ’s deg ee includes: 1) good o e all knowledge o he majo subjec o a co esponding en i y and con e sance wi h he undamen als o he mino subjec o good knowledge o he ad anced s udies included in he deg ee p og am; 2) knowledge and skills needed o apply scien i ic knowledge and scien i ic me hods o knowledge and skills needed o independen and demanding a is ic wo k; 3) knowledge and skills needed o independen ly ope a e as an expe and de elope o he ield; 4) knowledge and skills needed o scien i ic o a is ic pos g adua e educa ion, and 5) good language and communica ion skills. (Deg ee 2004/794, 12 §, 626, Jakku-Sih onen & Niemi 2006, 19-20) PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS We can see ha p ima y educa ion eache s udies ollow he gene al ule ha we saw in he o me slide. In he Uni e si y o Jy äskylä he p ima y school eache educa ion p og am o a mas e ’s deg ee consis s o he ollowing s udies (Asun a, 2006, p 140): 1) Language and communica ion s udies 25 2) Basic s udies in educa ion 25 3) In e media e s udies in educa ion 35 4) Ad anced s udies in educa ion 80 5) Mul idisciplina y school subjec s udies 60 6) Mino subjec s udies 60 7) elec i e cou ses 15 TOTAL 300 CREDITS No 2 +3 Including 12 ECTS c edi s om eaching p ac ice No 4 Including 16 ECTS c edi s om eaching p ac ice One c edi is a ound 25 – 30 hou s o wo k Re-concep ualizing he p o essional iden i y o he Eu opean eache . Sha ing Expe iences 890 Educa ion is di ided in o wo pa s: bachelo ’s educa ion and mas e ’s educa ion. Du ing he bo h pe iods s uden s ha e o make w i en heses. Howe e ha di ision o wo pa s has no p ac ical meaning, because a eache wi hou a mas e ’s deg ee canno ge any pe manen eaching wo k in Finnish schools. Educa ion consis s o heo y o educa ion, pedagogical s udies and some subjec didac ics. Educa ion is looked om se e al pe spec i es: educa ion sociology, educa ion psychology, cu iculum heo ies and p ac ices, s uden assessmen , pedagogical app oaches and special needs educa ion. SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS The e a e wo ways o becoming a seconda y school eache . The majo i y o s uden s comple e a Mas e ’s deg ee in hei subjec and a e ha hey apply o eache educa ion. Howe e some apply al eady du ing hei subjec s udies o eache educa ion. Those who use ha la e way hey usually s a eache educa ion a e hei second yea o educa ion. (Kansanen 2007). The Finnish Teache s’ Union’s opinion is ha applying o eache educa ion ea ly is mo e ecommendable because i suppo s he eache iden i y de elopmen . (OAJ 2008, 5) Those who s udy in seconda y eache educa ion line ha e o comple e pedagogical s udies which ake he minimum o 60 c edi s. I means one yea ull ime s udies in he acul y o educa ion. S udies a e in eg a ed o he mas e ’s p og am o hey a e sepa a e. These s udies also include eaching p ac ice minimum o 15 c edi s. TEACHING PRACTICE Finnish eache educa ion in eg a es heo y and p ac ice. The aim o he supe ised eaching p ac ice is o gi e o s uden s p o essional skills: how o e lec hei own doing, how o handle in social si ua ions, how o pu in o p ac ice he esea ch and e alua ion heo ies ha hey ha e go . This p ocess o wads s ep by s ep gi ing he s uden eache g adually mo e and mo e esponsibili y o he p ocess. P ac icing is o ganized in so called “no mal schools”, which belong o he o ganiza ion o uni e si ies. Teache s o hese eache aining schools guide and supe ise eache s uden s. P ac icing is o ganized a e no mal school also in municipal schools ha ha e made ag eemen and accep ed ce ain p inciples o esponsibili ies wi h he local uni e si y. S udying in eache aining schools s a s wi h obse a ion o lesions. Those obse a ions a e discussed wi h hei eache s. S uden s obse e also hei colleagues eache s uden s. S uden s lea n o plan hei lesions and a e ealized lesion hey ge c i ics om hei supe iso s. Re-concep ualizing he p o essional iden i y o he Eu opean eache . Sha ing Expe iences 891 MAIN IDEA IS IN RESEARCH-BASED APPROACH Finnish eache s a e well acquain ed no only wi h a ious eaching app oaches and me hods bu also wi h educa ional esea ch. Tha is one o he bene i s o ha eache educa ion is ca ied ou in uni e si y depa men s o eache educa ion wi hin acul ies o educa ion. Pe i Kansanen explains his by a guing ha “[ ]he basic aim o e e y eache educa ion p og am is o educa e compe en eache s and de elop he necessa y p o