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This paper explores the digital transformation of education in Moldova, with a comparative analysis of Estonia's successful experience in this area. First, the article provides an overview of the current status of digital transformation in education in Moldova and identifies critical challenges in financing this process. Next, the Education Strategy 2030 in Moldova, which aims to improve the functionality of the educational system through the effective implementation of digital technologies to ensure the quality and sustainability of education, is discussed. The success factors of digital transformation in education in Estonia, including government support, high levels of digital literacy, a strong IT sector, and a culture of innovation and experimentation, are identified. Finally, the paper provides recommendations for financing digital transformation in education in Moldova, including allocating a specific portion of the state budget, seeking funding from international organizations and donors, and exploring opportunities for educational institutions to generate income. The implications for policy and practice and suggestions for future research are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper delves into the integration of artificial intelligence within Estonia's education system, showcasing the country's global reputation for digital innovation. Utilising the method of the case study and the method of document analysis, we explore not only the practical outcomes, challenges, and strategies related to the adoption of artificial intelligence in the Estonian education system but also its economic implications. The research highlights artificial intelligence's potential to lead to cost efficiencies and economic benefits for the education sector. Furthermore, we address the critical issue of fostering artificial intelligence literacy among students, schools, and universities, pinpointing data privacy and ethical considerations as key areas of concern. The strategies implemented by educational institutions to mitigate these challenges and promote a comprehensive understanding of artificial intelligence are also discussed. In conclusion, the paper underscores artificial intelligence's transformative potential in reshaping education, offering guidance for other nations and academic entities aiming to successfully integrate artificial intelligence-based technologies. Emphasis is placed on the importance of a supportive policy framework and a solid ethical foundation to navigate the complexities of artificial intelligence adoption and ensure responsible use, while also considering the economic impact on the educational ecosystem and the labour market at large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to present a descriptive overview of patterns and labour market outcomes characterising the labour market entry in Estonia compared to the EU countries. The assumption that labour market institutions and educational systems have an impact on the labour market entry process makes up the starting point for the formulation of the hypotheses. The hypotheses have been formulated on the basis of the comparison between the educational systems as well as labour market institutions in Estonia and in the EU countries. The paper draws upon data from the Estonian Labour Force Survey (ELFS) 2002 and from the 1997 ELFS’ macro level data about the EU countries. The paper will present evidence concerning differences in labour market outcomes between new entrants and experienced workers. Based on macro level data, the analysis will attempt to empirically identify distinct country clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between research and practice is complex. Social work educators have responsibility for knowledge creation (through research), as well as using research in their teaching. For Estonia and its people, social work is one of the vitally important fields that had to be built up from almost nothing since independence was regained in 1991. Such concepts as social work and social worker were rediscovered in Estonia. Tartu University started with a curriculum for social workers in 1992 that was at Masters level. The focus of this paper is on the background of social work education in Estonia and how social work research has become more important in social work curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper will analyse the differences in the rate of unemployment between labour market entrants and experienced workers, the incidence of unemployment among labour market entrants in the light of individual educational achievement, and how the educational stratification of unemployment varies across the countries. The countries to be compared are Estonia and the EU countries. The starting point for the formulation of the hypotheses is the assumption that labour market institutions and educational systems have an impact on the labour market entry process. Comparing the educational systems as well as labour market institutions in Estonia and in the EU countries, will help us to formulate the hypotheses about labour market entry process in Estonia using the classification results from previous studies. The paper draws upon data from the Estonian Labour Force Survey 2002 as well as from the ELFS 1997 concerning the European Union countries published in Cedefop report. Labour force outcomes were measured as unemployment risks. Following the first description of the phenomenon in different countries we will explore the role of educational achievement. In addition, we will observe both exit from and vulnerability to unemployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the state of the art for recognition of prior experiential learning in European universities. Although recognition of prior learning and prior experiential learning have been officially stated as being important aims by national ministers of education in their Bologna Process communiques, implementation in the majority of countries is moving rather slowly. The