Characteristics and effects of syllabus changed by Bologna system on Romanian pre-service training of kindergarten and primary school teachers

Abstract

Problem StatementThis research is focused on a critical perspective regarding the pre-service teacher training of kindergarten and primary school teachers from Romanian education system that tries to follow the directions of Bologna system, and to align to European standards. Purpose of studyTwo majors objectives were followed through this study: 1) reporting the new curriculum designed for kindergarten and primary school teachers to five characteristics (epistemological, didactical, pedagogical, organizational and praxiological), and 2) the effects of these changes on their professional development. Research MethodsAs method used we focused on qualitative content analyse of syllabus of the last three generations and on two questionnaires for two kinds of beneficiaries: 242 students and 50 university teachers as experts. Through these questionnaires we wanted to identify three aspects: if they consider necessary to change actual syllabus, and if so what should be designed and what are the new objects; the relationship between training and competences; and what kind of results should be available for curriculum changes (the results reported to their competences from the final exam, the national one, or the results from educational practice). FindingsIn qualitative terms, data were structured on five dimensions: epistemological, didactical, pedagogical, organizational and praxiological, and also specifying the actual effects on professional development of future kindergarten and primary school teachers. ConclusionsThe results of our study releaves that the students and teachers have similar opinions that it is absolutely necessary to change the actual curriculum, and they gave some innovative directions to be followed into the next pre-service teachers training.