Developing Language-Aware Pedagogy – A Finnish Perspective

Developing Language-Aware Pedagogy – A Finnish Perspective

Finland is internationally renowned for its inclusive education system and consistently strong performance in global educational assessments. In this presentation, Professor Harju-Luukkainen will provide a comprehensive overview of the Finnish education system and share inclusive approaches used to support multilingual learners in Finland. During this presentation, Harju-Luukkainen will explore one of the latest innovations in Finnish education: “Developing Language-Aware Pedagogy.” This initiative responds to the growing need for language-aware practices in educational settings, with a particular focus on supporting the Finnish/Swedish language acquisition of multilingual children. The LangPeda tool aligns with the national and international policies, which emphasizes the importance of nurturing children’s linguistic and cultural identities and integrating language-aware pedagogy across educational settings.

Heidi Harju-Luukkainen • University of Jyväskylä (Finland)

Professor of education at the University of Jyväskylä (Finland), where she serves as the Vice Director for the Kokkola University Consortium and as the Director of education unit. She also holds positions at Nord University in Norway and Southern Cross University in Australia as part-time professor. Her professional journey has taken her to seven different countries and more than 20 different universities, where she has held positions at esteemed institutions such as UCLA and USC, USA. She has an extensive publication record, with around 300 scholarly works and is also frequently used as a keynote speaker in international academic events and for organisations. She has a long track record of effectively leading and working for change in academic settings across the globe. Harju-Luukkainen has been involved in more than 40 research and developmental projects spanning various countries in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, and North America. She has developed multiple university programs from undergraduate to PhD level globally and been a PI for PISA sub-assessments in Finland.