Curriculum description FINLAND

Characteristics of the school system Basic structure of the educational system: Early childhood education Preschools (ages 6-7) Comprehensive schools (ages 7-15) and special schools Comprehensive school 9 years First 6 years, class teachers (MA) Last 3 years, subject teachers (MA) public schools, few private 3579 comprehensive schools 3418 public schools 27 private schools (Christian, Steiner) 5 state schools (teacher training)

Characteristics of the general curriculum National framework curriculum 2004 (1994, 1985, 1970) is written and evaluated by Finnish national board of education description or a guide for what are the main objectives and core contents in every subject and cross-curricular themes and some mentions about the methods how they should be taught. subjects are divided to objectives and core contents. Some subjects are taught only for grades 1-4 and for 5-9 and some only for 7-9 Municipalities and schools write their own curriculum based on the national framework curriculum, but they can have some emphasis on themes or contents (local interests). Some teachers are involved in curriculum development on a national level but on a municipal and school level, teachers have the main responsibility of development. parents have a change to comment the school curriculum curriculum in the municipalities and schools is written every second year

First six years Subjects: Mother tongue and literature Foreign language (from grade 3) Mathematics Environmental and natural studies (grades 1-4) Biology and geography (from grade 5 as a subject area of its own) Physics and chemistry (from grade 5 as a subject area of its own ) Religion History (from grade 5) Music Visual arts Crafts Physical education

Cross-curricular themes at grades 1-6 Represent central emphasis of the educational and teaching work. Their objectives and contents are incorporated in to numerous subjects. Growth as a person Cultural identity and internationalism Media skills and communication Participatory citizenship and entrepreneurship Responsibility for the environment, well-being, and a sustainable future Safety and traffic Human being and technology

Position and status of technology education in the curriculum cross-curricular theme, Human being and technology is realized by theme weeks or studied within different subject areas is emphasized in crafts and technical work (not in textile work) crafts is compulsory for all at grades 1-6, but if pupils have to choose between technical and textile work, then contents of technology education is only for those who choose technical work for grades 5-7. not a separate subject, schools or teachers have freedom to decide how much and how to teach technology

Aims of technology education General aims focus is on technology – individual relationship and to see the importance of technology in our daily lives understand technology, its evolution and impacts to take the position on technological choices, ethical and responsible use of technology the use of ICT

Main themes and structure of curriculum content Aims and approach: - technology in everyday life - environmental education - ethics of technology - technology in local industrial life - ICT, data networks - the development, modelling, and assessment of technological ideas - understand of the operating principles of tools, equipment and machines Food technology (home economics) is a separate subject (grades 7-9)

Pedagogical means and methods Curriculum has been formulated on the basis of the concept of learning, which is described in the general part of the curriculum. Also guidelines for teaching methods are given. All teachers have MA –degree with pedagogical studies. Therefore, they are free to choose pedagogical approaches to suit different situations. No text books for technology education (TE)

Characteristics of the teachers in charge of technology education Preschool teachers are in charge on TE in preschool education (6 years) Class teachers are in charge on grades 1-6 (years 7 – 12) Teacher training departments give variable competence for TE  all teacher students study TE only short periods, if at all. No standards for TE. Teachers in primary schools are mainly female Some (limited) in-service training available Traditional craft education has still a strong status in Finland No separate organization for technology teachers

Conclusion Positive features: there is some TE in primary schools latest National curriculum 2004 contains TE some (limited) TE in-service training for teachers is existing, particularly training for instructing technological innovative processes

Conclusion Negative features: national framework curriculum guidelines are broad and imprecise the concept of technology is unclear  technology education is understood in a narrow manner (for instance as ICT only) not enough in-service training for teachers gap between curriculum guidelines and actual teaching  cross-curricular themes are not understood or implemented by teachers, or are implemented only through thematic days/weeks or shortly within different subjects TE is not a stand-alone subject technology education is not available for all pupils (technical and textile work division) division between boys and girls in craft education still goes on contrary to the guidelines of the national curriculum old fashioned way of implementing the curriculum (even if there is no division - traditional crafts instead of modern technology) technology is not consistently implemented in teacher education