Arviointisanat

Arviointisanat are terms used in Finnish education to describe specific areas of knowledge or skill that students are expected to learn within a subject. They are part of the national curriculum and serve as building blocks for the national assessment framework. Each arviointisana corresponds to a concrete learning goal and is linked to a set of learning objectives, teaching content and typical tasks. In school curricula, subjects are often divided into a handful of arviointisanas, for example literature, history, mathematics or biology. During lessons teachers design activities that specifically target one or more of these domains. At the end of a phase or year, students are assessed in each arviointisana separately, which provides a detailed picture of strengths and weaknesses in different parts of the subject.

The concept was introduced in the early 2000s to support transparent and evidence‑based assessment. It aligns with Finland’s principle of providing comprehensive feedback and individualized learning pathways. Assessment of arviointisanat can be formative or summative; teachers may use tests, projects, presentations or observations. Aggregated results are used for national comparisons, school improvement and guidance counselling. The use of arviointisanat is recognized as one of the factors that contributes to Finland’s strong position in international education rankings.