Clothing - Will we create or just wear?

The case of Latvia

Abstract

Clothing making has been part of the craft curriculum in Latvia since the introduction of the subject in general education. The name of the subject has been changed several times, but learning clothing production has been included at almost all times. In 2020, the name of the subject was changed to Design and Technology. The aim of the present research is to identify the opportunities and needs for teaching clothing making in general education in Design and Technology in Latvia. The research employs a mixed-methods design using document analysis, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews for data collection. The results of the document analysis show that while the standards for comprehensive education do not include learning outcomes related to the history, care, design, and making of clothing, the Design and Technology curriculums include themes where students can learn clothing-making skills. Most teacher-students (N=242) and all teachers (N=4) believe that skills related to clothing creation and alteration should be learned in general education. Teacher-students consider that the most important thing to learn is how to mend clothes, even though it is not included in regulatory documents. According to teachers, based on the current number of lessons, students in basic education should acquire basic knowledge and clothes-making skills; in secondary education, students can then learn to sew and modify clothes. Discussions on this topic are needed among a wider circle of professionals, because currently, whether students learn to make clothes depends on the views of each individual teacher.

Keywords: clothing, clothing-making, design and technology, general education, sewing