Transcript Document 7423936

Analysis of Technology
Education in Estonian
General Education Schools
Workgroup:
Assoc. Prof Ene Lind, MA Mart Soobik,
Assoc. Prof Kaie Pappel, Assitant Lecturer Kristi Paas
Characteristics of the school
system
A common system for general education, studies in
all stages follow unified curricula
The Educational Act
In 2006 - 585 general education schools (in 2000 685), of which 264 basic schools and 236 upper
secondary schools. The number of private schools is
31.
Catchment areas for all of the municipal schools
The board of trustees in schools
General
secondary
education
Basic education
Pre-school
education
Pre-school education
Creates necessary prerequisites for
successful advancement in everyday life and
at school .
The framework curriculum for pre-school
education
Compulsory school attendance when child
turns seven
Basic education
 Minimum compulsory general education (9 grades)
 Primary school (grades 1 to 6), basic school (grades 1 to 9), or an
upper secondary school (grades 1 to 12)
 Three national curricula
 Simplified curriculum - focuses more on developing elementary
skills and the ability to cope individually in life
 46 schools for children with special needs; most of them (90%) are
basic schools
 In order to graduate from basic school students are required to
complete the curriculum and successfully pass three basic school final
examinations
 After graduating: general secondary education at upper secondary
school, secondary vocational education at vocational educational
institution or to simply enter a profession.
General secondary education
Upper secondary school (3 years)
Possible to enter into pre-vocational training
to learn a profession by choosing
corresponding optional courses
At the end of the study period students take
five final examinations, including at least
three state examinations with standard
questions
The evaluation principles
 The regulations of the Minister of Education and Research (from
2005)
 The aim of evaluation is:
 to give students feedback on their academic achievements and to
support their development;
 to guide the formation of students’ self-assessment, to support selecting
the forthcoming educational path;
 to inspire and to guide students to study purposefully;
 to guide teachers’ activity in supporting students’ learning and their
individual development.
 Numerical grades are used on a five-point scale (“5” means “very
good”, “4” means “good”, “3” means “satisfactory”, “2” means
“poor” and “1” means “weak”).
Characteristics of the general
curriculum
 The source document for studies - National
Curriculum for Basic Schools and Upper
Secondary Schools
 On the basis of the national curriculum each
school compiles its own curriculum.
 The national curriculum consists of the general
part, the syllabi, and the recurrent topics.
Fours stages of study:
1) I stage of study – grades 1 to 3 (students
from 7 to 9 years of age);
2) II stage of study – grades 4 to 6 (students
from 10 to 12 years of age);
3) III stage of study – grades 7 to 9 (students
from 13 to 15 years of age),
4) upper secondary school – grades 10 to 12
(students from 16 to 18 years of age).
Compulsory subjects (16)
in basic schools are:
 Estonian
(as
native
language),
 Russian (in schools with
Russian as the language of
instruction),
 Foreign Language A,
 Foreign Language B,
 Mathematics,
 Natural Science,
 Geography,
 Biology,
 Chemistry,
 Physics,
 History,
 Anatomy,
 Social Education,
 Music,
 Art,
 Physical Education,
 Craft.
Syllabus for subject
Syllabi state the study aims, the activities and
content of the subject, and the required study
results by stages.
Structure- rather general and descriptive
The development of the
curriculum
 Curriculum Development Centre by the University of Tartu
 Periodic process
 Dependent on the volition of the politicians
 The last curricula were adopted in 1996 and then in 2002.
 In 2005 initiated curriculum development involved educational
scientists (general part – strategies), teachers and
specialists/subject methodologists.
 Up to here representatives of the industrial sphere have not been
involved in the development of the curriculum.
 For the evaluation of the 2002 curriculum foreign experts from
Finland were used (in 1999).
Position and status of
technology education




Learning all the subjects should support the formation of
competences stated in the curriculum
Technological competence - the capability to understand the
changes in people’s work and life style due to the development
of technology, to function in the modern high-technology world,
to be an economical user of resources
In the formation of the given competence the following subjects
are of importance: Craft, Natural Science, Mathematics,
History, Social Education; the recurring topics include The
environment and economical development, Professional career
and its formation and Information technology and media.
The subject that is the most connected with Technology
Education is Craft.
The syllabus of Craft for basic
schools
Consists in four different syllabi
for grades 1 to 3: Handicraft
for grades 4 to 9:
Handicraft
Home Economics
Craft and Technology Education
Craft is an integrative subject that establishes
favourable conditions for creatively applying
the knowledge acquired in other subjects.
