EduCluster Finland (ECF), University of Jyväskylä Group shares Finnish education experience and know-how through dynamic partnerships across the globe.

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All over the world, people are talking about the ‘the Finnish phenomenon’. People ask how Finland can consistently top international academic rankings, while placing a profound focus on mental and physical well-being.

The resounding success of Finnish education is evidenced by international rankings and benchmarking. From the first PISA test performed in 2000, Finland has maintained its top place in reading and science. The ECF approach takes this concept, reinventing it for contexts worldwide.

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The Value and Future of Language Education

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Dr. Kaj Björk

Dr. Kaj Björk is an economist with extensive experience of development cooperation programs, projects, and business operations across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Specialized in finance management for large-scale budgets he has been involved with leading and managing assignments for the World Bank, European Union, United Nations, and African Development Bank. Key assignments have been in Cambodia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Swaziland, Thailand, and Zambia. One major project has been in provision of finance support and management training leading to overhaul of Zambian education through an economically viable and governance-focussed education sector strategy.

Dr. Kari Pitkänen

Dr. Kari Pitkänen has retired in 2019 from the position of Director of Strategic Planning and Development (also having the title of Professor) which he held at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. His academic education is in social sciences with specialization in population issues, including the role of education in social processes. When taking the position of Director of Education at the University of Jyväskylä (2007-2011) he had had several academic positions at the University of Helsinki since 1974. At the time when he left the University of Helsinki he acted as Professor of Sociology (Population Studies) and as the Head of the Sociology Department. At the University of Jyväskylä he has been the key person in building the University’s renowned student welfare program, Student Life, and has supported the Faculty of Education and Psychology in developing international programs in teacher training and educational leadership as well as in preparing institutional level research grant applications.

Professor Jouni Välijärvi

Professor Jouni Välijärvi has been Director of the Finnish Institute for Educational Research at the University of Jyväskylä, national project manager of the OECD PISA, and Finland representative at the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement. He has acted as expert for the OECD, European Union, and key Finnish administrative and stakeholder organizations including the Ministry of Education, National Board of Education, Finnish Education Evaluation Centre, and the Higher Education Evaluation Committee. His experience includes acting as member or chair for more than 30 expert or advisory groups intended to develop education including pedagogy, curriculum, evaluation, STEM and education systems.

Gisella Langé

Gisella Langé specializes in curriculum development, intercultural education, language learning solutions, and web-based teacher training. Alongside acting as Foreign Languages Inspector with the Italian Ministry of Education, she has extensive experience of working as an expert on European Commission and Council of Europe assignments. Most recently this has involved advising on the 2024 OECD/PISA Foreign Language Assessment Framework design, and Eurydice Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe. She has also been instrumental in the realization of innovative language learning practices through international project development of early language learning, the European Language Portfolio, and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL).

Realizing PISA global competence-based learning in subject teaching

Leading schools have talked about developing competences for many years. But ‘walking the talk’ means taking action.

Involving students of all ages, Global Competences develop the capacity to examine life from essential perspectives.

Finland has been instrumental in successfully enabling students to gain these competences through what we call curricular transversals. These transversals are learning modules which link to topics in the existing curriculum. They systematically develop the knowledge, values, skills, and attitudes of students from Grades 1-12. This is one way in which schools in Finland truly internationalize, locally and globally.

The secret of success is where a school

establishes global competences into the core of the school vision
communicates the cognitive and socio-emotional learning goals
creates a curricular plan that operationalizes the 2018 PISA GC Framework
develops student competences through Finnish transversals through all grades
enables students to show evidence of learning through formative assessment
networks with other schools which realize this trans-national education

Gaining skills for success in the ever-changing World

About 20 years ago it was evident that students around the world were not performing well in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).In addition there was a noticeable gap between boys and girls taking an interest in studying, and pursuing a career in science and technical fields. As a result, specialized programmes were developed enabling students to learn about social problems from scientific, mathematical and technical perspectives. STEM then became STEAM, as in Finland, because of recognition that some arts subjects (e.g. history, geography, multimedia, entrepreneurship) should be included in these ground-breaking inter-disciplinary programmes.

STEAM combined creative thinking, understanding of the real world, and scientific study into a single learning experience.

In an ever-developing world, it is essential that schools prepare students for many roles and eventualities, and not just for a single career. Students need to understand concepts from multiple angles. Then they can solve problems by creating meaningful inter-disciplinary solutions. This is the core of STEAM, bringing together multiple disciplines and providing students with a holistic understanding of knowledge, skills and problem-solving challenges.

