Includes bibliographical references and index.

Front Matter -- Copyright page -- Dedication -- Foreword / Michael Crossley -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- The Global Context of Education Policy-Making -- The Backdrop for Success: Finland’s Context and Configuration -- The Education System of Finland -- The Programme for International Student Assessment: The Birth of an Achievement Study that Captured Worldwide Attention -- Issues of Policy Transfer -- Strengths of Finnish Education -- Weaknesses of Finnish Education -- Finnish Responses to PISA -- Cross-National Attraction and Education Policy Transfer -- The Temptation of Uncritical International Transfer: The Politics of Finland’s Success in PISA -- Conclusion -- Back Matter -- Appendix -- References -- Index.

PISA and Global Education Policy: Understanding Finland's Success and Influence provides an in-depth investigation for the reasons behind Finland’s success in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Finland’s high performances in every administration of PISA since 2000 have captured worldwide attention. This volume offers a comprehensive exploration into the context of Finland, uncovering its historical, cultural, political, and societal nuances. Furthermore, it delves into the history of Finnish education, providing a strong foundation from which to view the system that produced so much success in PISA. The book analyses empirical data from Finnish professors of education, ministers of education, head teachers, and teachers for the reasons behind Finland’s consistently high outcomes in the survey. It includes viewpoints from OECD officers with direct responsibility for PISA. In addition, it uncovers the impact of Finnish influence on education policy worldwide. Thus, the text presents an analysis of the growing politicisation of international achievement studies such as PISA. The increasingly globalised educational context surrounding PISA calls for an analysis of policy transfer and the already-apparent uncritical policy borrowing of Finnish education policy within the UK context.