The thesis deals with comparison of pre-school and primary education and child's entry to school in the Czech Republic and the Netherlands. It is devided into two parts, the theoretical part and the practical part. In the theoretical part is summarized pre-school and primary education from both countries. Through the historical overview we come to nowadays school educational systems, ongoing debates and policy trends planned for the future. The practical part deals with child's transfer from second to third grade in the Netherlands. With a use of the record sheets I follow and evaluate the child's development in the last year of preschool in the Czech Republic and in the second grade of Dutch primary school. The aim of the thesis is on to determine how are children in the Czech Republic and the Netherlands prepaired at the age of 5-6 years for entering the school. The question is whether Dutch children are affected and more prepaired from compulsory school attendance than children in the Czech Republic.

The dissertation entitled Children's Musical Creativity in the Context of Pedagogical Creativity focuses on formal pre-primary music education. A part of this education is the development of children's musical creativity influenced by their teachers. Therefore, this research problem is viewed from a dual perspective; one of pre-school children and the other of pre-primary educators. A theoretical part of this thesis describes children's musical creativity in the music education context o in terms of historical, international, and national development. Similarly, this thesis deals with the research context and presents constructed tests of children's musical creativity. Subsequently, the terms of musical creativity, children's musical creativity, and pedagogical creativity are defined. The children's musical creativity is viewed from the perspective of internal and external influencing factors. Finally, the role of the pre-primary pedagogue and their creative pedagogical work in the development of children's musical creativity is characterized in more detail. A practical part of this thesis contains a description of a research project. The first part of the research is devoted to musically creative experimental teaching of pre-school children, which also includes musical creativity testing, musical...

1 Abstract Thesis Woods as an educational space? examines using quantitative methods the differences between children in ordinary kindergartens and forest kindergartens, and it does so according to formation of individual components of scientific literacy or knowledge of selected terms (concepts) in its empirical part. For this purpose it creates evaluation model of scientific literacy of preschool children (didactic test) based on the example of processing a particular topic - Forest. The topic is set into the concept of pedagogy, developmental psychology, and social ecology. The theoretical part discusses the issue of scientific literacy, especially in the context of preprimary age. From the perspective of developmental psychology are furthemore described cognitive developmental characteristics of preschool age in their basic level. This part also focuses on strategic documents of (permanent) sustainable development. The thesis gives a first interesting insight into the problem and reveals a serious facts such as that children from ordinary kindergartens confuse natural objects under artificial objects also are less oriented in inanimate components, than the children of the forest kindergartens. Keywords: Scientific Literacy, Pre-Primary Education, Sustainable Development, Forest Kindergarten, Framework...

The doctoral thesis focuses on the development of preschool education in Germany. It was composed using the tools of comparative education research especially the qualitative research paradigm. It aims to analyze the contemporary reforms of the pre-primary education in Germany. The research design stands on a case study, which is based on the document content analysis method, semi-structured interviews with experts, and participating observation. The research has focused on the system settings in preschool education, as well as on ongoing reforms itself. The study outlines the development of pre-school institutions, external conditions and the possibility of managing preschool education in Germany. It provides an analysis of curricula documents as well as the insight into current alternative models and innovative approaches in preschool education. Also it elaborates the topic of contemporary situation in teaching staff and the trends in his training, and finally identifies the current reforms, trends and challenges in preschool education in Germany. Germany has implemented in the last 15 years a series of reforms relating to the settings of conditions in preschool education both at the national and state level. These reforms reflect specific regional features of individual federal states, but at...

The diploma thesis "Methodology of the use of rough-and-tumble play in the environment of alternative forest schools of pre-primary and primary education as a possible prevention of bullying." points to the area of children's games, which are inherently associated with such physical manifestation that it can cause all sorts of concerns in adults. The rough-and-tumble play as well as fighting and combat play are in question considered in this thesis as a kind of games, sometimes possibly neglected, but necessary for the healthy development of children's personalities. If the development of children and pupils is the goal of school facilities, then the possible inclusion of combat and combat games in these environments seems to be suitably developing. Alternative schools, in this case forest kindergartens and primary schools, are so open to innovation that this thesis chose them for the imaginary incorporation of rough-and- tumble play into their curriculum. It also outlines the possible context between the conscious fighting game of children and their perception of bullying, or the possible influence of the fighting game on the elimination of these undesirable behaviours. The empirical part formulates methodological material in accordance with the described characteristics of selected schools. Data...