essional quali ies o ensu e li elong eaching ca ee s o eache s” (Kansanen 2003, 89). This means ha eache s mus ha e a good basis o li elong lea ning wi hin hei p o ession. The e o e, eache educa ion is esea ch-based in Finland. “The aim o esea ch- based eache educa ion is o impa he abili y o make educa ional decisions based on a ional a gumen a ion in addi ion o e e yday o in ui ional a gumen a ion” (ibid, 90). Finnish eache educa ion is o educa e eache s o hei li elong eaching ca ee . “Behind his idea is he belie ha ini ial eache educa ion is o pa amoun impo ance and any de ec s a ising du ing i a e ex emely di icul o co ec a e wa ds. In-se ice eache educa ion is na u ally ine i able, bu he basis o p o essional compe ence is laid du ing he ini ial eache educa ion.” (Kansanen 2007,132). This is o say, ha i we wan ou eache s succeed well as long as hey each, eache educa o s in Finland see i ine i able o a ange p ope ly easoned high le el eache educa ion o all who pa icipa e in hei p og ams. Uni e si ies a e independen o decide on he con en s o hei eache educa ion cu icula, bu because o he Bologna p ocess planning ha changed he sys em, all uni e si ies sha e a common unde s anding o he eache educa ion s uc u e, bu also see qui e simila ly he philosophical basis and he con en s o eache educa ion (Niemi & Jakku- Sih onen 2007). Li elong lea ning is nowadays pe haps he mos cen al in e na ional signal ha di ec s belie s o coun ies as hey make gene al plans o de elop he whole educa ion sys ems. The OECD ecognises ou main ea u es ha make li elong lea ning so impo an (OECD 2004): 1) I ep esen s sys emic iew co e ing he whole educa ion sys em, he whole li ecycle and all o ms o o mal and in o mal lea ning. 2) Lea ne s a e in he cen e , which means shi om supply side o demand si e in o de o mee lea ne s’ needs. 3) Mo i a ion o lea n is impo an o be able o lea n h ough sel paced and sel di ec ed lea ning. 4) I sui s well o mul iple objec i es o educa ion policy (eg. pe sonal goals, knowledge de elopmen ). I also sees ha p io i y o hose objec i es may change du ing an indi idual’s li e ime. Li elong lea ning includes all lea ning: o mal lea ning (in educa ional ins i u ions), non o mal lea ning (o ganized o example in wo kplaces) and in o mal lea ning (lea ning om wo k o om e e yday se ings). As Tynjälä and Heikkinen desc ibe hose conceps hey emhasize lea ning h ough wo k p ocess, by ackling new challenges, coope a ing wi h collegues, h ough o mal educa ion and aining e c. “Thus, lea ning and p o essional de elopmen o eache s should be seen as a con inuing p ocess combining o mal, non o mal and in o mal lea ning h oughou he ca ee .” (Tynjälä and Heikkinen 2011, 27). Re-concep ualizing he p o essional iden i y o he Eu opean eache . Sha ing Expe iences 892 In esea ch-based eache educa ion eaching is he co e bu eache mus be amilia wi h ins uc ion p ocess: i is he eaching – s udying – lea ning p ocess. (Kansanen 2007) Resea ch-based app oach means ha eache educa ion p og ams should be buil sys ema ically. Building p og am sys ema ically means ha he p og am has some basic belie es o guide i s o ganizing and ha he e a e p inciples o selec ion o he p og am con en . Finnish uni e si ies ha e much common unde s anding o he esea ch-based app oach idea bu hey di e in con en s and b ea h o hei p og ams. (Ibid) Resea ch-based app oach is a p inciple ha combines all he s udies in esea ch in some way. Aim is o educa e e lec i e eache s who unde s and esea ch-based e idence and see how i connec s o hei own wo k. Con inuing esea ch me hod couses a e included in he p og am al eady om he beginning o s udies. (Ibid) Idea is ha eache s ha e gene al unde s anding o esea ch me hods and a e able o use some o hem ac i ely. The goal o he eache educa ion p og am is no o gi e p o essional esea che compe ences. Howe e hey each knowledge o hink and ac acco ding he esea ch e idence. (Ibid) Also he eaching p ac ice is connec ed o esea ch. All p ac ice pe iods a e combined wi h heo e ical s udies ha ela e o he opic o he p ac ice pe iod. (Ibid) Le ’s ake he e an example om he Uni e si y o Helsinki. Fo subjec eache educa ion hey had 4 moduls (Me i 2005): Modul 1 includes psychology o de elopmen and lea ning, special needs educa ion, and heo e ical, psychological, and didac ic basis o eaching and lea ning a subjec . Modul 2 includes semina on eaching me hods and planning and