Varhaisvuosien opettajat käsityö- ja teknologiakasvatuksen osaamistaan arvioimassa ja kehittämässä

Authors

• Kirsti Karila Tampere University, Finland
• Sini Leikkola City of Tampere, Finland

Keywords:

craft and technology education, early childhood education and care, pre-primary education, professional competence, education

Abstract

The article examines the professional competences of the craft and technology education based on the professionals' evaluations and learning experiences. The study was carried out in the context of the (InnoPlay) development project by crossing the borders of the working life, pre-service training and in-service training. The data consist of survey and focus group discussions. The analyses were carried out using content analysis. The study shows that the share of the craft education in the pre-service teacher education has been rather thin. In addition, the share and the content have varied between the different training units. Based on the professionals’ evaluations, the competences of the technology education have mainly learnt after the pre-service training. In the future, the share of the craft and technology education must be increased in the pre-service training. Furthermore, these topics must be considered when planning the in-service training. The results of the study support the close integration of the craft and technology education and the
general early childhood education pedagogy in order to offer a holistic, child-centered and play-oriented perspective for these content areas.