Adaptation and improvement of the educational process: Respecting children’s differences from the perspective of educators
Abstract
Each child is unique and irreplaceable, and one of the fundamental assumptions of modern educational processes is the respect for the child’s personality and authenticity. The theoretical foundation of the work lies in the concepts of individual differences (capabilities) of preschool children and individualization in the educational process. In an empirical study of mixed design, the aim was to more thoroughly determine the prevalence of identifying and respecting the individual capabilities of preschool children in the educational process, and to assess opportunities for improving individualization from the perspective of preschool teachers. The study involved 131 participants - preschool teachers from the Public Institution Center for Preschool Education Banja Luka. The main findings of the study indicate that, although teachers highly value the recognition and respect of individual capabilities in working with children, there is a greater prevalence of recognizing children’s capabilities compared to their actual appreciation in practice.
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