VIDLJIVOST ISTRAŽIVAČKOG PRISTUPA U PRIČAMA O TEMI-PROJEKTU

The development of topics/projects in kindergarten is based on the joint research of children and teachers, directly correlating to children’s natural curiosity. In such an exploratory approach to learning, children are freed from the pressure of having to learn or be productive, which enables them to fully focus on the process itself – the search for sources and information, different ways of discovery and exploration, as well as reflection on their own learning process. This research paper presents the results of the research that aimed to examine to what extent the joint research of children and preschool teachers is visible in the stories of topics/projects in which teachers document the way of developing programs with children. The research was carried out using a descriptive method, with content analysis as a research technique. The results of the quantitative and qualitative analyses of the 73 stories of a topic/project showed that the joint research of children and preschool teachers mostly remains within the walls of the study room, that the role of the family is most often reduced to them being the mere supplier of materials, that the role of the educator in the joint research is insufficiently visible, and that several different approaches to developing topics-projects (T/P) can be identified: T/P which do not contribute new ideas in terms of children’s learning process; T/P which have a significant research potential, and T/P as a distinctive collection of situations, actions, phenomena, and artifacts. Identifying these approaches and considering their potentials, as well as weaknesses, is important for understanding the opportunities that arise in the real program in terms of children’s learning and for improving educational practice.