Sharing Our Secrets

What is Finland Math?

Fifty years ago, Finland decided to reform its entire educational system. It took us decades
to reach the top of the PISA results and become one of the most respected educational
systems. This guide summarises some of the key aspects of Finnish pedagogy (in a
Education Facts
mathematical context). It gives global educators ideas and shortcuts to better education in
their classrooms. Imagine; a touch of Finland right in your backyard -minus the long winters
About Finland
and snow.

Before we dive into the key aspects of Finland Math,
we want to acknowledge similar pedagogical ideologies
that are close to ours. Take for instance, maths in
Singapore. It’s no surprise that Singapore has also done
well in the PISA results. The major difference between
the two methods however, comes from Finnish nature.
It’s something we call Sisu. Sisu can be described as
“a fire that burns through anything” or the ability to
“enable extraordinary action to overcome mentally or
physically challenging situations”. Combine this with
stress-free learning, and we have an atmosphere that
supports students to learn smarter, not harder. A happy
side benefit is that they happen to enjoy it along the
way.
Finland has big dreams about spreading our
educational processes and pedagogy around the
world- but we are also a humble and practical people.
Nobody’s suggesting that you transform your whole
curriculum overnight, hoping that it will match the
Finnish curriculum and world-famous outcomes. We
understand that there are lots of variables. After all, we
are mathematicians.
Mathematics is the cornerstone of every field of
science. Job demand is predicted to grow in expert
fields, including data science, machine learning, artificial
intelligence, programming and IT. Across all these
fields, adaptivity and a strong grasp of mathematics
and computational thinking are crucial. Dell Institute
for the Future estimates that 85% of jobs that will exist #1 providing future skills
in 2030 haven’t been invented yet. We need to help
today’s students become creative experts that adapt
Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2018
and use their skills in situations that might currently be
unimaginable. This is why we need to embrace a growth
mindset, good self-efficacy and high motivation.
Finland Math and the Finnish educational system
relies heavily on scientific research and collaboration
with teachers. In fact, the foundation of a successful
educational system is in research based development.
#1 quality of primary education
This has been the case since the early days of the World Economist Forum
Finnish educational system. The Finnish National
Agency of Education states that this is one of its
longitudinal strategic focus points.
Finland Math is here to share the open secret of how
we do math. And in true practical Finnish spirit, we
suggest using this information as the first stepping-
stone to bringing a touch of Finnish pedagogy direct to #1 best education system
your own classroom.
World Top 20 Project 2019Q1
This publication is the first in a series of publications
revealing the secrets of Finland Math.
Finland Math
in a Nutshell
21st
Mathematics
Finland Math is a pedagogical concept that
makes mathematics learning and teaching
Problem solving skills
century
more effective, fun and engaging.

Computational skills
skills

More time for teachers, better support for students

Deep understanding and creativity
Personalized learning
Stress free learning
Student centered learning

Growth mindset
Student-Centered Learning
One of the hallmarks of Finland Math is student-centered learning. Unlike traditional
educational models, it places the learner as an active agent in the learning process. Passive
learning, on the other hand, is often described as teacher-led instruction, or watching a
video for instance. Feedback is the secret, that makes learning meaningful, engaging and
active.

Feedback can be given by the teacher, peers, a
parent or a digital learning platform. The rate
and quality of feedback are crucial for a student’s
engagement and participation in the learning
process. Digital learning tools and team work
with peers increases the frequency and quality of
feedback. Suitable feedback helps students to learn
from their mistakes, prevents students learning
faulty strategies and guides them towards correct
solutions.
Participation in all areas of the learning process
is very important for student motivation. Active
learning embraces the ownership of the learning
process and empowers the student to take
responsibility for their learning. In addition to co-
operation and team work, enabling trial and error
are excellent ways to promote active learning.
Teachers should facilitate situations where
students can research different approaches or
provide randomized exercises for students to
practice. Teamwork should also be encouraged
and embraced. Sometimes a peer can be the best
teacher.

Active learning embraces the ownership of the

learning process
Stress-Free Learning
Finland is famous for its short school days and a minimal number of national exams. Our
lessons include 15-minute breaks so that students can play outside with their friends.
Finnish schools do have tests but they are used only by the teacher to assess the learning
of students and to understand how better to support them. It’s assessment for learning
instead of assessment of learning.

Digital tools and materials reduce the need for
testing. Automatically assessed exercises combined
with learning analytics give teachers efficient and
effective data about students’ learning. This saves
a lot of time for busy teachers and helps to find the
high achieving students and also, the ones who are
struggling. The sooner the teacher gets this data,
the easier it is to rehearse topics or introduce new
topics. Less time for testing and marking means
more time for learning and teaching
create an environment that welcomes mistakes
as a normal part of the learning process. This
philosophy builds resilience and the will-power
to overcome the difficulties they will inevitably
face. There is a lot of power in kind words,
encouragement and recognition of student effort,
even if they don’t always yield the ideal outcome.
After all, school is the place to build our passion for
learning.

