D4 Published development or research report or study
Kaksivuotisen esiopetuksen kokeilun seurannan ja arvioinnin tuloksia 2021-2022 : Osaraportti 1 : kokeiluasiakirjojen laadinta, arviointi ja käyttöönotto (2023)
Preliminary results of monitoring and evaluation of the two-year pre-primary education trial of 2021-2022 : Report 1 : The preparation, evaluation, and implementation of the national and local pilot curricula

Sulkanen, M., Kuusiholma-Linnamäki, J., Alasuutari, M., Saranko, L., & Lerkkanen, M.-K. (2023). Kaksivuotisen esiopetuksen kokeilun seurannan ja arvioinnin tuloksia 2021-2022 : Osaraportti 1 : kokeiluasiakirjojen laadinta, arviointi ja käyttöönotto. Jyväskylän yliopisto. JYU Reports, 21. https://doi.org/10.17011/jyureports/2023/21

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Sulkanen, Mimmu; Kuusiholma-Linnamäki, Julia; Alasuutari, Maarit; Saranko, Lotta; Lerkkanen, Marja-Kristiina

eISBN: 978-951-39-9608-6

Journal or series: JYU Reports

eISSN: 2737-0046

Publication year: 2023

Number in series: 21

Number of pages in the book: 81

Publisher: Jyväskylän yliopisto

Place of Publication: Jyväskylä

Publication country: Finland

Publication language: Finnish

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17011/jyureports/2023/21

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Abstract

The two-year pre-primary education trial conducted by the Ministry of Education and Culture started in August 2021. This report is part of the trial’s follow-up study. The results are based on two surveys conducted in the spring of 2022: a municipal survey and a teacher survey. The surveys provided data on the implementation of the national two-year pre-primary education pilot curriculum as well as the preparations and implementation of the municipalities’ local pilot curriculum in the operating period of 2021–2022. In addition, it supplied information and insights on how the officials responsible for the municipalities’ early childhood education and care (ECEC) and pre-primary education and the ECEC teachers themselves evaluated the functionality and appropriateness of the pilot curriculum in question, and how the staff was supported in familiarizing themselves with the national pilot curriculum and local curriculum. The municipal survey was completed by 120 officials responsible for ECEC in the municipalities, and the teacher survey was completed by 872 ECEC teachers-in-charge of the trial and control groups. Most of the municipalities’ ECEC officials and ECEC teachers felt that there had been too little time allotted for preparation before starting the two-year pre-primary education trial. This was reflected in the implementation of the local pilot curriculum. The majority of the teachers in the trial groups estimated that the implementation of the local pilot curriculum proceeded only moderately or poorly in their group. The poor implementation was explained by the experience of having to hurry, lack of time, staff turnover, and, in some cases, insufficient change management. The municipalities’ ECEC officials estimated that the implementation of the national pilot curriculum had been fostered by the cooperation of the five-year-old pre-primary education groups with the six-year-old pre-primary education groups and the pedagogical expertise of the staff of the ECEC centers participating in the trial. However, we found that the implementation of the national pilot curriculum was most often seriously hampered by the limited availability of ECEC teachers. Nevertheless, despite the challenges encountered during the implementation, both the municipalities’ ECEC officials and teachers evaluated the national pilot curriculum positively. The majority of ECEC teachers felt that they were well acquainted with the national pilot curriculum and the local pilot curriculum. In more than half of the municipalities, the staff working in the trial groups had been offered training or allocated personal working time to familiarize themselves with the pilot curricula. The local pilot curriculum was prepared differently across the various municipalities, guided by and in keeping with each municipality’s special characteristics and established operating methods. In the large municipalities, the role of the administration and various experts was emphasized in the preparation, while in the small municipalities, the curriculum was prepared in collaboration with the municipality’s ECEC staff. In nearly half of the trial municipalities, children were consulted in various ways in connection with the preparations of the local pilot curriculum.

Keywords: early childhood education and care; preschool education; teaching experiments; curricula; introduction (implementation); questionnaire survey

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2023