Personal interest in reading

The individuality and conditionality of reading in Mother tongue and literature curriculum

Authors

• Leea Lakka Helsingin yliopisto
• Penni Pietilä University of Helsinki https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2854-4432

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33350/ka.119810

Keywords:

reading skills, Mother tongue and literature, basic education, curriculum, motivation, WPR

Abstract

The national core curriculum for Finnish basic education changed in 2014 (POPS 2014). In this core curriculum text, mentions about “interest” and ”enthusiasm” were increased significantly in comparison to the earlier curriculum. In this article, we analyze this trajectory by concentrating on the Mother tongue and literature curriculum in the core curriculum (POPS 2014). The analysis draws from Carol Bacchi’s discourse analysis method for policy. We analyze how POPS 2014 defines ”interest” and drawing on Bacchi’s method, we ask the question ”what is the problem represented to be”. The analysis shows that in different school subjects, ”interest” serves different functions. In Mother tongue and literature, and especially in reading, ”interest” is curricular content in itself and it is employed as a rationale for delimiting curricular contents. Instead of schoolwork and practice of reading, the curriculum concentrates on building positive attitudes. Thus, the problem, as represented in curriculum, is that the school subject of Mother tongue and literature does not suit for the pupils. The solution offered is invigorating teaching style which leads to personal interest towards reading. We suggest that POPS 2014 constructs ”interest” as individual and as able to bypass social differences. Therefore, by focusing on interest, the skills in reading are also individualized. This problematizes educational objectives in basic education.