This document summarizes a presentation on analyzing two Finnish core curricula from an information literacy perspective. Key findings include: - Information literacy is present in both curricula, with more emphasis on learning aspects in the general sections and information finding phases in subject areas. - Differences between the 2004 and 2016 curricula include the 2004 describing what to learn and 2016 describing how to learn. - Discussions of information finding and learning were strong, while information management was weak. - Further research could continue comparing teachers' and librarians' information literacy conceptions to the curricula.

1. DDoo wwee hhaavvee wwhhaatt iitt ttaakkeess?? ––
tthhee FFiinnnniisshh CCoorree CCuurrrriiccuulluumm
aanndd iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn LLiitteerraaccyy
Anu Ojaranta, PhD candidate
Information Studies,
School of Business and Economics,
Åbo Akademi University, Finland
ECIL, Istanbul, Turkey
22-25 October 2013
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2. BBaacckkggrroouunndd aanndd aaiimm ooff tthhee ssttuuddyy
The background is in understanding information literacy
conceptions in the educational environment, the research
of information literacy instruction of teachers and
librarians and in school libraries as possible advocates of
information literacy in schools.
The aim of this research is to study the two consecutive
national core curricula of the comprehensive school
from information literacy perspective and
to understand the information literacy conception of
teachers and librarians
and are there discourses found between the actors and
the actors and the curricula.
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3. RReesseeaarrcchh qquueessttiioonnss
 How are aspects of information literacy present in the
national core curricula? How does the findings
compare to the information literacy model of
Christine Bruce? Are there differences between the
curricula of 2004 and 2016? If so, what are the
differences?
 How do teachers and school librarians conceptualize
information literacy and do the conceptions differ from as
they are present in the core curricula? If so, what are the
differences?
 What differences or similarities are there to be found
between teachers’ and school librarians’ conceptions? Does
the presence of a school library have impact on their
conceptions?
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4. The core curriculum aanndd FFiinnnniisshh sscchhooooll ssyysstteemm
 Presented by the Board of
Education
 The national guideline
 At the moment describing
learning goals, what has to be
learnt
 Municipalities and schools has to
adapt it to their own use.
 Current curriculum from 2004
 Consists of a general part and a
subject related part
 New curriculum is ready at the
end of 2014
 The comprehensive school was
established in 1972
 It is compulsory
 Primary school (grades 1-6)
 Secondary school (grades 7-9)
 The Finnish school system has
gainned visibility and fame
because of PISA results
 The results has a slight
downward trend
 Education debate is vivid in
Finland at the moment because
of that
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5. The Seven Faces ooff IInnffoorrmmaattiioonn LLiitteerraaccyy
bbyy CChhrriissttiinnee BBrruuccee
 Seven faces of information literacy was chosen because of a need
to understand conceptions, not skills or process described to be
information literate.
 Hoping to understand discourse differences between teachers
and school librarians.
 A relational model of information literacy
– Information technology conception
– Information source conception
– Information process conception
– Information controling conception
– Knowledge construction conception
– Knowledge extension conception
– Wisdom conception
(Source: Bruce, C. (1997). The Seven Faces of Informaiton Literacy. Adelaide: Auslib Press.)
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6. How tthhee ffrraammeewwoorrkk wwaass uusseedd??
 The core curriculum was first analyzed counting words related to information,
knowledge, information, libraries, media, information literacy, etc. This was to get
an over all picture of the material.
 The core curriculum was analyzed by concepts and the concepts were organized
to a table according to Bruce’s model’s categories.
 Some adjustments are explained in the following slides, as well as some of the
challenges.
 Reasons for the challenges were partly posed by the text itself and some by the
framework.
 The results were presented both according to subject categories in the
curriculum and by Bruce’s categories.
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7. Challenges ooff tthhee eemmppiirriiccaall mmaatteerriiaall
 There is distortion in the number of occurrences between
primary and secondary schools because of grade division in some
subjects
 Comparison between primary and secondary school is therefore
not useful
 There are 5 languages that has an official mother tongue status in
the curriculum.
 Therefore same issues as occurrences come up several times
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8. The knowledge ccoonnssttrruuccttiioonn ccoonncceeppttiioonn
Category of Bruce’s model Concept on the curriculum Where and grade
Knowledge
Typical "Recognize genres of normal fictional text and
construction
different styles of factual and media texts – news
reports, advertisements, and various articles, in
particular – and be able to take an analytical and
critical stance towards them.”
7. Learning objectives and core
contents of education
7.3 Mother tongue and literature,
Swedish as mother tongue, grades 6-9,
final-assessment criteria for grade of 8
Subject-related
p. 188, " The core task of physics instruction in the
seventh through ninth grades is to broaden the pupil’s
knowledge of physics and their conceptions of the
nature of physics, and to strengthen skills in the
experimental acquisition of information "
7. Learning objectives and core
contents of education
7.9 Physics,
grades 7-9,
introduction
Discarded s.178, "[The pupils will] … how to evaluate different
data sources critically”
7. Learning objectives and core
contents of education
7.8 Biology and geography,
grades 5-6,
description of good performance at
the end of the sixth grade.
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9. Word aannaallyyssiiss ttoo sshhooww pprrooppoorrttiioonnss
Occurrences in general or subject related part of the curriculum
40 (7,3%) occurrences in the general part of the curriculum
503 (92,0%) occurrences in the subject related part of the curriculum
245 (44,8%) 245 occurrences out of 547 are found in the mother tongue
Occurrences according to primary or secondary level
55 (15%) occurrences in general, not specific to school level
280 (51,2%) occurrences in primary school curriculum
212 (38,8%) occurrences in secondary school curriculum
Languages include Finnish, Swedish as official languages and Sami, Romani and sign
language as minority languages
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10. Example of division of occurrences in one ccoonncceeppttiioonn ccaatteeggoorryy
((wwiitthh oonnllyy FFiinnnniisshh aass mmootthheerr ttoonngguuee ooccccuurrrreenncceess))
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11. Example of how the occurrences aarree ddiivviiddeedd iinnssiiddee tthhee ssuubbjjeecctt
ggrroouupp ooff mmootthheerr ttoonngguuee ((oonnllyy FFiinnnniisshh))
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12. Summary ooff tthhee ffiinnddiinnggss iinn aa ffiigguurree
((iinncclluuddiinngg tthhee wwhhoollee mmootthheerr ttoonngguuee ssuubbjjeecctt ggrroouupp))
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13. SSuummmmaarryy ooff ffiinnddiinnggss
 Information literacy is present in the Finnish core curriculum
 The general part has more emphasis on learning aspects then the
subjects specific groups
 The core curriculum is describing the learning goals but the means to
reach it is not present in the curriculum.
– 2004 curriculum is describing what
– 2016 curriculum is describing how (?)
 Discources found are finding information and learning
– Phases 1 and 2 = information finding discourse STRONG
– Phases 5 and 6 (+7) = learning discourse STRONG
– Phases 3 and 4 = informaiton managing discourse WEAK
 Interesting point of continuin the research…
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14. TThhaannkk yyoouu!! KKiiiittooss!!
In case you have questions:
anu.ojaranta@abo.fi
LinkedIn
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Twitter: @bloomingcherry
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