Abstract:

Education and continuing professional development of preschool teachers are among the key issues for the quality and innovation of educational activities in early childhood institutions. This paper aims to determine the current state, problems, and perspectives in the organization of continuing professional development of preschool teachers and their perception of the existing educational conditions and opportunities. The research included (N = 61) preschool teachers from the Preschool Rijeka, Croatia, and relied on a modified version of the questionnaire designed to examine the educational needs, conditions, and opportunities of the adult educators (Čepić, 2008) and the Scale of perceptions of the conditions and opportunities for participation in professional development programs. The results showed that most preschool teachers have acquired knowledge and skills by engaging in some organized form and self-education, as well as that they have a positive attitude towards professional development programs. Most preschool teachers want to acquire knowledge and skills by participating in seminars and workshops as the preferred forms of education within their organization or in specific professional associations that would take place over a period of days to several months. They consider practice and experience, self-education, seminars, and workshops to be the forms of education and training that have contributed most to the development of their professional competences in different fields. They also highlight the lack of financial resources as a key obstacle and emphasize proper evaluation of their qualifications in the institution where they work and stimulating material opportunities and working conditions as the biggest incentives. Preschool teachers' age and work experience are not related to perceptions of the conditions and opportunities for engagement in professional development programs. Investment in the examination of educational needs, conditions, and opportunities before initiating the development of a new professional development program can avoid costly mistakes, contribute to a better curriculum design for educating potential participants, a greater likelihood of achieving set goals and, ultimately, to an effective professional development of preschool teachers.

Keywords:

Professional development, educational conditions, educational opportunities, professional development programs, preschool teacher.