From Society to Youth or from Youth to Society? From Society to Youth or from Youth to Society? Eve Mägi 20 April 2012

Contents Introduction Background My approach to social justice and education Social Justice Concepts in the Estonian National Curriculum (2011) Empirics on the Educational Choices of Upper Secondary Graduates (2012)

Social Justice Concepts in the Curriculum: Values In 2011, the new Estonian National Curriculum was implemented The values deemed important include general human values (honesty, compassion, respect for life, justice, human dignity, respect for self and others) social values (liberty, democracy, respect for mother tongue and culture, patriotism, cultural diversity, tolerance, environmental sustainability, rule of law, solidarity, responsibility and gender equality)

Social Justice Concepts in the Curriculum: Purpose “Persons with a strong basic education will be capable of integrating into society and will contribute to the sustainable social, cultural, economic and ecological development of Estonian society” “In basic school, the main purpose of learning and education is to ensure the pupils’ age-appropriate, moral, physical and social development and shaping of a comprehensive worldview”

Social Justice Concepts in the Curriculum: Competences General competences (knowledge+skills+attitudes) as objectives: Value competence Social competence Self-management competence Communication competence Enterpreneurship competence

Social Justice Concepts in the Curriculum: The Learning Environment The learning environment is understood to mean the combination of mental, social and physical environment surrounding pupils and in which pupils develop and learn. The learning environment shall support the development of pupils into independent and active learners, promote the core values of basic education and the spirit of school community, and preserve and develop local and school community traditions

Social Justice Concepts in the Curriculum: Cross-Curricular Topics Cross-curricular topics: Environment and sustainable development Civic initiative and enterpreneurship Values and morals

Social Justice Concepts in the Curriculum: Subject Field Social Studies Subject field: Social Studies curricula and subjects address topics and competences related to social justice “Social justice” is emphasized specifically in the Civics and Citizenship Education general principles as follows: “Civics and citizenship education plays an important role in the formation of students’ value judgements and attitudes. It embraces (…) gender equality, civic initiative, social justice and fair treatment of citizens, respect for human rights, acknowledging differences, intolerance of prejudice, a sustainable approach to the environment, respect for the cultural traditions of other nations and countries and the desire to know them better (…)”

Study on the Educational Choices of Upper Secondary Graduates: Aim and Data To identify factors that influence young people´s educational choices after completing an upper secondary education ◦ What are the aspects which guide future choices? ◦ What factors influence educational choices after completing upper secondary education? Quantitative analysis: questionnaire (n= 1800) Qualitative analysis: essays (n=121) (Mägi & Nestor 2012)

Educational Choices of Upper Secondary Graduates

What Factors Influence Choice of a Field of Study and School?

External Factors as Influential Determinants Secondary school graduates´ choice of a field of study appears to be rather indefinite and influenced by interest, BUT also to a great extent by external factors Graduates favour degree programmes frequently mentioned in public discussions in society

Preferred Field of Study by Gender I

Preferred Field of Study by Gender II Traditional gender roles have unfortunately been confirmed: ◦ The Field of Natural Science is a preferred choice of subject area for 23% of males, but only 6% of females ◦ Similar pattern in the field of Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction (24% males and 6% females)

Estonia’s Priority Area of Study: Natural Sciences Natural Sciences appears to be a popular choice among students who have participated in hobby education related science activities, e.g., “The Gifted and Talented Development Centre”; 28% of students that participated in these activities preferred to continue their studies in the field of Natural Science Recent study on youth engagement in hobby education and youth work reveals the prevalence of soft areas (e.g., music, art, sports) and very minimal opportunities for science, enterpreneurship and innovation (Praxis 2012)

Educational Choices by Parents´ Level of Education Students from high socio-economic background are more likely to pursue higher education compared to their counterparts In addition, these students are more likely to participate in extra-curricular activities and express higher life satisfaction compared to their less privileged mates

Thank you!