A systematic review of research on curriculum materials in Finnish basic education
Abstract
The article presents the findings from a systematic review of research on curriculum materials used in Finnish basic education. The purpose of the study is to aggregate research-based knowledge of these materials and their use. Moreover, this study is intended to uncover the assumptions concerning the materials and their functions that underlie the theoretical and methodological approaches adopted by the researchers in the total of 171 scientific studies analysed. The main finding of the study is that the majority of existing studies focus on examining the content of textbooks and workbooks in isolation from the contexts in which they are used. We suggest that further research on the role of curriculum materials in planning and teaching could benefit textbook authors, teachers and teacher educators.
