The Curse of Success: the impact of the OECDs Programme for International Student Assessment on the discourses of the teaching profession in Finland

MARJAANA RAUTALIN & PERTTI ALASUUTARI University of Tampere, Finland

In the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which is an international comparative learning assessment measuring young peoples knowledge and skills, Finland has been ranked at the top in the two rounds conducted and reported so far. In this article, the authors examine the discourses within which Finlands PISA results have been interpreted by the teaching profession in Finland, and how these interpretations of Finlands PISA success together with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Developments PISA may affect national education policy in the future. The main question posed is how do teachers interpret excellence so as to support their attempt to improve their working conditions, when the international success of Finnish education could also be used as proof that all is well. The data comprise editorials published in the official organ of the teachers trade union in Finland, Opettaja-lehti. The analysis shows that in the editorials, success is explained mainly by the expertise of Finnish teachers and their university education. However, the editorials also argue that there is a discrepancy between the good PISA results and the present meagre investments in the education system, the deteriorating school network and the poor appreciation of the education system in Finland. Thus, the editorials use the national PISA results to demand more resources for the Finnish education system.