FOREST IN TEACHER EDUCATION: HOW TEACHER STUDENTS PERCEIVE AND RELATE TO FOREST

In a country like Finland, there has been intensive discussion on the use of forests. Forest has a special meaning for Finnish people and also a significant role in comprehensive education. Teacher education should also focus on forest's role in students' life. This study describes one approach which could include forest issues in teacher education. Teacher students' (N=117) perceptions of forest and their relationship to it is discussed in the context of this course. The data has been collected by a questionnaire which the students filled in partly before and partly after their visit to the forest. They were asked to explain their relationship to forest and how they view its use in their future life and teaching profession. For most of them, forest is important. The main reasons for students to visit forests were to seek tranquility and recreation, physical exercise, and to collect berries and mushrooms. In their future profession, they said that they would generally be willing to make different kinds of trips to forests, and be there in order to learn everyday living skills as well as values.