Assessment of Importance of Competences for Students – Future Preschool Teachers in Serbia and Romania
Assessment of Importance of Competences for Students – Future Preschool Teachers in Serbia and Romania

Summary/Abstract: Education plays special role in fostering development of human potentials for acquiring competence as general ability of an individual. New educational and psychological paradigms consider competence as a set of potentials, development capacity of an individual to successfully achieve its objectives, needs and roles in various areas of social and professional life and for mutual communication with others. Modern approaches emphasize the obsolete nature of the concept of one-dimensional competences of education, which has been primarily based only on knowledge, stressing the importance of practical activities, active teaching, creative work, ability of working in team and understanding others. This paper presents the results of an empiricalexplorative study aimed at identifying competences that preschool teachers believe to be important for their vocation. The overall sample consisted of 306 respondents, future preschool teachers who study in Serbia and Romania. The research is based on a questionnaire that was developed for students with the goal to examine the extent of differences regarding the assessment of importance of competences for the vocation of preschool teacher depending on the year of study and place of residence (Serbia / Romania). The research revealed that there are statistically significant differences in the assessment of importance of preschool teacher competences and the place of residence. Students from Romania attribute higher importance to the knowledge of standards required for the vocation of preschool teachers, achieving objectives in accordance with the program, using information technologies, evaluating the own work and awareness of the importance of lifelong learning, than do students from Serbia. Results obtained in this research may find their application through incorporation in teaching programs of higher education institutions of content related to the importance of competence of future preschool teachers.

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