156 Sodobna pedagogika/Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies Let./Vol. 71 (137)
 Št./No. 1/2020
 Str./pp. 156–173
ISSN 0038 0474 Matilda Karamatić Brčić,  
Rozana Petani, and Marijana Miočić
Inclusive Culture in Preschool Institution 
– Pedagogical Competences of Preschool 
Teachers in Croatia
1
Abstract: Inclusive education in a theoretical context is a direct contribution to the development of 
qualitative inclusion at every level of the educational system. Inclusive culture implies the involvement 
of all participants in the process of education. In the educational context, the implementation of inclusive 
education enables children with special needs to be successful in acquiring and developing the necessary 
competencies for life and work, or in acquiring the knowledge, skills and habits in accordance with their 
capabilities. This empirical research work considers preschool teacher pedagogical competences in the 
preschool educational system through forms of cooperation with parents as key stakeholders of the in-
clusive processes and examines their perceptions of an inclusive environment at educational institutions. 
The roles and tasks of teachers in the contemporary pedagogical discourse are focused on building a pre-
school institution that respects the diversity of each individual involved in the formal education system. 
Building an inclusive environment and creating a community where everyone feels welcome encourages 
the adoption of inclusive values as the foundation of any society. Implementation of inclusive concept in 
the early and preschool system in the Republic of Croatia is partial and unsystematic. The analysis of the 
results in this study indicates the need for the professional training of educators to enable the quality 
implementation of inclusive education in preschool institutions. Providing an inclusive education at each 
level of the educational system helps to avoid obstacles when working with children.
Keywords: Inclusive culture, cooperation with parents, pedagogical competences, preschool teachers, 
the quality of education
UDC: 373.2
Scientifical article
Matilda Karamatić Brčić, Phd., assistant professor, University of Zadar, Department of pedagogy, Ulica 
Mihovila Pavlinovića 1, HR-23 000, Zadar Croatia; e-mail: mkarama@unizd.hr
Rozana Petani, PhD., associate professor, University of Zadar, Department of pedagogy, Ulica Mihovila 
Pavlinovića 1, HR-23 000 Zadar, Croatia; e-mail: rpetani@unizd.hr
Marijana Miočić, Kindergarten Radost - Zadar, HR-23 000 Zadar, Croatia; e-mail: marijanamiocic@
yahoo.com
1
 The results from this research were presented at the 2017 ATEE Annual Conference – Changing 
Perspectives and Approaches in Contemporary Teaching, which was held in Dubrovnik (Croatia) on 
23-25 October 2017.

 Karamatić Brčić, Petani, Miočić    157
Introduction
Since the concept of inclusive education in an educational institution implies 
a change to the overall practices, values and attitudes, the assumption is that the 
quality of its application depends largely on the work of the preschool teachers, 
associates and principals when it comes to early and preschool education. Defining 
and providing inclusive culture in the institutions of early education enables us to 
identify the key parameters that improve the quality of implementing inclusiveness 
at the institution level, including the relationship between the key participants of 
the inclusive process. In the context of this paper, inclusive culture is considered 
a key parameter for applying inclusiveness both in the educational community in 
the narrow sense of the word and in the socio-cultural community in the broader 
sense of the word. Inclusive culture as a main dimension of this paper refers to 
the presence of quality communication between the participants of the educational 
process in preschool institutions and the organisation of different inclusive activ-
ities to promote positive attitudes toward inclusion in general. The roles and tasks 
of preschool teachers in the contemporary pedagogical discourse are focused on 
building a culture of the institution that respects diversity on an individual level 
in the system of formal education. Building an inclusive environment and creating 
a community where everyone feels welcome promotes the adoption of inclusive 
values as the foundation of every society.
Thus, one of the most important points in improving the quality 
of early and preschool programmes is to enable the implementation of  
inclusive education. Carrying out that aim provides these children with 
the necessary competences for schooling, life and works within a natural  
environment. 
This study identifies how preschool teachers evaluate their competences for 
working with parents and how they rank different forms of their work with parents 
and determines how they perceive the elements of the inclusive culture at their 
institution. The results in this study shown that most of the respondents considered 
themselves competent at working with parents, particularly in terms of informing 
parents about their child’s progress and achievements and the problems they en-

