Finland Phenomenon: A Paradigm Shift in Educational Practices in an Islamic School

The world has been discussing the Finnish educational system for over a decade now. This paradigm shift in education in Finland has brought about tremendous changes that the world is discussing. To find out how Finland has reached such a high level of student achievement, Principal Mussarut Jabeen who had long planned to visit Finland and Dr. Seema Imam, Professor at National Louis University participated in a book study and tour of Finland to experience first hand their educational system. Members of the book club visited the Department of Education, university teacher education programs, and numerous schools in three cities. This paper discusses an Islamic school’s efforts toward a paradigm shift in education. It takes a look at Finland’s societal values and their best practices, many of which can be implemented in Islamic schools