engleski

What is kindergarten for? The purpose of early education percieved by preschool children and their parents

Quality of early education is a two-dimensional concept, and it refers to structural quality and process quality. While the structural quality is concerned about materials and organization of activities, daily routines, adult – child ratio, and life-long learning of preschool teachers, the process quality puts an emphasis on adult-child interaction, peer interaction, and program orientation of early education. To find out which dimension is more desirable for preschoolers and their parents, absurvey was conducted among preschool children and their parents in Osijek-Baranya county. Overall 37 preschool children (17 boys and 20 girls, average age 6 years) and 37 parents (35 mothers, and 2 fathers, average age 35 years) participated: children were interviewed, and parents were given questionnaires. Qualitative analysis revealed the presence of discrepancies between preschoolers and their parents, i.e. adults are mostly oriented towards structural dimension, especially routines such as feeding, sleeping, safety etc., and preschoolers are focused on processes, especially peer interaction. When parents assess processes in preschool, they are more concerned about adult-child interaction and relationship with preschool teachers, followed by peer-interaction. Quite the opposite from their parents, children are oriented toward peer interaction, and they perceive relationships with adults as form of control and outside regulation, and less important for them. This indicates that preschool teachers are in-between these perceptions and expectations, suggesting that the quality of early education has many standpoints from which it can be observed.

quality of early education, parental expectations, adults-children relationships, peer interaction, preschool teachers’ roles

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