In America, and many other countries throughout the world, a typical approach to education and curriculum development usually involves the study of subjects such as English, Math, Science, Health & Physical Education etc..
These are segregated classes that force students to approach learning one discipline at a time.
Real-life situations rarely call for someone to be an expert at everything pertaining to one single subject, rather it more commonly calls for someone to have expertise on a range of subjects.
Think about the role of a nurse. Sure, they need some facets of science in order to do their job properly, but they also need knowledge about health, they need to be able to do basic mathematics equations and they need to have proficient language skills.
It’s undeniable that these subjects are the fundamental building blocks to the way we learn, but maybe it’s time to consider – is this really the best way forward?
What else is out there?
Finland has decided to try something new. It’s called “phenomenon-based learning” and basically means that rather than separating subjects, teachers are encouraged to combine them.
They do this by selecting real-world topics and dissecting them from different angles. So, say a class were to be looking at poverty. The subject would then be broken down into the different disciplines – what does science say about poverty? What literature and texts exist that discuss the issue? How are different regions of the world tackling the issue? What effects does poverty have on the body?
Now, Finland hasn’t removed these traditional subjects completely. Rather, they have introduced these topic-based studies as a course of their own.
Ultimately, this approach allows students to learn holistically and understand how the things they are learning can be put to use in the real world – not just on an academic platform.
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So, why follow in Finland’s footsteps?
Finland is at the very top of the pack when it comes to global education, and they’ve got the results to prove it. Their primary school system was literally ranked #1 in the world in 2016.
To the rest of the world that says that we have much to learn from them.
This phenomenon-based learning has been trialed and tested in Finland for over 30 years, and many other schools around the world have made the switch since its conception too.
What’s new is that now, it’s compulsory for every school in Finland.
It’s important for governments around the world to be investing in new and innovative ideas and approaches to education if they wish to create students that are ready for the real world.
It’s a massive task, but it’s an incomparably important one too, and if there’s anything we’re sure of, it’s that Finland is obviously onto something.
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