Informatics in primary education : a comparative analysis of the current situation in Croatia and the rest of the world

Informatičko znanje postaje sve važnija vještina u ovom modernom dobu te je presudno da ono bude implementirano u živote mladih od rane dobi. Polazno mjesto za dobivanje temelja su upravo osnovne škole, gdje djeca uče razvijati različite vještine od čitanja i pisanja do dobivanja uvoda u osnovna područja znanosti i humanistike. U hrvatskom školstvu 2018. godine uvodi se obavezna nastava informatike za pete i šeste razrede te promjena kurikuluma za sve razrede osnovnih i srednjih škola. Polazeći od toga, u ovom se radu daje usporedba kako je funkcionirao program informatike u hrvatskim javnim osnovnim školama u proteklih nekoliko godina. Važno je dati i sliku kako stojimo u ovom pogledu usporedno s ostalim zemljama, kako bi mogli stvoriti svijest o tome kako poboljšati izvođenje ovog plana i programa nastave informatike te pružiti budućim generacijama najbolji mogući način rada. Jedino komparativnom analizom u svjetskom kontekstu možemo dobiti ispravan uvid za moguća rješenja.Proficiency in IT is becoming an ever more important skill in this modern era and it is therefore crucial that children be taught the basics from an early age. One cannot enough stress the role of primary schools, where children acquire various skills such as reading and writing, and where they are introduced to the basic tenets of the sciences and humanities. In 2018, informatics was introduced into Croatian primary schools as a compulsory subject to be taken in fifth and sixth grade. Furthermore, the curriculum was changed at all levels of study, both in primary and secondary education. This BA thesis is analyzing the informatics program as it was taught in Croatian public schools over the past few years. Improvements can be made to the methodology implemented in Croatian schools by comparing it to those used in other countries, thus ensuring the best possible approach for future generations. Potential solutions are to be observed only when contextualizing the approach used in Croatian schools within a wider, global framework (USA, Japan, Finland)