Research, experimentation and development constitute an important part of teacher training school operations. Since the teacher training schools train future teachers, it is essential for their teachers to continually develop their work and keep themselves up to date with developments in the field. Teachers of the teacher training schools are encouraged, for example, to carry out various teaching experiments and produce learning materials. Academic research is also part of research, experimentation and development. Many of the teachers at the University of Helsinki’s teacher training schools are writing or have already completed their doctoral thesis.
Both schools have a committee coordinating research, experimentation and development activities, led by assigned coordinators. One of the central goals of these activities is to promote and raise the profile of the research, experimentation and development activities carried out by the teachers of the teacher training schools. Teachers present the results of these activities in the Novissima seminar, which is organised by the teacher training schools each year. The Novissima magazine is an open online publication that presents the research, experimentation and development activities of the University of Helsinki teacher training schools. Novissima
Research, experimentation and development activities are an important strategic focus area for the teacher training schools, whose profile will be raised further in the teacher training schools of the University of Helsinki.
Novissima, an online publication focused on the topic published by the University of Helsinki’s Helsinki Normal Lyceum and the Viikki Teacher Training School also relates to this goal. The publication’s content is composed of both material based on actual academic research and the presentation of practical teaching experiments. The publication offers teachers the opportunity to introduce their pedagogical development efforts, including various teaching experiments, independently produced teaching materials or other research projects. The publication is a practical forum for sharing your expertise with other teachers as well as inspiring others to conduct research, experimentation and development activities. With its content open to all, the publication also serves as a window to the academic teacher training schools of the University of Helsinki. Hopefully, it will contribute to making research, experimentation and development an increasingly integral part of everyday life in the schools.
Jani Hannula and Marko van den Berg serve as research, experimentation and development coordinators for the Viikki Teacher Training School and the Helsinki Normal Lyceum.
A separate permit is needed for all studies, theses, surveys and development projects carried out at the University of Helsinki’s teacher training schools in which data pertaining to the pupils, students or staff of the schools is collected or processed.
The eNorssi portal is being developed particularly as a base for supervised teaching practice included in teacher training. Contributing to its development are the teacher training schools and departments of teacher education of Finnish universities, the Teacher Student Union of Finland SOOL and the Ministry of Education and Culture.
The Research Portal of the University of Helsinki provides information on projects carried out in the teacher training schools as well as publications by staff and their other research activities.
Some of the funding for research, experimentation and development activities by the Helsinki Normal Lyceum is obtained through projects, with the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Finnish National Agency for Education and the Regional State Administrative Agency as the key partners. Project-based activities are planned on the basis of strategic focus areas and those relevant to the school year. As a rule, project results are openly available and shared with other education providers. The teachers who contribute to projects share their experiences and expertise in conferences and seminars, as well as, naturally, as part of teacher training.
As a teacher training school operated by the University, our duty is to provide to others continuing education in our areas of expertise. We are an active operator in continuing education in Finland and globally, both online and on location. Our teachers offer continuing education together with, among other operators, the Regional State Administrative Agency for Southern Finland (link in Finnish only), the eNorssi network (in Finnish only) and the University of Helsinki Centre for Continuing Education HY+, as well as in conjunction with various projects.