Special needs and special needs teacher education in Norway and Finland

Special needs education and special needs teacher education form an integral part of a Nordic quality education system. In this article we compare some key aspects of how special needs education is organised and how special needs teacher education is carried out in Norway and Finland.

The Norwegian and Finnish school system for learners with special needs

Both in Norway and in Finland, the school system generally follows a principle of inclusion and normalisation. Learners are, as far as possible included in the general classroom, but there are some exceptions. In Norway, pupils with severe disabilities (such as intellectual disability or severe hearing impairment) usually receive their education in segregated school settings. In Finland, there are separate schools for pupils demanding special support. The way the educational system, special needs education and special needs teacher training are implemented, differs somewhat between the two countries. In the following, we reflect on some of the cross-cultural similarities and differences.

The Norwegian Education Act §11-1 (Ministry of Education and Research 2023) states that education must be adapted to the abilities and predispositions of the individual learner. Furthermore, the Education Act (§11-6) specifies that pupils who do not benefit from or who will not be able to satisfactorily benefit from regular education, have the right to individually tailored education, which must be aligned with the pupils’ individual needs. The right to individually tailored education covers children and youth of all ages, from preschool to upper secondary school, vocational education, and even adult education. Learners who receive individually tailored education are entitled to an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for all school courses in which they deviate from the regular curriculum. It is the school’s responsibility to develop an IEP based on a thorough assessment of the learner’s strengths and needs and the accommodations that are available in the classroom.

The Finnish Education Acts on Basic Education (1998/628, 1998d) and on Vocational Education and Training (2017/538, 2017), state that every learner is entitled to the support they need for their learning. Learners who, because of disability, illness or other reasons, need more intensified support have the right to special support. Usually, learners with these special needs learn in inclusive environments with others. However, there are a few separate institutions specialised for learners with the most severe support needs.

The right to support covers all Finnish learners at all levels of the education system. Learners with special needs are provided with an IEP, in which resources, accommodated learning environments, pedagogical solutions and assessment methods are defined. Also, the role of different professionals responsible for the implementation of the planned support is documented. The general learning objectives of the curricula direct the structure and process of support and education. It is the school’s responsibility to create and maintain an IEP based on a thorough assessment of the learner’s strengths and needs, and it is the teachers’ and paraprofessionals’s task to practice and implement the chosen remedies. It is important to note that even when providing special support, teachers strive to keep all learners in one group (Basic Education Decree 1998/852;Basic Education Act 1998/628).

Comparing special needs teacher training in Norway and Finland

In Norway, ‘special needs teacher’ is not a protected professional title, meaning that there is no legislative regulation regarding the specific professional qualifications that a special needs teacher needs to possess. Hence, various educational trajectories to becoming a special needs teacher exist, including a bachelor’s degree (180 ECTS credits) and a master’s degree (120 ECTS credits). Depending on the university, this master’s degree may be generic, or it may be specialised within one field of special education (such as speech and language therapy, socio-emotional disorders, specific learning disorders, or neurodevelopmental disorders).

Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet) offers a part-time further education in special needs education. Students can opt for a one-year course (30 ECTS credits) that provides a basic introduction to various topics within the field of special and inclusive education, such as special needs legislation, models of disability, student participation and self-determination, specific learning disorders, special education interventions, etc. After having passed the first-year course, students may opt for an additional year that gives another 30 ECTS credits. In this second year, the focus is on socio-emotional disorders, mental health, and counseling.

The admission criterion for this further education is that students must have completed a regular teacher education (pre-school teacher, primary school teacher, or secondary school teacher). Each year, approximately 60 students enroll in the first-year course, and nearly all of them are employed in (pre)school during their studies. Students have classes two days per month (ten days per semester), and, between these classes, they work independently and in groups with course materials and assignments. Two academic teachers share the responsibility for the course contents, student follow-up and teaching.

In Finland, there are two different paths to becoming a special needs teacher. The university system is divided into two different types of higher education institutes: academic universities and universities of applied sciences. The academic universities educate special needs teachers mainly for kindergarten and early childhood, and for basic and upper secondary education. Universities of applied sciences educate special needs teachers for vocational education and training (VET). This trajectory provides graduates with qualifications to work as special needs teachers in both vocational secondary education and at the universities of applied sciences.

Vocational special needs teacher training is based on statutes that describe the education, work, and qualifications of special needs teachers in vocational education. All students admitted to the program already have work experience in their own vocational field, a university degree and vocational teacher qualifications, as well as (Perusopetusasetus 1998c; 1998a; 2014). The study program gives 60 ECTS credits in one year but depending on their personalised development plan (PDP), students can spend up to three years on their studies. Each student is part of an ‘expert group’ of 3-4 students for 12 months during their studies. The expert group shares learning assignments and shadows each other’s teaching (Haaga-Helia University 2022). Each year, ca. 30 students enroll in the study program, and three academic teachers share the responsibility for teaching and student follow-up.

Observational practices on teaching practice in special needs teacher education

The pedagogical solutions used in special needs teacher education in OsloMet and HH UAS have significant differences. In Norway, lectures and exams form an integral part of the education, and grades are given whereas in Finland the professional teacher education is based on a student-centered, competence-based approach, where demonstrations are mostly given in working life context in actions and reflective practice and only graded on a scale of approved – to be complemented. In both contexts study visits, excursions, group work, and student assignments are used as forms of learning and assessment. Here, we describe a bit more deeply one interesting example of a differing pedagogical practice, namely the observational practices within the special needs teacher education.

In the Finnish context, special education teacher students practice shadowing as an inherent part of their studies. During shadowing, students observe the teaching of special education teachers and peer students. The aim of shadowing is to familiarise students with different educational organisations, learning environments, and students with special needs. Students get ideas and practical tools for their own teaching, and they learn how to give constructive feedback to their peers and professional special education teachers. Furthermore, the university tutor shadows each student’s teaching practice from one to three times during the training program (Haaga-Helia University 2022).

Due to limited resources and a large number of students per university teacher, there is no practice of observation or shadowing by university tutors in the special needs teacher training program at OsloMet. Instead, colleague observation was newly introduced as one of four assignments that students complete during their studies. For the assignment, students observe a colleague at their own workplace, followed by a conversation for feedback, discussion, and reflection.

After introducing this observational element into the teaching practice, students were asked about their experience, and the reported positive effects on their learning outcomes has led to an endeavor of further developing resource-effective observational practices as part of the special needs teacher education in both institutions.

What differs, what unites

The differences between the Norwegian and Finnish Special needs education manifest themselves mostly in the implementation of the same kind of ideology. Striving for an inclusive school system is at the core of the education system in both countries, yet the practice differs slightly.

When it comes to special needs teacher education, the differences are somewhat more pronounced. Especially, the observational practices presented in this article are applied with different intensity and scope due to both the pedagogical traditions and the resources at hand. However, Norwegian and Finnish university teachers and their respective students have similar needs and aspirations. Therefore, the need to keep developing special needs education and special needs teacher education by learning across boundaries remains a shared desire.

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