supe ised eaching p ac ice in Teache T aining School; Modul 3 includes Social, his o ical and philosophical basis o educa ion. Fu he mo e he e is a semina on cu iculum wo k and e alua ion o lea ning and eaching. The e is also eaching p ac ice. Modul 4 includes “Teache as a esea che ” semina and eaching p ac ice IN-SERVICE TRAINING The pu pose o con inuing p o essional educa ion is o main ain and upda e eache s’ pedagogical skills. Responsibili y o eache s’ in-se ice aining mainly es s wi h employe s. They ha e an obliga ion o p o ide eache s wi h a minimum o h ee days o aining e e y yea . Tha is a anged acco ding o he ag eemen be ween he eache s union and he cen al au ho i y o he municipali ies. This aining is p o ided ee o cha ge o eache s, who also ecei e ull pay o hei aining days. This is wha is he obliga ion o all eache s (Minis y o Educa ion 2008; Asun a 2006). The in-se ice cou ses a e o ganized by he schools hemsel es, by he municipal au ho i y, by uni e si ies’ in-se ice aining cen e s o by egional o na ional s a e o ganiza ions. Fo ins ance he Ci y o Espoo o ganizes a ound 200 in-se ice p og ams in a yea o di e en eache ca ego ies. These include e.g. in o ma ion echnology, pedagogy, en i onmen al issues and p o iciency in he con en s o a ious school subjec s (Espoo 2012). Re-concep ualizing he p o essional iden i y o he Eu opean eache . Sha ing Expe iences 893 Mos o in-se ice educa ion o ganized ou side he municipali y demands ex a unding. The p oblem is ha he e a e many municipali ies ha ha e no enough unds o pay a el cos s, pay o subs i u e eache s and pa icipa ion ees and, hus hei eache s canno en e o hose ich cou ses. Howe e , he e is also go e nmen unded ee-o -cha ge in-se ice educa ion o p omo e implemen a ion o educa ion policy e o ms, o ins ance cu iculum changes. Some ha kind o aining he s a e o ganizes also o he eache educa o s. In gene al eache s a e eage o de elopmen hemsel es in summe uni e si y cou ses o ha ing o he u he s udies in uni e si ies. Howe e , in Finland, as anywhe e, he e can be seen he phenomenon ha some eache s a e e y eage o a end much o a ious in-se ice cou ses and, also some eache s a e no so eady o pa icipa e in hem. TEACHER’S PROFESSIONALISM Ha g ea es and Fullan (2012) say ha eache ’s p o essional capi al include h ee elemen s: human capi al, social capi al and decision making capi al. Tha is an in e es ing de ini ion. Now I don’ alk wha hey say abou he di e en elemen s bu look a hem wha o he s say abou hem. Human capi al is o en seen as he synonym o examina ions, knowledge and skills. Bu i i also some hing else. Acco ding o Bea iz Pon and Pa ic We quin (2001) impo an is abili y o lead people, abili y o wo k in g oups, and skill o s i e o commonly se goals. Impo an is also mo i a ion and willingness o s ick o wo k, abili y o lea n mo e and sol e p oblems, abili y o communica e e icien ly and eadiness o make analyses. OECD (2001) sees ha social capi al consis s o ne wo ks and common no ms, alues and ag eemen s, which enhance inne coope a ion in a g oup and coope a ion be ween g oups. Di e ing om human capi al social capi al is no seen as a quali y o an indi idual bu he social ela ions. T us is he sou ce and he p oduc o social capi al. Ha g ea es and Fullan say ha making decisions in a complex si ua ions is wha p o essionalism is all abou . I can ag ee wi h hem. In Finland we ha e w i e s alking abou making educa ional decisions. One o hem, Ma i Me i (2005), says ha i is abou o choosing be ween al e na i es. The decision can be unconscious and in ui i e o conscious and a ional. Impo an decision making chain is: planning – in e ac ion – e alua ion –p ocess. Re lec ion includes: e lec ion-in-ac ion ( o ma i e e alua ion), e lec ion-on-ac ion (summa i e e alua ion) and e lec ion- o -ac ion (p ognos ic e alua ion). Ma i Me i (2005) says ha he co e compe ences o a eache a e sel - con idence, c ea i i y, me a-cogni i e skills, skills o di ec in e ac ion and abili y o c ea e eaching-s udying-lea ning en i onmen s. Hannele Niemi (2012) collec s oge he wha is demanded om highly academic and e hical eache p o essionals: “1)Teache s ha e o ake an ac i e ole in aising se ious ques ions abou wha hey each, how hey each, and he la ge goals o which hey a e s i ing. 2) Teache s need o iew hemsel es as public in ellec uals who combine concep ion and implemen a ion, hinking and p ac ice in he s uggle o