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Sodobna pedagogika/Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies


Jasminka Zloković
and Diana Nenadić-Bilan

Let./Vol. 69 (135)
Št./No. 4/2018
Str. 68–86/pp. 220–240
ISSN 0038 0474

Theoretical starting points and characteristics
of the National Curriculum for early and
preschool education in the Republic of Croatia1
Abstract: The contemporary conception of early and preschool education is based on a humanistic
developmental paradigm orientation that stipulates that the child is an individual personality from
birth and should be respected as such. In the educational process, the child is not an object but a subject
who participates, (co)constructs and largely determines its own life and development. In the Republic
of Croatia, the National Curriculum for Early and Preschool Education (Nacionalni kurikulum … 2014)
affirms the pluralism of humanistic development pedagogical concepts and the diversity of approaches in
implementing educational work with early-aged children. The emphasis is placed on ensuring the quality
of pedagogical practices, which implies respect for all aspects of child development as well as importance
of both educators and parents in educational practices. According to its starting point and organisational
strategic structure, the National Curriculum for Early and Preschool Education (Nacionalni kurikulum
… 2014) is oriented towards a transformational and open sub-constructional model of educational work
instead of the traditional transmission model. The humanistic developmental and dynamic approach is
the fundamental starting point highlighted in this document, as well as its openness and support of the
initiative and activity of children. From an official point of view, the traditional paradigm—according
to which the educator is a teacher, a knowledge provider, a leader and a controller of the educational
process—is abandoned. By implementing and conducting the process of (self)assessment of early and
preschool education, striving to ensure the culture of dialogue, the personal and professional responsibility
of main participants, as well as the culture of self-assessment in the early and preschool education system.
Key words: early and preschool education, national curriculum, humanist developmental approach,
educators, parents and guardians.
UDC: 373.2
Scientific article
Jasminka Zloković, PhD, full professor, University of Rijeka, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences,
Department of Education, Sveučilišna avenija 4, HR-51000 Rijeka, Croatia; e-mail: jzlokovic@ffri.hr
Diana Nenadić-Bilan, assistant professor, University of Zadar, Department of Teacher and Preschool
Teacher Education, Ulica dr. Franje Tuđmana 24, HR-23000 Zadar, Croatia; e-mail: bnenadic@unizd.hr
1
The paper is a continuation of a comparative study about early and preschool education and parent
cooperation as part of the Pedagogical aspect of family relations research program and the Empowering
the family to develop positive relationships project (support: University of Rijeka, Faculty of Humanities
and Social Sciences, research coordinator Jasminka Zloković, PhD, associate and researcher Diana
Nenadić-Bilan, PhD).



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Introduction
In contemporary pedagogy, the child is viewed as the subject of its own development. From a historical point of view, the origins of such a conception of a
child are found in the works of Rousseau, Pestalozzi and Froebel, as well as in the
Waldorf and Montessori theories of pedagogical concepts. Slavica Bašić (2011) states
that: “From the encounter of the reformist-pedagogical thinking with cognitive and
psychoanalytic psychology (Piaget, Klein et al.), emerged the idea of a child as a
subject of self-development” (ibid., p. 25). The child is the co-author of its educational
process and social relationships. Bašić specifically emphasises that the foundation
of a child’s image is “the child as a social being and a child in social relationships”
(ibid.). In light of the new paradigm and image of the child, the basic features are
mentioned: the pedagogical way of viewing is an anthropological construct; there
is no universal nature of the child; the child is actively and competently involved in
the social context; the child has its own theories to be taken into account; there are
no unique learning paths; the child learns self-initially but in social relationships;
the fundamental relationships are the ones the child establishes with itself, the
world and others; the child is a researcher of its material and social environment;
the world has a subjective meaning for the child, which is the key to its relationship towards the world; the child needs another who will respond to its experience
(ibid., pp. 31–33). According to the International Step by Step Association (ISSA)
the definition of childhood is: “The period when lifelong learning competencies
are being developed, including interpersonal and civic competences, awareness
of the importance of environmental preservation and sustainable development,
intercultural understanding, the skills of using information and communication
technologies” (Kompetentni odgajatelji ... 2011, p. 14).
Contemporary social changes and challenges in all aspects of life stimulate the
changes in the theoretical and practical paradigms of understanding the child and
childhood, the role of its parents and the position and influence of encouragement in
early and preschool education on child development. Social changes determine the
conception of The National Preschool Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum … 2014,
hereafter National Curriculum), which is a fundamental document that assigns

