The doctoral thesis focuses on the development of the formation of the profile of music teachers in primary schools in Croatia and Slovenia, namely through the historical development until the present time, and establishes the differences and similarities in the teacher profile in both countries. Through history the profession of music teachers in Croatia and Slovenia developed slowly and with difficulty, its formation influenced by various factors, such as general teaching guidelines and the peculiarities of music lessons, the pedagogical theories of important European pedagogues, (in)appropriate political, social, educational and existential circumstances, various general and school laws etc. Until the 18th century the role of music teachers in Croatia and Slovenia was held by priests (in Croatia popovi glagoljaši are emphasised in particular), who were polyvalent or performed several functions simultaneously: a priest/parochial and/or monastic one; they could have also had a notarial or judicial function or were lay teachers. Teachers who were not clerics were employed as singers in church choirs, as organists, cantors or travelling singers and members of the pipers or provincial trumpeters, which is particularly characteristic of Slovenia. At the end of the 18th century, the territory of both countries witnessed an increased number of lay teachers of different professions, who, in addition to teaching, also performed the function of organist or sexton. In the 19th century the development of the music teacher profile was mostly influenced by the different political division, with the image of the primary school teacher or music teacher in Slovenia similar that of the Military Frontier in Croatia. This period experienced greater demands for reducing the influence of the Church on education and for separating the function of teacher from secondary occupations or from the notarial, organist, and sexton function. At the time of Austria-Hungary the image of the music teacher started to become similar in both countries. In the 20th century the profile of teacher was influenced by various political ideologies, which consequently led to a regression of the teaching profession. Due to various influences, the music teacher could not develop quality musical work. During World War II the ideological influences increased further (the Ustashi, Fascist, Nazi or Communist influences), which is why the entire musical work of teachers was directed towards one goal alone – educating a person who will be obedient to a particular ideology. After the war, teachers were divided into class teachers and subject teachers, which polyvalence has become parallel. With the reform of primary school education (1958) and teacher education (1960) began a new era of the pedagogical field and of the formation of the image of the music teacher, in which it was especially emphasised that the teacher must love music, be creative, must know how to motivate or encourage pupils, systematically develop the musical ability of individuals, and educate for art and for the life’s vocation of music teacher. After 1991 both independent states saw the formation of the music teacher profile into similar and different qualities, which is still characteristic today. In both countries music teachers have a growing number of rights and obligations, which demand responsibility in their work and in their interaction with all the factors of the educational process within the school and outside it. The pedagogical orientation of a music teacher demands creativity, the continuous searching for and, above all, developing of different types of competence (professional, social, personal ...) that ensure better and higher quality work of music teachers and the development of the art of music within the school and outside it.
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