Not All Finns Think Alike: Varying Views of Assessment in Finland

Abstract

Finnish students have been among the world’s strongest performers on standardized assessments throughout the past decade. Consequently, educators and scholars are interested in how to explain such results. A common explanation, as seen on social media, is that Finnish educators do not regularly assess their students. This study explores educators’ views on assessment practices in Finnish education. First, the literature on assessment practices in Finland is reviewed. Then, using narrative inquiry as a research method, Finnish educators’ views on assessment practices are examined. The research participants were two professors, two novice teachers, and two pre-service teachers, all connected to the same prominent university-based primary teacher education program in Finland. The narratives of the six participants in connection with assessment in Finland’s education system highlight the variance in opinions about international standardized assessments as well as assessment practices at the classroom and school levels. Further, participants’ narratives reveal the influence students’ socioeconomic status may have on teachers’ assessment practices.