The Marketisation of Finnish Education: Values and Discourses in Education Export Contexts

Hakemuksen tiivistelmä

This doctoral research examines how Finnish basic education is presented and marketed in global education export. Finland’s comprehensive school system is internationally known for values such as equality, inclusion, and autonomy. These values, together with Finland’s reputation in international PISA rankings, have made Finnish education attractive abroad. Building on this image, Finnish Education Export Companies (FEECs) market services including curricula, teacher training, and school models. While earlier studies have examined education export through policy, branding, and higher education lens, little attention has been paid to how private companies market Finnish basic education and how they present its values in different cultural and political contexts. This project aims to analyse how FEECs discursively construct and market Finnish basic education in export settings. It focuses on how educational needs are described, how Finnish education is positioned as a solution, and how values such as inclusion, equality, and education as a public good are communicated or reshaped. The study draws on post-structural and postcolonial perspectives and applies Bacchi’s “What’s the Problem Represented to Be?” approach guided by Foucault's discourse analysis to examine how problems and solutions are framed. The data consists of two sets: marketing materials from six FEECs and interviews with 10–12 FEECs representatives, including managers and pedagogical experts. Marketing materials include service descriptions, blogs, and marketing content collected from FEECs websites in May 2025. Interviews focus on how company actors define educational needs, explain the relevance of Finnish education, and adapt its values. The project contributes to international and comparative education by showing how educational models are shaped for global markets. It informs debates on the commercialisation of education and the ethics of education export.