The Finnish curriculum for crafts emphasises the creative

problem-solving skills of the student, the completion of

different design tasks and the implementation of designs,

while seeking to nurture the student’s self-esteem.

Furthermore, students should draw up the designs for

their artefacts, plan their work, and also develop designs

when needed. These aims can be accomplished by

teachers diligently teaching the designing of craft products.

The purpose of the present study is to analyse teachers’

views on design as a part of the holistic craft process in

the school context. The study was conducted in two

phases. In the first phase five teachers were interviewed,

and in the second phase four teachers wrote short essays.

The research questions addressed were as follows: “What

kind of views do teachers hold on students’ designing in

the crafts area? How is designing implemented in craft

teaching?” The results indicate that the extent of students’

participation in designing their craft product is dependent

on the attitudes and competence of their craft teacher.

Design-oriented teachers plan the designing situations and

stimuli carefully and value design as a significant part of

the craft process. Technique-oriented teachers will

consider their students’ participation in design

unnecessary or too challenging and as detracting from

more essential learning outcomes, such as craft

techniques. It seems the teachers need supplementary

education to implement the new curriculum of crafts in Finland