Hope for Sweden's Educational Future

Jonas reflects on teacher enthusiasm and grassroots change giving him cautious optimism.

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Episode notes

In this episode, Anna talks with Dr. Jonas Linderoth, a professor of education at the University of Gothenburg, about how influential educational ideas have shaped the teaching profession and why evidence from cognitive science and educational psychology still faces resistance in teacher education. They discuss how education reforms of the 1990s affected teacher status and student outcomes, and Jonas’ reflections on his own role during that period.

They also discuss why evidence-based pedagogy is so crucial and what it means when teachers encounter research-informed strategies and respond with a single word – “finally”. They also explore Sweden’s recent proposal to embed cognitive science in teacher preparation, why it’s controversial, and how implementation is unfolding.

This is an insightful episode for anyone interested in how research, policy, and classroom practice come together.

This episode is also available in video at www.youtube.com/@chalktalk-stokke

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00:22] Introduction
[00:04:50] The Swedish school reforms
[00:08:57] The prevalence of constructivist teaching
[00:12:26] Realizing the evidence didn’t match the rhetoric
[00:13:36] How Jonas’s call for reflection became the most read article in Sweden
[00:17:13] Perceptions of the teaching profession in Sweden
[00:20:01] A systematic approach to teaching art
[00:22:40] PISA & TIMS scores in Sweden
[00:24:34] Why education academics research the Science of Learning
[00:26:35] The value of quantitative research
[00:29:23] Sweden’s move to embed cognitive science in teacher preparation
[00:32:37] Reaction to the government proposal to transform teacher preparation
[00:34:34] How evidence-based practice caught the government’s attention
[00:36:52] Jonas’s work with pre-service teachers
[00:37:28] When teachers say “finally” about evidence-based techniques
[00:42:37] Core content for preparing future teachers
[00:44:41] Grass-roots science of learning movements
[00:46:02] The future of education in Sweden
[00:49:24] Final thoughts: Jonas’s advice for international audiences