Pre-school Pedagogy

The follow-up master ‘s study programme Pre-school Pedagogy aims to create and develop pedagogical, psychological, diagnostic, communication and personally cultivating competencies. The programme is designed as a non-pedagogical education because the necessary qualification can be obtained at secondary teacher training colleges or in tertiary bachelor’s programme. The proposed study programme builds especially on the bachelor’s study programme called Pre-school Pedagogy. The programme extends the theoretical knowledge in the discipline of the pre-school education (to understand the circumstances of the contemporary pre-school education in the post-modern age or in the comparison with the foreign experiences etc.). The programme also develops further personal and professional skills being necessary to work in and manage small teams and the capability to guide other teachers methodically.

The prevailing component (29 %) of the study programme is pedagogical-psychological domain, composed of the courses (for example: Selected chapters of pedagogy and pedagogy of pre-school age, Pedagogical-psychological diagnostic procedures in the practice of the kindergarten teacher, Pre-school education in the international context) related to pedagogical and psychological disciplines that are essential to development of the discipline of pre-primary education. Development of the diagnostic, interventionist and managerial skills is emphasized.

The second component of the study programme is personality developing domain (15 %) including common courses that are compulsory for all the students of the Faculty of Education and courses developing communication skills including the development of some foreign language and a special course focussed on development of reflective skills.

Another component of the study programme is propedeutical domain (6 %) designed to teach students how to support complex development of pre-literacy in pre-school education with the overlap to primary education and to contribute to education of the children with various difficulties, special educational needs or the children from socially disadvantaged environment.

Practical training is also a substantial part of the study. The system of practical training enables students to understand the specifics of cooperation with educational and psychological counselling centres, to improve communication with parents and to practise teamwork coordination. Two practical training courses are connected to the bachelor’s programme Pre-schoolteacher Training whilst students of the proposed master’s programme, playing the role of mentors and supervisors, support the development of the bachelor’s programme students.

Courses related to writing the master’s thesis constitute 17 % of all the study extent. 23 % of the study are formed by student him/herself by selecting the optional courses.

After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:

• to clarify theories, concepts and methods being contemporary problems of pre-school education;
• to comment and interpret the issue of pre-primary education abroad appropriately;
• to be familiar with pedagogical research, its basics and its contribution to praxis;
• to understand the legal affairs of the children at pre-school age and pre-school education;
• to diagnose the difficulties and special educational needs of pre-school children;
• to communicate with educational and psychological counselling centres the results of diagnostic procedures;
• to create intervention programs for children with difficulties and special educational needs;
• to communicate with tolerance, respect, understanding, and support with the families of children in pre-school age;
• to manage work in small teams;
• to reflect own work critically;
• to communicate in a foreign language.

As a graduate of our study programme, you will understand the specific issues of education of children with difficulties or special educational needs and the issues of communication with families and educational and psychological counselling centres. You will develop your knowledge in the field of pre-school education and close disciplines, so you will be able to work on further development of these disciplines. You will be also able to manage and coordinate small teams. After graduation, you can offer your employer your diagnostic knowledge, which is necessary to understand the specifics of children and to subsequent formation of an interventionist programme; you can also provide the support for teachers with the issues of communication with the families or educational and psychological counselling centres. You may become a leader of a multi-member team working in a kindergarten class (for example a class with two teachers and a teacher’s assistant). You can also become a mentor or coordinator of other pedagogical staff in the multi-classes nursery schools with pupils with difficulties or special educational needs. You can also be a useful worker in other institutions looking after children in preschool age (child groups, private kindergartens etc.). You can also continue to study the doctoral programme to deepen your theoretical knowledge, to broaden your research abilities, and – of course – to further develop the discipline of pre-scchool education.

An important part of the study programme is the completion of several practical trainings. The first one is the practical training in the educational and psychological counselling centres. Another type of practical training is implemented in the form of supervisions in the classes. The third type is based on diagnostic activities and creation of pedagogical support plans and individual courses of study; in this type you can test your abilities to communicate with families. The third type is implemented mainly in special classes or special nursery schools.

In the master’s thesis, a graduate has to prove the knowledge and skills prescribed in the graduate profile. For this reason, theses should be primarily theoretically and empirically based. There are some partial objectives: to prove the familiarity with the contemporary issues of the pre-school education; to specify the thesis’ topic and the current state of knowledge clearly and intelligibly; to work with appropriate primary and secondary resources, to quote according to prescribed norms and research ethics; to discuss and polemicize with other authors’ claims, to make own conclusions, to interpret the empirical findings appropriately; to prove stylistic competences and the ability to write comprehensive texts without solecisms; to prove the ability to ask appropriate questions and to solve problems creatively; to form new ideas and conclusions with at least partial new pieces of knowledges in the discipline of pre-primary education.

If you think about the further study, you can go on in the doctoral programme called School Pedagogy at Faculty of Education of Masaryk University or the programme called simply Pedagogy at two other faculties of education in the Czech Republic.