Barnskötare blir förskollärare: Enkätjämförelse med en reguljär förskollärarutbildning

Abstract

Two cohorts of nursemaids took part in an education to become pre-school teach-ers in 2009 and 2011 at the University of Gothenburg. Their education was the same as pre-school teachers to be at the same university, with the same teachers and the same curriculum, except for two elements: The nursemaids studied 75 per cent of the time for theoretical courses, and they practiced in their ordinary work-ing-places. Four contemporary cohorts of pre-service trained pre-school teachers answered the same questionnaire as the nursemaids in the end of their education. Structural equation modelling suggests that the working process during practice – including the relation between student and mentor - is both integrated in and dis-integrated from the education as a whole. The working process during practice did influence students’ self concept for working as a pre-school teacher. But the experi-ence of quality in the education and self concept related to studying was highly connected to theoretical courses, and not to the working process at practice, accept for one relation: Students who where let into regular communities of practice char-acterized by critical interaction (an operationalization of Fullan’s concept) were more likely to utilize deep study approaches, which were positively connected to the experienced quality of the education. However, only a minority of students experienced this. Over all regular pre-school education students experienced the working process at practice as better than did nursemaids. Probably the latter were more engaged in ordinary work and with less possibilities for temporary withdraw-als for reflection. Still nursemaids were relatively more pleased with the education as a whole, and experienced a greater self concept for practical work as pre-school teachers.