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Astronomy Education in Latvia - problems and development

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2018

I. Vilks
I. Vilks*
Affiliation:
Astronomical Observatory, University of Latvia

Extract

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School education in Latvia, as in many other countries, is divided into two stages: primary and secondary education. Primary education is compulsory. Every year 30 000 new school children start attending primary school. This is a potential audience that can study astronomy fundamentals. During first grade studies school children learn the basics of natural science which include some elements of astronomy. These lessons are given once a week. At this stage children's interest in the Universe is great; therefore the most active teachers use some out of curriculum activities to give the schoolchildren an idea about the stars, planets and other celestial bodies. The science curriculum itself contains very few elements of astronomy (Karule, 1995). Even more many teachers have problems teaching science at the elementary school, because they are afraid that it is too sophisticated. This situation should be corrected, but at the moment no teacher training in science is planned.

Type
Section Five
Information
International Astronomical Union Colloquium , Volume 162: New Trends in Astronomy Teaching , 1998 , pp. 220 - 223
Copyright
Copyright © 1996

References

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