|
|
Wide
Open School
(Škola
dokorán)
By: Éva Koncoková
Source: Nadácia Škola dokorán, Slovak Republic,
1996
The
experimental verification project of methods and forms of upbringing
and education in the kindergarten and in the first grade of
basic school
INTRODUCTION
The
substance of transforming process of our education comes out
from two main principles - democratization and humanization.
These principles are placed in the Law amendment of the Basic
and High School System from 1990. Besides, the School Law has
created appropriate conditions for differentiation of our educational
system. Centralized state monopoly in education is gradually
decentralized. Private, religious and alternative schools come
into existence. The school headmasters got the power (to change
curricula, insert other subjects, use alternative textbooks,
etc.) by the approval of the Law of State Administration in
Education. The teachers have the possibility to make an objective
to be concrete, contents, methods, organizing forms and the
means of upbringing and education. The parents and children
have the possibility of a free choice of school.
THEORETICAL STARTING POINTS
An
access to the upbringing and education requests changes in more
basic levels. The changes in the field of upbringing and education
philosophy, in educational process and in preparing education
and other teacher education have to be realized in harmony with
changes of organization and with changes in the control of whole
school system.
The
submitted project of the Wide Open School is oriented for verification
of effectivity of process changes of pedagogical work in kindergartens
and first grade of basic school (from the first year). The research
will be realized longitudinally.
When
we create the project, we come out from traditions and from
the high level of institutional pre-school and school upbringing
and education in our country, from complex analyses of effectivity
of newly drawing educational contents, theoretical accesses
of pedagogical thinking classics J. A. Komenský, D. Lehotský,
J. J. Rousseau and foreign conceptions and models of upbringing
and education (J. S. Bruner, E. Erikson, M. Montessory, J. Piaget,
L. S. Vygotský).
The
philosophical and theoretical base is an access of taking the
upbringing and education like a process, the objective of which
is related to anthropological assumptions. The human being is
thinking to be a primary biosocial being, that need to develop
its cognitive, emotional, social and physical side in harmony
and interaction, in the process of upbringing and education.
The
development of an individual, a gradual change of biological
being to independent and socialized human being is characterized
by Piaget like a sequence of three systems of activities (constructions).
Sensomotoric activities, semiotic function and thinking operations
follow in stable order and each of them has its own structure.
This development of and individual depends from an organism
maturity, learning and getting experiences during subjects manipulation,
social interaction and socialization and last but not least
from the creation of an auto regulation system that can help
him or her to keep the balanced state in the world.
Our
accesses to an educational process comprehension and surrounding
functions, where this process is realized, correspond with such
conception of development of an individual human being. Because
the child from its birth is manifested like an active individual,
with a natural longing to know the surrounding world, it needs
to be intentionally created such surroundings for it that motivates
it to the active learning by means of some activity.
On
the base of mentioned we can say, that the new philosophy of
upbringing and education, that is supported by the principles
for humanistic pedagogy, has the place that cannot be replaced,
mainly in pre-school upbringing and later in the first grade
of the basic school.
In
the process of learning, teaching and educating, the great emphasis
is given to a generally not enough valuated giant brain capacity,
its abilities to receive extensive information range, an ability
of a human being to enter the social life from an early age,
psycho dynamic specialties of an individual, etc. The unity
of psycho social characteristics creates conditions for an optimization
of development process, upbringing and education. In the foreground
of an interest is an individual or personal point of view. Individualization
and orientation for a personality is reflected by substantial
way also in the submitted project. It consists of:
-
a
subject activation in the process of upbringing and education,
in orientation for the values of all people (upbringing
to inner freedom, to looking for own identity, knowledge
and reception of responsibility, to an ability to make decision,
to look for a correct solving, to the social orientation
in tolerance sense, to the patience to other people, to
their life and culture, to the fellow belonging etc.);
-
an
orientation on an independent, critic and creative thinking
and opinion;
-
enlarging
of the task and responsibility of the family for upbringing
and education of children (larger family law to enter their
process and organization).
The
basic factor for the teaching activity of a teacher and learning
activity of the pupil is an appropriate specific atmosphere
created (in a classroom, walk, etc.). It is characterized by:
-
the
partner relationship between the teacher and the child/pupils
mutually;
-
the
confidence between the teacher and the child/pupil, children/pupils
mutually;
-
manifestations
of a sincere teacher interest to know the child/pupil and
its family;
-
the
teacher willingness to develop interests and needs of the
child/pupil, to support voluntary educational activities
of the child (the development of perception abilities) and
its curiosity without the pressure of the teacher;
-
the
willingness of the child/pupil to speak about its experiences,
problems, etc.;
-
the
teacher willingness to create the possibilities for the
children/pupil entry to activities during making decisions,
taking part to solve problems etc.