Finland has been practising STEAM Education successfully for many years, as can be seen by the success in PISA and TIMSS. One reason for this is that all teachers receive essential pedagogical training in methods suitable for STEAM as part of their education. Another is that it has been realized in schools, and also as extra-curricular activities.

The secret of success is where a school:

looks at diverse natural, technological, and social phenomena from different areas of expertise
continually practices finding the interconnections between STEAM subjects
is willing to cross the boundaries and set its own traditions
encourages students to build confidence for learning science and technology

Fostering creativity in classrooms

Creativity is the way, and innovation is the outcome. When talking about important future skills and competences, creative thinking always comes at the top of the list. Sophisticated artificial intelligence may soon perform many tasks previously done by people, but creative thinking is an area where human curiosity will continue to outshine Big Data into the foreseeable future.

Many countries have directed their education systems to focus on mathematics and reading literacy skills that are measured with regular standardized testing. Therefore, attention in other areas is generally given only to academic performance as measured by standardized tests. Finland has bypassed this trend by maintaining focus on both achievement of strong academic skills and enhancing creative thinking across all subjects.

Globally there is an increasing realization that some learning may be highly valuable even though it cannot easily be measured. Creativity is one of these elusive but essential curricular goals. So much so that PISA 2021 will now examine how schools within educational systems achieve high levels of creativity, an increasingly recognised global competence, in learning outcomes.

Creative thinking can be successfully realized in a school that

embeds creativity training in a wide spectrum of subjects and learning activities
understands that creativity can be found everywhere, and does not require exceptional skills or talent
tolerates divergence in the thinking of students
pays attention to student motivation and emotions when practicing creativity
ensures that student do not lose their creative ability as they progress through the school system.

Achieving inclusion through individualized teaching practices

Like DNA each student is unique. Being unique makes that individual special.

Certain students have special needs, at certain times, in our schools. The need may not be a problem. It could be an opportunity because a child appears particularly gifted or skilled in achieving something valued in society. It could be a challenge caused by the student facing significant learning difficulties in a subject, having suffered loss of a loved one in the family or being hospitalized due to illness.

In Finnish schools the logic is that every child is likely to have some form of special need at some point in their school career. This need, whatever the cause, can result in barriers to learning. Overcoming these barriers in a timely and constructive way is one of the drivers of success in Finnish education. This results in high rates of inclusion (students not separated due to long or short term physical or psychological challenges) and equally high levels of student retention.

When a student has a special need the Finnish school increases opportunities for individualized learning. This does not necessarily mean that the student studies alone in isolation from others. It means that learning pathways are provided by the teacher for the student to successfully manage a period of prolonged absence from school (such as hospitalization), a problem learning a subject such as maths (dyscalculia), reading (dyslexia), problems with concentrating on learning (attention deficit disorders), or disruptive behaviour.

Overcoming barriers to education means developing innovative ways to maintain the student’s membership of the school community (to avoid exclusion and maximize inclusion) and enhance the achievement of successful learning outcomes (through emotional support mechanisms and academic learning support).

The secret of success is where a school

promotes and values the importance ofindividualized learning and teaching practices
has an operating culture enabling all students to reach their full potential
is proactive in identifying the early signs of students’ support needs
provides preventive methods and properly timed support
develops teachers’ competences on inclusive teaching practices

Finland’s new curricular innovation: developing systems thinking and global competences

Finland is a global leader at integrating learning through different subjects using high-impact teaching methods. It also believes that education is a process not an event. Maintaining its position at the top of international rankings such as PISA means continuously innovating and responding to rapid changes in the local and global environments. This is where Phenomenon-based Learning (PhBL), which is a sophisticated form of problem-solving, is a force to achieve excellence in teaching and learning practices, and overall high educational performance.

PhBL is a curricular technique which has become the hallmark of the latest Finnish National Curriculum Framework. It involves integration of different subjects to create a single learning experience in which students look at a phenomenon from different academic real-world perspectives.

The intended learning outcomes include knowledge about the topic but most importantly systems thinking (seeing patterns in information). The result is development of advanced problem-solving skills and the potential for creative thinking. PhBL takes project-based learning to a new level of higher order thinking through deep focus on looking at a topic from different academic perspectives (such as water, carbon footprint, migration, pandemic, physical wellbeing).

