PRESCHOOL TEACHER ASSESSMENT OF THE NTC PROGRAM REACH: ENCOURAGING CREATIVE ELEMENTS OF THINKING

The paper presents a part of the findings of an evaluation study which is experimental in character and in which the experiment with one group was used as a method. The subject and problem relate to the observation of the effects of the project "Smart Children Network - SMART", code: 1286, which is based on the NTC learning system with the emphasis on encouraging the development of critical thinking, therefore, only the findings related to teacher assessment of the instructions for application of the mentioned program are given. The question posed in this part of the research are related to: how educators evaluate the content of the NTC program, i.e. the instructions they were involved in and which presented the basis for the program implementation, i.e. whether they are equally valued and based on this, the program effectiveness is evaluated, i.e. the need for further clarification of certain contents from the NTC program for its more effective methodical interpretation. The intention was to get information on the possibilities of knowledge transfer and applying them to the field of didactics, and thus, in a sense, to the scope of the NTC system, as well as the possibility for educators to focus on the details of the program and become qualified for the application of didactic methods and procedures for a more effective encouragement of children's creativity elements, as a basis for the development of critical thinking, that is, intellectual autonomy and flexible approaches in the adoption of functional knowledge in further development. The basic assumption, for this segment of research, is related to: Educators involved in seminars for the application of the NTC program have given equal importance to the encouragement of creative thinking elements and the methodical reach of seminar content segments for the application of the NTC program, as well as the criterion variables, except for work experience, were important factors in the assessment of the effects of the instruction. The basic findings refer to: Statistically significant differences found, which support the segment related to the influence of learning and teaching methods on the development of creative thinking, which explains 39.77% of the total variance indicates that teachers' assessments put to the forefront the significance of the seminar segments which encourage creative thinking, which coincides with the intentions of the NTC program, which essentially refer to didactic approaches to the development of creative thinking elements of preschool children. That is the goal, but also the reason for the educators' decision to become part of this program. Their interests were aimed in this direction, and were therefore met in a satisfactory way.