The Summary of Mathematics Lessons from Finland and Sweden

Finland has become known worldwide for its steady improvements in its educational system over the past forty years and for high scores in reading, mathematics, and science according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) of fifteen-year-olds conducted every three years since 2000. What makes this improvement noteworthy is that it has occurred without the extra hours of after-school and weekend classes that students attend in other high-performing countries such as Korea, Japan, Singapore, and China. Sweden’s educational system is structured similarly to Finland’s, but its PISA results in mathematics have been closer to those of the United States, which have consistently been below the OECD average.

Finland and Sweden both require nine years of comprehensive school. In both countries, this level of school is called a gymnasium, and entrance at a particular school of choice is competitive, with acceptance based on grades from the first nine years. Mathematics classrooms in Finland and Sweden are very similar to what would be considered traditional classrooms in the United States. But there were interesting differences as well, in mathematics and the education systems in general. Mathematics textbooks in Finland have all the answers in the back of the book. Sweden is similar, except that the books also contain some solutions in the back instead of just answers. Interactive whiteboards were in every Finnish classroom. But in Sweden,  interactive whiteboards in only a few Swedish classrooms. schools in both Finland and Sweden to have a more relaxed atmosphere than in the United States. Relatively small class sizes in both Finland and Sweden. The educational system in Sweden is more accommodating to students’ needs, whereas in Finland the priority seems to be that everyone should learn the subjects well. Finland’s high requirements for entering teacher education programs in universities mean that beginning teachers must earn a master’s degree. The predominant use of formative assessment in Finland that aids student learning, in contrast to high-stakes standardized assessments in the United States that are used mainly to rank students, teachers, and schools. Finland has high requirements for entering teacher education programs in universities and, as mentioned before, beginning teachers must earn a master’s degree. Finnish teachers’ salaries are better than in the United States. As a result, teaching is a popular career in Finland, and more students apply than are accepted into the programs. Finally, teachers are held in high esteem in Finland. In Sweden, teachers are poorly respected and are blamed for many of Swedish society’s problems. In comparison with Finland, it is relatively easy to become a teacher in Sweden (a bachelor’s degree is sufficient, as in the United States). In fact, Sweden currently has a shortage of teachers because today teaching is not considered an attractive occupation. Many of the changes proposed in Sweden and the differences that I observed in Finland are not areas that individual teachers can change, but change on a larger scale is already beginning in the United States. 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, to be willing to share our help and experience by mentoring both experienced teachers and new teachers.