AFFIRMATION OF THE CONCEPT OF NEW PROFESSIONALISM IN EDUCATION OF PRESCHOOL TEACHERS: CROATIAN EXPERIENCES

Contemporary scientific cognitions on children's development and posssiblities of their education have altered the image of the child to such an extent that the majority of scholars have entitled it the New Paradigm. A child is determined as a unique, singular, complete and complex being, who relizes his personality with self - construction as a developmental action and who is a key factor of this process.These cognitions are significantly reflected upon the issues of cultivation, socialization and education of children of early childhood and preschool age. With due consideration of the fact that we are dealing with complex multi – factor factors, much attention is paid to the role and relevance of an adult as a creator of an encouraging environment in which early childhood is realized. Attention is also paid to institutional childhood and to the educator as a professional, a representative and a key predictor of the quality of educational influences. We consider that each educational action in early childhood and preschool education requires a competent approach based on a high level of professional responsibility. Therefore we are affirmatively determined to the idea of new professionalism as a quality breakthrough in comtemporary perception of the profession of an educator in early childhood and preschool education. We strive for the profession of an educator which we determine as a complex profession which implies reflective thinking, a continuous professional development, autonomy, responsibility , creativity of research and personal judgement. We realize it by the creation of a new concept of initial education through the application of a competency approach as a kind of a new paradigm in which theoretical and practical dimensions are balanced in the function of achieving a quality educational action. This is the way in which the aim is achieved: to educate an educator as a critical intellectual and contemplative, reflective practitian.