1. Increasing Achievement in Science Education: Learning lessons from Finland and Estonia
Neil McIntyre (Webster’s High School, Kirriemuir, Scotland)

2. Scotland (Šotimaa)
Aberdeen
Kirriemuir
Edinburgh (capital)
Glasgow

3. Kirriemuir Population ~7000 JM Barrie 1860 - 1937 Bon Scott

4. Famous Scottish Scientists
John Logie Baird (1888 – 1946)
Alexander Graham Bell
(1847 – 1922)
Alexander Fleming (1881 – 1955)

5. Programme
for International
Student Assessment
(PISA) Results 2012.
Rankings based at
age 15.

6. 13th May 2015

8. British Prime Minister during World War II
Winston Churchill
(1874 – 1965)
Winston Churchill
British Prime Minister during World War II

9. “We fund British citizens, resident in the UK, to travel overseas to study areas of topical and personal interest, to gain knowledge and bring back best practice for the benefit of others, their profession and community, in the UK.”
Categories funded include: Education, Crafts and Makers, Science/Technology and Innovation, Young People.

10. Finland – Helsinki (May 2014)
Week 1
Helsinki School of Natural Sciences
(Upper Secondary School: Age 16-19)
Week 2
Kulosaari – bilingual school.
Subjects taught in either Finnish
or English. (Lower secondary and
Upper secondary: Age 13-19)

11. Estonia - Tallinn Week 3 Reaalkool Science School. (Age 7-19) Week 4
Viimsi School
(Age 7-19)

12. 1. Education Structure 2. Curriculum 3. Learning and Teaching 4
1. Education Structure 2. Curriculum 3. Learning and Teaching 4. Other Factors?

13. 1. Education Structure
Finland and Estonia

14. Education Structure in Scotland
Age:

15. In Helsinki and Tallinn there are schools which specialise in science education. In Scotland there are no schools which specialise in science education currently.
Helsinki School of Natural Sciences
(Upper Secondary School: Age 16-19)
Pupils attend from all over Helsinki
and further afield.
Tallinn Secondary School of Science
Selective school.
One of the highest achieving schools in
Estonia.
(Age 7-19)

16. There are two main types of school in Scotland:
State school – free education to all.
Independent “private” school – Fee paying schools (sometimes selective)
Webster’s High School –
where I teach.
Glenalmond College (Perthshire, Scotland
~ £25000 (34000 Euros) per year.

17. In Finland and Estonia the main National exams come at the end of year 12 – when the pupils are aged 18/19. The exams cover the work pupils have covered during upper secondary school from years of age.
In Scotland pupils sit national exams at the end of each year in the Senior Phase.
Age:

18. University entrance exams are common in Finland and are becoming increasingly common in Estonia.
In Scotland, University entrance exams are only really
used for popular courses such as medicine. Most
University places are given on a pupils educational
achievement at school.

19. 2. Curriculum
The Finnish and Estonian school curricula is extremely broad through to 18/19 years of age. All pupils must take compulsory modules in all subjects and learn “core” knowledge. Therefore pupils have to take science subjects to the end of upper secondary school.
This is not the case in Scotland:
Age:

20. The content covered in the Finnish and Estonian science curriculum is similar to that covered in the Scottish curriculum.
Estonian Year 8 chemistry textbook
(for children aged ~14/15).

23. 3. Learning and Teaching
In most cases science teachers in Finland and Estonia have a Master’s degree in their subject area and complete a teacher training course.
In Scotland all science teachers must have a relevant science degree and have completed a teachers training course to teach in a state school. However, in an independent school it is not essential to have completed a teacher training course.
The methods of teaching I observed in Finland/Estonia were similar to the methods we use in Scotland. In four weeks I didn’t see any teaching methods which made me think “we don’t do that”.

29. 10-15 minute breaks between lessons in Finland/Estonia
10-15 minute breaks between lessons in Finland/Estonia. Finnish and Estonian teachers thought this was very important. In Scotland there are no breaks between most lessons.

32. Good links with Universities at Viimsi and Reaalkool

35. 4. Other Factors? Programme for International Student Assessment
(PISA) Results 2012.
Rankings based at
age 15.

36. Involving Parents/Carers in education
Finland and Estonia have computer systems that keep parents/carers regularly informed about what their child is learning at school. “Wilma” (Finland) and “ekool” or “Stuudium” (Estonia).

39. These computer programs allow teachers to:
* input test dates/homework so parents are always
informed.
* Message parents and pupils (and they can message the teacher).
* Share resources e.g. PowerPoints, worksheets etc with parents and pupils.
* Alert for good and bad behaviour. Parents can get text messages to alert them.
Finnish/Estonian teachers and pupils talked highly of the computer systems. In Scotland we do not have anything as good as this!

40. The Language Issue in Finland and Estonia:
Throughout my school visits I was continually impressed with the language skills of pupils.
All senior pupils I met could speak a minimum of two languages fluently. Some could speak three languages and a few even four by the time they were 18.
Children start to learn English formally at school at ~ 9 years old.
I could have conversations (in English) with Finnish and Estonian children who were only 11 years old!
This cannot be explained purely by “good teaching”.

41. Children watch many T. V. programmes in English
Children watch many T.V. programmes in English. They do not dub films/programmes in Finland or Estonia. They have subtitles. They are immersed in the English language from a very young age.
Do Finnish and Estonian children have a “natural advantage” over most UK children who speak only English?
Do languages have a knock-on-effect to other subjects
such as science?

43. What I have done since my last visit in May 2014
Spoken to many Scottish teachers/headteachers
Sent my report to science organisations in the UK and Members of Parliament
Spoken at various conferences
Written articles about my experiences

44. What lessons I would like to see Scotland learn from Finland/Estonia
Scotland to have its own version of “eKool”
Scotland to have 10/15 minute breaks between lessons
Scotland to make science subjects compulsory rather than optional past the age of 15.
All senior Scottish pupils to undertake a research project similar to what Estonian pupils do.

45. Acknowledgements Mr Summers (Webster’s High School)
Winston Churchill Memorial Trust and Mercers’ Company
Schools
Helsinki School of Natural Sciences
Kulosaari
Reaalkool
Viimsi
Ms Ülle Kikas
The organisers of this conference