The secret of success is where a school

Recognize the advantages of developing systems thinking
Provides professional development for upskilling teachers of different subjects
Increases the level of inter-disciplinarity in the curriculum
Engages students with topics of high relevance to society
operate small-scale PhBL cross-cutting projects (app.20 hours) each academic year

Developing Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)

Originally developed in Finland CLIL has become a global change agent in radically improving how languages are taught and learnt. As with Linux, which was also developed in Finland at the same time, CLIL is a type of open-source pedagogy that provides an integrative methodology for different school contexts. Referred to as the ‘ultimate communicative methodology’ CLIL has become a signature pedagogy for leading edge schools in countries around the world. These schools may be fully international, bilingual, or those in which high levels of additional language competence are desired.

CLIL is a dual-focused approach in which an additional language (most commonly English) is used for the simultaneous teaching of both content and language. It is used in schools where more than one language is used for the learning of both content and language. It is not a new form of language education, and it is not a new form of subject education. It is an innovative fusion of both. Put simply it is a bilingual and not a monolingual methodology such as English as the Medium of Instruction (EMI).

Development of CLIL is usually through the 5c Framework where teaching focuses simultaneously on content (curricular topics); communication (essential language needed to learn about the topics); cognition (thinking skills and processes required to learn about the topic); competences (skills to carry out actions relating to the topic); and community (linking of topics to the local and global worlds).

The secret of success is where a school

Establishes a strategy to become a bilingual, international or enhanced language- learning environment
Adopts a 5c Framework for teacher professional development
Accesses or adapts appropriate learning resources
Combines use of own-device digital technology to support learning, particularly out-of-class
Activates professional development for teachers

Enhancing student mental and physical wellbeing to strengthen school communities

Healthy child development from early years through to late adolescence benefits from an informed and supportive relationship between home and school. In Finland, each school community is seen as being as strong as its weakest link. This has resulted in Finnish schools giving a high level of attention to identifying strengths and weaknesses of relations (teacher-student; home-school; school-society; student-student) and developing processes for maintaining high levels of diligence and proactivity. It has also resulted in Finnish public schools across the country not having a high level of variance in relation to care, quality, and performance.

The fact that students represent the largest number of people in any school community means that Finnish schools pay considerable attention to student wellbeing. This may be reactive (recognising a localized problem such as bullying) or pro-active (reacting to incoming data on future trends such as increases in student weight gain).

Wellbeing is a prerequisite for successful learning. Evidence shows that the experience of a positive, supportive, and collaborative atmosphere enhances the well-being and performance of everyone, students, teachers, and parents alike. A key Finnish strategy involves maximizing communication within the school on detecting potential problems (which may range from individual student loneliness through to problems with cyberbullying). Then, rapidly activating consensual localized solutions based on multi-professional research and insights.

The secret of success is where a school

enables recognition of localized problems and national/global trends (such as cyber security; healthy eating; impact of digital lifestyles on mind and body; fears and stress resulting from external realities such as covid-19)
rapidly activates practical solutions through stakeholder engagement and outreach to multi-professional insights
develops a culture of student engagement in school operations (such as student councils)
provides teachers with skills to detect potential individual or group causes for concern
enables effective home-school communication

Developing high-impact teaching and learning activities for Generation Z

Finland has an impressive track record in challenging conventional wisdom and showing evidence of teaching practices that are particularly successful. Educational practices in Finland are also highly adaptable. This adaptability has been vital in responding to the learning needs of Generations Z and A (born 1995-2025). These young people are neo-digital natives who devote considerable time and energy to on-screen activities. This affects how they behave at school, and in classrooms.

In long-standing Finnish tradition our teachers have turned challenges into opportunities, and problems into solutions. This is through designing and testing high impact practices. These practices are then compared to the outcomes of global educational meta-analysis research.

Perhaps surprisingly they include a wide range of activities such as in-class methods, augmented and virtual reality, school interpersonal atmosphere, homework, play, length of school breaks…) all of which have been found to have a high effect size – literally high-magnitude features of school life which work well with students of today and tomorrow.

This enables Finland to sustain high performance global ranking in education year-on-year by designing, testing, and scaling up quality teaching and learning practices. Finland’s ability to score high levels of success in global comparisons of education since 2000 is based partly on the 3 L’s – Look, Listen and Learn (look at what is happening in society, listen to what students, parents and teachers say, learn to make change happen).

