The degree awarded to a dentist in Finland is Licentiate of Dentistry, and it takes 5 years to achieve it. The old curriculum at the Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Finland, was based on the departmental division, and there was minimal integration between the disciplines. According to student feedback, the old curriculum was overloaded. The amount of contact teaching was up to 40 h per week throughout the academic year. Based on the workload regulation model launched at the University of Oulu, the actual workload of students for three clinical years was found to exceed the confirmed curriculum (40 study weeks per year for 3 years, representing 180 European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits) by 68 ECTS credits (representing 45.3 study weeks). Because of the heavy workload, students did not have time actively to deepen their scientific reasoning. To tackle this problem and to maintain the high academic standards, the Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Finland, decided to change the dental curriculum. The properties and qualities of the competent dentist were listed and arranged in the corners of an octagonal to provide the model of the key dental competencies. Based on this, a thorough core analysis of the courses was carried out by the departments. The new curriculum consists of 10 broader integrative entities, so called dental teaching strands (DTSs), wherein the teaching given by the different departments has been combined. The effort was successful. We managed to remove overlap in the substance of the courses to reduce the students' actual workload by about 45 ECTS credits (representing 30 study weeks and 1200 h of studying) and to promote better scientific reasoning and learning results. The authentic learning and comprehensive patient care comprise the core of the clinical practice.

Competence-based education refers to the integration of knowledge, skills, attitudes and interactivity as the intended outcomes of learning. It makes use of lifelong learning and lifelike tasks in realistic settings and requires the cooperation of teachers. This research was prompted by the desire to explain why collegial cooperation often seems to be problematic in schools and universities. Are there certain social structures or behavioural patterns that influence the cooperative culture in teacher communities? The research material was collected in 2013 and 2014 in Oulu, Finland. The target groups were both newly qualified and experienced vocational teachers at all educational levels (N=30). The data collection methods were open questions in interviews and questionnaires. The research approach and analysis methods were qualitative. The theoretical background is in humanistic-cognitive and experiential learning as well as in dynamic epistemic conceptions. The findings show that the prevailing model in teacher communities is individualistic, disciplinedivided and course-based, especially among older teachers. The obstacles refer to teachers’ self-image and a deeply rooted fear of criticism or revelation of incompetence. The promoters of cooperation were connected to the changing practices and desire of sharing with colleagues.

<p style="text-align: justify;">The aim of this research is to find out how higher education (HE) teachers reflect on the possibilities of personal development and evaluate the institutional promotion of academic teaching in an HE community. The purpose was thus to understand how university employed teachers experienced and reflected on the benefits of their pedagogical education and pedagogical fellowship during and after the studies. To obtain information regarding the current situations and prospects for the future of the research persons, questionnaires were used, and unstructured essays were written through their study time and subsequently. The research methods were qualitative content analysis and deep analysing methods. The teachers possess cognitive thinking skills of the highest level. Pedagogical and transformative thinking are not at the same level. The research persons express their views tactfully when outlining how teaching should be realized in the future. Still, they criticized the resistance to changes in academic teaching, especially before they themselves were part of the administration.</p>

Looking beyond analytical philosophy which underlies most pedagogical thinking, this study presents a novel idea of fluid education. Fluid dialectic is not only a theory but a method of this study, which draws on the Hegelian dialectics supplemented by Taoism. It recognises the messiness of educational reality by exploring how pedagogic antinomies can help transpose, de-fix or reposition traditional roles in the classroom, and therefore allow a different type of teaching, learning or educational adventure to take place. In contrast to a reality of fixed roles in traditional education, it acknowledges the non-linearity and oppositions that an educational reality usually has. However, instead of arguing against it, we believe the tensions and antinomies presented are valuable in dialectic and interparadigmatic teaching and learning. A framework of fluid education that emphasises the dialectic movements between different antinomies is presented. How one is liberated from fixed time, space and position is discussed.

<p style="text-align: justify;">Teachers´ life-long learning and occupational well-being is significant in promoting educational goals and professional development. The aim of the study was to determine which factors contribute to teacher educators´ commitment to work and give them energy for work and self-development. The research data consisted of 24 teacher educators in Oulu University of Applied Sciences. The research method of this case study was a qualitative, thematic content analysis, the research approach phenomenography. The most important single factor seemed to be the community of teachers, students and the administrative staff which are included in dialogue and collaboration. Emotions, meaningfulness, and interaction play an important role, often via pedagogical fellowship. Committed teacher educators take responsibility for workplace culture and transformation of teaching. Positive attitudes, motivation, reflection, and dialogue seem to be connected to professional capability and the ethos of teacher educators´ work.</p>