A New Image of Preschool Institutions in Slovenia: Conceptual, Systemic and Curricular Backgrounds
Abstract
Until their conceptual, systemic and substantive reform in the 1990s, preschool institutions in Slovenia were recognised predominantly as care institutions, on the one hand, and as “preparatory institutions†for school or pre-primary school, on the other. This paper presents an analysis of preschool education in Slovenia based on theoretical starting points, international comparative analyses of quality indicators for preschool education and curricular documents, as well as the results of Slovenian and foreign empirical research on early child development and learning. The analysis was conducted from the viewpoint of conceptual, systemic and curricular solutions. In particular, we emphasise the need to update the Curriculum for Preschool and resolve any professional dilemmas related to the efficiency and equity of preschool. In conclusion, we specifically highlight certain possibilities for improvements in Slovenian preschool education.
Downloads
References
An unfair start. Inequality in children’s education in rich countries. (2018). UNICEF.
Astington, J. W. (Ed.) (2000). Minds in the making. Blackwell Publishers.
Barnett, W. S. (2008). Preschool education and its lasting effects: Research and policy implications. Retrieved from: http://epicpolicy.org/publication/preschooleducation.
Bickel, D., Zigmond, N., & Strayhorn, J. (1991). Chronological age at entrance to first grade: Effects on elementary school success. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 6(2), 105–117.
Bodrova, E., & Leong, D. J. (2007). Playing for academic skills. Children in Europe (special publication Rediscovering Vygotsky), 10–12.
Bodrova, E., & Leong, D. J. (2015). Vygotskian and post-Vygotskian views on children’s play. American Journal of Play, 7(3), 371–388.
Bruer, J. T. (1999). The myth of the first three years. A new understanding of early brain
development and lifelong learning. Free Press.
Bruner, J. (1962). Introduction to L. S. Vygotsky. In L. S. Vygotsky (Ed.), Thought and language (pp. v–xiii). MIT Press.
Chyne, J. A., & Tarulli, D. (2005). Dialogue, difference and voice in zone of proximal development. In H. Daniels (Ed.), An introduction to Vygotsky (pp. 125–149). Routledge.
Curriculum for preschool [Kurikulum za vrtce]. (1999). Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, National Education Institute Slovenia.
Dunlop, A. W. (2003). Bridging early educational transitions in learning through children’s agency. European Early Childhood Educational Research Journal, Transitions, 11(1), 67–86.
Early childhood education and care in Europe: Tackling social and cultural inequalities. (2009). Eurydice.
Education at a glance. (2018). OECD.
Educational programme for the upbringing and care of preschool children [Vzgojni program za vzgojo in varstvo predšolskih otrok]. (1979). National Education Institute Slovenia.
Educational programme for preparing children for primary school [Vzgojni program priprave otrok na osnovno Å¡olo]. (1981). National Education Institute Slovenia.
Framework plan for kindergartens. (2017). Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training.
Guidelines for the inclusion of immigrant children in preschool institutions and schools [Smernice za vkljuÄevanje otrok priseljencev v vrtce in Å¡ole]. (2012). National Education Institute Slovenia.
Heckman, J. J. (2012). The development origins of health. Health Economics, 21, 24–29.
HoÄevar, A., & KovaÄ Å ebart, M. (2018). Skrb za uÄinkovitost predÅ¡olske vzgoje ali »mehki inženiring« delovne sile v prihodnosti? [Concern for the effectiveness of preschool education or “soft engineering†of the workforce of the future?]. Sodobna pedagogika, 69(4), 6–29.
International early learning and child well-being study (IELS). (2015). http://www.oecd.org/edu/school/international-early-learning-and-child-well-being-study.htm
Kajonius, P. J., & Kazeni, A. (2016). Structure and process quality as predictors of satisfaction with elderly care. Health and Social Care in Community, 24(6), 699–707.
Karpov, Y. V. (2005). The neo-Vygotskian approach to child development. Cambridge University Press.
Key data on early childhood education and care in Europe. (2019). Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency.
Korat, O., Bahar, E., & Snapir, M. (2003). Sociodramatic play as opportunity for literacy development: The teacher’s role. The Reading Teacher, 56(4), 386–393.
KrofliÄ, R. (2001). Temeljne predpostavke, naÄela in cilji kurikula za vrtce [Basic assumptions, principles and goals of the preschool curriculum]. In L. MarjanoviÄ Umek (Ed.), Otrok v vrtcu: PriroÄnik h kurikulu za vrtce (pp. 7–25). Obzorja.
