(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 - democratisation and humanisation. 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. Centralised state monopoly in education is gradually decentralised. 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, organising 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 organisation 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 realised 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 socialised human being is characterised 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 socialisation 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 specialities of an individual, etc. The unity of psycho social characteristics creates conditions for an optimisation of development process, upbringing and education. In the foreground of an interest is an individual or personal point of view. Individualisation 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 organisation).
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 organises the pupils activity in such way that he prepares conditions for
their activity. The reach of objectives is realised 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 "organising 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 modelling of such behaviour
way, that he assumes the children/pupils to reach.
The ensuring of wanted results is possible only after the assumption that the changes in organisation of teaching and control activity of teacher are accepted. The classroom and the lesson like a basic organising 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 organisation 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 organised 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 centre in the classroom (e.g. the literature centre 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 REALISATION 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 behaviour 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 organising 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