New curriculum, new directions? Using socio-cultural perspective to develop home economics education in Estonia
2012
Tamm, J., Tallinn University (Estonia) | Palojoki, P., University of Helsinki (Finland)
Will the new curriculum set also new directions in classroom activities? The innovations in the Estonian National Curriculum for the comprehensive school will be implemented by the end of 2014. At this stage it is necessary to analyse what kind of developmental needs can be found in different school subjects. In order for home economics (HE) education to fulfil contemporary societal and curricular needs, it is important to focus on the content as well as the teaching and learning methods used in classrooms. Our first aim is to introduce the main changes in the curriculum, as reflected in HE education. Our second aim is to analyse the nature of HE through socio-cultural lenses. The socio-cultural learning emphasizes collaboration, both in the social encounters between the teacher and the learner as well as between different learners. This kind of collaboration and the intelligent use of physical and psychological tools enable the students to reach their own zone of proximal development. Experimenting and reflecting on the learning outcomes in relation to real life challenges will further improve the quality of learning. In conclusion, the directions for the development of home economics in the Estonian context will be outlined.
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