0000000000071213
AUTHOR
Markku Jahnukainen
showing 10 related works from this author
ADHD in the context of Finnish basic education
2014
Students with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are a growing group served under special education services in many western societies. This article describes the history and current state of the services, as well as the assessment procedure. Our conclusion is that the status of students with ADHD in Finnish basic education (Grades 1 to 9) is still unclear. Based on the comparison of the prevalence and the population served in special education we can assume that this group is probably underserved in the Finnish school system. We also present findings from two recent studies among families with ADHD children in Finland. Family viewpoint can contribute to our knowledge and under…
The implementation of new special education legislation in Finland
2014
This article examines the implementation of new special education legislation in Finland among students with significant disabilities. The data consist of a nationwide survey and field observations. In the analysis, a policy implementation framework is utilized as a theoretical lens. The findings suggest that schools and municipalities that had participated in long-term development projects had more capacity and willingness to reform special education practices substantially, suggesting that learning in one policy area can transfer to other domains across multiple levels of national and local governments. The key findings highlight the significance of professional trust as a policy instrum…
Different strategies, different outcomes? The history and trends of the inclusive and special education in Alberta (Canada) and in Finland
2011
This study compares the strategies and delivery of education for students with special educational needs in the province of Alberta, Canada, and in the country of Finland, in the European Union. The rationale for comparing these two jurisdictions is grounded by the idea that both of these areas have high general standards of living, a well-developed public education system, and top results in international school achievement tests. The data consists of available educational policy papers, previous research papers, and educational statistics. This article first describes the special education system development and the current situation, followed by the funding system and discussion about th…
How do educational reforms change the share of students in special education? Trends in special education in Finland
2019
Recent European and global trends in education have been to promote inclusive education and expand education, resulting in the increased provision of special education. In promoting inclusive education, recent special education reforms have also aimed to curtail the rise in identification rates for students in special education, for example, by focusing more on early support and discontinuing fiscal incentives to identify students with special educational needs. Using official special education statistics, we studied how Finland’s special education system reforms changed the share of students in special education. In addition, we examined variations in special education provisions among mu…
Longitudinal research on emotional and behavioural difficulties
2011
Longitudinal studies have a long history in social sciences (e.g., Phelps, Furstenberg and Colby 2002). The advantages of these kinds of approaches have often been named: we can investigate real de...
Special education students in transition to further education: A four-year register-based follow-up study in Finland
2016
Abstract This study examines the transition of special education students into upper secondary education in Finland. The national register-based school-level dataset comprises three compulsory school-leaving cohorts of 2004, 2006 and 2009 including all students and schools providing lower secondary education. Special education students (Tier 3) are divided into four different groups based on their curriculum adjustments. The school-level effect of special education provision is evaluated with statistical models exploiting the panel nature of the data. The results show that there are significant differences in participation in upper secondary education between the groups with different level…
Finnish reform of the funding and provision of special education : the views of principals and municipal education administrators
2015
This study examines the current state of special education provision and resources in Finland after the extensive reform of the government transfer system and Basic Education Act implemented in 2010–2011. Data were collected from a survey of compulsory school principals and from interviews with the highest-ranking officials in municipal education administration. The results show that participants viewed the Basic Education Act as having a more significant impact on the provision of special education than the reform of the government transfer system. Partly due to the reforms, local authorities have targeted the resources of special education differently and used resources more effectively. …
Principals’ views on changes in the provision of support for learning and schooling in Finland after educational reform
2019
Recently, the large-scale reforms of special education have been carried out in many countries. This study focuses on the latest Finnish reform of special education in compulsory education. As principals lead educational reforms in schools, their role in the implementation of reform is significant. The study explores principals’ views on the changes in support arrangements after the educational reform. We used latent class analysis to identify the subgroups of principals who share similar views. In addition, we examined the relationship between the subgroups and individual, school, and municipal level factors using multinomial logistic regression analysis. Four subgroups were identified: im…
The social networks of young people with intellectual disabilities during the On-Campus supported adult education programme
2016
<p>This article describes the social networks of four young people with intellectual disabilities in supported adult education, focusing on their inclusion in school and leisure environments. A multiple case study approach with content analysis was used. Data were collected through interviews with young people and their family members, relationship maps, observation journals and notes from Personal Futures Planning meetings. Relationships with family members, other relatives and neighbours were close. One participant had a friend of her own age with no disabilities. The other three had varying, superficial peer relationships and friends of the family. All the participants had heteroge…
The 21st Century Reforms (Re)Shaping the Education Policy of Inclusive and Special Education in Finland
2021
In recent decades, an essential global aim of the reforms of special education has been the promotion of inclusive education. This article discusses the implementation of reforms with a focus on tiered support systems in the context of Finnish comprehensive school education. Based on earlier literature, legislation, and administrative documents, we provide a background for Finnish education policy and special education reforms. The focus of this article is on the description of parallel reforms targeting the re-structuring of the systems around support for students and funding of education in the 2010s. We discuss the processes leading to these reforms and the reforms themselves. In additio…