Lower Secondary School Teacher Training in Natural Science

In the Master's degree the students are trained as part of the study program Teaching for Primary Schools, Teaching for secondary schools usually involves a combination of two fields (eg Primary School Teacher Education and Primary School Teacher Training).

The graduate of the Master's Degree Program of Primary School Teaching is fully qualified to practice the profession of natural science teacher at elementary schools and at the lower level of multi-year grammar schools. In addition, he is qualified to work in out-of-school (eg leisure-time) institutions. She is ready to establish her professional behavior on well structured knowledge and skills in the field of natural science. The effectiveness of his / her professional conduct is conditioned by his / her didactic knowledge of the content of natural science education at elementary schools and broader pedagogical and psychological knowledge and skills (knowledge of the broader backgrounds of education and training, knowledge of educational and educational practices, knowledge of education and training actors, etc.).

By studying the subsequent master's degree, the graduate will acquire the necessary competences that will enable him 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 practice the profession of teacher. He is ready to base his professional actions on well-structured knowledge and skills from his approval fields (content knowledge). The effectiveness of his professional conduct is conditioned by his field-didactic (didactic knowledge of the content) and broader general pedagogical and psychological knowledge and skills (knowledge of the broader foundations of education and training, knowledge of educational and training procedures, knowledge of the actors of education and training, etc.). The study develops analytical and comparative skills that enable understanding of the diverse pedagogical reality and the use of specialized, pedagogical and psychological publications for the planning, implementation and reflection of educational activities. Develops communicative skills important for communication and cooperation with pupils/clients, colleagues at the workplace, parents of pupils/clients and experts from practice. A significant benefit of the study is the development of self-reflective skills, which provide space for the development of attitudes towards oneself, towards individuals being educated and towards the profession: perception of the responsibility of the teaching profession, acceptance of the moral obligations of the helping profession and its ethics. The study emphasizes the principle of interdisciplinarity (linking some pedagogical and psychological subjects); the principle of sequence and gradation of topics and subjects, from more general to more specific. The concept is further characterized by the interweaving of theory and practice.

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

• to prepare graduates for the profession of natural sciences (biology) professors in elementary schools and in corresponding years of multi-year grammar schools;
• develop professional skills and gain knowledge of geological and biological and related disciplines that graduates will use in their teaching practice, in doctoral studies;
• develop knowledge and skills in science and practice;
• to develop the basic attitudes and values of graduates in order to become active, responsible and independent members of their professional biological group and society;
• to acquire knowledge and skills in schools, laboratories (eg microscopy, experiments) and in the field.
• the graduate is provided with general pedagogical knowledge that goes beyond his apprenticeship fields and is mainly related to the ability to convey appropriately educational content, to classroom management and to support the learning process.
• the student comprehends basic professional terminology and information sources of pedagogical and school psychology in describing, analyzing, interpreting and evaluating typical teaching situations
• of the collected information is used in the individualization and differentiation of teaching and setting of support measures and in the creation of an individual educational plan
• absolvent describes and explain individually specific learning processes on a specific example from his portfolio
• the graduate reflects the experience of his own pedagogical practice in the professional community and deliberately uses reflection and self-reflection as a tool of professional learning
• explains and reflects the principles of inclusive education at the level of culture, politics and practice of the school

• Teacher of the second level of primary school

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.).