Original scientific paper
Parent Participation in Co-construction of Early Education Curriculum
Diana Nenadić Bilan
; Department for Preschool Educator and Teacher Education, University of Zadar, Zadar, Croatia
Jasminka Zloković
; Department of Pedagogy, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
Abstract
When considering the problem of parent participation in co-construction of early education curriculum we start with ecological theory which shows that there is a co-dependence and reciprocity of influences of different systems or contexts within which a child grows up. Child’s closest microsystem consists of family surroundings and institutional context of early education, and therefore we need to look at parent participation in (co)creation of early education curriculum from the aspect of dynamical codependent family subsystems as well as subsystems of preschool institution. Beginning with proximal and distal effects of parent participation as a multidimensional construct, we review some interactive processes of parent participation in active participation through early education curriculum.
The results of the study conducted on a sample of 350 parents of preschool children from age 3 to 6 who attend kindergartens (Zadar, Šibenik-Knin, Split-Dalmatia counties) points out the problem of partnership between parents and educators. Despite proclaimed attitudes about abandonment of “consumer” role of parents and cognitions about numerous benefits from establishing partnership, the role of parent as a partner to educators isn’t functioning as we would expect it to. This paper also explains possible forms of achieving partner relations between parents and educators, as well as parent’s expectations and difficulties in realization of more active participation. Holistic approach to community of children, parents and educators is especially manifested in creation of flexibly structured processes which encourage research, quality communication and critical reflection of all participants in preschool institutional context.
Keywords
parents; competencies; educators; partnership; preschool education; curriculum
Hrčak ID:
106996
URI
Publication date:
10.10.2012.
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