The Role of the Teacher in Personalized Education in the Opinion of Female Students of Preschool and Early Childhood Education Studies

Abstract

In compliance with the recommendations laid down in the Poland 2030 report, one of the reforms to be introduced in the Polish education system is the individualization of the education process. Putting the education based on the personalized approach in the centre translates into a greater focus on the student, the recognition of their individual potential and bringing them to the forefront in the knowledge acquisition process, which means that the student is an active co-author of and participant in the process rather than assuming the role of a recipient. This paper presents the results of the research concerning teachers-to-be opinions on personalized education in the context of both the role of the school and the teacher. The applied research method was the diagnostic survey method. It was found that teachers-to-be have a high belief in personalized education. The role of the teacher assumed under this approach is mostly consistent with the role of the teacher as perceived by research participants. What is more, the majority of the research participants agreed with the statements concerning the role of the school itself in implementing the education process based on personalism. The presented research results provide an important rationale for increasing the personalized education component in preschool and early childhood education curricula. The rationale is coherent with the university students’ vision of their future role as teachers. Given the challenges of the contemporary world and the clear direction of education which puts an increasing emphasis on an individual approach to each student, this task should be carried out with utmost care.