UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND EXTERNAL STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND PLANNING

COURSE TITLE: TEACHER EDUCATON

COURSE CODE: TAP 402

TASK: COMPARE AND CONTRAST TEACHER EDUCATON IN DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING

COUNTRIES ON THE BASIS OF THE FOLLOWING :

 Policies governing teacher education

 Purposes of teacher education
 Objectives of teacher education at Secondary schools level
 Evaluation and assessment in teacher education
 Certification and accreditation in teacher education

NAMES REG.NUMBERS
1) BRIAN OCHIENG AJUANG E35/3727/2017
2) LINDA ACHIENG E95/4981/2017
3) DENNIS MWENDA MURITHI E95/4955/2017
4) YVONNE ATIENO OCHIENG E95/4980/2017
5) CHRISTINA NYAMOITA ONDIEKI E35/3580/2017

LECTURER: DR. ROSE IMONJE

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 14/4/2020

INTRODUCTION

Provision of quality education and training to citizens is fundamental to the success of

government's overall development strategy, therefore policy framework is put in place to
realignment of the teacher education both in Kenyan and Finnish Education system.
They both share some goals that concern teacher education that is of a high performing system
that successfully combines high quality with widely spread equity and social cohesion through
reasonable public financing.

POLICIES GOVERNING TEACHER EDUCATON IN FINLAND AND KENYA

Policies are the regulations and principles of action at the levels of school and education
systems. The policies are classified into five main clusters;
1) Policies that govern and structure the Labour market
2) Policies related to preparation and development of teachers
3) Policies related to career structure and incentives
4) School processes and practices that influence the work of teachers
5) Policies that influence the demand for teachers

1. Policies that govern and structure the labour market

Hiring , compensating and firing teachers is often by broader policy framework and
labour market institutions in both Kenyan and Finnish system.
Another resemblance in both systems is that schooling is principally a public sector
activity for instance in Finland Central or Local governments either directly run schools
or they provide much of the funding that organisations use for their schools in Kenya it’s
more of the same as national government or county governments provide funding to
the schools.
There is common factor in hiring and firing of teachers which is fundamentally shaped by
wider public sector employment policies and practices for instance most teachers are
either civil servants or are employed under conditions similar to those in the civil service
for instance in Kenya teachers employed by the private sector.
Despite these similarities they also differ in some for example in Finland it is the school
that is mandated with the task of hiring and firing of teachers though guided by the
Labour institutions while in Kenya it is the Labour institutions that have the power to
hire and fire teachers for example the Teacher Service Commission.

2. Policies related to preparation and development of teachers

This policy explains how or what it takes for one to be a teacher in both countries.
The main goal in both countries is to ensure that they find competent people who want
to work as teachers, that their teaching is high quality and that all students have access
to high quality teaching.
 Both Kenya and Finland has ensured that teacher education not only provides sound
basic training in subject matter knowledge, pedagogy related to the subject and general
pedagogy knowledge but that it also develops the skills for reflective practice and
research on the job.
Another common aspect is that both Kenya and Finland offer both pre-service which is
compulsory and in-service training which helps in professional development such
workshops organised by the school and teacher training institutions .
However preparations and development in teacher education in these countries also
differ for instance in Finland there is a mandatory and extended period of school based
training as part of pre-service teacher training for example both primary and secondary
teachers are equipped with a master's degree while in Kenya only secondary school
teachers are equipped with bachelors degree.
3. Policies related to career structure and incentives
This policy explains what makes individuals to work as teachers.
Both Kenya and Finland are trying to attract more people from more diverse
backgrounds into teaching not just to avoid shortages of teachers but also to broaden
the range of teachers’ backgrounds and experiences thereby increasing the system's
capacity to handle students diversity.
What attracts individuals to teaching in both Finland and Kenya is the aspect of
employment, having a job is something considered to be good since one is entitled to
income and the advantages it comes with.
However in Finland people are attracted to teaching due to great public respect and
appreciation given to teachers which is not the case in Kenya where teaching is not
considered a lucrative profession.
In Kenya individuals are attracted to teaching because of low entry grades while in
Finland candidates must pass a competitive examination to be admitted in pre-service
teacher education.
4. School processes and practices that influence the work of teachers Policies
Both systems have their practical implementation which include the culture, key role of
teachers in assessment activities which support the professional ethos of teachers.
Both systems try to provide good working conditions that enable the teachers to adapt
in the profession.
5. Policies that influence the demand for teachers
This policy tends to explain the need for teachers for example class size, teaching loads
and timetabling.
Both countries tend to work on teacher student ratio as this help improve the quality of
education to learners therefore the need to employ and train more teachers.
However in Kenya the demand for teachers is opposite to that in Finland whereby many
trained teachers tend to be unemployed after graduation even though teacher student
ratio is inappropriate in Finland teacher students graduate and get employed
immediately.
 PURPOSE OF TEACHER EDUCATION IN FINLAND AND KENYA.

The society demands high quality teaching and learning from teachers and hence the need to train
teachers.

