engleski

Contemporary Perspectives on Preschool Teachers’ Professional Development

Contemporary theoretical approaches, policies and practices of preschool teacher education indicate the importance of preschool teachers’ professional training that fosters professional development. Professional development is viewed as a complex intellectual and emotional process, encompassing a range of formal and informal activities focusing on preschool teachers’ reflections, emotions, actions and experiences in a specific, but changing context during the course of their careers. In other words, contextualization and individualization of professional development are increasingly being advocated. The emphasis is on professional development in the fields of researching one’s own practice, critical reflection, self-evaluation etc. However, if professional training is “externally” prescribed as necessary and obligatory, than we can question whether we are discussing real, authentic, intrinsically motivated professional development or, rather, is this an instrumental approach to professional training, focused on formal acquisition of a certain level of professional status? Knowledge concerning preschool teachers’ personal, implicit theories as predictors of their practice indicates the importance of insight into preschool teachers’ views of their professional development, discussed in the final part of the presentation in relation to theoretical approaches, policies and practices.

professional development ; preschool teachers ; theoretical approaches ; educational policy

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