Teacher as a success factor in compulsory education in Finland

V prispevku obravnavamo in preučujemo izobraževanje razrednega učitelja na Finskem kot enega izmed dejavnikov uspešnosti v obveznem izobraževanju. Pred- stavljamo naslednje vidike izobraževanja učiteljev: odločanje za študij in kadrovanje, spremenjeno vlogo učitelja in na njej temelječe izobraževanje učiteljev primarne stopnje (koncept in struktura študija), ideologijo raziskovalnega pristopa k študiju, ki pomembno povezuje teorijo in prakso, ter spretnosti in sposobnosti učitelja v izvajanju kritične refleksije. Ugotavljamo, da temeljni pomen pri izobraževanju učiteljev prinaša prehod iz faze podajanja receptov, navodil in napotkov, kako izvajati izobraževalni proces, v fazo, kjer študentje razvijejo spretnosti kritične refleksije, ki temelji na znanstvenih metodah raziskovanja, ter spoznajo moč refleksije v razvoju kakovostnega izobraževalnega procesa. Gre za ustvarjanje tako imenovanega »novega učitelja«, ki je opisan kot »mentor, raziskovalec, nadzornik, usmerjevalec in pospeševalec učenja« in kot tak pomembno pripomore k uspešnosti učencev v obveznem izobraževanju.In the following article we discuss and examine the education of class teachers in Finland as one of the factors which can lead to success in the field of primary education. The following aspects of teachers’ education are presented: decision for choosing this field of study, the changing role of a teacher and the teachers’ primary level of education (the concept and the structure of the study). These aspects are based on the changing roles, ideology for research approaches that significantly link theory and practical training, and the skills and abilities that a teacher needs in order to implement critical reflection. We have determined that the fundamental meaning in the field of educating teachers is being transformed from a phase of giving instructions and directions and how to implement educational processes into a phase where students develop skills of critical reflection, based on scientific research methods, which enable them to reflect on the development of a quality educational process. It is the creation of the so called “new teacher” who can be described as “a mentor, a researcher, a supervisor, a facilitator and a promoter for learning” and can, in that way, significantly help to increase the success of student’s mandatory education