Kruger, A. C., & Tomasello, M. (1996). Cultural learning and learning culture. In D. R. Olson & N. Torrance (Ed.), Education and human development (pp. 369–387). Blackwell Publishers.
MarjanoviÄ Umek, L. (2016). Pripravljenost otrok za vstop v Å¡olo: vpliv starosti in drugih individualnih in okoljskih dejavnikov [Children’s school readiness: The impact of age and other individual and environmental factors]. Å olsko svetovalno delo, 20(3/4), 4–12.
MarjanoviÄ Umek, L., & Fekonja Peklaj, U. (2008). Sodoben vrtec: možnosti za otrokov razvoj in zgodnje uÄenje [Modern preschool: Opportunities for children’s development and early learning]. Scientific Research Institute of the Faculty of Arts.
MarjanoviÄ Umek, L., Fekonja, U., & Bajc, K. (Ed.), 2005. Pogled v vrtec [Insight into preschool]. National Examinations Centre.
MarjanoviÄ Umek, L., Fekonja, U., & Bajc, K. (2006). Dejavniki otrokove pripravljenosti za Å¡olo [Factors of children’s school readiness]. PsiholoÅ¡ka obzorja, 15(2), 31–51.
MarjanoviÄ Umek, L., Fekonja, U., & Hacin, K. (2019). Dodatni program za spodbujanje zgodnje pismenosti v vrtcu: KratkoroÄni in dolgoroÄni uÄinki [The supplementary programme to support early literacy in preschool: Short- and long-term outcomes]. Sodobna pedagogika, 70(3), 10–23.
MarjanoviÄ Umek, L., Fekonja, U., KavÄiÄ, T., & PoljanÅ¡ek, A. (Eds.) (2002). Kakovost v vrtcih [Quality in preschool institutions]. Scientific Research Institute of the Faculty of Arts.
MarjanoviÄ Umek, L., Fekonja Peklaj, U., TaÅ¡ner, V., & SoÄan, G. (2016). Govor otrok: Vpliv nekaterih sociokulturnih dejavnikov družinskega okolja [Children’s language: The influence of some sociocultural factors of the family environment]. In T. Devjak & I. Saksida (Eds.), Bralna pismenost kot izziv in odgovornost (pp. 43–68). PedagoÅ¡ka fakulteta UL.
MarjanoviÄ Umek, L., Hacin, K., & Fekonja, U. (2018). Children’s early literacy: The effect of preschool and family factors. Sodobna pedagogika, 69(1), 112–125.
Moss, P., Dahlberg, G., Greishaber, S., Mantovani, S., May, H., Pence, A., Rayna, S., Blue Swadener, B., & Vanderbroeck, M. (2016). The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s international early learning study: Opening for debate and contestation. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 17(3), 343– 51.
Moss, P., & Urban, M. (2017). The OECD international early learning study: What happened next. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood,18(2), 250–258. https://doi.org/10.1177/1463949117714086
Maxwell, K. L., & Clifford, R. M. (2004). School readiness assessment. Young Children,1 –10. http://www.medicosescolares.com.ar/articulos/299_Maxwell2004.pdf
National core curriculum for early childhood education and care. (2018). Swedish National Agency for Education.
National core curriculum for early childhood education and care. (2019). Finnish National Agency for Education.
OECD. (2001). Starting strong I. Early childhood education and care. OECD.
OECD. (2006). Starting strong II. Early childhood education and care. OECD.
OECD. (2015). Call for tenders: International early learning study. http://www.oecd.org/callsfortenders/CfT 100001420 International Early Learning Study.pdf
Olson, D. R., & Torrance, N. (Eds.) (1996). Education and human development. New models of learning, teaching and schooling. Blackwell Publishers.
Pajntar CotiÄ, J., & Zore, N. (2018). PriporoÄila za uspeÅ¡en prehod otrok iz vrtca v Å¡olo [Recommendations for the successful transition of children from preschool to school]. Zavod RS za Å¡olstvo. https://www.zrss.si/zrss/wp-content/uploads/priporocila-za-vrtce_prehod_9-julij-2018.pdf
Podlesek, A., MarjanoviÄ Umek, L., & Fekonja Peklaj, U. (2010). IzraÄun o deležih otrok, vkljuÄenih v vrtec, glede na izobrazbo njihovih starÅ¡ev [Calculation of the Shares of children included in preschool, according to the education of their parents]. Unpublished material. Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana.
