Preschool teachers’ perspectives on the purpose of a child portfolio in the preschool curriculum: The case of Serbia

Dr. Živka Krnjaja and Dr. Dragana Pavlović-Breneselović

Summary:  This paper presents an analysis of the different approaches to creating a child portfolio and  its purpose as per different curriculum orientations. In our research on preschool teachers’ perspectives  on the purpose of a child portfolio, we focused on their overall attitudes as well as their opinions on the  functions and practice of developing of a portfolio. In total, 140 preschool teachers participated in the  research. We used a questionnaire specifically developed for this purpose as the primary research tool.  The research findings show that preschool teachers have different perspectives in terms of their attitudes  and understanding of how to use child portfolios. When identifying problems in using a child portfolio,  preschool teachers mostly attribute them to the structural aspects of preschool and, to a certain extent,  to the fact that the purpose of a portfolio is not clearly defined in the curriculum framework. Preschool  teachers’ suggestions for the support they need in developing a child portfolio may be used as the basis  for providing systemic support to practitioners in understanding the purpose of and developing a portfolio  as a way of documenting children’s engagement and participation in the preschool curriculum.