Preliminary communication
https://doi.org/10.15516/cje.v22i0.3910
The Role of Professional Knowledge and Skills of Preschool Teachers in Building and Developing Partnerships with Parents
Ivana Mavračić Miković
; Kindergarten „Hrvatski Leskovac“ Potočna 9, 10251 Hrvatski Leskovac, Croatia
Daria Tot
orcid.org/0000-0002-8530-0875
; Department of Education Faculty of Teacher Education University of Zagreb Savska cesta 77, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Partnership is considered one among the most important factors in educational
work. For its formation and improvements, appropriate competences are expected. In
this research we seek to highlight the need to strengthen the professional knowledge
and skills of preschool teachers for building and developing partnerships with parents
seen as a higher form of collaboration. Therefore, the aim of this research was to
examine the perceptions and attitudes of parents and preschool teachers about
their mutual cooperation and partnership. The sample consists of 203 parents
and preschool teachers working in kindergartens in the City of Zagreb and Zagreb
County. Hypotheses were set with regards to recognition or knowledge of cooperation
and partnership concepts, the assessment of the role of preschool teachers as partners
by parents and preschool teachers in mutual cooperation and partnership, and
the assessment of the importance of cooperation through the participants’ own
responsibility. Once the data was analysed, the obtained results showed that both
groups of respondents did not consider the role of preschool teacher as partner as
one that was the most important. Also, the results of the research have shown that
parents, but also preschool teachers, do not understand the difference between the
concepts cooperation and partnership. Although both parties have agreed on the
importance of a partnership or the collaborative relationship, there is also a small
number of participants who consider such a relationship irrelevant or less important.
Keywords
cooperation; lifelong learning; parents; partnership; preschool teachers
Hrčak ID:
251256
URI
Publication date:
22.12.2020.
Visits: 2.024 *