The Teachers' Views on the Significance of the Design and Craft Teaching in Finland

Abstract

The Finnish curriculum for crafts emphasises the creative
problem-solving skills of the student, the completion of
different design tasks and the implementation of designs,
while seeking to nurture the student’s self-esteem.
Furthermore, students should draw up the designs for
their artefacts, plan their work, and also develop designs
when needed. These aims can be accomplished by
teachers diligently teaching the designing of craft products.
The purpose of the present study is to analyse teachers’
views on design as a part of the holistic craft process in
the school context. The study was conducted in two
phases. In the first phase five teachers were interviewed,
and in the second phase four teachers wrote short essays.
The research questions addressed were as follows: “What
kind of views do teachers hold on students’ designing in
the crafts area? How is designing implemented in craft
teaching?” The results indicate that the extent of students’
participation in designing their craft product is dependent
on the attitudes and competence of their craft teacher.
Design-oriented teachers plan the designing situations and
stimuli carefully and value design as a significant part of
the craft process. Technique-oriented teachers will
consider their students’ participation in design
unnecessary or too challenging and as detracting from
more essential learning outcomes, such as craft
techniques. It seems the teachers need supplementary
education to implement the new curriculum of crafts in
Finland.