Browsing by Author "Paananen, Maiju"

The present study compares educational views and ideologies, especially concerning children, childhood and learning, found within two documents guiding early childhood education in Finland, Varhaiskasvatussuunnitelman perusteet 2005 and Esiopetuksen opetussuunnitelman perusteet 2000. These documents are also available in English, titled The National Curriculum Guidelines on Early Childhood Education and Care in Finland 2000 and The Core Curriculum for Pre-school Education in Finland 2005. The method used in the study was a slightly applied Bereday's comparative method. Both documents talk of the child as weak but also as active and able to learn and develop. The child was also social, emotional and individual in both documents. In Varhaiskasvatussuunnitelman perusteet 2005 parents and social networks were emphasised more than in Esiopetuksen opetussuunnitelman perusteet 2000. Views regarding learning were mainly constructive. The aim of Esiopetuksen opetussuunnitelman perusteet 2000 seemed to be in preparing children to adulthood, whereas in Varhaiskasvatussuunnitelman perusteet 2005 the childhood had an intrinsic value. Applying Davies division, both documents were found to represent mainly romantic ideology, but conservative ideology could also be recognised, especially when the views about children and childhood were under examination. Revisionistic ideology was more apparent in Esiopetuksen opetussuunnitelman perusteet 2000 than in Varhaiskasvatussuunnitelman perusteet 2005, while democratic ideology was more dominant in the latter. Although there was a strong cohesion between these two guiding documents regarding educational views and educational ideologies, there were some traces to be found in Esiopetuksen opetussuunnitelman perusteet 2000 that pointed towards primary school tradition.