Theories and Models of Children of Transition from Preschool Institution to Primary School

Prijelaz djeteta iz predškolske ustanove u osnovnu školu jedan je od najznačajnijih događaja u djetetovu životu, ali i životu njegovih roditelja. Dolaskom u novu odgojno-obrazovnu sredinu dijete se treba prilagoditi očekivanjima okoline, stupiti u interakciju s novim prijateljima iz razreda i škole, s učiteljima i ostalim odraslima iz šire okoline. Navedene promjene, prilagodba novoj okolini kao i kvaliteta interakcije koju dijete ostvari, mogu utjecati na njegovo samopoštovanje, samopoimanje, kvalitetu razvijanja budućih odnosa s okolinom kao i kasniji akademski uspjeh. Na temelju različitih teorija, proces prijelaza djeteta može se promatrati s tri različita aspekta odnosa među sudionicima prijelaza: priroda odnosa, karakteristike odnosa kao i kontekst u kojem se razvijaju. Osim toga, važno je istaknuti kako o odnosima koje će dijete izgraditi u prvom razredu osnovne škole s vršnjacima i odraslima u novoj odgojno-obrazovnoj okolini ovisi gradnja budućih odnosa tijekom rasta i razvoja. Pri analizi kvalitete odnosa, koje dijete gradi tijekom prijelaza u novu odgojno-obrazovnu okolinu, potrebno je uzeti u obzir djetetove razvojne osobine, osobine obitelji, karakteristike odgojno-obrazovne ustanove iz koje dolazi i u koju ulazi, interakciju s vršnjacima koju je izgradilo tijekom prijašnjeg stupnja obrazovanja, odnos koji je razvilo s odgojiteljima, s vršnjacima u novoj okolini te razvoj odnosa s učiteljem i članovima šire okoline. Također, potrebno je istaknuti kako je kvalitetu razvoja odnosa potrebno pratiti jer se odnosi koji se grade i razvijaju mijenjaju tijekom vremena. Dakle, promjene u razvoju odnosa te njihovu stabilnost treba promatrati kroz vremenski aspekt u okviru kojeg se promjene događaju. Osim međusobne suradnje i gradnje odnosa svih sudionika procesa prijelaza neophodan je kontinuitet u odgoju i obrazovanju sukladno dobrobitima pojedinog djeteta. Dakle, da bi se djetetu omogućila lakša prilagodba na novu okolinu kao i poticanje dobrobiti pojedinog djeteta potrebna je međusobna suradnja svih uključenih sudionika, posebice uključivanje roditelja u proces prijelaza što su pokazali i rezultati istraživanja. Na temelju dosadašnjih teorijskih polazišta o važnosti procesa prijelaza djeteta iz predškolske ustanove u osnovnu školu za djetetov razvoj, gradnju odnosa s okolinom te daljnji akademski uspjeh, ovom doktorskom disertacijom nastojalo se utvrditi mišljenje sudionika procesa prijelaza (odgojitelja, učitelja, roditelja, stručnih suradnika i ravnatelja predškolske ustanove i osnovne škole) u Republici Hrvatskoj o postojećoj odgojno-obrazovnoj prijelaznoj praksi, o potrebi promjena u njezinu odvijanju kako bi se olakšao djetetu prijelaz iz predškolske ustanove u osnovnu školu. S obzirom na to da nije pronađen instrument koji bi u potpunosti odgovarao zahtjevima ovog istraživanja, konstruiran je novi instrument na temelju ključnih čimbenika procesa prijelaza djeteta iz predškolske ustanove u osnovnu školu. Istraživanje je provedeno korištenjem kvantitativne i kvalitativne metode. U glavnom istraživanju sudjelovalo je 1288 sudionika procesa prijelaza djeteta iz predškolske ustanove u osnovnu školu: 103 odgojitelja, 50 učitelja, 66 stručnih suradnika, 24 ravnatelja te 1045 roditelja. Istraživanje je provedeno u Brodsko-posavskoj, Međimurskoj, Zagrebačkoj, Primorsko-goranskoj, Zadarskoj i Splitskodalmatinskoj županiji. Istraživanje je pokazalo kako se proces prijelaza djeteta iz predškolske ustanove u osnovnu školu temelji na normativnoj procjeni djetetovih sposobnosti neovisno o kronološkoj dobi djeteta i Zakonom52 utvrđenim kriterijima polaska djeteta u osnovnu školu. Zakonom je utvrđena obveza pohađanja programa predškole čime se svoj djeci daju jednake polazišne obrazovne mogućnosti. U hrvatskoj odgojno-obrazovnoj praksi prisutan je postupak testiranja djetetovih vještina sukladno razvojnom statusu djeteta u dobi od šest, odnosno sedam godina. Rezultati istraživanja pokazali su kako nema suradnje među sustavima kao ni suradnje s roditeljima djeteta predškolaca, što bi omogućilo lakši prijelaz djeteta iz predškolske ustanove u osnovnu školu. Stručni djelatnici i ravnatelji dječjih vrtića i roditelji djece predškolaca i prvog razreda osnovne škole nezadovoljni su postojećim odvijanjem prijelazne odgojno-obrazovne prakse, što se posebno uočava iz intervjua sa sudionicima istraživanja. Osim toga, potrebo je istaknuti različitost u očekivanjima stručnih djelatnika dječjeg vrtića i osnovne škole u odnosu na pojedino dijete, njegove sposobnosti i mogućnosti. Obradom rezultata istraživanja uočeno je kako stručni djelatnici i ravnatelji nisu upoznati s kurikulumom i programom predškole, odnosno prvog razreda osnovne škole što ukazuje na jedan od razloga diskontinuiteta u odgoju i obrazovanju djeteta. Temeljem teorijskih postavki procesa prijelaza djeteta iz predškolske ustanove u osnovnu školu te rezultata dobivenih ovim istraživanjem utvrđeno je kako postojeća prijelazna odgojno-obrazovna praksa u Republici Hrvatskoj nije u skladu s dobrobiti pojedinog djeteta, stoga su dane implikacije za poboljšanje njezine kvalitete.The transition of a child from preschool to primary school is one of the most important events in a child's life, but also in the life of his parents. Entering a new educational environment, the child should adapt to the expectations of