Pripremni predškolski program kao faktor povezanosti predškolskog i osnovnoškolskog vaspitanja i obrazovanja

Abstract

Scientific knowledge and practical experience confirm that Preparatory Preschool Program is an essential issue in the preschool and early-school education system. The execution of preschool education program contributes to the organizational and program linking of preschool and primary school education as the means of ensuring continuity in the upbringing and in the education of children. The main objective of this study was to determine the contribution that the Preparatory Preschool Program has on linking preschool and primary school education and to explore all the factors that affect the realization of the connection between kindergartens and schools through the implementation of the Preparatory Preschool Program, primarily the degree of cooperation between the two institutions, the attitudes of teachers and educators regarding the coordination of the essential terms and conditions of preparing children for school, the contribution of professional associates in the implementation of the Preparatory Preschool Program, as well as the coordination which exists in terms of both program execution and legislation. The survey was conducted in six pre-schools and 12 primary schools in the following towns: Bujanovac, Vranje, Vladicin Han, Leskovac, Nis, Aleksinac, and the sample consisted of 173 educators, 180 teachers and 32 associates, which amounted to the total of 385 respondents. For the purposes of collecting and processing the data in the research, the method of theoretical analysis as well as the comparative and descriptive methods were used. The following techniques were included in the research: the content analysis, polling and scaling. The results of the conducted research confirmed the general hypothesis on the significance of the Preparatory Preschool Program regarding the connection between preschool and primary school education, which enables the compatibility of preschool and primary school education in our educational and upbringing practice. The analysis of the curriculum for the first grade of primary education (Ordinance on the curriculum for first and second grade of primary education, 2011) and Preparatory Preschool Program (Ordinance on general grounds of the preschool program, 2006), in terms of goals, tasks and content and with the aim of detecting continuity or discontinuity between preschool and primary school education, as well as the analysis of legal documents referring to the pre-primary and primary education, the Law on Preschool Education ("Off. Gazette of RS", no. 18/2010); the Law on Primary Education ("Off. Gazette of RS", no. 55/2013); the Law on the Foundations of Education System ("Off. Gazette of RS", No.72 / 2009, 52/2011 and 55/2013) indicated that there is coordination between preschool and primary school system of education in terms of legal and program regulations. There are no major discrepancies in the answers (attitudes) teachers and educators gave (expressed) regarding the coordination of preschool and primary school education, which is accomplished through the Preparatory Preschool Program. The analysis of the attitudes of all the respondents regarding the essential terms and conditions of preparing children for school suggested that preschoolers will easily fit into the school environment if there is a flexible space, time and methodic lesson organization along with the implementation of games, and also if the teachers are good, and if there is good cooperation with parents and professional associates. These findings suggest the need and the possibility of introducing a more flexible model of educational work with children in the year before and after they start school, which will enable the compatibility between the preschool and primary school education in our educational and upbringing practice. The research results can serve as an incentive towards taking into consideration the preparation of a joint (integrated) curriculum intended for the educational work in the preparatory preschool groups within kindergartens and schools. It is expected that the research will incentivize all those involved in the upbringing and in the education of preschool and lower primary school children to work together and act in order to achieve a strategically important task – efficiently prepare children for school, i.e. successfully achieve the basic and very important prerequisites for facilitating the adaptation process of children in the school environment.