Dynamic and shared sense-making in large-scale curriculum reform in school districts

ABSTRACT

Shared sense-making is suggested to be key for curriculum reform. Shared sense-making entails constructing a collective understanding of the meaning for reform, its significance and its implications for schools, through dialogue and negotiation across the levels of the educational system. This study explored changes in hands-on strategies of shared sense-making, and ways of orchestrating curriculum reform work in the districts in Finland, following the introduction of new national curriculum policy. Longitudinal focus group interview data collected from curriculum coordinating groups during the reform work was utilised. The data were qualitatively content analysed. The two sets of shared sense-making strategies were identified in this study, including those strategies utilised by the groups in building their understanding of what the reform is all about, and those concerning the reform orchestration. The strategies employed evolved from simple to more complex, during the progression of curriculum work. Results also showed that the coordinating groups were well aware of their high autonomy and resulting responsibility in orchestrating the district-level curriculum work. However, the advance in shared sense-making strategies employed by the groups indicated that they were highly committed to constructing collective understanding about the reform, its significance and implications for schools through dialogue and negotiation with practitioners.

KEYWORDS:

• Curriculum reform
• shared sense-making
• strategies
• longitudinal study
• focus group interview

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. The municipalities were sampled on the basis of the national statistics gathered by Statistics Finland (2013).

Additional information

Funding

The project was funded by the Finnish Ministry of Culture and Education (6600567), and Academy of Finland (295022).

Notes on contributors

Kirsi Pyhältö

Kirsi Pyhältö is professor of educational sciences, at the University of Oulu and research director at the center of university teaching and learning, University of Helsinki. She is also an extraordinary professor, Department of Curriculum Studies, University of Stellenbosch, South-Africa. Her research interests include, teacher learning, school development, teacher burnout and curriculum making.

Janne Pietarinen

Janne Pietarinen is professor of educational sciences. He works as dean of Philosophical Faculty, University of Eastern-Finland. His research interests include teachers' occupational well-being, school development, school transitions and teacher agency.

Tiina Soini

Tiina Soini works as research director in the School of Education, at the University of Tampere. Her research interests include, school development, curriculum reform, study engagement and teacher agency.