Analysis of Technology Education in Estonian General Education Schools

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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

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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

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• General secondary education
• Basic education
• Pre-school education

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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

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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.

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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

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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).

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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

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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).

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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 peoples 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.

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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.

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The syllabus of Craft divides the subject as
follows
Grades 4 to 9 HANDICRAFT AND HOME ECONOMICS
Grades 4 to 9 CRAFT AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

• are taught 2 lessons per week
• The school may add some extra Craft lessons by
  decreasing the number of optional lessons

Grades 1 to 3 HANDICRAFT

• both boys and girls or to the class as a whole
• integrated with Visual Art Education, altogether
  2 lessons per week (every year)

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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.

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• 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.

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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.

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• Teachers are free to choose the teaching methods.
  The choice depends
• on the topic,
• the study aims,
• the student contingent,
• the teachers/schools 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.

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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.

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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.

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The material base

• In Craft and Technology Education various
  machines and tools are used to process materials.
  Sometimes also CNC work-benches 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.

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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.

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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
Age
- 30 years 4 9
31 50 years 54 59
51 60 years 24 23
Older than 60 20 10
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Teachersorganisations

• Estonian Association of Technology Education
• AITA, the Association of Handicraft and Home
  Economics Teachers

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References

• National Curriculum for Basic Schools and Upper
  Secondary Schools https//www.riigiteataja.ee/ert/
  act.jsp?id174787
• Estonian Ministry of Education and Research
  http//www.hm.ee/
• Estonian Association of Technology Education
  http//www.tehnoloogia.ee
• AITA http//www.zone.ee81/eksaita/

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Thank you!