'Arts and culture education –
contents and outcomes'
ESTONIA
Liia Jung
Chair of the Board of the Estonian Society for Education through Art ( EstSEA)
and a member of the European Council of the International Society for Education
through Art (InSEA)
Art teacher
Estonia (The Republic of Estonia) is a small country
situated in Northern Europe. The country covers an
area of 45,226 km² and its population compromises of
1.34 million people. The official language is Estonian.
Estonian education (1)
In Estonia the “Estonian Strategy of Higher
Education 2007-2013” is now being
implemented. The whole education system is
based on the law of education, the National
Curriculum accepted by the Ministry of
Education, the law of basic schools and
gymnasiums, plan of vocational education, plan
of general education schools, plan of
kindergartens’ curriculum etc.
Estonian education (2)
In January 2011, the Government of the Republic
approved the updated national curricula for basic
schools and upper secondary schools(gümnaasium).
The document actually consists of two separate
documents –
1.the National Curriculum for Basic Schools (grades 1-9,
age 7-15) and
2.the National Curriculum for Upper Secondary Schools
/Gümnaasium (grades 10-12, age 16-19).
The deadline for the full implementation of the
curriculum was set for the 2013/2014 academic year.
Estonian education (3)
The national curriculum includes the
following subject fields:
1) language and literature:; 2) foreign
languages; 3) mathematics; 4) natural
science; 5) social studies; 6) physical
education; 7) art subjects- Music and Art
Estonian education (4)
The new Curricula of Art is more modern
and more connected to real life.
More attention is given to the integration
between different subjects.
In the new document study results have
been expressed more clearly.
Estonian education (5)
The curricula underline objectives that are
intended to support the pupils, including
the provision of feedback, motivation and
guidance to pupils.
The curriculum also provides requirements
for different research projects or practical
projects.
Estonian education (6)
Major changes include a new list of crosscurricular 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 new
curriculum in school art classes?
Estonian education (7)
School reform –
Aim: - reducing the number of schools and
to separate Basic school and Upper-secondary schools
Number of children is decreasing.
Many upper secondary schools will become state schools
Many school buildings will be renovated
During the last couple of years about 10 new upper-secondary
schools have either been built, agreed upon with the local
governments or are in the phase of negotiations.
Estonian education (8)
Russian-speaking general education schools in
Estonia are slowly changing into Estonianspeaking schools.
In the schools not enough young teachers.
Society does not focus on the problems in the
field of education. Teachers are not valued
highly.
At schools there are councils, where teachers,
students, parents, schools heads and people
from local government come together to discuss
problems and solve them to make school life
better. Work of these councils is changing and
becoming step by step more effective.
Estonian education (9)
In new curriculum :
In upper secondary schools (gümnaasium), the
volume of study common to all pupils was
reduced from 72 courses to 63 courses.
Subsequently, subject volumes have been
reduced, and number of Art courses in uppersecondary school have been reduced too,
which is not good.
Art education (1)
Basic school (Primary school)
Art is taught from the 1st- 9th grades.
1st Stage of Study Art: 4.5 lessons
2nd Stage of Study Art: 3 lessons
3rd Stage of Study Art: 3 lessons
Students have to choose a creative project before Grade 9
Upper secondary school(Gümnaasium) –
Art 2 courses.
Students have to write a research paper or do a practical
work.
Art education (2)
The freedom of choice(s) of art teachers and
also upper secondary school pupils has been
increased.
In someway it is good but could be also bad ,
because it makes it an uneven level of
education.
Every school has the right to make their own
choices for and within additional Art course(s).
About Art Teachers in Estonia
Different preparation, different curricula –
• class teachers
• subject teachers
Required teachers education level is Master
Degree
In the three universities there are art pedagogical
departments:
Tallinn, Tartu, Art Academy
Are you male or female?
mees
naine
Study environment (1)
• The curricula stress issues that are related to
the study environment. Compared to earlier
versions, the updated documents are oriented
towards learning rather than teaching.
• The curricula go into more detail on the
subject of the physical learning environment
and study processes, describing the provision
of education and the requirements necessary
for ensuring the provision of Art Education.
Study environment(2)
• The new ideas describing a perfect Art class
environment are really good , but the reality is
different. The government does not provide
sufficient funds for schools. Many schools
does not yet have special rooms for art
classes, not enough technical equipment, no
colors, brushes etc.
Study environment(3)
In Art Curricula:
Physical Learning Environment
1. The school organises the majority of the study process in a
classroom that has 500 lux daylight-spectrum lighting over
the working surface, water/sewerage, easels with
adjustable heights and drawing boards, facilities for drying,
storing and displaying works of art and projection
equipment.
2. The school, in accordance with the school curriculum,
provides possibilities to use cameras for photography and
videography, a scanner, a printer and computers connected
to the Internet during art lessons. The school also provides
the necessary art tools and materials
What could be the definition of art education, what of
culture education and what of creativity?
Art competence is associated with cultural
awareness and covers basic knowledge about
Estonian/ National and European cultural
achievements coupled with an understanding of
global cultural diversity.
The Art subjects are united in the attention given
to developing creativity and the skill of selfexpression and shaping an integral perception of
the world.
Also new skills and knowledge like in every
subjects.
Arts competence includes critical and creative
thinking, versatile self-expression skills, valuing
individuality and readiness to find new solutions
in changing circumstances.
Students are expected to express creative ideas
confidently and competently and value their
peers’ different ideas and solutions; realise their
potential
Analyse works of contemporary art, notice
different forms and messages, find connections
with nowadays life and are open-minded towards
different cultural phenomena
Students are expected to have acquired
experience of creative activities and selfexpression, recognize their creative abilities
and value individual approaches, value culture
and human creativity, participate in individual
and collaborative art projects and appreciate
solution-seeking and creative thinking.