The atmosphere in Finnish classrooms is unique.

The hierarchy is low, and there is a friendly,
respectful and positive vibe between teacher and
student. Teachers promote the idea that you can
learn from your mistakes and by making mistakes
you actually learn a lot. They feel it’s important to

Less time for testing and marking means more

time for learning.
Personalized Learning
Finland Math recognizes that each student is unique. We all have different learning styles
and preference of learning methods., This highlights the importance of variance in teaching.
Finland Math is not a ‘one size fits all approach’ and nor should it be. We respect that all
of our students are different and indeed have different learning needs and goals. Toddlers
learn to walk and talk at different ages - mathematics is no different.

Differentiation is a way to fine tune the challenge
level for individual students. This means that
every student doesn’t need to complete the same
exercises. Instead, the teacher assigns easier
tasks for some and more demanding tasks for
others, based on their abilities. Differentiation is
extremely important for student motivation and for
increasing their learning performance. If the tasks
are too easy, it will be boring and demotivating. If
the tasks are too difficult, they have the potential
to frustrate and demotivate as well. Differentiation
relates closely to Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal
Development (ZPD), which is one of the founding
theories of modern education.
of great help here. Modern solutions leveraging
artificial intelligence can make differentiation
much easier for the teacher. Also, little by little,
the teacher can give more responsibility to the
students as well. Having clear expectations and
goals for students and giving them the freedom
to choose their own learning path, empowers
students to build upon their metacognitive skills.
Digital tools and learning analytics support
differentiation in a myriad of ways. They give deep
and efficient insight into each learner’s strengths
and weaknesses but also help finding and assigning
suitable exercises to each learner.

Differentiation can be mastered efficiently by a

motivated teacher, but technology can also be

Toddlers learn to walk and talk at different ages

- mathematics is no different.
Deep Understanding and Creative Problem
Solving
Let’s imagine something familiar - a student that spends several days preparing for a major
exam and then forgets everything after completing the test paper. This is a typical example
of an unsuccessful learning scenario based on shallow and superficial learning. The goal of
Create
Finland Math is the exact opposite.
Design, construct, develop, stimulate

Deep understanding and creative problem solving,
require a solid foundational skills base. Learning
happens in stages. Bloom’s taxonomy, a generally
accepted theory of learning, consists of six levels of
objectives where each step builds toward learning
and mastery. The steps at the lower levels create a
good foundation so that the higher steps are stable.
In the same way, students can start building their
personal expertise. For this they need challenges
that vary in difficulty and style. When done right,
creative problem solving enables students to
confidently overcome unexpected, challenges and Evaluate
solve new kinds of problems.
Argue, defend, judge, critique
Analyse
Compare, relate, experiment, question

Creative problem solving enables students to Apply

confidently overcome unexpected challenges
Implement, solve, interpret

Understand
Classify, identify, recognise, explain

Remember
List, memorise, repeat
More Time for Teachers & Focused Support
for Students
Math is an excellent example of a skill that is acquired through practice. Tons of studies
show that regular practice leads directly to better learning results. There is more to this
though… Practice makes perfect, but to be able to practice meaningfully, you need to
continuously get proper feedback. And herein lies the problem. The teacher can’t follow
student progress or provide feedback outside school hours. Even the amount of individual
feedback a teacher can provide during school hours is quite limited. So what are the
options for a student who’s eager to work extra to learn more?

For many tasks, technology can help. Automatically
assessed exercises that provide immediate
feedback enable students to learn from their
mistakes and try again. Digital learning tools also
allow students to tackle problems on their own.
Then the teacher can allocate their time better. If
a student can work problems independently, the
teacher can focus on the students who need more
specialized help. With clever utilization of learning
analytics, technology can help the teacher waste
much less time identifying students who need their
assistance.
So, how far can we go with technology? Are we
approaching an age where artificial intelligence
makes teachers obsolete? The clear answer is
no. Teachers remain an absolutely critical part
of the learning process. Although technology can
automate and streamline several education-related
tasks, humans are still superior in many important
tasks. Teachers will always know and understand
their students better than technology.
In fact, AI-enhanced learning analytics and
teachers make a perfect 21st-century team. The
detailed insights on learning performance provided
by learning analytics can be accompanied with a
teacher’s human understanding of their students’
social and emotional traits. Data helps the
teacher make better decisions, whether it is about
differentiation, need for support or improving
motivation. Ultimately, it’s the teacher who’s
responsible for all decisions in the classroom.

AI-enhanced learning analytics and teachers

make a perfect 21st-century team
Growth Mindset: ‘Future-Proofing’ our
Learning
Finland Math is a collection of tools and methods that aim to develop students’ 21th
century skills. We think of this as ‘future-proofing’ so that our learning fits with what’s to
come. Metacognition, meaning that a student can understand and evaluate their own
thinking, is probably one of the most important future skills. Students need to be able to
think for themselves instead of repeating something without using their own brain. They
need to be creative and innovative. This is vital for the growth of successful and thriving
future generations and nations. Finland Math honors the cultivation of growth mindset as a
way to ensure our learning strategies align with future needs.