paper discusses assessment and accreditation of prior and experiential learning (APEL) as a political aim in European higher education and describes examples from France, the UK, Norway and Estonia. The final section includes an overview of the main obstacles for wider application of APEL, ending with conclusions and recommendations for action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — The purpose of this paper is to describe the experiences of the Institute of Information Studies of Tallinn University in introducing ICT, including Web 2.0 technologies, in library and information science education, and to explore the role that these can play in new models of learning and teaching. Design/methodology/approach — Web 2.0 applications are reviewed in this paper and the role that these can play in new models of learning and teaching. The introduction of new technologies into library and information science (US) education is examined through a case study at the Tallinn University. Findings — Web 2.0 is influencing the way in which people learn, access information and communicate with one another. The Institute of Information Studies of Tallinn University has a long history in using ICT in its teaching and learning. Experiences with open and distance learning and e-learning have transformed teaching and learning, provided new alternative delivery modes, and helped to reach new target groups. Recently the staff have been experimenting with Web 2.0 technologies and a few have successfully adopted them in teaching and learning. Practical implications — The paper suggests that in order to be successful in our modern society US educators should take advantage of new ICT and consider the learning preferences of digital natives as well as digital immigrants. Web 2.0 supports constructivist approaches to learning and has great potential to socialise online learning to a greater extent than we have previously seen. Web 2.0 technologies should be implemented taking into account pedagogical perspectives. Originality/value — This paper supports the idea that integration of information and communication technologies, including Web 2.0 technologies, into LIS education is an important challenge for LIS educators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we try to unravel some of the unintended and intended academic effects associated with post-Soviet educational reforms by focusing on three cases: Estonia, Latvia and Russia. We have chosen this comparison because a unique ‘natural experiment’ in the three countries allows us to compare the changing academic performance on an international test of a largely similar population in the three countries—Russian origin students attending Russian-medium schools—subjected to three variations of post-Soviet reforms. We find that relative to students in Russia, Russian-medium students in the Baltics made significant gains in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test. In Latvia, these appear to be an unintended effect of somewhat ‘softened’ state language policies, the conditions surrounding minority rights, and the general context of maintaining social cohesion. In Estonia, the (later) relative gains of Russian students appear to an intended effect of locally grown educational (and language) policies and increased, more effective cooperation with Russian medium schools to further improve PISA performance in a relatively high scoring, PISA-focused country. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Music Science Today: The Permanent & the Changeable / Mūzikas Zinātne Šodien: Pastāvīgais un Mainīgais is the property of Daugavpils University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this paper, we develop a multi-level comparative approach to analyse Trends in International Mathematics and Science Survey (TIMSS) and Programme of International Student Achievement (PISA) mathematics results for a country, Russia, where the two tests provide contradictory information about students’ relative performance. Russian students do relatively well on the TIMSS mathematics test but relatively poorly on the PISA. We compare the performance of Russian students with different levels of family academic resources over the past decade on these tests compared to students with similar family resources in Russia’s neighbours and to Russian students studying in Latvian and Estonian Russian-medium schools. These comparisons and interviews with educators in Latvia and Estonia help us understand why students in Russia may perform lower on the PISA and to draw education policy lessons for improving international test performance generally and Russian students’ PISA mathematics performance specifically. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Since the 1980s, growing globalisation and economic restructuring coupled with expansion of tertiary education contributed to tremendous change in the labour market entry process in Europe. Most previous studies have been quantitative, concentrated on the supply aspect and analysed the role of education as the explanatory variable of youth labour market outcome equations. By contrast, the demand aspect has gained less attention. In this paper, using Estonia as a case study in both perspectives – employers’ practices and graduates’ experiences – are combined to answer the question: how employers use information provided by tertiary education credentials in the recruitment process. Semi-structured interviews with the 15 biggest employers and focus groups consisting of 63 recent graduates comprise the base data of our study. The results reveal that it is useful to examine the mechanisms why education affects recruitment processes separately among service providers and goods producers as well as in different stages of recruitment (pre-selection, getting a job offer). In all sectors, the educational credentials were used in the pre-selection process as a screening device. However, in a job offer, service providers emphasised the role of credentials as signals of trainability while for goods producers credentials informed employers about their job-specific skills. