laajaalaisempaan

Laajaalaisempaan is the illative singular form of the Finnish adjective laaja-alainen, meaning “broader-based” or “more cross-disciplinary.” The term is used primarily in education and policy discourse to describe approaches, curricula, or competencies that span multiple subject areas rather than being limited to a single discipline. It commonly appears in phrases such as laajaalaisempaan osaamiseen (toward broader-based competence) or laajaalaisempaan lähestymistapaan (toward a broader approach).

In educational contexts, laaja-alainen osaaminen refers to a set of cross-cutting competences that go beyond subject-specific knowledge. These include skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration, digital literacy, and responsible citizenship. The aim is to integrate learning across subjects and to connect schoolwork with real-life contexts. The concept is central to reforms in the Finnish National Core Curriculum for Basic Education, which supports project-based, phenomenon-based, and theme-based learning that blends multiple disciplines and fosters transferable skills.

Etymologically, laajaalainen is a compound of laaja (broad) and alainen (related to a field or domain), and laajaalaisempaan marks a comparative, indicating movement toward a more broad-based approach. The term is part of ongoing discussions about how best to prepare students for diverse lifelong learning and work environments.

See also: laaja-alainen osaaminen, cross-curricular learning, Finnish national core curriculum.