ERIC Number: EJ1427183
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1363-6820
EISSN: N/A
Finnish Vocational Education and Training Experts' Reflections on Multiculturalism in the Aftermath of a Major Reform
Journal of Vocational Education and Training, v76 n3 p644-663 2024
In the present study we examine how Finnish vocational education and training (VET) experts reflect on multiculturalism in the aftermath of a major reform. The research material consists of interviews with educational policy experts in Finnish VET, namely: principals, government officials and lobbyists (N = 11). A qualitative thematic analysis reveals the following three latent themes through which experts reflect on multiculturalism: 1) multiculturalism as individualisation; 2) multiculturalism as competition; and 3) multiculturalism as shared responsibility. The results show that Finnish VET experts see multiculturalism as a critical challenge for education and working life. On the other hand, it is still unclear whether the 2018 VET reform will be able to resolve the different dilemmas and contradictions that the experts connect with multiculturalism. Experts understand multiculturalism narrowly as synonymous with immigration and as something that happens in encounters with Finns, even though it is not shared by Finns themselves. While most of the experts argue that personalisation and working life are particularly important for immigrants and students with an immigrant background, others are worried about the future of broader social competences in Finnish VET.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Vocational Education, Multicultural Education, Cultural Awareness, Educational Change, Immigration, Immigrants, Equal Education
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Finland
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A