Browsing by Author "Konttinen, Suvi"

The narrowed range of languages in Finnish education and the deteriorating learning outcomes of a second national language have led to studies on the development of language teaching. One of the development factors in the studies is the early adoption of language teaching. (See, for example, Tuokko, 2009; National Language Survey, 2011.) In the 2012 lesson allocation decision, the study of B1-language was predated, but the multi-stage and contradictory political decision-making process that led to the early learning has not been studied. The purpose of this thesis is to find out, from a historical perspective, what stages have been in the lesson allocation reform process leading to the earlier teaching of the second national language, who has been involved, what interests they have had and whose interests have dominated the decision, and how parties react to second national language. The research strategy of the master’s thesis was qualitative, and it was implemented as a case study- type narrative analysis of history. The material in the study was the government programs, the education development plans, the election programs of the parliamentary parties, their education policy programs and the minutes of the party meetings from the period under review, as well as the experts’ opinions on the lesson allocation proposals. The material was gathered both by requesting material by e-mail and by searching websites. The material was analyzed by the means of Foucauldian approach - historical discourse analysis - by coding and thematization, after which a process report was written on it. The reform process of lesson allocation progressed in three cycles and involved among others political parties, various organizations and expert parties. From the discourses that emerged from the material, conclusions were drawn about the parties’ attitudes towards the second national language. They can be divided roughly into those who: want it to be voluntary, want it to be a regional freedom of choice, want it to be started earlier, increased, or developed. In the lesson allocation decision, matters driven by several parties dominate, while in the decision leading to the earlier teaching of the second national language, political will and market economy conditions take precedence over the pedagogical aspect.