In addition, to notice cultural traditions and
global cultural diversity, understand importance
of art in present-day society, accept cultural
phenomena and are able to critically and
creatively assess mass culture and deep culture;
and value, maintain and develop Estonian/
National culture, feel responsible for the
preservation of cultural traditions, value global
cultural diversity and seek connections between
cultural phenomena and past and present-day
science, technology and economy.
How do secondary schools (= focus of the meeting) in
European countries choose their content for their arts
and culture education?
In Estonia, Art course content is mainly focused on
world Art History, and the main task is to find
connections in contemporary culture.
2 courses.
1. ´History and Changing Nature of Art’
2. ‘Contemporary Art and its Development Trends’
Every school can compose their own school Curricula
with additional courses and specific content.
Main goals in curricula for upper
secondary school
The learning content is divided into three contingent
modules:
1) KNOW! or content/structural overview (history and
nature of art and the birth of contemporary art and its
development trends);
2) THINK! or the thematic part which creates links and
broadens students’ knowledge (cross-curricula themes
in different periods and comparisons;
3) CREATE! or the investigative, practical and confirmative
part (field trips and creative and research projects).
Through the creation, presentation,
interpretation and analysis of works of art the
students learn about traditional and
contemporary arts and their content, form
and meaning. Thus, comprehension and
critical approaches are developed. Flexible
thinking and an open mind towards cultural
and individual differences are important
factors that support the ability to cope in a
rapidly changing and multicultural world.
On what basis (theory, skills, such as creativity, development of
knowledge and understanding) do teachers, school leaders or
education developers make their choices of content and how do
they ensure quality in their curriculum?
This depends mainly on school priorities and
possibilities. Choices are influenced by the
personality of the headmaster of school and art
teacher. Problems may arise in small schools ( for
example in the countryside) where the teacher is
not able to have a full-time job. In many schools
there are classteachers.
Art teacher as a creative person makes his/her
choices by their own aestethic and moral criteria.
The quality is intended to be ensured by the set
learning outcomes, learning content and learning
activities for all stages at school.
For example by the end of 3rd grade the student is
expected to enjoy creative activities, describe
their own work, select a suitable way of depicting
objects and creatures, use various ways and
techniques of drawing, painting, photographing
and sculpting, connect form with function and
value the principles of environmentally-aware use
and creation etc.
At the 3rd Stage of Study the students
acquire, on a more theoretical level,
knowledge of both iconographic (symbol,
allegory, quotation, etc.) and form-based
(colour, light and shadow, perspective,
composition, etc.) means of artistic
expression. In their creative work the students
try out new media and outputs; they set an
increasing number of their assignments
themselves.
Do they focus on certain disciplines, on the crafts
within the disciplines, on multidisciplinary activities
or on coherence with other subjects?
Every school can choose themselves, but they must
rely on the National Curricula and guarantee it to be
fulfilled. In Art Curricula the main goals of planning
learning content and different activities are
described in the chapter Learning Activities.
More attention is given to the integration between
different subjects through projects
Integration of studies shall be achieved by
following the common denominator of
subjects of different subject fields, common
thematic emphases on subjects, internal
school projects and cross-curricular topics,
and study assignments and methods.
To achieve integration, the basic school shall
organize studies and shape the learning
environment and cooperation between
teachers in a manner that enables crossdisciplinary treatment: specifying
competences, setting learning objectives and
determining common problems and
terminology for various subjects.
What is the relationship between the intended curriculum in arts
and the implemented curriculum? What are the effect and quality
of the Intended curriculum in practice?
• Teachers will appreciate their freedom to
choose different ways, different opportunities
on planning school curricula. At the same
time, though, this initiative can depend on :
a) the years already spent in school (some
working teachers are not ready to accept new
ideas and methods of Art curricula, their
education is out-dated);
b) the different teacher education acquired at
the university, the personality and creativity of
the Art teacher, and the available learning
environment;
c) the influence of the national school reformteachers do not always feel secure, confident,
it decreases the stability in the school
atmosphere.
Are the learning outcomes to be
achieved described in the Art Curricula?
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What is the Impact of learning Expressive Arts?
Learning Expressive Arts supports the
formation of the individual, his/her tolerance,
cultural understanding and openness to the
other European cultures.
On one hand it of course depends on the
characteristics of the Art teacher, number of
classes and the learning environment, but on
the other hand it depends greatly on the
understanding of the society.
Why do teachers teach what they teach?
Most Art teachers are creative people and their
teaching is based on Curriculum but at the same time
they have their own ways and methods. We can say
they have their own conception, that has been
influenced by their own aestethic and moral criteria.
Aesthetical development in art and moral development
in art under the essentialist conception.
Intellectual development through art and emotional
development through art under the contextualist
conception. (from research of Piret Viirpalu)
What is the overall quality of Arts education in
the participating countries?
In spite of the great changes in the society,
the level of Art education is good, but we
hope to develop the level of teaching and its
outcomes more evenly in every school.
The current (new) Arts Curriculum in Estonia
is modern with plenty of possibilities and
choices for teachers and students alike. At the
same time though, it will of course take many
years to achieve its aims.
Positive about Art Education in Estonia
Students’ freedom to choose courses, projects, themes.
Teachers’ freedom to choose the topics taught.
Workshops and subject field trips (museums, art galleries,
exhibitions)
Mandatory creative work gives opportunity to express
themselves, understand, and practice (positive emotions)
Negative
Resources (people, time, money)
Small number of Art lessons
Is the number of art lessons sufficient
in basic school?
Is the number of art lessons sufficient
in upper secondary school?
The full text of the Art curricula can be found
from http://www.hm.ee/index.php?1511576
www.kunstiharidus.ee