The secret of success is where a school

develops a school culture which combines successful performance with maximum well-being
examines if and how practices have been adapted in recent years
consults with students and parents on preferred ways of learning
creates a Finnish-style plan to enable change management
demonstrates successful learning outcomes through diverse channels

Realizing teacher teamwork in everyday school life

Finnish education is based on socio-constructivist theories of learning. Active student learning and collaboration from grade 1 onwards leads to successful learning of knowledge and skills. This approach can be increasingly seen in leading schools. However, this is only half the picture.

If a school is to become a powerful learning community, teachers also must cooperate, collaborate, and set an example of genuine teamwork – now a key 21^st Century competence.

Finnish education recognised this some 30 years ago and has developed systemic ways in which the curriculum can be operationalized, and teaching schedules synchronized, to make teacher teamwork a normal practice in day-to-day school life. From an administrative point of view this must be done without extra expense, and with maximum efficiency.

The Finnish co-teaching movement originally started with special education teachers entering classrooms to support students who struggle with learning. Today, co-teaching can be seen in many ways from primary to high school. The outcomes are impressive in relation to time-on-task and student learning. Research shows that co-teaching improves teachers’ job satisfaction and supports professional learning.

The secret of successful is where a school

has a systemic plan which continuously boosts fluidity of teaching practices
communicates the value of teacher collaboration
identifies and harnesses individual teachers’ strengths in creating opportunities for teamwork
clarifies co-teacher roles and responsibilities and enables co-planning
organizes professional development to support co-teaching practice

Encourage knowledge, skills, and motivation for entrepreneurial success

Entrepreneurship and an entrepreneurial mindset are something that can be learned. The components are creativity, ability to innovate, capabilities for risk management, ability to take responsibility, planning and setting goals, and managing activities to achieve these goals. As labour markets continue to experience rapid and often unpredictable change, entrepreneurial education has become a major area of interest in school development.

In Finland entrepreneurial education serves to target, develop and nurture enterprising discovery processes for students. Even if some students are not interested or otherwise engaged with developing economic ventures or enterprises, the personal qualities developed in these programmes are of value to all. Being entrepreneurial is not only about skills in planning, finance, and organization. It is a way of thinking.

The secret of success is where a school

applies a Finnish-style entrepreneurial curricular action plan
develops co-learning methods to integrate entrepreneurial studies into other subjects
creates the learning environment(s) to support the entrepreneurial studies
enables students to create their own innovative ideas
networks with working life and stakeholders to establish opportunities for ventures to be fielded and tested

For educators

Blurb

Nurturing Collaborative Learning and Teamwork
Generating High Impact Learning Practices
Advancing Student Wellbeing
Achieving Successful Bilingual Education
Enhancing Creativity
Enabling Phenomenon-based Learning
Promoting Inclusive Learning
Mobilising Entrepreneurial Education
Cultivating Global Competences
Integrating STEAM Education

Our 20/20 Vision for 2020

We enter 2020 celebrating and reflecting on the 2019 OECD PISA results. This is the first time that Growth Mindset is examined. Students are asked if ‘your intelligence is something about you that you can’t change very much’. Believing that we can improve ourselves through effort and reflecting on how to do it is firmly established in Finnish education. Reflection on ‘lessons learnt’ is a key operational pillar of Finnish learning organizations, including EduCluster Finland.

As we embrace 2020, we reflect on the past decade, recognize the achievements, mistakes and triumphs, and continue our pursuit of developing educational excellence globally with friends, past, present and future.

Enabling high-impact teaching and learning practices

We specialise in two holistic learning approaches increasingly adopted in leading-edge schools globally, both of which were launched in Finland. 1. Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), is a highly acclaimed methodology used for teaching through English in bilingual, international, and national schools. 2. Phenomenon-based Learning (PhBL) is a transversal across-the-curriculum technique recently introduced into Finland’s latest National Core Curriculum. On-site workshops provided by CLIL and PhBL experts empower educators with know-how and skills to use these high-impact practices in their classrooms.

Developing teacher agency and competences

In collaboration with our partners and school networks, we provide opportunities to experience Finnish daily school life. These hands-on visits enable educators to see Finnish education in action and make decisions on which ideas could be adopted in their own schools and countries. 1:1 mentoring and a full support service makes these opportunities highly individualised and insightful.

