PRESCHOOL TEACHERS’ EDUCATION IN THE FIELD OF EARLY INCLUSION – EVALUATION OF SPECIALIST STUDIES

Competences of preschool teachers are a necessary precondition for the realization of inclusion in preschool institutions, and initial training of preschool teachers is one of the important steps in the development of these competencies. Preschool Teacher Training and Business Informatics College - Sirmium in Sremska Mitrovica accredited specialist study program - Preschool teacher specialists for early inclusion, as the only specialist study program of such orientation at the the second level of education of preschool teachers in Serbia. Curriculum of specialist studies is defined on the basis of general and professional competences that preschool teacher specialist for early inclusion should develop, which are focused on working with children with disabilities and gifted children. The paper presents the results of evaluation studies conducted by the authors of the paper over the period of five years. The research studies included the sample of Preschool Teacher Training College students, as well as the sample of preschool teachers in Srem district. The study program was improved and reaccredited according to the results of these findings. The research included two levels: 1) self-assessment of students and preschool teachers’ competence to work with children with disabilities and gifted children and 2) student evaluation of study program. The aim of the first-level research was to determine differences in self-assessment of students’ competence to work with children with disabilities and gifted children between students who have completed only basic studies and students who are attending specialist studies (regarding the sample of students), as well as to to determine differences in self-assessment of the competence to work under inclusive conditions between preschool teachers who have completed basic studies, preschool teachers who were further trained in the field of inclusion and preschool teachers - specialists for early inclusion. The research results show that students of specialist studies, as well as preschool teachers-specialists for early inclusion feel much more trained and competent to work under inclusive conditions than the students and preschool teachers who have completed only basic studies. Therefore, it is concluded that the specialist studies contributed to the development of competencies of preschool teachers to work under inclusive conditions and that there is a need to reaccredit this study program. Students’ evaluation of the study program has highlighted the benefits of the curriculum, but also the need for some improvements, such as more practice in inclusive groups, which would be monitored by mentors, as well as the need to enrich the contents focused on work with gifted children. The results have contributed to the improvement of the curriculum of the study program - Preschool teacher specialist for early inclusion in the process of its reaccreditation.