Uppeldi og menntun - 01.01.2001, Page 181

ÞORDIS ÞORÐARDOTTIR
ABSTRACT
This study provides a content analysis of the curriculum plans for pre-school teach-
ers in seven teachers' colleges in the Scandinavian countries for the year 1998-1999.
Sixty concepts in the curriculum plans were identified as being related to the role of
the pre-school teachers. The goals in the curriculum plans were categorised into
.knowledge goals, skill goals and attitude goals. The curriculum plans were exarn-
ined as to structure, organization, and content.
The results of the analysis show that the curricula are divided into three cate-
gories: a) pedagogical courses consisting of social science subjects with a didactic
emphasis in early childhood education, b) courses in the arts of music, drama and
literature, and courses in the sciences of hygiene and natural history, and lastly c)
training courses mainly focused on theory and praxis and being taught both in the
colleges and in pre-schools. Within the curriculum plans, 835 items were related to
six roles of preschool teachers. These roles were 1. Diagnostican, 2. Curriculum
designer, 3. Organizer of instruction, 4. Manager of learning, 5. Counselor/Advisor,
6. Decision maker. A total of 1,568 goals were found in the curriculum plans; 47%
were classified as knowledge goals 35% as skill goals and 18% as attitude goals.
Slight variations were found in the curriculum plans that could be attributed to the
cultural differences between the six countries.
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