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The research is based on a comparative study of craft and technology education curriculums and students' attitudes towards craft and technology in Finland, Slovenia, Estonia and Iceland. The study was undertaken by the Helsinki University, University of Ljubljana, University of Tallinn and University of Iceland. A literature review was completed, in order to examine and compare the curriculums of technology education in Finland, Slovenia, Estonia and Iceland. In addition, a quantitative survey was subsequently distributed to 864 school students in Finland, Slovenia, Estonia and Iceland. It consisted of 14 questions, which aimed to ascertain students? attitudes towards craft and technology. The survey showed substantial differences in students? attitudes towards technology education in the four countries: these differences may be explained by differences in the national curriculums, the different pedagogical traditions and cultural differences in the field of technology. In addition, the study tried to examine the structure of students? attitudes towards technology. The factors can be interpreted as matching with the affective, cognitive and behavioral components. However, no far-reaching generalizations were allowed regarding the structure or properties of the attitudes towards technology as the questionnaire consisted of only 14 items.

The main idea of this research was to find out if there is a relationship between students' undertakings within Craft and Technology education and their ability to understand technological concepts. Study participants' technological knowledge and reasoning was measured with a questionnaire regarding mechanical systems connected with simple physical phenomena. The research was undertaken in Finnish and Estonian schools during the years 2014-2016. The research model was quantitative survey and the data was collected using a questionnaire distributed to 303 students in Estonia and 317 in Finland. The age of study participants was eleven and thirteen. The results highlighted general lack of technological knowledge and reasoning, which could be due to old-fashioned pedagogical methods in teaching technology. The total average of right answers to 28 questions was in Estonia 15.4 and in Finland 15.0. Main difference was found between Finnish and Estonian 11-year-old students while the Estonian figure was 14.9 and 14.1 in Finland. For 13-year-old students, the difference was almost diminished while the average in Estonia was 15.8 and 15.7 in Finland. This is explained by curriculum differences. In Finnish technology education both Technical craft and Textile craft are compulsory for both boys and girls. In Estonia, students can choose the subject based on their wishes and interests. This allows students to study in greater detail the subject that they are really interested in. In addition, boys' and girls' different interests and earlier experiences obviously have an impact on motivation for learning about technology.

The purpose of this paper is to comparatively investigate the professional autonomy of upper secondary school teachers in three European countries in interpreting and implementing curricula. The paper focuses on teachers' experiences, and their perceptions of their autonomy and the control exercised over them in the global era of neoliberal education reforms. Semi-structured teacher interviews from Estonia, Finland and Germany (n = 33) were used to ascertain teachers' professional roles in different political contexts. Despite the common economically motivated pressures on school systems and teachers, the responses of nation-states and teachers vary. While German education reforms have been aimed mainly at increased standardization of education, Estonian and Finnish reforms have also emphasized school autonomy and the empowerment of teachers through school curriculum development. Even the Bavarian curriculum for gymnasia, one of the most prescriptive curricula in Germany, since 2008, has promised increased autonomy to teachers. Nevertheless, as the cases of Bavarian and Estonian curricula show, the autonomy-stressing rhetoric of a curriculum can be accompanied by teachers' perceived lack of autonomy. Moreover, teachers' willingness to endorse and enact curricula depends on their perceived social status and involvement in educational decision-making.