Religious Education Teacher Education in Finland Arto Kallioniemi Department of Teacher Education

Background: Finnish subject teacher education has historically a very long and organized structure In Finland re teachers are working in two levels of school system: higher level of comprehensive school (pupils at the age 13-16) and upper senior secondary school (pupils at the age ). In these two levels the working tradition of teachers differs each other

The professon of Re teacher has changed a lot of in recent years subject teacher professon consists of three components: 1.knowledge-based expertise 2.pedagogical expertise 3.expertise connected to the school as working society

Centre for Religious Education, Human Values and Ethics RE- teacher education occur in co-operation between Theological Faculty and Department of Teacher Education In Department of Teacher Education we have own centre to organise this education. The centre is founded in The main task of the centre is to investigate and promote topics related to religious education, life questions (an alternative subject for re) and philosophy in school and also give education in RE in the centre there: 1. professor, 2. two lecturers and 3. doctoral students. We also get an assistent in autumn 2004 for research and education in life questions and philosophy the main current research project ”Religious Education in multicultural, postmodern society”

RE teacher education -every year new students for a special re teacher education program * every spiring special entrance examination * remarkable more candidates that we can take in In faculty of Theology there are two degree programs: A. Theological Function in Churches and Society and B. Teacher Education. Teacher Education is divided into two separated parts: B1. Religion only as a school subject B2. Religion and another subject, usually psychology or history Faculty of Theology is responsible for subject studies and our centre and department of pedagogical studies and the training schools for teaching practice. (collaboration with them is one essential core of this education)

Finnish Teacher Education Class Teacher Model to teacher education education as major subject studies at the Department of Teacher Education How to get a competence to a subject teacher? Subject Teacher Model to subject studies A Subject as a major Subject studies in Subject Faculty How to get compentence to a class teacher?

The Basic Ideas of Teacher Education Program ¤ Main organizing theme: Research-based approach ¤ Reflective teaching – Practioner researcher ¤ Overall competence of research methods (compare teacher as a researcher) ¤ Combining practice with research compentencies= Practicum ¤ The totality of educational theory, pedagogical content konwolede and practice =autonomous teacher personality ¤ pedagogical thinging – justifying with research-based arguments

Strategy for Teacher Education at the University of Helsinki Vision: The teachers who graduates from the University of Helsinki know their field of specialisation, are pedagogically skilled, preceive their responsibility as educators and uphold their professional expertise Teaching and learning icludes * comprehension of the subject and its didactics * expertise in teaching, studying and learning * development of and research in teaching * improvement of student’s ability to apply theory into practice from early learning to adult education

Vision continued Support and nurture includes: * care for the students and for the advancement of their studies * recognition of student problems and the operation of appropriate action theory * collaboration between home and school Influence and responsibility includes * recognition of the challanges in teaching environment in transfoemation, e.g. the application of IT * participation and influence in the official discussions and decions-making within education and teaching_

Current Research Topics 1. Selection of Student for RE teacher education program 2. The professional growth of students in religious education teacher education program 3. The readiness to become as a RE teacher in education -also international co-operation in the research of these topics