Danish experience in reforming the education system
- Published on Sunday, 09 February 2014 10:26
From teaching how to memorize facts through reasoning to developing civic skills - a Euroclio expert discussed the changes in the education of young Danes during a seminar at IBE. Nowadays the final, national written gymnasium examination in Danish language and literature even contains a possibility for teachers and students to choose an examination form that depends on access to the Internet during the examination.
Benny Christensen during the seminar at IBE
The Danish education system underwent an important reform fairly recently. The changes' target were the three-year upper secondary schools - they involved students older than 15. Why the reform was undertaken and what was the purpose was the topic of the presentation of Benny Christensen, ambassador of Euroclio - European Association of History Educators, an independent expert in the field of history education. At the meeting held on 27 November in Warsaw, at the Radisson Blu Sobieski Hotel, IBE researchers discussed which of the Danish reformers' conclusions have potential significance for the Polish education system.
On Danish schools and examination system
Young Danes start education in their primary/lower secondary schools (folkeskole) at the age of 6.. Their primary education continues for nine years. Public primary/lower secondary schools are managed by local councils. Children do not need their own textbooks - the school lends all the necessary books to students for free. "Teachers in this type of schools specialize in three subjects, in the lower grades, however, they should be able to teach all subjects - said Christensen.
After folkeskole students of the age of the current Polish lower secondary school graduates can choose whether they want to continue their education in a vocational school or a 3-year general upper secondary school. In Denmark, there are four types of upper secondary schools, on completion of which you can take further education - general, technical or commercial, and for adults. "There schools are not narrowly profiled so as to build foundations for further university studies for example chemistry oriented," Mr Christensen emphasized. "Upper secondary schools are independent institutions financed by the state. Again, students receive free textbooks, and teachers usually teach two subjects."
Mr Christensen used the opportunity to describe key differences between gymnasium teacher education in Denmark and in Poland. In Denmark, there are no specific teacher studies. To become a history teacher one must first graduate in history and then take relevant pedagogical courses.
After completion of primary/lower secondary school students take national written and oral tests. Depending on the results, the parents, after consultation with the school and teachers, decide on further educational path of the child. Upper secondary school students also take national written and oral examinations. There are no university/college admission examinations. Instead students submit an application for admission with general school record, grades in selected courses and examination grades.
Changes in teaching 2005 - 2008
As early as 2002 the concepts of educational reforms were presented in the Danish parliament. The idea of reducing the number of individual school subjects to develop interdisciplinary work was discussed.
A year later, a draft law on the reform of secondary schools was presented. Associations of teachers of individual school subjects predominant in Denmark, which typically group at least 50 percent of teachers of a given subject, suggested changes to the document. The new law was passed in 2004. The Danish Ministry of Education created committees whose task was to develop new curricula.
The reform was fully implemented in 2008. It was then that the first group of students completed the 3-year course of study in the reformed secondary school and took the examinations. "We moved on to 'refining stage' of the reform," said Benny Christensen. "Changes were introduced in consultation with teachers."
History - only in connection with the present
In the reformed general upper secondary school (attended by over 40 percent of Danish students) 15-20 per cent of all teaching hours is interdisciplinary work. "Today we have a mandatory course for the overall understanding of the text which covers humanities, social sciences and natural sciences," he explained.
During the three years of study, students must write a special project of about 20 pages. It needs to combine two subjects. History is one of the most popular subject in those projects. Students work on the project for a week, during which they do not have to attend school. While working on the project they can consult anyone, including their teachers.
Benny Christensen presented specific changes based on the examples of history and physics.
History at A-level is a compulsory part of the upper secondary schools leaving examinations. Before the reform, history included more in-depth topics and more analysis of source texts. "This course, which lasts a total of 190 hours includes 9 to 15 thematic areas, which need not be arranged chronologically. But all the history topics must relate to the present day," emphasized Christensen. "The course ends with an oral examination necessary for obtaining a certificate of completion of upper secondary school."
Physics - scientific method for all
"Before the reforms of the upper secondary school students chose either a humanities or science path of education, " Mr Christensen said. "For science path physics was mandatory. Now, after the reform, all students have a 6-month introductory course on the scientific method. This course is interdisciplinary and includes physics at C- level (the lowest level; there are also an A and B levels - ed.) Students who, in the future, want to study, for example, physics, take courses at higher levels."
The physics exam was divided into two parts. The first part is experimental and lasts 90 min. This part of the exam can be taken in teams of up to three people. Then they take an individual exam lasting 25 minutes.
For studying physics at the highest level there is a central written examination. "Today, virtually all the students write all written exams using laptops," said Christensen. "In the examination room they can also use textbooks, dictionaries or their earlier tests. Examiners are aware of the fact that what counts is how students can use sources, and not - how well they reproduce knowledge from memory."
The effects of the reform
IBE researchers present at the meeting were curious about the effects of the changes in education. "When it comes to physics, the advantage is that all students take a basic course in the subject," said Mr Christensen. He (admitted) stated, however, that fewer students take exams at the highest level and, apparently, the mathematical, calculation skills lowered. "Teaching has become wider, but shallower," he added.
Polish educators were also interested in how the teachers were prepared for the new way of teaching and what the reaction of the general public was, especially that of parents. Benny Christensen explained that in Denmark there was little public debate on the changes because parents leave this kind of issues to teachers. "They are used to the fact that teachers are an important part of the education system, they do not know exactly, what, for example, our professional development consists in."
Mr Christensen said that it was the teacher associations that contributed to the preparation for the changes; the associations had internal training courses, shared their experiences and developed useful materials.
He noted that for example half of the history teachers were initially skeptical about the reform. It changed, however, after a few years and in 2011, the change in teaching is positively viewed by approximately 80 percent of the teachers.
The seminar participants watched a video of an oral examination conducted in the Danish upper secondary school. They had doubts concerning the formula allowing for the earlier preparation of the presentation. Some noted that one of the reasons why the idea of students presentations was abandoned in Polish matura was the suspicion that students use too extensive a help in preparation. "In Denmark, the changes were decided despite some risk that students may end up better during the exam than they deserve. We do not make a big issue out of it," answered Christensen. "In addition, the examining bodies consist of experienced people, one teacher is always from outside the school, sent in by the ministry. During the conversation with the student about his/her project, we are able to figure out how independent the work was.
Mr Christensen was also questioned about the purpose and the direction of the reform in the coming years. "Exams must reflect what is happening every day in the classroom. And what happens every day in the classroom must reflect what happens every day in society," Mr Christensen replied, quoting the 2009 Minister of Education. "The reform of our education system, based on the example of history, since the 70s moved from reproducing memorized facts through text source analysis to training students for the role of "mini-historians" and today's main objective of history lessons is to develop civic qualities.
