The article presents the findings from a systematic review of research
on curriculum materials used in Finnish basic education. The purpose of the
study is to aggregate research-based knowledge of the materials and their use.
Moreover, it seeks to uncover the assumptions concerning the materials and
their functions that underlie the theoretical and methodological approaches
adopted by the researchers. A total of 171 scientific studies were analysed.
The main finding of the study is that the majority of existing studies focus on
examining the content of textbooks and workbooks in isolation from the contexts
in which they are used. We suggest that further research on the role of
curriculum materials in planning and teaching would benefit textbook authors,
teachers and teacher educators.