Building Shared and Coherent Theory of Change: Lessons Learned from Finnish Core Curriculum Reform

Jenni Sullanmaa; Lotta Tikkanen; Tiina Soini; Janne Pietarinen; Kirsi Pyhältö

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-82976-6_20-1

Building Shared and Coherent Theory of Change: Lessons Learned from Finnish Core Curriculum Reform

Jenni Sullanmaa, Lotta Tikkanen, Tiina Soini, Janne Pietarinen, Kirsi Pyhältö

Education

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › Scientific › peer-review

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Abstract

Large-scale curriculum reforms are a central tool for developing education. A precondition for achieving reform goals is that those who are involved and affected by them, that is, the reform stakeholders, have sufficiently coherent and shared understanding of what needs to be changed and the direction in which the change should be steered. In this chapter, we propose a theoretical model of a shared and coherent theory of change in terms of curriculum and synthetize the results of a multimethod longitudinal systemic research project on the construction of the theory of change in the national core curriculum reform at state, district, and school levels in Finland. Results concerning the educational stakeholders’ theories of change as well as strategies they used to shape it are discussed in the light of the proposed model. Finally, we will conclude with providing a set of practical implications based on the synthesis and the proposed model.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Handbook of Curriculum Theory and Research
Editors	Peter Pericles Trifonas, Susan Jagger
Publisher	Springer
Pages	1–15
Number of pages	15
ISBN (Electronic)	978-3-030-82976-6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82976-6_20-1
Publication status	Published - 7 Oct 2023
Publication type	A3 Book chapter

Publication series

Name	Springer International Handbooks of Education
ISSN (Print)	2197-1951
ISSN (Electronic)	2197-196X

Keywords

Curriculum reform
Curriculum-making
Large-scale curriculum reform
Shared sense-making
Theory of change

Publication forum classification

Publication forum level 2

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Education
Social Sciences (miscellaneous)

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10.1007/978-3-030-82976-6_20-1

Sullanmaa et al. FINAL
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Sullanmaa, J., Tikkanen, L., Soini, T., Pietarinen, J., & Pyhältö, K. (2023). Building Shared and Coherent Theory of Change: Lessons Learned from Finnish Core Curriculum Reform. In P. Pericles Trifonas, & S. Jagger (Eds.), Handbook of Curriculum Theory and Research (pp. 1–15). (Springer International Handbooks of Education). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82976-6_20-1

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abstract = "Large-scale curriculum reforms are a central tool for developing education. A precondition for achieving reform goals is that those who are involved and affected by them, that is, the reform stakeholders, have sufficiently coherent and shared understanding of what needs to be changed and the direction in which the change should be steered. In this chapter, we propose a theoretical model of a shared and coherent theory of change in terms of curriculum and synthetize the results of a multimethod longitudinal systemic research project on the construction of the theory of change in the national core curriculum reform at state, district, and school levels in Finland. Results concerning the educational stakeholders{\textquoteright} theories of change as well as strategies they used to shape it are discussed in the light of the proposed model. Finally, we will conclude with providing a set of practical implications based on the synthesis and the proposed model.",

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Sullanmaa, J, Tikkanen, L, Soini, T, Pietarinen, J & Pyhältö, K 2023, Building Shared and Coherent Theory of Change: Lessons Learned from Finnish Core Curriculum Reform. in P Pericles Trifonas & S Jagger (eds), Handbook of Curriculum Theory and Research . Springer International Handbooks of Education, Springer, pp. 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82976-6_20-1

Building Shared and Coherent Theory of Change: Lessons Learned from Finnish Core Curriculum Reform. / Sullanmaa, Jenni; Tikkanen, Lotta; Soini, Tiina et al.
Handbook of Curriculum Theory and Research . ed. / Peter Pericles Trifonas; Susan Jagger. Springer, 2023. p. 1–15 (Springer International Handbooks of Education).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › Scientific › peer-review

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Building Shared and Coherent Theory of Change: Lessons Learned from Finnish Core Curriculum Reform

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