Implementation of the Competence-oriented Learning and Teaching in Finland

Finland has been the showcase of a high quality education system for a long time. Finnish students score
high on the PISA test and show low high-school dropout rates. All Finnish teachers have master’s
degrees and enjoy autonomy in their work. The Finnish education system is built on competent
teachers, high expectations for students and flexible implementation of the curriculum (Kivinen, 2015).
To strengthen these values and adapt learning and teaching to the changes in society (digitalization and
globalization), Finland recognized a need for a curriculum reform.
In 2009 the Finnish National Board of Education (FNBE) ordered the design of The Future of Learning
2030 Barometer to support the curriculum reform. The Barometer was designed to identify the
futuribles, possible futures, and the challenges that could affect education. The Barometer is now used
as a tool for monitoring the implementation of the new NCC (Airaksinen, Halinen and Linturi, 2016).
Definitions and Terminology
EDUFI (Finnish National Agency for Education) - the national development agency responsible for early
childhood education and care, pre-primary, basic, general and vocational upper secondary education as
well as for adult education and training.
FNBE (Finnish National Board of Education) – national agency subordinate to the Ministry of Education
and Culture.
NCC (National Core Curriculum) – framework around which the local curricula are designed.
Local curriculum – designed in each municipality, complements the NCC with local emphasis.
The Future of Learning 2030 Barometer – a qualitative forecasting tool to determine possible futures
and challenges in education.
Implementation Process and Stages
The reform was carried out from 2012 to 2016/2017 and followed the timetable pictured below.

Image: Timeline of the General education reform in Finland

The reform was a team effort and the process was transparent and inclusive. There were working groups
in each municipality and over 300 people participated in the working groups. The FNBE organized three
open consultations in 2012, 2013, and 2014. During the consultations teachers and other education
providers could give feedback about the process. Students participated in an extensive survey about
their learning, school culture and environment, etc. The process involved many stakeholders and even
the Finnish police offered to work on the safety and security chapters of the curriculum. EDUFI aimed to
make everyone involved an expert in the process (Lähdemäki, 2016).
The core values of the new NCC were the following:
 students in the central position (the NCC put emphasis on meaningful learning and the joy of
learning, and the uniqueness of each student)
 student agency (although Finland had a student-centered approach before the reform, students
and teachers re-evaluated what learning is, what it looks like and how it can be facilitated)
 school culture (school as a learning community with strong values)
 integrative approach and competencies (students seeing the connections between their school
subjects and real life, recognizing one’s personal strengths and potential development)
 multidisciplinary learning modules (phenomenon-based learning; all schools must offer enquiry-
based work at least once a year, specifics are decided on a local level)
 assessment (focusing on feedback, self-reflection and peer feedback) (Halinen, 2018).
Implementation of the NCC on a local level required collaboration from teachers and other staff. The
only obligation is the single multidisciplinary module once a year. Schools and municipalities can plan
the rest of the modules according to their needs (Finnish National Board of Education, 2016).
Assessment
The curriculum provides criteria for good performance for assessment in grades 6 and 9. Overall, Finland
does not have high stakes tests for students and the purpose of assessment is to provide data for
teachers and guide student learning.
The biggest importance is placed on feedback and encouragement, since students are expected to take
responsibility for their learning. Students are taught to evaluate their performance against objectives.
Pupils are not compared to one another but encouraged to identify their strengths and work on them.
Self-reflection, self-assessment and peer-assessment is encouraged (Finnish National Board of
Education, 2016).
 Results of Application
Firstly, because of the inclusive curriculum development process, the new NCC was generally well-
received and positively covered in the media. Generally, the NCC is a success and definitely
strengthened the Finnish education system. Phenomenon-based learning has gained popularity due to
the NCC and was also praised by Skola2030 experts in a trip to Finnish schools (Skola2030, 2020).
The Barometer identified some challenges that were later confirmed in the implementation process,
such as:
 student and teacher roles – the change from a hierarchical structure in the classroom where the
teacher delivers content and a student receives requires change of mindsets from both students
and teachers;
 cooperation – developing the local curricula meant collaboration between teachers and school
staff, as well as students and their parents. Schools identified weaknesses in teacher teamwork
and collaboration, now trying to find new ways to work together (Airaksinen, Halinen and
Linturi, 2016 and FNBE 2016).
Other issues that complicate the implementation of the NCC are lack of in-service training that could
help teachers make sense of the NCC and lack of leadership among teachers. Implementing new ideas
requires courage and, in some cases, standing up to the way things have been done for many years
(Lähdemäki, 2016). Overall, it seems that school culture plays a significant role in the success of the
reform.
References
1. Airaksinen, T., Halinen, I., Linturi, H. (2016) Futuribles of learning 2030 - Delphi supports the reform of
the core curricula in Finland. Source:
https://eujournalfuturesresearch.springeropen.com/articles/10.1007/s40309-016-0096-y
2. Finnish National Board of Education (n.d.) Curriculum Reform in Finland. Source:
http://www.euroedizioni.it/attachments/article/697798/Curriculum%20Reform%20in%20Finland.pdf
3. Finnish National Board of Education (2016) New National Core Curriculum for Basic Education: Focus
on School Culture and Integrative Approach. Source:
https://www.oph.fi/sites/default/files/documents/new-national-core-curriculum-for-basic-
education.pdf
4. Halinen, I. (2018) The New Educational Curriculum in  Finland in Improving the Quality of Childhood in
Europe. Alliance for Childhood European Network Foundation, Brussels, Belgium.
5. Kivinen, K. (2015) Why change the education system that has been ranked as top quality? Finnish
curriculum reform 2016. Source: https://kivinen.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/finnish-curriculum-
reform-2016-kk.pdf
6. Lähdemäki, J. (2016) Case Study: The Finnish National Curriculum 2016—A Co-created National
Education Policy in Sustainability, Human Well-Being, and the Future of Education. Palgrave Macmillan.
7. Skola2030 (2020) Skola2030 eksperti viesojas Somijas skolās. Source:
https://www.skola2030.lv/lv/jaunumi/blogs/skola2030-eksperti-viesojas-somijas-skolas