Stairway to Heaven

Mark Northam
Assistant Secretary

The NSW Government recently hosted an Education Symposium with the keynote speaker being Pasi Sahlberg, the former Director General of Education in Finland.

Sahlberg (to the opening riffs of Stairway to Heaven) painted a snapshot of NSW in an international context.

The frame was somewhat different to what might readily come to mind. The global themes were:

  • Wellbeing, health and happiness
  • Equity and inclusion
  • Big data shows correlations, and
  • Small data

Sahlberg postulated that wellbeing, health and happiness are key factors in sustaining a system of schools. Australian measurement of student ‘happiness’ is fractionally ahead of the OECD average.

Importantly, the twin notions of equity and inclusion were the key determinants of whether a system of schools could transition to a higher level. Funding based on need is the core ingredient in achieving such a transition.

Critically, Sahlberg pointed out that big data (think Programme for International Student Assessment [PISA] and NAPLAN) shows correlations. It does not provide a comprehensive understanding of what schools achieve within a particular context.

The zone of most interest was small data – described as being “tiny clues found in schools that can uncover important relationships about teaching and learning”.

This can also be referred to as teacher professional judgement: that special process whereby an understanding of where a particular student is at is determined by the teacher. Collectively, schools can provide valid judgements.

Small data is generated by teachers in an ongoing fashion. It determines a sequence of lessons, it shapes programs and informs reporting.

Small data is generated by teachers in an ongoing fashion. It determines a sequence of lessons, it shapes programs and informs reporting. It does not require the generation of algorithms or analytics. It is the result of close interaction with students and an intense understanding of the learning process. Schools viewed through this prism are subjects to be known better.

In his final global theme Sahlberg spoke of digital natives and his view that “digital immersion changes the way children think and process information . . . it may be the problem is not the teaching methods in schools but rather the possible changes in children’s brain functioning that impede learning”.

The problem is the big data (PISA and NAPLAN). The statistics show a decline in the performance of Australian students. Sahlberg believes that the slippage may well be due to various devices and their impact on the learning process.

The complexity of such a perception cannot be underestimated, but the response of some 250 educators murmuring in unison at the symposium meant that Pasi Sahlberg’s thinking resonated.