Analysis of the teacher's didactic activities with an emphasis on child preconceptions

Abstract

Children who come to kindergarten already have different experiences with the world and ideas about it. They have already developed their own theories of diverse phenomena, and these built-in constructs, which have their own logic and meaning, are very strong. They also often differ significantly from relevant theories of the adult world. However, they are children's own interpretations of various phenomena and therefore they are valuable for them. The emergence of these theories depends on everything that happens around the child. People, things, culture, and basically everything with which the child comes into contact. Therefore, it is necessary to perceive these preconceptions as real, equivalent theories and to approach them equally. The present study focuses on monitoring the work of kindergarten teachers. The kindergarten is considered to be a place where a typical teacher-pupil model of education does not take place. This would create a space for the use of child preconceptions for teachers' systematic educational activity. The authors of the study, through qualitatively designed research, observe and analyse how kindergarten teachers co-ordinate the questions and responses of preschool children, how they use children's experience and their personal preconceptions in educational activities. The research is based on participant observation of five preschool teachers over the course of six months and also on the interviews conducted with these teachers.