Firstly, an important movement globally in the 1980s was the outcome-based education
reform. This movement was followed in the 1990s, originally in Anglo-Saxon countries, by
standards-based education policies, including centrally prescribed performance standards
for schools, teachers and students. Nationwide testing of students’ learning outcomes is
also a part of an outcome-based policy. In Finland, flexibility, and decision making at the
local and even at the classroom level have been the main guiding lines. In the Finnish
education context external demands are not visible in everyday school practice to guide
teachers’ work, including their assessment practices. This kind of atmosphere supports
teachers to develop their teaching and, moreover, students in learning and development of
their self-efficacy.