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special importance to the humanistic developmental and constructivist approach
in encouraging child development.
Contemporary efforts to raise the level of the National Curriculum’s quality
focus on providing the best support for the personal development of the child. Particular emphasis is placed on ensuring the quality of pedagogical practice, which
implies respect for all aspects of child development and the importance of educators
establishing partnerships with parents or caregivers (Zloković and Nenadić-Bilan
2017). The definition of quality pedagogy practice that the ISSA provides, revises
pedagogical standards: “early and preschool education services should cover all
aspects of child development and should not only focus on academic achievements,
but focus on individual needs of the child, and accordingly select the approaches
that are most beneficial to its development. This starting point stems from the
view that children are active participants in their development and changing the
environment, citizens with rights and personal responsibilities. The role of the
educator is to support the children to become responsible citizens, to develop empathy towards other people, to respect diversity, to acquire the skills necessary for
formation, expression and argumentation of personal attitudes, to be able to listen
to what others are saying and to respect the attitudes of other people” (Kompetentni
roditelji ... 2011, pp. 13–14).
Considering the main overall objective of this paper—to analyse the paradigmatic-theoretical and qualitative value-organisational and strategic starting points
of the National Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum … 2014), as well as the quality
of the institutions—the paper is conceived in accordance with this set goal and
follows the humanistic developmental orientations when looking at the child’s
development through its active participation and interaction with the environment.
The paradigmatic and theoretical orientations of the National Curriculum
in the Republic of Croatia
Through the humanistic developmental paradigm in The National Curriculum
(Nacionalni kurikulum … 2014), the plurality of pedagogical concepts and the diversity of approaches to early childhood education is affirmed. In a modern paradigm
orientation, the child is affirmed “as a personality since birth and as such should
be understood and respected; a child is not an object in the educational process,
but an entity that participates, constructs and largely determines its own life and
development; childhood is not just a preparatory stage for a future life, but a life
period with its values and culture; childhood is the process of social construction,
which children and adults build together; childhood is a process that is contextualised
in relation to space, time and culture (socio-constructivism) and varies with regard
to the different conditions and cultures in which it is taking place. As there is no
universal child, there is no universal childhood” (Odluka o donošenju ... 2015, p. 3).
The National Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum … 2014) aims to achieve
specific educational goals to ensure the wellbeing of the child, particularly: to
encourage full development, upbringing and learning, to develop competences, to

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exercise the right of children to equal chances and equal rights for all. The National
Curriculum, as a fundamental document for the implementation of institutional
education during the early life and preschool period, respects contemporary scientific knowledge and examples of good practice (Slunjski 2006; Whitebread and
Coltman 2007; Jurčević-Lozančić 2010; Ljubetić 2014 and others, in the Nacionalni
kurikulum ... 2014, p. 3).
Considering the paradigmatic starting point, the scientific and practical
foundation and the goals of The National Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum …
2014), it focuses on respecting the humanistic developmental theoretical concepts
such as: philosophy of constructivism, socio-constructivism, social and structural
developmental and integrative approaches, ecology of human development, constructivist and other humanistic developmental theoretical approaches. According
to Piaget’s philosophy of constructivism and co-constructivism, learning is not
based on transmission and knowledge presents the self-construction of the child.
Socio-constructivism is one of the most influential of Vygotsky’s theories on how
the social experience influences cognitive development (Vasta et al. 1992, p. 37).
According to the socio-constructivist theoretical foundation found in The National
Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum … 2014), the child’s knowledge is acquired
and constructed in the process of social interaction. The interconnection of several
factors is emphasised, and the development of the child in context and learning
through experience appear to be the determinants of an individual’s development.
Cognitive development is the result of a dialectical process (Vasta et al. 1992) and,
according to Bruner’s (ibid.) theory, children build their own image of the world and
manage to function in it both independently and in co-operation with others who
are also trying to understand the world around them. Thus, learning becomes an
interactive social process that involves children, educators and the environment.
An examination of The National Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum …
2014) concepts, such as its starting point, orientation values, principles, goals
and key competences for lifelong learning, finds that the theory of social relations
also represented here as a theoretical framework that respects the influence of
the environment (parents, peers, educators, teachers, etc.) as emphasised by the
importance placed on the child’s activities in changing itself and its environment.
According to this theory, the quality of the relationship between the child and its
narrower and wider environment affects its development, level of self-regulation and
willingness to cooperate. The child and the environment are in a reciprocal relation
(Kuczynski and Parkin 2006). The National Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum
… 2014) structure also recognises the self-determination theory (Ryan and Deci
2000 in ibid.), according to which each person is proactive, acts in the environment,
answers to its influence and changes it considering its needs. In addition, every
person has the need for freedom, making decisions, connection and competences
as he or she establishes relationships with other people.
Particularly highlighted are the goals aimed at achieving successful interpersonal
(social) functioning and developing social competences, as well as at establishing,
developing and maintaining quality relationships with peers and adults. Communication in both the mother tongue and foreign languages strengthens the development