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Pharmacy Education in Europe (PHARMINE) project studied pharmacy practice and education in the European Union (EU) member states. The work was carried out using an electronic survey forwarded to selected pharmacy representatives at community and hospital pharmacies, in the pharmacy industry and at drug authorities. The surveys of the individual member states are now being published as reference documents for students and staff interested in research on pharmacy education in the EU, and in mobility. This paper presents the results of the PHARMINE project on pharmacy practice and education in Estonia. In this paper, we examine the harmonisation of practice and education in Estonia with EU norms. Community pharmacies in Estonia provide traditional and extended services, of which influenza vaccination, the evaluation of the risk of diabetes, and medication use review have been introduced recently. Pharmacists (in Estonian proviisor) study at the University of Tartu for five years and graduate with a Master of Pharmacy (MSc Pharm) degree. A pharmacist can be the owner of a pharmacy, or work as a pharmacy manager or chief pharmacist in either a community or a hospital pharmacy. Assistant pharmacists (in Estonian farmatseut) study at the Tallinn Health Care College for 3 years; after graduation, they are mainly employed in community pharmacies. The University of Tartu is the only university in Estonia providing higher education in pharmacy at university level. The pharmacy curriculum is an integrated (bachelor followed by master), pharmaceutical product-oriented study programme. It was last updated in 2019. On that occasion, several changes were made such as the introduction of competency-based modules; novel methods in education and training based on the constructive alignment and the restructuring of the six-month traineeship. Several new courses focus on the concepts of clinical pharmacy and on patient-centred communication. In the current pharmacy curriculum, there is a balance between chemical and medical subjects. The traineeship is provided for six months at a community and/or hospital pharmacy in the 5th year. Currently, the pharmacy curriculum at the University of Tartu does not offer specialization in subjects such as hospital or industrial pharmacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a considerable shortage of females interested in becoming ICT specialists, and the roots of this disinterest can be traced back to the schooling. A sample of 291 high school seniors from 5 different schools in Estonia were surveyed about their future study choices and perceived influences on those choices. The findings indicate that there is a crucial need to systematically upgrade the level of obligatory computer classes (pedagogical lag), as the classroom experience is a key factor that shapes career-related decisions among young women. We claim that merely offering one-off initiatives (computer camps and summer schools) is not enough, but obligatory computer classes should keep pace with ICT developments in society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the processes in music education of German-language secondary schools in Estonia during the period 1860-1914. Many researchers have pointed out that in order to get an understanding of the school textbooks, we need to consider the social context they are stemming from. The approach to the domain from the Baltic German perspective - by way of exploring the processes in schools where the language of instruction was German - will enrich the history of music education throughout Estonia and thus the respective cultural history. The textbooks used in these schools formed the developmental environment for all students in the student body and shaped their education. The presentation focuses on the following research questions: (1) what kind of processes can be observed in music education in German-language secondary schools during the chosen period; and (2) how the social and socio-cultural reality specific to the period influenced the selection of songs and the teaching of singing in German-language schools from 1860 to 1914. The present research relies mainly on source material collected from archives and libraries in Estonia and Germany between 2008-2013. Due to Baltic privileged legal order the educational system of Baltic provinces was distinct from the one dominating in Inner Russia. Therefore, the content of education was shaped by a Western-European, particularly Prussian educational culture. The period after 1887 marked a big socio-cultural change. Research revealed that the modernisation process characteristic of the 19th century caused tensions that were reflected in the subject matter of the teaching of singing and in music education literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to study the adoption of national curricula by vocational teachers. In the paper, we review the process of vocational education and training curriculum reform in Estonia over the last 20 years, and, in particular, the introduction of national curricula. As teachers should be considered the key agents of curricular change, we look at how teachers have perceived the changes and make sense of them. The analysis of qualitative interviews with 24 vocational teachers in Estonia revealed very different perceptions towards the process of reforming vocational education and training curricula. Resulting from the analysis, five categories of teachers were identified: enthusiastic innovators, constructive-critical innovators, normative adopters, norm ignorers and bitterly disappointed. The Everett Rogers theory of innovation diffusion as well as the concept of ‘sense-making’ has been made use of when explaining the uneven adoption of curriculum change among teachers, and different reactions to potential changes in their work practices. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper investigates ethnic educational inequality in Estonia focusing on second-generation Russians. In Estonia, contrary to many other European countries, the overall educational attainment of second-generation immigrants has, compared to their parents, diverged from the educational attainment of the native population. Our results from logistic regression analysis indicate that the odds of Russians continuing in general secondary and higher education are lower compared to native Estonians. Parental economic, cultural, and host country specific resources do not account for ethnic differences in educational transition. Adolescents’ own language proficiency and citizenship have a strong impact on educational decisions. We conclude that the Estonian education system contributes to the emergence of ethnic differences. While basic and secondary schools function in either the Estonian or Russian languages, the curricula in public higher education institutions are taught mainly in Estonian, which might lower expectations of success amongst Russian adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

After the re-establishment of independent Estonian statehood in 1991, Russian lost its privileges as the dominant and official language in Estonia, and Estonian continued as the only official language. This paper attempts to map the position of a Russian-speaking teacher within the sociological categories of power and language, based on the analysis of legislative acts and strategic documents within the domain of language policy and language legitimization practices in historical retrospective. The main focus of the study stresses an attempt to elaborate on to what extent the low self-efficacy of Russian-speaking teachers as the agents of legitimization of the Estonian language in Russian-speaking schools, and their low position in power relations within the Estonian education system, can be explained in the categories of power and language, as conceptualized on the basis of the social theory of Bourdieu. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents an up-to-date overview of language policies and practices in Lithuania, paying particular attention to the latest developments that have taken place in national educational contexts. Against the background of recent socio-demographic changes in the three Baltic republics, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, it analyzes issues pertaining to educational measures chosen in support of both Lithuanian and other locally used languages. In tracing re-evolving individual multilingualisms amongst majority and minority populations around EU accession, it will be shown that these are symbolic of changing orientations, which are socially, politically and economically motivated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic history of Estonia goes back to 1632 when Academia Gustaviana was founded in Tartu. In this paper the state-of-the-art of the Estonian science (R&D) system will be given, its functioning in the national socio-economic framework analyzed and the bottlenecks to be overcome identified. It will be concluded that Estonian science is well fit to adjust itself to these new demands if they emerge and able to contribute to national economy and the society at large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Sciences is the property of Teaduste Akadeemia Kirjastus and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this article, we present a study on teachers' perceptions about Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a tool to support teaching in Estonian K-12 education. Estonia is promoting technological innovation in education. According to the Index of Readiness for Digital Lifelong Learning (IRDLL), Estonia was ranked first among 27 European countries. In this context, our goal was to explore teachers' perceptions about cutting-edge technologies (in this case, AI) and to contextualize our results in the scope of Fairness, Accountability, Transparency and Ethics (FATE). We carried out a survey with 140 Estonian K-12 teachers and we asked them about their understanding and concerns regarding the use of AI in education and the challenges they face. The analysis of the survey responses suggests that teachers have limited knowledge about AI and how it could support them in practice. Nonetheless, they perceive it as an opportunity for education. The results indicate that teachers need support in order to be efficient and effective in their work practice; we envision that AI can be used to provide this support. Furthermore, we identified challenges that relate to the socio-cultural context of the study: for example, teachers perceived AI as a tool to support them in accessing, adapting and using multilingual content. To conclude, we discuss the findings of this work in relation to ethical AI, and elaborate on the implications and future aspects of this work in the context of FATE and participatory design of learning environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, the learning of arts in the Estonian primary school has meant completion of practical assignments given by the teacher. The new national curriculum for basic school adopted in 2010 sets out new requirements for art education where the emphasis, in addition to practical assignments, is on discussion and understanding of art. The teacher must introduce pupils to both art history and contemporary art. As a result, primary teachers would likely serve their pupils more effectively if they reconsidered their current understandings of art education and update their teaching correspondingly. The action research method seeks to answer the following question: how should one change the art education process in primary school so that in addition to practical activities pupils would have opportunities to talk about and understand contemporary art? The article discusses a framework for modernising art education in primary school. Research shows that primary school learners are open to innovation and thus discussion of contemporary art can become a natural part of primary school art classes. The balance between creating