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Abstract: Today, technology is increasingly becoming a part of our daily experiences and there are domains of life where human hands have no function in the creation of a product. All this raises the question how much or whether at all should one be able to make something by hands, and, therefore, perhaps is craft as a school subject outdated and should be replaced by the theoretical discussions about the technological processes? Surely, the content of craft education cannot be the same as it was in the beginning of last century. New standards arise in the handicraft and home economics instruction: it is not enough for students to merely acquire skills and the ability to make something by imitation; but the whole process has to be connected with pupil's meaningful creative action, ethnic experience, innovation and modern technology. This is the direction pursued in Estonian syllabus development. But it is quite another situation, when it comes to the content of the subject and the activities chosen to promote the learning in the reality of school practices. A study was carried out to learn in what extent are subject teachers able to adjust their teaching practices according to the syllabus? The handicraft and home economics bachelor's degree students were asked to write an essay describing their subject-related learning experiences in comprehensive school. The short writings of university entrants of three different academic years were analysed according to the phenomenographic study analysis theory. Results showed that, unfortunately, subject teachers have difficulties in altering their habits and this shows the need for syllabus based in-service training

• The Necessity of Teaching Material and Its Development in Technology Education in Estonia
• Aron Lips MA; Andry Kikkull PhD
• Tallinn University, Estonia

Abstract: In the year 2011 the last curriculum for basic schools in Estonia was accepted. The implementation of the curriculum challenges teaching materials in use. Estonian lifelong learning strategy 2020 foresees the modernization and renewal of teaching materials through increasing their digitalization. To find out the current status of study ware in general education schools, a mapping was carried out in Estonia from February to April 2016. The mapping covered all the subjects including technology education. This study made it possible to get a nationwide overview of the existing teaching materials and its quality that support the curriculum. For the authors of this article, the mapping created interest to find out whether and how the Estonian technology education teaching materials have changed and developed in recent decades to meet the various existing syllabus goals. What type of teaching materials are used by the technology teachers now and what kind of teaching materials they need for technology lessons and meeting the goals in the curriculum? To answer the questions in the research results of the mapping of teaching materials and content analysis of technology education textbooks and syllabuses are used in this article. To find out the needs of teachers the results of a survey from autumn 2016 and its analysis were taken as a base. To analyze the data in the survey a programme SPSS 22 was used. As an overall result there can be said that the change in the theoretical content of teaching materials corresponds the changes in the curriculum. At the same time instructional materials of practical tasks have not changed enough. These are, however, the most required and used by the teachers in the teaching process. Instructional materials for practical tasks created using today's digital possibilities are most needed by teachers.

• The Role of the School Subjects´ Name on its Content and Image
• Jaana Taar MA; Tiina Vänt MA
• Tallinn University, Estonia

Abstract: One of the schools’ educational targets is to give students the best possible readiness for coping in their independent life in contemporary society. Therefore, the content of different school subjects need to be in continuous changes simultaneously with the developments in society. Changes are visible also in the adjustments of school curricula which channels societal developments into school lessons. Similarly, home economics education is in continuous change and development. The content of home economics education in Estonia has widened within last decades with the focus moving from obtaining practical skills to becoming a responsible citizen. This article gives a brief overview of the developments of home economics education in Estonia. In addition, the role of subjects’ name in relation with its image is opened. Although the name of the subject home economics has been introduced already in 1996 it is still misused in writings and discussions between different parties (teachers, students, parents, school leaders). This study used document analysis to map the information related with home economics education on all schools’ web-pages in Estonia to analyse what is the officially presented name of the school subject. Results are opened in the light of the background knowledge – history and language. Based on the results, inaccurate names and adaptations that originate already from 1930s are in active use. What it tells about the image of the subject if besides the official name in curriculum 13 different name variations are also used?

• Handicraft and Home Economics Teachers’ Understandings of the Possibilities of ICT Usage in Their Practice
• Eva Veeber MA; Jaana Taar MA; Kristi Paas MA; Ene Lind PhD
• Tallinn University, Estonia

Abstract: Manual activity has been considered as an essential component of personality development for a couple of centuries in Estonian education. Although handicraft and home economics (HHE) is school subject where the student obtains basic skills that are constant in time, its content is also reactive to the changes in the society. One might think that using ICT is the opposite of the physical process of making with hands and that HHE subject’s predominantly practical content has difficulties when trying to keep up with rapid digital development. People like to make things by hands and share them not only on the pragmatic purpose, but also for sense of belonging. As digital technology has become part of our everyday life, therefore it may be viewed as an extension of the physical space offering a meeting place where it is possible to act, find like-minded people and meaningful information without the limitations of physical world. The aim of the study was to find out HHE teachers’ understandings of the usage of ICT tools in subject teaching in the compulsory school. Data consisted of teachers’ writings where they described the personal experiences of using ICT tools. Writings were analysed using inductive coding. The results of the study show that HHE teachers’ readiness to use ICT tools is dependent of their subject specific views. Even if HHE teachers see digital technology as a part of daily life that can be integrated in their work they do not use the full potential of new possibilities. Their writings showed lack of digital pedagogical skills and inability to apply modern technologies in student-centred instruction.

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