158 Sodobna pedagogika/Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies  
 
Karamatić Brčić,  
Petani, Miočić
countered during their child’s stay at the preschool institution. The teachers also 
openly support the inclusive culture of the institution.
Inclusive environment – assumption for developing an inclusive culture 
at a preschool institution
Inclusion as a basic principle within the national curriculum implies that the 
overall organisation of the education system and the specific tasks, methods and 
forms of work are appropriate for each student irrespective of their background. The 
development of an inclusive culture is a task for each participant in the educational 
process at the preschool institution. Therefore, the challenge for preschool teachers 
is to create a place where all children, regardless of their background, feel welcome 
and respected. In such an environment, the children will learn and achieve more 
competences for their later education. Muthukrishna and Schluter (2011) showed 
that providing appropriate forms of learning and teaching for the development 
of inclusive schooling is one of the main aims for effective inclusion later in the 
education process. According to the National Curriculum for Early Childhood and 
Preschool Education and General Compulsory and High School Education of the 
Republic of Croatia (2011), inclusive education is based on the provision of conditions 
in a mainstream school system that enable children with special needs to acquire 
the necessary competencies. Because of the differences among children, there is 
an increasing need to use an individualised curriculum, which implies acquiring 
competences in accordance with the individual needs of each child and ensuring 
appropriate methods and forms of educational work. Overall, positive attitudes 
towards inclusion are essential for an effective inclusive process (Jeznik et al. 2018).
The organisational assumptions for providing inclusion in education (Dyson 
and Millward 2000) are based on the ever-increasing need for educational systems to 
have a clear operationalisation of inclusion at the level of the preschool environment. 
Certain models of rehabilitation that have been developed throughout history 
relate to the integration of people with special needs into the educational system or 
social world. These models are important for considering the relevance of preschool 
education because preschool represents the first formal level for education. The 
models of rehabilitation developed during the creation of inclusive practices discuss 
the correlation between models of rehabilitation and integration as the core of every 
society , and define the process of moving from integration to the inclusion of children 
with disabilities in the mainstream school system. For example, in the 1960s, the 
medical model prevailed, offering a representative concept in which a person with 
special needs was treated as a social problem and the focus was oriented towards 
the difficulty of each person. During the 1970s and 1980s, there was a transition 
from the medical model to a social model, which emphasised the including people 
with disabilities of any kind in social participation, not only in the broader social 
environment but also in the narrower educational environment (Alfirev 2000). 
According to Soldo (1986), educational and integral education should be seen 
as terms that relate to the transitional process. Sebba and Sachdev (1997) claimed 

 
Inclusive Culture in Preschool Institution – Pedagogical Competences of Preschool ...  159
that the negative attitudes of teachers toward inclusion, referring to the inclusion 
of children with special needs in the regular education system, are considered to 
be the most important obstacle to its successful implementation. The educational 
institution is responsible for ensuring the continuous development of its pupils as 
spiritual, moral, intellectual and working beings in accordance with their abilities 
and talents (Vukasović 2001). Other studies have also pointed out the beneficial 
effects of providing an inclusive experience in the pre-school context in the area 
of gaining the same social skills as peers without special needs. Inclusion in the 
regular school system contributes to good social skills for peers with and without 
special needs and highlights the importance of learning self-control (Ogelman and 
Secer 2012).
In the context of inclusive culture in early and pre-school education, preschool 
educators are key people in developing the nursery culture and achieving the set 
goals within and outside the educational setting. Therefore, we assumed a ped-
agogical view of inclusive culture where the role of the preschool teacher implies 
the competencies for providing and organising inclusion activities in the preschool 
institution. Providing inclusive culture in educational institutions requires several 
important factors such as material, personnel, programme and organisational 
structures. Each one of them are equally important in the inclusive process.
The role of immediate stakeholders in educational practice
The role of the preschool teacher in the implementation of inclusive education 
at a preschool institution requires certain competences for working with children 
with special needs and their families. For example, the pedagogic competences of 
preschool teachers are important for providing inclusive education. Within this 
paper , the pedagogic competences include effective communication skills and quality 
cooperation with direct stakeholders in everyday educational work. The humanistic 
approach to education requires two-way communication in which the child and 
teacher both feel accepted. Educational inclusion in theoretical considerations and 
practical solutions is a direct contribution to quality educational system. Children 
with special needs can be successful in acquiring and developing the necessary 
competencies for life and work, or in acquiring the knowledge, skills and habits 
that align with their capabilities. The role of the participants in the educational 
process in contemporary pedagogical discourse is focused on building a culture 
within the institution that accepts and respects the differences between children.
In the Republic of Croatia, the legal framework for implementing an inclusive 
education clearly defines the role and position of the key participants in the in-
clusive process. Educational inclusion in the legal documents in Croatia appears 
as a key principle that is equally important at all levels of the education system. 
In the following paragraphs we give an overview of some legislative documents 
outlining the importance of implementing the inclusive concept at the level of early 
and preschool education. 

