Education is the institution that directly affects both the current well-being and the future of a country. Its quality and applied educational approaches define many ongoing socioeconomic processes and those that are yet to come. Many governments have long understood this truth and took the responsibility to maintain and improve their educational systems. Some states have succeeded, and Finland is a prime example of it (Darling-Hammond, 2010). This work will provide an overview of a scholarly article on the Finnish education system by Linda Darling-Hammond and interpret its central thesis.
Scholarly Article Description and Main Thesis Explanation
The article begins with the author presenting her personal thoughts. Darling-Hammond (2010) discusses how things have changed drastically in the educational systems of the United States (US) and Finland since the 70s. She then analyzes why Finnish education has been doing well for over 20 years and compares it to the decline in US education quality (Darling-Hammond, 2010). The article also provides detailed descriptions of educational reforms and modern teaching and learning processes in Finland. It is also worth noting that the researcher periodically cites Finnish politicians directly related to the country’s educational system (Darling-Hammond, 2010). A short paragraph in which the writer summarizes the main ideas ends the paper.
The idea that Darling-Hammond wants to convey to readers is easy to understand. Improving the educational system requires the state only to create a system that provides the necessary resources for pedagogues and equal access for students (Darling-Hammond, 2010). Teachers will do the rest, as they are the ones who best understand the school context. Identifying and solving internal problems and needs rather than copying other practices is the key to building such a system (Darling-Hammond, 2010). Standardization and low standards are the things that gradually destroy the US education model.
References
Darling-Hammond, L. (2010). Finland builds a strong teaching and learning system. Steady Work, 24(4), 30-35. Web.