Self-Guided Learning Process in Preschool: Challenges of the Practice

Abstract

The mandatory teaching/learning content of the preschool lays emphasis on the child’s most essential interests and needs, acquiring them in such a process that leads to the formation of literacy or competence. Self-guided learning in the teaching/learning process appears as the major method that helps the pre-schooler acquire the content of all domains. According to the preschool guidelines, values and morals, general or transversal skills, cognitive, emotional and social aspects of the child’s actions that help to acquire knowledge, understanding and key skills for man’s functioning in important spheres of life and these are the key skills in the domains of language, social and civic, understanding of culture and self-expression in art, science, mathematics, technology, health and physical activities that form the mandatory teaching/learning content of preschool education. When acquiring all the necessary skills and knowledge, the child has to reach the planned learning outcomes that are attained in a self-guided learning process. Self-guided learning is one of the most essential modern competences or the individual’s readiness to adjust and apply the knowledge, skills and attitudes when solving different situations. Are preschools ready for this, does this process take place and do preschool teachers understand the concept “self-guided learning process” – this is the topicality that definitely should be paid attention to relating it to teacher education, the development of the self-guided learning model and its piloting in the preschool environment. A self-guided learning process should not be taken for granted because the child does not have such skills – to know / to feel how and what to do to start, for example, exploration. The child has not acquired these skills if the adult has not demonstrated how to do this. The child since young age should be gradually directed towards that – what and in which way to learn. The participation of the adult or teacher in this significant process is critical.