1. Curriculum reform 2016 in Finland Leo Pahkin (Finland)
“What is it, why it should be done and how it is going to be done?”

2. Finland Population 5.5 million (2015)
338,000 square kilometers, of which 10% is water and 69% forest
Two official languages: Finnish 92 %, Swedish 6 %, (Saami (0,03 %)
33,3 % of population (aged 25 to 64) have university or other tertiary qualifications
Immigrants: 4,6 % of population
Working life: Average monthly earning (men) 3422 euros and (women) 2807 euros (2011)

3. Finland is known as…

4. Comparison of Finnish education policy to the global education movements
(Hargreaves, Earl, Shawn & Manning, 2001, Sahlberg, 2004)
Global Education Reform Movement
Education development in Finland
Standardization
Standards for schools, teachers and students to improve the quality of outcomes
Flexibility and diversity
School-based curriculum development, networking through steering by information and support.
Literacy and numeracy
Basic knowledge and skills in reading, writing, mathematics and science (= prime targets of education reform).
Broad knowledge
Focus on broad learning; equal value to all aspects of individual’s growth in personality, moral, creativity, knowledge and skills.
Trust through professionalism
Culture of trust that values teachers’ and headmasters’ professionalism in judging what is best for students and in reporting on progress of their learning.
Consequential accountability
The school performance is closely tied to the “inspection” and ultimately rewarding or punishing schools and teachers.

6. Development of the basic education in Finland
Expansion
Rising
Integration …
9 years basic education
Frame system for lesson hours
Unification of the basic education
National
Curriculum
National Curriculum + trial of the framework
Curriculum
Framework
Core
Curriculum
Core
Curriculum
All teacher training in university
End of grouping students by their abilities
End of the checking textbooks and end of the inspections of the schools
Functional regulation starts
Three stages model for pupils’ support
Decentralization

7. School autonomy Curriculum
National Core Curricula by NBE
Guidelines by the municipality – local orientation
School-based curriculum
Annual work plan and budget, recruitment of teachers and staff
Decisions on group forming, daily work rhythm and other practices
Profiling of schools by contents
Decisions on text books and other materials
Central approval procedures abolished 1993
Decisions on school level
Pedagogical autonomy of teachers
Voluntary participation in national development programmes

8. Why is a reform needed? Transformation of society and mental wellbeing
Increasing
uncertainty
Comprehensibility
Problem of
choice
Health,
subjective
wellbeing (QoL)
Manageability
Sense of
coherence
Individualism,
anomie,
consumer society
materialism
& instru-
mentalism
Meaningfulness
Source: Timo Hämäläinen, 2009
(Aaron Antonovsky, Monica Ericsson &
Bengt Lindström)

9. Phases of the Industrial Revolutions
GNP
Innovation in energy sector?
1970 ICT
1880 electricity,
combustion engine
1780 steam power
1800
1900
2000

10. The demands for skills has changed Economy-wide measures of routine and non-routine task input (U.S.)
Linda Darling-Hammond

11. The core of change
In this world, our doing, knowing and being have changed
Doing – all important and most influential outcomes are produced by cooperation and networks
Knowing – more and more decentralised both technically and socially
Being – our identity is hard-pressed in a world of constant change and global information flows
Pirjo Ståhle, 2009

12. Carrying out these changes to the education…
Rethinking the learning conception
Importance of students own experiences and activities, feelings and joy
Importance of working together, learning to learn in dialogue with others
Renewing the idea of learning environment
Rethinking the school culture and the relationship between the school and the community
School as a learning community
Diverse and open cooperation
Rethinking the roles, goals and content of school subjects
Transversal competences to support the identity development and the ability to live in a sustainable way

13. Transversal competences
Taking care of oneself and others, managing daily activities, safety
Cultural competence, interaction and expression
Multiliteracy
ICT- competence
Competence for the world of work, entrepreneur-ship
Participation and influence, building the sustainable future
Thinking and learning to learn
National Goals for Basic Education and Transversal Competences - knowledge - skills - values - attitudes - will
Development as a human being and as a citizen

14. What? How? If you want to increase curiosity, allow questioning
If you want to develop problem-solving skills, link school knowledge to real-life problems and encourage pupils to work together to seek solutions
If you want to increase understanding, combine knowledge and skills from different subjects
If you want to raise citizens who will develop society, promote inclusiveness and participation, give opportunities to make a difference, and facilitate positive - not negative - critical thinking
If you want to strengthen learners' self-confidence and learning motivation, give constructive and honest feedback. Never humiliate or put down a learner.

15. Students assessment in the learning process is better described
From assessment of learning towards assessment for learning, and assessment as learning
Importance of positive feedback

16. Teaching-Learning-Assessment
From…
Towards…
Teaching
Learning
Assessment
Same for all
Top down
To the test
To cover content
To the test
Discipline, no initiative
Competition
Comparison
Individual
To rank, compare, screen an certify
Reliability
Summarize and result
Focus on knowledge and skills
Teaching, learning and assessment parts of the same process
Continuous feedback, “feed forward” to both the teacher and the learner
Shared understanding of goals and assessment criteria
Flexibility of means and working methods
Learner to demonstrate, teacher to validate progress

17. Supporting schools in their own curriculum processes
The core curriculum documents to be provided in electronic and structured form in order to allow them better serve the users and to increase adaptability
The text is divided into two sections:
a concise section about the standards with links to relevant legislation, and
a support section for explaining the standards and providing examples of implementation and links for relevant material to support teachers' work

18. What are the most important issues that help me to learn and enjoy myself in school? The result of discussion of 550 students in Helsinki 2013
Frendship, respect, friendliness and speace for work
Thank you!