Recently I discovered that preschool education has evolved from integration of various subject contents and working methods. The purpose of my study is to investigate preschool teachers' attitudes and ways of working with a theme-oriented approach. I also want to examine their opinions regarding the integration of subject content in terms of mathematics and science subjects (NO) in preschools theme-oriented work approach. My questions for this study are: What is a preschool teacher's attitude and their ways of working to a thematic-oriented approach? What is a preschool teacher's opinions regarding the integration of subject content, especially in mathematics and science subjects (NO) in their pre-schools theme-oriented work approach? I have used myself a qualitative method of investigation to produce materials for my research project. I collected my empirical material for my study from the semi-structured interviews that was done with four preschool teachers in two preschools in Botkyrka municipality. As for my theoretical perspective, I used John Dewey's well-known knowledge theory called “Learning by doing”, which he indicated as learning through practical work. These working methods based primarily on children’s experience and subject integration. My conclusion is that the four preschool teachers worked thematic in the preschool children in a natural way.  In fact, the thematic-oriented approach appeared in two different work situations (planned and unplanned work situations) in the pre-school. The four preschool teachers developed and improved their own professional skills in the working process and also the children's knowledge and learning skills by prioritizing the children's interests, needs and circumstances. It came to my understanding that both mathematics and science subjects content were integrated in a conscious way in these preschools thematic-oriented approach. The preschool teachers integrated the two subject contents through their creative and joyful way of working. The idea was that the children's curiosity, knowledge, experience and awareness can be raised through various activities and experiments. Hence through the subject integrated approach, the children develop both their skills and conceptual understanding of both subjects content.

Tyrimo aktualumas. Valstybinės švietimo strategijos 2003-2012 m. nuostatose keliamas tikslas suartinti bendrojo lavinimo ir profesinio mokymo kryptis, sukurti lanksčią ir atvirą švietimo struktūrą, sujungiančią bendrąjį lavinimą ir profesinį mokymą. Lietuvoje per pastaruosius du dešimtmečius, siekiant suartinti profesinio mokymo ir bendrojo lavinimo kryptis vidurinio ugdymo lygmeniu, įgyvendinta nemažai priemonių ir šiuo metu tęsiama daug įvairių veiklų: profesinėse mokyklose yra sudaryta galimybė kartu su profesine kvalifikacija įgyti vidurinį išsilavinimą, jose steigiami gimnazijų skyriai, bendrojo lavinimo mokykloms numatyta galimybė į vidurinio ugdymo programą įtraukti profesinio mokymo programų modulius, įvestas technologijų egzaminas, plėtojama nacionalinė kvalifikacijų sistema ir kt. Profesinio mokymo prestižą galima padidinti profesinį mokymą ir bendrąjį lavinimą integruojant – t. y., kurti įvairius ryšius tarp šių sistemų (Koditz ir kt., 2009). Tyrimo problema. Integruotas ugdymas, sudarantis galimybes pasireikšti intelekto daugialypiškumui, kartu sukuria prielaidas visiems dalykams tapti jungiamąja ugdymo grandimi. Kadangi tiek bendrojo lavinimo, tiek profesinio rengimo dalykus galima priskirti tam tikroms mokslo sritims, tai galima atrasti tarp jų bendrų ryšių ir tuos ryšius panaudoti ugdyme, dalykus integruojant. Tačiau kol kas nėra nustatyta, kokie integracijos ryšiai, integracijos raiškos lygmenys ir integravimo modeliai yra įmanomi tarp bendrojo lavinimo ir... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Relevance of the research. National Education Strategy for period of 2003-2012 aims to bring the provisions of general education and vocational training policies, a flexible and open structure of education, integrating general education and vocational training. During the past two decades aiming to bring together the training and direction of general education at upper secondary level in Lithuania is implemented a wide variety of measures and activities: vocational schools are given the opportunity, together with the professional qualification of secondary education, to set up gymnasiums, schools for general education provided access to secondary education curriculum to include vocational training programs, modules, introduced in test technology, the development of a national qualifications framework and others. The prestige of vocational training can be raised by integrating vocational training and general education – that is to create links between these various systems (Koditz and others., 2009). The problem of the research. Integrated education, allowing opportunities for intellectual multiplicity, also creates the presumption for all subjects to become a coupling link of education. As both general education and vocational training issues can be attributed to certain areas of science, it is possible to find common links between them and those links can be used in education by integrating subjects. But there are no studies accomplished which integration, integration... [to full text]