Sandra Antulic

Model samovrednovanja ustanova ranog i predskolskog odgoja i obrazovanja razvijen je kroz dvogodisnji rad Povjerenstva za razvoj metodologije i instrumenta za pracenje kvalitete rada ustanova ranog i predskolskog odgoja kojeg je imenovao Nacionalni centar za vanjsko vrednovanje obrazovanja. Podaci su prikupljeni kroz pilot projekt samovrednovanja ustanova ranog i predskolskog odgoja i obrazovanja kojeg je od rujna 2011. godine do travnja 2012. godine proveo Nacionalni centar za vanjsko vrednovanje obrazovanja. U radu je prikazana metodologija i instrumenti koristeni u pilot projektu samovrednovanja ustanova ranog i predskolskog odgoja i obrazovanja. Rezultati su prikazani na razini uzorka kako bi se osigurala anonimnost i zastita podataka na razini ustanove.

According to recent studies, transition and adjustment to a higher level of education during the first year of college is affected by various individual and environmental factors. Student Mentoring Programme was designed for improving adjustment to college and was offered to all freshmen. In the first study we observed the characteristics of first year students who had decided to participate in the Student Mentoring Programme, comparing them with students who had decided not to participate in the programme. A total of 230 first year students with an average age of 19.02 participated in the study, in which we observed the differences regarding their initial adjustment (during their first month of college), personality and motivation. Evidence shows that reported general adjustment during the first month of college was very high. This study also revealed that the majority of students who decided to participate in Student Mentoring Programme are non-residential ones, and that students seeking mentoring support have reported more prominent fear of failure. The aim of the present study was to observe students adjustment at the end of the first year of college and to find evidence which will support Student Mentoring Programme. A total of 104 first year students with an average age of 19.78 participated in the present study from which 27 of them were participants in our original study, and thus gave us some longitudinal insight. Student Mentoring Programme was designed as peer mentoring. Senior students were mentoring a group of first year students. After initial introduction to the programme (expectation workshops, mentor and mentee role and communication plan), mentoring groups were meeting at a regular basis (once a week in person, more often through e-mail) during the first academic year. At the end of the first year of college, participants’ reported general adjustment was significantly lower than at the beginning of the year. There was a statistically significant difference in social, academic and emotional adjustment, with those adjustments being significantly lower at the end of the first academic year. Also, there was a significant difference in academic adjustment regarding the participation in the Mentoring Programme, where students who participated in the Mentoring Programme reported better academic adjustment than those who did not participate. The results of this study reveal the nature of student college adjustment at the beginning and at the end of the first year of college, giving us guidelines for adjustment and further development of mentoring programs as a necessary support during first-year student transition.

U poglavlju su detaljno prikazani rezultati analize odabranih prioritetnih podrucja unapređenja rada skola prikupljeni projektom samovrednovanja srednjih skola. To su: kvaliteta nastave, uvjeti rada i suradnja s vanjskim partnerima prema podacima iz samoevaluacijskih izvjesca gimnazija i samoevaluacijskih izvjesca strukovnih skola (iz sk.god. 2006./2007. i sk.god. 2007./2008.). Takođe su prikazani rezultati analize samoevaluacijskih izvjesca za obje vrste skola koji se odnose na razvoj skole.

Recognizing children at risk of social exclusion (RSE) is one of the key prerequisites for providing direct and appropriate support to children and their families. Timely and proper identification of children at RSE requires collaborative and team-based assessments that include standardized procedures outlined in protocols to accommodate child personality, family factors, and other needs. The objective of the research is to analyze the capacities of early childhood education and care (ECEC) teachers to assess the RSE of children by comparing their assessment with the assessment of parents. We used the data about 443 children between 5 and 7 years of age who were attending 10 ECEC institutions in Croatia. Children were assessed with two versions of the questionnaire. Data were analyzed on a descriptive level, and Cohen’s kappa coefficient was used to determine the agreement between parents’ assessments and ECEC teachers’ assessments. It was found that at least 30% of children in Croatian ECEC institutions had one or more RSE. The results indicate a low proportion of children at RSE recognized both by parents and by ECEC teachers. The Croatian ECEC teachers are not familiar with information that is important for a child’s development, such as poverty, quality of family relationships, and involvement in specialized treatments. These data highlight the need to improve the capacity of Croatian ECEC teachers to participate in the process of assessing the RSE of children.

