Browsing by Subject "opetussuunnitelman kehittäminen"

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to research the curriculum work conducted by teachers in the preparation process for the new curriculum that came to force in 2016. The framework of this study included the national core curriculum of 2014. It also included a selection of studies and literature regarding teachers' work methods and the development of these methods. The research task is twofold; to describe teachers' participation in the drafting of the basic education curriculum, and to analyze the conceptions of prospective changes and challenges regarding the new curriculum. Methods. The study was a qualitative case study, in which five elementary school teachers participated. The data was collected in electronic format, using a themed Google Forms web questionnaire. A semi-structured themed interview was also conducted. Data-based content analysis was used to analyze the research data. Results and conclusions. The results showed that the teachers were actively involved in the planning of the school curriculum work and had, in their own opinion, made an adequate effect on it. The curriculum work, conducted by the teachers interviewed for this study, took place primarily in the teachers' own school, in various drafting groups. The national core curriculum and the local curriculum were the most important instructions in designing the new curriculum. According to the results, many teachers felt that the new national core curriculum would bring changes to their work, including challenges. The most important pedagogical reforms were; teaching beyond class and subject boundaries, phenomena and pupil oriented approaches in teaching, and the enhancement of transversal competence. In the teachers' opinion, the new curriculum provides teachers with the opportunity to together develop teaching and to focus on the fundamentals. The teachers recognized schedule issues, the reformation in teachership, along with the internalizing of the new objectives as possible challenges regarding the new curriculum.