Browsing by Subject "curriculum"

Research on education outcomes in Finland reflects how migrant pupils generally have poorer performance and lower levels of well-being than non-migrant pupils. However, research on the causes of this has been concentrated on migrants themselves, rather than critiquing education structures. This thesis explores discourses found in the Finnish National Core Curriculum and analyses the ways in which these discourses represent migrants, and what potential impacts these discourses can have. This thesis focuses on both migrants and persons of colour, because previous research showcases how these two groups often become conflated with one another. The material used is the Finnish National Core Curriculum 2014, which is the most recently implemented version of the national curriculum. I conducted a critical discourse analysis, drawing from Van Dijk, Bacchi, and Critical Race Theory for my methodology. These allow for analysis on meanings and constructions, and on how they tie into social power hierarchies and inequalities. The analysis also draws from literature regarding how Finland has used discourse in the past to construct national identity, history, and social hierarchies. The research identified three main categories of discourse: Finnish values and normativity, “us vs. them” framing and representations of difference, and selective inclusion of topics, meanings, and terminology. They reflect different discourses and/or discursive strategies used to create a homogenous national identity that is heavily associated with whiteness and speaking Finnish, whilst any divergence is framed as not belonging. Representations of difference also reflected how “migrants” are categorised somewhat homogenously, evading an intersectional perspective. Choices of terminology and what is left unsaid reflect underlying values of Finnish exceptionalism and unwillingness to discuss race and racism. In the discussion of findings, I identify how these discourses represent migrants and persons of colour as not belonging to the national identity, and how the contribute to broader societal discourse of faulting individuals over structures. I also identify the potential impacts on the well-being and school performance of pupils, and how discourse disseminated through education can ultimately be internalised by pupils and teachers alike in ways that continue to reproduce dominance and inequality in society.