Planning and Evaluating Educational Work in Slovene Preschools
Keywords:
Curriculum planning, Evaluation of educational work, The preschool curriculum, Preschool education in socialism, Slovenia
Abstract
The present article examines the changes in Slovene preschools subsequent to Slovenia’s independence in 1991. In the socialist period, the national education programme for preschools was highly structured, goal-and content-oriented and subject to schoolization. The Curriculum for Preschools (1999) brought conceptual changes towards education “based on the child” and the process approach, as well as giving more autonomy to preschool teachers and their assistants. In the empirical study, we examine changes in planning and evaluating educational work compared to the past. The results show that the majority of professional workers have reduced the high level of structure and rigidity in planning, and that there is better cooperation between preschool teachers and teachers’ assistants. Unlike in the past, most professional workers regularly evaluate their educational work. As the data was gathered in two phases, before and after the training of professional workers in the Reggio Emilia concept, we also search for the (probably indirect) influences of this training. We conclude that after the training the participation of children in planning and evaluating educational work is higher.Downloads
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References
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Ideology and Curriculum (pp. 43–60). New York and London: Routledge.
BatistiÄ Zorec, M. (2003). Razvojna psihologija in vzgoja v vrtcih [Developmental Psychology and
Education in Kindergartens]. Ljubljana: Institute of Personality Psychology.
BatistiÄ Zorec, M. (2012, in print). Slovene socialist early childhood education: Returning, surpassing and reinterpreting history. In T. G. Griffiths & Z. Millei (Eds.), Education and socialism: Historical, current and future perspectives. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.
Bruce, T. (1997). Early childhood education. London: Hodger & Stoughton.
Curriculum for Preschools [Kurikulum za vrtce] (1999). Ljubljana: Ministry of Education and Sport, Department of Education.
Dolanc, A., LeviÄnik, I., Kolar, N., Smasek, L., & Glogovac, Z. (1975). Trideset let socialistiÄne
predšolske vzgoje [Thirty Years of Socialist Preschool Education]. Ljubljana: Slovene Union of
Childcare Institutions, Slovene Society of Childcare Communities, Slovene Friends of Youth Society.
Educational Programme for Education and Care of Preschool Children [Vzgojni programme za vzgojo in varstvo predšolskih otrok] (1979, 2nd edition, 1985). Ljubljana: The National Education Institute of the Republic of Slovenia.
HoÄevar, A., & KovaÄ Å ebart, M. (2010). Kurikulum za vrtce vs. pedagoÅ¡ki pristop Reggio Emilia:
domnevne razlike in podobnosti [The Kindergarten Curriculum vs. the Reggio Emilia Pedagogical Approach]. In T. Devjak, M. BatistiÄ Zorec, J. Vogrinc, D. Skubic & S. BerÄnik (Eds.), PedagoÅ¡ki koncept Reggio Emilia in Kurikulum za vrtce: podobnosti v razliÄnosti [The Pedagogical Concept of Reggio Emilia and the Kindergarten Curriculum], (pp. 87-120). Ljubljana: Faculty of Education, University of Ljubljana.
Hohmann, M., & Weikart, P. D. (1995). Educating young children. Michigan: High/Scope Press.
Kaga, Y., Benett, J., & Moss, P. (2010). Caring and Learning Together: A Cross-national Study on the Integration of the Early Childhood Care and Education within Education. Paris: UNESCO.
Kelly, A.V. (1989). The Curriculum: Theory and Practice. London: PCP.
Kolar, N., Cilenšek, B., Osterc L., & Černe, P. (1969). Nekaj poglavij iz predšolske pedagogike in
metodike [Selected Topics from Preschool Pedagogy and Methodology]. Ljubljana: Institute for
Educational Pedagogical Services.
KrofliÄ, R. (1999). Procesno-razvojni model kurikuluma za javne vrtce [The Process-Developmental Model of the Curriculum in the State Kindergarten]. In S. PuÅ¡ Seme (Ed.), O vzgoji [About Education], (pp. 18–24. Portorož: Slovene Kindergarten Union.
KrofliÄ, R. (2001). Temeljne predpostavke, naÄela in cilji kurikula za vrtce [The Fundamental
Assumptions, Principles and Goals of the Kindergarten Curriculum]. In L. MarjanoviÄ Umek
(Ed.), Otrok v vrtcu: PriroÄnik h kurikulu za vrtce [The Child in Kindergarten: A Handbook to the
Kindergarten Curriculum], (pp. 7-24). Maribor: Založba Obzorja.
KrofliÄ, R. (2002). Izbrani pedagoÅ¡ki spisi: Vstop v kurikularne teorije [Selected Pedagogical Writings: Introduction to Curriculum Theory]. Ljubljana: The National Education Institute of the Republic of Slovenia.
MacNaughton, G. (2003) Shaping early childhood: Learners, curriculum and contexts. Maidenhead, England: Open University Press.
MarjanoviÄ Umek, L. (2009). KakÅ¡en pomen za otrokov razvoj ima pouÄevanje/uÄenje v obmoÄju
bližnjega razvoja? [What Significance does Teaching/Learning in the Zone of Proximal Development Have for Child Development?] In B. VrbovÅ¡ek (Ed.), UÄenje v obmoÄju bližnjega razvoja [Learning in the Zone of Proximal Development], (pp. 10-17). Ljubljana: Supra.
MarjanoviÄ Umek, L., & Fekonja Peklaj, U. (2008). Sodoben vrtec: možnosti za otrokov razvoj in
zgodnje uÄenje [The Contemporary Kindergarten: Possibilities for Child Development and Early
Learning]. Ljubljana: The Scientific Research Institute of the Faculty of Arts.
MarjanoviÄ Umek, L., Fekonja, U., & Bajec, K. (2005). Pogled v vrtec [A View of Kindergarten].
Ljubljana: National Examinations Centre.
MarjanoviÄ Umek, L., Fekonja, U., KavÄiÄ, T., & PoljanÅ¡ek, A. (2002). Kakovost v vrtcih [Quality in
Kindergartens]. Ljubljana: The Scientific Institute of the Ljubljana Faculty of Arts.
Miljak, A. (1984). Uloga komunikacije u razvoju govora djece predškolskog uzrasta. Zagreb: Školske novine.
Moss, P. (1994). The early childhood league in Europe: problems and possibilities in cross-national comparisons of levels of provision. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 2(1), 5-17.
Preschool Law [Zakon o vrtcih] (1996). In Å olska zakonodaja I [School Legislation I]. Ljubljana:
Ministry of Education and Sport.
Špoljar, K. (1993). Novi pristopi k vzgojnoizobraževalnim programom v sodobnih konceptih
predšolske vzgoje [New Approaches to Educational Programmes in Contemporary Concepts of
Preschool Education]. Educa, (5), 13–20.
VrbovÅ¡ek, B. (1993). Ustvarjalnost – odgovor na izzive Äasa in okolja [Creativity – An Answer to the Challenges of the Time and Environment]. Educa, (1-2).
White Paper on Education in the Republic of Slovenia (1996). Ljubljana: Ministry of Education and Sport.
Published
2012-06-30
How to Cite
Batistič Zorec, M., & Hočevar, A. (2012). Planning and Evaluating Educational Work in Slovene Preschools. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 2(2), 125–144. https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.389
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