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of basic competences for lifelong learning. Democratisation and emancipation of
people in society inevitably implies communication and free dialogue with everyone,
as emphasised by the Habermas’s theory of communicative action (ibid.). In the
process of socialisation, attention is paid to the development of an active subject
and to the relationship between the subjects and superior levels (Tillman 1994 in
ibid.). The emancipation and free dialogue of everyone, according to Habermas,
reflects the state of a successful life (Rosić and Zloković 2002). Habermas (ibid.), the
creator of critical theory, introduces the concept of communicative ethics and the
concept of an ideal speech situation, which implies the idea of a clear kindness—an
agreement of the participants during the discussion no matter of their positions,
avoiding coercion and manipulation.
Humane relationships and the understanding of one’s own and of other people’s
feelings are implied between children and other people, and are set forth in The
National Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum … 2014) as one of the important goals.
Empathy is a coherent process that implies physiological, kinaesthetic, affective and
cognitive aspects (Bratanić 1990). The achievement of this goal is found in parts of
The National Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum … 2014) that primarily relate to
the achievement of values related to promoting the development of humaneness,
tolerance, responsibility and social welfare (ibid., pp. 5–8). In social and structural
developmental theories, the parents or guardians have the primary influence on
the moral development of the child (Colby and Kohlberg 1987). However, another
dominant factor that influences the formation of the child’s moral development is its
relationship with its peers and the influence of social institutions, such as preschool
institutions. Moral judgment assumes obligations, general values, perseverance,
selflessness, determination, establishment of mutual agreements, adherence to
rules of conduct agreed to between individuals and institutional rules of society
(Nucci 1996). Children have qualitatively different social interactions through
which they develop different types and systems of social and moral knowledge. In
addition to the foundation of the “social area” theory (Vasta et al. 1992), one of
the other generally accepted theories—Kohlberg’s theory of moral development
(Hart 1988, pp. 245–260; Powers 1988)—is respected in all aspects of the set goals,
principles and orientation values that are found in the National Curriculum (2014,
pp. 6–7). Traditional structural development theories (Colby and Kohlberg 1987)
describe moral development as a process of enhancing the difference between a
moral and an immoral concept, implying agreement, prudence, caution, knowledge
and pragmatism.
Since traditional curricula are based on behaviourism, integrative theories
try to surpass the behavioural approach to knowledge acquisition that results in
unusable and mutually unrelated knowledge. The integrative model (Patterson et
al. 1992) observes the functioning of the child through both cognitive-behavioural
and psychodynamic processes, and it systematically combines the interventions of
different theoretical models while simultaneously examining and explaining the
causes of the risk factors and the needs of the child.
In the ecological system theory (Brofenbrenner 1979), a conceptual approach
to the ecology of human development research is considered necessary. If human

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development is to be fully understood, the interaction of the unique features of
the child and the environment needs to be considered. The National Curriculum
(Nacionalni kurikulum … 2014), taking into consideration its starting points,
orientation values, principles and goals, is based on the notion of the ecology of
human development theory as a sign of reflection on the physical and social conditions for learning, as well as on the need to account for the differences in the way
children think and learn. It states that “With regard to the active, integrated and
research nature of children’s learning, the developmental, integrated, humanistic
and co-constructivist-oriented curriculum features, contextual conditions (environments) for the maintenance of various educational activities and the acquisition of
diverse child experiences are planned, and not the precise course of their activities
or fragmented learning contents” (ibid., p.15). The humanistic developmental approach is also emphasised in the constructivist theory. Contrary to the objectivistic
approach, in which the child is perceived as an objective, static phenomenon, as
a problem or as a person to whom scepticism arises, a constructivist approach according to Habermans and Klafka (in Mušanović 1998) looks at the overall position
of the child and the complexity of the phenomena in its interaction process. As a
fundamental principle of the constructivist paradigm holism, the man is conceptualised as a unique being not as a set of attributes. From a holistic perspective, the
personality and freedom of the child should be taken care of. Developing a culture
of responsibility towards children does not only imply the obligation of protecting
and providing various forms of help to children but also of high expectations in
accordance with the child’s interests, needs and abilities (ibid.).
Pluralism in the interpretation of the National Curriculum
Contemporary pedagogy and pedagogical practice accept the humanistic developmental approach to children and education as a process. However, there are
still traces of the traditional approach to educational practice and the influence of
behaviourism as a theoretical course that “implies the process of education as planned
exercise and habituation, algorithmic action with didactically shaped and mutually
isolated content selected from a number of scientific disciplines that should by the
means of ‘mental training’ lead to reactive learning” (Petrović-Sočo 2009, p. 124).
Slunjski (2011) considers that the differences in the interpretation of the curriculum
and its implementation in practice is the consequence of opposing approaches at
different levels: ontology (between the objective and subjective interpretation of
social phenomena), epistemology (between the static and dynamic state, the human
as a passive or active being) and methodology (quantitative and/or qualitative approaches). Some argue that it is justified to equate the concept of curriculum with
that of the plan and program (Jungck and Marshall 1992; Legrand 1993; Mijatović
1999; and others), while some others define curriculum as a document that is wider
than the plan and program (Rosandić 2003; Matijević 2004; Bognar and Matijević
1993), and the remainder consider the two to represent completely diverse terms
that cannot be equalised (Rinaldi 1998; Miljak 1996; Bredekamp 1996). These

