Curriculum Development in Finland

1
Curriculum Development in Finland

• Pasi Sahlberg, PhD
• Senior Education Specialist
• World Bank

2
Brief outlook

• Population 5.2 million
• The most northern corner of the EU
• GDP per capita 26,000
• 4,100 comprehensive schools (1-9 grades)
• 475 upper secondary schools
• 50,000 teachers
• Public expenditure on educational institutions
  5.7 of the GDP

3
Why curriculum change?

• Situation in the beginning of 1990s
• Teachers rarely used curriculum in their work
• Teachers demanded more freedom
• Teachers professional qualifications were
  increasing
• Decentralization of public administration
• Central administration didnt know exactly how
  schools could improve performance
• Paradigm shift in understanding learning

4
What was the solution?

• New National Framework Curriculum 1994
• Loose conceptual framework describing intended
  experiences rather than content
• Schools were invited to design their own
  curricula (but not by Law)
• Increased flexibility and freedom of choice
• Focus on new conception of learning
• Support to schools in curriculum design

5
What happened?

• Schools progressed in different rhythms
• School curricula became very diverse (but still
  based on a common core)
• Curriculum became a school improvement instrument
  and an active reference for schools
• Schools created new identities and profiles
• Fundamental curriculum change!

6
Possible impact of 1994 reform

• Focus shifted from individual teachers to school
  as a community of professionals
• The hidden potentials in schools, i.e.
  motivation, creativity and moral purposes were
  released but some got burned-out
• Trusting teachers increased their working
  commitments
• Schools became gradually learning centers