Play, research work and critical dialogue in teaching: Class teacher experiences

The demands of the modern society have led to changes in the concept of education and to the approach to learning based on active construction of knowledge, the development of divergent thinking, initiative and cooperative behaviour through encouraging reflective practice in all participants in the process of education. This paper reports on the results of a research referring to the implementation, monitoring and reflection of practice, i.e. the analysis of teacher experiences from experimental classes. The aim of the research was to determine the way in which teachers perceive the use of research work, critical dialogue and play in class teaching. Research participants were 12 third- and fourth-grade primary school teachers from Belgrade. Qualitative methodology was used to analyse the data obtained by encouraging reflective practice in teachers. A significant finding is that the change in the approach to learning has created the conditions for motivation, autonomy and self-organisation of students at the group level, in which the teacher plays the role of a mentor and coordinator of activities. Teaching that is organised and conceptualised in this way creates the conditions for students to develop awareness on their own learning through different phases of work, as well as to monitor and manage it. A recommendation for further implementation of the researched approaches and methods refers to providing support to teachers to continuously use these methods of work in teaching and to exchange the ideas and experiences from classes through reflective practice.