Estonian preschool teachers' views on learning in preschool

Abstract

As in many Western countries, children's learning in the curriculum of Estonian Early Childhood Education is seen as a lifelong process, wherein the teacher is primarily a guide to children's active learning. Thus, a child-centred approach to learning is valued in the national curriculum, but our interest was whether this approach is fixed in the teachers' views. The aim of this survey study was to identify and examine the most important aspects of children's learning according to preschool teachers' perceptions and to determine if there are any differences in teachers' opinions according their background. In the survey (N = 729), a structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The results show that children's own initiative and active participation in the learning process, as well as in everyday activities, are largely considered to be more important than direct guidance by a teacher, although the latter was considered important, too.

Keywords:

• curriculum
• preschool teacher
• learning
• Estonia
• teachers’ views

Acknowledgement

The study was supported by the European Social Fund Programme ‘Eduko’ (grant No. 1.2.0302.09-0004).

Notes on contributor

Aino Ugaste is Professor in the Institute of Educational Sciences, Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia; e-mail: [email protected]. The main area of her research is teacher professional development, parenting and multicultural education. She specialises in early childhood education and has participated in several international research projects.

Maire Tuul is a doctoral student in educational sciences at the Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia; e-mail: [email protected]. She has worked as a teacher and head in the preschool and in her doctoral thesis she concentrates on the study of the early childhood teachers’ conceptions of their pedagogical work.

Katrin Niglas is Professor of Data Analysis, currently holding the position of Vice-Rector for Research, at Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia; e-mail: [email protected]. During her career, she has taken part in various research projects in the field of education, social sciences and humanities as an expert in methodology and data analysis. Her main research and writing interest are focused on the combined use of qualitative and quantitative methods in social and educational research.

Evelyn Neudorf is a doctoral student in educational sciences at the Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia; e-mail: [email protected]. She has worked as a teacher and lecturer for seven years and in her thesis she focuses on curriculum and curriculum theory in the context of early childhood education.