A postcolonial discourse analysis of Finnish school textbooks: learning about the world from a tourist perspective

In this article, we ask how Finnish basic education school textbooks in social science portray tourism and countries with a big tourism sector. We have analyzed the textbook quotes from a postcolonial perspective, using discourse theory analysis. The idea is to challenge what is considered objective information about tourist locations in school textbooks. The results show that even if some ethical questions are at times debated openly, particularly environmental problems at tourist sites, tourism is considered as something predominantly positive. The textbook reader is assumed to be a potential tourist. Some textbook quotes resemble tourist brochures, while people living in tourist locations are given marginal importance. A key argument is that the unequal global power relations between tourists and those living in tourist locations are not challenged. Considering tourism from a postcolonial point of view brings a vital perspective to social science education. There is a need to challenge the positions that are appointed to textbook readers

Supporting Students Identities and Inclusion in Minority Religious and Secular Ethics Education : A Study on Plurality in the Finnish Comprehensive School

Supporting Students Identities and Inclusion in Minority Religious and Secular Ethics Education: A Study on Plurality in the Finnish Comprehensive School The purpose of this doctoral thesis is to explore how education in minority religions and secular ethics supports students identities and inclusion in the Finnish comprehensive school. The focus is on students in grades 1 6 (age 7 13) in the Helsinki metropolitan area. The identities of the students are viewed from a constructivist perspective as their conceptions of themselves in the context of the instruction group and the school. The student s different identities, including his or her religious and non-religious identities, are examined as part of an intercultural educational context. In this context student inclusion is viewed as the student s experiences of him- or herself as equal and integrated. This article-based thesis takes a qualitative approach and is based on four articles, each targeting one sub-question which aims at answering the research problem. Article I focused on how students experience instruction in their own minority religious education or in secular ethics, and how they perceive themselves as part of the overall school culture. This study was based on a participant observation study in 2009 10 undertaken in five different minority religion and secular ethics classes in one comprehensive school. The findings indicated that minority students generally found having their own group to be a positive experience. However, the study also showed that students expressed a negative sense of difference in relation to majority students and that there were several practical concerns in the organization of the classes. The subsequent articles, Articles II IV, were based on interviews with 31 teachers and 3 teacher coordinators in 2011. Article II focused on how minority religion and secular ethics teachers view the task of supporting and including plurality within the classroom. Article III focused on how teachers and teacher coordinators view the inclusion of minority religious education in the school culture. The final article, Article IV, focused on how teachers of minority religions view the significance of education in supporting students identities. The findings within these articles illuminated how students identities were embedded in the educational context, which included both supportive and challenging aspects. The supportive aspects that the teachers and teacher coordinators emphasized included a sense of belonging and community in the group, the inclusion of students with immigrant backgrounds, as well as the support given to students diverse cultural and religious backgrounds. The support given to students backgrounds was strongly dependent on the size and structure of the mixed age class and the teachers capacities to take all students into account. A central challenging aspect included structural discrimination in the education. In teachers views, some minority students also felt separated and isolated in relation to majority students and were subject to instances of discrimination. Furthermore, the overall lack of dialogue within the schools and between the classes emerged as a challenge for including the minority students in the school cultures. The findings moreover indicated that the way minority religious education supports students identities includes challenges. The current system of education appears strong with regard to supporting students identities within a given tradition. However, it does not always take into account modern plurality and the individual identities of students. In teachers views students identities were frequently seen as bound to a particular tradition, and socialization into the religious tradition was clearly present. This puts into question the adequacy of the current model and educational practice. For the future development of religious education it is vital that the challenges in the educational context are met and that students identities are viewed as open to change and individual development.Att stöda elevers identiteter och inklusion i undervisningen i minoritetsreligioner och livsåskådning: En studie i mångfald i den finländska grundläggande utbildningen Den finländska åskådningsundervisningen erbjuder idag undervisning i egen religion eller livsåskådning utgående från elevens tillhörighet i ett religiöst samfund eller civil registret. Denna avhandling undersöker hur undervisningen i minoritetsreligioner och livsåskådning stöder minoritetselevers identiteter och inklusion inom den grundläggande utbildningen i årsklasserna 1 6. Resultaten ger ny kunskap om aktuella styrkor och utmaningar i undervisningen särskilt ur elevperspektiv och belyser frågor kring mångfald inom dagens skola. Avhandlingen utgår från ett kvalitativt tillvägagångssätt och sammanfattar resultaten av fyra artiklar. Den första artikeln fokuserar på hur elever upplever undervisningen i den egna minoritetsreligionen eller i livsåskådning, och hur de upplever sig vara delaktiga av skolkulturen. Denna