Antiracism education in Finnish teacher education: A study of student teachers’ perceptions
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In recent years, the rise of antiracist movements globally has prompted deep reflection on the dynamics of race, power, and social justice in diverse contexts. Finland, with its unique historical and social backdrop, presents an interesting case study. Based on recent studies, racism in Finland is a serious issue. Racism is often recognised and discussed on an individual level as a part of a personal belief system or attitudes but not recognised as systemic processes where racialisation and Whiteness are embedded in the system. This article presents preliminary results from a research project on antiracism pedagogy in teacher education taking place in four Finnish universities. The data was collected from student teachers who were studying in teacher education programs at these universities. The results indicate that student teachers recognise the existence of racism but can only largely observe it as outsiders who may not recognise the majority (White) privilege and the structural racism that exists in education. This raises a concern over the gap between teacher education and the reality in schools. Moreover, the results suggest some preventative means to tackle racism, as well as the importance of being proactive.
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