Teacher s Training in the Czech Republic II

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1 Teacher s Training in the Czech Republic II Marcela Grecvá, Zdeněk Hrdlička, Vernika Ppvá Institute f Chemical Technlgy Prague (Czech Republic) Zdenek.Hrdlicka@vscht.cz Abstract LLP-2011-IT-COMENIUS-CNW This paper deals with the current state f teachers training in the Czech Republic. It summarizes the tpics f past cnferences and fcuses n the issue f undergraduate training f chemistry teachers. Individual prblems in teaching f future teachers are discussed. This reprt describes the system f undergraduate preparatin f chemistry teachers and deals with prblems that are encuntered. It mnitrs the directins that cntribute t increasing the cmpetence f students during the preparatin fr a jb. It cvers the pssibilities and varius prjects fcused n imprving current situatin. In the Czech Republic, the need fr change in preparatin f future teachers has been discussed fr many years. These changes are, hwever, facing many bstacles. A brief questinnaire was develped. It fcused especially n teachers persnal view f usefulness and availability f activities fr teachers, what achievements and difficulties in lifelng educatin did they experience and what they wuld like t change in practice. The results f the questinnaire are discussed in the reprt. Furthermre, the paper fcuses n finding slutins f these prblems. 1. Intrductin Previus papers were fcused n new trends in educatin in chemistry and n prblems in lifelng learning f teachers in practice. This paper is fcused n the undergraduate educatin system which is currently very fragmented. Graduates f high quality are becming increasingly rare, and the best nes ften end up in ther prfessins. This affects the quality f educatin. Prblems f undergraduate chemistry teacher training as well as current issues in teacher practice will be discussed. 2. Training f future chemistry teachers 2.1 Nn-unifrmity f pre-graduate educatin The main prblem is nn-unifrmity f the educatin system in different universities. The result is a varying quality f graduates, which in turn affects the quality f educatin perfrmed by these graduates. There are varius ways t becme a certified chemistry teacher by studying at university. A brief list f pssible ways t btain teaching certificatin fllws: [1] Optin 1 Bachelr s degree: Pedaggical-psychlgical preparatin, inspectin f classes, basics f natural sciences. Master s degree: Develpment f natural sciences knwledge. The emphasis is put n teachers cmpetencies. Optin 2 Bachelr s degree: Fcus slely n science (ne r tw areas), pedaggy as an ptinal subject nly. Master s degree: Fllws the bachelr s degree and develps it, inclusin f teaching fcus. 1

2 Optin 3 Bachelr s degree: nly f nn-teaching character, fcused slely n science. Master s degree: fcused n teaching subjects and teaching experience. Optin 4 This ne is very different frm the previus three. It is designed fr chemistry graduates, wh decide (during r after cmpletin f their studies) t becme a chemistry teacher. First there is a nnteaching master study prgram. It is fllwed by a further bachelr prgram, fcused n chemistry methdlgy and pedaggicalpsychlgical basics. Optin 5 This is a very unusual way, but we describe it t illustrate the nn-unifrmity f the pre-graduate preparatin system. Teachers at vcatinal schls can gain their teaching certificate by studying fr a bachelr s degree after finishing their secndary chemistry schl. There they btain teaching basics and further develp their prfessinal knwledge. They dn t g fr master s degree and they becme s called masters at vcatinal schls. All these ptins are similar in sme aspects, but they differ in many ther nes. The aim is t find cmmnality between the systems and ffer suggestins, which culd be applicable t all types f schls. The requirement fr becming a teacher is graduatin frm a university (master's degree), but reality ften leads directrs f schls t recruit teachers withut prper apprvals, and smetimes withut a university degree. Graduates f different universities can differ significantly in their knwledge, skills, teaching experience and mtivatin fr their wrk. The creatin f a standard f teaching prfessin is the aim f a special prject under the Ministry f Educatin, Yuth and Sprt (MŠMT). The quality f teachers and prfessinal standards received special attentin in a dcument titled Natinal prgramme f educatin develpment in the Czech Republic. It has been indicated, that the educatin prcess ges thrugh changes and refrms. The effrts f innvative methds are visible. Prject Innvatin f prfessinal preparatin f prspective chemistry teachers at Palacký University in Olmuc, can serve as an example. This prject has been c-financed by the Eurpean Scial Fund and state budget f the Czech Republic. The aim is t allw prspective chemistry teachers t be in clse cntact with pupils at primary and secndary schls, thrugh management f student s prjects directly in chemistry lessns, tutring labratry lessns, rganizing Olympiad in chemistry at schls and excursins at labratries fr pupils, chemistry cnsultatins fr talented secndary schl pupils, preparatin f natural science cmpetitins and ppularizing events.[3] The fcus n preparatin f prspective chemistry teachers came int the frnt rank during the Internatinal Year f Chemistry, at an internatinal student cnference Prject Teaching in Chemistry and Related Subjects which tk place at Faculty f Educatin, Charles University in Prague (Chemistry and Chemistry methdlgy department). 2