studie baserar sig på en deltagande observationsstudie läsåret 2009 10 i fem olika minoritetsreligions- och livsåskådningsklasser i en skola. Resultaten tyder på att minoritetseleverna i regel upplevde det som positivt att ha sin egen undervisningsklass. Dock visar studien även på att eleverna visade en negativ upplevelse av skillnad i relation till majoritetselever och att det fanns praktiska problem i organiseringen av undervisningen. De tre påföljande artiklarna baserar sig på en intervjustudie år 2011 med 31 lärare i minoritetsreligioner och livsåskådning och 3 lärarkoordinatorer. Dessa studier fokuserar på hur lärare ser på uppgiften att stöda och inkludera mångfald inom klassrummet, hur lärare och lärarkoordinatorer upplever att undervisningen i minoritetsreligioner är inkluderad i skolkulturen, samt vilken betydelse lärare upplever att undervisningen har för deras elever. Resultaten i dessa delstudier belyser både stödande aspekter och utmaningar i undervisningskontexten. Bland de stödande aspekter som lärare lyfte fanns känslan av tillhörighet och gemenskap i gruppen, inkluderingen av elever med invandrarbakgrund, samt stödandet av elevers skiftande kulturella och religiösa bakgrunder. I vilken mån läraren kunde stöda elevernas bakgrunder var till betydande del beroende av gruppstorlekarna och -strukturen på de åldersintegrerade klasserna, vilka ofta sågs som utmanande. En central utmaning i utbildningen utgjorde därtill strukturell diskriminering, bl.a. i form av avsaknad av läroböcker. Dessutom ansåg lärare att en del minoritetselever kände sig åtskiljda och isolerade i relation till majoritetselever och var föremål för enskilda fall av diskriminering. Den generella bristen på dialog inom skolorna och mellan undervisningsgrupperna framkom också som en utmaning när det gäller att inkludera minoritetselever i skolan. I undervisningen i minoritetsreligioner pekar resultaten på ytterligare utmaningar när det gäller det sätt varpå undervisningen stöder elevers identiteter. Det nuvarande undervisningssystemet framstår som starkt när det gäller att stöda elevers identiteter inom en särskild tradition. Undervisningen tar dock inte alltid i beaktande den moderna pluralitet som råder i klassen och elevernas individuella identiteter. Ur ett lärarperspektiv betraktades elevernas identiteter ofta såsom bestämda till en särskild egen tradition, och traditionell socialisering hade en synlig roll. Detta ifrågasätter huruvida den nuvarande undervisningsmodellen och undervisningspraktiken är adekvata. För framtida utvecklingen av undervisningen är det essentiellt att de aktuella utmaningarna i undervisningskontexten bemöts och att elevers identiteter ses som öppna för förändring och individuell utveckling.Oppilaiden identiteettien ja inkluusion tukeminen vähemmistöuskontojen ja elämänkatsomustiedon opetuksessa: Tutkimus moninaisuudesta suomalaisessa perusopetuksessa. Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan, miten vähemmistöuskontojen ja elämänkatsomustiedon opetus tukee oppilaiden identiteettejä ja inkluusiota perusopetuksessa. Tarkastelun kohteena ovat 1-6. luokan oppilaat pääkaupunkiseudulta. Tutkimuksen tulokset antavat uutta tietoa opetuksen vahvuuksista ja haasteista erityisesti oppilaiden näkökulmasta ja nostavat esille kysymyksiä moninaisuudesta tämän päivän peruskoulussa. Artikkeliväitöskirja perustuu kvalitatiiviseen lähestymistapaan ja koostuu neljästä artikkelista. Ensimmäinen artikkeli tarkastelee sitä, miten oppilaat kokevat opetuksen omassa uskonnonopetuksessaan tai elämänkatsomustiedossa, ja miten he arvioviat olevansa osa koulukulttuuria. Tutkimus perustuu lukuvuonna 2009 2010 tehtyyn osallistuvaan havainnointiin yhden koulun viidessä eri vähemmistöuskonnon ja elämänkatsomustiedon ryhmissä. Tulokset osoittavat, että vähemmistöoppilaat kokivat pääsääntöisesti opetuksen omassa ryhmässään myönteisenä. Tutkimus osoittaa kuitenkin myös, että oppilailla on kielteisiä kokemuksia erilaisuudesta suhteessa enemmistöoppilaisiin. Lisäksi opetuksen järjestelyissä ja toteutuksessa esiintyi käytännöllisiä ongelmia. Kolme muuta artikkelia perustuivat vuonna 2011 tehtyyn haastattelututkimukseen, johon osallistui 31 opettajaa ja 3 opetuksen koordinaattoria. Artikkelit tarkastelivat, miten vähemmistöuskontojen ja elämänkatsomustiedon opettajat kokevat tehtävänsä tukea ja sisällyttää moninaisuutta opetukseensa, miten opettajat ja opetuskoordinaattorit kokivat vähemmistöuskontojen opetuksen integroitumisen osaksi koulukulttuuria, sekä millaisia näkemyksiä vähemmistöuskontojen opettajat näkevät opetuksen merkityksen oppilaan identiteetin tukemisessa. Tulokset näissä artikkeleissa avaavat sitä, miten oppilaiden identiteetit olivat osa opetuskontekstia, joka sisälsi sekä oppilaiden identiteettiä tukevia että haastavia näkökulmia. Tukevina näkökulmina opettajat ja opetuskoordinaattorit toivat esille erityisesti yhteenkuulumisen ja yhteisöllisyyden tunteen ryhmissä, maahanmuuttajataustaisten oppilaiden inkluusion ja oppilaiden moninaisten kulttuuri- ja uskontotaustojen tukemisen. Oppilaiden taustojen tukeminen oli merkittävästi yhteydessä ryhmäkokoon ja oppilasryhmien ikärakenteeseen sekä opettajien kykyyn ottaa kaikki oppilaat huomioon. Merkittäväksi haasteeksi osoittautui rakenteellinen syrjintä. Lisäksi opettajien näkökulmasta katsottuna jotkut oppilaat tunsivat itsensä erillisiksi ja eristäytyneiksi suhteessa enemmistöoppilaisiin ja joutuivat yksittäisten syrjintätapausten kohteeksi. Yhteisen dialogin puute koulun ja opetusryhmien kesken osoittautui myös haasteeksi suhteessa vähemmistöoppilaiden inkluusioon koulussa. Vähemmistöuskontojen opetuksen suhteen tulokset viittasivat lisäksi siihen, että opetuksen nykyinen toteutustapa, joka tukee oppilaiden identiteettejä, sisältää haasteita. Nykyinen tapa tukee vahvana oppilaiden identiteettejä yhden tradition sisällä. Opetus ei aina ota huomioon nykyistä modernia monimuotoisuutta luokissa ja oppilaiden yksilöllisiä identiteettejä. Opettajien näkökulmasta oppilaiden identiteetit katsottiin usein olevan sidottu yhteen traditioon, ja traditionaalinen sosialisaatio oli selvästi läsnä. Tämä kyseenalaistaa nykyisen tavan toteuttaa opetusta ja opetuksen käytäntöjä. Uskonnon opetuksen kehittämisen kannalta olisi oleellista, että oppilaiden identiteetit katsottaisiin avoimiksi ja kehittyviksi, ja että tämä heijastuisi uskonnonopetukseen kokonaisuudessaan

