PRESCHOOL AND EARLY SCHOOL EDUCATION

GENERAL COURSE DESCRIPTION

Preschool and Early School Education – studies with a practical profile – enable graduates to achieve learning outcomes related to the knowledge, practical skills and competences according to the standards of education which prepare students to be kindergarten teachers and early school education teachers. A graduate of this faculty gains practical skills of using extensive theoretical knowledge of psychology, sociology, philosophy, ethics, pedagogy, didactics as well as kindergarten and early school education methodology, which is necessary to understand the development, enculturation, upbringing, teaching-learning processes as well as the effective organization of the didactic, education, care and therapeutic processes within the frames of preschool and early school education, i.e. grades I-III of the primary school. A graduate knows and understands theoretical concepts concerning biopsychical and social conditions of the development of a child at preschool or school age, methods and forms of didactic, care, education and therapeutic work, theoretical foundations of providing equal educational opportunities for children who have different backgrounds, religions and nationalities, eliminating the differences between teaching healthy children and the disabled ones in practical pedagogical actions, the methodology, rules and ethical norms of designing and conducting scientific research in the field of preschool, school and alternative education, the processes of interpersonal and social communication, the regularities of their course and disturbances, the regularities of the stipulated scope of cooperation between a preschool/school and child’s family environment and educational institutions which realize care and therapeutic functions in order to foster a comprehensive child development in the local environment.

A graduate can skilfully use the diagnostic and methodological techniques connected with preschool and early school education, also in the single structure education, diagnose and develop child’s individual skills, as well as choose and create didactic resources, which stimulate the intellectual, language, emotional, social, physical, ethical and aesthetic development of children at preschool and school age, apply the principles of contemporary didactics and modern, engaging teaching methods, design and take prophylactic and compensation actions, which stimulate the intellectual, language, emotional, social, physical, ethical and aesthetic development of children at preschool and school age, foster the comprehensive development of children’s skills, individualize the teaching and education process, organize social life on the class, school and local community level, cooperate with other teachers, parents and local community, perform educational assessment and design the strategies for educational actions, including prophylactic actions connected with solving specific educational problems, create educational strategies programmes intended for children in care and/or pupils with special educational needs, design and take educational actions, identify a child’s or pupil’s needs, skills and talents, plan, adopt and assess personalized teaching, education and assistance programmes.

A graduate is prepared to teach in the single structure education, including a foreign language apart from the previous subjects, take vocational actions leading to the development of teacher’s own skills and tools, have responsibility for solving preschool child’s and pupil’s problems. A graduate is ready for a critical self-reflection concerning his/her own professional role, independent, critical self-assessment of the level of their knowledge and skills, designing the competence development path, updating their knowledge, setting the direction of their own professional development and life-long learning, ethical reflection, including following the rules of professional conduct, respecting the human dignity as well as the correct identification and resolving ethical dilemmas connected with the teacher’s job, relating them to broader processes and social contexts.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

The qualification graduates gain enable them to find employment as preschool teachers (preschools, preschool departments, preschool units, integrated preschool departments), and as early school education teachers (primary schools, grades I-III, integrated classes).

The competences of an Preschool and Early School Education graduates also allow them to seek employment as a day-care room teacher, at schools functioning in hospitals and sanatoriums, in home education and individual instruction or individual teaching practice.