160 Sodobna pedagogika/Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies  
 
Karamatić Brčić,  
Petani, Miočić
The Act on Preschool Education (2013) establishes the conditions for imple-
menting a pre-school education and the ways of caring for children of early and 
preschool age. Article 3 of this Act clarifies that the preschool education is realised 
in accordance with the developmental characteristics and needs of children and 
the social, cultural, religious and other needs of the family. This Act also emphas-
ises that the preschool education is based on the State Pedagogical Standard of 
Preschool Education (2008), which, among other guidelines, establishes the ways, 
conditions and obligations behind the process of including children with special needs 
into the regular preschool education system. Article 17 of the Act clarifies ways to 
organise programmes for children with special needs, emphasising that children 
with special needs have an advantage when enrolling in preschool institutions, and 
Article 15 of the Act indicates that the preschool education is based on the National 
Curriculum for Early Childhood and Preschool Education (2014), which contains 
the fundamental values of educating and training early and preschool children. 
One of the values of inclusive education is to raise awareness among peers, family 
members, and the environment in which they live so that children in preschool 
institutions learn to recognise and accept their own and others’ needs. Developing 
respect for diversity and building relationships in the community , thus encouraging 
the inclusion of children with special needs in the regular educational programme 
becomes the main aim of qualitative inclusion.
Understanding the importance of early and preschool education in the edu-
cational verticals of children and young people has raised the importance of an 
appropriate context for early and preschool education. Consequently, the Ministry 
of Education accepted the framework principles of quality early and preschool 
education of the EU countries by developing a Strategy of Education, Science 
and Technology (2014), which proposed permanent guidelines for improving the 
educational system. The main objective of the strategy was to provide a quality 
educational system that offers equal opportunities for every child. The strategy is 
based on four values, one of which is to provide equal conditions for each child to 
achieve their individual potential. In addition, a comprehensive support system 
should be established for children with developmental special needs, taking into 
account their specificity of learning, the differences in the dynamics of the learning 
progress and their personal interests, motivational factors and individual abilities. 
It is also important to organise support systems for the parents of children with 
special needs, transform educational institutions into a friendly environment for 
children with special needs and establish a national support network for inclusive 
education. These documents show that the Republic of Croatia understands the 
importance of including children with special needs in the regular educational 
system and acknowledge its role in engaging them in the daily life of the community .
As the family is the first educational and social environment that the child 
encounters, the inclusive culture of the institution implies the involvement of the 
parents. An inclusive education requires a strong partnership and regular commu-
nication between families and preschool teachers about the children, their learning 
and development, the programme requirements and the events at the preschool 
institutions. The preschool teacher is the key factor that links the school, family and 

 
Inclusive Culture in Preschool Institution – Pedagogical Competences of Preschool ...  161
community . Different structures, origins, lifestyles and characteristics of the families 
and communities in which children live must be taken into account to support the 
child’s development and learning. By involving the family in the decision-making 
related to the different environments in which children are taught, the inclusive 
preschool teacher can use formal and informal opportunities to communicate and 
exchange information with families. Some research shows that good cooperation 
with families and experts is particularly important among the preschool teacher’s. 
All together, they must provide clear curriculum aims including all individual 
needs of the children. In that frame they promote inclusive culture in preschool 
institutions and active participation of preschool teacher in assessments of special 
needs of children (Bouillet 2011; Brooker 2011; Brooker 2014; Lambiase 2014; 
Stage et al. 2017). The partnership between preschool teachers and parents is 
therefore important for the social development of the child in kindergarten and it 
requires a certain level of trust, openness, tolerance, objectivity and willingness 
to respect the personal and professional competencies; mutual respect; sharing 
of emotions and skills; harmonisation of educational impacts; and the joint resol-
ution of problems in the development and education of children (Mlinarević and 
Tomas 2010). A partnership is a situation where an exchange of information is 
possible, counselling is arranged, mutual learning is induced and responsibilities 
are equally distributed to have a positive impact on the development of the child. 
According to Ljubetić (2009), being aware and accepting its role means building a 
quality partnership, which makes the role of every expert in the educational process 
complex. The pedagogical employee also requires the competence to establish and 
develop partnerships (Slunjski et al. 2006; Gittell 2012).
Methodology
Aim of the Research 
This study identifies how preschool teachers perceive their competences to 
work with children’s parents and how they rank the different forms of work with 
parents and determines how the teachers perceive the elements of the inclusive 
culture at their institution.
Problems of the Research 
The following research questions were formulated:
 – How do preschool teachers determine their pedagogical competences to work 
with parents and how do they rank the different educational forms of work 
with parents?
 – What do the preschool teachers think about their previous education and the 
importance of legislative forms in inclusive education? 

162 Sodobna pedagogika/Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies  
 
Karamatić Brčić,  
Petani, Miočić
 – How do the preschool teachers determine the elements of the inclusive  
environment at their preschool institution?
Sample
This study used a sample of 160 female preschool teachers from preschool in-
stitutions in the city of Zadar . Figure 1 shows the number of years the respondents 
had worked at a preschool institution. The majority of the respondents had been 
working at a preschool institution for 6 to 15 years (Figure 1).
Less than 6 
years
13%
From 6 to 15 
years
49%
From 16 to 25 
years 
28%
Figure 1: Number of working years.
In Croatia, children in preschool institutions are divided into several groups. 
Most of the preschool teachers work with mixed groups of children aged 2 to 7 
years (Figure 2). If one child with major or combined disabilities is included in the 
educational group, the number of children is reduced by four (State Pedagogical 
Standard of Preschool 2008). 
Toddler 
group (12-36 
months)
23%
Preschool 
group (4-7 
years)
19%
Mixed group 
(2-7 years)
56%
No answer
2%
Figure 2: Working groups 

 
Inclusive Culture in Preschool Institution – Pedagogical Competences of Preschool ...  163
Since Croatian children with special needs are included in mainstream early 
and preschool education programmes, 36% of preschool teachers work with chil-
dren with special needs who are integrated into the preschool groups (Figure 3). 
According to the State Pedagogical Standard of Preschool Education (2008), the 
mainstream preschool programme for children with special needs defines which 
types of disabilities and degrees of difficulty can be included. It is important that 
each child, despite the specific conditions, can participate in the regular educational 
programme with other children. For children with severe difficulties, specific con-
ditions can be arranged if necessary.
YES
36%
NO
63%
No answer
1%
Figure 3: A child with special needs integrated in the preschool institution.
Instruments
In this study, we designed a questionnaire comprising 23 statements for the 
self-assessment of the teachers’ competences, which included a Likert-type scale for 
nine statements related to working with parents and a Likert-type scale comprising 
11 statements to measure the teachers’ perceptions of inclusive culture at their 
institution. The respondents were asked to give one of five possible responses on 
the scale, ranging from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree), to express their 
level of agreement with the statement. Furthermore, the questionnaire consisted 
also three statements measured on a Likert-type scale, to assess their views about 
the legal regulation of inclusion and education of preschool teacher. Finally, the 
respondents were asked three open-ended questions to elicit their opinions about 
providing a qualitative inclusive education. 

