Equity and Inclusion in Finnish Education: Perspectives and Practices of Educators in Advancing Culturally Responsive Assessment for Students from Immigrant Background

Abstract

The growing number of global immigrant students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds has brought greater diversity into Finnish classrooms. Recent studies reveal substantial disparities in performance between immigrant and native students in Finland. Consequently, assessment is closely linked to educational practices and plays a significant role in shaping teaching and learning outcomes of immigrant students. The purpose of this research is to deepen the understanding of how Finnish teachers' perceptions and practices of Culturally Responsive Assessments (CRA) support inclusive education for immigrant students. Additionally, challenges and necessary implications were identified for its successful adaptation. The study utilized a qualitative design and semi-structured interviews with seven Finnish school teachers. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis with NVivo software (version 14). The finding reveals that teachers were unfamiliar with the CRA term and lacked sufficient linguistic and cultural knowledge to implement culturally responsive assessments for immigrant students. However, teachers incorporated native language support, peer collaboration in assessments with flexible assessment methods, tiered questions, and enhanced scaffolding. This study emphasizes the value of teacher professional training in enhancing teacher expertise, research-based strategies, and increasing cultural and linguistic understanding to create accessible assessments for immigrant students. As a result, the findings suggest that future Finnish education policy needs to address this gap by prioritizing continuous professional development for teachers and strengthening culturally sensitive criteria in assessments to effectively support students and promote inclusive Finnish education for immigrant students.