Intercultural education in transition : Nordic perspectives

Over the last several decades intercultural education has played a key role in many educational policies and practices, both across the Nordic countries and internationally. In this article we examine current conceptual discourses on intercultural education with an emphasis on developments in the Nordic research context. The analysis shows how the concept of intercultural education and its focus on “culture” has been criticised in the Nordic countries and internationally for the pitfalls of essentialism and relativism. This criticism is linked to a perceived lack of focus on power issues in education, which undermines the development of a social justice-orientated intercultural education. However, the analysis within the Nordic research context shows signs of re-conceptualisations, which includes a widening of the field and the emergence of new and more critically-orientated approaches.Peer reviewe

Taking steps towards institutionalizing multicultural education – The national curriculum of Finland

Internationally multicultural education research has pointed to the need to move from superficial to social justice-oriented multicultural education. However, realising this goal in policy and practice is a challenge. This study takes Finland as a case and examines the discursive developments of multicultural education in its national curriculum 1994–2014. Despite being a country which is known for emphasising equity and equality in education, superficial forms of multicultural education have prevailed. However, the results of this study show that the curricular discourse is clearly moving towards social justice education where multicultural perspectives are an integrated part of the curriculum. The 2014 curriculum, which came into effect 2016, emerges as a policy which aims to foster ethical and respectful students with a sense of fairness and an open attitude towards all kinds of diversity. The challenge for Finland is to ensure implementation and advance transformativeness in future curriculum reforms.Peer reviewe

Diverging discourses on multicultural education in Finnish teacher education programme policies: implications for teaching

The necessity to include multicultural education policies and practices in schools and teacher education has been widely recognized both in Finland and internationally. However, terms such as 'multiculturalism' and 'multicultural education' have contested and vague meanings in educational discourse. This paper investigates discourses on multicultural education from critical multicultural education and Postcolonial theoretical perspectives. The focus is focus on the teacher education policies of all the eight primary teacher education programmes in Finland. Discourse theory analysis revealed six diverging discourses within a framework of conservative, liberal and critical multicultural education. The results show that it should not be taken for granted that policies including multicultural education contribute to social justice in education and teacher education. Consequently, policy-makers need to question the rhetoric regarding multiculturalism and to focus on how inequality is reproduced and upheld in discourses in teacher education and schools, and how this can be challenged.Peer reviewe

