ABSTRACT
Recent major policy shifts in Finland regarding K-12 curriculum. include overt attention to working with multilingual students, particularly from immigrant backgrounds. In order to understand these policy shifts, this study reports findings from an analysis of policy documents and interviews with several policy actors engaged in the development and implementation of the new Finnish National Curriculum. Through the analysis of the documents and conversations with administrators, as well as a teacher educator and teachers, this study offers a perspective regarding large-scale policy changes. Findings suggest that curricular policy changes have been made with regard to multilingualism and the role of language. These changes, in turn, have important implications for the preparation of teachers to meet the increased emphasis on multilingualism. This is evidenced by the views of administrators, a teacher educator, and practicing teachers who see the 2014 curriculum as advocating for multilingualism as a valuable resource for learning. They were, however, concerned about the practical implementation of the curriculum in classrooms given the current content of teacher preparation. The case of Finnish policy shifts with regard to working with multilingual students provides valuable insights into improving policy and preparation of teachers in varying contexts around the world.
