COMPETENCIES OF TEACHERS IN APPLICATION OF INNOVATIONS IN PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION

Abstract

The article discusses the competences and abilities of pedagogues, applying innovations in preschool education. Innovations in education are identified as an important step for qualitative changes in Lithuania. When applying innovations, the competences of pedagogues are important, which must ensure their high-quality and efficient application. Preschool education pedagogues, who apply modern educational innovations in their educational activities, operate in different situations every day and face newly emerging problems, which are mainly determined by the competences of the pedagogues. Therefore, questions arise: are pedagogues able to successfully include educational innovation in the content of preschool education? Does the educator have enough competencies using the innovative STEAM method?

The purpose of the research is to reveal the pedagogue's competencies, applying innovations in preschool education.

The goal was achieved by theoretically substantiating the competencies of pedagogues, associated with the introduction of innovations in preschool education and determining the expression of competencies and abilities of pedagogues applying innovations in preschool education.

Research methods: analysis of scientific literature and documents, questionnaire survey.

The analysis of the scientific literature helped to highlight the abilities of the pedagogue in the application of innovations. The most important are the abilities of communication, initiative and creativity, cognitive and information management and co-cultural competencies.

The results of the empirical study revealed that not all educational pedagogues use educational innovations in their activities. The most popular innovation in Lithuanian preschool education institutions is STEAM, and the pedagogue is the pioneer of the innovation. The most important competence in the activities of a teacher is communication competence. The pedagogues singled out the organization of discussions and the project method as the most important abilities in communicative competence. In the competence of creativity and cognition, it was stated that creativity and originality cannot be separated from critical thinking, because these components are particularly related in all activities. In co-cultural competence, the ability to be patriotic was not singled out as particularly important. Therefore, it can be assumed that not all abilities of co-cultural competence are equally expressed in the activities of pedagogues.