164 Sodobna pedagogika/Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies  
 
Karamatić Brčić,  
Petani, Miočić
Results and Discussion
Competences for Working with Children’s Parents
The examined variables related to examining the teachers’ competences 
for working with the children’s parents could be grouped into three categories: 
the teachers’ pedagogical knowledge and the education of the preschool teachers 
(statements 1, 3, 9, 12, 15, 19, 21, 23); the teachers’ competence in cooperating 
with parents (statements 4, 5, 6, 8, 13, 14, 22) and the teachers’ current and future 
cooperation with parents (2, 7, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 20).
VARIABLES
%
1 2 3 4 5
I consider myself sufficiently competent for quality pedagogical 
work with parents.
45.6 41.9 5.6 5.6 1.3
I am ready to cooperate more with parents on child welfare. 77.5 14.4 2.5 3.8 1.9
During my studies I am sufficiently trained for quality co-
operation with parents.
16.9 31.9 21.9 13.8 15.0
Working with parents burdened me more than working with 
children.
18.1 28.1 27.5 12.5 13.8
I do not have the necessary knowledge nor skills for systematic 
work with parents (lectures, workshops, management ...).
3.8 21.3 24.4 23.1 27.5
For better quality work with parents, I need specific skills that I 
do not own.
1.9 14.4 18.8 16.9 48.1
I am ready to work more with parents to raise their parental 
competence.
46.9 32.5 12.5 5.6 2.5
I feel neither comfortable nor safe when I am in front of parents 
(meetings, lectures, workshops ...).
6.3 23.1 17.5 17.5 35.6
I believe that the knowledge and skills needed to work with 
parents will be gained in some additional education (theory of 
choice, ‘critical thinking’, NLP , etc.).
29.4 36.3 22.5 9.4 2.5
Contemporary parents have high expectations of educators when 
it comes to pedagogical management, teacher education, help in 
resolving problems with the child and the like.
51.3 25.6 13.3 3.8 5.6
Quality work with parents is far more than informing about the 
achievements of the child.
66.3 21.3 7.5 2.5 2.5
In acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills to work with 
parents, it would help me if continuous workshops (trainings) 
were organised in and outside of kindergarten.
35.6 39.4 18.8 3.1 3.1
Most educators lack specific knowledge about parenting. 12.5 24.4 33.8 10.6 18.8
I do not know how to ‘deal’ with most of the questions 
(situations, problems) that parents address with me. 
0.6 9.4 15.6 21.9 52.5
Educators have sufficient knowledge of the needs of children 
and how to respond adequately to them, but are not ‘good’ in 
transferring this knowledge to parents.
2.5 35.6 29.4 15.6 16.9

 
Inclusive Culture in Preschool Institution – Pedagogical Competences of Preschool ...  165
‘Classical’ informative parents meetings with modern parents 
are no longer sufficient.
23.1 25.0 29.4 16.3 6.3
It is necessary to invest a lot of effort to help encourage parents 
for cooperation.
36.9 33.8 18.1 6.3 5.0
Parents expect counselling from kindergarten teachers with 
whom they are in good relationship.
41.9 38.8 13.8 2.5 3.1
During the study, it required a lot more attention to prepare 
students to work with parents.
58.1 26.9 8.8 3.1 3.1
Kindergarten teachers should know to help parents perform 
parental obligations.
21.3 33.1 32.5 6.3 6.9
Kindergarten teachers are not adequately trained for parents’ 
pedagogical education.
10.0 35.0 39.4 7.5 8.1
Most educators lack communicative skills. 11.3 36.3 30.6 7.5 14.4
The permanent professional development of kindergarten 
teachers should be directed to a much greater extent towards 
training for better quality work with parents.
26.9 43.1 21.3 3.8 5.0
Table 1: Competences for working with children’s parents
The data obtained show that while almost 87.5% of respondents agree that 
they are pedagogically competent for performing quality work with the children’s 
parents (VAR 1), 65.7% of the respondents believe that they need additional educa-
tion for working with parents (VAR 9) and 45% of the respondents agreed with the 
statement that preschool teachers are not adequately trained to work with parents 
(VAR 21). These results show that preschool teachers are aware of the knowledge 
lacking from their teacher education.
Regarding the assessment of the competence in cooperating with parents, 46.2% 
of the respondents expressed that the work with parents placed a heavier burden 
on them than working with children (VAR 4). Additionally, while more than half 
of the respondents evaluated their competences for working with parents highly 
(VAR 5, 6), they found this part of the job to be burdensome. Of the preschool 
teachers, 47.6% agreed that, in most cases, they lack sufficient communication skills  
(VAR 22).
Regarding their future cooperation, 91.9% of the respondents were more 
willing to cooperate with parents on the welfare of the children (VAR 2), and 
79.4% of respondents were more willing to work with parents to raise their par-
ental competence (VAR 7). Therefore, the preschool teachers were interested in 
raising their quality of work. The results also showed that 76.9% of respondents 
agreed with the statement that modern parents expect a lot from their preschool 
teachers such as pedagogical management, education and solving childcare problems  
(VAR 10). However, 70.7% of the respondents believed that a lot of effort is needed 
to encourage parents to cooperate (VAR 17) and that preschool teachers should 
know how to help parents perform their parental obligations (VAR 20).

