Changes in beliefs regarding good teachers and the characteristics of child development of primary education students / Helena Smrtnik Vitulič in Irena Lesar

V vzdolžni raziskavi ugotavljamo prepričanja študentov razrednega pouka o dejavnikih učnega (ne)uspeha, dobrem učitelju in o razvojnih značilnostih otrok ter predstavimo, katere izkušnje po samoporočanju študentov najbolj sooblikujejo ta prepričanja. Ista skupina študentov (N = 59) je enak vprašalnik najprej izpolnila na začetku prvega letnika študija in nato ob koncu njihovega podiplomskega študija. Ob obeh merjenjih so študenti ocenili, da k učni (ne)uspešnosti učenca v največji meri prispeva učenec sam (približno v 33 %), nato starši, učitelji in nazadnje vrstniki. Študentje so na začetku študija izražali predvsem idealizirane predstave o dobrem učitelju: da je miren in obvladan v vseh situacijahda ima vse otroke enako radda zna motivirati vse otroke, tudi tiste, ki jih snov ne zanimada zna naučiti vse učence, tudi tiste z nižjimi učnimi sposobnostmi. Ob koncu so rezultati pokazali na preoblikovanje večine predstav o dobrem učitelju v smeri bolj realističnih. Glede razvojnih značilnosti otrok pa so imeli študentje že na začetku študija bolj usklajena prepričanja z znanstvenimi spoznanji, saj so se le delno strinjali, da dednost določa posameznikov razvoj, da izkušnje iz zgodnjega otroštva odločujoče vplivajo na nadaljnji razvoj otroka, da ni bistvenih razlik v miselnih sposobnostih učencev istega razreda, da je otrok, ki pozna veliko informacij, pameten in da šola ni prostor za izražanje čustev. Stopnja strinjanja z večino trditev se je ob drugem merjenju pomembno znižala. Po mnenju študentov imajo neposredne izkušnje v razredu med vsemi dejavniki najpomembnejši vpliv na njihova prepričanja, ki smo jih preverjali v raziskavi.In a longitudinal study, we determine the beliefs of primary education students regarding the factors of academic achievement, good teachers, and the developmental characteristics of children, and we present which experiences mostly shape these beliefs. The same group of students (N = 59) completed the same questionnaire at the beginning of their first year and then at the end of their postgraduate studies. At both measurements, the students stated that the pupils themselves are the most responsible for their academic achievement (approximately 33%). At the beginning of the study, the students mostly showed idealised beliefs regarding what makes a good teacher, such as he/she is self-controlled and calm in all situationshe/she likes all children equally, etc. At the end, the results showed a reshaping of most idealised beliefs about what makes good teachers towards more realistic ones. Regarding the developmental characteristics of children, at the beginning and at the end of their studies the students had similar beliefs that heredity and environment contribute to an individual’s development. At the end of their studies, the students are significantly less convinced that experience from an early age decisively influences their further development, that there are no major differences in cognitive abilities of pupils of the same class, that a child who knows a lot of information is clever, and that school is not a place for the expression of emotions. According to the students, direct experiences in the classroom have the most significant influence on the beliefs among all the factors that we have examined in the study