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three approaches still exist in the practice of The National Curriculum (Nacionalni
kurikulum … 2014), which is why some traditionally consider that preschool education in preschool institutions can be pre-planned, unified and controlled, with all
the goals, contents and activities pre-set. The educator is an initial and executive
centre and the unpredictable factors, which are the everyday factual situations
and childhood initiatives, often provoke discomfort, disenchantment, tension and
mutual misunderstanding, because such an approach promotes passivity instead
of activity as a predominantly imposed option.
The authors of this paper agree with those who believe that educational practice
is a unique and irreplaceable process, which implies strong support for the initiative
and activities of the child. A holistically contextualised approach is considered to
be crucial in encouraging children’s development. Hopkins (in Slunjski 2011a,
p. 193) compares the educational process illustratively with the game of chess,
which has its own rules, certain fields and movements of the figures, and yet the
same two games of chess are never played. Given the fundamental characteristics
of educational practice—the unpredictability, authenticity and unrepeatability of
the process, the curriculum as a theoretical concept develops from the practice of
an individual educational institution and in each institution it is different, unique
and unrepeatable. According to Slunjski (2011a), “The curriculum is a theoretical
concept that is built in practice, constructed based on mutual learning, research
and participation of all participants in the educational process. Two educational
institutions cannot have the same curriculum, with this understanding of the curriculum one cannot ‘have’ it at all, it ‘happens’ through time and develops. Here
the curriculum is described in the ‘narrow sense.’ The curriculum viewed in the
‘broader sense’ represents an official educational concept, common at the country
level, prescribed by acts that contain the basic ideas and principles of education,
living and learning of children in an institution of early education” (ibid., p. 196).
Understanding the importance of the curriculum also implies differentiating
its forms: official (formal and assigned), real (connected with realisation) and informal (i.e. hidden curriculum) (Kelly 1989; Colin 1994; Miljak 1996). The official
curriculum implies set goals, contents and methods associated with social values,
while the informal—hidden—curriculum implies the influence of the socio-emotional aspect of the educational group and the fact that the preschool institution is a
social space through which the child first enters society (Lepičnik Vodopivec 2004).
The hidden curriculum has a special significance since it allows children to accept
everyday habits during the first months of their stay at the preschool institution.
Previously adopted habits are the foundation of the experiences that are acquired
during education (Apple in ibid.). In both the official and in the hidden curriculum, a
significant position is given to the personality of the educators, because “It depends
on them what kind of education to choose, what kind of communication there will
be between the child-parent-educator and what learning situations will be organised. If you choose a frontal form of teaching, communication will be one-way with
its consequences, and the manner of teaching will be based on authoritarian style.
The educator will look for his leadership role in the formal position and hierarchy
of relationships” (Apple in ibid.).

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The hidden curriculum fills the gap between the official curriculum and the
goals of an educator who expects a certain behaviour, learning style or psychophysical abilities from the child, as well as those expectations that are not written
but represent an important part of educational effectiveness (Kroflič 1997). The
creators of the hidden curriculum are considered crucial and fundamental for
the success of education for sustainable development (Lepičnik Vodopivec 2004).
The positive or negative effects of the hidden curriculum depend on “the values
of an individual and the dominant value system of the society in which the school
operates, the overall classroom and school atmosphere” (Matijević 2010, p. 394).
It is an implicit curriculum in which the educator’s image of the child is of special
importance. Implicit pedagogy, i.e. an image of the child, directs the educators in
their communication and interaction with children and adults.
Starting points, principles and values of the National Curriculum
According to the starting point and its organisational and strategic structure,
The National Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum … 2014) is oriented towards the
transformational and open co-constructive model of educational work, instead of
the transmissive model. The humanistic developmental and dynamic approach is
a fundamental starting point highlighted in this document, as well as its openness
and support of the initiative and activity of children. This requires the educators to
possess knowledge, to be open to new things, to support and understand the child’s
abilities, needs and interests, as well as to establish partnerships with parents and
the local community.
Given the spatial limitation of this paper, the authors focus on some basic
starting points, principles and values when analysing The National Curriculum
(Nacionalni kurikulum … 2014) concept, beginning with the basic documents:
Program Orientation of the Education of Children of Preschool Age (Programsko
usmjerenje…. 1991), Convention on the Rights of the Child (Konvencija … 2001),
National Curriculum Framework for Preschool Education and General Compulsory
and Secondary Education (Nacionalni okvirni … 2011), Strategy for Education,
Science and Technology (Smjernice za strategiju … 2012), Handbook for the
Self-Evaluation of Early Childhood and Preschool Education Institutions (Priručnik
za … 2012) and Strategy for Education Science and Technology Croatia (Strategija
obrazovanja … 2014).
The basic foundations of The National Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum …
2014) are aimed at ensuring the inter-disciplinary compliance between the principles,
values and goals, and a clear orientation on the partnership of all the participants
in the design and implementation of the curriculum (Figure 1).

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PRINCIPLES

VALUES

99
99

99
99
99
99
99
99
99

99
99

Flexibility of the educational process
Partnership with parents and the
community
Ensuring continuity in education
Openness to continuous learning and
willingness to improve practice

Zloković, Nenadić-Bilan

Knowledge
Identity
Humanism
Tolerance
Responsibility
Autonomy
Creativity

GOALS

LIFELONG LEARNING - COMPETENCES

99
99
99
99

99
99
99

Personal, emotional and physical welfare
Educational welfare
Social welfare
Full development, upbringing and learning
of a child and development of competences

99
99
99
99
99

Communication in the mother tongue
Communication in foreign languages
Mathematical competence and basic
competences in natural sciences
Digital competence
Learn how to learn
Social and civic competence
Initiative and entrepreneurship
Cultural awareness and expression

PRESCHOOL CURRICULUM
Contemporary understanding of the child and organisation of the educational process in the preschool institution:
99 A child is a full being
99 A child is a researcher and an active creator of knowledge
99 A child is a social subject with specific needs, rights and culture
99 A child is a creative being with specific creative and expressive potentials
99 A child is an active citizen of the community
CULTURE OF THE PRESCHOOL INSTITUTION
99 Encouraging spatial and material environment
99 Encouraging social environment
99 Management of the preschool institution
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PRESCHOOL INSTITUTE CURRICULUM
99 Integrated
99 Developmental
99 Humanistic
99 Constructivist and co-constructivist
PLANNING AND FORMATING OF THE CURRICULUM OF THE PRESCHOOL INSTITUTE - CONTEXTUAL CONDITIONS
With regards to children
99 Documentation of the children’s activities—individual portfolio, children’s works (both
individual and group)
99 Self-reflection of the children
99 Narrative forms
99 Observations of the children’s achievements
With regards to the educators
99 Documentation of the educators’ activities—individual and group portfolios
99 Self-reflection and common reflection of the educators and other preschool professionals
Figure 1: Structure, organisation and strategies of The National Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum
… 2014).

