scholarly journals How Students of Preschool Education Perceive Their Play Competences – An Analysis of Their Involvement in Children’s Play

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-130
Author(s):  
Sanja Tatalović Vorkapić ◽  
Vesna Katić
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Qualitative Analysis ◽  
Preschool Teachers ◽  
Preschool Education ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Educational Work ◽  
Children's Play ◽  
Highly Sensitive ◽  
Children’S Play

Preschool teachers play a very important but highly sensitive role in preschool children’s play. It is therefore very important to build their play competences in a quality way. As this is not easily achieved, the main objective of the present study was to analyse the roles of students of preschool education in children’s play. The study included 36 students enrolled at the Faculty of Teacher Education in Rijeka, Croatia. Through a qualitative analysis of the students’ preparations for their practice, it was determined that the majority of students use didactic play and play with rules with children. Although the students demonstrated the expected role in children’s play, which positively influenced the educational work and the overall well-being of the children, some of the students were not decisive. Thus, the question arises as to how to improve the acquisition of play competences in students of preschool education.

scholarly journals Computer games in preschool education: Potential risks from the teachers' perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-53
Author(s):  
Anastasija Mamutović ◽  
Zorica Stanisavljević-Petrović ◽  
Marija Marković
Keyword(s):  
Computer Games ◽  
Educational Level ◽  
Preschool Teachers ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Preschool Education ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Educational Work ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
Years Of Service ◽  
Teachers Attitudes

Today's society is characterized by the expansion of scientific and technological development, leading to changes in the conception of educational work at all levels of education. The integration of digital technology is aimed at modernizing the education system. In practice, however, even the best designed media tools can quite often prove to have numerous drawbacks. Consequently, there is a need for empirical research into the educational value of digital learning tools. In view of the fact that, apart from parents, preschool teachers are the most important mediators between children and contemporary ICT devices, the aim of our study was to explore preschool teachers' perceptions of the risks and potential negative influences of computer games on children's development, behavior and learning. Teachers' attitudes were analyzed in relation to their educational level, place of work, age, and years of service, in order to identify tendencies linked to changes in the research sample structure. A quantitative approach to result analysis was employed, with a tabular and graphical presentation of the obtained data. Research results suggest teachers believe that excessive use of computer games at preschool level is accompanied by addiction, aggressive thoughts, feelings and insensitivity to scenes of violence in the real world. In contrast, teachers believe that social isolation, passivity, a decline in children's creativity and adverse effects on their physical health are not an inevitable consequence of the excessive use of computer games. As regards statistically significant differences in teachers' attitudes, the results indicate that an increase in the number of years of service and educational level is linked to increased perceptions of the drawbacks relative to the benefits of using computer games. Teachers' place of work is not statistically significant in determining their attitudes to the potential risks of using computer games.

The State of Play: Disadvantage, Play and Children's Well-Being

2008 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 537-549 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liz Sutton
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Participatory Research ◽  
Government Policy ◽  
Community Policing ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Social Background ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Children's Play ◽  
Disadvantaged Children ◽  
Children’S Play

There is little research that explicitly compares the lives of children from different social backgrounds, particularly with regard to their freedom, safety, and use of public space. Drawing on the findings of a participatory research project with 42 children from different socio-economic backgrounds, this article shows how and why children's play differs depending on their social background. It also highlights the importance of street play in the lives of disadvantaged children, arguing that they engage in street play as a consequence of having less space and fewer alternatives, and yet their opportunities for play are further restricted due to local development and community ‘policing’. The article calls for the safeguarding of open public space, and an increased recognition of the importance and value of street play. Finally, it points out the contradictions in government policy regarding children's play and well-being.

Positive Psychology Competences of Pre-School Teachers as a Tool for Understanding and Nurturing Children's Play

2017 ◽  
pp. 134-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanja Tatalović Vorkapić ◽  
Petra Prović
Keyword(s):  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Natural Environment ◽  
Common Ground ◽  
Preschool Teachers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Basic Principles ◽  
Children's Play ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Children’S Play ◽  
The Common

The Positive Psychology frame and definition present a natural environment for understanding and researching children's play in the context of nurturing overall positive characteristics in children's development. Therefore, this article presents a structured review of the common ground between the basic principles of positive psychology and children's play in the context of early and preschool institutions. Also, it demonstrates the implementation of positive psychology principles in children's play and the methods by which positive psychology could be promoted through children's play in kindergartens. Within that frame, the importance is given to the needed preschool teachers' competences in this area. In this context, various activities are presented that reflect a common ground of positive psychology and children's play. Finally, some significant guidelines for future research and practice enhancement are presented.