Establishing quality vocational education

As re-shaped working life requires new competences and skills, our educational systems respond by pro-actively providing state-of-the-art vocational education and training programmes. Finnish VET programmes for students in other countries are accredited by the Finnish National Agency for Education, delivered through an authorised provider, and recognised at the European Qualification Framework levels 4 and 5 in the EU and most OECD countries.

Having graduated from the University of Oulu as an international class teacher, Saana Khalil taught at the Vesala primary school for two years before the idea of going abroad became irresistible. She joined us to work as a class teacher in a state school for girls in the city of Al Ain in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The school had a Finnish principal and some other Finnish teachers, and the students were local children. Saana taught in Al Ain for a total of four years.

The Al Ain school followed a British-style curriculum. Compared to Finland, schooldays were long, and being taught by turns in English and Arabic was challenging for the students. Saana, on the other hand, was challenged by implementing child-oriented teaching. She had to learn to apply Finnish pedagogy to a totally unfamiliar context.

“My four years there included every emotional state imaginable. At times I found it tough, and school inspections put a lot of pressure on us. But I did a lot of teamwork with the other teachers which was really inspiring. The teachers chosen for projects like these are ones who crave challenges and give it their best. They became close friends to me, and the most important memory I have of that time is my gratitude for everything I learned and experienced.”

When Saana returned to Finland, she was equipped with skills to better understand and respond to diversity and interculturality. As she had studied Arabic throughout her four years in Al Ain, Saana was able to talk about basic things with many of the refugee children and their parents at her local school.

Last summer, we sent Saana to Beijing for two weeks to provide further training to local class teachers.

“China is completely different to Europe and the Middle East, and I found the experience fascinating. Whether it’s two weeks or four years, you learn so much from working abroad and take home a lot of practical new insights to apply in your own class.”

Qatar–Finland International School: powered by ECF

Established in 2014 on invitation of Qatari Ministry of Education
Operated by EduCluster Finland
Location: Doha
Grades: G0–10, expanding year-on-year up to G12
Students: 700+, from almost 60 nationalities
Pedagogical staff: 80+ (around 45 % Finnish), Finnish Principal
Educator to student ratio: 1:8
Curriculum: Finnish National Core Curriculum with local adaptations and additional content in line with Qatari standards
Special features: Serves as a hub for educational know-how, delivering teacher training, and professional development programmes in the region

Self-Confidence as a Professional

Can stand for and articulate issues relating to professional decisions related to selection of learning content and classroom practices
Believes in own abilities as an educator

Managing and Leading Classrooms

Can identify high-impact methods appropriate for specific grade levels, subjects and learning objectives
Understands how to use technologies to support learning in and outside the classroom
Can use a variety of methods and activities to suit context, time, group and individual preferences
Can deal with highly challenging situations including seriously disruptive behaviour in the classroom setting

Subject Expertise and Transversal Skills

Has deep subject knowledge, and is aware of breadth of own knowledge and limitations
Can engage in thematic teaching across subjects in collaboration with other educators

Situating Curricula in International Environments

Understands how the school’s local curriculum links to the Finnish national core curriculum
Can incorporate multicultural features of the lives of students and other stakeholders into teaching and learning activities in a variety of ways
Can contribute to curricular development according to the Finnish educational ethos
Can articulate why incorporation of multiculturalism into the curriculum is important, and how it can support individual and social progress

Lifelong Learning Orientation

Sees personal educational and career development as a lifelong long learning process
Engages in different forms of lifelong learning for development as a professional and as a person
Can reflect on prior and ongoing learning and experiences to develop further

Enabling Innovation through Creativity

Can use creative methodologies including problem-based learning, phenomenon-based learning
Can utilize school assistants’ availability to support student learning in creative ways
Is ready to identify, propose, share, and launch new innovations and forms of collaboration
Can manage uncertainty resulting from the introduction of innovation

Managing Educational Contexts through English

Can successfully combine management of basic interpersonal communication skills with use of cognitive academic language
Can successfully manage classroom and other related situations in English
Has an appropriate command of English (pronunciation, stress, rhythm, and intonation, grammatical structures, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency)
Can manage different discourse, genre and politeness when interacting with different stakeholders

Bilingual Methodologies

Understands the theoretical and operational principles of CLIL
Can construct and manage CLIL learning environments
Is aware of the benefits and limitations of CLIL methodologies
Can adjust teaching for the individual sociolinguistic profile of students in international contexts
Can construct varied types of scaffolding to support learning of content and language

