The reform of geography teaching in the Finnish upper secondary school and its reflection in the Matriculation Examinations of 1970-1985

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to study the reform of upper secondary school geography teaching in Finland and its manifestation in the Matriculation Examinations over the period 1976‑1985. Connections are traced with developments taking place at that time in geography as a scientific discipline and in the teaching of geography in schools on the international level. The reform of school geography teaching is viewed as an educational innovation, the spatial advance of which can be examined in terms of diffusion theory.

The teaching reforms described here are seen to have confirmed the status of geography as an independent, compulsory subject in the upper secondary school. At the same time the new optional course in regional geography, with its emphasis on independent work by the pupils, has enlivened upper secondary school teaching and has proved extremely popular among Matriculation Examination candidates.

The reform was reflected in the Matriculation Examination most clearly in an increase in the proportion of answers to geographical questions on the Modern Subjects paper from 1980 onwards, indicating a heightened interest in geography in the schools. Analyses of the answers given to these questions nevertheless show that more attention needs to be paid in Finland to the skills of applying geographical knowledge.

The implementation of ideas consistent with the new curriculum has been greatly facilitated by the availability of new textbooks, the provision of in‑service training for teachers and the setting of new types of questions in the Matriculation Examination itself. The centralized education system prevailing in Finland also helped to promote rapid diffusion of the innovation, enabling it to spread to the whole country within the period studied here, so that conformity has been achieved in the teaching given and development in the directions presupposed by the reform has been assured for the future.