Task:

Focus on a specific subject (preferably the subject that you study at the Faculty of Education, MUNI). Describe and critically evaluate how the subject is presented in the Framework Educational Programme (FEP) and the School Educational Program (SEP). Answer the following questions:

1) Which educational area does your subject belong to according the FEP?

2) How is the curriculum and the expected outcomes for the given subject defined in the SEP of the chosen school?

2) Which educational philosophies (see Pasch et al. 1994) are applied in the SEP for the specific subject? Support your argument with specific examples.

Summarize your answers in 1-2 paragraphs. Again, strive for your own critical assessment rather than merely copying the ŠSEP text.

What to be aware of: 

Don't forget to justify the connection between the SEP passages and the chosen educational philosophies. Cite the passages according to Pasch et al. (1998); include page numbers for any exact quotations from the SEP (the importance of citation is explained in Step 1). List all used sources in the bibliography.

Why is this part important? 

In this part of the portfolio task, you can try to delve deeper into the requirement to link theory and practice. Different educational philosophies, as discussed by Pasch et al. (1994), represent broader ways of looking at what is important in schools and what goals school education should strive for. Should the elementary school educate for the future? Or should it mainly provide a comprehensive overview of the knowledge the mankind has acquired during its development? Or a bit of both? These are questions that every teacher consciously or unconsciously considers. It is possible that during your teaching practice, you will encounter teachers whose thoughts are anchored in various/different educational philosophies. Through working on the portfolio task, you may come to realize that these differences in how teachers approach teaching are entirely natural.

Examples of a fulfilled assignment: 

Example 1: (by Monika Zetková) The subject of Natural Science, which is related to the FEP educational area of Man and His World, is taught from the 6th to the 9th grade. The subject falls under the educational area of Man and Nature, which also includes subjects such as Chemistry, Physics, and Geography. The main goal is to understand the natural laws that constantly occur around us and of which we are also a part. These knowledge can be utilized by students in their future personal and, if necessary, professional lives. A significant benefit of the Natural Science subject is the opportunity for observation, microscopy, experiments, and subsequent drawing of conclusions. Thanks to this, students can comprehend even challenging phenomena and structures. An important cross-curricular theme addressed in this subject is Environmental Education. In general, the subject leads to a comprehensive understanding of both living and non-living nature, relationships between organisms, and relationships between organisms and their environment. It teaches students to understand natural laws, the origin and development of life on Earth, and the conditions for life on Earth (SEP, 2019, p. 240).

The primary educational philosophies applied in Natural Science are progressivism and essentialism (Pasch et al., 1994). Natural Science is one of the subjects where essentialism elements are very clear. The teaching heavily relies on factual knowledge and terms, e.g., "the student explains the difference between plant and animal cells, explains the terms: tissue, organ, organ system, organism, describes the processes of photosynthesis and respiration" (SEP, 2019, p. 243). Therefore, if a student doesn't know that an animal cell lacks vacuoles, a cell wall, and plastids in its structure, it is nearly impossible to answer this question. Similarly, the influence of progressivism can be seen in the thematic unit set by the RVP of Practical Exploration of Nature, which the school naturally fulfills. In this regard, laboratory work, various observations, and experiments are incorporated into the SEP. For example, "the student creates a herbarium" (SEP, 2019, p. 251), "works with a microscope, prepares a simple microscopic preparation" (SEP, 2019, p. 243). The philosophy of progressivism in Natural Science is more focused on developing practical skills, problem-solving skills, and communicative competencies. Elements of reconstructionism are primarily present in cross-curricular topics, especially in Environmental Education. The world is undergoing many changes and natural disasters, which need to be discussed with students, including their causes and consequences. Reconstructionism can also be observed in the regular curriculum, e.g., "the student understands the principles of nature and environmental protection" (SEP, 2019, p. 251). This reflects the current societal changes. The school seems not to favor one of the philosophical directions, at least not in my chosen subject. All these directions intertwine and complement each other.