Responsiveness to Diversities and Interculturality

Can reflect on and analyse culture, language and diversity beyond stereotypical assumptions about self and others
Can understand the way in which power is communicated and asserted in interaction
Can recognise and proactively combine different pathways to teaching and learning which derive from the complexities of diversity
Can identify and negotiate common ground in diverse contexts
Can respond to various contexts where students or others consider themselves to be clients (e.g. when working in a private fee-paying school)

Situational Adaptability

Can adapt to interacting successfully with people of different backgrounds
Can be flexible in approaching different tasks and expectations
Can adapt and perform effectively in uncertain and unpredictable conditions and contexts
Can adapt and further develop knowledge and skills for the demands of the current context and situation
Can adopt a pioneering role in managing change, everyday school requirements, and innovation
Can engage in stress management and find ways to cope with psychological and emotional pressures (e.g. loneliness, physical tiredness, insecurity, and ethical dilemmas)
Can manage means for maintaining well-being and work-life balance

Constructive Interactional Skills

Can look for what matters to other people, express empathy, and adapt communication to suit purpose and context
Can provide constructive feedback and feedforward (with a future-oriented focus)
Can cultivate constructive interaction through dialogue, respect and focus on student needs and wellbeing

Positive Mindset

Can look at challenges through a positive lens
Sees working with differences as an opportunity, not only a problem
Can live in the present moment
Strives to cultivate the joy of learning even where the context is challenging

Collaborative & Teamwork Orientation

Can recognise benefits of co-teaching and/or has an experience of successful co-design and co-teaching, peer observation and constructive use of feedback
Can work effectively in teams of various composition
Can cooperate with other professionals and parents involved in the learning process
Can benefit from analysing learners’ needs with fellow teachers, professionals and parents

Global Open-Mindedness

Is open to a wide range of ways to think, understand and do
Is pro-active in learning about different perspectives
Is interested in living abroad
Has broad knowledge of the world

Reflective Analytical Mindset

Can recognise complexities related to upbringing, learning, language, and culture
Can challenge assumptions on how best to teach and learn
Can approach students, teachers and parents from different backgrounds with intellectual curiosity which supports finding common ground
Can critically reflect on own behaviour and teaching practices to identify and activate continuous improvement

Building FINNspire Day programmes

For groups of educators seeking a compact and interactive training package, we have developed a portfolio of FINNspire Days which offer a gateway to Finland’s education concept. Use our FINNspire Programme Builder to create your bespoke learning experience.

Accessing Finnish Higher Education

The University of Jyväskylä offers a wide range of degree programmes in English. One of these is the two-year Master’s Degree Programme in Educational Sciences. The aims of this programme include developing educator competences to enhance the quality of education in global contexts. ECF facilitates study of this programme, and elements of it, for client needs in countries outside of Finland. It also acts to provide tailored university level study programmes according to specific interests across the whole educational spectrum from KG to Higher Education and TVET.

Vocational and professional qualifications

We understand that to succeed in changing markets, you need to have a skilled workforce, no matter the field. This is why we offer flexible and work-based learning opportunities for young learners and adults. The qualifications are accredited by the Finnish National Agency for Education, delivered through the authorised provider Jyväskylä Educational Consortium Gradia, and recognised at the European Qualification Framework levels 4 and 5 in the EU and most OECD countries.

Education and training programmes

For those looking for more comprehensive, longer-term solutions, we also offer cutting-edge professional development programmes tailored to your education strategy.

Our shared journey with University Lecturer Piia Parviainen began with a partnership project in Saudi Arabia where Piia performed the duties of an expert of early childhood education. Several years of collaboration resulted in recommendations for a pedagogically high-quality learning environment and a curriculum that applied Finnish pedagogic principles, while lending itself well to the Saudi culture.

When we founded an international school with a Finnish-style curriculum in Doha, Qatar in 2014, Piia was its first vice-principal. Her workdays in her new home country were filled with creating the school’s operating principles, compiling its curriculum, making student assessments, developing student selection and student welfare services and supporting the teachers.

“In many ways, the work of a vice-principal consisted of doing lots of new things because we were creating an international school that utilised the principles of Finnish pedagogy from scratch. For example, when we needed assessment forms and forms for absent students, we created them ourselves.”

This international posting taught Piia the importance of constructive interaction and supportive managerial work in the everyday routines of a school. The experience also illustrated the significant role confidential collaboration plays in Finnish educational and training know-how.

