Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood Education (doctoral studies)

Pre-requisites: -

Course objectives: Understanding the nature of early childhood education as a complex system of human activity and intra-active relationship between theory and practice of education; building a systems view of the world and developing systems thinking

Course description: Modernism and postmodernism as the theoretical-epistemological perspective of the relationship between theory and practice of preschool education: intra-action vice dualism of theory and practice. Systemic ecological paradigm: early childhood education as complex system. Characteristics of complex systems: levels of understanding. Systems thinking: characteristics and dimensions. Educational change in complex systems: systemic change as restructuring and reculturation of the system. Different epistemological and methodological approaches to systemic changes. Sustainability of changes in practice of early childhood education from systemic perspective. Practical: draft project design for systemic change

Learning Outcomes: Student understand the nature of complex systems; knows how to consider and problematise particular issues of theory and practice of preschool education from the systemic perspective; knows how to critically reconsider different strategies of change in the field of early childhood education; knows how to create a systemic starting point for the process of changes in practice of early childhood education; knows how to set up and lead an professional argumentative discussion

Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood Education (doctoral studies)

Pre-requisites: -

Course objectives: Understanding the nature of early childhood education as a complex system of human activity and intra-active relationship between theory and practice of education; building a systems view of the world and developing systems thinking

Course description: Modernism and postmodernism as the theoretical-epistemological perspective of the relationship between theory and practice of preschool education: intra-action vice dualism of theory and practice. Systemic ecological paradigm: early childhood education as complex system. Characteristics of complex systems: levels of understanding. Systems thinking: characteristics and dimensions. Educational change in complex systems: systemic change as restructuring and reculturation of the system. Different epistemological and methodological approaches to systemic changes. Sustainability of changes in practice of early childhood education from systemic perspective. Practical: draft project design for systemic change

Learning Outcomes: Student understand the nature of complex systems; knows how to consider and problematise particular issues of theory and practice of preschool education from the systemic perspective; knows how to critically reconsider different strategies of change in the field of early childhood education; knows how to create a systemic starting point for the process of changes in practice of early childhood education; knows how to set up and lead an professional argumentative discussion

Literature/Reading:

• Brent, D., Sumara, D. (2006). Complexity and education: inquiries into learning, teaching, and research. New Yersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates (odabrana poglavlja
• Cilliers, P. (2002). Complexity and postmodernism - Understanding complex systems. Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2nd edition
• Davis, S.H. (2008). Research and practice in education: the search for common ground. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Education
• Pavlović Breneselović, D.(2008). Održivost promena u vaspitnoj praksi, u Obrazovljanje i učenje – pretpostavke evropskih integracija, Beograd: IPA, str. 193-207
• Pavlović Breneselović, D. (2009). Promene u vaspitnoj praksi: izvodljivost i/ili kompatibilnost, Pedagogija, god. 64, br. 2, str. 319-324;
• Patton, M.Q. (2011). Developmental evaluation - Applying Complexity Concepts to Enhance Innovation and Use. New York and London: The Guilford Press
• Reigeluth, C.M. (2008). Chaos theory and the sciences of complexity: Foundations for transforming education. In B. Despres (Ed.), Systems Thinkers in Action: A Field Guide for Effective Change Leadership in Education. New York: Rowman & Littlefield
• Taguchi, H.L. (2010).Going beyond the theory/practice divide in early childhood education:introducing an intra-active pedagogy, New York: Rutledge (odabrana poglavlja)
• Hargreaves, A. et al. (Eds) (2010). Second International Handbook of Educational Change. London: Springer. (odabrana poglavlja)
• Morin, E.(1992).The concept of system and the paradigm of complexity. In M.Maruyama Ed., Context and Complexity. Cultivating contextual understanding.pp.125-136 New York: Springer-Verlag
• Banathy, B. (1991) Systems Design of Education – A Journey to Create the Future, New Jersey: Educational Technology Publications
• Fulan, M. (1999) Sile promene: Nastavak, Beograd: EDP/CIDA
• Williams, B. and Hummelbrunner, R. (2011.Systems concepts in action. Stanford,California: Stanford University Press
• Pavlović Breneselović, D. (2012). Od prirodnih neprijatelja do partnera-sistemski pristup odnosu porodice i javnog vaspitanja. Beograd: Filozofski fakultet Univerziteta u Beogradu