166 Sodobna pedagogika/Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies  
 
Karamatić Brčić,  
Petani, Miočić
Cooperation with Parents
The second part of the questionnaire aimed to determine how preschool teachers 
rank different forms of their work with parents. The respondents were offered nine 
statements relating to cooperating with parents, which they were asked to rank 
from 1 to 9. Table 2 shows the results of the ranking.
No. STATEMENTS
Working with parents means…
Rank
1. informing them about progress, achievements and problems with the child. 1
2. holding occasional parent meetings. 9
3. maintaining thematic lectures at the choice of parents. 3
4. maintaining thematic lectures at the choice of preschool teacher, professional associates, etc. 4
5. organising and implementing joint activities and actions of parents, children and educators. 5
6. conducting continuous workshops aimed at parents’ pedagogical education. 8
7. leading parents with the aim of overcoming problem situations (family situation, relationships, 
difficulties in educating children with special needs, etc.).
7
8. active involvement of parents in the implementation of programmes in the group (reading of 
stories, making of didactic materials, visits, drama section etc.).
2
9. conducting discussion groups of parents on different topics (needs of children, educational 
difficulties, behavioural disorders, preschool programmes etc.).
6
Table 2: Cooperation with parents
The results are obtained by counting the frequencies at which each rank was 
selected. As Table 2 shows, the respondents ranked informing parents about the 
progress and achievements of their child and the problems that their child encoun-
ters while at the preschool institution first. The second place in the rankings was 
the active involvement of parents in the implementation of programmes in their 
children’s group (reading stories, making didactic material visits, drama sections, 
etc.). The third place in the rank list is maintaining parenting sessions with the 
topics suggested by parents. The fourth place in the rank list is the selection of 
thematic lectures by educators and professional associates. Preschool teachers 
consider that the quality of the educational process, or partnership with parents, 
contributes to the organisation and implementation of joint activities, involving 
parents in various activities carried out within preschool institutions, which ranked 
fifth in the table. The sixth place in the table focuses on quality co-operation with 
parents, which is manifested in the management of parents’ discussion groups on 
different topics (children’s needs, educational difficulties, behavioural disorders, 
preschool programmes etc.). The seventh place is leading parents with the aim 
of overcoming the problematic situations (family situation, family relationships, 
difficulties in raising children, children with special needs, etc.). Eighth place is 
conducting continuous workshops to increase the level of pedagogical competences 
of parents. The preschool teachers consider holding occasional parental meetings 

 
Inclusive Culture in Preschool Institution – Pedagogical Competences of Preschool ...  167
the least important. This last result implies that preschool teachers inform the 
parents about the progress of their child in their everyday communication; thus, 
they do not have to wait for the parent meetings.
Education and Legislation 
In the follow-up statements, we posed several ones to the respondents, which 
referred to education and legislation (Table 3). 
No.
QUESTIONS Mean St. Dev.
1.
Do you feel that you have acquired enough knowledge during your studies to work 
with children with special needs?
3.706 1.236
3. 
Did the education offered by the Agency of Education help in your day-to-day work 
with children with special needs?
3.012 7.875
6.
I consider appropriate legislation for inclusion and integration of children with 
special needs.
2.78 1.033
Table 3: Education and legislation
A preschool teacher has to complete a three-year undergraduate course at 
the faculty of education in Croatia, which has specific teaching facilities for future 
preschool teachers to acquire the necessary qualifications, knowledge, skills and 
competences for teaching all children. In our study , most of the respondents expressed 
a partial disagreement with the claim that they had acquired enough knowledge 
during their studies to work with children with special needs. This finding is in line 
with previous research (Bouillet and Loborec 2012, Kudek Mirošević and Jurčević 
Lozančić 2014), which showed that preschool teachers generally have a positive 
approach to inclusion but they are concerned about their lack of knowledge and 
competence in dealing with children with special needs. The inclusion of children 
with special needs in preschool education leads to the need for unified knowledge 
from two areas: early and pre-school education and education for inclusion and 
diversity. The results obtained indicate that preschool teachers are obliged to 
take care of children with special needs as soon as they graduate, but they lack 
the relevant knowledge. Continuous professional development of the preschool 
teacher is a necessary prerequisite for developing a preschool inclusive culture 
and for understanding and adapting one’s own practices (Slunjski 2006). Such 
development will enable the preschool teacher to become a reflexive researcher 
of his own practice and to construct the culture of the preschool institution with 
the children. Additionally, most of the respondents partially agreed with the 
statement regarding the legal regulations, which suggests that the preschool 
teachers are not fully satisfied with the way in which the inclusion and integration 
of children with special needs is carried out within their institution of preschool  
education.

