Primary school teachers´ perceptions of advantages, skills and efficacy of team work in school

Pričakovano je, da učiteljica1 svoje delo opravlja strokovno in učinkovito. Vseživljenjsko učenje je pomemben dejavnik, ki oblikuje vlogo sodobne učiteljice. Sodobna učiteljica mora imeti dobro razvite spretnosti timskega dela, te pa se razvijajo le z izvajanjem konkretnega timskega dela. Sodelovanje učiteljic in timsko delo je v šoli izvajano vsak dan, a ponekod je še dodatno spodbujeno in organizirano s strani vodstva. V prvem razredu je timsko delo zakonsko predpisano z Zakonom o osnovni šoli. Timsko delo je dogajanje, ko se dva ali več pedagoških delavcev z vzgojnoizobraževalnimi cilji hkrati usmeri na isto skupino učencev v okviru posamezne pedagoške dejavnosti. Učenci so s timskim delom deležni njegovih prednosti, kar pripomore k njihovi večji motivaciji in boljšem znanju. Učiteljicam se ob tem razvijajo medosebne komunikacijske spretnosti, poveča se jim zmožnost zaznavanja informacij iz več zornih kotov, katere nato kritično ovrednotijo in jih vnesejo v svoj miselni sistem. V njem se vrednote, prepričanja, ideali, stališča, in znanje nenehno spreminjajo in dopolnjujejo. Osebna in strokovna rast tako učencev kot učiteljic dviga kakovost pedagoškega dela in šole. V praksi zaznane prednosti timskega dela so dokaz, da je timsko delo učinkovito, kar prikazujejo tudi različne, večinoma kvalitativne, raziskave. Empirični del magistrskega dela temelji na kvantitativni raziskavi. Podatke sem pridobila z anketnim vprašalnikom, ki je vseboval vprašanja in trditve, ki se nanašajo na prednosti in spretnosti timskega dela. Namenjen je bil učiteljicam prvega vzgojnoizobraževalnega obdobja in vzgojiteljicam predšolskih otrok, ki delajo v prvem razredu osnovne šole. Osnovni cilj magistrskega dela je bil ugotoviti, kako pogosto strokovne delavke v prvem vzgojno-izobraževalnem obdobju izvajajo vse tri etape timskega dela, kako razvite imajo spretnosti timskega dela in katere prednosti timskega dela zaznavajo pri svojem delu. Zanimala me je tudi povezanost med prepoznanimi spretnostmi in prednostmi timskega dela ter zaznavanje učinkovitosti lastnega tima ter ali se v razvitosti spretnosti in prepoznavanju prednosti timskega dela učiteljice razlikujejo od vzgojiteljic, ki delajo v prvem razredu osnovne šole. Statistično sem preverila medsebojno povezanost posameznih spremenljivk. Ugotovila sem, da so strokovne delavke bolje ocenile svoje spretnosti in večkrat zaznale prednosti timskega dela, če so pogosteje izvajale timsko delo, da se z bolje razvitimi spretnostmi timskega dela in boljšo zaznavo prednosti timskega dela povezuje višja ocena učinkovitosti lastnih timov ter da izobrazba ne vpliva na razvitost spretnosti timskega dela. Rezultati učinkovitega timskega dela se kažejo na več ravneh vzgojno-izobraževalnega dela in povečujejo kakovost izobraževalnega sistema.It is expected that a teacher performs his or her work professionally and efficiently and needs to perfect and develop competences constantly. Lifelong learning is an important factor that shapes the role of a contemporary teacher. The latter has to have well-developed skills of teamwork which can only develop through working in a team. The most important teamwork skills include communication skills, compromising skills, constructive criticism skills and the skill of motivation and giving support. Cooperation among teachers and team teaching are performed in schools on a daily basis, but some school leaders encourage and organize them additionally. Teaching first grade in teams is prescribed by law (Act on Primary School, 1996). Teamwork happens when two or more teachers aim their educational goals at the same group of students in the framework of a specific pedagogical activity. Teamwork comprises three stages: team planning, team teaching and team evaluation. By performing all three stages of teamwork the teachers increase the probability of students’ knowledge improvement. With teamwork we can provide more differentiated forms of work for students, faster feedback information, didactically diverse lessons and an example of interpersonal acceptance and resolution of intellectual conflicts, which allow for higher motivation and better knowledge of the students. At the same time the teachers develop their interpersonal communication skills and increase the ability of perceiving information from different points of view, which they can then critically evaluate and include into their own mind system. The latter includes values, beliefs, ideals, opinions, views and knowledge - all of which change and upgrade constantly. Personal and professional growth of the students as well as the teachers improves the quality of pedagogical work and the school as a whole. All these are the benefits of teamwork which prove that working in a team is efficient, and it has also been proven by different, mostly qualitative researches. The empirical part of this thesis is based on a quantitative research. The data was obtained by a survey including questions and statements concerning the benefits and skills of teamwork. The survey was aimed at the first grade teachers and the preschool educators who work in first grades of primary schools. The goal of the thesis at hand is to determine how often the professionals in first grades perform all three stages of teamwork, how developed their teamwork skills are and which benefits of team work they perceive. I wish to research the connection between the recognized skills and benefits of teamwork and the perception of team efficiency. I was also interested in whether or not there are any differences in the teamwork skills and efficiency perception between the first grade teachers and preschool educators who work in first grades. The correlation between the variables was statistically verified. The aim of the thesis is to become aware of the benefits of efficient teamwork and to understand that teamwork influences many levels of pedagogical work and improve the quality of the school system