Career Education for Teachers: Reflections on ESF Project Implementation in Latvia

Abstract

Career Education for Teachers: Reflections on ESF Project Implementation in Latvia In Latvia, the issues of career education are most often addressed by school teachers. In 2003, the Standards of Teacher Profession adopted by the Ministry of Education and Science of Latvia provided the list of teachers' duties, tasks, and specific skills. One of such skills is to help pupils to understand the professional activities and to teach them career planning. This issue is given insufficient attention in teacher professional education. The article aims to use the context of sustainable education to analyze the activities carried out within the National Program Project Career Education Activity Provision in the System of Education co-financed by the European Social Fund. The questionnaires were designed to determine the needs for teacher education in relation to learner's career education. The data were obtained from in-service teachers (N=228) involved in career advising activities for their pupils in all regions of Latvia and were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The results approve and elaborate on a necessity of integrating career education issues in the teacher education curriculum.

The Conditions and Opportunities for Teachers’ Professional Adaptation and Career in Schools of Latvia and Lithuania

“…Latvian and Lithuanian scientists Olechnovica and Kravale-Paulina (2008), Jucevičienė and Lepaitė (2000); Stanišauskienė and Večkienė (2000) and others have investigated the issues of career, career development, preparation for career, the importance of personal qualities on career development. However, the issue of secondary school teachers'career development has been examined less.…”