To
The Higher Education Department Ministry of Education and Science Republic of Latvia
APPLICATION
FOR THE ACCREDITATION OF THE CURRICULUM
Title of the Institution of Higher Education: University of Latvia
Legal address and telephone number of the Raiņa bulv. 19,
Institution of Higher Education Rīga LV1586
Latvija
Phone: 7034301
Registration number of the institution 3341000218
Title of the curriculum Teacher of handicraft and home economics
Code of the curriculum 46141
Length of the curriculum 3 terms full time studies or
and number of credit points 4 terms part time studies, 60 credit points
4 terms full time studies or
5terms part time studies, 80 credit points
Requirements for the commencement of studies 60 credit points-higher academic pedagogical education higher professional teacher education and at least
2 years pedagogical experience
80 credit points- higher academic pedagogical education
higher professional teacher education
higher education in subject related field
The obtained qualification TEACHER OF HOUSEKEEPING AT A SECONDARY SCHOOL CODE 2320 01
TEACHER OF HOMEMAKING AT A PRIMARY SCHOOL CODE 233101
Place of implementing the curriculum Faculty of Education and Psychology University of Latvia
Type of implementing the curriculum Part time studies
Surname, name and post of the person Dr.paed, docent Māra Urdziņa-Deruma
authorized by the institution director of the curriculum
to carry out the issues concerning the
accreditation
The Dean
Faculty of Education and psychology
University of Latvia Prof. A. Kangro
The Director of the curriculum docent Māra Urdziņa-Deruma
Contents
Decision of the University Senate on approval of the curriculum/see Latvian version/
Copy of the Registration certyificate of the University of Latvia /see Latvian version/
The license of the curriculum /see latvian version/
Reference from the General education department, Ministry of education and science/see Latvian version/
Agreement between University of Latvia and Latvian University of Agriculture/see Latvian version/
1. Annotation of the Second level higher education professional curriculum 4
2. General description of the curriculum 5
2.1. The aim, objective and expected results 5
2.2. The perspective evaluation of the curriculum from the point of view of interests of the Latvian state 6
2.2.1. Correspondence of the curriculum to the demands of the labour market 6
2.2.2. Correspondence of the curriculum to the Standard of professional higher education 6
2.2.3. Correspondence of the curriculum to the Standard of the teacher 8
2.3. Comparison of the curriculum with similar curricula in Latvia and abroad 13
2.4. Organization of the curriculum 18
2.5. Sources of financing and provisions of the infrastructure of the curriculum 20
2.6. Immatriculation regulations 21
2.7. Practical implementation of the curriculum 22
2.8. Assessment system 22
2.9. Students 23
2.9.1. Number of students studying in the curriculum 23
2.9.2. Students’ surveys and their analysis 24
2.9.2.1. Results of the survey on the study program 24
2.9.2.2. Results of the survey on study courses 24
2.9.3. Participation of students in the improvement of the study process 25
2.10. The academic staff implementing the curriculum 25
2.10.1. The academic staff 25
2.10.2. The research directions and results of the academic staff and project management 26
2.10.3. Selection of the academic staff, training and professional development for the next six year 28
2.11. Description of the supportive staff 29
2.12. Departments 29
2.13. External links 30
2.13.1. Cooperation with employers 30
2.13.2. Cooperation with similar programs in Latvia and abroad 31
2.14. The development plan of the curriculum 31
2.15. The SWOT analysis of the curriculum 32
3. Study plans 33
Appendix 51
Appendix 1. Course descriptions 52
Appendix 2. CV of the academic staff 101
Appendix 3. List of literature available at the faculty library for the students of the program 122
Appendix 4. A questionnaire for employers 127
Appendix 5. Diploma supplement 129
UNIVERSITY OF LATVIA
SECOND LEVEL PROFESSIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION PROGRAMME
“TEACHER OF HANDICRAFT AND HOME ECONOMICS” (46141)
FOR RECEIVING THE QUALIFICATION
TEACHER OF HOUSEKEEPING AT A SECONDARY SCHOOL (2320 01)
AND HOMEMAKING AT A PRIMARY SCHOOL (2331 01)
Director of the curriculum:
Māra Urdziņa - Deruma,
docent, Dr. paed.
