Technology Education in Finland, Slovenia, Estonia and Iceland: The Structure of Students’ Attitudes towards Technology

Abstract

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.