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Assuming the respect for the opportunities, needs and interests of the child,
expressing his or her proposals and initiatives, active participation in educational
activities, adaptability to the conditions and culture of the environment and appropriate responses to the needs of parents (in the offer of a child program, flexible
organisation of child acceptance, daily rhythm—nutrition adaptation, daily rest,
promotion of the rights and needs of the child or finding the necessary information,
resources and services that can enhance the development of the child) is considered
situational adaptability and flexibility by The National Curriculum (Nacionalni
kurikulum … 2014, pp. 3–4). The principle of flexibility starts with the belief that:
“Learning is an active, subjective process of constructing an individual’s knowledge
that can only be initiated externally but it cannot be directly controlled, and that
in different subjects of learning (children and adults) it occurs neither in the same
order nor in the same speed. The application of the principle of flexibility enables
full learning of children and adults by actively questioning pre-constructed concepts
and continuity in building new ones” (ibid., p. 3).
In order to successfully realise the principle of flexibility, the determination of
strict weather, spatial and organisational patterns should be avoided. Everything
that restricts, prevents or disregards the individual rhythms of children and their
interests is contrary to the principle of flexibility. The successful implementation
of this principle is reflected in the respect of the rights of every individual in a
preschool institution, as well as in ensuring “meeting specific needs, personal
rhythms and individually different strategies for teaching children” (ibid., p. 13).
The principle of partnership with parents and the community is achieved
through “the conditions in which parents or children’s guardians, are allowed to
spend time with their children in the educational groups, to monitor and actively
participate in the immediate educational process and to get acquainted to their own
children in a different context from the one within the family” (ibid., p. 14). The
educators are focused on recognising the needs of the parents. They regularly inform
them, and support and empower their parenting skills. The National Curriculum
(Nacionalni kurikulum … 2014) aims towards the active involvement of parents
in joint decision-making so that the parents become the partners of the educators,
acting as promoters of preschool institutions and mediators in the partnership with
the local community (ibid.).
The principle of ensuring continuity in education allows for the child’s right to
education to be upheld in order to remove the obstacles that are a possible source
of stress and discontent among children, parents and educators before and during
the transition to the subsystem and between the systems. The basic task of The
National Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum … 2014) is to provide the preconditions
for unhindered and “more natural” passage/continuity in education (ibid., p. 16).
The principle of openness to continuous learning and the readiness to improve
practice is achieved through “continuous research and improvement of the quality
of the educational process by the practitioners themselves - educators and other
experts; training of practitioners - educators and other experts for research and
active reflection of their own educational practice; connecting all participants in
the educational process that learn, explore and change the educational practice

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and share that experience with others (especially other experts and parents) in the
communities they teach” (ibid., pp. 16–17). The National Curriculum (Nacionalni
kurikulum … 2014) encourages the formation of so-called developmental centres
that would be trained to assist in professional training of employees.
Values, as a guide for the achievement of educational goals, are derived from the
“commitment of the Croatian educational policy for the whole personal development
of the child, to the preservation and development of the national, spiritual, material
and natural heritage of the Republic of Croatia, to European coexistence and to
create a society of knowledge and values that will enable progress and sustainable
development” (ibid., p. 19). The National Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum …
2014) promotes the following value system: knowledge, identity, humanism, tolerance, responsibility, autonomy and creativity (Figure 1) (ibid.).
Goals of the National Curriculum
In The National Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum … 2014), two fundamental
goals are highlighted: ensuring the child’s wellbeing and development, the child’s
education and learning and the development of competences. The National Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum … 2014) defines three groups of wellbeing: personal,
emotional and physical wellbeing; educational wellbeing and social wellbeing (Figure
1). Ensuring wellbeing is a “multidimensional, interactive, dynamic and contextual
process which integrates healthy and successful individual functioning and positive
social relationships in a quality setting of preschool institutions” (ibid., p. 24).
The second important goal of The National Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum … 2014) is the development, upbringing and teaching of children and the
development of their competences. For the realisation of this goal, the first step
is the picture of the child as a whole being and an acceptance of the principle of
integration of all developmental areas and their permeation in different segments
of the educational process. Acceptance of the competence approach is based on
the following principles: competences are developmental; competences of the child
are assessed in a holistic and contextual way; and competences are viewed in the
context of different developmental possibilities of the child, not in the context of
its chronological age (ibid., p. 21).
The National Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum … 2014) promotes the development of eight basic competences for lifelong learning: communication in the
mother tongue; communication in foreign languages; mathematical competence
and basic competences in natural sciences; digital competence; learn how to learn;
social and civic competence; initiative and entrepreneurship; and cultural awareness
and expression (ibid., p. 27).

