An individual conception of teaching constitutes a system of pedagogical beliefs that shapes teachers’ instructional decision-making. This study analyses the individual conceptions of teaching held by prospective pre-primary teachers (N = 66) and examines their relationship to the integration of educational content in instructional planning. The research was conducted in Slovakia, a post-socialist country whose education system has been undergoing a long-term transformation towards child-centred approaches. Data were collected using the questionnaire My Individual Conception of Teaching, administered in a pre-test–post-test design during a semester of general didactic training. In addition, students’ thematic teaching projects, designed as one-day instructional plans for kindergarten, were analysed through qualitative content analysis. The analytical framework developed in the first part of the study served as the basis for evaluating these projects. Descriptive analysis indicated that students’ conceptions of teaching were most strongly oriented towards pragmatist (M_pre = 54.0; M_post = 53.5) and personalist approaches (M_pre = 41.7; M_post = 44.7). A paired samples t-test comparing pre-test and post-test results revealed a statistically significant change only in the personalist conception of teaching (t(65) = −3.57, p < .001, Cohen’s d = 0.44). A relationship between individual conceptions of teaching and the degree of educational content integration in thematic projects was identified only in selected aspects of the pragmatist approach, particularly in conceptions of the child’s role in education, the organisation of instruction, and assessment. The findings suggest that prospective teachers’ pedagogical beliefs may partially influence how integrated learning is planned in pre-primary education.

Authors:
Ivana Rochovska, Matej Bel University, Slovakia

About the Presenter(s)
Ivana Rochovska is currently an Associate professor at Matej Bel University Banska Bystrica, Faculty of Education, Slovakia.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Sunday Schedule

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