Good practices in the training of early childhood education professionals

Abstract

The UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network (RedPEA) is a project for the improvement of educational practices that implements a self-management model to achieve quality. The work presented socializes the good practices carried out in the training of early childhood education professionals at the “Marta Abreu” Central University of Las Villas, with the insertion of the objectives and priorities of RedPEA. It constitutes a partial result of a pedagogical investigation in order to achieve a general theoretical-methodological conception to insert the objectives and priorities of the network in the initial training process of the professional. Participatory action research is applied, with the support of theoretical and empirical methods, including: document analysis, group interviews, observation, focus groups and photographs, which allow the development of evaluative analyses and the enrichment of existing theory. Significant results so far show that students are expanding their knowledge of important processes at a global level, taking a positive position to contribute with their actions to sustainable development, to promote peace, to fight for human rights, to respect others and to foster intercultural learning. They show changes in their ways of acting, in the university context and in their work practice, they transmit their knowledge, promote culture, environmental protection, energy saving, compliance with the law, sexuality, nutritional education, physical and mental health care, and responsible behavior. They express greater development of pedagogical-professional skills to plan, execute and control educational strategies.