Current Issues in Comparative Education - Volume 21 - Issue 1 - Pre-Service Teachers in Finland - Comparative Education through Short-Term Faculty-Led Study Abroad

Oct 15, 2026

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The essay critically examines a U.S.-led, short-term faculty program in Finland, designed for pre-service and practicing education majors to learn about Finland’s public K-12 system. It analyzes pedagogical features that strengthen experiential, cross-cultural comparative education and compares the Finnish approach with U.S. public education to inform future teaching practice. Using a deconstructive model, the study identifies what worked well and what could be improved to advance comparative education practice for faculty-led study abroad programs.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Study abroad formats

Short-term programs and academic legitimacy

Current Issues in Comparative Education (CICE) Volume 21, Issue 1 Pre-Service Teachers in Finland: Comparative Education through Short-Term Faculty-Led Study Abroad Joshua Meyer Montana State University Ann Dutton Ewbank Montana State University Ann Ellsworth Montana State University Study abroad is a popular enrichment of the U.S. postsecondary academic experience with short-term programs providing a cost-effective opportunity to enhance student international travel experiences. In this review, we critically examine a U.S. program we led to Finland with the goal of identifying the pedagogical features from that program that maximize and optimize student learning. We provided thirteen undergraduate and graduate students in a department of education at a mid-sized, public, land-grant university an opportunity to participate in a short-term, faculty-led study abroad program to learn about Finland’s public, K-12 educational system. Program learning outcomes included comparing the country’s top-ranked educational system with U.S. public K-12 education in order to enhance students’future teaching practices. The purpose of this essay is to deconstruct the pedagogical features from that program to identify what worked well and what could have been improved upon with the goal of providing a critically examined model for consideration and thereby enhance comparative educational practice for faculty-led study abroad programs. Keywords: study abroad, pre-service teachers, experiential education, Finland Introduction Study abroad is an increasingly popular supplement to a university academic experience. According to the Institute for International Education’s (2018) Open Doors Report, 285,322 U.S. students studied abroad during the 2015/2016 academic year, representing a fourfold increase from the early 1990’s. Lewis and Niesenbaum (2005) identify the primary benefit of study abroad to be “learning about people from different cultures”(p. B20). They further show the following benefits associated with studying abroad: a) students tend to take more classes outside their major upon return, b) students exhibit a greater propensity to travel abroad again, c) students show increased interest in interdisciplinary studies, and d) students demonstrate influenced perception of the costs and benefits of globalization. In short, study abroad provides a unique opportunity for comparative education. The purpose of this essay is to conceptually deconstruct a faculty-led shortterm study abroad program to Finland designed to provide its student-teachers with an opportunity for cross-cultural comparative education. © 2019, Current Issues in Comparative Education, Teachers College, Columbia University. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Current Issues in Comparative Education 21(1), 93-103. Meyer, Ewbank, & Ellsworth Study Abroad Formats Study abroad programs have been differentiated by length and purpose. The Institute for International Education (2018) groups study abroad programs by length of duration into: a) short-term (eight weeks or less), b) mid-length (one semester), and c) long-term (academic year) . Sachau, Brasher, and Fee (2010) distinguish study abroad programs according to purpose including: academic semester/year abroad, service-learning programs, and short-term programs. Mid-length and long-term programs typically involve students living abroad, independently at a university campus while completing a course of study designed to supplement interests and coursework at their home institution. Service-learning programs tend to be short duration and provide an opportunity for volunteer work abroad by “linking the work students do in the classroom to real-world problems and world needs” (Sachau et al., 2010, p. 656), and thereby supplementing students’academic experiences at the home institution, often satisfying fieldwork or internship degree requirements. Short-term programs have gained widespread appeal in recent years

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the essay?

To deconstruct the pedagogical features of a faculty-led short-term study abroad program in Finland, identifying what worked well and what could be improved to strengthen comparative educational practice.

How does the essay describe the learning outcomes for participants?

Students compare Finland’s top-ranked K-12 educational system with U.S. public K-12 education to enhance future teaching practices.

Why do short-term study abroad programs receive both support and criticism?

They are popular and cost/time efficient, but some question their academic legitimacy because it can be difficult to assess learning outcomes and keep the experience academically rigorous.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by nayy☆