Pre-school teacher\u27s introduction of changes in their pedagogical work as a factor in their professional development

V današnji družbi je zmožnost posameznikovega vseživljenjskega učenja in uspešnega soočanja s številnimi spremembami na različnih področjih življenja izjemnega pomena. Tu je še posebej izpostavljen poklic vzgojitelja predšolskih otrok, ki ga sodobna družba postavlja pred različne izzive, s katerimi se mora znati soočati. Vzgojitelji se nenehno srečujejo s spremembami, ki jih morajo znati ustrezno vpeljevati v svoje pedagoško delo. Če je bilo poklicno učenje vzgojiteljev nekoč možnost posameznikove izbire, je danes to neizbežno dejstvo, ki se mu ni možno izogniti. Soočanje s spremembami zahteva od posameznika obvladovanje velikega nabora kompetenc. Vzgojiteljevo vpeljevanje sprememb je v tesni povezanosti z njegovim profesionalnim razvojem. Vpeljevanje sprememb v pedagoško prakso vpliva na vzgojiteljev profesionalni razvoj. Velja pa tudi obratno. Vzgojitelj, ki je zavezan k lastnemu profesionalnemu razvoju in mu je ta vrednota ter ima pozitivnejša stališča do inoviranja, bo prej začutil potrebo po spreminjanju lastne pedagoške prakse in vnašanju novosti. V procesu inoviranja posamezniki spreminjajo svojo prakso delovanja, lastna stališča in pojmovanja, pa tudi razumevanje širšega konteksta inoviranja. Uspešno inoviranje pomembno vpliva na posameznikov profesionalni razvoj, prav tako pa lahko ugodno spreminja klimo institucije, da postane bolj odprta za medsebojno sodelovanje in dolgotrajno vnašanje sprememb. Namen magistrskega dela je ugotoviti, kakšna so stališča in izkušnje vzgojiteljev ter vodstev vrtca do vzgojiteljevega inoviranja pedagoške prakse. V teoretičnem delu magistrskega dela smo izhajali iz poklicnega dela in profesionalnega razvoja vzgojitelja, ki sta pomembna za uspešno spreminjanje njegove pedagoške prakse. Pozornost smo posvetili tudi modelom profesionalnega razvoja in vzgojiteljevemu vpeljevanju sprememb kot dejavniku tega razvoja. Predstavljene so raziskave s področja inoviranja pedagoške prakse, s poudarkom na raziskavah vzgojiteljev. V empiričnem delu smo ugotavljali, kakšna stališča in izkušnje imajo vzgojitelji z inoviranjem lastne pedagoške prakse. Poleg vzgojiteljev so nas zanimala tudi stališča in pogledi vodstev vrtca na vzgojiteljevo inoviranje. Zanimalo nas je, kako vzgojitelji pojmujejo vlogo ravnatelja v procesu inoviranja, pa tudi kako ravnatelji sami razumejo lastno vlogo v procesu vzgojiteljevega vpeljevanja sprememb.In today\u27s society, the ability of lifelong learning and successful coping with a number of changes in different areas of life is very significant. Preschool teachers are especially exposed nowadays, because contemporary society is facing them with various challenges, which they must be able to cope with. Preschool teachers are constantly faced with changes that they must know how to properly introduce into their pedagogical work. If vocational training of preschool teachers was once an individual\u27s choice, today this is an inevitable fact that cannot be avoided. An individual has to master a large set of competencies when facing changes. The preschool teacher\u27s implementation of changes is closely linked to his/her professional development. Involving change in the pedagogical practice affects the professional development of preschool teachers and vice versa. A preschool teacher that is committed to his/her own professional development and sees it as a value, has a more positive attitude towards innovation and he/she will soon feel the need to change his/her own pedagogical practice and to introduce novelties. In the process of innovation, individuals change their usual practice, their own views and concepts, as well as the understanding of the wider context of innovation. Successful innovation has an important impact on individuals\u27 professional development and it can also favourably change the atmosphere in an institution which can become more open to co-operation and long-lasting change. The purpose of this master\u27s thesis is to determine the views and experiences of preschool teachers and of the management towards the teacher\u27s innovating pedagogical practice. In the theoretical part of the master\u27s thesis, we derived from the professional work and professional development of a preschool teacher, which are important for a successful change of a pedagogical practice. We devoted our attention to models of professional development and the introduction of changes of preschool teachers as a factor in this development. We also present research in the field of innovating pedagogical practice, with an emphasis on research of preschool teachers. In the empirical part, we were discovering the points of view and the experience of preschool teachers when it comes to innovating their own pedagogical practice. We were not only interested in the points of view of preschool teachers, but also in the points of view of principals of kindergartens on the innovations of preschool teachers. We were interested in how preschool teachers understand the role of the principal in the innovation process, as well as how the principals themselves understand their own role in the process of preschool teacher\u27s introduction of change