1. Annotation of the Second level higher education professional curriculum
The second level higher professional education program Teacher of handicraft and home economics is developed in accordance with the demands of the Law on Education of Latvia, Law on Higher education institutions, the Satversme of the University of Latvia and other normative documents as well as the Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia Nr. 347 “Regulations on the requirements concerning the education and professional qualification needed for pedagogues” and Nr. 481 ”Regulations on the State standard of the second level higher professional education” , and the ideas expressed in EU project “Tuning” concerning the higher education curricula.
The given program is oriented to implement in life the requirements of the Cabinet of Ministers Regulations which envisage that starting with September 1, 2004 only the teachers having the qualification of the particular subject are allowed to implement the educational curricula and that such a qualification may be awarded only after acquisition of the respective program.
The second level higher professional education program Teacher of handicraft and home economics is intended for the acquisition of the qualification for the following target groups:
· Applicants with higher pedagogical education,
· Applicants with higher education in the subject related sphere.
Length of studies:
1. Applicants with higher pedagogical education and at least 2 years pedagogical work experience studying full time – 3 terms during which they have to master courses constituting 60 credit points;
2. Applicants with higher pedagogical education but having no pedagogical work experience and applicants having higher education in the subject related sphere studying full time – 4 terms during which they have to master courses constituting 80 credit points.
(1 credit point constitutes 40 hours of student’s studies of which 50 per cent are contact hours).
The structure of the curriculum includes:
· Part A –compulsory theoretical courses of the branch;
· Part B – professional specialization courses. Part B depending on the subject specifics of handicraft and home economics are made up by 2 modules each of them including the compulsory and optional study courses. Students have to choose one of the modules. Depending on their previous education and practice students choose study courses relevant to their needs and interests;
· Pedagogical practice envisages active practice in general comprehensive schools;
· At the end of the studies students work out and defend the Diploma paper.
2. General description of the curriculum
2.1. The aim, objective and expected results
The aim of the second level higher professional study program is to train teachers who are able to teach handicraft and home economics and to create a possibility for applicants with previous higher pedagogical professional education, bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in pedagogy or education or having higher education in the related subject sphere to acquire the necessary competences and acquire the qualification „Teacher of housekeeping at a secondary school and teacher of homemaking at a primary school “
Objectives of the study program:
· To implement the second level higher professional education curriculum by offering a wide set of courses in which the practicing and the future teachers of handicraft and home economics have a possibility to acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes to ensure mastering of the competences necessary to teach home economics and handicraft.
· To develop students’ understanding of the importance of the handicraft as a subject in the development of pupils’ personality, culture and preserving the cultural and historical traditions;
· To promote students’ artistic activities;
· To facilitate the application of the acquired competences in pedagogical practice;
· To promote students’ motivation to work as the teachers of handicraft and home economics after the studies;
· To encourage students to perform research analytical activities in the field of methods of teaching handicraft and home economics;
· To motivate students for life long learning in the common European education space.
It is envisaged that at the end of the studies the program will have trained competitive specialists who will have mastered the competences necessary for the teacher of handicraft and home economics:
· Instrumental competences: graduates know the content of handicraft and home economics, professionally plan, select the teaching content and working forms as well as guide the acquisition of handicraft and home economics subject according to the contemporary education policy, the standard of handicraft and home economics and the requirements of modern society. The graduates have a positive attitude to the subject and are able to motivate pupils to master it and are able to ground the necessity of its acquisition both to pupils and society at large. The graduates are open to life long learning;
· Interpersonal competences: graduates are able to cooperate both in performing theoretical and practical tasks according to the content of handicraft and home economics, are able to run the practical classes in which pupils perform group work, project work, etc.;
· Systemic competences: graduates have acquired the experience to perform scientific research themselves in which they need to summarize, systematize and assess information.