and responding is a key to planning the art education processes today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Paedagogica Vilnensia is the property of Vilnius University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study examines aspects of children's geographical knowledge of Europe in Estonia between the years 2000 and 2012. The participants were 55 5th-graders in year 2000 and 41 5th-graders in year 2012, with the mean age of 12. Participants completed two tasks, (i) drawing a map of Europe and (ii) filling in country names in a contour map of Europe. Participants also had to state which countries they had visited. Though in 2000 children filled the contour map more accurately than in 2012, some countries (Finland, Norway and the UK) were drawn more accurately in 2012 and the drawing and contour map tasks were highly correlated with each other. Although children travelled more in 2012 compared to 2000, travelling experience had very little effect on children's knowledge of Europe, suggesting that it only plays a marginal role in the formation of place schemas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To estimate whether large macroeconomic fluctuations in the 2000s affected inequalities in alcohol‐related mortality in the Baltic countries and Finland. Design Longitudinal register‐based follow‐up study. Setting: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland. Participants: General population in the 35–74 age group. Measurements Socioeconomic status was measured by the highest achieved educational level and was categorised using the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 as low (included categories 0–2), middle (3–4), and high (5–8). Educational inequalities in alcohol‐related mortality in 2000–2003, 2004–2007, 2008–2011 and 2012–2015 were examined using census‐linked longitudinal mortality data. We estimated age‐standardised mortality rates and the relative and slope index of inequality. Findings Alcohol‐related mortality increased in all countries in 2004–2007 except among Estonian women and decreased/remained the same from 2008 onward except among Latvian men. By 2012–2015 alcohol‐related mortality was still higher than in 2000–2003 in Finland, Latvia and Lithuania (women only). Relative inequalities increased across the study period in all countries (significantly in Lithuania and Latvia). The 2004–2007 increase in relative inequalities was mostly driven by a larger mortality increase among the low educated, whereas in 2008–2011 and in 2012–2015 inequalities often increased because of a larger relative mortality decline among the high educated. However, these period changes in relative inequalities and between educational groups were often not statistically significant. Absolute inequalities were larger in 2012–2015 versus 2000–2003 in all countries except Estonia (decrease). Conclusion: In the Baltic countries and Finland, alcohol‐related mortality tended to increase faster among the low educated during a period of economic expansion (2004–2007) and decrease more among the high educated during a period of economic recession (2008–2011). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper studies the incidence and consequences of the mismatch between formal education and the educational requirements of jobs in Estonia during the years 1997–2003. We find large wage penalties associated with the phenomenon of educational mismatch. Moreover, the incidence and wage penalty of mismatches increase with age. This suggests that structural educational mismatches can occur after fast transition periods. Our results are robust for various methodologies, and more importantly regarding departures from the exogeneity assumptions inherent in the matching estimators used in our analysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper is dedicated to the 370th anniversary of the foundation of the University of Tartu (1632), 200th anniversary of the reopening of the University (1802) and 160th anniversary of the creation of one of the first chairs of pharmacy in the world (1842). The topic has been treated as consisting of the following three periods: the first period--from the foundation of the University (1632) to the beginning of the nineteenth-century; the second period--the Russian czarist state until 1918; the third period--the Estonian-language university since 1918. The main focus is on the people connected with teaching through the centuries (in particular, D.H. Grindel, E.F. Giese, E. Siller, C. Claus, G. Dragendorff, I. Kondakov) and their activity in the context of the history of the University of Tartu. The establishment of one of the first independent (i.e. separate from chemistry) pharmacy professorships in the world in Tartu in 1842 and the issues connected with teaching and research activities at the Institute of Pharmacy are reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Radiation therapy is an important part of multimodal breast cancer treatment. The aim was to examine the impact of sociodemographic factors on radiation therapy use in breast cancer (BC) patients in Estonia, linking cancer registry data to administrative databases. Methods: Estonian Cancer Registry provided data on women diagnosed with BC in Estonia in 2007–2018, including TNM stage at diagnosis. Use of radiation therapy within 12 months of diagnosis was determined from Estonian Health Insurance Funds claims, and sociodemographic characteristics from population registry. Receipt of radiation therapy was evaluated over time and by clinical and sociodemographic factors. Poisson regression with robust variance was used to calculate univariate and multivariate prevalence rate ratios (PRR) with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) for receipt of radiation therapy among stage I–III BC patients age < 70 years who underwent primary surgery. Results: Overall, of 8637 women included in the study, 4310 (50 %) received radiation therapy within 12 months of diagnosis. This proportion increased from 39 to 58 % from 2007 to 2009 to 2016–2018 (p < 