PRESCHOOL TEACHERS AND THEIR LEVELS OF INTEREST IN DEVELOPING MUSICAL COMPETENCIES

Abstract

As a contribution to creating a supportive environment in preschool institutions which could simultaneously foster the development of not only knowledge and skills, but also of the child’s entire personality, it is expected that preschool institutions, with the assistance of creative, efficacious and highly motivated teachers, should provide for such an environment through their programs. The ongoing changes in the educational system are aimed at supporting various creative activities for children, and they require that the preschool teacher should daily conduct activities which stimulate the child’s creative expression, performance, and research. Teachers play a primary role if we want to achieve so complex goals and tasks of preschool education with specific emphasis on the implementation of musical activities. This is why continuous professional training and improvement of musical competences are important for preschool teachers.

By April 2016, in order to learn the degree to which preschool teachers are interested in improving the knowledge needed to implement the planned musical activities, the authors conducted a study concerning preschool teachers with various levels of professional experience and formal education. The goal of the study was to test to what extent preschool teachers were interested in professional improvement in the domain of music, and whether additional professional training provided them with more satisfaction in preparing and implementing musical activities. The conclusion is that preschool teachers are interested in professional advancement in music. Most think that they can further their skills and didactic competencies in the field through organizing professional seminars which could provide additional quality in early music education, strongly boosting further development of competencies with children.