This dissertation explores how women kindergarten teachers in Pakistan understand the concept of gender as evident from their own reflections of their life experiences and from their interaction with their students. Early childhood education and gender equality in education are critical policy issues in Pakistan. Women pre-primary teachers have received little specific attention and little is known about their experiences. Seven women kindergarten teachers from one co-educational, private, English-medium school in the urban city of Karachi, Pakistan were involved in this mixed-method study. Multiple methods were used, namely, life history interviews with the women teachers, classroom observations of their teaching practice and interactions with girls and boys, and document analysis. Data were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. The findings were presented and discussed through the five nested interrelated structures – microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem and chronosystem - of Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model of human development. Study findings reveal that the family and school are critical microsystems that have shaped the women kindergarten teachers’ understanding of gender in terms of possibilities and impossibilities for girls and boys, women and men within the norms of the broader patriarchal macrosystem. Throughout their lives across the chronosystem, they have had to negotiate multiple positions in their patriarchal extended families, schools, and, to some extent, the larger community in response to social change across diverse geographical spaces. Compromise and conformity have formed much of how they have understood their role and position as women in this patriarchal context. As women and as kindergarten teachers, they are doubly disadvantaged. They have been inadequately prepared to take up positions as pre-primary teachers. Nevertheless, their developing knowledge of teaching young children based on their practice and in-service training in a school with a positive outlook towards teaching has led to a more professional perspective of themselves and their careers. They are committed to teaching, but face the challenge of coping with their professional and familial demands. Often times, they draw upon their religion for strength and to make sense of their gendered experiences. Tensions are evident in their understanding of gender, particularly in relation to their own children and their kindergarten students, about following ascribed gender norms or allowing for more change in tradition in a context being rapidly influenced by globalization and socio-economic change. For the most part, their interaction with their students reflected their internalization of dominant patriarchal values and their active role in perpetuating them. Nevertheless, their gendered teaching practice has also presented possibilities for change in their unconscious and, occasionally conscious, attempts to push gender boundaries towards more equitable gender relationships in this patriarchal context. This study is significant for bringing to the fore women kindergarten teachers’ lived experiences to provide a dimension of education which has gone largely unexamined locally and globally, and which, in the context of Pakistan, are critical to consider in light of issues related to quality, access, and gender equity in early childhood education.

This dissertation explores how women kindergarten teachers in Pakistan understand the concept of gender as evident from their own reflections of their life experiences and from their interaction with their students. Early childhood education and gender equality in education are critical policy issues in Pakistan. Women pre-primary teachers have received little specific attention and little is known about their experiences. Seven women kindergarten teachers from one co-educational, private, English-medium school in the urban city of Karachi, Pakistan were involved in this mixed-method study. Multiple methods were used, namely, life history interviews with the women teachers, classroom observations of their teaching practice and interactions with girls and boys, and document analysis. Data were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. The findings were presented and discussed through the five nested interrelated structures – microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem and chronosystem - of Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model of human development. Study findings reveal that the family and school are critical microsystems that have shaped the women kindergarten teachers’ understanding of gender in terms of possibilities and impossibilities for girls and boys, women and men within the norms of the broader patriarchal macrosystem. Throughout their lives across the chronosystem, they have had to negotiate multiple positions in their patriarchal extended families, schools, and, to some extent, the larger community in response to social change across diverse geographical spaces. Compromise and conformity have formed much of how they have understood their role and position as women in this patriarchal context. As women and as kindergarten teachers, they are doubly disadvantaged. They have been inadequately prepared to take up positions as pre-primary teachers. Nevertheless, their developing knowledge of teaching young children based on their practice and in-service training in a school with a positive outlook towards teaching has led to a more professional perspective of themselves and their careers. They are committed to teaching, but face the challenge of coping with their professional and familial demands. Often times, they draw upon their religion for strength and to make sense of their gendered experiences. Tensions are evident in their understanding of gender, particularly in relation to their own children and their kindergarten students, about following ascribed gender norms or allowing for more change in tradition in a context being rapidly influenced by globalization and socio-economic change. For the most part, their interaction with their students reflected their internalization of dominant patriarchal values and their active role in perpetuating them. Nevertheless, their gendered teaching practice has also presented possibilities for change in their unconscious and, occasionally conscious, attempts to push gender boundaries towards more equitable gender relationships in this patriarchal context. This study is significant for bringing to the fore women kindergarten teachers’ lived experiences to provide a dimension of education which has gone largely unexamined locally and globally, and which, in the context of Pakistan, are critical to consider in light of issues related to quality, access, and gender equity in early childhood education.

This study, in the main, focuses on the racial imbalances and inequities that characterised South African education between 1965 and 1992. A historical background of the South African educational system as well as an account on the apartheid ideology and its impact on education is presented. For the four principle racial groups in South Africa, namely, the Africans, Indians, Whites and Coloureds, a historicaleducational survey of the imbalances and inequities prevalent in pre-primary, school-based and post-secondary education in respect of access to education, financing of education, and human and physical resources is given. As a way forward, some recommendations for the redressing of the imbalances and inequities identified in this study are presented. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (History of Education)

Abstact The diploma thesis aims to develop the theme "Activities with the paper in education programs pre-primary education", evaluates the importance of these activities for development of fine motor skills and connections to general educational program for preschool education in the Czech Republic. Through survey the thesis examines the experiences of the kindergarten teachers with realization of activities with paper during their work with children and also current status of necessary equipment for this work in kindergarten. The practical section of this diploma thesis summarizes the experiences with realization of an annual project called "We form with paper", in mixed-age class of the kindergarten.

The Thesis is devoted to the comparison of respecting children needs in Czech nursery schools and British nursery schools in the Czech Republic. It is concerned with the Czech statutory framework called Rámcový vzdělávací program pro předškolní vzdělávání and the British document called the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Using content analysis the work examines both the documents and determines their approaches to satisfy needs of children. The second part of the research, conducted through observation, is figuring out how needs according to the Maslow A. are met in the practise of these nurseries. The content analysis and observation is used to discern whether the practise of the nurseries corresponds with their educational program in the area of satisfying children needs.