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis showed that compared to women with stage I BC, those with more advanced stage were less likely to receive radiation therapy. Receipt of radiation therapy increased significantly over time and was nearly 40 % higher in 2016–2018 than in 2007–2009. Use of radiation therapy was significantly lower for women with the lowest level of education compared to those with a university degree (PRR 0.88, 95 % CI 0.80–0.97), and for divorced/widowed women (PRR 0.95, 95 % CI 0.91–0.99) and single women (PRR 0.92, 95 % CI 0.86–0.99), compared to married women. Age at diagnosis, nationality and place of residence were not associated with receipt of radiation therapy. Conclusions: The study showed considerable increase in the use of radiation therapy in Estonia over the study period, which is in line with increases in available equipment. The lack of geographic variations suggests equal access to therapy for patients living in remote regions. However, educational level and marital status were significantly associated with receipt of radiation therapy, highlighting the importance of psychosocial support in ensuring equal access to care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on music education literature in German-language schools in Estonia from 1860 to 1914. Music education literature in Estonian schools with German as a language of instruction has been an unexplored field of research. As a result of this systematic research, a representative sample of music education literature was formed: 30 German-language editions and 2,330 songs. The songbooks and music textbooks were considered as signs of German culture being dominant. The profound social, economic, and political changes, characteristic for the nineteenth century, caused tensions, which were expressed in the content of music literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study was part of a larger project which examined teachers’ classroom practices and relationships with students’ learning engagement in primary-school education in Estonia. The focus was the role of autonomy supportive and structured teaching on learning engagement. Two primary-school teachers and their 46 students were selected for this study. The aim of the study was to explore how teachers’ classroom practices influence students’ learning engagement over two years during grade two and grade four of the educational system. Three trained observers rated classroom practices and students self-reported learning engagement. The results highlight primary students’ high-learning engagement, and did not confirm an expectation that low-autonomy-supportive teaching results in low-learning engagement in primary school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Estonian Journal of Archaeology is the property of Teaduste Akadeemia Kirjastus and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To examine different approaches to teacher autonomy in nation-states, three countries were selected for a comparative study: Estonia, Finland and Germany. The emphasis of the study lies on the subjective perceptions of upper secondary school teachers (n = 33 semi-structured interviews) regarding their curricular autonomy and experiences of being controlled by the system. The article discusses different concepts of teacher autonomy and agency theoretically and concludes that they are partly overlapping, but not the same. Agency can be understood as the realistic actualization of autonomy within the constraints of the teaching profession, while autonomy is, in theory, more liberating, focusing on self-directedness, capacity for autonomous action and freedom from control. The data analysis showed that the expectations of teachers as to the amount of desired autonomy varied greatly. While the Finnish teachers in the study perceived control over teachers’ work to be unnecessary, due to their high professionalism, the Estonian and German teachers did not advocate absence of control, instead preferring to ‘have complete freedom to choose within limits.’ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this case study is to analyze the historical and current state of the education and practice of futures studies (FS) in a country that was once a member of the Soviet Union: Estonia. There are other countries in Eastern Europe which used to be or currently are in a similar situation to Estonia, but futures studies developed in different ways, because politics and economies were driven by different strategies or interests, and futurists emphasized different aspects of their research (either the theoretical or the practical, along different paradigms). In certain countries, like in Estonia, FS first achieved scientific (and educational) success after the political change of the early 90s, but this was followed by a long way down to a secondary (backing) position. It seems that an optimal share between education and practice may lead FS out from the pit in Estonia, and in other countries, too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2010-2012 the new assessment system was officially introduced into Estonian formal education. In order to understand how fundamental a cultural change this was for Estonian society, this study presents the discourses represented in the memoirs of the former students who got their assessment experience between the 1960s and the 1980s. The official Soviet assessment system was introduced into Estonian education in the 1950s. Although the Estonian pedagogical literature in the 1960s - 1980s was pedagogically comprehensive, the 48 recollections gathered for this study repeatedly represented discourses that can be found from the assessment norms introduced in the 1950s: counting mistakes, public humiliation, teacher's injustice or assessment that was meant to punish for improper behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to be at higher risk for negative health outcomes including HIV, STIs, depression, substance use, suicidality, and anxiety. Associative relationships between homonegativity (internal