engleski

The challenges of transition and adaptation among early and preschool aged children from the early childhood educators' perspective

Previous studies have clearly demonstrated that various factors determine the quality of transitions and adaptation in kindergarten and, according to the Ecological and dynamic model, the early childhood educators’ characteristics are among the most significant ones. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to determine the perception of six early childhood educators who participated in the focus group regarding the transition process, the methods they used to work with children and families, and the difficulties they faced. Three major themes were defined with the thematic analysis: transition/adaptation determinants, risk factors, and guidelines for enhancing the quality of transition/adaptation. Even though the educators reported positive and negative experiences in their work, they all agree they need professional empowerment. They emphasized the need for acquiring transition competencies during their university education or through life-long education programs.

transition ; children ; family ; early childhood educators ; competencies

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