3 2.2 Lifelng teachers training The previus nline meeting was fcused n lifelng learning. Therefre the main tpics will be briefly summarized: Same way, as a lack f system in pre-graduate preparatin, there is n unified system f lifelng educatin f graduated chemistry teachers. During their studies, students meet the infrmatin abut necessity f lifelng educatin, but fr many, adequate mtivatin is missing. Accrding t the fact, that the jb itself is demanding, the salary rate is lw, the curses f lifelng educatin are nt very ppular, even if the reputatin f the individual schls might imprve. 2.3 Questinnaire t determine teachers views in practice A brief questinnaire was develped. The questinnaire was fcused especially n teachers persnal view f usefulness and availability f activities fr teachers, what achievements and difficulties in lifelng educatin they experienced and what wuld they like t change in practice. The questinnaire was given t 150 teachers (78 returned) attending Summer schl fr chemistry teachers at ICT Prague in August Cnclusins frm questinnaires fllw: Participating teachers had practiced fr 20 years n average. Abslute majrity f the participants (62.8 %) said they had enugh knwledge and skills frm their high schl. Sme respndents added that the lifelng learning is needed. Almst all the teachers (85.9 %) were mtivated t participate in lifelng learning prgrams (cnferences, meeting, wrkshps etc.). Almst all the teachers (96.2 %) cnsidered training as useful and beneficial. Teachers highlighted that the quality f sme training prgrammes was wrse than thers. These teachers did nt say which prgrammes they meant. Nevertheless, this infrmatin wuld be beneficial fr reducing f the prblems. Fr sme schls trainings are surces f funds (t imprve the quality f teaching). Three quarters f the participating chemistry teachers (74.4 %) had enugh infrmatin abut nging trainings, meetings and wrkshps. Sme teachers had t much infrmatin abut trainings, and 25 % did nt have enugh. The questin is: did all the teachers try t search fr infrmatin? The trainings were available fr 73.1 % f teachers. Prblems shuld be remved fr the rest f teachers. The prblems are: lng jurney, time press, etc. The main prblem was lack f funds and time (fr jurney, curse fee, remuneratin fr substitute teachers etc.) Training time takes time t teach students. Teachers are mst interested in these tpics: Chemistry all arund us, Chemistry f everyday life, Chemistry in practice, Chemical experiments (safe, interesting, mdern). We als asked teachers what is the biggest prblem in their practice. This questin was answered mst extensively: Lack f funding leads t: prly equipped labratries, utdated classrms, lack f chemicals, small wages, and unavailability f materials. Textbks are utdated (with utdated terminlgy and infrmatin). Lack f intercnnectin amng science subjects. Time fr educatinal prcess is nt sufficient. There is nt enugh time fr understanding, repetitin and practice f new infrmatin. Laws restrict chemical experiments. Number f students is declining. The directrs f prestigius schls have t accept less mtivated students. The level has been falling. Mrality f students is als prblematical. Students are fcusing n their persnal benefits and cheat. Cmmunicatin with parents is smetimes prblematical t. 3

4 3. Pssibilities t imprve the current state There are enugh prjects fcused n lifelng learning f chemistry teachers. A nice example f them is a prject named Innvatin in prfessinal training f future chemistry teachers that has been described in Chapter 2.1. The Czech Republic participates in EU educatin prgrams regularly. The Ministry f Educatin, Yuth and Sprts tries t supprt these prjects as much as pssible. The Natinal Agency unites these prgrams (frm ). The results f this supprt are: 1) availability f infrmatin t all ptential participants, 2) enhance transparency and crdinatin in the administratin f prgrams, 3) the use f the experience gained frm the implementatin f prgrams, 4) effective and average use f financial and human resurces [2]. The effrts f the Ministry f Educatin, Yuth and Sprts are used. There are many prjects fcused n students mtivatin and lifelng learning in the Czech Republic. 4. Prject results One f the highlights f the prject was establishment f cperatin amng teachers, schls and prfessinals. The participants were intrduced t each ther n a wrkshp held by ICT Prague. We managed t prceed with prject's activities despite sme issues during the secnd year f the prject. New articles were added t the database f the prject prtal. Sme f the teachers are little reluctant t cperate, nevertheless prject requirements were met. 5. Cnclusin The preparatin f future science teachers is nt unifrm in the Czech Republic. There s a current refrm, which tries t set the standards in educatin t stp further deteriratin in this area. There are many issues with lifelng learning fr teachers. The gd news is that bth the ministry f educatin and faculties f educatin are well aware f this issue, and they are making effrts t imprve the current state. There are als rganisatins and prjects that are intensively dealing with it. It s a lng run and prjects like this ne can help. Our questinnaire survey revealed that chemistry teachers are interested in lifelng learning, feel being supprted by their schls managements, have enugh infrmatin n activities in this area and cnsider the curses available. This gives sme hpe fr imprving many prblems that were discussed in the questinnaire. References [1] Kncepce pregraduální přípravy učitelů základních a středních škl (Cnceptin f pre-graduate preparatin f primary and secndary schl teachers). MŠMT ČR. (accessed July 20, 2013). [2] Evrpské záležitsti- prgramy EU-Prgram celživtníh učení (Eurpean Matters EU Prgrammes Lifelng Learning Prgramme) (accessed June 5, 2007) [3] Invace prfesní přípravy buducích učitelů chemie (Innvatin f prfessinal preparatin f prspective chemistry teachers). Palacky University in Olmuc. (accessed August 1, 2013). 4

5 LLP-2011-IT-COMENIUS-CNW

Five Whys How To Do It Better

Five Whys How To Do It Better Five Whys Definitin. As explained in the previus article, we define rt cause as simply the uncvering f hw the current prblem came int being. Fr a simple causal chain, it is the entire chain. Fr a cmplex