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Contemporary roles and strategies of educators
In early and preschool educational theory in the Republic of Croatia, the
traditional paradigm—according to which the educator is a teacher, a knowledge
provider, a leader and a supervisor of the educational process—is abandoned. Adults
who rely on a contemporary pedagogical image of the child assume new roles and
strategies in order to create the context of the preschool institution that, according
to The National Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum … 2014), is: a place of full
development, education and teaching of the child; a place of research, discovery
and active learning; a place of quality relations, cooperation and tolerance; a place
of creation and expression in different expressive forms; and a place of democratisation, active participation and childhood involvement.
In order to provide support to the contemporary child and childhood in the
preschool institution context, the educator develops new strategies in the field of
education. By observing and listening to children, the educator chooses and provides
adequate support for them and for the purpose of their transition to the next development zone (Vygotsky 1978). According to Vygotsky (1978), the basic goal of
teaching is to provide space for the next developmental zone. Under the concept
of the next developmental zone theoreticians understand learning and teaching as
distributed, contextual, interactive, cooperative and participative (Babić 2007).
The educator provides the kind of support that enables the child to move from the
current to the next developmental zone. This is the indirect support of the educator,
which is still called scaffolding, and it consists of the assessment of “what kind
of assistance is needed and how this assistance can best be provided” (Donaldson
1997, p. 93). Heterogeneous educational groups (groups of peers and non-peers,
groups of children of different developmental statuses and opportunities) allow for
social interaction that leads to next developmental zone.
In order to make the right decision regarding the level of support needed, the
educator should establish and maintain high-quality communication and a quality
relationship with the child. Listening attentively connects all participants in the
learning community. In terms of listening pedagogy, Carla Rinaldi (2006) explains
the basic features of listening: openness, sensitivity, activity, interpretation, giving
meaning, feedback, deep consciousness, accepting change and the unknown, leaving
anonymity and reflection. The quality of the educator’s support for the child determines their overall relationship with the children, especially the level at which
they understand and respect them (Slunjski 2011b).
The educator is a co-constructor and partner to the child—together with the
child they construct meaning, knowledge, understanding and relationships. On the
other hand, the child is a critical supporter of the dialogue with the educator. The
educator encourages children to argue, explain and conclude, while the children
reorganise and redefine their knowledge during the discussion. It is about social
construction and understanding through social interaction. The open discussion,
as a free exchange of opinions, requires patience, flexibility and active listening
from the educator.

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The role of the educator is to encourage the children to plan their own activities and self-assessment of the learning process, but also to group planning and
evaluation. The children are encouraged to reflect and self-reflect on their activities,
as well as on their ways of thinking and learning. Through self-assessment, they
develop self-awareness and perceptions of personal forces, as well as constraints.
The educator also motivates the children to evaluate and self-evaluate their communication and cooperation with others.
A competent educator encourages the children to “learn how to learn,” i.e. to
develop their metacognitive abilities. According to David Whitebread and Penelope
Coltman (2010), metacognitive abilities include metacognitive experiences (awareness of their own metacognitive processes), metacognitive knowledge (knowledge
of mental processes and their own learning strategies) and self-regulation (metacognitive control of mental processes). That is how children gradually develop the
ability to regulate their thinking and learn how to make choices between different
action strategies.
The educator prepares the material, spatial and social environment and various
learning situations that the children will experience at different developmental
statuses and competences. Quality-moulded learning situations encourage the development of independence and creativity in children. Providing different media for
creative expression makes it easier to express your child’s ideas. With quality educator
intervention, children of different competences can participate in group activities.
In order for educators to successfully manage complex professional roles, The
National Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum … 2014) emphasises the importance
of quality initial education and continuous professional development. “The quality
of educational practice of the preschool institution and the curriculum that is
generated from it, is realised and developed ‘from the inside’ by the educators and
other experts, for which they need to ensure appropriate continuous professional
learning and development” (ibid., p. 57).
Quality assurance and evaluation process
In The National Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum … 2014), it is possible
to perceive the commitment to ensuring a high level of education quality and
curriculum. Continuous monitoring of the educational work quality is carried out
“according to predetermined and agreed standards” (ibid., p. 54) and is performed
in the form of internal quality assessment and external evaluation. In addition
to general common evaluation standards, each preschool institution has its own
specific standards that respond to the specifics of that particular institution and
ensure the principle of autonomy in functioning. According to The National
Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum … 2014), the internal and external2 evaluation
2
The external evaluation information is available on the website of the National Center for External
Evaluation of Education and preschool institutions publish regular annual reports on their websites
regarding their work, within which the reports about the internal evaluation of the institution’s work
are included.

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includes: “the whole (overall functioning of the institution - legal arrangement,
application of the pedagogical standard, overall quality of the educational process
etc.) and certain segments (monitoring of children’s advancement, respect for children’s rights, parents and other factors, inclusion of children with special needs,
training of experts in the institution, etc.). An important element of the internal
quality assessment of an institution is the qualification of all factors of the educational process (adults and children) for a continuous and quality self-assessment”
(ibid., p. 54).
The National Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum … 2014) lists factors for
curriculum evaluation in preschool institutions and factors for curriculum evaluation outside the institution (Figure 2).
FACTORS FOR CURRICULUM EVALUATION
IN THE PRESCHOOL INSTITUTION

FACTORS FOR CURRICULUM EVALUATION
OUTSIDE THE PRESCHOOL INSTITUTION

99

99

99
99

Educators and other experts in the
preschool
Children
Parents

99

Reflective friends from other preschool
institutions and academia, factors of
the network of professional community
learning
Responsible institutions (local community
education departments, Ministry of Science
and Education, Education and Teacher
Training Agency, National Centre for
External Evaluation of Education, etc.)

