Finnish Matriculation Examination, National Curriculum, and teachers’ attitudes, perspectives, and practices : when the two assessment cultures meet

Abstract

The Finnish National Core Curriculum (NCC) and the Matriculation Examination (ME) are likely to shape what happens in classrooms around Finland, including classroom assessment. The present study aimed at exploring English academically oriented upper secondary school English teachers’ (n = 85) (1) attitudes to changes in the NCC and the ME, (2) their perspectives on these changes, and (3) how their assessment practices were shaped by the NCC and the ME. The data were collected roughly at the time both changes came into force. The data came from a survey and follow-up interviews with four teachers. The results indicated that teachers were quite positive about the changes but anticipated both positive and negative changes in the classroom. Their assessment practices appeared to be shaped more strongly by the ME than the NCC and seemed to impact their attitudes to and perspectives on the two changes.