A comparison of the roles of teachers in performing certain elements of the daily routine in a public and a Waldorf kindergarten

The thesis titled A comparison of the roles of teachers in performing certain elements of the daily routine in a public and a Waldorf kindergarten is composed of a theoretical part and an empirical part. The theoretical part firstly defines the curriculum and the hidden curriculum as the hidden curriculum contains elements which have an educational impact on children and affect the organisation of everyday life and communication between the teacher and the children (Zalar, 2005). In a kindergarten the hidden curriculum most often shows as a part of the daily routine so I defined the daily routine in a public and a Waldorf kindergarten (Marjanovič Umek in Fekonja Peklaj, 2008). I also included the elements of the daily routine. I focused on children's arrival to kindergarten, mealtimes and rest and presented them through two different concepts of preschool education. I rounded up the theoretical part by defining the role of the kindergarten teacher in a public and a Waldorf kindergarten. In the empirical part of the thesis I used the qualitative method of research. I used interviews to research and compare if the communication of the kindergarten teacher with the children during the aforementioned elements of the daily routine differs between a public and a Waldorf kindergarten. As the teacher plays a key role in a kindergarten by shaping and influencing the child's environment (not only through designing the space and daily rhythm but also through personal qualities and the relationship with the children), I was also interested in the role of the teacher in performing the aforementioned elements of the daily routine in a public and a Waldorf kindergarten (Nicol, 2010). The thesis concludes with the results and the interpretation of the answers obtained with interviews. I compared the communication between the teacher and children in a public and Waldorf kindergarten, focusing on the arrival to the kindergarten, mealtimes and rest. Throughout my thesis I recognized differences between the role of the kindergarten teacher and the communication with children in a public or a Waldorf kindergarten