The integrated teaching is important tool for promoting the development of students’ critical and creative thinking, self-cognition, learning and cooperation skills and cultural understanding in a constantly changing world. In Latvia, integrated curriculum has become a challenge for educational reforms, too. Latvian teacher educators are looking for appropriate Curriculum content and strategies, in order to promote pre-service teachers with understanding of integrated learning, courage and ability to implement them in professional activities. The aim of an article is analyze possibilities how to improve the pre-service teachers’ readiness to plan integrated lessons for study practice. Methods: qualitative analysis of students’ pedagogical practice diaries.In conclusions and discussion, the suggestions for the development of teacher education Curriculum towards strengthening the different approaches to integrated learning in school education.
One after another, European educational systems are applying reforms to transform primary and secondary schools to fit continuously changing and dynamic environments. Reforms require schools to serve as lifelong learning centres for various learners’ groups, including school leaders, teachers and school staff, making them more flexible, collaborative and innovative in what comes to the teaching approaches. Simultaneously, gradual transformations in education are contextualised by the decrease in teaching staff and low motivation to remain in the profession due to a variety of reasons. ‘School as a learning organisation’ concept is introduced to define a school that continuously changes and adapts to new environments and circumstances through individual and collective learning of its staff. This paper aims to review the main impediments to implementations of the ‘school as a learning organisation’ concept, considering its functioning in Latvia and abroad. Literature and document analysis was done to assess the characteristics of learning organisations in the European context. With special focus on Latvia, several focus group interviews were conducted with the education managers and stakeholders to verify the implementation impediments in Latvia and define main risks of schools as learning organisations. Content analysis was applied to draw conclusions. The results have shown that institutional autonomy and leadership are the keys to positive changes in educational staff perceptions and motivation to take on risks and obtain new knowledge, skills and competence for the individual and organisational growth. However, there are other impediments, such as lack of time, financial resources and insufficient communication and understanding of the whole idea of the school as a learning organisation, that stops schools from being the agents of change. The obtained results will be further applied in the design of the ‘School as a learning organisation’ model and a tool for its measurement in Latvia.
Education for sustainable development (ESD) cannot be realized without a teacher, who thinks systematically and critically, reflects cultural and sustainable values, is authentic, self-conscious, creative, self-confident, and communicative. The aim of this study is to analyze the cultural aspect of sustainable development (SD) in education and to interpret the opportunities and risks for successful development towards the sustainability in teacher education and through the findings to make connections to general education. To reach the goal, qualitative research was conducted. The data was obtained through interviews; teacher educators were asked to share their beliefs, expectations, and experiences about the incorporation of SD into teacher education. The data were proceeded by hermeneutic analysis of text. As a result of the analysis, various combinations of study content and methods related to the cultural aspects of SD in teacher education practice were generalized. The research results identified possibilities for the development of SD through cultural aspects in teacher education.
The word competence is a key concept of ongoing education reform in Latvia - the ESF project “Competency approach in the curriculum” (hereafter: Project). The implementation of the idea of competence-based curriculum is related to significant changes in the structure of school and pre-school curriculum, the system of evaluation of learning outcomes, teacher education etc., which are widely clarified and discussed in expert groups and public space. Participating as experts in the development of a Project, the authors of the article find that the Latvian educational space lacks a common understanding of the meaning of the concept competence. Often the pedagogical terminology used by educators even contradicts the innovative meaning and essence of the reform. The aim of the article is to clarify the inconsistency and contradictions related to understanding of the concept competence in the context of Latvian educational reforms. Research question: How to use the pedagogical terminology related to concept competence to reflect the innovative approach correctly and deeply, but at the same time - simple and understandable for the teachers, parents and children. To find it out, the article analyzes the essence of the competence approach in theory and compares it with the actual situation in practice. The research data were obtained in 34 written students’ reflections after study practice and 9 interviews with experienced teachers of general education schools in different regions of Latvia. The content analysis of the interviews was proceeded, the dimensions of holistic understanding of concept competence was marked and types of contradictions – generalized. Results: The analysis revealed discrepancies between terminology used in the framework of educational reform, and educators’ understanding of its meaning. These findings can develop educators’ common understanding of concept ‘competence’.
The study aims to develop a well-structured and applicable instruction for teacher's selfreflection about their competence to effectuate transdisciplinary learning in primary school settings. Ten preservice teachers were asked to reflect on their transdisciplinary teaching practice in different ways. The content analysis of interviews helped to find out the categories, which provoked the most personally significant, professional and contextual reflections. These categories were structured in the experimental form of teacher's selfreflection for teacher education and further research.
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