Due to the rapid increase of technological development and increased use of technology in the modern world, it is necessary to improve technical literacy early on in the education process of our children and help them acquire the skills needed in their continuous process of education. From the study and comparison of both curricula, it was found that neither of the two includes technology as a separate subject but it is integrated with various related content. The Californian curriculum, contrary to the Slovenian one, contains a somewhat higher emphasis on the learning process itself while the Slovenian curriculum emphasizes the achievement of set objectives. As Slovenia, similarly to California, increases in multicultural variety it is imperative to understand the importance of using an individual approach as well as understanding the child’s cultural background, interaction with their family and the need to adapt the content to their abilities.
This diploma thesis aims to present technical education in the curricula of Slovenian and California public preschools and kindergartens, to determine the common and distinct contents of technical education in both compared countries, to critically analyze and evaluate the state of technical education and to provide improvements for the Slovenian curriculum.
Our main goals are to understand how technical education in Slovenian kindergartens is defined in comparison to California’s preschools and kindergartens, how technical education in California is embedded - whether it is a standalone field or an intertwined field, and if so, with which fields it intertwines with. We are also interested in how much technical content is present in the California curriculum compared to the Slovenian kindergarten curriculum and how does the content differ. We also look into how technical education content is implemented in California, and whether the content, method, format, or strategy of the work stands out.
The answers to our research questions were obtained through a qualitative research approach. We studied domestic and foreign literature in the field, used a descriptive method of theoretical contributions, a method of comparison and escalation, and the analysis and interpretation of findings. In addition to analyzing the literature, we also referenced the knowledge we gained during our preschool education and practical training.
Technology is constantly evolving since the first fire was started and the first blade shaped from a piece of stone. However, as technology is constantly changing and evolving with increasing speed, it is important for people to understand the underlying concepts and operation of modern technology. Nevertheless, we notice that in schools and kindergartens there are still core subjects that do not include technology or topics related to it. Children mostly learn through experiential learning, and this is precisely what technical education emphasizes - active learning. They learn practical problem-solving skills, critical thinking, elimination of mistakes, exploration, development, and experimentation. Educators and teachers should be aware of the importance of this subject and encourage children early on to understand the technology and its place in contemporary society, as well as provide them with opportunities to develop the skills and competences that will accompany them throughout their lives.
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