Capturing Nordic Identifications Through Participatory Photography

This study explores how participatory photography can be used in researching upper secondary students’ identifications with what it means to live in one of four Nordic countries. The study draws on students' constructions and interpretations of photographs. For this article the data analyzed consisted of 571 photographs taken during spring 2018 by a total of 104 students in the metropolitan areas in Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen. The analysis of the photographs and their captions show that students associated themselves mostly in a positive way with the Nordic region, though also some critical attitudes were identified. Visual ethnography in education as a method enhanced the upper secondary students’ way of giving meaning to what living in the Nordic countries means to them. Moreover, the method enables the students to become co-researchers together with the research team in both an aesthetic and narrative way. The study offers insights into how participatory photography can be as a useful and activating method in both local and cross-national research.Peer reviewe

Climate Change and Worldview Transformation in Finnish Education Policy

Summary The climate crisis calls for changes in all areas of human life. One such area is the education sector, which needs to be the target of urgent reform to be able to support these crucial changes. International sustainability policies call for transformative changes in worldviews that may inspire new ways of thinking and acting. Worldview transformation means a major change in deep-rooted ways of viewing the world that results in long-lasting changes in individuals’ sense of self, their perception of their relationship to the world, and even their entire way of being. Worldviews interface with perceptions of issues like climate change in ways that are frequently overlooked. The climate crisis demands a reorientation and transformation of worldviews, a change in which education can play a pivotal role. Therefore, the crisis also calls for rapid educational policy reforms. A central question is how to make worldview transformation related to sustainability visible in education policy. The general school education curricula in Finland (Grades 1–12) express sustainability as a core aim. However, it is debatable whether educational policy such as the Finnish curricula can promote worldview transformation. Contesting policy objectives and gaps between policy and practice can prevent education from dealing effectively with large worldview quandaries such as the climate crisis. In addition, unclear relationships between research and policy are fundamental obstacles during policy development. Finally, an overriding concern in policy is the lack of focus on urgent global dilemmas; consequently, it does not per se promote learning that could lead to radical change. Keywords worldview transformation, transformative learning, sustainability education, Finnish basic education, climate change education, ecological crises, sustainabilityPeer reviewe

The Inclusion of Minority Religious Education in the Finnish Comprehensive School : A Teacher and Teacher Coordinator Perspective

The Finnish education system offers faith-specific religious education throughout the comprehensive school. Today separate minority religious classes are offered parallel to the majority Lutheran and secular ethics education. The purpose of this study is to investigate how minority RE teachers and teacher coordinators view the inclusion of minority religious education in the school culture. Teacher and coordinator perspectives are investigated through an interview study with 23 religion teachers and 3 teacher coordinators in the Helsinki metropolitan area. The results show that teachers and coordinators experienced education as gaining stronger acceptance and equality in the school culture. However, issues of exclusion and discrimination emerged which raise questions on the viability of the current system of RE. The study argues for a need to improve structural issues in education as well as increased teacher participation and dialogue in the school culture

The Inclusion of Minority Religious Education in the Finnish Comprehensive School: A Teacher and Teacher Coordinator Perspective

The Finnish education system offers faith-specific religious education throughout the comprehensive school. Today separate minority religious classes are offered parallel to the majority Lutheran and secular ethics education. The purpose of this study is to investigate how minority RE teachers and teacher coordinators view the inclusion of minority religious education in the school culture. Teacher and coordinator perspectives are investigated through an interview study with 23 religion teachers and 3 teacher coordinators in the Helsinki metropolitan area. The results show that teachers and coordinators experienced education as gaining stronger acceptance and equality in the school culture. However, issues of exclusion and discrimination emerged which raise questions on the viability of the current system of RE. The study argues for a need to improve structural issues in education as well as increased teacher participation and dialogue in the school culture

'Refugees here and Finns there' - categorisations of race, nationality, and gender in a Finnish classroom

Schools represent a central meeting place where societal inequalities are reproduced and questions of social justice become important. This study focuses on categorisations related to race, nationality, and gender in interactions in Finnish teaching environments, as well as teacher reflections on these situations. We discuss the implications of the categorisations on social justice and the role of the teacher in these situations. We conducted video observations of a sixth-grade teacher in a Finnish primary school. The study employs both critical multicultural education approaches and Conversation Analysis. Results show that the pupils use categories race, nationality, and gender in ways that limit the agency and positioning of some of the pupils. The extensive and intersecting categorisation in teaching situations makes it demanding for teachers to address and challenge unequal norms attached to the categories. Results also indicate that teachers need an understanding of othering and normativity in order to allow spontaneous critical discussion and problematising categorisations that pupils use. Also, the results highlight the importance of involving pupils in the process of questioning norms that do not provide all pupils with the same agency or sense of belonging.Peer reviewe