How pandemics like COVID-19 change education in early childhood: the music practice and tendencies in Serbia

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis paper explores whether a Serbia preschool institution is prepared for education during the pandemic. The research subject is nine kindergarten-preschool units where 140 teachers work with about 2500 children up to 6.5 years. We examined all teachers that work in preschool units. The study aims, for a case study of music education, to answer: Whether the COVID-19 pandemic affected the change in the educational work in the field of music in preschool; Can web-based applications and educational resources improve preschool music outcomes, especially during a pandemic; Would web applications and educational resources reduce financial costs; Would web applications and educational resources enhance parent-teacher communication. The findings show preschool teachers mostly use traditional offline educational techniques and tools but need more online learning tools, Web resources, and applications, especially when working remotely. They believe such resources can reduce financial costs and improve parent-teacher communication. The study found that the pandemic has forced changes in practice. However, according to teachers, these changes can enhance future post-pandemic practice thanks to web-based educational technologies that more closely connect all participants in early childhood education.KEYWORDS: Early childhood educationmusic education in preschoolteachers’ attitudeskindergarten teachersCOVID-19 AcknowledgmentThe Faculty of pedagogy, University of Niš, Serbia, fully supported this research.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1 In Serbia, preschool and kindergarten are both included in the same institution. The institution usually covers all preschool and kindergarten units in the local area. One local unit is both − preschool and kindergarten. It is commonly called ‘kindergarten’.