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Analysis of Technology Education in Estonian General Education Schools

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Title: Analysis of Technology Education in Estonian General Education Schools


1
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

2
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

3
  • General secondary education
  • Basic education
  • Pre-school education

4
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

5
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.

6
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

7
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).

8
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.

9
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).

10
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.

11
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

12
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).

13
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.

14
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.

15
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)

16
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.

17
  • 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.

18
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.

19
  • 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.

20
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.

21
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.

22
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.

23
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.

24
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
25
Teachersorganisations
  • Estonian Association of Technology Education
  • AITA, the Association of Handicraft and Home
    Economics Teachers

26
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/

27
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