Teacher identity and curriculum change: a comparative case-study analysis of small schools in England and Finland

• Published in: Comparative education Vol. 33; no. 1; pp. 97 - 115
• Main Authors: Vulliamy, Graham, u.a
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Taylor & Francis Group 01.03.1997; Carfax Publishing; Taylor & Francis; Carfax Pub. Co., etc; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Case Studies; Comparative Education; Course Descriptions; Curricula; Curriculum; Curriculum Development; Durchführung; Educational administration; Educational Change; Educational Needs; Educational Policy; Educational Practices; Educational research; Educational sciences; Einstellung (Psy); Elementary Education; Elementary school curricula; Elementary School Teachers; Elementary Schools; England; Finland; Finnland; Foreign Countries; Großbritannien; Individualized Instruction; Internationaler Vergleich; Lehrer; National curricula; National Curriculum; One Teacher Schools; Planung; Primarbereich; Primary education; Reform; Rural Schools; School Based Management; Schulreform; Secondary school curricula; Small Schools; Teacher Attitudes; Teachers; Unterricht; Values; Wertorientierung; United Kingdom (England); Finland; Great Britain; Educational System; Teaching curriculum; Educational change; Comparative analysis; Primary Education; Teacher attitude
• ISSN: 0305-0068; 1360-0486
• DOI: 10.1080/03050069728668

The findings reported in this article form part of a wider comparative research project investigating the processes of curriculum change in primary schools in England and Finland. This comparison has a special interest because in many respects the current policies of the two countries are moving in opposite directions, with Finland dismantling its long-standing subject-based national curriculum and encouraging school-based curricula incorporating integrated topic work. Data are presented from qualitative research case studies of four schools-two in each country-in relation to three themes: teachers' values, curriculum and classroom organisation and curriculum planning. It is argued that teachers' self-identities are powerful mediators in terms of their interpretations of and responses to imposed changes and that the ethos of very small schools enables teachers to preserve their prior value systems more easily than their colleagues in other schools.