LEGO Material in the Programme of Early Childhood and Preschool Education

Abstract The paper presents the possibilities and conditions for applying the LEGO DUPLO Play Box material and the effects of its use on child development, as well as on the work of the kindergarten teachers. It is based on the research carried out in four preschool institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina that were included in the project "Application of LEGO construction material in preschool institutions". Within the project, the material and teacher training for its use were provided by the Danish LEGO Foundation that supports the realization of such activities in the South African Republic, Mexico and India, and, in European region, in Ukraine and Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the research, thirty kindergarten teachers were assessing the possibilities and conditions for the application of the LEGO DUPLO Play Box material through the Assessment Scale of the application of LEGO material in the Programme of Early Childhood and Preschool Education. The effects of the application of the LEGO DUPLO Play Box material both on the development of the child and on the work of the kindergarten teachers were monitored through the Protocol for Observing Learning Activity in which LEGO material is used, in relation to the kindergarten teachers and regarding the aspects of child development. The results of the survey show that the community as a factor does not provide significant support in terms of promoting and emphasizing the importance and significance of the construction play for children and for their further development, and that the institutional factor (associations, organizations, stores selling toys) does not sufficiently promote the importance of play. In addition, the effect of the application of Lego material in the Programme of Early Childhood and Preschool Education has been confirmed, but only in the context of the work of kindergarten teachers. The effect of the application of Lego material on the aspects of child development has not been observed, which means that there is no difference in achieving the expected outcomes of children's learning during the application of the Programme with or without LEGO material. This implies that the implementation of the entire Programme of Early Childhood and Preschool Education in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina is based on play, as well as on the construction play, but also that with the application of LEGO materials it is possible to achieve the planned learning outcomes and thus encourage the development of the child in all their aspects. Key words: aspects of child development; playing activity; construction material; pedagogical perspective of play; social-ecological theory. --- Sažetak U radu su prikazane mogucnosti i uvjeti primjene LEGO DUPLO PlayBox materijala, kao i efekti njegove uporabe na razvoj djeteta i na rad odgojitelja na temelju provedenog istraživanja u cetiri predskolske ustanove u Bosni i Hercegovini koje su bile ukljucene u projekt "Uporaba i primjena LEGO konstruktorskog materijala u predskolskim ustanovama". U okviru projekta, materijal i obuka za koristenje materijala bili su osigurani od danske LEGO Fondacije koja podržava realizaciju takvih aktivnosti u Južnoafrickoj Republici, Meksiku i Indiji, a od europskih zemalja u Ukrajini i Bosni i Hercegovini. Trideset odgojitelja procjenjivalo je mogucnosti i uvjete primjene LEGO DUPLO PlayBox materijala putem Skale procjene o primjeni LEGO materijala u Programu predskolskog odgoja i obrazovanja. Efekti uporabe LEGO DUPLO PlayBox materijala na razvoj djeteta, ali i na rad odgojitelja, praceni su putem Protokola za promatranje aktivnosti koja se uci, a u kojoj se koristi LEGO materijal i to s refleksijom u odnosu na odgojitelja i u odnosu na razvojne aspekte djece. Rezultati ispitivanja pokazuju da zajednica kao cimbenik ne pruža znacajnu potporu u pogledu promocije i naglasavanja važnosti konstruktorske igre za djecu i za njihov daljnji razvoj, te da institucionalni cimbenik (udruge, organizacije, trgovine koje prodaju igracke) u dovoljnoj mjeri ne promovira važnost igre. Osim toga, utvrđeno je da postoji efekat upotrebe Lego materijala u Programu predskolskog odgoja i obrazovanja, ali samo u kontekstu nacina rada odgojitelja. Efekt upotrebe Lego materijala na razvojne aspekte djece nije primijecen, sto znaci da nema razlika u dostizanju ocekivanih ishoda ucenja djece tijekom primjene Programa s LEGO materijalom ili bez njega. To implicira da je primjena cjelokupnog Programa predskolskog odgoja i obrazovanja u Republici Srpskoj, Bosni i Hercegovini, utemeljena na igri, pa tako i na konstruktorskoj igri, ali i da je primjenom LEGO materijala moguce ostvariti planirane ishode ucenja i na taj nacin potaknuti razvoj djeteta u svim njegovim aspektima. Klјucnе riјеci: аspеkti dјеcјеg rаzvоја; igrajuca аktivnоst; konstruktorski mаtеriјаl; pedagogijska perspektiva igre; socijalno-ekoloska teorija.