Curriculum design and content in Czech pre-primary education: approaches and experiences of student teachers
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2024 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | European Early Childhood Education Research Journal |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1350293X.2023.2234111 |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2023.2234111 |
| Keywords | Early childhood education; curriculum design; child-centred education; planning approaches; curriculum quality |
| Description | The aim of the research was to investigate the methods used by preschool student teachers when developing their educational programmes at pre-primary level (ISCED 02). Data were collected between 2020 and 2021 using a questionnaire with 355 part-time students from nine universities across the Czech Republic. Most of the respondents were also working as preschool teachers while studying for a bachelor's or master's degree in preschool education. The research not only highlighted different approaches to curriculum planning but also that many of the respondents preferred an approach characterised by child-centredness and teacher autonomy. However, the research also found that many respondents still plan educational content a long time in advance of their teaching and without considering the current needs and interests of children. Curriculum design and content in Czech preschools is in a process of transformation and the authors discuss the need for a more principled and consistent approach in support of high-quality provision. |