Future preschool teachers’ professional competence in planning, implementing and evaluating the learning process

Abstract

One of the most important tasks in the 2022 UNESCO report is the preparation of teachers in the field of higher education, which is oriented towards the improvement of professional competence. The teacher is described as a creator of knowledge, and as a central person in educational and social transformation, while knowledge and learning are described as the basis of renewal and transformation. Opportunities for meaningful and high-quality education should be available at every stage of a person's life. Preschool education is the first level of education and is where a child gains first knowledge, skills, and experience about the world around them. The preschool teacher and their professional competences are of particular importance in this cognitive process. Using the teachers' professional competence assessment tool (survey), this study analyses the self-assessment of future preschool teachers' professional competence in the planning, implementation and evaluation of the learning process. Our results show that the survey that we created can be used as one of the tools for the evaluation of the teacher's professional competence. In addition, the professional competence of future preschool teachers can be promoted in the study process in the unity of theory and practice. From the survey, it can be concluded that the planning, implementation and evaluation of the learning process interact and are mutually dependent components of the teacher's professional competence. In the data analysis, it was found that the professional competences of preschool teachers are strengthened, which helps to identify the individual needs of children and to plan, implement and evaluate the learning process in accordance with them.

Prospective Teachers' Perspectives on Pedagogical Challenges Experienced During Work-Based Learning

“…It is indicated that new teachers have good theoretical knowledge, but they lack the readiness to solve real pedagogical problems to overcome challenges in the dynamic and changing educational environment (Newberry & Allsop, 2017;Smets & Struyven, 2020;Karlberg, & Bezzina, 2022;Ndebele et al, 2023). Teacher education programs play a significant role in building the professional competence of new teachers in order to develop the skills necessary for effective teacher activity in school (Sandholtz, 2011;Caena, 2014;Barak, 2017;Āboltiņa, et al, 2024). During the study process, during pedagogical practice, and in work-based studies, future teachers have the opportunity to see real problems in school life and offer solutions to them that help to overcome the gap between theory and practice (Kennedy, 2016;Yuan, & Lee, 2016;European Commission, 2017;Šūmane, & Āboltiņa, 2023Šūmane, & Āboltiņa, , Hamaidi, et.al., 2014.…”

Challenges and opportunities for the development of future teachers’ professional competence in Latvia

“…Competences that teachers require must be altered and enhanced to provide opportunities for educating 21st-century learners (Caena and Redecke, 2019;Rubene et al, 2021a;Sarva et al, 2023). Teachers need to be capable of adapting their teaching style to align with the diverse needs of students and foster the engagement of all learners in the educational process (Aboltina et al, 2022). Within a classroom, there may be students from various cultures with different religious beliefs, languages, learning abilities, and so on.…”

Human, Technologies and Quality of Education, 2023

“…The main goal of higher professional education in the 21st Century is to prepare qualified, competitive specialists for the labour market who are able to work effectively in their field at a world standard level, ready for social and professional mobility, continuous professional growth and possessing appropriate professional competences (Kaļķe et al, 2022). Professional competence is developable, variable, dependent on the context, on an individual's habits of mind, attention, critical thinking, and self-awareness.…”