Teaching multicultural history in Finland: the views and practices of history teachers in Finland

The history of minorities and Indigenous people has long been neglected in Finnish history education, which has supported and created an image of a culturally homogenous country. In Finland, the history curriculum avoids the prescription of specific content, giving history teachers great autonomy in choosing teaching methods and materials. This means that history teachers have a great responsibility in creating a curriculum, also with respect to the inclusion, or the lack thereof, of minorities. This article examines the perceptions of history teachers towards the inclusion of minorities and the Sámi in history education in Finland and is based on semi-structured interviews with history teachers. It further examines teachers’ views on structural issues and practical concerns with respect to multicultural history education. The article suggests that while history teachers are motivated to teach about multicultural history, the lack of institutional support and time constraints occasionally prevent them from diversifying their curricula. They also view the curriculum instructions differently, which may result in significantly different teaching objectives and learning outcomes. Additionally, the article explores the teaching methods teachers use in teaching about minorities and suggests that global history, family history and debates are efficient methods in diversifying the teaching content.