Summary of "Mathematics Lessons from Finland and Sweden"

Rebecca L. Seaberg had observe Mathematics lesson in Finland and Sweden during her sabbatical. Finland has good educational system according to Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). Sweden’s educational system is structured similarly to Finland’s, yet its PISA results in mathematics have been closer to those of the United States, which have consistently been below the OECD average. And the results of her observation are:

a.  The Finnish and Swedish School System

Finland and Sweden both require nine years of comprehensive school. Grades 1–6 are called elementary grades, and grades 7–9 are called lower secondary grades. Grades 10-12 called gymnasium that consist of general or vocational upper-secondary school.

b.  Classroom Observations

• Mathematics textbook in Finland have all answer in the back of the book. While in Sweden also contain some solution in the back instead of just answer.
• Every Finnish classroom used interactive whiteboards. Some teachers didn’t use technology because there is some resistance. In the Swedish classroom only a few that used interactive whiteboard.
• v Times that spend by student and teacher in Finland are less than in U.S. according to OECD. Then the size class in Finland and Sweden is small class about fifteen until twenty-eight students.

c.  National Priorities

The educational system in Sweden is more accommodating to student’s needs, whereas in Finland the priority seems to be that everyone should learn the subjects well.

d.  Student Preparation

The standardized assessment in Finland is Matriculation Examination (essay type of question). It is contrast with the large number of multiple-choice type of question on U.S. college entrance exam.

e.  Teacher Preparation

In Finland teacher must have a master’s degree and should have capability to teach more than one subject. Teacher can teach the same student for two to four years with the same subject.

f.   Esteem for Teachers

In Finland, teachers are respected by society. But in Sweden, teachers are poorly respected and are blamed for many of Swedish society’s problems.

g.  Changes Coming

Some things that teachers can do are to strive to be worthy of respect by being experts in the mathematics we teach and in best teaching practices.