Example 2: ( by Veronika Blechová) The subject of English Language is part of the educational field of Foreign Language and belongs in content to the educational area of Language and Language Communication. English Language is typically taught at both the first and second levels of primary school. From the third grade onwards, it is allocated three or four teaching hours per week. The primary goal of this subject is to build a means of communication that allows students to communicate with people all over the world, opening up further avenues of knowledge and information for them (ŠVP, 2022). The subject of English Language provides room for the development of all language skills in a real-life context, and the teaching strategies employed are primarily aimed at developing "students' ability to communicate in real-life situations of everyday life" (ŠVP, 2022, p. 74). In the first stage, the emphasis is on motivating students, sparking interest, and building a positive attitude toward the foreign language. During the first two years, teaching is carried out using audio-oral methods and other activating methods aimed at developing "appropriate learning methods and strategies that will form the basis for lifelong learning" (ŠVP, 2022, p. 74). The second stage mainly focuses on the development of speaking skills, i.e., spontaneous language production by students and language interaction both orally and in writing. The essential prerequisite for successful foreign language communication is the mastery of grammar phenomena, presented using authentic materials, audiovisual materials, etc. The English Language teaching also includes "realities of the given language area, including the relevant socio-cultural aspects" (ŠVP, 2022, p. 75). Educational and training strategies aim at developing individual student abilities and acquiring key competencies, not only learning competencies but also, above all, problem-solving, communicative, social, personal, or digital competencies. Students develop not only their language skills but also themselves, learning to cooperate with others, argue, propose new solutions to problems, and think critically. Various forms of teaching are used in the teaching process, such as group work, work in groups or pairs, or individualized learning. ZŠMŠ Čáslavice, during the teaching of the English Language, takes into account "different learning styles of students, and appropriate learning strategies are chosen, in the formulation of which students also participate" (ŠVP, 2022, p. 76).

The main educational philosophies that intersect in the teaching of the English Language at this elementary school are progressivism and essentialism (Pasch et al., 1998). The ŠVP reflects the ideas of the philosophy of progressivism, which is most evident in the emphasis on integrating multicultural themes into English Language teaching and the development of critical thinking. Pasch (1998, p. 35) points out progressivism's tendency to understand not only contemporary life but also oneself and others. Progressivism leads students to "get acquainted with topics that permanently affect contemporary life," and the ŠVP characterizes this goal as follows: "The student becomes familiar with important elements of life and culture of countries in the relevant language area" (ŠVP, 2022, p. 75).

The philosophy of progressivism in English Language is based on the development of communicative competencies, problem-solving competencies, and personal and interpersonal competencies. Important cross-cutting topics include, for example, Education for Thinking in European and Global Contexts – Europe and the World Interest Us, or Multicultural Education – Cultural Differences or Student Education Beyond the School Premises in Various Projects or Study Trips.

Pasch (1998, p. 35) also mentions another face of progressivism, which claims that "teaching must be tailored to students." Since ZŠMŠ Čáslavice is a relatively small elementary school, the schedule is maximally adapted to the individual needs and possibilities of students, for example, so that gifted students can attend English Language classes at the same time as a higher grade, and vice versa.

English Language teaching also includes elements of essentialism. The subject places the greatest emphasis on communication skills, where teaching is, however, based on grammar knowledge. Mastering grammar rules is a prerequisite for active language production. Prerequisites such as "the student can use would rather and would prefer" or "understands words and simple sentences related to acquired thematic areas" further lead to the realization of the students' communicative intention and their outputs, such as "speaking about their family, friends, school, leisure time, and other acquired topics" or "asking for basic information and responding appropriately in common formal and informal situations" (ŠVP, 2022, p. 102). The school doesn't only impart knowledge to students but also aims to develop their skills and abilities, shape their attitudes to think critically, and expand the connections between theoretical knowledge and practice.

Bibliography:

ZŠ Čáslavice. (2022). Školní vzdělávací program pro základní vzdělávání – Škola porozumění.

Pasch, M. (1998). Od vzdělávacího programu k vyučovací hodině: Jak pracovat s kurikulem. Praha: Portál.