Teachers’ perceptions of the Finnish national curriculum and inclusive practices of physical education

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis paper investigates the relationship between the Finnish national curriculum and inclusive practices of physical education (PE) from the viewpoint of teachers from Finland. Case studies were conducted with the intention of developing understandings of the teacher’s perspective on the current PE curricula at the time of transition to a new curriculum. The present qualitative study was carried out over a period of six months through weekly observations of PE classes and semi-structured interviews with teachers (n = 8) in four different schools in Southern Finland. Data were analysed through content analysis. Themes identified were ‘Pedagogical autonomy and flexibility of the curriculum’, ‘Commitment and responsibility’ and ‘Conceptualisation of PE’. Findings revealed that the flexibility of the curriculum seems to have a positive impact on the participants’ professional practice. Several participants feel morally responsible for developing their schools. Moreover, for most participants, PE should promote lifelong participation in physical activity. A differentiated and reflected understanding of assessing student achievement in PE seems important to accommodate the individual needs of their students with disabilities.