168 Sodobna pedagogika/Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies  
 
Karamatić Brčić,  
Petani, Miočić
In addition to the questions mentioned above, the respondents were asked 
the following three open-ended questions: 
 – From which courses did you acquire some knowledge in this field? 
 – What do you think would be helpful for you to work better with children with 
special needs? 
 – Do you think the expectations of parents and preschool teachers about the 
material and organisational conditions in preschool institutions for working 
with children with special needs are appropriate?
 The respondents reported that they took the following courses during their 
study such as: Special Pedagogy, Pedagogy of Children with Special Needs, De-
velopmental Psychology. Regarding, what additional education they would need 
to improve their competences, 26% claimed that additional training, seminars, 
professional training and workshops would help them to work with children with 
special needs. Others pointed out that they needed more assistance from professional 
experts (e.g. pedagogues, psychologists, speech therapists), a smaller number of 
children in the educational groups (for one child with lesser difficulty , the number 
of children in the group decreases for two children), an assistant (the position of 
assistants in a preschool institution in Croatia is not yet legally regulated) or a third 
preschool teacher in the group (trainee) and better cooperation with the parents. 
Of the respondents, 21% did not answer the question. In the Republic of Croatia, 
it is not possible for children at preschool institutions to have a personal assistant, 
as is the case in elementary schools; however, the role of a third preschool teacher 
raises the quality of working with children with special needs. In some European 
countries, teaching assistants are regular professions in the educational systems 
(Webster and Blatchford 2015). Over 50% of the respondents also believed that par-
ents’ and preschool teachers’ expectations of material and organisational conditions 
in preschool institutions are not harmonised. To work with children with special 
needs, besides the previous and high quality education of the preschool teachers, 
the preschool institution should also provide good material conditions for work, 
arrange spaces for children with various difficulties and offer flexible school hours. 
Inclusive Culture at a Preschool Institution 
The school culture is built on the norms, values, beliefs, traditions and rituals 
that have developed over time as people work together, solve problems and con-
front challenges. This set of informal expectations and values shapes how people 
think, feel and act in schools (Peterson and Deal 1998, p. 28). The clear role of 
key stakeholders in the educational process is aimed at building an educational 
institution where everyone feels welcomed. Providing effective inclusive education 
implicates many more elements than merely having the presence of children with 
special needs in the regular preschool system. Quality inclusion in school means 
making improvements on many levels for each student (Skrtic et al. 1996). Table 
4 shows the preschool teachers’ perceptions of inclusive culture at the institution.

 
Inclusive Culture in Preschool Institution – Pedagogical Competences of Preschool ...  169
No. STATEMENTS Mean St. Dev.
1. In our preschool institution, everybody feels welcome. 1.418 0.928
2. Children help and accept each other. 1.687 0.884
3. Educators, co-workers and the director cooperate with each other. 2.056 1.161
4. The local community is involved in work of preschool institution. 2.525 1.170
5. There is a partnership between educators, associates and parents. 2.187 1.214
6. Educators and parents work well together. 1.837 1.033
7. Expectations and wishes for participation are high for all children. 2.218 1.097
8. Educators, professional associates, principals and parents share the 
commitment to involvement.
2.431 1.174
9. All children are equally important. 1.337 1.008
10. The role of all participants in the educational process in kindergarten 
(educators, professional associates, parents, principals and children) is clear 
and meaningful.
1.850 1.111
11. Preschool teachers, educational experts and children respect each other as 
human beings and they are aware of their roles. 
2.181 1.148
Table 4: Inclusive culture of preschool institution
The questionnaire for examining the perception of the inclusive culture of an 
educational institution comprised 11 statements, with which the preschool teachers 
expressed their degree of agreement. The preschool teachers showed a relatively 
high level of agreement with the statement regarding the existence of an inclusive 
culture at their institution as well as the existence of positive communication among 
co-workers at their educational institution. The preschool teachers expressed the 
highest degree of agreement with the statement that everyone in the preschool 
institution is welcome (M = 1.42) and with the statement that all children are 
equally important (M = 1.34). Considering that the content structure of the stated 
particles focuses on the quality of cooperation between the participants of the edu-
cational institution and the high awareness of the acceptance of diversity among 
children, we consider there is a positive tendency towards accepting inclusion in 
the educational institution, thus raising the quality of the inclusion culture in the 
preschool educational process.
The preschool teachers further expressed a positive degree of agreement with 
the statements concerning the role and importance of partnership and the quality 
of cooperation between the participants in the inclusion process at the level of the 
educational institution. Specifically, we indicate the importance of the role of the 
preschool teachers, professional associates, principals and parents. In view of the 
above, we conclude that the preschool institutions included in this research are 
places where quality inclusive practice is carried out with a clear inclusive culture. 
The statement that the respondents put to the middle of the Likert scale relates 
to the role of the local community involved in the work of preschool institutions. 

