Lecture 16 - Finland or Singapore: Which educational model should Quebec follow?

Question 1

Recent statistics performance

Answer 1

Some education models seem to get good performance, but got to see if it’s intrinsic or extrinsic

Finland: Not sure if they’re the best in the 21st century anymore
Used to be first, now lower

OECD: organization of economic development
Test called the PISA (Program for International Student Assessment)

PISA measures 15-year-olds’ ability to use their
reading, mathematics and science knowledge
and skills to meet real-life challenges

57 countries tested;
France 25th;
USA 29th;

Vietnam students were the best in Quebec (in the late 90s/early 2000s)
-were doing much more studying (deliberate practice)
-Asian parents also have a malleable theory of ability

2015 PISA results
73 countries tested
#1 = Singapore
#5= Finland
#25 = USA

2022 PISA Results:
Singapore #1 ; Finland drops to 11th

Question 2

Characteristics of
Singapore Schools

Answer 2

 More standards;
 More homework;
 More emphasis on math &
science
 Longer days & year;
 High stakes testing.

 Highly Value
Teaching as a
profession

Question 3

US vs. Finland

Answer 3

United States Trends
Focus on trying to be like Singapore
 More standards;
 More homework;
 More emphasis on math
& science
 More classes for gifted
 Longer days & year;
 Uniforms;
 Merit Pay for teachers;
 Pay for students; (had no real effect, so not anymore)

KIPP: knowledge is power program
-From can to will
-67% more time on school work
-strict
Often paid for by public school systems
Kids from poor disadvantaged neighbourhoods
Have to “earn” the right to a desk
-seems somewhat controlling
Focus a lot on teamwork (helpful)… cooperative

Finland Currently
Keep everyone together (even the ones struggling more)
Lots of feedback, but no evaluation or rewards until a certain age
 Age 7 school start;
 Same teacher for 3 yrs.
 No grades until age 12;
 No gifted classes.
 No uniforms;
 Teacher by first name;
 No special prizes, awards, $
for t’s or s’s;
 Recess every hour

Question 4

What can teachers do to help children
maintain their intrinsic motivation?

Answer 4

 Encourage cooperation; (rather than competition)
 Support autonomy; (rather than controlling)
- Why is this interesting?
- How is this personally meaningful and
relevant to me?

Question 5

Competition and School Outcomes

Answer 5

Review of 200 studies Johnson & Johnson (1999) 3 Goal
Structures:
 competition : people attain their goals only if
others do not;
 cooperative: people attain their goals only
when others do also;
 individualism: people attain their goals without
affecting the goal attainment of others ;

 Cooperation is associated with:
(1)Greater intrinsic motivation;
(2)Greater mastery of principles and concepts;
(3)Greater devt of communication skills
(4)Better attitudes toward teachers and schools
(5)Better attitudes toward classmates, including
opposite sex and minorities
(6)Higher self-esteem and mental health

Cooperation better than competition and individualism

Usually graduate programs more cooperative than the undergraduate (once you get in)

Radio Canada Analysis
 The Finnish system places the emphasis on
collective work, where students work
together on projects that have practical
aspects to them. Students are asked to
master and evaluate themselves as the learn.
The teacher does not grade the student, but
this does not prevent him from following the
students progress very closely and providing
feedback daily

Finland is still structured but not controlling

Question 6

Autonomy support in this context: being student oriented

Answer 6

 Attunement: taking
perspective of the
student and using
student interest and
input to guide teaching

Intrinsic motivation diminishes when not autonomy supportive
(level of curiosity/interest by grade)

Reeve’s (2002)
perspective:
 Easier to identify
wrong behaviors.

What is not autonomy support?
Rewards (Symbolic & Tangible)
Praise
Threats
Competition
Surveillance
Deadlines
Evaluation
Imposed Goals

Example: really strict and mean gymnastic coach from video
Very controlling
Pure extrinsic motivation for the girl

Question 7

Impact of Teacher style:
Deci 1981 Field Study

Answer 7

Large sample of public schools
Measured teacher’s regulatory style and
students’ intrinsic motivation in
October and May.

Ed Deci study
Present teacher 12 different scenarios
Have them rate which responses are the best

Example of the
Teacher Self-Regulation Scale:
The Rangers spelling group has been having trouble
all year. How could Miss Wilson best help the
Rangers?
 Make them drill more and give them special privileges for
improvements.
 Have regular spelling bees so that Rangers will be motivated
to do as well as the other groups.
 Have each child keep a spelling chart and emphasize how
important it is to have a good chart.
 Help the group devise ways of learning the words together
(skits, games, and so on).

Correlated with teacher autonomy support: intrinsic motivation, cognitive competence and general self-worth, both in October and May

Question 8

Behavioral indicators of controlling vs. autonomy supportive people (Reeve 2004)

Answer 8

Controlling
 Emphasize
evaluation
 Emphasize high
standards
 Direct and give
answers
 Emphasize
competition

Autonomy Supportive
 Listened more
 Encourage
conversations
 Allocated time for
independent work
 Show interest in what
they were learning

Question 9

Autonomy Support in Finland

Answer 9

 “Finnish teachers pick books and customize
lessons as they shape students to national
standards. “In most countries, education feels
like a car factory. In Finland, the teachers are
the entrepreneurs,” says Mr. Schleicher, of
the Paris-based OECD, which began the
international student test in 2000.”
 Wall Street Journal Feb 19, 2007

Even if Finland went down to 11th
Finland still highest literacy rate in the world, workers highest in the world on productivity, and happiest country in the world

Singapore trying to change
Because mental health problems
 Reduce “drill and kill” approach;
 Phase out exams in grade 1 and 2.
 Promote life-long learning