Prestiž učitelství v mateřské škole optikou subjektivní percepce učitelek

Abstract

This empirical study deals with preschool education and provides a descriptive view of how preschool teachers describe society's perception of their profession. The framework of the subjectively perceived prestige of the teaching profession was used to define the theoretical concept of research in the context of the subjective social status of teaching. The aim of the research was to reveal the subjective perception of the prestige of the profession of preschool teachers and to reflect its contexts. Methodologically, the research combined quantitative and qualitative approaches. Content analysis processed data that combined information from the last open-ended question on a 21-item questionnaire (n = 635) and 19 written statements by preschool teachers (2,000-2,500 words). In both methods, the participants in the research (women only) responded to the question of how they felt they were perceived in society. It is clear from the results that even though Czech preschool teachers evaluate their profession as socially important, they generally see professional marginalization associated with underestimation and limited respect on the part of parents and the public. The broader contexts of the low prestige of the profession and the status of teaching in kindergartens, according to the teachers, are caused by the feminization of preschool education, the required qualifications and the average teacher age, and the general public's ignorance of preschool education. The respondents see ways to increase the prestige of their profession in embracing innovative approaches, reflecting their didactic practices, and cultivating relationships with the children's parents. © 2020 Masaryk University, Faculty of Arts. All rights reserved.