STUDENTS’ PLANNING OF PRESCHOOL LEVEL ART ACTIVITIES: THEMATIC SCOPE AS А FACTOR INFLUENCING CORRECT DEFINING OF ART ACTIVITY PROBLEM AND THEME

This paper presents the results of an action pedagogical research, conducted within the course Methodical practicum of teaching art with students, future pre-school teachers, at the Faculty of Education in Jagodina. The aim of the research is to enhance pedagogical practice regarding practical preparation of students for planning and performing art activities with preschool children. The main focus was on students’ competencies for defining art theme and pedagogical art problem of the activity. The research was based on the assumption that students find it difficult to imagine and extract an art theme from the generalized thematic scope, given by preschool teachers ‒ mentors. By changing this variable, the research tested correctness of the assumption by analyzing quality and correctness of students’ work developed on the basis of art-themed scope, instead of generalized ones. The research took three months of the fall semester in 2020/2021 and included 73 students’ written plans for art activities. Based on this sample, supported with an additional survey students took part in, the analysis resulted in conclusion that imply different factors affecting students’ efficiency regarding their work within Methodical practicum of teaching art course, but evidently supporting primary thesis that art-themed scope of tasks results with significant number of correctly defined art activity themes and problems. The results of the research can be utilized in order to reevaluate and improve methods and approaches to developing students’ competencies to work in the field of art education with preschool children efficiently by understanding difficult points in students’ learning process.Publishe