Figure 2: Factors for curriculum evaluation according to The National Curriculum (Nacionalni
kurikulum … 2014).

The National Centre for External Evaluation of Education3 (NCVVO) began
work in 2010 with the project Self-Evaluation of Early and Preschool Institutions, and the project was completed with the publication of the Handbook for the
Self-Evaluation of Early Childhood and Preschool Education Institutions (Priručnik
za samovrednovanje … 2012, hereafter the Handbook). This Handbook (Priručnik
… 2012) is intended for quality teams and all other professional staff members in
early and preschool education who want to engage in quality improvement and
research. Self-evaluation is a “process of systematic and continuous monitoring,
analyzing and evaluating the performance of the work, in which all the participants
of the educational process (children and adults) participate actively and is carried
out according to a predetermined methodology and this methodology interests us
in accordance with well-known/agreed criteria we are as well interested in (areas
3
A public institution founded in 2006 and tasked with introducing external evaluation into the
education system of the Republic of Croatia. The Center provides a framework for the self-evaluation
of the institution, within which it develops the methodology and instruments used for self-evaluation,
provides support in the processing and interpretation of self-evaluation results and in monitoring the
progress in work quality of educational institutions, organizes professional training with the aim of
strengthening organizational structures within the institutions that are tasked with evaluating and
monitoring quality (quality teams).

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of evaluation)” (ibid., p. 3). Continuous self-evaluation of the educational practice
is an obligation4 for all factors of the educational process.
In the Handbook (ibid.), the key areas of work quality for the early and preschool
institutions are listed: institutional strategies, organisational management, cultural,
spatial-material and technical conditions of work, health and hygiene conditions,
safety, curriculum and educational processes, human resources, co-operation with
the broader and wider social community and the process of monitoring and evaluation. The key quality components and guidelines for self-evaluation and quality
improvements are specified for each quality area. For example, the self-evaluation
of the institution’s strategy is considered to be one of the dimensions of quality
(ibid., p. 101).
KEY QUESTIONS

DATA SOURCE

99

99

99
99
99
99
99

Does our institution have a vision and
mission developed?
Do the vision and mission meet what we are
and what.
Are all participants familiar with it?
Do our vision and mission make our
institution recognisable?
Do we live a daily vision and mission of the
institution?
How do we do this?

99
99
99
99

Results of questionnaires for principals,
educators, teams of experts, administrative,
technical and other staff, board of directors
of the institution and parents
Network sites of the institution
Advertising boards and other forms
of informing the parents and other
participants
Annual document of early education
institutions
Other sources

Figure 3: Evaluation of Early Education Institution Strategy (Vrednovanje strategije … 2012).

Figure 3 lists the key questions in the self-evaluation of the institutional strategy
as one of the quality dimensions. Data sources are also listed in the self-evaluation
process of the mentioned dimension.
The methodology of the self-evaluation of early and preschool education, the
structure and the organisation of quality teams are also mentioned.5 The quality
team “is an informal organisational structure within an institution whose primary
task is to ensure the quality of the institution’s work, i.e. the implementation of
self-evaluation and monitoring of progress in key quality areas” (ibid., p. 93).
The institutional quality team consists of: the school principal, at least two
educator representatives, at least one professional development service representative, at least one administrative-technical and support staff representative, at
least one parent representative and at least one local community representative.
4
The legal basis for the quality assurance process is contained in the National Center for External
Evaluation of Education Act (Zakon o nacionalnom … 2004), the Education Sector Development Plan
2005–2010 (Plan razvoja … 2005), the Croatian National Educational Standard for Early Childhood
Education and Care (Državni pedagoški … 2008) and the Act on Changes and amendments to the Preschool Education and Training Act (Zakon o izmjenama … 2013).
5
The NCVVO developed the methodology of external evaluation according to existing world models
and aligned them with the existing needs in the Republic of Croatia. “The Center provides a framework
for self-assessment of the institution within which it develops the methodology and instruments used
for self-evaluation” (ibid, p. 31).