170 Sodobna pedagogika/Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies  
 
Karamatić Brčić,  
Petani, Miočić
This finding shows that the external stakeholders can improve their involvement 
in the implementation of inclusion at the local community level by organising activ-
ities oriented to placing social importance on the process of inclusion. In terms of 
raising the quality and culture of the institution, the role of external stakeholders 
in the educational process at the local, regional and national levels is one of the 
fundamental aims of establishing the institutional culture as a whole.
The organisation of inclusive activities requires making various assumptions 
at each level of the educational system with the aim of gaining a positive perspective 
towards providing an inclusive education at the preschool level, especially because 
of the importance of a successful start to formal education. Creating an inclusive 
culture thus becomes the main task for all participants in the process.
Wiener and Tardif (2004) examined the effect of including students with special 
needs in regular classes, with the focus on the special needs students’ friendships 
with other children, solitude, self-perception and social skills, and they compared 
the results with students who were not included in the regular school system. The 
results showed that the students who were included in the regular classes had 
higher positive academic self-perceptions and were much more satisfied in their 
relationships with other children than those who did not included in the regular 
classes. Those elements are important for creating quality inclusive culture. Every 
child should be happy in the educational process.
Positive attitudes for including children in the regular school system are the 
most important assumption for providing qualitative inclusion in preschool groups. 
One reason for not including special needs students is the lack of preparation and 
competence of preschool teachers to meet children’s special needs.
Conclusion 
The equal participation of key stakeholders in establishing conditions for an 
inclusive education is a prerequisite for its successful implementation at the level 
of practice and work of the institution. The preschool teacher must achieve the 
necessary competences for organising, implementing and providing inclusion at the 
preschool level. The preschool teacher must also promote two-way communication 
at all levels of co-operation and develop self-determination and motivation to realise 
the set goals, with the emphasis on involving families in the implementation of 
inclusion at the institutional level. Since the concept of an inclusive education in-
volves every level of the educational system, its effective implementation relies on 
organising activities that promote an inclusive culture at each level of the preschool 
institution. The aim is to ensure the continuous cooperation of all participants in 
the education practice to improve the organisation and implementation of inclusive 
education on every school level in the system formal education. 
The limitations of this research include the small group of respondents which 
prevents us from making generalisations, the metric characteristics should be better , 
and we examined only one level of the educational system.  

 
Inclusive Culture in Preschool Institution – Pedagogical Competences of Preschool ...  171
The research results show the importance of defining the key elements for 
building a qualitative inclusive environment in a preschool institution where every 
participant has a clear role. The results also indicate that an inclusive education 
has moved on from being theoretical to the development of practical solutions. The 
results of this research can be used to create specific programmes for working with 
children with special needs.
References
Act on Preschool Education. (2013). Retrieved from: https://www.zakon.hr/z/492/ (accessed 
on 6. 3. 2019).
Alfirev, M. (2000). A Social Model of Rehabilitation of Persons with Mental Retardation. 
Revija za rehabilitacijska istraživanja, 36, issue 1, pp. 9–16.
Brooker, L. (2011). Taking children seriously: An alternative agenda for research? Journal 
of Early Childhood Research, 9, issue 2, pp. 137–149.
Brooker, L. (2014). Childminders, parents and policy: Testing the triangle of care. Journal 
of Early Childhood Research, 14, issue 1, pp. 69–83.
Bouillet, D. (2011). Competencies of pre-school teachers for inclusive practice. Pedagogijska 
istraživanja, 8, issue 2, pp. 323–340.
Bouillet, D. and Loborec, M. (2012). Survey of the educators’ assessment about the possi-
bilities of the inclusion of children with ADHD syndrome into regular kindergartens. 
Napredak, 153, issue 1, pp. 21–38.
Douglass, A. and Hoffer Gittell, J. (2012). Transforming professionalism: Relational bu-
reaucracy and parent-teacher partnerships in child care settings. Journal of Early 
Childhood Research, 10, issue 3, pp. 267–281.
Dyson, A. and Millward A. (2000). Schools and Special Needs: Issues of Innovation and 
Inclusion. London: Paul Chapman Publishing Ltd.
Jeznik, K., Ermenc, K. S. and Mažgon, J. (2018). A festival as a pedagogical tool to promote 
inclusion in the community and in schools. Problems of Education in the 21st Century, 
76, issue 2, pp. 159–174.
Kudek Mirošević, J. and Jurčević Lozančić, A. (2014). Attitudes of educators and teachers 
regarding the implementation of inclusion in regular preschools and primary schools. 
Hrvatska revija za rehabilitacijska istraživanja, 50, issue 2, pp. 17–29.
Lambiase, K. (2014). The Benefits of Parent-School Partnerships: A Cooperative Approach 
to Increase Student Learning & Achievement. Masters of Arts in Education Action 
Research Papers, 48, pp. 1–49. 
Ljubetić, M. (2009). Child-Friendly Kindergarten: How to Evaluate Quality in Early and 
Pre-School Teaching: A Guide for Educators and Parents. Zagreb: Školske novine.
Muthukrishna, N. and Schlüter, H. (2011). Towards socially just, inclusive school cultures.  
International Studies in Educational Administration Journal of the Commonwealth 
Council for Educational Administration & Management, 39, issue 1, pp. 19–32.
Mlinarević, V . and Tomas, S. (2010). Partnership between Parents and Preschool Teachers - 
Factor for Developing Children’s Social Competences. Magistra Iadertina, 5, pp. 143–158.

