Comparison of pedagogical working methods and attitudes towards children in Slovenian and Spanish kindergartens

The objective of the diploma paper entitled Comparison of pedagogical working methods and attitudes towards children in Slovenian and Spanish kindergartens is to find and present the most important differences in Slovenian and Spanish pre-school systems. The goals of pre-school education in Slovenia are based on the principles from White Paper on Education (2011): the inclusion of a major proportion of children, aged four and five years, and a major proportion of children from socially and culturally less supportive environments in kindergartens: to ensure the encouragement of different fields of development in compliance with the specifics of a development period and the characteristics of an individual child and to ensure the possibility of developing and learning special capabilities and skills. In Spain, the pre-school education is one of scholar levels, which is intended for children from birth to six years and it is not obligatory, and its objective is to contribute to physical, emotional, social and intellectual development of children (National Education Code, 2007). I carried out an empirical research with a survey questionnaire intended for Slovenian and Spanish kindergarten teachers. 20 graduated kindergarten teachers, aged from 21 to 60 years, answered the questionnaire (10 from each country). With the questionnaire I wanted to research and compare their views of early education of children and child’s play. I also wanted to research the differences in planning and implementing activities in kindergartens, the method of encouraging child’s creativity and independence, their movement, stay outside, rest and cooperation with parents. The results showed considerable differences. According to the reports of kindergarten teachers in Spain, they learn more with textbooks than in Slovenia; however, the Slovenian kindergarten teachers who participated in the research ensure more time for play to children than their Spanish colleagues. The surveyed kindergarten teachers in Slovenia also believe that they let children participate in kindergarten activity planning more often than in Spain. Considering the answers of the participating kindergarten teachers, I can also claim that Slovenian children have more movement and stay outside and that they have more qualitative rest in kindergarten than Spanish children