1. Curriculum description
FINLAND

2. 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)

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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)

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)

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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