Professional training of teachers as an important role in encouraging development of a modern age children

Abstract

Changes made in all of the important human activities and social life areas inevitable require accepting professional development as a part of our life, and not as an alternative choice of a few enthusiasts. "School" also must adapt to this contemporarily discontinuity period which "traditional educational conception" makes often "unstable". Learners aren’t "unified" and teaching isn’t just a "routine". Besides parents, teachers have a leading role in encouraging developing and preparing children for complex role as a "world citizens". They are also fundamental carriers of all educational changes. On the other hand, a large number of world educational reforms failed because teacher’s respectable role in child life and social development in general where neglected. Authors in this paper are examining some actual educational issues which sometimes give impression that the process of the lifelong learning and teacher professional development is between "real world" and "distant" future. This paper presents results of empirical research from 2006, conducted on wide range of primary and comprehensive school teachers (basic assembly of 12 825 teachers) from Zagreb and nine Croatian regions. Given results can contribute raising educational competence efficiency of teachers as one of the fundamental premises for appropriate development stimulation of modern generations of children and youth.