2.2. The perspective evaluation of the curriculum from the point of view of interests of the Latvian state
2.2.1. Correspondence of the curriculum to the demands of the labour market
Latvia especially experiences the lack of teachers of handicraft and home economics because during the Soviet period such teachers were not trained. The subject was taught by teachers having another subject qualification. Only in 1982 the teachers of handicraft were started to be trained. Today at schools there work many teachers who have higher education subject related to Home economics and handicraft field but they do not have the proper qualification As it is stressed in the Guidelines for Education Development 2007 – 2013 then Latvia experiences the shortage of handicraft teachers who would be able to teach Technologies II, i.e., wood and metal works.
Schools need the qualified home economics and handicraft teachers and as the surveyed employers indicate only a well-qualified teacher will be able to implement successfully the standard of home economics and handicraft and thus realise the broad possibilities of this subject.
2.2.2. Correspondence of the curriculum to the Standard of professional higher education
The content and structure of the curriculum corresponds to cabinet of Ministers Regulations on the state standard of the second level professional higher education. The present curriculum according to the content is such that through implementing it all the aims and objectives of the higher professional education indicated in the Regulations can be achieved.
Regulations on the Standard of the Second level professional higher educationV. The compulsory content of the professional curricula
24. The size of the professional curricula is at least 40 credit points. The total length for acquiring the professional qualification is at least 4 years.
25. The compulsory content of the professional curriculum consists of:
25.1. theoretical courses of the field and professional specialization courses of at least 4 credit points;
25.2. practice of at least 26 credit points;
25.3. state examination consisting of working out and defending a diploma paper (project) of at least 10 credit points
26. The selection of the courses in the professional curriculum, the content and length of the courses as well as the content of the practice is determined in accordance with the obtained qualification by the standard of the respective profession
27. After the acquisition of the professional curriculum the fifth level professional qualification is awarded / Size of the curriculum – 80 credit points (without pedagogical work experience and those having higher education in one of the subject related spheres), 60 credit points (applicants with higher pedagogical education and with pedagogical work experience at least 2 years). The curriculum is developed on the basis of the academic bachelor degree program or the professional higher education thus the total length of studies for the acquisition of the qualification corresponds to the demands.
The following courses refer to this:
-applicants with higher pedagogical education (11 credit points in total):
Contents of handicraft and home economics studies (2CP)
Teaching methods and assessment in handicraft and home economics (2CP)
Alternative pedagogical approaches to training home economics teachers(2CP)
Food as health promoter (2CP)
Ethnography (3CP)
Students without pedagogical work experience also have a course – Education in understanding of contemporary society (2CP), 13 CP in total.
- Applicants with higher education in the subject related sphere (25 CP in total):
Protection of children’s and family rights (2CP)
General pedagogy (2CP)
Didactics (3CP)
Education theory and methods (3 CP)
General psychology (2 CP)
Developmental psychology (2CP)
Contents of handicraft and home economics studies (2CP)
Teaching methods and assessment in handicraft and home economics (2CP)
Alternative pedagogical approaches to training home economics teachers(2CP)
Food as health promoter (2CP)
Ethnography (3CP)
Professional specialization courses are included in two offered moduls (according to home economics and handicraft standard), of which the student chooses one.
Applicants with higher pedagogical education 25 and 31 credit points (depending on work experience). Applicants with higher education in the subject related sphere 19 credit points.
Practice –26 CP
Diploma paper –10 CP
See the comparison with the professional standard of a teacher
The graduates of the curriculum acquire the 5th level professional qualification –Teacher of housekeeping at a secondary school and teacher of homemaking at a primary school
2.2.3. Correspondence of the curriculum to the Standard of the teacher
This chapter presents the comparison of the given curriculum with the professional standard of teacher. The curriculum has been developed so that through its implementation the student is able to acquire the common skills in the field and the specific skills in the profession determined in the professional standard of teacher./see Appendix/. The curriculum offered for accreditation is the second level professional higher education program which is implemented on the basis of the Bachelor in pedagogy or education, or Master in pedagogy or education, or higher professional teacher education or any other higher education in the subject related sphere. Thus when evaluating the correspondence of the curriculum to the professional standard of teacher it should be taken into account that many skills and knowledge students have already acquired in their previous study programs. The analysis of the curriculum allows concluding that students after a successful mastering of the program can be awarde the qualification of the teacher of housekeeping at a secondary school and homemaking at a primary school.