Browsing by Subject "käsityötaidot"

The aim of the research is to study how handcrafts as a subject in primary education is conducted in the 1980’s and the 2010’s as well as to compare the subject content and objectives from the point of view of the teacher. There has been much change in the subject of handcrafts from the 1980’s to the present. The value of hand-made crafts has diminished as it is nowadays possible to affordably purchase fabrics and other textiles from shops. In the 2010’s, handcrafts are once again valued as upcycling and recycling are fashionable. Additionally, according to previous research, art subjects support learning in other subjects in many ways. Information from research allows us to focus on the functionality of the content and objectives of handcrafts as a subject in primary school education. The research was conducted by interviewing five school teachers, one of whom was retired. Three of the teachers worked under the national school curriculum of 1985 and four from the 2014 national school curriculum. The teachers were interviewed at their teaching schools, as well as the retired teacher, who was substituting at the school from where she retired. Additionally, one of the teacher’s was interviewed in the researcher’s home. The interviews were recorded at the time and transcribed after the interviews. The research method used was material-based content analysis. The method for analysis was thematic. The responses of the participating teachers corresponded well to the curriculums at the time. In national curriculum of 1985 specified very carefully what the children were to learn in the subject of handcrafts. The objectives and content in the 2014 curriculum are conveyed broadly without details and can be interpreted in a variety of ways. In the 1980´s in primary education it was important to learn techniques which were practiced in depth. Nowadays in the 2010`s these skills don’t necessarily have a chance to develop. Earlier, the final outcome of the handcraft was important as the item usually had a practical function. Nowadays most of the time allocated for handcrafts is put towards ideas, planning and other work stages and there is little time for the handcrafting itself. Overall, the teacher’s opinion was that the earlier curriculum supported the child’s development of perseverance and longterm concentration. Technology is now taking too big a role.

The purpose of this study is to find out what experiences and ideas primary school teachers have about handcrafts as a subject in the 2020s and in the future. The research is a continuation of my bachelor's thesis done in 2018, the topic of which was handcrafts as a subject in primary school education in the 1980s and 2010s. The latest curriculum, which entered into force in August 2014, has been implemented at least since August 2016, i.e. for less than five years. Curricula are updated about every ten years, so it is important to consider what handcrafts teaching in primary school could look like in the future. The position of handcrafts as a subject has been strong in Finland since the 19th century, but with the 2020s, its position has begun to weaken. Handcrafts as a subject has changed its form from practical proximity to a diverse subject. The information obtained from this research can be used to map ways to have a better future in terms of teaching and to gain appreciation for handcrafts as an important elementary school subject. The study was conducted by interviewing eight elementary school teachers. Five of the teachers were interviewed in the fall of 2018. Interviews with four teachers were conducted at their teaching school at the time and an interview with one teacher was conducted at my home. Two of the teachers were interviewed at the end of 2020 and one at the beginning of 2021. Interviews with these latter three teachers were conducted remotely face-to-face at video meetings. The 2018 interviews were recorded as audio recordings and the 2020 and 2021 interviews were recorded as video recordings. All interviews were transcribed after the interviews. The research method used was material-based content analysis. The method for analysis was thematic. Handcrafts as a subject in basic education is not just about making handcrafts and practicing handcrafting skills, but at the same time you can learn, among other things, emotional and interaction skills, problem-solving skills, creativity, planning, environmental awareness, and the contents of various subjects. Handcrafts will still have a place in the future as a primary school subject, as they will teach basic skills and create general well-being. In addition, the skills that are important for society and that will be needed in working life in the future are learned in the teaching of handcrafts. In the future, the teaching of handcrafts should be applied and deepened more with different subjects, and the training of teachers in the teaching of handcrafts should be increased. It would also be important to consider changing the operating culture of the whole school by increasing the implementation of phenomenon-based and multidisciplinary projects in teaching.

In elementary schools, a new curriculum (POP2014) was introduced in autumn 2016. The new curriculum no longer specifies the content of technical and textile handicraft, but the students study a shared, multi-material craft subject. Among both elementary school teachers and handicraft teachers, this change has raised a lot of uncertainty and has affected craft education. The purpose of this study is to find out how schools organize a shared craft and how teachers interpret the curriculum in this context, how teachers understand the multi-material and how it is appears in the work of the pupils. The research was carried out using qualitative methods. Three textile craft teachers, three technical teachers and two elementary school teachers were interviewed for the material. Interviews were conducted as a semi-structured theme interview. Based on research questions and previous theory, the material was analyzed theoretically by classifying it into different themes. The results of the research were finally divided into five different theme sections. Craft teaching was organized so that students were about 10 weeks at a time in the class of technical work or in the class of textile craft. The pupils first did experiments and then they designed and produced the project work. Multi-material was understood so that the student is free to use different materials and techniques in his own craft project. The teachers were worried about the survival of craft in basic education and the contraction of the craft areas to be learned. There was also concern about the reduction in teaching hours, the low popularity of handicraft and the future employment of craft teachers. Interaction between handicraft teachers and the resulting successful cooperation is the starting point for the implementation of a shared craft, and a prerequisite for the craft subject to continue to be taught in basic education in the future as well. In the future, handicraft teachers also wish to cooperate with elementary school teachers in order to create a continuum of handicraft learning from sub-classes to upper classes.