Teacher Education Staff's Experiences with Blended Learning in Early Childhood Teacher Education Programs in Finland

Innovations are crucial in all societal sectors, including education. This study investigates the 1000+ blended learning initiatives in Early Childhood Education (ECE) teacher training launched in 2020 by seven Finnish universities to address a national ECE teacher shortage. The program combines online and on-campus learning with work-based assignments, promoting reflective practices aligned with the ECE curriculum. Participants, required to have prior ECE experience and some university studies, follow a learning design centered on collaboration, active learning, and motivation. The study explores factors contributing to the effectiveness of blended learning in teacher education through interviews with four teacher trainers and two study administrators. Key findings highlight that teacher education development operates on multiple levels. National educational policies set the framework, while joint university-level efforts drive reform implementation. At the individual level, teachers engage in pedagogical innovation, incorporating student feedback to enhance blended learning quality. The study underscores the need for a shared vision and continuous quality improvement to foster innovative teacher education. Experimentation and trust in the process are essential. The proposed learning design framework integrates pedagogical strategies, technology, and institutional support, enabling the transformation of traditional teacher education practices into effective, future-oriented blended learning models.