תפיסת התפקידים של הסייעת ושל הגננת בגן הילדים – הכול בעיני המתבוננת

The roles and responsibilities of preschool teacher assistants have expanded in recent years, and now also include, besides organizational aspects and the kindergarten ׳s maintenance, a pedagogical role in coordination with the teacher. Since the definition of the preschool teacher assistant role in the Director General׳s Circular (Ministry of Education, 2001) is unclear, it can be interpreted in different ways. The present study examines perceptions of the preschool teacher and teacher assistant roles from the perspectives of preschool teachers and assistants, and the differences between them. Preschool teachers and teacher assistants completed a questionnaire examining three aspects of their role perceptions: organizational, pedagogical, and contact with officials. The results indicate a gap between teachers and assistants in their role perceptions. The assistants view their role as a combination of pedagogical aspects and aspects necessitating contact with officials, to a greater degree than the teachers. Furthermore, the assistants view their role as pedagogical in all the measures of the aspect. This study facilitates further understanding of the differences between the role perceptions of preschool teachers and assistants, and may improve the relationship between them in the future by defining and clarifying their roles. This improvement is likely to contribute to fostering an optimal climate in the kindergarten. The present study has practical implications in the field of training preschool teacher assistant candidates.