Reading between the lines: Democratic citizenship in the history curriculum in lower secondary education in Finland

Abstract

<p>The paper discusses the Finnish core curriculum (curriculum framework) for basic education, with focus on how lower secondary education in general, and history teaching specifically, is meant to develop the student's democratic citizenship. Developing the student's democratic citizenship is not an explicit aim of history teaching in the current core curriculum although the aims of history teaching there are very much about civic skills that support deliberative, participatory and liberal democracy. Support to the student's democratic citizenship and the liberal-democratic society is more visible as a goal in the sections of the core curriculum that describe the general goals and principles of basic education. In the paper it is suggested that the emphasis on the skills to construct, analyse and evaluate historical interpretations in the history curriculum overshadows more directly societal aims and political aspects of history teaching that are relevant in developing the student's democratic citizenship. It is suggested also that bringing third-order concepts in the history curriculum could valuably support the student's democratic citizenship and democratic consciousness by focusing on the personal meanings of history to the student – a perspective too often neglected in the curriculum.<br></p>