scholarly journals Psychological characteristics as the predictors of subjective well-being in future class and preschool teachers

2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-112
Author(s):  
Marija Sakac ◽  
Mia Maric
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Locus Of Control ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Preschool Teachers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Individual Factors ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Educational Work ◽  
Variance Explained

Psychological well-being is a significant determinant of mental health and success in profession of future class and preschool teachers. Hence, it is extremely important to investigate the individual factors that contribute to it. The aim of this research is to determine the contribution of personality traits, self-esteem and the locus of control in predicting the degree of subjective well-being in future class and preschool teachers. The sample included 418 students. The following instruments were used in the research: the Short Subjective Well-being Scale (KSB), the Big Five Plus Two questionnaire (VP+2), Rosenberg?s Self-Esteem Scale and the Scale for Measuring the Locus of Control (LO K IM-2). The results indicate that all three investigated categories of individual factors significantly predict the affective (64% of variance explained) and cognitive component (51% of variance explained) of subjective wellbeing, whereby personality traits proved to be the most important predictors. Neuroticism and extraversion contribute most to positive affectivity (N?=-0,801; E?=- 0,794) and a positive attitude towards life (N?=-0,701; E?=-0,736). The educational implications refer to the possibilities of encouraging and developing those individual personality traits that significantly contribute to subjective well-being of future class and preschool teachers. In this way, we can also contribute to their mental health, which is the necessary precondition of the accomplishment of educational work.

scholarly journals Linguistic norms in preschool education: A critical perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Åsa Wedin ◽  
Jenny Rosén
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Language Ideologies ◽  
Preschool Teachers ◽  
Preschool Education ◽  
Preschool Teacher ◽  
Language Diversity ◽  
Critical Perspective ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Teacher Students

The aim of this article is to generate knowledge about language ideologies in teacher education in Sweden from a critical perspective. In order to achieve an equal education, we argue that it is important that teachers are able to develop an approach and pedagogy that can support all pupils despite their linguistic background to achieve the goals in school. The focus of this article is on language ideologies in teacher education for preschool teachers and how ideological and implementational spaces for language diversity is constructed and negotiated in the education. The empirical material was produced during four years through observations, individual interviews and focus group interviews with educators in the teacher education and a group of ten students in the preschool teacher program, who were admitted to the program based on their migration background. The analysis shows that there is a monolingual standardized norm for Swedish both prevailing in the teacher education and pointing towards their future jobs as preschool teachers. In order to become legitimate members in the group of preschool teacher students and a future community of practice of preschool teachers, the students adjusted to this norm. We identified ideological spaces for multilingualism in the education but the possibilities to implement them were few. Thus, there was a tension between pluralism and diversity on the one side and a strong demand for adjustment to a monolingual standardized language norm for minority students on the other side. As teacher educators we realize the value and necessity of a common language norm, and we are as scholars reproducing such norms of academic language through the writing of this article. At the same time, we argue that it is important to include a multilingual pedagogy in the teacher education that can i) include and support the linguistic repertoires of students in the program and ii) prepare students for their future work in language heterogenous preschools and schools

Performance-Based Assessment Evaluated by Croatian Preschool Teachers and Students

2016 ◽  
pp. 1065-1102
Author(s):  
Sanja Tatalović Vorkapić ◽  
Vesna Katić
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Preschool Teachers ◽  
Preschool Education ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Relevant Study ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Performance Based Assessment ◽  
Study Programs ◽  
Teachers And Students

Performance-based assessment strongly relies on the observation of children's behavior, preschool teachers' objectivity and accuracy, and presents a significant part of documenting children's development. Therefore, the main aim of this chapter is to analyze the PBA-use and its evaluation by Croatian preschool teachers and students from the Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Rijeka. 60 undergraduate students and 64 preschool teachers participated in this empirical research by filling out self-rated questionnaires. As it was expected, students and preschool teachers demonstrated positive attitudes toward PBA and its documentation in general and if it is applied (will be applied) in practice. However, the students' positive attitudes, satisfaction and perceived usefulness of PBA are significantly higher than those of preschool teachers. These last findings definitely imply the need for modifications of the policy of the preschool education system, as well as significant changes that should be done in practice and relevant study programs.

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