Abstract Finnish students’ success on all three content domains of each of the four cycles of
the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has created much
international interest. It has also prompted Finnish academics to offer systemic explanations
typically linked to the structural qualities of Finnish schooling and teacher education. Less
well-known has been the modest mathematics performance of Finnish grade 8 students on the
two Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in which Finland has
participated, which, when compared with its PISA successes, has created something of an
enigma. In this paper, we attempt to shed light on this enigma through analyses of Finnish
mathematics classroom practice that draw on two extant data sets—interviews with Finnish
teacher educators and video-recordings of sequences of lessons taught on standard topics. Due
to the international interest in Finnish PISA success, the analyses focus primarily on the
resonance between classroom practice and the mathematical literacy component of the PISA
assessment framework. The analyses indicate that Finnish mathematics didactics are more
likely to explain the modest TIMSS achievements than PISA successes and allude to several
factors thought to be unique to the Finns, which, unrelated to mathematics teaching practices,
may be contributory to the repeated Finnish PISA successes. Some implications for policyborrowing
are discussed.
Abstract Finnish students’ success on all three content domains of each of the four cycles ofthe OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has created muchinternational interest. It has also prompted Finnish academics to offer systemic explanationstypically linked to the structural qualities of Finnish schooling and teacher education. Lesswell-known has been the modest mathematics performance of Finnish grade 8 students on thetwo Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in which Finland hasparticipated, which, when compared with its PISA successes, has created something of anenigma. In this paper, we attempt to shed light on this enigma through analyses of Finnishmathematics classroom practice that draw on two extant data sets—interviews with Finnishteacher educators and video-recordings of sequences of lessons taught on standard topics. Dueto the international interest in Finnish PISA success, the analyses focus primarily on theresonance between classroom practice and the mathematical literacy component of the PISAassessment framework. The analyses indicate that Finnish mathematics didactics are morelikely to explain the modest TIMSS achievements than PISA successes and allude to severalfactors thought to be unique to the Finns, which, unrelated to mathematics teaching practices,may be contributory to the repeated Finnish PISA successes. Some implications for policyborrowingare discussed.
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