Key learning outcomes
The International Professional Teacher Education Studies for the Digital Era equips you with knowledge, skills and competences needed from the educational professionals in 21st century world. You will learn how to facilitate learning processes for different learners while developing your own expertise as well as your working community – all this with a proactive outlook to the future.
Our curriculum is competence-based including three key competence areas: facilitating learning, creating future and developing the teacher identity. Each of them are further divided into more specific skills and competences as described on study guide: https://www.jamk.fi/en/for-students/professional-teacher-education-student
Education content and professional growth and know-how
According to the statute (1129/2014 § 2 and 3) professional teacher education studies need to consist of 60 credits comprising of: basic studies in educational sciences, studies in vocational pedagogy, teaching practice and other studies. In our professional teacher education programme the studies under the above mentioned statue have been structured as follows:
Facilitating Learning
- Understanding Learning 6 cr
- Equality and Equity in Teaching and Guidance 5 cr
- Facilitating Learning 14 cr
Creating Future
- The Future of Education 6 cr
- Teacher as a Pedagogical Inquirer 8 cr
- Teacher's Work Environment 5 cr
Developing Teacher Identity
- Developing a Professional Teacher Identity 6 cr
- Optional Studies 5 cr + 5 cr
Flexible studies
Your learning environment consists of your fellow students, educational organisations, working life and the guidance and online environments offered by the School of Professional Teacher Education. Studying at the School of Professional Teacher Education is multi-modal. Multi-modal studying combines working in a learning circle, participating in the tutoring days as well as studying online and independently.
Additional information on study guide: https://www.jamk.fi/en/for-students/professional-teacher-education-student
Working life oriented learning
Digitalization, globalization, and changes in the landscape of work all around the world set new requirements for not only teachers but also other professionals in the world of work. They are also crosscutting issues across this study programme, and you will learn how to turn these phenomena into an asset in your work as an expert of learning.
Facilitating Learning studies support the development of your expertise in facilitating of learning combining theoretical knowledge with practical tools and exercises. For students who already work as teachers, they are implemented in connection with their own teaching, and for other students, in a separately defined study environment.
Career opportunities and employment
Professional Teacher Education provides the pedagogical qualification for teaching your specific subject in Finland. Teaching, or rather, facilitating learning, is a challenging yet rewarding career choice for professionals from different fields of expertise.
Qualifications
In most cases the eligibility to apply for professional teacher education studies can be obtained with a relevant university or polytechnic degree and a minimum of three years' work experience in a field corresponding to the degree.
In the field of social services and health, either a relevant master's degree plus three years' work experience or a relevant polytechnic degree plus five years' work experience corresponding to the degree are required. More information about the eligibility on web pages: https://www.jamk.fi/en/Education/Teacher-Education/Professional-Teacher-Education/
Professional teacher education studies are regulated by the Finnish statue (Statute 1129/2014 § 6). The studies provide the graduates with the pedagogical qualification required of teachers at universities of applied sciences, vocational and professional education and training (VET), as well as, other educational levels.
Further studies
If you already have teacher qualifications, you can apply to our further education programmes for teachers: Vocational Special Needs Teacher (offered in Finnish or in English) or Study Counsellor (offered in Finnish). The extent of both of these specialisation study programmes is 60 credits. The application is annually in January.
Or pick a shorter course to develop your pedagogical skills, from 1 to 30 ECTS credits. We offer you innovative education and professional development services that meet the needs of both organisations and individuals.
Education planning
The curriculum of the School of Professional Teacher Education is competence-based. It is based on notions that are formed communally through different forms of information seeking. These notations pertain to the changing of Finnish society as part of the global community, the changes in the world of work and the resulting competence requirements, as well as the changes in vocational and higher education and the resulting competence requirements related to the work of teachers.
The European quality assurance standards require higher education institutions to periodically conduct a thorough evaluation of their degree programmes. The periodic evaluation of education is JAMK's response to the European and national requirements concerning evaluation of the programmes (incl. degree programmes and professional teacher education programmes).
The periodic evaluation identifies the strengths of the programme, good practices and areas for improvement in terms of curriculum, learning process and educational outcomes. The information is used in the planning and implementation of the education.
The periodic evaluation of the Professional Teacher Education Programme was carried out in 2020. The result was approved in all areas.
Student feedback plays an important role in the planning and development of education. It is collected at the start of the studies, during the education process and in the graduation phase. The feedback information is used to support curriculum work and develop learning environments, student services and the facilitation of learning. The professional teacher education and post-degree programmes’ effectiveness is assessed through follow-up surveys every two years.
Student feedback is processed jointly at the staff meetings during the academic year. The results are also discussed by the unit management team. The Head of Department makes the necessary corrections to the curriculum content and implementation methods based on the joint discussion and analysis.
Contact Information
Juha Hautanen, Head of Department Teacher Education
