Ra Ximhai (Jul 2016)

THE PROFESSIONAL IMPROVEMENT OF THE PRESCHOOL EDUCATION FOR THE WORK WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATIONSUSTAINABLE DEVOLOPMENT

  • Teresa Elena Pérez-Borroto,
  • Olga Lidia Pérez-Fleites,
  • María Josefa González-Calderón

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. Special 5
pp. 217 – 227

Abstract

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At the present time the protection of the environment is of great value, and it becomes a priority, a necessity and an imperative to ensure economic, social development, health and survival of the human species on the planet. In Cuba there is the National Strategy on Environment, guiding document that not only conceptualizes holistically Environment, but also traces patterns of how to develop the Environmental Education for Sustainable Development, considering education, as the most viable alternative to achieve this purpose. Therefore it is required a professional education that is guidance counselor, who owns preparation and manifests a comprehensive education that allows to educate environmentally from the context in which they work, meeting the needs of learners, notes that are considered valid for professional Early Childhood Education. As was stated above, the importance of professional development as essential for the preparation of preschool educator pathway is clear, however educational practice has shown weaknesses in the knowledge, skills and attitudes that present the professional of this education to provide treatment to environmental Education in early childhood (known in Cuba as the stage of zero to six years old), so that the objective of the research was focused on determing the needs for improvement of professional Preschool for working with Environmental Education. The results presented were the initial phase of a research project implemented, validated and generalized in educational practice. To determine the needs of professional the "Technology for Training Needs Assessment", which sustained the implementation of research, such as applied methods: documentary analysis; observation, surveys and interviews and triangulation of sources to reveal the broader trends of overcoming Early Childhood Education professionals working with environmental education. The research process reaffirmed the importance of working with environmental education and revealed the needs of preschool teacher professional development on this issue since early childhood.

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