THE CHILD-CENTERED PARADIGM AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS

Abstract

The paradigm of child-centered education involves a fundamental shift in attitude, in which the emphasis shifts from the role of the teacher as the primary provider of knowledge to placing the child at the center of the educational process, as an active participant in his or her own formation. Supporting a child-centered educational process requires a deep understanding of the child's personality in relation to individual and age-specific characteristics.

In this context, teachers have a vital responsibility to create stimulating educational environments that facilitate children's effort, involvement, interaction and active learning. Thus, the continuous professional development of teachers to implement child-centered education becomes a necessity.         

The aim of the study was to identify the implications of child-centered education for the continuous professional development of early childhood teachers. The study was carried out in september-october (2024) and the participants were 87 early childhood education teachers from the north-eastern part of the country.

The research instrument was adapted from the questionnaire of the ERASMUS + 2019 - 1 - UK01 - KA 203 - 061665 (Child - Centered Competences for Early Childhood Education and Care) project, which aimed to explore the implications of the child-centered approach in the continuous professional development of early childhood teachers.The results of the Pearson analysis showed that the child-centered education approach correlates positively with continuous professional development. There was also a positive correlation between teachers' experience and continuous professional development. No significant correlations were found between teachers' experience, level of education and child-centred education approach.