3 / 2000
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Visits abroad can help develop teaching
People interested in teacher exchanges gathered in their own workshop during the conference. From back left Tanja Juurus, University of Turku; Tanja Lapinlampi, University of Oulu; Seppo Sarimo, University of Turku; Jonna Halokari; Irinja Paakkanen, University of Turku; Kimmo Kuortti, University of Oulu; and Tarja Hyppönen, University of Turku. Cultural experiences have an influence on work and they help when working with foreign visitors. One’s own outlook widens and self-esteem improves. These are the positive results of international teacher exchanges, as found by Tanja Juurus in her research.
For her master’s thesis, Tanja Juurus, who is a student adviser, studied international teacher visits and their contribution to the development of teaching.
Tanja Juurus’ study used two questionnaires. One was directed at teachers who went on exchange through the ERASMUS programme during the academic year 1997–98 and the other at those who had planned an exchange, but cancelled it. The sample was 299 university and polytechnic teachers. The percentage of respondants was 58 per cent for the first questionnaire, and 38 per cent for the second.
Juurus presented her results in one of the Peda-forum workshops together with biochemistry lecturer Seppo Sarimo PhD, who has practical experience in this field. Sarimo himself has been on an exchange and has had foreign exchange teachers in his department.
Dr Jack Salway, School of Biological Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK, has worked as an exchange teacher at the University of Turku. The topic during his visit was ’Regulation of Metabolism’. Influence on your own work
Personal experiences were considered important during the exchange. Of those who answered Juurus’ two questionnaires, 80 per cent thought that the acquired personal experiences had an influence on their own work and 82 per cent considered personal contacts important. Pleasant experiences and improvement of language skills were also felt to be significant. As many as 83 per cent of the teachers had discussed their exchange afterwards with colleagues, and 49 per cent believed that the experiences could be utilised. The most important function of teacher exchanges was felt to be the acquirement of intercultural understanding and tolerance.
Dr. Maurice O. Moss, also from the School of Biological Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK, has already visited the Department of Biochemistry and Food Chemistry at the University of Turku a few times. Better financing
The questionnaires were also answered by people who saw exchanges as a means for the development of teaching. In order for the exchanges to function as an even better tool for this, the teachers who had been on exchange wished for improvement in financial support, longer exchange times, a long-term perspective, participation in drawing up curricula, less bureaucracy, language teaching for those going on an exchange and, in general, methodic planning. Teachers who had cancelled their exchange also answered that they would have liked better financing, language courses, a possibility to get a substitute for the duration of the exchange and the work done during the exchange to count as a part of normal work.
Paula Heino
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