Through education into the world of work : Uno Cygnaeus, the father of technology education

Uno Cygnaeus founded the Finnish folk school and pioneered handicrafts teaching during the nineteenth century. Educative handicraft developed the ability to adapt and use knowledge in the workplace and in many countries the teaching of handicraft has evolved into technology education. This book begins with a description of the life of Cygnaeus and his work in developing educative handicraft, the influence of international studies on Cygnaeus and the development of handicrafts education in the Nordic countries. The authors describe the preparation and education of handicraft teachers, highlighting the significance of the Jyvaskyla Teacher Training College and other teacher training colleges and teacher education departments in Finland. The history of handicraft facilities and products made through handicrafts teaching in schools are also presented. The book concludes with an overview of the trends in the development of the technical work curriculum, including the work of Cygnaeus and its impact on the development of technical work in Finland, and the evolution of technical work over the last decades.