Finland took its first step towards reforming its education system. Public schools will now be required to have at least one extended period of phenomenon-based learning, different from the traditional education system used today in North America. Instead of taking classes on subjects like math, science and history, students will be learning about specific topics and with it each subject that pertains to it. For example, students may learn about World War II and this would include geography, politics, history, and foreign culture. Most schools have at least two phenomenon-based learning classes, each a few weeks in length. However, Finland plans to introduce this new education system gradually and by 2020 have all public schools fully converted to phenomenon-based learning.
Finland’s innovative approach to education will make it easier for students and teachers to connect by creating a more open and relaxed environment where students are encouraged to speak more casually and share their ideas. Also, students will be allowed to choose which phenomenon they would like to learn about. This will allow students to take classes on subjects that are of interest to them and topics that will of usefully to them in the future. Additionally, students will be taking a mixture of online and in-class lessons.
However, teachers were already incorporating phenomenon-based learning techniques into their lessons before the change of August 2016 was made. It seems Finnish teachers focus what a student can learn that will help them in life instead of what exams or scores say they should learn. Furthermore, Finland’s education system is decentralized, meaning the teachers can alter and plan their lessons based on what their individual preferences are. For some time now Finland has been one of the world’s leading countries in education so their bold step towards reform isn’t surprising.