The Application of Action Research in Kindergarten: Analysis of the Professional Development Model of Preschool Educators for the Reggo-Inspired Educational Practice
This paper presents the results of an action research conducted in a kindergarten in Sarajevo Canton. The participants were four female kindergarten e.
- Pub. date: January 15, 2025
- Pages: 335-348
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- #Action research
- # pedagogical documentation
- # preschool educator
- # professional development
- # Reggio.
This paper presents the results of an action research conducted in a kindergarten in Sarajevo Canton. The participants were four female kindergarten educators who collaborated with two university professors who took the role of research leaders and moderators of reflective meetings. The action research was conceived as a model of professional development for preschool teachers in the Reggio pedagogy field, aiming to develop the skill of documenting pedagogical observation and the competence of implementing reflective practice (RP below the text) based on the Reggio principles. Data were collected on two levels: the educators documented their educational practice (photos, transcripts, videos, etc.), which was the basic material for analysis at collaborative reflective meetings, and all of it was documented by the research leaders. The data were analyzed simultaneously during the research (to decide on further action) and finally at the end of the research. The results of the research indicate that the action research raised awareness of the elements of traditional educational practice and developed the skills of pedagogical documentation management and the skill of implementing RP. Considering the limited time period for the realization of the research (14 months), significant but not optimal results were achieved, and there is still room for further progress in terms of improving the skills of keeping records and the capacity of RP implementation. It is necessary to systematically provide support for the professional development of educators through the development of reflective learning communities in kindergartens instead of the one-off and lecture-based forms that are offered.
action research pedagogical documentation preschool educator professional development reggio
Keywords: Action research, pedagogical documentation, preschool educator, professional development, Reggio.
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