So what is growth mindset? Stanford University
Professor Carol Dweck has studied kids’ thinking
skills and mindsets for over 30 years. She claims
that we tend toward either a growth mindset or
a fixed mindset. Students who cultivate a growth
mindset perform better, are able to try new
challenges, learn from their mistakes and handle
study stress better. Students who have a fixed
mindset tend to be perfectionists and actively
avoid taking risks or making mistakes.
efficacy. Helping our students cultivate a growth
mindset takes practice. It’s about changing their
attitude and finding words and actions that help
them sustain interest and determination. People
with a growth mindset tackle challenges with
confidence and see mistakes as a completely
normal part of their learning journey. Finland Math
helps children learn from their mistakes without
stress. This enables teachers to develop and model
a growth mindset attitude in their students.

Things change rapidly and we need to be able to

face those changes with sisu, resilience and self-

Students need to be able to think for themselves

instead of repeating something without using
their own brains.
 Bringing Finland Math to Your Classroom in 6+1 Easy Steps

Student-Centered Learning Stress-Free Learning Personalized Learning

1 2
Project work teaches students to take responsibility for
their own learning and plan how to use their time. This is
a difficult skill to master so be patient and provide help
and support for students. Encourage teamwork. Keep in
mind that independent work does not necessarily mean
working alone.
3
Ask your students to stand up and move regularly
and have a break. Like muscles, the brain loves a rest
too! Embrace a positive atmosphere and create an
encouraging learning environment by providing positive
feedback and recognizing students’ efforts.
Create your own version of differentiation even if you
don’t have access to technology. Can you form smaller,
flexible groups within your class? Can you set up learning
stations? Can you assign peer leaders to teach each other
the concepts? Visualize goals and progress. Stickers and
stamps are also great tools for gamification.

Deep Understanding and Creative
4 Problem Solving
Instead of verifying students’ answers by simply
stating “correct” or “incorrect”, ask them further
questions. Questions such as:“How did you come to that
conclusion?” or “Can you explain how you came up with
that answer?”. Often, it’s not just about the answer but
how its justified along the learning process.
More Time for Teachers & Focused Growth Mindset
5 Support for Students 6
Help children understand that mistakes are a normal part
of learning. Mistakes should not be dwelled upon, except
Digital learning tools with automatic assessment and
through questions that focus on what the student can
rich learning analytics free teachers’ time so they can
learn from their mistakes. Become aware of the language
spend time with their students. Digital learning tools
you and your student use during and after challenging
also enable better feedback and focus via efficient
situations. For example: Rather than, “I can’t do these
identification of the strengths and weaknesses of each
math exercises!” consider using phrases such as: “I can’t
student.
do these exercises yet.”

Create and cultivate a team learning culture. Let your kids talk to each other every now
+1 and then, while keeping the focus on the task at hand. Communication between students
is a really effective way of learning.
 Some team-players behind Finland Math are

Finland Math is a pedagogical concept by Eduten, a spin-off from University of

Turku. University of Turku is one of Finland’s oldest and largest universities, and
it’s ranked in the top 1% globally. Einari Kurvinen, MScCS Erkki Kaila, Phd
Head of Pedagogy Vice-Director
M.Sc. CS, MA Education Centre of Learning Analytics, University of Turku
Finland Math and Eduten Playground are based on years of scientific research at eicca@eduten.com erkki.kaila@utu.fi

the University’s Centre for Learning Analytics. It comes with a full K-12 content Eikka has trained thousands of teachers in the Erkki specializes in informatics education, research
use of Eduten Playground. He’s also one of the and pedagogy. He is one of the original developers
library of more than 17,000 activities that have been designed and improved founding developers from way back in 2012. of Eduten Playground.

with thousands of Finnish teachers. Today Eduten Playground is the most

popular digital learning platform in Finland. It’s benefits have been enjoyed by
more than 250,000 students and 10,000 teachers since 2011. It has repeatedly
been chosen as the best digital classroom tool by Finnish teachers.

Eduten Playground is the easiest way to bring Finland Math to classrooms

around the world. If you would like to know more, or would like to pilot it in your
Makke Leppänen, MSc
school, please contact info@eduten.com.
Mindset Expert
M.Sc. of Psychology, MBA
makke@eduten.com
I N COOPERATION W I TH
Makke has studied growth mindset and
motivation psychology at the University
of Sydney. He has run a variety of teacher
training projects over the last 20 years.
Mikko-Jussi Laakso, PhD
Adjunct Professor
Director of the Centre for Learning Analytics
University of Turku
milaak@utu.fi
Mikko-Jussi has 20 years of experience in research based
development of Finnish education with pedagogical and
technological aspects, namely Learning Analytics.