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The NCVVO proposes three quality team models for the organisational structure
of the institutions that determine the number of team members.6
The Handbook (ibid.) also provides guidelines for insight and analysis of the
current status of the institution’s work quality. In order to achieve a more objective
evaluation of quality, gathering the opinions of all key participants is recommended
for the purpose of detecting an objective image of the institution. Participation in
the implementation of the questionnaire is anonymous and voluntary, and the assessment analysis provides data that perceives which quality areas are better and
which are worse. The mentioned results should be supplemented by institutional
documentation. The quality team evaluates what is good at the institution for each
quality area, as well as what is not good and what requires further work to improve
quality. After a detailed analysis, the elements where additional efforts should be
made to achieve higher quality levels are identified for each quality area. In order
to define the priority areas for quality improvement, it is recommended to conduct
the CREDA7 analysis.
Internal and external evaluations differ in relation to entities that carry out
evaluation processes. While the internal evaluation is carried out by staff, the
external evaluation is carried out by entities outside the institution. “External
evaluation is characterized by well-known and mutually aligned criteria and uniformity of the methodology, which ensures a higher degree of objectivity and the
possibility of generalization and comparison” (Antulić Majcen and Pribela-Hodap
2017, p. 25). Self-evaluation manages the processes, relationships and conditions
under which the educational process is realised. The purpose of self-evaluation is
to identify the current state of affairs in different quality areas, to detect shortcomings and advantages and to stimulate the institution to improve the quality of
work (Priručnik … 2012).
In 2014, the NCVVO organised an introductory module for the professional
development of early and preschool education quality teams, called The First Steps
in the Self-Evaluation Process and Images for Self-Evaluation: New Challenges in
Teamwork and Exchange of Institutional Experience with Implementation of the
Development Plan and Self-Evaluation Process. Lectures and workshops were held
in different counties of the Republic of Croatia. Sandra Antulić Majcen (2014) states
that the goal of professional training is “to exchange experiences in the process
of self-evaluation through an overview of the work of the quality teams and the
implementation of the self-evaluation process in the last three years. Through
professional training, participants are introduced to the implementation of the
self-evaluation process in the pedagogical year 2012/2013 and 2013/2014, the experience of the participants involved in the work of the quality team and the implementation of the self-evaluation process have been exchanged, vision and mission
of the self-evaluation process, the competences necessary for the implementation
6
After establishing a quality team, the principal of the institution informs the NCVVO, the administrative council, the employees of the institution and the parents, and submits the decision on
appointment to team members (ibid., p. 96).
7
The CREDA analysis is SWOT adapted to the requirements of the self-evaluation of educational
institutions.

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of the process and the network of support networks for institutions in the process
of self-evaluation are refined and reconciled” (ibid., p. 4). In 2015, a module for the
professional development of quality teams for early and preschool education was
organised, called the Basic Knowledge and Skills Necessary for the Implementation
of the Self-Evaluation Process.
In their publication, S. Antulić Majcen and S. Pribela-Hodap (2017) provide
results of a five-year implementation of the self-evaluation process, with an emphasis on institutional experiences and examples of good practice gathered from
the institutions involved in the Self-Evaluation of Early Childhood and Preschool
Education Institutions project (2011–2015). The work is based on the specificity of
the development of preschool children, requiring a high level of institution quality.
In it, the results of the self-evaluation of 140 early and preschool education institutions in Croatia are presented for the 2011–2015 period. The authors conclude that,
through the implementation of the self-evaluation process, the culture of dialogue
and the personal and professional responsibility of key participants, the culture of
self-evaluation in the system of early and pre-school education is attempted to be
preserved. There are also areas in which further work is needed to improve quality:
the employment of a professional team, the provision of material-organisational
conditions and the reduction of the number of children in educational groups (ibid.).
Each institution for early and preschool education carries out self-evaluation
processes in accordance with the latter instructions. After the self-assessment
process is carried out, the self-evaluation reports are written. These reports state
how often the quality team met, how the self-evaluation process was going, how
satisfied they were with the job they were doing, what obstacles and problems they
encountered, and how the self-assessment process can help improve the quality of
the institution’s work. This process of the institution represents a continuous process, requiring lifelong learning and development of the professional competences
of the educators and other staff.
Conclusion
Particularly important for the organisation of early and preschool education
in the Republic of Croatia is The National Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum …
2014). Its conception begins with a modern orientation paradigm that affirms the
child as its own personality from birth, which needs to be understood and appreciated
as such. The humanistic developmental paradigmatic orientation of this document
affirms the plurality of theoretical concepts and the diversity of approaches to the
implementation of early and preschool education. The child is an entity that actively
participates in its environment, (co)constructing and largely determining its own
life and development. Childhood is the process of social construction, which the
children and adults construct together, and it is a process that is contextualised
in relation to space, time and culture. Starting with the constructivist paradigm
of The National Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum … 2014), the child is viewed
as a complete, competent and active being that participates in a variety of inter-

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actions with its natural and social environment. Accordingly, the document aims
towards the realisation of specific educational goals in ensuring the wellbeing of
the child, in particular: to promoting full development, upbringing and learning,
to developing competences, to achieving the right of children to have equal chances
and equal rights for all.
By observing the child as an active citizen of the community, the preschool
institution affirms itself as a place for the child to live democratically and co-decide
actively in shaping the life and work of the institution. In The National Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum … 2014), “The quality of education for all children
in the Republic of Croatia is defined as the goal and principle of the Croatian educational policy” (ibid., p. 3). The basic purpose of early and preschool education is
to optimise the development of all potentials, traits and abilities of the child, its
creativity and problem solving, independence, positive communication and better
relations with others, as well as its initiative and personal responsibility (Zloković
and Nenadić-Bilan 2017). In The National Curriculum (Nacionalni kurikulum …
2014), it is possible to discern a clear formal commitment to ensuring a high level
of quality and the factors of the internal and external curriculum quality evaluation are clearly defined. The basic conditions for achieving early and preschool
educational quality in the Republic of Croatia are created, starting with the new
National Curriculum (ibid.), as well as legal requirements and evident qualitative
changes in the pedagogical practices and activities of educators. In the increasing
number of preschool institutions, the qualitative changes in early and preschool
education performance are visible. Certainly, the development of quality not only
expects creativity of and new ideas by all early and preschool educational participants (the educators, preschool professional teams, children, parents, etc.), but
also the faster and better development of spatial and material conditions as well.
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