-
The
teacher doesn't teach in traditional word sense. He only
controls and organizes the pupils activity in such way that
he prepares conditions for their activity. The reach of
objectives is realized by means of various roles and determined
rules.
By
means of a play, the teacher is preparing conditions for a creative
activity. Prepared didactic situation supports not only an emotional
side of survival, but also ethical and aesthetic one. The teacher
leads pupils to receive various roles. For example, what "thinking
pupils" think about their activities (old and new ones)
and in the same time they connect previous and new knowledge;
what "problems solving pupils" search and suggest
the alternative solving ways after giving them a task (problem);
what "manual active pupils" develop manual skills
by means of aids and tools; what "communicating pupils"
formulate and express their own thoughts and opinions by means
of various media; what "organizing pupils" co-operate
with others and in the same time they respect their opinions;
what "partner pupils" protect and take care of others
and in the same time they find that they also depend from the
care and protection of others.
The
didactic situation on one side enable to check abilities, knowledge
and skills by an acceptable way, on other side it doesn't expel
the competition, but it can bring the pleasure, remove the tension
and fear. The teacher makes his expectation evident by various
ways, for example:
-
he
creates a suitable surroundings for children/pupils to receive
the learning role;
-
he
defines roles and he asks children/pupils for partnership
during various activities (e.g. like observers, recorders);
-
he
expresses hi expectation, e.g. by the modeling of such behavior
way, that he assumes the children/pupils to reach.
The
ensuring of wanted results is possible only after the assumption
that the changes in organization of teaching and control activity
of teacher are accepted. The classroom and the lesson like a
basic organizing unit are not only traditional but also confirmed
from many sides. In spite of it, in the interest of increasing
of the teaching effectivity, it is necessary:
a) to change the organization of the classroom surroundings
in the kindergarten and basic school by the way that the classroom
is divided to two parts. One part is equipped by school benches
(benches are arranged for 4-6 pupils), the second classroom
part is equipped by a carpet. It is usually used at the beginning
of educational activity or lesson. Children are sitting on
the carpet and debate about their feelings and experiences,
they suggest and organized together with their teacher the
school work what will makes better contact between them;
b)
to create "the rules" (that will be kept during
occupation, learning, during breaks, on walks, etc.), for
pupils and teachers. All participants share by the same part
in creation of them;
c)
to divide the school work between the teacher and the teacher
assistant;
d)
to arrange the classroom outfit in such way to arise the activity
center in the classroom (e.g. the literature center contains
not only books, tape records, but also some bookmarks for
marking the read book part, the games supported the reading
development, pillows, etc.);
e)
to ensure material and technical outfit of each experimental
classroom (variety of materials and teaching aids).
An
purpose of didactic material, the experimental classrooms will
be sufficiently equipped with, is to encourage the child/pupil
interest. The structure of this material enables the progress
in certain "order", that the child could process it.
The teacher task is to arrange it in such way, the child makes
progress from concrete to abstract things and in the same time
to think in intentions of solving of problematic task. Knowledge,
that pupils will get on the base of their own work, activity,
is more durable, deeper, the pupil better manages practically
to use it. The significant phenomenon is also the fact that
the pupil success in education influenced positively his self-knowledge
and backward motivates him to the next activity, to the next
learning.
AN OBJECTIVE OF THE EXPERIMENTAL VERIFICATION IS:
1.
to find what will be the measure of contribution of the Wide
Open School Foundation methodology during the work with the
state Educational Work Program for kindergartens for increasing
of co-operation and effectivity;
2. to find what will be the measure of contribution of an
application possibility of methods (first of all activity,
independence and creativity) and organizing educational forms
(first of all for groups) for being better prepared, independent
and to the pupils orientation in the solving of various problems
and also to increase their knowledge level;
3. to get enough quantity of valid information for completing
of methodology with accepting of requests of valid curricula
and plans.
SUBJECTS OF THE EXPERIMENTAL VERIFICATION ARE FOLLOWING:
1.
methods and means of educational work with children in the
kindergarten;
2. methods and organising forms of education on the first
grade of basic school;
3. methods of co-operation between the school, family and
wider social surroundings (of local community);
4. verification of process changes effectivity of pedagogic
influence in kindergartens and first grade of basic schools
when basic requests of our pedagogical documents concerning
to educational contents are respected.
