PERCEPTIONS OF THE CHILD AND THEIR IMPACT ON PRESCHOOL EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES
PERCEPTIONS OF THE CHILD AND THEIR IMPACT ON PRESCHOOL EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES

Summary/Abstract: In line with the sociological approach to childhood (James & Prout), this paper examines how preschool teachers in early childhood education institutions in the municipality of Čukarica (Belgrade) perceive children, their professional role, and educational practices. The research was conducted in 2006 using a qualitative approach and semi-structured interviews with sixteen preschool teachers from two public and two private kindergartens. The data were analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings reveal clear generational and institutional differences: younger preschool teachers tend to adopt contemporary, individualized approaches to children, whereas older teachers retain elements of a traditional, authoritarian model. Private kindergartens foster more modernized practices, while public institutions continue to reproduce traces of archaic patterns due to larger group sizes and an older professional structure. The study indicates that the modernization of educational practices unfolds gradually through generational and institutional shifts.

• Details
• Contents