PGB004 Alternative views on school

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Roman Švaříček, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Karla Brücknerová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Jakub Vlček (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Roman Švaříček, Ph.D.
Department of Educational Sciences – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Mgr. Roman Švaříček, Ph.D.
Supplier department: Department of Educational Sciences – Faculty of Arts
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 45 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/45, only registered: 0/45
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
Students will through discussions, projects and individual work become acquainted with different alternative educational concepts, will analyse their specifics and form informed opinions. The course is designed as an overview of typical complaints about traditional school and shows how alternative pedagogical approaches attempt to cope with these objections. The course builds on the Foundations of Education course and leads to a deeper understanding of basic concepts of pedagogy, such as aims of education, curriculum, socialization, education factors, forms and methods of education.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to: o -identify the specifics of the main alternative concepts in terms of goals, principles, curriculum, teacher-student relationship, forms and methods of teaching o - present the arguments used by the different alternative concepts of education to defend their practices o - expertly discuss the advantages and the limits of the solutions that each alternative concept offers
Syllabus
  • 1. Why do we complain about the traditional school? (And are our complaints justified?)
  • 2. How do alternatives respond to complaints? (Pathway to the Core of Learning I)
  • 3. How do alternatives respond to complaints? (Pathway to Core Learning II)
  • 4. Waldorf Pedagogy (Rudolf Steiner's Concept)
  • 5. The Dalton Plan (Helen Parkhust's Concept)
  • 6. Schools according to Maria Montessori ("Help me to do it myself")
  • 7. Free Schools (Summerhill and schools inspired by it)
  • 8. Alternative Alternatives (Contemporary alternative schools that are creating their own concept)
  • 9. Homeschooling (The most diverse educational option)
  • 10. Forest schools (Nature as the main teacher)
  • 11. Final Reflection: What have you learned and what are you looking at differently?
Literature
  • MONTESSORI, Maria. Objevování dítěte. Translated by Vladimíra Henelová. Vydání druhé, v Portále. Praha: Portál, 2017, 351 stran. ISBN 9788026212348. info
  • HECKMANN, Helle. Pomalé rodičovství : vědomá péče o děti - inspirativní přístup školky Nøkken. Translated by Jana Čeřenová. Praha: DharmaGaia, 2016, 145 stran. ISBN 9788074360626. info
  • NEILL, Alexander Sutherland. Summerhill : příběh první demokratické školy na světě. Edited by Albert Lamb, Translated by Viktor Jurek. 1. vyd. Praha: PeopleComm, 2013, 348 s. ISBN 9788090489059. info
  • MONTESSORI, Maria. Tajuplné dětství. Translated by Jan Volín. Vydání druhé, v Tritonu p. Praha: Triton, 2012, 178 stran. ISBN 9788073873820. info
  • STEINER, Rudolf. Eurytmie jako viditelná mluva. Vyd. 1. Hranice: Fabula, 2008, 271 s. ISBN 9788086600512. info
  • Metoda Montessori pro naše dítě : inspirace pro rodiče a další zájemce. Edited by Karel Rýdl. Vyd. 2., přeprac. a dopl. Pardubice: FF Univerzity Pardubice, 2007, 199 s. ISBN 9788073950040. info
  • RÖHNER, Roel and Hans WENKE. Daltonské vyučování : stále živá inspirace. Translated by Kateřina Čechová. První vydání. Brno: Paido, 2003, 156 stran. ISBN 8073150417. info
  • MONTESSORI, Maria. Absorbující mysl. 1998. ISBN 80-86189-02-3. info
  • NEILL, Alexander Sutherland. Summerhill School : a new view of childhood. Edited by Albert Lamb. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 1992, xxvii, 269. ISBN 0312141378. info
  • GRUNELIUS, Elisabeth M. Výchova v raném dětském věku : školky s waldorfskou pedagogikou. Translated by Milada Luňáčková. 1. vyd. Přerov: Baltazar, 1992, 59 s. ISBN 8090030734. info
  • CARLGREN, Frans. Výchova ke svobodě : pedagogika Rudolfa Steinera : obrazy a zprávy ze světového hnutí svobodných waldorfských škol. Edited by Arne Klingborg - Zdeněk Váňa, Translated by Václav Jakubec. 1. vyd. Praha: Baltazar, 1991, 263 s. ISBN 8090030726. info
  • STEINER, Rudolf and Frans CARLGREN. Výchova ke svobodě :pedagogika Rudolfa Steinera : obrazy a zprávy ze světového hnutí svobodných waldorfských škol. Edited by Arne Klingborg - Zdeněk Váňa. 1. vyd. Praha: Baltazar, 1991, 263 s. ISBN 80-900307-2-6. info
  • MONTESSORI, Maria. The Montessori method. Edited by Joseph McVicker Hunt, Translated by Anne E. George. First published by Schocken. New York: Schocken Books, 1964, xxxix, 376. ISBN 0805209220. info
Teaching methods
Discussion, group work, project teaching, argumentation essay, documentary film, text analysis, reflection.
Assessment methods
To successfully complete the course, the student must score a minimum of 61 points, with  some assignments not being completed for less than a certain number of points (see below). The final evaluation consists of this parts:
1. submission of ten interim ELF assignments (some are individual, some are group assignments) (max. 50 points)
2. Attendance at an alternative school (min. 5 out of  10 points)
3. Online knowledge test (min. 6 out of 10 points)
4. Final semester group project and its defense (min. 20 z 30 points)
5. Compulsory attendance (max. two absences)
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2025/PGB004