Title: WHAT EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES ARE CONSIDERED IMPORTANT BY PRESCHOOL TEACHERS IN HELSINKI AND TALLINN?
Abstract: The present article deals with the educational objectives of Helsinki and Tallinn preschool teachers.The national regulations and objectives of preparation for school of the capital cities of both countries -Estonia and Finland -are compared.The study is based on a questionnaire carried out among preschool teachers of Helsinki in 2001-2 and Tallinn in 2002-3.The term preschool training in the present context means the education given a year before the beginning of compulsory school education.The authors of the present article view school readiness as a consistent process, taking place in the preschool period, which continues uninterruptedly in the context of school.The theoretical basis of the study relies on the principles of child-centred pedagogy.The comparative analysis is based on sixteen characteristics emphasising educational objectives, which were selected as a result of factor analysis.The common features of the preschool teachers of the two countries are high professional competence and adherence to the principles of child-centred pedagogy.As compared to Finnish teachers, Estonian teachers attach more importance to achieving concrete results when setting their objectives.As compared to Estonian teachers, Finnish teachers give stronger emphasis to developing a positive self-image in children and promoting their abilities necessary for learning.