Browsing by Author "Alho, Christina"

The purpose of the research was to examine the views Finnish school (Suomi-koulu) teachers working outside Finland have regarding the educational components of text- and exercise books used for 8-year-olds. The aim was to find out which features the teachers considered to support or hinder the learning of the pupils. Additionally it investigated the teachers' wishes for what would make a good text/exercise book for Finnish schools. The purpose was also to find out which text- and exercise books were used in the schools, how suitable the teachers found them to be and what criteria the teachers had used to select them. This research is the first study made on this topic. The research data was collected by using an online half-structured questionnaire. No sample was used, because the study aimed to collect views of the total population (all the teachers who taught 8-year-olds). The study utilised a mixed methods research design, thus the questionnaire contained both quantitative and qualitative components. The philosophical approach of the study was phenomenographic. Collected data (N = 50) was analysed using quantitative and qualitative methods. The research results showed that the text- and exercise books that were most used could be classified as either Finnish as a mother tongue (for first and second grade) or Finnish as a second language publications. Mainly the teachers considered the books to be quite suitable for Finnish schools. Most of the teachers had chosen the books based on their content-related and pedagogical features. The teachers specifically promoted a textbook that offers information about Finnish culture, society and nature; a supportive feature that affirms the pupils' cultural identity. Other supportive features the teachers emphasised as important in the text- and exercise books were: a suitable level of difficulty, exercises and topics which the pupils found interesting, possibilities to pedagogically individualise the exercises, as well as features which helped the teacher's task of teaching. The teachers found exercises that concentrated on receptive language skills (listening and reading comprehension) and literacy skills very supportive. Reading comprehension and spelling exercises were specially considered to support the learning process whereas over ten percent of the teachers found creative writing to hinder the learning process. Exercises aiming to improve deeper cognitive processes (thinking skills) were considered as the least supportive exercise types. This study offers a baseline for future research on the topic. Additionally, educational courses given to Finnish school teachers can utilise the study's results. The research findings may also instigate a thorough dialogue about the objectives of Finnish schools.