IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jscscx/v13y2024i12p649-d1533072.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Integrating Work-Life and Student Work-Related Experiences in Classroom Learning—The Perspective of Primary Teachers

Author

Listed:
  • Kaidi Nurmik

    (School of Educational Sciences, Tallinn University, 10120 Tallinn, Estonia)

  • Inge Timoštšuk

    (School of Educational Sciences, Tallinn University, 10120 Tallinn, Estonia)

Abstract

A better match between formal education and work-life is seen as one approach that can help students acquire competences and knowledge necessary for successful participation in their future lives. However, emphasis is often placed on exploring practices targeted at students nearing entry into a work-life pattern, whereas promoting key competencies and positive attitudes toward work should start at an earlier stage. We conducted in-depth interviews with 20 Estonian primary school teachers, recognized by their colleagues for outstanding practices to explore their understanding and experiences of integrating work-life and students’ work-related experiences in classroom learning. While teachers involve the work-life and professions of the students’ family members, they often overlook the potential of their local community. Teachers perceived the primary school context as generally supportive, with the national curriculum and cooperative relationships with families being supportive factors. Teachers often viewed students’ work-related experiences as limited to tasks like maintaining tidiness, with few recognizing broader experiences, such as taking on different roles or participating in after-school activities. There is significant potential to purposefully connect work-life and classroom learning, enabling students to take on roles that promote their key competencies and agency, while personalizing learning based on their work-related experiences.

Suggested Citation

  • Kaidi Nurmik & Inge Timoštšuk, 2024. "Integrating Work-Life and Student Work-Related Experiences in Classroom Learning—The Perspective of Primary Teachers," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-13, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:13:y:2024:i:12:p:649-:d:1533072
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/13/12/649/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/13/12/649/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Arminda Álamo-Bolaños & Itahisa Mulero-Henríquez & Leticia Morata Sampaio, 2024. "Childhood, Education, and Citizen Participation: A Systematic Review," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-13, July.
    2. Carol Nash, 2024. "A Scoping Review of Children, Empowerment, and Smartphone Technology Regarding Social Construction Theory with the Aim of Increasing Self-Direction in Democracies," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-23, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.

      Corrections

      All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:13:y:2024:i:12:p:649-:d:1533072. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

      If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

      If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

      If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

      For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

      Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

      IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.