172 Sodobna pedagogika/Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies  
 
Karamatić Brčić,  
Petani, Miočić
National Curriculum for Early Childhood and Preschool Education. (2014). Retrieved from: 
https://www.azoo.hr/images/strucni2015/Nacionalni-kurikulum-za-rani-i-predskolski-
odgoj-i-obrazovanje.pdf (accessed on 6. 4. 2019).
National Curriculum Framework for Preschool Education and General Compulsory and 
High School Education of the Republic of Croatia. (2011). Zagreb: MZOŠ.
Ogelman, H. G. and Secer , Z. (2012). The effect inclusive education practice during preschool 
has on the peer relations and social skills of 5-6-year olds with typical development. 
International Journal of Special Education, 27, issue 3, pp. 169–175.
Peterson, K. D. and Deal, T . E. (1998). How leaders influens the culture of schools, Educa-
tional Leadreship, 56, issue 1, pp. 28–30.
Sebba, J. and Sachdev , D. (1997). What works in inclusive education? Barkingside: Barnardos. 
Skrtic, T . M., Sailor, W . and Gee, K. (1996). Voice, collaboration and inclusion. Remedial and 
Special education, 17, issue 3, pp. 142–157.
Slunjski, E. (2006). Creating a pre-school curriculum in a kindergarten – a learning orga-
nization. Zagreb: Mali profesor.
Slunjski, E., Šagud, M. and Brajša Žganec, A. (2006). Teacher’s/educator’s competences in 
a learning organization, Pedagogijska istraživanja, 3, issue 1, pp. 45–59.
Stage, V . C., Wilkerson K., Hegde A., Lisson S., Babatunde O. T. and Goodell L. S. (2017). 
Head Start administrator and teacher perceptions of parental influence on preschool 
children’s nutrition education. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 16, issue 2, pp. 
160–175.
Soldo, N. (1986). Educational Integration of Children with Physical Disability, Association 
of Self-Governing Interest Communities of Education and Primary Education SRH. 
Zagreb: Defektološka biblioteka.
State Pedagogical Standard of Preschool Education. (2008). Retrieved from: https://narodne-
novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2008_06_63_2128.html (accessed on 5. 4. 2019).
Strategy of Education, Science and Technology. (2014). Retrieved from: https://narodne-
novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2014_10_124_2364.html (accessed on 4. 5. 2019).
Vukasović, A. (2001). Pedagogija. Zagreb: Katolički zbor “Mi”.
Webster , R. and Blatchford, P . (2015). Worlds apart? The nature and quality of the educational 
experiences of pupils with a Statement for special educational needs in mainstream 
primary schools, British Educational Research Journal, 41, issue 2, pp. 324–342.
Wiener , J. and Tardif, C. Y . (2004). Social and emotional functioning of children with learning 
disabilities: Does special education placement make a difference? Learning Disabilities 
Research and Practice, 19, issue 1, 20–32.

 
Inclusive Culture in Preschool Institution – Pedagogical Competences of Preschool ...  173
Matilda KARAMATIĆ BRČIĆ (Univerza v Zadru, Hrvaška)
Rozana PETANI (Univerza v Zadru, Hrvaška)
Marijana MIOČIĆ (Vrtec Veselje, Zadar)
INKLUZIVNA KULTURA IN PEDAGOŠKE KOMPETENCE VZGOJITELJEV V USTANOVAH 
PREDŠOLSKE VZGOJE NA HRVAŠKEM
Povzetek: Inkluzivna naravnanost vzgoje in izobraževanja neposredno prispeva k razvoju kakovostne 
inkluzivne prakse na vseh stopnjah izobraževalnega sistema. Inkluzivna kultura predvideva vpletenost 
vseh deležnikov v vzgojno-izobraževalnem procesu. Na področju izobraževanja je inkluzija povezana tudi 
z zagotavljanjem možnosti otrokom s posebnimi potrebami, da so lahko uspešni pri razvoju kompetenc, 
ki jih potrebujejo za življenje in delo, ter pri usvajanju znanja ter razvoju spretnosti in navad skladno s 
svojimi zmožnostmi. V empirični raziskavi obravnavamo pedagoške kompetence vzgojiteljev predšolskih 
otrok v sistemu predšolske vzgoje kot se kažejo na področju sodelovanja s starši, ki so ključni deležniki v 
inkluzivnih procesih in skozi njihovo zaznavanje inkluzivnosti vzgojno-izobraževalnega okolja. Sodobni 
pedagoški diskurz poudarja pomembno vlogo vzgojiteljev pri oblikovanju predšolske ustanove, ki spoštuje 
različnost vanjo vključenih otrok. Prizadevanja za vzpostavitev inkluzivnega okolja ter ustvarjanje sku-
pnosti, v kateri se vsakdo počuti sprejetega, spodbuja tudi uveljavljanje inkluzivnih vrednot kot temelja 
vsake družbe. Na Hrvaškem je udejanjanje koncepta inkluzije na področju predšolske vzgoje še vedno 
nesistematično in le deloma uveljavljeno. Analiza empiričnih ugotovitev kaže, da obstaja potreba po 
strokovnem usposabljanju pedagoških strokovnih delavcev za kakovostno implementacijo inkluzivne 
vzgoje v predšolskih ustanovah. 
Ključne besede: inkluzivna kultura, sodelovanje s starši, pedagoške kompetence, predšolski vzgojitelji, 
kakovost vzgoje in izobraževanje
E-naslov: mkarama@unizd.hr