The Frequency and Forms of Cooperation between Preschool Teachers and Parentsin Catholic Kindergartens with respect to Public and Private Kindergartens in Zadar County

Abstract

Starting with the need for active and intensive parental involvement in achieving the goal of early childhood education, the paper presents the results of research on the frequency and forms of partnership between parents and preschool teachers. Data was collected using a semi–structured interview based on Epstein’s model of partnership. Research was conducted on a sample of three city public kindergartens, three private kindergartens and three Catholic kindergartens in Zadar County, Croatia. The findings suggest that, regardless of the founders of the kindergartens, there are similarities in the attitudes of the respondents regarding the three forms of partnership — parenting, volunteering, and decision–making. Differences are noted in regard to other forms of parental involvement — communicating, at–home learning, and collaborating with the community.