University of Prishtina Faculty of Education Kosovo

1. University of PrishtinaFaculty of Education Kosovo Paper research: COOPERATION OF PARENTS IN PUBLIC PRESCHOOL INSTITUTIONS IN KOSOVO R. Ferizi Shala1, V. Buza1, D. Hajdari2 1 University of Prishtina2 Preschool teacher-student

2. Introduction • Contemporary studies support the idea that cooperation between school, family and community is a precondition for success and stability in learning aspect, development and systematic children monitoring. • Cooperation of preschool institutions with family should be treated as a key moment for creation of a culture and habit on parents in order for them to create the idea of a stable cooperation, which main purpose is about children bigger profits. • Based in the six types of partnership according to Epstein and different studies made on partnership we can conclude that it is necessity of time which has to be given more importance in our country too and the cooperation between preschool institutions and family has to be encouraged.

3. Different states have used different strategies to raise the involvement of parents in school life. In certain moments of education development they have approved strategies which have had the purpose of raising cooperation between preschool institutions and family. • In Kosovo within the “Strategies for development of education 2011-2016” it’s foreseen the rise of parent information level over the role and importance of preschool education. • As well in this strategy there are predicted concrete steps toward the creation of cooperation with parents whose main purpose is raising the consciousness level and information for child profits in preschool education level.

4. For implementing and fulfilling this strategy, the state needs still working because many of the described phases are still in their initials. • Functioning of the cooperation with parents should not be considered as a process moving up-down, but as a process which should be initiated from preschool institution itself through their developing plans towards improvement and increase of work quality in preschool institutions.

5. Methodology • This paper is based in the hypothesis “Good cooperation between preschool institutions and family affects in increasing the quality of work that is developed in preschool institutions”. • With the head-educator in one of the institutions that are part of the experimental group, is realized an interview, to identified strong and weak points of cooperation with parents. • There are built 6 categorized tabs based in the involving types according to Epstein in order to extract the data in a categorized way.

6. After the identification of strong and weak points for cooperation between preschool institutions and families, we have defined the public preschool institutions and have built the work plan. • The plan includes two primary phases in identifying potential partners from the educators and parents, and the work plan for common activities which would be developed in preschool institutions:

7. Phase I: • Educators from four preschool institutions were distributed a questionnaire which helped in identifying forms and ways of cooperation with parents which educators currently use. • Also the educators were asked to express commitment to cooperate in subsequent activities for which they were informed previously. • During this phase of work there has been a good atmosphere of cooperation between the educators and the realizing group of this study.

8. Phase II: • The distribution of questionnaires to parents and their fulfilment has approximately lasted ten days where from the 60 distributed questionnaires only 40 of them were returned to the institution. • Given the fact that until today in the preschool education field in our country there hasn’t been much polls or researches in which has been required or taken into consideration what parents thought, often happens that parents does not take seriously what is required from them by the preschool institutions or independent people (as in our case). • From this group through fulfilling the questionnaires there are identified parents who can be the potential co-operators in different activities that will be developed in a preschool institution in the subsequent period

9. Action Plan: • After identifying the educators and potential parents for developing a deeper cooperation in the preschool education field. • The research team has elaborated a strategy which has been based on the 6 partnership types according to Epstein and the reflection that the educators and parents have given while fulfilling the questionnaires.

10. After the planning is made, from the list of parents who were ready to cooperate with the institution, the participant parents are chosen. • The educator together with the research team, before starting the activities that were planned explained to parents the role and duties which they have to realize during the time that they will stay in the institution. • In some cases parents are committed in an active way on the planning - re planning process.

11. Results • Planning and realization of all cooperation has never been an easy and without challenges process. • It was made clear to parents that they have to require more from the institution and educators, also to use their right as parents to be an active part of the child’s life in the preschool institution too. • Tabs with six columns of parents involving according to Epstein, were distributed to educators so that they can choose one of the cooperation forms that they want to realize with parents.

12. Table 1: Preferred activities of the educators based on tabs

13. During the period the study lasted there are realized in total six planning in partnership close with parents. • All realized activities have been successful and brought innovation in the educator’s work itself and parents’ involvement in the work that is developed inside the institutions. • These activities brought much pleasure to the children in four institutions.

14. It is worth emphasizing that readiness of the educators and parents for cooperation was smaller at the ages 3-4 and 4-5, whereas at the ages 5-6 educators and parents were willing to cooperate. • At the age 3-4 and 4-5 of the children it is more noticed a form of their care, but was not given much importance to the child’s achievements in different phases.

15. Conclusion • In order to create a stable partnership between the family and the pre-school institutions it is worth emphasizing that there should be the willingness of both sides for cooperation. • During each phase of work there was a need for motivation and encouragement towards the educators and the parents for their work because there was that lack of security and readiness in every day’s routine. • The disability to create a stable relationship from both the parents and the educators should immediately be bypassed by taking some actual and concrete steps, so changing and improving the policies of the pre-school institutions. • Now for now in our country there is no special strategy which has as a main purpose the creation of a stable relationship between the families and the pre-school institutions

16. References [1] Glasgow, N.A., Whitney, P. (2009). What successful schools do to involve families: 55 partnership strategies. Corwin press, pp.1-6, [2] Zigler, E., Gilliam, W. S., Jones, S. M. (2006). A Vision for Universal Preschool Education. Cambridge University Press, The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge. UK [3] Joyce L. Epstein, Ph.D., et. al., Partnership Center for the Social Organization of Schools. Epstein's Framework of Six Types of Involvement. http://www.unicef.org/lac/Joyce_L._Epstein_s_Framework_of_Six_Types_of_Involvement%282%29.pdf [4] Ministriae ArsimitShkencësdheTeknologjisë. (2011). Planistrategjikë i zhvillimittëarsimitnëKosovë 2011-2016. Prishtinë. Kosovë

17. Thank you for your attention!