Recognizing children at risk of social exclusion (RSE) is one of the key prerequisites for providing direct and appropriate support to children and their families. Timely and proper identification of children at RSE requires collaborative and team-based assessments that include standardized procedures outlined in protocols to accommodate child personality, family factors, and other needs. The objective of the research is to analyze the capacities of early childhood education and care (ECEC) teachers to assess the RSE of children by comparing their assessment with the assessment of parents. We used the data about 443 children between 5 and 7 years of age who were attending 10 ECEC institutions in Croatia. Children were assessed with two versions of the questionnaire. Data were analyzed on a descriptive level, and Cohen’s kappa coefficient was used to determine the agreement between parents’ assessments and ECEC teachers’ assessments. It was found that at least 30% of children in Croa...

Quality early childhood education and care has been the focus of interest of researchers for over half a century. Approaches to the quality monitoring and quality assurance of early childhood education and care, as well as its conceptualisation and operationalisation, have changed and developed over the decades in line with contemporary understandings of child development and learning, and in accordance with changes in the purpose and functions of early childhood education and care. The results of many relevant studies confirm that quality early childhood education and care is crucial for short-term and long-term positive outcomes in different development and learning areas, especially in the case of disadvantaged children, including children at risk of social exclusion. The aim of this paper is to present the concept of quality in early childhood education and care from various research perspectives, with special emphasis on a review of the literature on the quality of pedagogical ...

The aim of the study was to explore the justification for the evaluation level in the process of self-evaluation of an educational institution in regard to the key stakeholders as evaluators. The data was collected through the Self-evaluation of ECEC Institution Project. The study refers to data collected in three organizational units of the same ECEC institution. The evaluation level is either a separate organizational unit or an ECEC institution as a whole. Participants in the study (N=189) were the following key stakeholders: 3 principals, 37 preschool teachers, 12 preschool specialists, 44 administrative / technical staff members and 93 parents. The quality of ECEC institution was evaluated through self-evaluation questionnaires developed through the aforementioned project. Data analysis confirmed that participants were very well informed about the quality area they were evaluating (95.28%). The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to explore differences in evaluation scores regarding t...

Prirucnik za samovrjednovanje ustanova ranog i predskolskog odgoja i obrazovanja namijenjen je svima onima koji izravno i neizravno (profesionalci, roditelji, uprava itd.) sudjeluju u životu ustanova ranog i predskolskog odgoja te promisljaju i unaprjeđuju njihovu kvalitetu. Njegova svrha je pružiti potporu pri pracenju i osiguravanju kvalitete ustanova putem samoprocjene koja se provodi prema unaprijed utvrđenoj metodologiji i u skladu s dogovorenim kriterijima (podrucjima vrjednovanja). Prirucnik je organiziran u cetiri poglavlja pod naslovima: Kvaliteta u ustanovama ranoga i predskolskog odgoja i obrazovanja, Kljucna podrucja kvalitete, O samovrednovanju ustanova ranoga i predskolskog odgoja te Pracenje i osiguranje kvalitete rada. Na kraju Prirucnika nalazi se popis relevantne i recentne koristene literature.

According to recent studies, the transition and adjustment to a higher level of education during the first year of college are influenced by various individual and environmental factors. The aim of this study was to observe the characteristics of first year students who decided to participate in the Student Mentoring Programme, designed to improve adjustment to college, and compare them to students who decided not to participate in the programme. A total of 230 first year students with an average age of 19.02 years participated in the study in which we observed differences regarding their initial adjustment (during the first month of college), personality and motivation. The majority of participants have stated that they enrolled into a college of their choice, expecting a better chance for employment after graduation. The predictors that proved significant in the initial adjustment of freshmen were: perceived competence, motivation for accomplishment, extraversion and agreeableness...

According to recent studies, the transition and adjustment to a higher level of education during the first year of college are influenced by various individual and environmental factors. The aim of this study was to observe the characteristics of first year students who decided to participate in the Student Mentoring Programme, designed to improve adjustment to college, and compare them to students who decided not to participate in the programme. A total of 230 first year students with an average age of 19.02 years participated in the study in which we observed differences regarding their initial adjustment (during the first month of college), personality and motivation. The majority of participants have stated that they enrolled into a college of their choice, expecting a better chance for employment after graduation. The predictors that proved significant in the initial adjustment of freshmen were: perceived competence, motivation for accomplishment, extraversion and agreeableness...