the environment, interact with new friends from class and school, with teachers and other adults from the wider environment. These changes, adaptation to the new environment, and the quality of interaction that the child achieves can affect his self-esteem, self-perception, the quality of developing future relationships with the environment, and further academic success. Based on different theories, a child’s transition process can be viewed from three different aspects of the relationship among transition participants: the nature of the relationship, its characteristics, and the context in which it develops. In addition, it is important to point out that the relationships that a child will build with peers and adults in the first grade of primary school, in a new educational environment, will affect the course of building future relationships during growth and development. When analysing the quality of relationships that a child builds during the transition to a new educational environment, it is necessary to take into account the child's developmental characteristics, family characteristics, characteristics of the educational institution from which he comes and the one which he enters, interaction with peers which he formed in preschool, the relationship he has developed with educators, with peers in the new environment, and the development of relationships with teachers and members of the wider environment. Also, it is necessary to emphasize that the quality of relationship development needs to be monitored because the relationships that are being built and developed change over time. Thus, changes in the development of relationships and their stability should be observed through the time aspect within which changes occur. In addition to mutual cooperation and building relationships between all participants in the transition process, continuity in upbringing and education is essential accordingly with the welfare of the individual child. Therefore, in order to enable the child to easily adapt to the new environment and encourage the welfare of each child, mutual cooperation of all involved participants is required, especially the involvement of parents in the transition process, as shown by research results. Based on previous theoretical starting points on the importance of the process of transition from preschool to primary school for child development, building relationships with the environment, and further academic success, this doctoral dissertation sought to determine the opinion of participants in the transition process (educators, teachers, parents, professionals, and principals) in the Republic of Croatia on the existing educational transition practice, on the need for changes in its development in order to facilitate the child's transition from preschool to primary school. Since no instrument was found that would fully meet the requirements of this research, a new instrument was constructed based on the key factors of the process of transition of a child from preschool to primary school. The research was conducted using quantitative and qualitative methods. The main research involved 1288 participants included in the process of a child’s transition from preschool to primary school: 103 educators, 50 teachers, 66 professional associates, 24 principals, and 1,045 parents. The research was conducted in Brod-Posavina, Međimurje, Zagreb, Primorje-Gorski Kotar, Zadar, and Split-Dalmatia counties. The research showed that the process of a child's transition from preschool to primary school is based on a normative assessment of the child's abilities regardless of the chronological age of the child and the criteria established by Croatian law for children enrolling in primary school. The law stipulates the obligation to attend preschool programs, which gives all children equal starting educational opportunities. In Croatian educational practice, there is a procedure for testing children's skills in accordance with the developmental status of a child aged six or seven. The results of the research showed that there is no cooperation between the systems or cooperation with the parents of the preschool child, which would enable an easier transition of the child from preschool to primary school. Professional staff and principals of preschool institutions, as well as parents of preschool and first-grade primary school children, expressed dissatisfaction with the current transitional educational practice, which is especially evident from interviews with research participants. In addition, it is necessary to emphasize the difference in the expectations of the professional staff of the kindergarten and primary school in relation to the individual child, his abilities, and capabilities. By processing the results of the research, it was noticed that professional staff and principals are not familiar with the curriculum and program of preschool, i.e. the first grade of primary school, which indicates one of the reasons for discontinuity in the upbringing and education of children. Based on the theoretical assumptions of the process of transition of a child from preschool to primary school and the results obtained by this research, it was determined that the existing transitional educational practice in the Republic of Croatia is not in line with the welfare of the individual child. Therefore, the implications are given for the improvement of its quality