and external) and these outcomes are used to explain the observed disproportionate impact. The current study assessed associations between internalized homonegativity and high-risk behaviours, markers of substance use and symptoms of mental illness as well as openness and level of same sex attraction. A 2013 Internet-based survey was conducted among MSM, collecting data on socio-demographics, sexuality, drug and alcohol use, mental health, suicidality, and internalized homonegativity. The sample (n = 265) had a median age of 31 years, with 85 % employed at least part-time; at least a college-level education in 43 %; and 87 % lived in an urban setting. Sexual orientation was reported as: gay, 72 %; bisexual 23 %; other 5 %. Almost all men (97 %) reported ever having sex with a man, with more than one-third (36 %) having a steady male partner. Statistically significant higher homonegativity scores were detected among men reporting any level of opposite sex attraction compared to men attracted to only men; mostly men ( p = 0.001), men and women equally ( p = 0.002), and mostly women ( p = 0.004), as well as less openness of same sex attraction to family and friends; >50 % family ( p = 0.032), no family knowing ( p = 0.042), and few friends knowing ( p = 0.011). Anxiety risk and increased homonegativity also had a statistically significant increasing relationship. The identified associations between homonegativity and opposite sex attraction among MSM warrants further exploration as well as the relationship with increased anxiety risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Given the growing number of people with disabilities in Estonia, an initial rehabilitation needs assessment instrument that included the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) was developed and tested to determine its feasibility in assessing social rehabilitation needs.Method: WHODAS 2.0 items were complemented with questions about the nature of disability-related problems with regard to personal, social and environmental aspects of functioning. Four rehabilitation specialists assessed 101 persons' needs in face-to-face interviews. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.Results: The comprehensive initial assessment instrument tested was sufficiently informative to assess functioning and identify social rehabilitation and other social needs. Participants had difficulty in understanding some WHODAS 2.0 items, and coding and scoring respondents' answers using WHODAS 2.0 frames of reference proved challenging for interviewers.Conclusion: The WHODAS 2.0 is mainly related to health conditions. Complementing it with questions about the nature and severity of the difficulties social rehabilitation service applicants experienced added essential information for planning interventions.Implications for RehabilitationA well conceived, holistic initial assessment that addresses biological, psychological, sociocultural and environmental factors can provide substantial information for targeting services to meet a person's rehabilitation needs.The WHODAS 2.0 is a useful framework for conducting initial assessments, but since it focuses on health needs, supplementing it with additional items about personal, social and environmental factors may be necessary to address services needs from social, vocational and other rehabilitation perspectives.Rehabilitation specialists must be well prepared to use the WHODAS 2.0 and conduct the overall assessment, including providing clear instructions and support to applicants applying for services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Research on History Didactics, History Education & History Culture (JHEC) is the property of Wochenschau Verlag GmbH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In 2010, the renewed national curriculum was legislated in Estonia. Major changes include a new list of cross-curricular topics, increased importance of integration and specification of the components of the art learning process. In this situation, the question arises – how to fully implement the challenges of the renewed curriculum in primary school visual art classes. One possibility is to use a consistent teaching model. This article gives an overview of such model as applied during an action research project, analysing the participation and involvement of the pupils and their study experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aim of the study was to explain the difference between the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2009 reading results for Finland and Estonia using characteristics of teaching and learning, and characteristics of the overall development of these countries. PISA data were collected via a reading test and student questionnaires from 4,729 students in Estonia and 5,810 students in Finland. Regression analysis made it possible to identify the speed of the rise in PISA scores in relation to the selected variables. The speed was multiplied by the value of the variable to calculate the effect of the variable. The effects of the joy of reading and the diversity of reading materials were greater in Finland, but the effects of metacognition and online reading activities were greater in Estonia. The countries had different values for several indices of development, and this was concordant with the difference in the PISA scores. