The Use of the Internet Sources in the Professional Development of Preschool Teachers / Uporaba internetskih izvora u profesionalnom razvoju odgajatelja

Abstract

Abstract 

In the first part of the paper, the importance of preschool education in modern society is considered with regard to the principles of contemporary education, pointing to the need for the professional improvement of preschool teachers, so that they are capable of reaching the expected standards. The paper further focuses on the competences and developed reflections of preschool teachers, as well as on the need to create conditions for preschool teachers to shift from the analogue to the digital educational world through ICT trainings, which should lead to the use of adequate Internet sources. The empirical part deals with the answer to the question regarding the extent to which preschool teachers use electronic sources in their professional work as compared to conventional sources, their prior experience and the existing documentation. According to the main research findings, regardless of their gender, work experience or level of education, the preschool teachers use the Internet sources less than other conventional sources in order to improve the quality of their work. On the other hand, certain differences were found between them considering their prior work experience, i.e. subjects with less work experience use electronic sources to a greater extent than their more experienced colleagues. The final part of the paper provides some concluding remarks and implications of the conducted research.  

Key words:  competences; reflection; Web portals.

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Sažetak

U prvom dijelu rada razmatra se važnost predškolskog obrazovanja u suvremenom društvu s obzirom na načela suvremenog obrazovanja te ukazuje na potrebu stručnog usavršavanja odgajatelja koji će biti sposobni dostići očekivane standarde. Rad se zatim bavi kompetencijama i razvijenom refleksijom odgajatelja, kao i nužnim stvaranjem uvjeta u kojima će se odgajatelji udaljiti od svijeta analognog i približiti svijetu digitalnog obrazovanja putem ICT usavršavanja, što će dovesti do uporabe odgovarajućih internetskih izvora. U empirijskom dijelu rada traži se odgovor na pitanje do koje se mjere u profesionalnom radu odgajatelji koriste elektroničkim izvorima u usporedbi s konvencionalnim izvorima informacija, njihovim prethodnim iskustvom i postojećim dokumentima. Prema glavnim istraživačkim rezultatima, bez obzira na rod, radno iskustvo ili obrazovnu razinu, odgajatelji se koriste internetskim izvorima manje nego konvencionalnim izvorima da bi unaprijedili kvalitetu rada. No, utvrđene su određene razlike među njima s obzirom na radno iskustvo, to jest ispitanici koji imaju kraće radno iskustvo više se koriste elektroničkim izvorima od svojih iskusnijih kolega. U završnom dijelu rada nude se zaključci i praktične implikacije provedenog istraživanja.

Ključne riječi:  kompetencije; refleksija; mrežni portali.