DefinePK

Abstract

Finland’s students have performed among the best in the world in reading, mathematics, and science as measured by international standardized assessments throughout the past decade. Some Americans have suggested this is attributable to the fact that only the top 10% of applicants are accepted to primary teacher education programs in Finland, reasoning that quality teachers offer quality teaching, which produces quality students. However, the education literature does not reflect a consensus on what qualifies as quality teaching. In fact, American and Finish educators’ views on quality teaching varies quite significantly. Consequently, it is worth interrogating what quality teaching means to Finnish educators. This study used narrative inquiry to explore the perceptions of six primary Finnish educators (two university professors, two pre-service teachers, and two current teachers) about what quality teaching means. The themes of professionalism, autonomy with curriculum, research-based approaches, genuine care and concern, and humility were identified.