Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things

by Adam M. Grant

The reform began with overhauling how teachers were recruited and trained. Unlike Norway, Finland started requiring all teachers to complete master’s degrees offered at top universities. That attracted highly motivated, mission-driven candidates. They got advanced training in evidence-based practices, many of which were pioneered in other countries. They also paid teachers well. These values and practices didn’t transform the culture overnight. In the early 1990s, a new leader came in and called for another set of dramatic changes to create “a new culture of education.” Policymakers started engaging teachers and students in a collaborative effort to define their ideal culture. They articulated a new assumption—teachers were trusted professionals—and supported it by introducing practices that gave teachers freedom and flexibility to shape a previously rigid curriculum.