Chemistry for Education

The aim of the study field Chemistry with a focus on education and the follow-up study field Lower Secondary School Teacher Training in Chemistry is to prepare future chemistry teachers at lower secondary schools including lower grades of grammar schools. The study field Chemistry with a focus on education is primarily focused on creating professional, pedagogical, psychological, communication and other similar personal competences of students as a precursor to the follow-up Master's study of the study field Lower Secondary School Teacher Training in Chemistry.

““Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.” (Marie Curie Sklodowska)”

Through studying for the Master’s degree graduates gain the necessary competences that allow them to critically apply the use of their pedagogical and psychological knowledge in practice as a teacher at a primary or secondary school. Graduates are fully qualified to pursue the profession of a teacher. They are ready to base their professional conduct on well-structured knowledge and skills from their fields of approbation (content knowledge). The effectiveness of their professional conduct is conditioned by their subject-didactic (pedagogical content knowledge) and broader pedagogical and psychological knowledge and skills (knowledge of the broader background of education, knowledge of educational practices, knowledge about people involved in education, etc.).

The degree develops students’ analytical and comparative skills, which enable them to understand the diverse pedagogical reality and to use subject-specific, pedagogical, and psychological publications in their work for planning, implementing and reflecting on educational activities. They develop communication skills important for communication and collaboration with pupils/clients, colleagues in the workplace, with parents of pupils/clients and with practitioners. An important benefit of the degree is the development of self-reflective skills that provide space for the development of attitudes towards one another, to educated individuals and to the profession: perception of the responsibility of the teaching profession, the acceptance of the moral obligations of a helping profession and its ethics.

The studies emphasise the principle of interdisciplinarity (interconnection of some pedagogical and psychological subjects) and the principle of sequence and gradation of themes and courses, from the more general to the more specific. The concept is also characterized by the interdependence of theory and practice. An important part of the concept is the reflective teaching practice. The principles of reflection on teaching practice and self-reflection are related both to practice and to other experience-oriented subjects. An important part of the concept is also the promotion of inclusion, which is perceived as a cross-curricular theme (also supported by a separate course).

Practical training

Professional chemistry teaching practice is not included in the undergraduate Bachelor's studies in the field Chemistry with a focus on Education.

Within the pedagogical and psychological part of study, the student chooses either assistant practice focussed on individual pupil tutoring, or assisting teachers at a school.

The teaching practice is conceived as a coherent and gradated system with an emphasis on interconnection with theory and reflection and self-reflection of the student as a teacher.

The aim of the teaching practice is to acquire the professional competences necessary in the daily work of the teacher, to become acquainted with the roles which the teacher enters into in their work, to realize their own professional needs and to gradually take responsibility for the planning, implementation and evaluation of lessons. Throughout the teaching practice, students get a real idea of what a teacher's everyday work involves.

The teaching practice forms a coherent system of consecutive subjects. In the follow-up master's programmes, these are the subjects Teaching Practice 1 (1st semester), Teaching Practice 2 (2nd semester) and Teaching Practice 3 (3rd semester). In total, this makes up 280 hours (double-subject programme), followed by Seminar on Teaching Practice. Students enrol in the Seminar on Teaching Practice 1 twice during their studies (in the first and second semesters). The aim of the reflection is to provide students with a space for sharing and reflecting on experiences from their own teaching practice and helping them to deepen their reflective and self-reflective skills.

The system of teaching practice is regularly evaluated both through open and closed questions, both by students and the mentor teachers. The reflective seminars are also evaluated.

Further information

http://www.ped.muni.cz/wchem/

Knowledge, skills and attitudes acquired during the studies are the basis of the skills for:

• profession of teaching (chemistry teacher) assistant in lower secondary school education
• supporting educational work
• work of instructor in free-time centres.

According to Act no. 563/2004 Coll., on pedagogical staff (amended) graduates may work as an assistant teacher, instructor in free-time centres, as an educator in youth centres, educator in after-school clubs, and in various civic associations involved in educational activities. Besides these professional outlets, graduates are also prepared to start the Master's degree programme in Teacher Training in Chemistry for Lower or Upper Secondary Schools.

No information available

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Minimum score and numbers of accepted applicants in past years

Graduates of the Bachelor's programme may (after meeting the conditions of entry) continue in any Master's programme. At the Faculty of Education they can continue their studies in the directly related Master's field of study Lower Secondary School Teacher Training in Chemistry.