Investigating the use of communities of practice to implement global education in Finnish basic education

Abstract

This article investigates the possibilities of implementing global education in national education by means of an often referred-to social learning theory 'communities of practice'. The argumentation is supported by research conducted in Finnish comprehensive schools lower level (the first six years of education). The research findings suggest that at the moment in Finland, global education is perceived as a real challenge for practitioners. In conclusion, it is argued that the use of communities of practice as a basis to implement global education perspectives in basic education has good potential to succeed in developing national education policies and in finding best practices for global education.