Dissertation: Different teacher education systems can succeed: Finland and China achieve strong results through distinct approaches (Wang)

Yan Wang’s doctoral research examines how teacher education systems in Finland and China produce strong outcomes through different cultural and institutional pathways.

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Published

21.4.2026

What is your research about?

Teacher education is widely considered one of the most important factors behind educational quality. Finland and China have both attracted international attention due to their strong performance in international assessments such as PISA. Despite these similarities, the two countries organise teacher education in very different ways.

This dissertation examines how teacher education systems in Finland and China operate differently and why both produce strong outcomes. The study analyses national teacher education policies, programme documents, and interviews with teacher educators in both countries. It examines how cultural traditions, institutional structures, and teacher educators’ professional agency interact in shaping teacher education.

What were the key findings or main results of your research?

The findings show that successful teacher education does not follow a single universal model. In Finland, decentralised governance and the Bildung–Didaktik educational tradition support a high level of professional autonomy among teacher educators. Educators are encouraged to engage in reflection, research, and innovation, allowing them to adapt teaching practices to evolving educational needs.

In China, teacher education operates within a more centralised and coordinated system guided by national standards and long-standing Confucian values emphasising moral responsibility and collective effort. Within this framework, teacher educators play an important role in mentoring student teachers and strengthening the ethical foundations of the teaching profession.

Although the systems differ in governance and educational traditions, both succeed because teacher educators combine professional reflection with a strong sense of social responsibility.

How can the results be applied? What new knowledge did your research produce?

The research suggests that effective teacher education can emerge through different institutional arrangements when these key underlying mechanisms are supported.

The study also highlights that teacher competencies are shaped by cultural and institutional contexts rather than being universally transferable. These findings offer new insights for policymakers and educators by showing that educational reforms should consider local traditions, values, and institutional conditions instead of simply copying policies from other countries.

Master of Education Yan Wang defends her doctoral dissertation in teacher education "Understanding Teacher Education Through a Critical Realist Lens: A Comparative Study on the Interplay of Culture, Structure, and Agency". Opponent is Professor Leon Tikly (University of Bristol) and custos is Research Professor Terhi Nokkala (University of Jyväskylä). The event will be held in English. The dissertation can be read online at https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-86-1451-7.

Further information

Yan Wang
yanwangfinland@gmail.com
+358 41 313 4874

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