Schools Develop Through Experimentation
- Markku Lang
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Teachers’ ideas, small experiments, and the power of networks
There are numerous examples in Finnish schools of how teachers have sought to improve learning environments, test new methods, and develop solutions that support student wellbeing. The Oppimaisema archive contains dozens of stories where local ideas have led to lasting improvements.
Project-based work combines problem-solving, accountability, collaboration, and planning – characteristics that are deeply embedded in Finnish school culture. Development activities are therefore not an exception, but a part of everyday life and a method that supports teachers and students in learning together.
t is useful to distinguish between the terms. A project usually refers to a specific, limited experiment or development effort, which a school can also implement with its own resources. An initiative, on the other hand, often denotes a broader entity carried out with external funding, which may consist of several projects. In other words, all initiatives include at least one project, but not all projects are initiatives.
A good example of the power of development was the Majakka (Lighthouse) network, where more than 250 schools shared their practices and experiments. Even with modest funding, new models were created that spread widely and became established practices. The network showed that even small ideas can grow into significant reforms when learning takes place together.
The Muuttuva Oppimaisema (Changing Learning Landscape) initiative, coordinated by our teacher training school at the University of Oulu since 2010, focused on making development work visible and shareable. This allowed project leaders and teachers to exchange experiences and avoid duplication.
One strong example was the Ubiko project, which developed new kinds of learning spaces designed for multi-site and multi-paced learning while enhancing wellbeing. Because the results were so positive, the entire school and part of the upper secondary level were redesigned according to the concept. (A video clip can be found in a previous blog post, but the text itself is in Finnish).
Since the Oppimaisema.fi service was no longer to be maintained with only temporary project funding, it was closed in cooperation with the Finnish National Agency for Education. What remains is the archived version from March 2019, which still contains many interesting and useful projects, such as:
“Currents in the Human Body – How About Elsewhere?” – a student-led exploration of human physiology and its comparison with natural phenomena (with this video compilation).
“Soundscapes and Multimedia” – a primary school project where sound and media were used as a source of new learning insights.
“Hetta School and Wilderness High School – A Fine Place to Learn” – a northern initiative where the local environment and wilderness nature were integrated as resources for learning.
These examples demonstrate the diverse and creative solutions that emerge when teachers and schools experiment and develop new methods and environments together with learners. Ending experimentation and development work would not be the solution, and projects or initiatives are not the cause of schools’ challenges.
Ultimately, it is important to recognize that outcomes – both successes and failures – are valuable. If an experiment fails, it may actually be a relief: the school avoided implementing a large-scale reform blindly. The path from project to established practice is never self-evident.
“If you fail, fail fast and cheap – so you can learn quickly and succeed sooner.”
Oppimaisema wishes Finnish schools many successful projects – and, when the economic situation improves, renewed funding for the initiatives that support them. After all, teachers, too, should be allowed to get excited.
