Browsing by Author "Stenbäck, Reija-Riikka"

The purpose of this study was to find out the experiences of class teachers in their workload and about the change in that load, with a special interest on the effect of the national core curriculum that has entered into force in August 2016. According to prevous studies teachers are considered as highly autonomous professionals. The teacher has a great pedagogical authority, as the national core curriculum works as a framework of the work. The teacher's personal and learned abilities, such as professional theory, professional agency, and ability to learn and desire determine her/his working methods and attitudes to change when needed. In addition, in order to update education, the learning ability and openness of the work community have been proven to support the role of the teacher as well as ability to regenerate. The phenomenological study was implemented as theme interviews in November and December 2017. The interviewees were four experienced class teachers from primary school, with seven teaching groups 1-6 in the year 2017-18, in Southern Finland. I worked at the same school myself and I worked as a class teacher during the curriculum transition period. This explains the pragmatic approach of this study. The interviewed class teachers were very committed to their work and their students. Especially, they mentioned the increase in the external work in addition to the actual teaching lessons, the cooperation with the providers, which functions poorly, and the increase in the pupils' behavioral disturbances. They were very committed to their work. According to this study, the new curriculum did not have a major impact on the class teachers’ working habits, it was found to have increased the workload. The impact of the interviewees' personal use theory on the change process rose out. The interviewed class teachers were motivated to develop in their work and to reflect their working methods, but their individual activity in changing their teaching practices varied. Usually there was mentioned student behavior and learning challenges as a limiting factor. Particularly emphasized in addition to continuing education and cooperation within the work community, the importance of sufficient resources for enabling pupil-based learning.