Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, distance education became the only official form of instruction in all schools in Croatia for a period commencing 16 March 2020. This situation changed the expectations, ...roles and responsibilities of parents with regard to the teaching and learning process of their children. Understanding parents’ experiences during school closure is important for the development of recommendations for similar situations. This paper presents part of the results of an online survey investigating the opinions of 1,205 parents of primary school children on various aspects of distance education. The responses were analysed by researchers using the thematic analysis approach. The initial answers of parents regarding the positive and negative aspects of education during the lockdown were grouped into categories. The results indicate that distance education positively contributed to the development of children’s self-regulated learning and to providing greater parental support in learning, as well as empowering children in using ICT. Parents emphasise positive changes in the quality of family relationships, which are partly the consequence of joint learning with their children and partly due to changes in the way of life during the lockdown. Negative aspects can be divided into two general categories, the first of which is linked to children (e.g., lack of support from school, lack of children’s interest in learning), while the second refers to the challenges faced by parents (e.g., fear of school failure, undertaking the double role of custodian and teacher). The findings suggest the need for the development of recommendations that would provide support for parents and children in situations where the teaching and learning process take place in an online environment.
The main aim of this research is to longitudinally examine the shift in teaching students' professional beliefs about the teacher-pupil role during the course of their studies. The starting ...assumption has been that teachers' professional development is largely dependent upon their beliefs about various aspects of their professional role. The beliefs about the teacher-pupil role are the building blocks of teachers' professional identity, which strongly influence the way they teach and communicate with pupils. The participants in the research are 62 student teachers, from three teacher education faculties, who were prepared to teach in the lower grades of primary school. The research was carried out in two waves, at the beginning and at the end of the five-year study programme. The beliefs were explored using a metaphor technique derived from the cognitive theory of metaphor. The results indicate that exposure to the study programme did not considerably affect the change in the belief orientations, meaning that pre-professional beliefs remained unchanged, especially in the perception of the pupil's role. That finding has been discussed in relation to the possible implications for the initial teacher education curriculum and its implementation. (DIPF/Orig.)
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, distance education became the only official form of instruction in all schools in Croatia for a period commencing 16 March 2020. This situation changed the expectations, ...roles and responsibilities of parents with regard to the teaching and learning process of their children. Understanding parents' experiences during school closure is important for the development of recommendations for similar situations. This paper presents part of the results of an online survey investigating the opinions of 1,205 parents of primary school children on various aspects of distance education. The responses were analysed by researchers using the thematic analysis approach. The initial answers of parents regarding the positive and negative aspects of education during the lockdown were grouped into categories. The results indicate that distance education positively contributed to the development of children's self-regulated learning and to providing greater parental support in learning, as well as empowering children in using ICT. Parents emphasise positive changes in the quality of family relationships, which are partly the consequence of joint learning with their children and partly due to changes in the way of life during the lockdown. Negative aspects can be divided into two general categories, the first of which is linked to children (e.g., lack of support from school, lack of children's interest in learning), while the second refers to the challenges faced by parents (e.g., fear of school failure, undertaking the double role of custodian and teacher). The findings suggest the need for the development of recommendations that would provide support for parents and children in situations where the teaching and learning process take place in an online environment. (DIPF/Orig.)
SOCIAL EXCLUSION OF EARLY AND PRESCHOOL CHILDREN: CONCEPTUALIZATION, RISKS AND INTERVENTION MODEL This paper contains an analysis of the construct of social exclusion with special focus on children. ...It is based on a review of the literature on social exclusion and the risks of social exclusion, using a qualitative method of document analysis. Social exclusion of children in early and preschool age is defined as a multidimensional construct that includes economic, social, cultural, health and other aspects of unfavourable circumstances and deprivation which individually or in combination may have an adverse impact on child development. According to this definition, risks which can influence the children’s current development, health and quality of life, as well as their adult life, are analysed. The analysed risks include the characteristics of the children themselves, as well as their families and the characteristics of the support system for the child and parents. Based on the analysis of the risks of social exclusion of children of early and preschool age, a model of intervention was suggested, which takes into account a close cooperation of the healthcare system and the system of social care and education. Key words: social exclusion; children in early and preschool age; risks; model of interventions
U radu se analizira konstrukt socijalne isključenosti s posebnim naglaskom na djecu. Temelji se na pregledu literature o socijalnoj isključenosti i rizicima socijalne isključenosti. Socijalna ...isključenost djece u ranoj i predškolskoj dobi definira se kao multidimenzionalni konstrukt koji uključuje ekonomske, socijalne, kulturne, zdravstvene i druge aspekte nepovoljnosti i deprivacije koji pojedinačno ili u kombinaciji mogu imati nepovoljan utjecaj na razvoj djeteta. U skladu s ovom definicijom, analiziraju se rizici koji mogu utjecati na trenutni razvoj, zdravlje i kvalitetu života djece, ali i na njihov život u odrasloj dobi. Analizirani rizici obuhvaćaju karakteristike same djece i njihovih obitelji te karakteristike sustava podrške djetetu i roditeljima. Na temelju analize rizika socijalne isključenosti djece rane i predškolske dobi predložen je model intervencije koji podrazumijeva usku suradnju zdravstvenog sustava, sustava socijalne skrbi i obrazovanja.
