The aim of the study was to explore the justification for the evaluation level in the process of self-evaluation of an educational institution in regard to the key stakeholders as evaluators. The data was collected through the Self-evaluation of ECEC Institution Project. The study refers to data collected in three organizational units of the same ECEC institution. The evaluation level is either a separate organizational unit or an ECEC institution as a whole. Participants in the study (N=189) were the following key stakeholders: 3 principals, 37 preschool teachers, 12 preschool specialists, 44 administrative / technical staff members and 93 parents. The quality of ECEC institution was evaluated through self-evaluation questionnaires developed through the aforementioned project. Data analysis confirmed that participants were very well informed about the quality area they were evaluating (95.28%). The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to explore differences in evaluation scores regarding the evaluation level (separate organizational unit or ECEC institution as a whole) and regarding key stakeholders. Data analysis did not show significant differences in evaluation scores regarding separate organizational units in cases where the evaluators were principals (χ²=2.000; p=0,368), preschool teachers (χ²=1.480; p=0.477), preschool specialists (χ²=1.500; p=0,472), members of administrative / technical staff (χ²=1.489; p=0.475) or parents (χ²=1.274; p=0.529). It has been confirmed that separate organizational units are justified as an evaluation level only when exploring how well the key stakeholders are informed about the quality areas they are evaluating. In the process of self-evaluation of an educational institution the justified evaluation level is ECEC institution as a whole. Key words: ECEC institution; key stakeholders; quality assurance; self-evaluation process - - - Cilj je istraživanja ispitati opravdanost razine evaluacije u procesu samoprocjene kvalitete rada odgojno-obrazovne ustanove u odnosu na ključne dionike kao procjenjivače. Za potrebe istraživanja koristili su se podatci prikupljeni u projektu Samovrednovanje ustanova ranoga i predškolskoga odgoja i obrazovanja. Podatci se odnose na procjenu kvalitete rada triju područnih objekata jedne odgojno-obrazovne ustanove. Razinu evaluacije predstavlja područni objekt, odnosno ustanova u cjelini. Sudionici istraživanja (N=189) su ovi ključni dionici: 3 ravnatelja, 37 odgojitelja, 12 članova stručnoga tima, 44 člana administrativno-tehničkoga i pomoćnoga osoblja i 93 roditelja. Za procjenu kvalitete rada ustanove, odnosno pojedinoga objekta, koristili su se upitnici za ključne dionike koji su razvijeni unutar spomenutoga projekta. Rezultati potvrđuju visok stupanj informiranosti (95.28 %) ključnih dionika o elementima kvalitete rada ustanove. Kruskal-Wallis testom ispitane su razlike između procjena kvalitete rada ustanove u odnosu na razinu evaluacije (područni objekti, odnosno ustanova u cjelini) i ključne dionike kao procjenjivače. Rezultati potvrđuju da nema statistički značajne razlike u procjeni kvalitete rada ustanove u odnosu na objekt kao razinu evaluacije ravnatelja (χ²=2.000; p=0.368), odgojitelja (χ²=1.480; p=0.477), članova stručnoga tima (χ²=1.500; p=0.472), administrativno-tehničkoga i pomoćnoga osoblja (χ²=1.489; p=0.475) i roditelja (χ²=1.274; p=0.529). Potvrđeno je da je objekt, kao niža organizacijska struktura, opravdana razina evaluacije jedino u slučaju ispitivanja informiranosti dionika o kvaliteti rada ustanove, odnosno o informiranosti o pojedinim područjima kvalitete rada ustanove. U procesu samovrednovanja rada odgojno-obrazovne ustanove opravdana razina evaluacije je odgojno-obrazovna ustanova u cjelini. Ključne riječi: ključni dionici; osiguranje kvalitete; proces samovrednovanja; ustanova ranoga i predškolskoga odgoja i obrazovanja.

O umijeću, kao i o samoprocjeni stvaranja inkluzivnoga ozračja ovisi koliko će potencijali sudionika odgojno-obrazovnoga procesa biti iskorišteni. Obogaćivanje, nadogradnja i samoevaluacija kompetencija odgojitelja i učitelja, između ostaloga, odnosi se na planiranje, pripremanje, stručno usavršavanje te na strategije poučavanja unutar individualiziranih kurikula usmjerenih na dijete. Za potrebe istraživanja konstruiran je upitnik za odgojitelje i učitelje. Cilj je putem samoprocjene kompetentnosti za stvaranje inkluzivnoga ozračja, planiranje, načine rada s djecom s teškoćama te vrednovanje vlastitoga rada ispitati postoji li kod ispitanika povezanost između razine kompetentnosti i godina radnoga iskustva odgojitelja i učitelja u redovitim odgojno-obrazovnim ustanovama (N=502). Postavljena je hipoteza da postoji povezanost između odgojitelja i učitelja s obzirom na godine njihova radnog iskustva u samoprocjeni navedenih kompetentnosti. Rezultati su pokazali povezanost između odgojitelja i učitelja s većim radnim iskustvom u njihovoj višoj samoprocjeni koja se odnosi na dovoljnu zastupljenost organiziranih različitih oblika unaprjeđenja inkluzivne prakse i cjeloživotnoga obrazovanja u vlastitoj odgojno-obrazovnoj ustanovi, kao i to da se oni s više godina radnoga iskustva smatraju kompetentnijima za planiranje i izradu individualiziranih kurikula.

