The purpose of this study was to examine preschool teachers and parents' attitudes and their practices regarding the use of digital technologies during preschool education. The main research questions the study intended to address focused on teachers' and parents' attitudes and practices about the role of digital technology supplies in young children's development. The study used a mixed research approach, using in-depth interviews and an online questionnaire. The results have shown that only one of the eight preschool teachers reported a positive attitude regarding the impact of digital technology in children's development. Most of the interviewed preschool teachers showed preference towards authentic play and activities exercising children's psycho-motor skills. However, most of parents have suggested that their children, starting from early years of their development, are exposed to different digital technologies. In conclusion, there are two contradictory findings (progressive and regressive philosophies) among parents and preschool teachers regarding their perceptions and practices on the use of digital technologies in young children's learning and development. The study advocates for continuous cooperation between parents and teachers to ensure prospects of maximizing benefits and alleviating potential risks of using digital technologies in early childhood education.
Education in early childhood is considered fundamental. Many developing countries reported having a low level of inclusion rate, and this level is even smaller when it comes to children with special needs. Moreover, the philosophy of inclusion and best practices for ensuring the success of inclusive education are not fully understood by preschool teachers. This study aimed at exploring how preschool teachers understand inclusive education in a system that is undergoing transition and faces significant challenges overall. It also tends to describe not only what they know but also how they feel and believe about the process of including children in the quality educational system, same for all. Another issue was also to find out what are the challenges teachers face and how do they see the future of inclusive education in early childhood. Ten experienced preschool teachers from different places of Kosovo were interviewed using semi-structured in-depth interviews. The results indicate that teachers have a common understanding of inclusion, but they lack proper skills and knowledge on adequate teaching methods to work with children with special needs. However, they see inclusion to be an essential process and an excellent opportunity for all children. They recommend investments and
The article looks at conceptualisations of inclusive education in the international and Kosovo context, including the factual argumentation and legal representation of the term. The study explores the attitudes of teachers and their understanding of inclusive education, including arguments for and against it, implementation challenges, and perspectives. Interviews were used as a tool to generate information from key informants. The study is qualitative and based on an analysis of the experiences of six in-service teachers. The findings suggest that teachers have a wide knowledge of inclusive education and believe it has only positive effects for children with special needs. They believe that children can achieve more in terms of socialisation and modelling of good behaviours from their peers, but that success in academic achievements is lower because of the limited knowledge of teachers about individualised planning and differentiated teaching, and a lack of institutional support and proper evaluation of each teacher’s work.
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