Quality in education. Quality in preschool institutions and schools collection [Kakovost v izobraževanju. Zbirka Kakovost v vrtcih in šolah]. (2019). National School of Leadership in Education.
Starting points of curriculum renewal [IzhodiÅ¡Äa kurikularne prenove]. (1996). National Curriculum Council.
Statistical information: Education [StatistiÄne informacije. Izobraževanje]. (2020). Statistical Office of Slovenia.
Statistical information. Mother’s day [StatistiÄne informacije. Materinski dan]. (2019). Statistical Office of Slovenia.
Stipek, D. (2002). At what age should children enter kindergarten? A question for policy makers and parents. Society for Research and Child Development Social Policy Report, 16(2), 3–16.
Stipek, D., & Byler, P. (2001). Academic achievement and social behaviors associated with age of entry into kindergartens. Journal of Applied Development Psychology, 22(2), 175–189.
Sylva, K., Melhuish, E., Samons, P., Siraj-Blatchford, I., & Taggart, B. (2004). The effective provision of preschool education (EPPE) project: Findings from pre-school to the end of key stage 1. http://www.dotwaidecentre.org.au/prf/EPPE.prf
The Icelandic national curriculum guide for preschool. (2011). Ministry of Education, Science and Culture.
The proportion of children included in preschool institutions, by municipality of residence and age groups, Slovenia, annually [Delež otrok, vkljuÄenih v vrtce, po obÄini stalnega prebivaliÅ¡Äa in starostnih obdobjih, Slovenija, letno poroÄilo]. (2020). https://podatki.gov.si/dataset/surs0971412s
Urban, M. (2017). We need meaningful systemic evaluation, not a preschool PISA. Global Education Review, 4(2), 18–24.
White paper on education in the Republic of Slovenia [Bela knjiga o vzgoji in izobraževanju v Republiki Sloveniji]. (1995). Ministrstvo za šolstvo in šport.
Van Oers, B. (2007). In the zone. Children in Europe (special publication Rediscovering Vygotsky), 14–15.
Vigotski, L. S. (2010). Mišljenje in govor [Thinking and speaking]. Pedagoška fakulteta UL.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1981). The genesis of higher mental development. In J. V. Wertsch (Ed.), The conception of activity in Soviet psychology (pp. 144–188). Sharpe.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1987). The problem of age. In R. W. Rieber & A. S. Carton (Eds.), The collected works of L. S. Vygotsky. Problem of general psychology (Vol. 5, pp. 187–205). Springer.
Watson, R. (1996). Rethinking readiness for learning. In D. R. Olson & N. Torrance (Eds.), Education and human development (pp. 148–72). Blackwell Publishers.
Wertsch, J. V. (2000). Vygotsky’s two minds on the nature of meaning. In C. D. Lee & P. Smagorinsky (Eds.), Vygotskian perspectives on literacy research. Constructing meaning through collaborative inquiry (pp. 19–30). Cambridge University Press.
Working for inclusion: An overview of European Union early years services and their workforce (2010). http://www.childreninscotland.org.uk/docs/WFI_Res_Briefing-Jamo.pdf
Yudina, E. (2007). Lev Vygotsky and his cultural-historical approach. Children in Europe (special publication Rediscovering Vygotsky), 3–4.
ZupanÄiÄ, M., & KavÄiÄ, T. (2007). Otroci od vrtca do Å¡ole: Razvoj osebnosti in socialnega vedenja ter uÄna uspeÅ¡nost prvoÅ¡olcev [Children from preschool to school: Personality and social behaviour development and learning success of first graders]. Scientific Research Institute of the Faculty of Arts.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors are confirming that they are the authors of the submitted article, which will be published online in the Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal (for short: CEPS Journal) by University of Ljubljana Press (University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education, Kardeljeva ploščad 16, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia). The Author’s/Authors’ name(s) will be evident in the article in the journal. All decisions regarding layout and distribution of the work are in the hands of the publisher.
- The Authors guarantee that the work is their own original creation and does not infringe any statutory or common-law copyright or any proprietary right of any third party. In case of claims by third parties, authors commit themselves to defend the interests of the publisher, and shall cover any potential costs.
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
