Page 204 - Ana Mlekuž in Igor Ž. Žagar, ur. • Raziskovanje v vzgoji in izobraževanju: Izobraževanje učiteljic in učiteljev za raziskovalno učenje in poučevanje. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut, 2024. Digitalna knjižnica, Dissertationes 48

raziskovanje v vzgoji in izobraževanju: izobraževanje učiteljic in učiteljev ...
Comparison of Beliefs Among Early Childhood Educators
and Teachers About Professional Trainings in the Field
of (Pre)Literacy
Katarina Grom

This study examines the beliefs of early childhood educators and teach-
ers regarding professional development in (pre-)literacy. It focuses on
two distinct pedagogical profiles, working in separate educational in-
stitutions, that are connected by their roles in early and beginner liter-
acy. The study aimed to analyze the beliefs of early childhood educa-
tors and teachers about professional training in the (pre-)literacy field.
Specifically, the study focused on four aspects: the amount of profes-
sional training undertaken, the educational environment, the self-in-
itiated efforts of early childhood educators and teachers in developing
(pre-)literacy, and the availability of professional support.
The research employed a quantitative approach with a causal-experimen-
tal methodology. Six kindergartens and six primary schools participated,
involving 31 early childhood educators who conducted pre-literacy activi-
ties in kindergartens or in the first grade of primary school, and 24 teachers
who taught in the first grade of primary school. The results indicate that the
surveyed early childhood educators and teachers typically attend only one
or two professional development courses in (pre-)literacy over the course of
their teaching careers. They most frequently supplement their knowledge
through self-learning, while their participation in professional training is
limited, and employer support is only partial.
These findings raise important concerns regarding the need for continuous
and strategically planned involvement of early childhood educators and
teachers in professional development. This need is underscored by the fact
that changes in national guidelines for literacy development occur more
frequently than the surveyed educators’ participation in professional de-
velopment. Based on the research findings, we formulated seven recom-
mendations for more effective implementation of (pre-)literacy activities
that could improve early and beginner literacy outcomes. Systematic pro-
fessional development could shift the beliefs of pedagogical staff toward
achieving national targets for early and beginner literacy development.
Keywords: beliefs, professional training, teachers, early childhood educa-
tors, early and beginners’ literacy

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