A cross-cultural study of teachers’ relation to curriculum materials

Abstract

A number of studies show the complex relation between a teacher and curriculum materials influencing teachers’ actions in a mathematics classroom. This study investigates teachers’ relation to mathematics curriculum materials in three different cultural-educational contexts, namely in Sweden and in Finnish- and Swedish-speaking parts of Finland. The results are based on a survey among teachers (N = 603) who work in compulsory schools in these three contexts. The results support the previous findings, which show that curriculum materials are experienced by teachers as a guarantee of good quality in mathematics education, but, at the same time, as a burden. Some notable differences were found between teachers with various experiences in different contexts. The findings are discussed in terms of pedagogical design capacity and the specific character of the three contexts.