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study aims to explain the positions regarding change in language of instruction in Russian-medium schools. The empirical basis for this article is a representative survey conducted in 2009 among pupils (n = 1026) and teachers (n = 548) in Estonia. The results indicate that in the case ofteachers’ language proficiency, individual resources (citizenship, Estonian-language media) dominate over regional (ethnic composition) ones. Regardingpupils’ language proficiency, apart from individual factors (gender, Estonian-language media), school-level activities are essential (language immersion, teachers’ in-service training). Whilepupils’ positive attitudestowards education change are characterized by individual and school cultural resources,teachers’ attitudesare more autonomous and express general societal affiliation. The article suggests that the “cultural translation” ability of the relevant individuals and in the public turns out to have critical relevance in the context of implementing integration policy and in the communication of changes in education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Unlike in England, since the late 1980s the rhetoric of curriculum reforms has been overwhelmingly decentralist in many countries. However, decentralisation has often involved the delegation of centrally appointed tasks, rather than a real shift in power. The Estonian case demonstrates how a decentralised curriculum policy with centralised control can have the same de-professionalising effect on teachers’ perceived professional autonomy as does a system where both input and output are centrally controlled. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Since the 1990s, educational systems in many European countries have been under reform and the pursuit of positive change has become central to educational discourse. In this article, the authors present a reflective meta-analysis with a focus on the role of cooperation and networking in the process of educational change. This analysis demonstrates how the research of these important aspects within the current project was facilitated by using a particular methodological approach - design research. The authors' experience demonstrates that this approach provides a reliable framework for systematic and evidence-based planning of educational change. Networking facilitates the building of trust and enables access to local information, thereby helping to create a common understanding of the aims and content of the reform. The main challenges the authors faced were managing the networking, sharing the responsibility and overcoming some partners' lack of experience and preparedness for participating in research and policy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the most recent educational reform in Estonia, a new National Curriculum was introduced in 2010 providing new guidelines for education generally and foreign languages specifically. To investigate the understanding that an EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teacher has about professional teaching and whether it matches the principles of the curriculum, a research project was conducted amongst EFL teachers at the lower secondary school level. A brief theoretical background to the topic is given and Estonian EFL teachers’ beliefs about professional teaching based on the findings of the survey are described. The study identifies that, although generally EFL teachers’ beliefs about professional teaching are in concordance with the principles contained in the new curriculum, there are aspects that should be addressed by both pre- and in-service education teacher programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article discusses teachers' practical knowledge and beliefs of their profession based on reflective writings of twenty Estonian teachers. Ten novice and ten experienced teachers participated in the study. They put together their professional portfolios, which among other documents included reflective writings regarding professionalism. The teachers' writings enabled us to qualitatively analyse how they described and interpreted their teaching activities and what being a professional teacher means to them. The results showed that when speaking about the image of a professional teacher, novice teachers stressed technological teaching aspects, for instance--skills in using IT equipment. The essays by the experienced teachers included more keywords related to the development of students and stressed the teacher's role as an educator. Both novice and experienced teachers valued the pedagogical education of teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article contributes to attempts to re-conceptualise the top-down perspective on language policy, by analysing the role of local and city governments' agency in language education policy making. Only few studies analyse the role of lower administrative levels in language policy, other than in implementation of governmental policies, why their policy appropriations are seen as policy deviations. Language policy researchers have however recognised that local governments can, due to the regional or local character of some language education problems, also be given a more active role in policy making. My claim is that in order to do so, the analysis has to be based on a conceptual framework that sees language policy developments as part of the general democratisation and decentralisation processes in society. The article therefore also problematises attempts to analyse and make sense of language policy developments separately from political and economic transitions of society. Based on Giddens' structuration theory and language governance studies, I will analyse how two different language policy models in Estonia and Denmark – in terms of allocation of resources and authority – frame local municipalities' opportunity for agency in language education policy matters. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the context of pluralization, globalization, and developments in pedagogy and academic history, ideas about the functions and objectives of history teaching (HT) have significantly diversified. Though traditional conceptions still prevail among the broader public, in professional circles traditional ideas about HT are accompanied by deconstructionist and multi-perspective approaches, deriving from the notion that history should not be regarded as true and unambiguous. The objective of this study is to discern the variety of representations of HT in Estonia, as reflected in an Estonian teachers’ weekly newspaper, an “interface” between the broader public and narrower professional spheres and discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]