Competence Development in Early Childhood Education: Task-Based Learning and Project-Based Learning in Slovenia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic
Abstract
The paper focuses on the development of children's competencies in pre-primary education through TaskBased Learning (TBL) and Project-Based Learning (PBL). It presents the intentions and first results of the project, Learning by Doing - Attainment of Basic Competences in ECEC supported by the ERASMUS+ Programme.
The project aims to support the theoretical basis of TBL and PBL methods and their implementation in kindergartens in Slovenia, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. The paper presents theoretical backgrounds and results of the analysis of data obtained in the pilot part of the research, which focused on the previous experience of 15 kindergarten teachers with TBL and PBL methods.
Research questions were: a) What educational methods predominate in the pedagogical work of kindergarten teachers. b) How teachers use TBL/PBL-methods, and c) What obstacles do teachers perceive when using TBL and PBL-methods. The research sample showed that verbal and demonstration methods still predominate in the practice of teachers.
Slovenian teachers mostly used the PBL-method. Many respondents showed a misunderstanding of the substance of both methods and their use in pre-primary education.
Among the obstacles mentioned were the insufficient expertise of teachers, the size and heterogeneity of the classes, material conditions and lack of time.