Thinking skills in the Finnish Curriculum 2014

The pedagogical approach in the Finnish curriculum for basic education (2014) sees pupils as independent and active agents in their own learning. Pupils should be given increased opportunities to think independently, which means the teacher’s role is then to support and guide learning. The main role of the school is to strengthen the development of metacognition (learning to learn) and learning skills by teaching them consciously and systematically.

One of the central aims of the Finnish school curriculum (2014) is to develop skills for thinking and learning to learn. These are the goals of the first of the curriculum’s transferal skills (L1). In the curriculum thinking skills and learning to learn mean many things: noticing, evaluating, adapting, researching, producing, generating ideas, sharing, creating, reflecting on inner knowledge , constructing new knowledge, problem solving, arguing, deducing, analyzing, criticizing, combining different points of view, and thinking about ethics.

‘Every pupil is given help in recognizing their own way of learning and in developing learning strategies. Skills for learning to learn develop when pupils are given age-appropriate guidance in how to set their own aims, plan their own work, evaluate their own progress and make use of technology and other tools in their own learning. During their basic schooling pupils are supported in building a solid basis of knowledge and skills as well as sustained motivation for further education and lifelong learning.’ (The Ministry for Education 2014, 21