THE ROLE OF PORTFOLIO-BASED SELF-REFLECTION IN ENHANCING PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES OF PRE-SERVICE PRESCHOOL TEACHERS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PRISHTINA

Self-reflections, especially those done through the usage of portfolios, are an essential component of teaching. Portfolio reflections allow pre-service teachers to set professional goals. This research was conducted using qualitative methodology, and all semi-structured interviews were organised with students and graduates from the Early Childhood Department-Faculty of Education, University of Prishtina. The research results show that a portfolio provides future teachers with the opportunity to organise their work better while enabling cooperation between pre-service teachers, which ergo, directly affects their professional competencies. Owing to its benefits, portfolio should be integrated by the Faculty of Education of the University of Prishtina as an integral part of its work with students