Teachers have to posses a great deal of both knowledge and skills with regard to both assessment and
teaching in order to meet those demands and standards of quality education.

The intended goal of teacher education is for students to acquire sufficient skills in the given subjects
and the related basic didactic skills so as to be able to work as classroom teachers.

In Finland higher education institutions decide independently on the content of teacher education this
is because the link between teaching and research is emphasised in education. The objective is to
produce teachers with a research orientation in their work who are capable of independent problem
solving and have the capacity to utilize the most recent research in the field of education and the
subjects taught. Using these skills, the teacher is able to independently develop both himself and herself
as a teacher and his or her work community in cooperation with the rest of the staff of the educational
institution.

In Kenya however the main purpose of teacher education was to provide additional skills in the
administration of schools and in some selected subjects that according to national examination results
were not being effectively taught. With the introduction of the new curriculum, the ministry trains
teachers to improve competencies so that they can be more effective teachers.

Teachers understanding of the nature and purpose of the discipline strongly influences their personal
pedagogical content knowledge that is what they highlight as important. This means that teachers need
to have a sense of what the nature of the discipline is, understanding its organizing concepts as well as
its tool and hence specialization of subjects as seen in both countries.

In Finland all teacher education involves pedagogical studies and guided teaching practises which
involves giving lessons, guidance discussions and familiarisation with tasks and responsibilities related to
various issues arising in the everyday life of schools.

This case isn't different in Kenya, where student teacher are required to go for teaching practice for a
given period of time with the aim of becoming independent and responsible teachers and learn self-
development, become increasingly proficient in their own subject and learn to develop the work
community in cooperation with other members of the teaching staff.
OBJECTIVES OF TEACHER EDUCATON AT SECONDARY SCHOOL LEVEL IN FINLAND AND KENYA

Both Kenya and Finland secondary teacher education are carried out at the university level. At the
university level the education is organised in cooperation with the departments of specific subjects
faculties within the university . At secondary teacher education the training institutions have set
objectives which the expect the teacher students to achieve at the end of their course. Some of these
objectives cut across both systems and they are;

 To equip teacher students with subject matter knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and
contextual knowledge.
 To equip teacher students with competence to act as an autonomous professional who can
plan, implement and assess his or her own practices and students’ learning.
 To be able to provide teacher students with professional ideology including a shared
understanding of professional values and ethics codes for example expectations for ethical
conduct towards; 1)The students
2) Practices and performance
3) Professional colleagues
4) Parents and community
 Teacher students to obtain awareness of different dimensions of the teaching profession that is;
the philosophical, psychological, sociological and historical bases of education as well as schools’
societal connections.

However there are so many similarities between these two systems in regards to teacher education at
secondary level they also differ in some especially with Finland having a compulsory master's degree.
These differences are:

 In Finland teacher education objectives at Secondary level is to equip the teacher students with
research skills which is required to consume research-based knowledge these skills are obtained
during the thesis projects which support life-long learning practices through master's degree
while in Kenya master's degree is not compulsory thus acquiring these skills will need one
enrolling for a master's degree course later after graduation.
 In Finland the objective of teacher education at secondary level is to equip teacher students
with knowledge about learning and diversity among learners as this objective helps the
teachers integrate all kinds of learners into same classroom thus preventing students from
dropping out. This is opposite in Kenya as students with special needs are treated or taught
separately and their teachers too undergo a different training.
EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT IN TEACHER EDUCATON IN FINLAND AND KENYA

The primary source of teacher evaluation is personal and professional growth that leads to
improved performance. This may include the following, asking questions that help the teacher
self evaluate, helping the teacher design a plan for improvement and providing opportunities for
professional development.

To work as a qualified teacher in Finland, student teachers have to practice in a teacher training
school. This provide in depth training for future teachers who are studying education. The aim of
the evaluations is to develop education and to support learning while ensuring the quality of
education. The evaluations also produce information for local, regional and national decision
making on education as well as development work and international comparison.

In Kenya however evaluation of teachers is done by teaching practice, which involves student
teachers going to schools and teaching for at least three months so that they learn how schools
run. The role of teaching practice in calculating quality teaching in student teachers cannot be
exaggerated since it is essential to a teacher.

In both countries however there are no national directives regarding the methods of internal
evaluation.

In Kenya student teacher are assessed when teaching at least three times in each subject
totalling to a maximum of six supervisions for the two subjects.
In Finland however teacher students are assessed in the teacher training schools and if they
pass they are credited to become teachers in Finnish schools.

In conclusion the purpose of evaluating and assessing teacher students is to develop teaching
competence, professional orientation, discipline, self concept and self confidence.
Evaluation findings are also used in the development of the education system and the core
curriculum and instruction.

