Page 372 - Igor Ž. Žagar in Ana Mlekuž, ur. Raziskovanje v vzgoji in izobraževanju: medsebojni vplivi raziskovanja in prakse. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut, 2021. Digitalna knjižnica, Dissertationes 38
P. 372
r aziskovanje v vzgoji in izobr aževanju: medsebojni vpliv r aziskovanja in pr akse
Professional Learning Communities as part of competent
support system for ECEC professionals. Case study from
two Slovenian kindergartens
There is a consensus among researchers, practitioners as well as policy mak-
ers that the quality of pedagogical practice in kindergartens depends to a
large extent on the qualifications of professionals. However, as the CoRe
study (Urban et.al. 2011) points out, competence of an individual profes-
sional alone is not sufficient to ensure the quality of the educational pro-
cess. It is necessary to develop a competent system that includes coopera-
tion between individuals, groups and institutions and at the same time is
embedded in a competent management system.
On the level of the Network for changing quality Step by Step, we are de-
veloping the professional learning communities (PLC), as one of the levels
of the support system for professional kindergarten staff. We will present
the development of PLC in two Slovenian kindergartens in the framework
of the VALUE project (Erasmus + KA3), which aimed to create a common
path of professional development for all kindergarten professionals. In both
kindergartens, we participated in the process of action research with four-
teen leaders of PLCs, who at regular monthly meetings under the mentor-
ship of researchers from the Center for Quality in Education Step by Step,
reflected on their leadership process and transformed it based on developed
action plans. The content focus explored by professionals in PLSc in both
kindergartens varied. In one of the kindergartens, they researched the field
of social inclusion, and in the other, the field of creativity through ISSA
pedagogical quality indicators. The effects of PLCs are manifested on sever-
al levels: from concrete changes at the level of practice, closer links between
professionals, in-depth understanding of selected content areas at the indi-
vidual level and to raised awareness of the responsibility of both profession-
als for ensuring quality of the pedagogical process.
Keywords: professional learning communities, professional development of
kindergarten’s teachers, kindergartens, competent system
Janja Majer Kovačič
Profesionalni razvoj učiteljev in uporaba »ABC learning
design« pristopa
Učitelji, na različnih nivojih izobraževalne vertikale, so pomemben dejav-
nik izobraževalnega procesa. Skrb za njihov profesionalni razvoj vključu-
je nadaljnje izobraževanje in usposabljanje. V letu 2019/2020 smo z učite-
372
Professional Learning Communities as part of competent
support system for ECEC professionals. Case study from
two Slovenian kindergartens
There is a consensus among researchers, practitioners as well as policy mak-
ers that the quality of pedagogical practice in kindergartens depends to a
large extent on the qualifications of professionals. However, as the CoRe
study (Urban et.al. 2011) points out, competence of an individual profes-
sional alone is not sufficient to ensure the quality of the educational pro-
cess. It is necessary to develop a competent system that includes coopera-
tion between individuals, groups and institutions and at the same time is
embedded in a competent management system.
On the level of the Network for changing quality Step by Step, we are de-
veloping the professional learning communities (PLC), as one of the levels
of the support system for professional kindergarten staff. We will present
the development of PLC in two Slovenian kindergartens in the framework
of the VALUE project (Erasmus + KA3), which aimed to create a common
path of professional development for all kindergarten professionals. In both
kindergartens, we participated in the process of action research with four-
teen leaders of PLCs, who at regular monthly meetings under the mentor-
ship of researchers from the Center for Quality in Education Step by Step,
reflected on their leadership process and transformed it based on developed
action plans. The content focus explored by professionals in PLSc in both
kindergartens varied. In one of the kindergartens, they researched the field
of social inclusion, and in the other, the field of creativity through ISSA
pedagogical quality indicators. The effects of PLCs are manifested on sever-
al levels: from concrete changes at the level of practice, closer links between
professionals, in-depth understanding of selected content areas at the indi-
vidual level and to raised awareness of the responsibility of both profession-
als for ensuring quality of the pedagogical process.
Keywords: professional learning communities, professional development of
kindergarten’s teachers, kindergartens, competent system
Janja Majer Kovačič
Profesionalni razvoj učiteljev in uporaba »ABC learning
design« pristopa
Učitelji, na različnih nivojih izobraževalne vertikale, so pomemben dejav-
nik izobraževalnega procesa. Skrb za njihov profesionalni razvoj vključu-
je nadaljnje izobraževanje in usposabljanje. V letu 2019/2020 smo z učite-
372
