In addition to birth, death is an integral and inevitable part of the life cycle. Despite the universality of this phenomenon, it is a topic that many people prefer to remain silent about or avoid in everyday conversations. Sooner or later, every individual encounter death—whether through the loss of a loved one, exposure to news, reading a literary work in which a character dies, or through other life experiences. Therefore, this is a subject that cannot be permanently concealed from children, as they too will inevitably face loss and questions about mortality. This thesis addresses the topic of death within the context of pedagogical work in preschool and explores the didactic and pedagogical-psychological possibilities of its inclusion in the educational process. It is important that discussions about death in preschool are conducted professionally, thoughtfully, and in a manner appropriate to the developmental level of children.
In the theoretical part of the thesis, we explain why death is often understood as a taboo topic and how this societal attitude is reflected in communication with children. Based on professional literature, we clarify the emotions children experience following the loss of a close person and how their understanding of death differs according to age and level of cognitive development. We explain the development of the concepts of finality, universality, and irreversibility of death, as well as the importance of appropriate adult support in the grieving process. We describe strategies that can help preschool children and their parents cope with loss and overcome the stigma that often accompanies discussions of death in early childhood. We also present examples of activities and relevant literature that can serve as professional support for educators when addressing this topic in preschool groups. In the theoretical part, we also compare the Preschool Curriculum (1999) and the Preschool Curriculum (2025) and analyse potential differences in goals, principles, and examples of activities relevant to addressing the topic of death in preschool.
The empirical part of the thesis is based on qualitative research using the method of semi-structured interviews. Four preschool teachers from different public preschools participated in the study. The interviews include questions about their opinions on the appropriateness of addressing the topic of death in early childhood, their concrete experiences with addressing this topic, and their personal perceptions and ways of coping with it in their professional roles. We were also interested in the communication strategies they use when cooperating with parents and other professional staff, as well as what kind of support, knowledge, or additional resources they would like to have to more easily and confidently address the topic of death in preschool.
The research results show that preschool teachers recognize the importance of addressing the topic of death in preschool; however, they often face feelings of uncertainty, a lack of professional knowledge, and a need for additional support and education. The findings also emphasize that the topic of death is most often addressed situationally, in response to specific events, and that conversation, storytelling, and cooperation with parents play an important role in its implementation.
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