This case study examines joint reflection in the context of peer group mentoring during the teaching practicum, involving three pre-service teachers and a mentor engaging in discussions supported by the video recorded lessons taught by the pre-service teachers. The approach to joint reflection was non-prescriptive and pre-service…

This study, conducted within a Finnish teacher education program, examined student teachers' perceptions of their skills development in a study group intervention designed to enhance their teacher leadership. Data were collected via semi-structured focus group interviews with the student teachers (n = 15) and examined using qualitative content…

Health science teacher candidates should acquire skills for professional development during their education as teachers, both to ensure their professional competence and improve the quality of learning. This study aimed to identify the competence levels and competence development needs of health science teacher candidates, and the factors…

This research focussed on the use of formative assessment in Finnish initial teacher education. Pre-service teachers' perceptions of using formative assessment to promote learning were explored. A convenience sample (N = 60) was taken from two pre-service teacher cohorts in which two methods of formative assessment were used during a period of…

In numerous countries, primary school class teachers have problems regarding music teaching. It has been reported that there is a lack of both confidence and musical skills. However, the question often relates not only to a lack of self-efficacy beliefs but also to the organisation of the studies. This research looks for sources influencing the…

Transformative learning in teacher education qualitatively changes future teachers' meaning systems of learning, teaching, and education. In this study, I explored transformative learning in Finnish class teacher education. Data were collected by observing student teachers over two academic years. Data also contains writings that student teachers…

Finland has repeatedly been presented as a "success story" of equality and education, promoter of human rights and included equality and human rights as part of national curricula. However, research has shown the slow progress of integrating topics of equality and human rights in teacher education despite hundreds of project-based…

Teacher education (TE) in Finland is based on strong university autonomy, including the right to decide the curriculum content and the teaching methods. Democracy and its values are generally seen as central principles for TE, and the normative basis for education promoting democratic culture is strong. However, in practice, education for…

Teacher training should promote the professional competence of student teachers to plan drama education. This study focuses on how designing a drama course based on the Steps of Progress (SPM) and Arc of Drama (ADM) models can promote the adoption of drama education as described by student teachers. Research data was collected from the synthesis…

This article explores how global citizenship can be seen in the practices of science education in the context of international education policy and Finnish school and teacher education, with a focus on scientific literacy and sustainability education for promoting a sustainable future. Possibilities of science education to promote sustainability…

Studies have shown that failure experiences play a role in pre-service teachers' development. Given that autobiographical experiences are a foundation of learning and that failure is a wide-spread experience, particularly in mathematics, we need further insight into what kind of experience failure actually is. This paper draws on 59 pre-service…

This case study examined student teachers' (n = 5) leadership development in a Finnish class teacher education program. The study focused on identifying the student teachers' individual approaches to leadership development and examining how they developed their leadership during teacher education, including their reflections on the achieved…

The aim of this study was to explore the core of teaching practice as a part of the curricula for master's degree in special teacher education. The data consisted of the curricula of teaching practice of all six universities in Finland that offer this program, along with the results of an electronic questionnaire administered to students. The…

Despite the growing importance of in-service teachers' mentalization in early childhood education (ECE), studies on pre-service teachers are scarce. We embedded a newly developed version of video enhanced reflective practice (VERP) program in an online study module in a bachelor's degree program to promote Finnish ECE student teachers'…

Strengthening the identities of teacher educators is critical to quality teacher education and implementing change in the education sector. This study examines the professional identities of Eritrean teacher educators and how these identities can be strengthened through collaborative professional practice in a challenging context currently under…