Teachers’ Perceptions of Literature-Based Practices for Primary School Students in Finland

Literature-based practices (LBP) provide students a chance to get to know literature creatively, for example, by playing, storytelling, and making use of other art forms. We studied Finnish teachers’ (N = 103) perceptions of the benefits of using LBP for students with and without special educational needs. These viewpoints were obtained via a questionnaire including both multiple-choice and open-ended questions. The data were analyzed by examining frequencies and applying a thematic qualitative textual analysis. Teachers reported that the greatest advantage of LBP for students was in the development of language and literacy skills, and social-emotional skills. Thus, findings indicate that LBP is an important pedagogical tool empowering language, literacy, and social-emotional learning. Using LBP might provide more equal and multidimensional opportunities for students to benefit from literature, despite possible difficulties with language and social-emotional skills.