OBSERVATIONS OF STUDENTS - FUTURE PRESCHOOL TEACHERS ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES OF ACQUIRING PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES THROUGH CONTEMPORARY TECHNOLOGIES

Abstract

The development of technology contributes to the rapid flow of information that affects all areas of social life. Contemporary preschool teachers, of the 21st century, are expected to follow all contemporary events related to their profession and implement them in their practice. It is necessary that they adapt their teaching style to the individual needs and interests of preschool children. In this context, preschool teachers need to have lifelong training in order to acquire expert and professional competencies and be recognized on the labour market as professionals who meet the criteria stipulated by the set standards. It is impossible to imagine a contemporary preschool teacher who does not use contemporary technologies in order to gain additional expert and professional competencies for working with preschool children. Nowadays, pedagogical record-keeping, planning, programming, realization of educational work and evaluation are all carried out with the use and support of contemporary technologies. Accredited trainings of preschool teachers and other educational workers can be realized through e-learning. The aim of this paper is to determine the observations of students – future preschool teachers about the possibilities of acquiring professional competencies through contemporary technologies. As a research problem, an issue arises as to whether the respondents already, during the course of their studies, acquire additional knowledge through contemporary technologies in order to advance their knowledge related to theoretical concepts and practical work. The sample included 200 respondents, students of undergraduate and specialist studies. A questionnaire was constructed for the needs of the research which was used in conducting a survey of students in November 2017. The results of the research show significant statistical differences regarding the responses of preschool teachers to several items. The research results suggest that students (future preschool teachers) need to be instructed in the direction of raising their awareness about the possibilities of using contemporary technologies with an aim of acquiring expert and professional competencies for a better quality of implementation of educational work in their future profession. The task of their university teachers is to point out the requirements of lifelong learning and the possibilities of contemporary technologies starting from their first year of studies and facilitate the acquisition of knowledge for them, in order to strengthen their expert and professional competencies. It should be kept in mind that students will implement educational work in the most sensitive population, and that this topic and these issues should be approached with the utmost care and at the highest levels.