The Experiences and Professional Challenges of Preschool Educators During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown: Reflections From Bosnia And Herzegovina

Dženeta Camović

Summary:  Like many countries, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has faced the challenge of ensuring continuity in education in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic; therefore, different methods of dealing with the crisis have been devised accordingly by the Ministry of education and the kindergarten management. This paper analyses the experiences and challenges of preschool educators during and after the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown in BiH. Qualitative research was conducted with 19 preschool educators, selected using  snowball sampling.  The data were collected through a semi-structured interview and processed using qualitative content analysis. The results of the research indicate a number of challenges encountered by preschool educators. During the lockdown, the biggest challenge was the use of technology and ensuring continuity in education, while in the period after the lockdown, the shortage of educators and the organization of work with respect to epidemiological measures came to the fore. Analysing the experiences of educators during and after the lockdown, it can be concluded that the quality of preschool education during the Covid-19 pandemic can be improved if educators are provided with adequate support in dealing with the challenges posed by the crisis situation.