The syllabus of Craft divides the
subject as follows
are taught 2 lessons per week
 The school may add some
extra Craft lessons by
decreasing the number of
optional lessons
Grades 4 to 9
Grades 4 to 9
HANDICRAFT
AND HOME
ECONOMICS
CRAFT AND
TECHNOLOGY
EDUCATION
 both boys and girls or to the class as a
whole
 integrated with Visual Art Education,
altogether 2 lessons per week (every
year)
Grades 1 to 3
HANDICRAFT
Aims of technology education
The general aim of Craft is to develop students as
individuals in a versatile way and to prepare them
for independent life. Students familiarise
themselves with the possibilities of vocational
education; develop their readiness to live and to
work in the world of today and in the quickly
changing technological world of tomorrow.
By the means of the subject students are provided
with a vision of needs of the future society, as well
as of the possibilities to continue studies and to
plan the career.
 The primary content of the syllabus of Craft and Technology includes
national experience, innovation, modern technology, their interaction
with the society in the creative and purposeful practical activity of
students.
 Through Craft and Technology Education children are provided with
the possibilities to understand, to retain, and to develop the national
culture of their country.
 During the lessons primary knowledge and practical skills are
acquired on the fields of national working traditions and the modern
engineering and technology.
 Through learning activities students learn to comprehend and
critically assess the development and interactions between
engineering, technology, and social life.
 Students learn to think and look for solutions, to experiment,
analyse, customise their skills and knowledge in practical activities
and use modern materials, tools, and facilities in doing so.
 Teaching a subject also includes developing students’ linguistic,
mathematical, social, and techno-ecological competences.
Pedaogogical means and methods
for Technology Education
 Each syllabus makes recommendations on teaching the subject
 For example, the syllabi of Handicraft and Home Economics and
Craft and Technology Education:
 students need to have the possibility of choosing tools and
technologies;
 considering the nature of the subject, practical activity should cover 2/3
of the total study time; the theoretical part is connected with practical
activities;
 in addition to practical activities, attention is paid also on students’
independent research (reports, presentations, drawing up projects);
 students learn to plan work, choose and use tools and materials, carry
out work according to instructions and drawings, if needed, using
different sources of information.
Teachers are free to choose the teaching
methods. The choice depends:
on the topic,
the study aims,
the student contingent,
the teacher’s/school’s possibilities,
on the habits of the teacher.
Textbooks - for all stages of study
Different forms of study are used in teaching:
individual work, group work, project learning.
Evaluation
In subject Craft:
knowledge,
creativity,
skills to apply knowledge in individual work,
culture of the work,
the completeness of the product are evaluated.
Self-reflection plays an important role:
students are guided to evaluate and thereby
value their own and their peers’ work.
Main themes and structure of
curriculum content
Within the subjects of Craft mainly making
things/products are dealt with; this is built on the
frame of reference focusing on themes concerning
energy, transport, production, food, and household
machines
In Craft and Technology Education various working
objects are made
In Handicraft mainly textile is used
Home Economics focuses on food.
The material base
 In Craft and Technology Education various machines and tools
are used to process materials. Sometimes also CNC workbenches and computer programs are used, e.g. in technical
drawing. Studying takes place mainly in training workshops.
 Handicraft has training classrooms, where students can use
modern (including electronic) sewing etc. machines.
 Home Economics lessons are carried out in specially equipped
training kitchens.
 Well equipped computer classrooms, which can also be used to
carry out Craft lessons.
The materials used
The first stage of study gives an overview of almost
all widely used materials and their qualities: paper,
wood, metal, textile, plastics, etc.
In Craft and Technology Education the main
materials used are wood, metal, and plastic, but also
electronic components are included,
in Handicraft mainly textile is used,
Home Economics focuses on food.
Teachers of Craft and Handicraft
and Home Economics
Teachers of Craft
Teachers of HC and HE
Total number
473
436
With specialised higher
education in Ed.Sc.
52%
57%
With specialised
secondary special
education in Ed.Sc.
4%
3%
Without specialised
education
35%
40%
- 30 years
4%
9%
31 – 50 years
54%
59%
51 – 60 years
24%
23%
Older than 60
20%
10%
Age
Teachers´organisations:
Estonian Association of
Technology Education
AITA, the Association of
Handicraft and Home
Economics Teachers
References
National Curriculum for Basic Schools and Upper
Secondary Schools
https://www.riigiteataja.ee/ert/act.jsp?id=174787
Estonian Ministry of Education and Research
http://www.hm.ee/
Estonian Association of Technology Education
http://www.tehnoloogia.ee
AITA http://www.zone.ee:81/eksaita/
Thank you!