Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.15516/cje.v19i0.2679
Satisfaction of Students - Future Early and Preschool Education Teachers with the Visual Arts Teaching Methodology Course as an Indicator of Teaching Quality
Marijana Županić Benić
orcid.org/0000-0002-7340-3439
; Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb
Anita Rončević
; Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Rijeka
Darko Lončarić
; Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Rijeka
Abstract
The education of future teachers should be based on quality courses that entail effective teaching and learning as well as the development of students’ teaching competences (knowledge, skills, and abilities) that they will need for working with children in preschool settings. One potential indicator of the study program quality is the interaction between students and university teachers and mentors who are competent and qualified to provide students with feedback required to help them work as preschool teachers with children in the future.
The methodology exercises in visual arts and other areas are some of the most important activities in the early education teacher study program because they provide students with the opportunity to gain practical experiences and skills while working with children in early education and kindergarten settings. Those exercises require students to implement educational theories in practice, and they also contribute to the development of the students’ personal, methodological, and professional teaching competences. The object of research in this study is the satisfaction of students enrolled in the early education teacher study program
The empirical research was conducted on all faculties of teacher education in Croatia that have an early teacher education study program. The anonymous surveys were administered to students (N=220) who attended Visual Arts Teaching Methodology course in order to measure the characteristics of the sample as well as their satisfaction with: teacher performance, assessment and grading, student teaching experiences, course organization, availability of learning materials and resources, development of the students’ teaching competences, and overall satisfaction with the course. A regression analysis was used to identify those elements of the course that are the best predictors of student satisfaction. The standardized regression coefficients indicate that student satisfaction with the course is best explained by the following predictors: teacher performance, course organization and development of teaching competences. In addition to the quantitative analysis, an analysis of qualitative data was conducted in order to identify the most common themes in the constructive feedback about the course provided by the students.
Keywords
competence development; course quality; course satisfaction; preschool teacher; Visual Arts Teaching Methodology
Hrčak ID:
201199
URI
Publication date:
27.12.2017.
Visits: 2.299 *