The professional development of a pedagogical worker does not end with the completion of studies or by obtaining a professional title, but by entering the practical field it only starts in full. At the beginning of their careers, educators question the ability to "survive" in the profession, and with years and acquired professional experience, they develop professionally, become more confident, strengthen confidence in themselves and in their own abilities.
Because of the constant change and development of science it is required from pedagogical workers to make their reflective consideration on work and the search for optimal conditions for the development of each child in the department in the terms of professional occupational activity. Innovating one's own pedagogical practice is becoming increasingly important. Innovation takes place as a process in which it is important for educators to feel the desire or need to introduce innovations and changes. The process goes through several steps and the important phases are planning phase, the implementation phase and the evaluation of innovations. Educators use different approaches and materials available to them in their work. They are constantly looking for ways how to offer children a variety of materials, accessories and toys in as many ways as possible. Due to the different segments and orientations of the kindergarten policy, professionals use different approaches and ways of working with the aim of enabling children to develop and progress optimally. Play is a child's primary activity and enables his versatile development and because of that educators use various toys to stimulate the development of the child's thinking. The innovation process in addition to designing a toy can also make an important contribution to the professional development of educators.
In the theoretical part of the master's thesis, I started from the educator of preschool children and his role in the workplace. I emphasized the importance of constant professional development and presented the views of experts who defined the professional development of a pedagogical worker, his role and the factors that influence him. I have focuses on some of the models most frequently mentioned in the literature.
In the empirical part, I wanted to find out what were the views of the educators who participated in the creative competition. I focused mainly on the innovation process of the educator when making a didactic toy, I was interested in what influences their innovation, what role certain subjects (management, colleagues, parents, family) play in their research and how innovation is assessed by members who they formed a commission to evaluate the manufactured toy. The sample included 40 educators who participated in the competition "My idea - a new toy" and filled out a reflection questionnaire when submitting the innovated toy. The interview was conducted with two educators and one member of the commission that participated in the evaluation of the toys.
Research has shown that educators ’main motive for introducing innovation is the need to create something new that stems from a desire to promote a child’s development. Educators attribute an important role in innovation to management and colleagues, but also to family and friends. When participating in the competition, it is important for educators to recognize personal creativity and professionalism, which play an important role in their professional development. When innovating a didactic toy, it is important for the participants that the toy has its own play value, that children accept it well and that they use it to develop various skills that have a significant impact on the child's versatile development.
|
