In my thesis I studied the role of the preschool teacher in the integration of immigrant children in Slovenian public kindergartens. In the theoretical part, I first defined the concept of multiculturalism, which I supported with a concise description of the immigration of the population, with which the concept is closely related. The increasingly diverse composition of society makes it crucial that individuals in a given territory choose to live on an equal footing. From this point of view, it is important for society to become intercultural, which is why I have defined the concepts of interculturality and intercultural education below. I have defined a model of intercultural education consisting of seven criteria, which I have described in more detail. Then I focused on the integration of immigrant children in kindergartens, who are immigrant children and where do they come from, the inclusive approach and the role of the educator in the integration of immigrant children. In defining the role of the educator, I focused in more detail on the didactic-methodological adaptations for immigrant children, the preparation of the group for the arrival of an immigrant child, the cooperation with parents of immigrant children and the educators' attitudes towards the inclusion of immigrant children in kindergartens.
The empirical part is based on interviews with preschool teachers in Slovenian public kindergartens who have experience with the process of integrating an immigrant child into kindergarten. The research focuses on the way in which educational work is adapted to immigrant children, the preparation of the group of children for the arrival of an immigrant child, the cooperation with immigrant parents and the attitudes of educators towards the integration of immigrant children.
The findings show that educators use a variety of working methods and didactic approaches to integrate immigrant children, based on individualisation, respect for diversity and the creation of a safe and stimulating learning environment. They prepare the group of children for the arrival of an immigrant child with developmentally adapted content and conversation that promotes tolerance and interest in different cultures. When working with immigrant parents, educators strive to establish a partnership based on trust, respect and an open relationship. Educators see the inclusion of immigrant children in the group as an opportunity to enrich the group and as a foundation for the development of an inclusive and tolerant society. Despite the challenges of integrating immigrant families, educators remain committed to creating an environment in which every child feels safe, accepted and equal.
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