Two teachers could help reverse Denmark’s worst PISA results

Denmark’s school pupils have recorded their worst-ever PISA results in mathematics, reading and science, DR reports. An expert and the education minister say having two teachers in lessons could help improve pupils’ academic performance.

The results, which are the lowest since the assessment was first conducted in 2000, also show that Danish pupils are skipping school more often than before. Education Minister Magnus Heunicke said the findings “call for action”.

Andreas Rasch Christensen, research director at VIA University College in Aarhus, said two teachers in every lesson could be one possible solution.

“For example, integrating two mathematics teachers into lessons can help raise pupils’ academic level, particularly among some of the less advantaged groups,” he said.

Strandskolen in Risskov, a district of Aarhus, is already using two teachers in many lessons. The school began a special programme last August to ensure that the arrangement benefits pupils. Eighteen of its 50 teachers have been selected to take part.

In the school’s fifth-grade class, 27 pupils have mathematics five times a week. Two teachers are present for four of those lessons.

“Being able to stay close to the pupils all the time gives me a sense of where they are and how I should help them,” said Nana Linde Nielsen, one of the mathematics teachers.

She said the arrangement made it possible to give more challenging tasks to pupils who were performing strongly and less demanding work to those who were struggling.

“It makes a big difference. There is also a completely different sense of calm,” Linde Nielsen said.

Sofie Bak, the other mathematics teacher, said two teachers had more time to work with each pupil.

“The biggest difference is that you have the time and calm to sit down and look the pupils in the eye. We have more than just 30 seconds with them, during which you can only help them with one task,” she said.

“It is difficult to achieve the same in 45 minutes when you are alone with 27 pupils.”

Several primary schools around Denmark have already experimented with having two adults in lessons. Heunicke said such efforts should not be abandoned even though some municipalities are facing budget cuts.

“Two trained teachers are among the things we know work,” the minister said.

The government has allocated five billion kroner to children’s services, which will partly be invested in measures “that we know work in our primary schools”, Heunicke said. Cutting those measures because of a lack of funds would directly affect pupils, he said.