Environmentalism in English studies and teachers’ perceptions of implementing the curriculum in Finnish upper secondary schools

The aim of this master’s thesis is two-fold: first, to see how the inclusion of environmentalism has changed in the Finnish national curricula for general upper secondary education over the last five decades, especially in English studies. Second, the role of teachers and their perceptions of the implementation of the curriculum and its contents are examined from the point of view of autonomy and Michael Lipsky’s concept of street-level bureaucracy. What teachers are expected to do is identified by examining the curriculum, and by talking to teachers directly, their perceptions of their preparedness, abilities, and autonomy are established. Thus, environmentalism and its recognition in general upper secondary schools in Finland are examined. This thesis begins with a review of the Finnish school system, definitions of sustainability and environmentalism, and consideration of teacher autonomy in Finland. Then, the first research question is answered with a review of the national curricula for Finnish general upper secondary education from 1985 to 2019. The review focuses on the development of environmentalism, especially in English studies, to see how the national curriculum has considered concepts such as sustainability in past decades. After the introduction of Lipsky’s concept, the empirical part of this thesis is presented. Topics such as teachers’ awareness of the most recent curriculum reform and environmentalism, teachers’ perceptions of their preparedness to teach about environmentalism, and their need for more input were discussed in phenomenographic interviews with ten Finnish teachers of English. This study found that the Finnish national curriculum has developed its environmentalism-related content in each curriculum reform. Through the introduction of transversal competencies and optional courses, the curriculum and English studies recognize the need to discuss topics such as global warming, sustainability, and environmentalism. Based on the interviews of this study, Finnish teachers are ...