CERTIFICATION AND ACCREDITATION IN TEACHER EDUCATON IN FINLAND AND KENYA

The accreditation of teacher education which refers to the formal recognition by an authoritative body
of competence to work as a teacher in both Kenya and Finland as countries is one of the national quality
assurance. The certification on the other hand is a representation of a written assurance by a third party
of the conformity the process of teacher training or service to specified requirements, this is also
established in both countries. In this paper, the notion of accreditation and certification in the two
countries under study has been handled according to their similarities and differences .
In both countries, for one to be fully acknowledged as a teacher, the teacher trainee must have
undertaken all the pedagogical and the guided teaching practice which gives student teachers an
opportunity to familiarize themselves with the conditions under which they will work as trained
professionals. Teaching practice also involves giving of lessons, guidance and discussions related to
various issues arising in the everyday life of schools.

Pre-service teacher education programme is also carried out as part of the certification and
accreditation process in both countries. This is the initial training programme for all teachers which is
fully institutionalized, in which participant teacher trainees attend an institution on full time basis in a
given period of time. The programme is organized according to two basic models namely the
consecutive and concurrent models. This in turn helps teacher trainee to adapt subject content and
methodologies to actual school curriculum and programme.

As part of the accreditation and certification of teachers in both countries, there is regular in-service
teacher education programme which is offered to practicing teachers who have already qualified from
the pre-service programme. In-service courses are more conventional ways of introducing teachers to
new ideas, new teaching techniques and methodologies and utilization of resources as per the changes
that are taking place in the society. The courses are offered on continuing professional development
mode because the world teachers prepare learners for is constantly changing and teaching skills will
require to be evolved in order to adjust to the changing environment. The parties that offer the training
in Finland are the teachers themselves and their employees and the duration of the same is three
working days outside of school days as per academic year whereas in Kenya the bodies responsible for
the programme include non-governmental organizations, Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development,
Universities among others.

In both countries, certified and accredited teachers fall under the following categories; there are
teachers at the kindergarten education institutions, primary school teachers and subject teachers in
secondary education. The teachers are responsible for the learning activities in their various areas of
assignments.

As part of the accreditation and certification process, both countries award their students’ merit
certificates upon completion of all the required studies. This acts as a written assurance by the
institution of higher learning of the conformity of the training process and service delivery and at long
last provides opportunity for the employment of the graduate teacher.

In both countries, the teacher education and competence is based on high quality and therefore, the
profession of teachers is regulated and the qualifications required from teachers are defined in the
legislation. For instance, in Kenya it is enacted in the Teachers Service Commission the requirements for
one to get employment in the teaching field, one has to have a minimum grade of C+ in the teaching
subject.

However despite these similarities in certification and accreditation in both countries they also tend to
differ in some areas, which are;

In Finland, teachers are required to have a Master's Degree with the exception of kindergarten
Teachers, whose qualification requirements include a bachelor's degree. This is a contrast to the Kenyan
teacher education system where teachers are required to have either a diploma or a bachelor's degree
in order to teach in secondary schools and a certificate, Diploma or a bachelor's degree to teach in both
primary school early childhood education centres.

In Finland, there is no registration of teachers for one to seek employment because the teachers have
many professional freedom and opportunities to impact their work and development of their work
community whereas in Kenya, all teachers are required to register with the Teachers Service
Commission to be captured in the teachers register before one is given employment by the commission.

The accreditation and certification process in the two countries differ in terms of duration of teacher
training. In Finland, the bachelor's degree required of kindergarten Teachers may be completed in three
years before they are allowed to go work in the early childhood education centres whereas in Kenya, the
bachelor's degree in education take a maximum of four academic years before completion.

The process also differ in terms of the institutions that offer the teacher education. In Finland, teacher
education for teachers in early childhood education and care is generally provided by the universities for
a maximum duration of three years and also the class Teachers who must have Master's Degree in class
teacher education takes a maximum duration of five years at the universities. This is different from
Kenyan teacher education whereby it has evolved over the years with specific institutions, both public
and private offering teacher education programmes at certificate, diploma, degree and Master's levels.
The certificate programme takes a maximum duration of two years, the diploma programme takes three
years and the degree programme takes a maximum duration of four academic years before awarding of
certificates of merit at the various levels.
CONCLUSION

To conclude the Finnish approach to teacher professionalism and effectiveness through teacher
education which suggests that a teacher student or trainee should have versatile knowledge base and
competence for networking, developing the school culture and life-long learning once they graduate as
a teacher can be linked to that of Kenyan which is to support teachers’ strong autonomy in curriculum
understanding and choosing appropriate instructional strategies. Nevertheless Finnish teacher
education is superior as it is supported through Master's level teacher education.
REFERENCE

Contemporary Pedagogies in Teacher Education and Development by Aishling Flaherty.

Jari Lavonen (August 22nd 2018) Educating Professional Teachers in Finland through the continuous
Improvement of Teacher Education Programmes, Contemporary Pedagogies in Teacher Education and
Development.

https.www.intechopen.com/books

Kafu, P.A.(2003).Teacher Education: Its implication to quality of teachers in Kenya (unpublished paper)
Moi University

Ministry of Education Republic of Kenya policy framework for education aligning Education and training
to the constitution of Kenya (2010)