What’s So Great About Schools in Finland? | MindShift

Competition or Cooperation

I have found that students who set goals for themselves and work to meet them will check on their own progress and share with friends in ways that encourage all of their success.

On the other hand, if students are competing against each other, many do not try because they know that _____ will always win, even when the opportunity for them to "win" is there.

For teachers, because of the emphasis on test scores, do you see much less sharing of ideas; each teacher needs to succeed based on those student scores, therefore keep your best to yourself as self-preservation?

In the classroom, working for a group goal, and helping us all succeed also benefits us. Students cooperate to ensure success; students tutor others to learn and add to the project. Yes, the group goal is a project that needs everyone’s input.

The atmosphere in a cooperative environment is positive and encouraging, which in itself supports better learning.

Our politicians would do well to learn this. But we are stuck at opposing ends and refuse to work together.

In a school system, cooperation builds momentum and success, for student learning and for teacher professional development.

• What’s So Great About Schools in Finland? | MindShift

• There are too many divergent factors for that to happen. Finland’s population is about 5.3 million, while there are more than 300 million residents in the U.S. But even more importantly, the culture around competition is vastly different. There’s a distinct distaste for unabashed competition. “You know, one big difference in thinking about education and the whole discourse is that in the U.S. it’s based on a belief in competition,” Sahlberg said. “In my country, we are in education because we believe in cooperation and sharing. Cooperation is a core starting point for growth.”

• tags: finland education cooperation

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