Professional aspirations of prospective ECEC teachers at the end of the graduate studies / Profesionalne aspiracije studenata RPOO na kraju diplomskoga studija

Maja Drvodelić, Vlatka Domović

University of Zagreb, Faculty of Teacher Education

maja.drvodelic@ufzg.hr, vlatka.domovic@ufzg.hr

Education for personal and professional development

Abstract

The aim of this research was to determine what are ECEC teachers’ professional aspirations at the end of their master study program. More specifically, what were the reasons for choosing an ECEC teaching profession, reasons for enrolment into master ECEC study, what are their aspirations concerning their ECEC teaching career, with special emphasis on their future career trajectory and what could be their reasons for attrition from the ECEC profession.

In the climate of escalating teacher shortage, research attention has been given to pre-service teachers’ entry motivation and career development aspirations (Watt & Richardson, 2008; Hong et al. 2017). Identification of anticipated professional plans is crucial for offering differentiated initial teacher education (ITE) opportunities to support pre-service teacher development (Reeves & Lowenhaupt, 2016).

The study was conducted with a mixed method paradigm (Creswell, 2014) through an on-line questionnaire. A sample consists of 100 students at the end of graduate ECEC study at University of Zagreb Faculty of Teacher Education.

The findings show that the main reasons for choosing ECEC teaching profession are participants' intrinsic and altruistic reasons, social utility, and the sense of profession as a calling. The two main reasons for enrollment to master ECEC study are the desire for own proffesional development and higher salary. Three quarters of student are certain that they want to work in the ECEC profession after graduation. They see ECEC institutions founded by local government as most desirable place of employment. Almost half of the participants would like to establish their own private ECEC institution in the future and more than one third of students aspire to become ECEC institution principals. They would consider attrition from ECEC profession due to inadequate work conditions, low teacher status and negative work environment.

Key words

early childhood education and care (ECEC); Initial teacher education (ITE); pre-service ECEC teacher; teacher career path

Maja Drvodelić, Vlatka Domović

University of Zagreb, Faculty of Teacher Education

maja.drvodelic@ufzg.hr, vlatka.domovic@ufzg.hr

Odgoj i obrazovanje za osobni i profesionalni razvoj

Sažetak 

Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je utvrditi koje su profesionalne aspiracije studenata Ranog i predškolskog odgoja i obrazovanja (RPOO) na kraju diplomskoga studija. Konkretnije, koji su bili studentski razlozi za odabir odgojiteljske profesije, razlozi za upis na diplomski studij RPOO, koje su njihove poslovne aspiracije s posebnim naglaskom na njihov budući karijerni put te, finalno, koji bi mogli biti razlozi njihova izlaska iz odgojiteljske profesije. 

U ozračju sve većeg nedostatka učitelja, istraživačka je pozornost posvećena učiteljskoj motivaciji za zapošljavanjem i težnjama za razvoj karijere (Watt i Richardson, 2008; Hong i sur. 2017). Identifikacija profesionalnih planova ključna je za pružanje mogućnosti diferenciranoga inicijalnog obrazovanja učitelja kojim se podržava njihov profesionalni razvoj (Reeves i Lowenhaupt, 2016.).

U istraživanju je korištena kombinacija kvantitativne i kvalitativne metodologije (Creswell, 2014.). Istraživanje je provedeno putem online upitnika na uzorku od 100 studenata na završnoj godini diplomskoga studija RPOO na Učiteljskom fakultetu Sveučilišta u Zagrebu.

Rezultati pokazuju da glavni razlozi za odabir odgojiteljske profesije proizlaze iz intrinzičnih i altruističnih motiva sudionika istraživanja, snažnoga osjećaja društvene korisnosti i osjećaja profesije kao poziva. Dva glavna razloga za upis diplomskoga studij RPOO su želja za vlastitim profesionalnim razvojem i veća plaća. Tri četvrtine studenata sigurno je da nakon diplome želi raditi u profesiji. Kao najpoželjnije radno mjesto vide ustanove RPOO čiji je osnivač jedinica lokalne samouprave. Gotovo polovica sudionika željela bi u budućnosti osnovati svoj privatni vrtić, a više od jedne trećine sudionika istraživanja žele postati ravnatelj ustanove za RPOO. Kao razloge koji bi mogli utjecati na njihov izlazak iz profesije sudionici navode neadekvatne radne uvjete, nizak odgojiteljski status i

negativno radno okružje.

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