The findings of the author’s research regarding the implementation of intercultural education in teaching pre-school children

Abstract

The objective of the paper is to present selected issues concerning the implementation of intercultural education in teaching pre-school children. It contains a theoretical introduction to the subject discussed, including definitional considerations, references to the research carried out by other authors and regarding the essence of intercultural education, as well as presentations of options for teachers’ professional development in the area of conducting intercultural education classes. The paper also presents the results of its author’s own research, the aim of which was to find out whether the content from the field of intercultural education is introduced at the level of pre-school education and what content exactly it is, whether pre-school teachers are prepared for its implementation, as well as what methods and forms they employ and which teaching materials they use. As these were quantitative and qualitative studies, the method applied was the one of a diagnostic survey, using the technique of a questionnaire, an interview and a document analysis. The research results showed that pre-school teachers have basic knowledge of intercultural education, but the quality of its implementation when working with children is significantly improved through participation in courses and trainings in this area, which teachers rarely use without being aware of such opportunities for professional development. However, they declare their willingness to take part in such activities that can contribute to expanding their methods and forms of work, and enrich the resources of didactic aids aimed at the professional implementation of intercultural education at the level of pre-school education.