HYPOTHESES OF THE EXPERIMENTAL VERIFICATION COME OUT FOLLOWING
ASSUMPTIONS:
1.
children in experimental classrooms of kindergarten will be
better prepared to enter the basic school opposite children
in the control group if teachers, during the work with them,
will systematically use methods aimed at development of independence
and creativity (H1);
2. the children life in the surrounding rich for impulses
of the kindergarten, where individual children needs are respected,
offers less opportunities for the manifestation of their aggressiveness
as opposite to children in the control group (H2);
3. learning results of pupils in experimental classrooms in
the first grade of basic school will be better as of pupils
of the control group in the same year of the same school,
if teachers in educational process will activate the knowledge
activity of pupils, to form their independence, creativity
and orientation ability to solve various situations (H3);
4. forms and methods of the work of the school, family and
local society will reflect in a better co-operation of the
school and family and also in an increasing parent's interest
for upbringing and education of their children (H4).
EXPERIMENTAL VERIFICATION TASKS ARE FOLLOWING:
1.
to find the effectiveness of prepared methodology in the harmony
with practical teacher needs;
2. to find the level of pupils preparation to school;
3. to find the knowledge pupils level in experimental and
control classrooms in main teaching subjects (the Slovak language
and mathematics);
4. to find the development pupils level in some pointers of
psychological character;
5. to value the real state of using methods and organising
forms of education;
6. to find the opinion of parents and teachers for the verifying
methodology of upbringing and education of own children and
for co-operation with schools and local community;
7. to elaborate the suggestion (model) of educational work
methodology and methodical materials for first lessons.
THE METHODOLOGY AND REALIZATION OF THE EXPERIMENTAL VERIFICATION
The
choice of methods is determined by the need to get information
from children/pupils of experimental and control classrooms,
their parents and teachers. We will use in the research:
1.
a direct observation of children activity by teachers, research
worker;
2. an observation of children behavior and acting in circumstances
intentionally prepared by the research worker;
3. an analysis of children works;
4. a comparison of school children maturity in the experimental
and control group;
5. a debate with children aimed for finding of reached level
of an perceptiveness of image and text;
6. school maturity tests (acquiring of reading, writing and
mathematics);
7. a non-verbal CHIPS test aimed at finding of cognitive development
level;
8. a verbal test of thinking abilities and a G-test aimed
at finding of reading with comprehension;
9. a sociogram aimed at finding of social relationships;
10. writing tests from the Slovak language and mathematics
for finding of knowledge pupils level;
11. questionnaires for teachers and parents aimed at finding
of opinions for investigating methods and organizing forms
of education, at co-operation of the school, family and local
community.
Beside
of a collective data collection, questionnaires offer possibilities
of effective statistic processing of obtaining information,
the quantitative and qualitative analysis of them.
THE SAMPLE OF THE RESEARCH
There
will be 16 kindergartens and 13 basic schools inserted to the
research (see Appendix 1). From quoted number of kindergartens
and basic schools, the experimental verification will take place
in 5 experimental and 5 control classrooms in the same school
in an appropriate locality, where the education will not take
place according to the submitted project. Delivered points of
view of individual experimental schools founders create the
Appendix 2. Individual schools archive the documents bout the
parents consent with placing the child to the experimental classroom.
THE TIME SCHEDULE OF THE EXPERIMENTAL VERIFICATION:
1.
The finding of school maturity of pupils in the first year
of basic schools, term: IX/1996
2. The valuation of tests, editing of data and statistic processing,
term: X, XI/1996
3. The report about the level of children being prepared for
school, term: XII/1996
4. The report about the results of children observation, about
debates with them and analysis of their works, term: VIII/1997
5. The finding of the developmental pupils level, term: V,
VI/1997
6. The tests valuation, editing of data and statistic processing,
term: VII-VIII/1997
7. The report about the developmental level of the first year
(of basic school) pupils, term: IX/1997
8. The finding of the knowledge pupils level from the Slovak
language and mathematics, term: V-VI/1997
9. The valuation of writing tests, editing of data and statistic
processing, term:
10. VII-VIII/1997
11. The report about the results of knowledge level of pupils
from the Slovak language and mathematics, term: IX/1997
12. The finding opinions of parents and teacher about the
verified methodology and co-operation with schools and local
community, term: V-VI/1997
13. The report about the finding opinions of parents and teachers
concerning to the verified methodology and co-operation with
schools and local community, term: VIII/1997
14. The final report from the first year of experimental verification,
term: IX/1997
|
