Lower Secondary School English Language Teacher Training

By studying for the follow-up master's degree, the graduate will acquire the necessary competencies that will enable him/her to think critically about the use of pedagogical and psychological knowledge in the practice of a primary or secondary school teacher. The graduate is fully qualified to exercise the teaching profession. He or she is prepared to base his or her professional conduct on well-structured knowledge and skills in his or her subject area (content knowledge). The effectiveness of his or her professional conduct is conditional on his or her subject-area didactic knowledge (pedagical content knowledge) and broader general pedagogical and psychological knowledge and skills (knowledge of the broader foundations of education and upbringing, knowledge of educational and upbringing practices, knowledge of the actors in education and upbringing, etc.).

The study develops analytical and comparative skills, which enable the student to understand diverse pedagogical realities and to use disciplinary, pedagogical and psychological knowledge and skills in their work to plan, implement and reflect on educational and training activities. Develops communicative skills relevant for communication and cooperation with pupils/clients, colleagues in the workplace, parents of pupils/clients and practitioners. An important benefit of the study is the development of self-reflective skills which provide scope for the development of attitudes towards oneself, the individuals being educated and the profession: perception of the responsibility of the teaching profession, acceptance of the moral obligations of the helping profession and its ethics.

The study emphasises the principle of interdisciplinarity (interconnection of some pedagogical and psychological subjects); the principle of succession and gradation of topics and subjects, from the more general to the more specific. The concept is further characterised by the interconnection of theory and practice. Reflected pedagogical practices are an important part of the concept. The principles of reflective practice and self-reflection apply to both practice and other experientially oriented subjects. An important means of developing students' professional competences and their reflection is the Framework of Professional Competences of Student Teachers, through which the requirements of practice and the level of their development are analysed with students. An important part of the concept is also the promotion of inclusion, which is seen as a cross-cutting theme (also supported by a separate subject).

The aim of this study programme, which it is possible to study as a single or double–subject programme, is to prepare lower-secondary school teachers of English in an inspiring, stimulating and creative environment.

The Master’s degree programme focuses primarily on the study of the didactics of the English language and on forming relationships between the particular linguistic, cultural, and literary disciplines and the didactics of English. An emphasis is put on the didactic implications of all the disciplines and the practical application of all the knowledge to teaching practice at lower secondary schools.

The programme is designed for graduates of the Bachelor’s degree programme Specialization in Pedagogy, Teacher Training in Foreign Languages - English Language, the Bachelor’s degree programme Philology, English Language and Literature at faculties of arts, or the Bachelor’s degree programme Specialization in Pedagogy, Lower Secondary School Teacher Training in English Language and Literature (double-subject study) at faculties of education and for graduates of similar study fields.

After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:

• plan, implement and reflect on their own teaching at the appropriate level of established professional competences
• use basic professional terminology and information sources of pedagogical and school psychology in describing, analysing, interpreting and evaluating typical teaching situations, as well as describing the educational environment of the school
• use basic methods and tools of pedagogical diagnostics in teaching and gain data which is available for the support of an individual pupil/client. The results can be communicated appropriately to pupils, teachers, and parents .
• explain and to reflect on the principles of inclusive education at the level of culture, politics and practice of the school in their educational activities
• create an inclusive environment in the classroom, to apply at least some strategies of individualization and differentiation in teaching
• describe and individually explain specific learning processes with a specific example from their portfolio
• reflect on the experience of their own teaching practice in the professional community and to use reflection and self-reflection as a tool of professional learning
• communicate in speaking and writing at C1+ level of CEFR
• creatively analyse different types of texts, interpret them and use them when designing exercises in teaching; apply linguistic knowledge in the teaching profession
• interpret specific relationships between language and culture, analyse the influence of intercultural factiors on communication between the members of different cultures, apply the knowledge in teaching at lower secondary schools
• demonstrate knowledge of Anglo-American literature including the literature for children and young adults. The graduate understands literature not only as a source pf authentic language but also as a way to enhance cultural values.
• understand the basics of language acquisition, be familiar with basic curricular documents relevant for English language teaching
• plan lessons and courses, employ a combination of teaching methods and patterns of interaction of English language teaching including modern approaches (project teaching, e-learning) and evaluate them critically
• use modern information technologies and cooperate on teaching with the help of e-learning courses.

The graduates of the Master's programme are equipped with the necessary competences that enable them to work as lower secondary English teachers or English teachers at language schools. They are also qualified for work in out-of-school institutions (e.g. free-time centres). They can also be employed in non-teaching positions requiring an excellent knowledge of English (e.g. in public administration).

• Teacher of the second level of primary school

The teaching practice is designed as a coherent and graduating system with an emphasis on the connection with theory and on reflection and self-reflection of the student in the role of teacher.

The aim of the teaching practice is to acquire the professional competences necessary in the daily work of a teacher, to become familiar with the roles that a teacher enters into in his/her work, to become aware of his/her own professional needs and to gradually take responsibility for planning, implementing and evaluating teaching. During the internship the student gets a realistic idea of what the daily work of a teacher entails.

The internship forms a coherent system of interrelated courses. In the follow-up Master's programmes these are the courses Teaching Practice 1 (1st semester), Teaching Practice 2 (2nd semester) Teaching Practice 3 (3rd semester). In total, these placements are 360 hours (two-subject study), which are followed by the course Seminar on Teaching Practice. Students take the Teaching Practice Seminar twice during their studies (in the first and second semesters). The aim of the course is to provide a space for students to share and reflect on their own teaching practice experiences and to help them deepen their reflective and self-reflective skills. The Quality Standard for Professional Competence is used in practice and in the teaching of the seminar as a basis for systematic professional development.

The system of practice is regularly evaluated, using both closed and open questions, by students and accompanying teachers. Reflective seminars are also evaluated.

The final work of the student demonstrates the ability to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during the course of study in working on a specific professional-pedagogical problem. The type of final thesis corresponds to the content and level of the given degree of study. The student chooses from the following types of works: a) theoretical-applied, b) theoretical-empirical (research), c) theoretical. The types of work and recommendations for their implementation are further guided by the APA manual. The length of the final thesis ranges from 117,000 to 200,000 characters, including gaps, i.e. 65-80 standard pages.

The standards for the implementation of the final theses at different departments are in accordance with the Dean's Instructions No. 1/2015 on implementation of the final work (Bachelor's, Master’s, post-graduate non-PhD and final works for Life-long Education) in the version effective from 1.11.2015.

The thesis follows the following goals based on the profile of the graduate of the Faculty of Education of MU. Students:

- demonstrate an awareness of the current issues of their field of study, they can clearly and comprehensibly define the topic of the final thesis and its objectives, describe the initial state of knowledge and propose appropriate methods of achieving their stated goals;

- work with appropriate primary and secondary sources of information, cite them according to a valid standard (APA) and in accordance with the ethics of academic work ;

- through the creation of their own text they demonstrate stylistic competence, and the ability to create an academic text;

- demonstrate the ability to ask questions and solve problems, to formulate new ideas and conclusions that bring at least some new knowledge about the phenomenon being studied, or enrich the methodological (in the area of research) or methodical (in the area of education) procedures in relation to clearly defined target groups (pupils at primary and secondary school, groups with specific educational needs, etc.).

After completion of the Master’s degree, it is possible to continue with further studies in a doctoral degree programme (after satisfying the admission requirements). At the Faculty of Education students can apply for admission to doctoral studies in Foreign Language Didactics.