Current educational needs of preschool children in Latvia : perspectives for designing a children’s museum aligned with preschool needs
Prule-Munda, Inga (2025)
2025
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025072923711
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025072923711
Tiivistelmä
This thesis investigates the current educational needs of preschool children in Latvia (ages 3–6) and examines how a children’s museum could address these needs in alignment with the competency-based Skola2030 framework.
The theoretical foundation included analysis of early childhood education frameworks used in Latvia, followed by a mixed-method research. Empirical data were collected through semi-structured interviews with five key stakeholders in preschool education and a nationwide survey of 227 preschool teachers, representing approximately 5% of the total.
The findings indicated that teachers strongly endorsed holistic, child-centred education in line with the competency-based Skola2030 framework. However, practical barriers—such as limited resources and regional disparities—were found to hinder the full implementation of this approach. Three key developmental gaps were identified: fostering cultural identity, promoting civic education, and deepening environmental awareness. Teachers emphasized the need for experiential, hands-on learning opportunities to address these gaps. It was found that teachers viewed a children’s museum as a valuable partner in bridging these gaps. They envisioned the museum as a calm, culturally rooted, and interactive environment that complements curriculum goals and provides equitable access to high-quality learning. Teachers also highlighted the importance of co-design to ensure that museum programming aligns with real classroom needs.
The insights from this research are intended to inform the development of a children’s museum that meets the educational needs of Latvian preschool children. Future developmental proposals include exploring the opinion of other stakeholders – parents and children as well as exploring co-design in this field.
The theoretical foundation included analysis of early childhood education frameworks used in Latvia, followed by a mixed-method research. Empirical data were collected through semi-structured interviews with five key stakeholders in preschool education and a nationwide survey of 227 preschool teachers, representing approximately 5% of the total.
The findings indicated that teachers strongly endorsed holistic, child-centred education in line with the competency-based Skola2030 framework. However, practical barriers—such as limited resources and regional disparities—were found to hinder the full implementation of this approach. Three key developmental gaps were identified: fostering cultural identity, promoting civic education, and deepening environmental awareness. Teachers emphasized the need for experiential, hands-on learning opportunities to address these gaps. It was found that teachers viewed a children’s museum as a valuable partner in bridging these gaps. They envisioned the museum as a calm, culturally rooted, and interactive environment that complements curriculum goals and provides equitable access to high-quality learning. Teachers also highlighted the importance of co-design to ensure that museum programming aligns with real classroom needs.
The insights from this research are intended to inform the development of a children’s museum that meets the educational needs of Latvian preschool children. Future developmental proposals include exploring the opinion of other stakeholders – parents and children as well as exploring co-design in this field.