Developing kindergarten education practice

Pre-requisites:

Course objectives: Students will understand the principles and mastering the ways of development of communities of practice; The development of research and reflective attitude towards the practice of kindergartens and their own professional roles

Course description: Different approaches to kindergarten practice: evidence based practice vs developing practice through practitioners` research. Kindergarten as community of practice: determination, values and organization. Principles for the development of community of practice. The competence of practitioners: knowledge for practice, knowledge in practice and knowledge about practice. The pedagogue as a reflective practitioner. Roles of pedagogues in the community of practice. Planning and initiating development of community of practice. Ways of educational practice transformation toward community of practice through research: developmental research, action research, research with children. Monitoring and sustainability of development communities of practice: challenges and building fields of common values. Self-evaluation of practitioners. Knowledge and initiatives based on community of practice: dissemination and networking.

Learning Outcomes: Students know how to analyze and critically reconsideration on educational practice; build their professional identity as a reflective practitioner; is able to apply methodology of developing kindergarten education practice and know how to initiate educational practice transformation through research

Literature/Reading:

• Breneselović Pavlović, D.(2004). Od tima do zajednice učenja, Pedagogija
• Breneselović Pavlović, D.(2008). Održivost promena u vaspitnoj praksi, 193-207, u Obraѕovljanje i učenje – pretpostavke evropskih integracija, Beograd: IPA
• Krnjaja, Ž. Vrtilica – razvoj prakse dečjeg vrtića, interni materijal
• Krnjaja, Ž. (2010). Proces profesionalnog razvoja iz ekološke paradigme, Andragoške studije, br. 2, str. 149- 168
• Pavlović Breneselović D., Krnjaja, Ž. (2012). Perspektiva vaspitača o profesionalnom usavršavanju sa stanovišta sistemske koncepcije profesionalnog razvoja, Andragoške studije, br. 1, str. 145-161
• McIntosh, P. (2010). Action research and reflective practice.London:Rouledge
• Paige-Smith, A., Craft, A. (2007). Developing Reflective Practice in the Early Years. New York:Open University Press.
• Wenger, E., McDermott, R., Snyder, W. (2002). Cultivating communities of practice: a guide to managing knowledge. Harvard Busines School Press, str.1-49.