Latvian primary school teachers’ views: Contemporary learner and future society

Abstract

The paper presents a study of focus groups conducted in schools of Latvia involving teachers of grades 1 – 6 (n=76). The first stage of research presents the analyses of teachers’ discussion what a contemporary learner is like, while at the second stage of the study focuses on finding of what the future society will be like when the present-day primary school learners have left the school, what teachers must change in their work  in  the process of learning to meet the needs of the future.The data and outcomes of  this study are based on the outcomes of focus group discussions and the analysis of the experience in other papers. According to the acquired outcomes of the study, contemporary learners on the one hand are braver, ready for an active action, they use various opportunities, they are aware of their worth, on the other hand, they accept diversity, spend much time watching TV, using the global network, that does not facilitate social communication. Conclusion: For the process of learning to meet the needs of the future, learners must be given an opportunity to construct such knowledge, skills, and attitudes that make it possible to view processes holistically, grasping the mutual interaction of different aspects.