Transversal Skills in the Mathematics Education Curriculum in Pre-School: Experience of Latvia

Abstract

The acquisition of mathematics begins with the birth of a child within the cultural environment or socio-economic environment of the child. The child learns mathematics by investigating and exploring the environment in which they are located. The article describes and analyses theoretical materials and documents about applying transversal skills for the acquisition of mathematics in the new education curriculum in pre-schools in Latvia. From the school year 2017/2018, new education curriculum is being implemented in Latvia. The research focuses on the analysis of Preschool education curriculum (2019) and Transversal skills in preschool (2019), as well as document “Education for modern literacy: description of the teaching/learning content and approach” (Skola 2030, 2017) giving particular attention to mathematics to be acquired in pre-school. Research questions were chosen in the research aspect of applying the new education curriculum for the acquisition of mathematics in preschool: What transversal skills are included in mathematics education in preschool? What are the essence of transversal skills in preschool education? How are the mathematics learning outcomes in preschool education related to the transversal skills? Main findings reveal the improvement of the learning outcomes by including the transversal skills in the acquisition of mathematics in preschool. Critical thinking and Problem solving as transversal skill dominate in the mathematics education in the preschool curriculum as the learning outcomes. In turn, such transversal skills as Civic participation and Digital literacy are neither included, nor specified in mathematics outcomes.