The partnership of educators and parents is in the centre of scientific interest and is one of the fundamental principles of good practice in kindergartens. Often the educators experience such a partnership as stressful in their professional mode of action (Epstein, 2013; Bleach, 2015). This paper seeks to highlight the need to strengthen the professional knowledge and skills of educators to build and develop partnerships with parents. They can be achieved in the course of their professional development, by means of active participation and altering of the existing practices. Therefore, the aim of this research was to examine attitudes and the opinions of parents and educators about their cooperation and partnership. The sample consists of 203 parents and educators from the institutions for early and preschool education from the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County. Hypotheses have been set that are related to the assessment of the importance of cooperation through the participants' own responsibility and also the influence of factors that influence a successful parent educator partnership. Results suggest that respondents highly value mutual collaborative relationships, but do not recognize partnerships as a higher form of cooperation between educators and parents.

Partnership is considered one among the most important factors in educationalwork. For its formation and improvements, appropriate competences are expected. Inthis research we seek to highlight the need to strengthen the professional knowledgeand skills of preschool teachers for building and developing partnerships with parentsseen as a higher form of collaboration. Therefore, the aim of this research was toexamine the perceptions and attitudes of parents and preschool teachers abouttheir mutual cooperation and partnership. The sample consists of 203 parentsand preschool teachers working in kindergartens in the City of Zagreb and ZagrebCounty. Hypotheses were set with regards to recognition or knowledge of cooperationand partnership concepts, the assessment of the role of preschool teachers as partnersby parents and preschool teachers in mutual cooperation and partnership, andthe assessment of the importance of cooperation through the participants’ ownresponsibility. Once the data was analysed, the obtained results showed that bothgroups of respondents did not consider the role of preschool teacher as partner asone that was the most important. Also, the results of the research have shown thatparents, but also preschool teachers, do not understand the difference between theconcepts cooperation and partnership. Although both parties have agreed on theimportance of a partnership or the collaborative relationship, there is also a smallnumber of participants who consider such a relationship irrelevant or less important.Keywords: cooperation; lifelong learning; parents; partnership; preschool teachers.-Partnerski odnos smatra se jednim od najvažnijih čimbenika odgojno-obrazovnogarada za čiju se izgradnju i unaprjeđenje očekuju odgovarajuće kompetencije. Uovom istraživanju želi se ukazati na potrebu osnaživanja profesionalnih znanjai vještina odgojitelja za izgradnju i razvijanje partnerstva s roditeljima kao višegoblika suradnje. Stoga je cilj istraživanja bio ispitati percepcije i stavove roditelja iodgojitelja o njihovoj međusobnoj suradnji i partnerskom odnosu. Uzorak čini 203roditelja i odgojitelja koji rade u vrtićima na području grada Zagreba i Zagrebačkežupanije. Postavljene su hipoteze koje se odnose na (pre)poznavanje pojmovasuradnje i partnerstva, procjenu uloge odgojitelja kao partnera od strane roditeljai odgojitelja u međusobnoj suradnji i partnerstvu te procjenu važnosti suradnjekroz vlastitu odgovornost sudionika. Rezultati dobiveni nakon analize podatakapokazuju da obje skupine ispitanika nisu ulogu odgojitelja kao partnera procijenilenajvažnijom. Također, rezultati istraživanja pokazuju da roditelji, ali i odgojitelji,ne shvaćaju razliku između pojmova suradnje i partnerstva. Iako su se obje stranesložile o važnosti partnerskoga/suradničkoga odnosa, postoji i manji broj onih kojismatraju takav odnos nevažnim ili manje važnim.Ključne riječi: odgojitelji; partnerstvo; roditelji; suradnja; trajno učenje.

Changes made in all of the important human activities and social life areas inevitable require accepting professional development as a part of our life, and not as an alternative choice of a few enthusiasts. "School" also must adapt to this contemporarily discontinuity period which "traditional educational conception" makes often "unstable". Learners aren’t "unified" and teaching isn’t just a "routine". Besides parents, teachers have a leading role in encouraging developing and preparing children for complex role as a "world citizens". They are also fundamental carriers of all educational changes. On the other hand, a large number of world educational reforms failed because teacher’s respectable role in child life and social development in general where neglected. Authors in this paper are examining some actual educational issues which sometimes give impression that the process of the lifelong learning and teacher professional development is between "real world" and "distant" future. This paper presents results of empirical research from 2006, conducted on wide range of primary and comprehensive school teachers (basic assembly of 12 825 teachers) from Zagreb and nine Croatian regions. Given results can contribute raising educational competence efficiency of teachers as one of the fundamental premises for appropriate development stimulation of modern generations of children and youth.