After returning home from Qatar, Piia went back to her job as a university lecturer at the University of Jyväskylä’s Faculty of Education. Internationality is an obvious part of her work, as her students are future education professionals from all over the world, seeking to learn about Finnish pedagogy and teaching methods.

“When I returned from Qatar I was a different person professionally. I understand what teachers and leaders from different cultures are going through because I have seen and experienced something similar myself. The most exhilarating part about my current job is to see how my international colleagues are inspired by the Finnish way of teaching and encountering students. When professionals take what they have learned here and apply it to everyday life in their kindergartens and schools, I know the effects of my work are far-reaching.”

How long have you been working at Qatar–Finland International School?
“I’m now into my fifth academic year at Q.F.I. School.”
Could you tell us something about your background?
“I got my teaching qualification in Sweden, and then I worked for 5 years as a class teacher in the Helsinki region.”
What is the best thing about your job?
“The students, my colleagues, and my diverse role (which includes lots of project and event coordination). It’s an amazing opportunity to be part of this unique venture of realising an international Finnish school outside of Finland. It’s great being supported by this international working community and getting to always develop myself as a teacher.”
Has your work at the school changed over the years?
“A great deal. For the first three years, I worked as a class teacher but after that, I was given the opportunity to teach crafts (woodwork) full time. This is my second year teaching crafts to Grades 3–9. Back when I first started in 2014, there were only a handful of us teachers for Grades 0–2, which altogether had 120 students. Today, the staff is 100-strong (including teachers, learning assistants, and other personnel) with several classes in each Grade from 0 to 9, and 750 students all in all.”
What do you miss from back home?
“Family and friends first and foremost, of course. When you spend the majority of your year out here in the desert, you do also miss the greenery of Finland (even though it is covered in snow for half of the year…) I do get a craving for pick ‘n’ mix sweets every now and again, but thankfully visits from friends are never too far apart so my stocks don’t get too low!”
What would you say to someone considering Q.F.I. School as a career move? What kind of a teacher do you think would be in their element at the school?
“I would say: Welcome! We are a bunch of experts of our field, but there’s always room for more. The skills you should have when you come here are exactly the skills that can be found in each and every Finnish teacher: team working skills, creativity, flexibility, and the ability to adapt. You want to keep developing your competences as a teacher, and are also keen to share your niche area of expertise with your colleagues.”

Finland International School in Maldives: a unique school transformation

Established in 2019
School partner: Educonnect
Location: Malé
Grades: G1-5
Students: 200
Pedagogical staff: Finnish Principal, total of 17 teachers (35% Finnish)
Educator to student ratio: 1:12
Curriculum: Finnish National Core Curriculum with local adaptations and additional content in line with Maldivian standards
Special features: An existing primary school transformed to a premium learning community offering the Finnish education experience

Finland-Oman School: a school set-up consultancy

Established in 2018
School partner: Oman Educational Services LLC
Location: Muscat
Grades: KG–G6, expanding gradually up to G12
Students: 80+, anticipated growth up to 1000
Pedagogical staff: Finnish Principal, total of 16 teachers (80% Finnish)
Educator to student ratio: 1:6
Curriculum: KG Finnish National Core Curriculum with local adaptations and additional content in line with Omani standards, G1-6 Omani Bilingual Curriculum implemented with teaching and learning methodologies from Finland
Special features: Shares a campus and forms an educational continuum with German University of Technology in Oman (RWTH Aachen)

EduCluster Finland

EduCluster Finland (ECF), University of Jyväskylä Group shares Finnish education experience and know-how through dynamic partnerships across the globe.

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For educators

Our 20/20 Vision for 2020

Enabling high-impact teaching and learning practices

Developing teacher agency and competences

Establishing quality vocational education

Qatar–Finland International School: powered by ECF

Self-Confidence as a Professional

Managing and Leading Classrooms

Subject Expertise and Transversal Skills

Situating Curricula in International Environments

Lifelong Learning Orientation

Enabling Innovation through Creativity

Managing Educational Contexts through English

Bilingual Methodologies

Responsiveness to Diversities and Interculturality

Situational Adaptability

Constructive Interactional Skills

Positive Mindset

Collaborative & Teamwork Orientation

Global Open-Mindedness

Reflective Analytical Mindset

Building FINNspire Day programmes

Accessing Finnish Higher Education

Finland International School in Maldives: a unique school transformation

Finland-Oman School: a school set-up consultancy