This article investigates the frequency of what we define as supportive and unsupportive parental behaviors and whether there is a statistically significant difference in the frequency of parental ...behaviors in reference to different parental characteristics (level of education, employment status, socio-economic status). This research involved a sample of 3500 parents of children aged 5 and 6. The results show that such supportive parental behaviors are used more frequently than unsupportive ones. Still, approximately 25% of parents implement modes of behavior that the literature suggests hinders children’s optimal development, whereas for 10% the frequency of such behaviors is very high. The results confirm that the level of education, employment status, and socio-economic family status represent significant factors in the quality of parental care. Moreover, these can enhance the risk factors in given familial contexts. In the process of creating support programs and finding ways of strengthening family resilience, and other public policies and strategies to prevent risks of social exclusion caused by familial factors, it is important to bear in mind the heterogeneity of the risks of social exclusion within the family and to respond to the specific needs and challenges of different parents and children. When it comes to developing policy, a one-size-fits all approach should, be avoided.
The goal of this paper is to determine how senior students at the end of the ECEC university graduate study program assess the level of development of preschool teachers’ competence and to explore ...dimensions of preschool teachers’ competence from the students’ perspective. The research was conducted in Croatia, where, in line with other European countries, the initial education of ECEC teachers has been radically reformed by upgrading all initial ECEC teacher education programs from professional studies to university programs at the undergraduate and graduate level. The research comprised 191 participants, student teachers that were at the moment of the research at the end of their master’s ECEC program. Answers were collected via online questionnaire. The collected results suggest a conclusion that preschool teachers at the end of their ECEC study program are centred towards their performance, or the aspect of “what we do” in everyday work. They focus on the child and the child’s environment (both physical and social). On the other hand, they are less involved and prepared for acting at the level of the education system and contribution to the improvement of educational theory and policy. They perceive four dimensions of preschool teachers’ competence: theory, practices, beliefs and learning environment and relationships. Keywords: early childhood education and care, learning environment and relationships, preschool teacher competence, student teacher perspective
Temeljnim Europskim načelima za učiteljske kompetencije i kvalifikacije (Europska komisija, 2005.) preporučuje se obrazovanje učitelja na visokoškolskoj razini. Sukladno tome u Republici Hrvatskoj ...dvogodišnji su stručni studiji produljeni na trogodišnje, a zatim su utemeljeni preddiplomski i diplomski sveučilišni studiji ranoga i predškolskog odgoja i obrazovanja (RPOO). Na taj je način osigurana vertikalna prohodnost koja odgojiteljima omogućuje nastavak školovanja na specijalističkim poslijediplomskim i doktorskim studijima (Domović i sur., 2022.). Cilj je ovoga istraživanja bio ispitati studentsku samoprocjenu razine ovladanosti specifičnim, sustavskim i generičkim kompetencijama na kraju diplomskog studija RPOO-a. Nastojalo se pritom dodatno ispitati postoje li razlike u razini razvijenosti svake od triju razina kompetencija u odnosu na način studiranja i namjeru zapošljavanja u profesiji te povezanost između razine razvijenosti svake od triju razina kompetencija i komponenata studentske uključenosti u studij. U ispitivanom uzorku sudjelovao je 191 student s pet hrvatskih sveučilišta koji su akademske godine 2020./2021. bili polaznici završne godine diplomskog studija ranoga i predškolskog odgoja i obrazovanja (RPOO-a). Istraživanje je provedeno mrežnom anketom, a sudjelovanje je bilo dobrovoljno i anonimno. Rezultati pokazuju da studenti procjenjuju najvišu razinu razvijenosti generičkih kompetencija koje se odnose na generalna znanja, vještine i stavove kojima se pridonosi kvaliteti pedagoške prakse, zatim specifičnih kompetencija koje su odgojiteljima potrebne za planiranje i provedbu svakodnevnoga odgojno-obrazovnog rada, a smatraju da su djelomično razvili sustavske kompetencije o usklađivanju profesionalnog rada odgojitelja sa zahtjevima obrazovne politike i obrazovnog konteksta u kojem djeluju. Izvanredni studenti imaju statistički znatno višu procjenu razvijenosti specifičnih i sustavskih kompetencija od redovitih studenata, dok u razini generičkih kompetencija nisu utvrđene statistički značajne razlike između procjena izvanrednih i redovnih studenata. Studenti koji iskazuju namjeru zapošljavanja u struci imaju statistički značajnije više procjene razvijenosti i specifičnih, sustavskih i generičkih kompetencija od onih studenata koji se ne namjeravaju zapošljavati u struci nakon stjecanjadiplome magistra RPOO-a. Rezultati ovoga istraživanja upućuju na to da je potrebno uvesti izmjene u kurikule i u nastavu na odgojiteljskim diplomskim studijima kako bi se osigurala bolja mogućnost transfera znanja i primjene teorijskih koncepata u praksi.
The main aim of this research is to examine the basic features of student teachers' professional beliefs about the teacher's role in relation to teaching mainstream pupils and pupils with ...developmental disabilities. The starting assumption of this analysis is that teacher professional development is largely dependent upon teachers' beliefs about various facets of their professional work. These concepts strongly influence the way that teachers teach and the way that they develop as teachers. The participants in the research are 314 student teachers at the Faculty of Teacher Education of the University of Zagreb who are being prepared to teach in lower grades of primary school. The beliefs were explored using a metaphor technique derived from cognitive theory of metaphor. The differences between beliefs about the perceived teacher role in general, and the perceived teacher role in the education of pupils with developmental disabilities were analysed. The results indicate that the dominant belief about the teacher's role in teaching mainstream pupils is of the teacher as a transmitter of knowledge, while the findings regarding the dominant belief about the teacher's role in teaching pupils with developmental difficulties appeared to be self-cantered orientation. No differences were found between student teachers at different study levels. The findings are discussed in the light of the curriculum of initial teacher education.
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