Social Pedagogy and Leisure

The aim of this study programme is to prepare qualified professionals who are able to foster personality development in children, youth and adults through education, to motivate them to self-develop, to create social support when dealing with unfavourable social situations (development of resilience) and guide them towards a full-fledged use of their free time (preventative and educative function – development of extra-curricular and informal education). Choosing appropriate educative strategies, methods and means, a graduate will be able to develop social relationships and civil attitudes as factors of a healthy lifestyle and formation of meaning of life. A graduate of this programme accepts the moral commitment of a helping profession and respects its ethics; (s)he has a personality disposition to work with people and present themselves as role models for those they take care of (children, clients, etc.).

The master’s degree programme aims to develop theoretical knowledge and practical skills gained in the bachelor’s degree programme and emphasizes the necessity to develop theoretical-methodological knowledge and personal-social competencies, particularly those which enhance their managerial, organizational and project-management skills. The master’s degree programme completes a fully-fledged university education equipping the graduates for work in managerial positions, deepening their knowledge of research methodology and theoretical foundations of the field and preparing them for further studies in doctoral study programmes (DSP).

A graduate is competent to work with heterogeneous target groups and age groups including individuals coming from socially disadvantaged environments (abused, neglected children), members of different cultures (subcultures), nationalities, etc. The preparation aims at methodological, educational and managerial activities which find their use in the following areas:

A) direct social-educational activity (designing educational-reflective activities, developmental programmes and projects, activities conceptualised in both prophylactic and complex way in order to enhance primary and secondary prevention,

B) managerial activity (organizing events, leading others – leadership, creating concepts and strategic plans),

C) theoretical and research activity (sound knowledge of current theories and their application in practice, ability to do small-scale qualitative and quantitative research, ability to interpret research data).

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

• Conceptualise, manage and evaluate educational activities (based on principles of experiential and reflective learning) in varied environments and institutions, especially in schools and extra-curricular institutions and facilities.
• Apply educational strategies and methods of social work, which can be used effectively when working with various target groups (at school, in free time, with vulnerable children and youth suffering from being socially disadvantaged.
• Have good knowledge of the structure of a personality, of cognitive, emotional and volitional processes, of the ways in which they are diagnosed and developed through education.
• Analyse and diagnose social problems of target groups and search for possible solutions, manage individuals and teams towards positive social change. Communicate in difficult situations with people who are socially or otherwise disadvantaged.
• Prepare, introduce and evaluate developmental educative activities (courses, projects, camps) in formal and informal systems of education for different target groups.
• Provide feedback and facilitate intervision, conceptualise strategic goals, including methods of their achievement, actively manage a team.
• Design and carry out research (quantitative and qualitative) aimed at understanding social-educational phenomena and aspects of social reality (regarding free time, structural inequalities, etc.).
• Have sound knowledge of basic qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and data analysis, formulate research questions, interpret gathered data in the context of the chosen research design.
• Have good knowledge of modern theories of social sciences and of the field of relevant Czech and foreign information resources in a transdisciplinary perspective, be able to review them critically, observe ethical principles when using resources.
• Accept moral commitment stemming from the nature of helping professions.
• Draft a professional text, lead a professional discussion in the field of social education and free time education in Czech and English, promote co-operation with institutions (including foreign ones).

Graduates will find employment in various professions which focus on direct educative work with children, youth and adults, both in the sphere of school education and in the system of extra-curricular education (teachers, tutors, facilitators, free time organisers). Also, they can be employed as social workers, implementers of various developmental and research projects in government, non-government and private sector (curators, workers in probation and mediation services, etc.).

Practice in the master’s degree programme is conceptualised as continuous and is divided into two areas: social education (work) and free time education. The total amount of credits allotted for the practice is 12 (10% of the credit load, i.e. approx. 300 hours). In the first, second and third semester students register in the subject of Social education practice 1-3 and Free time education practice 1-3, all of them for 2 credits each (4 credits per semester). The aims of the practice are generally defined so that the students get acquainted with: documentation of recommended facilities, processes though which strategic documents and projects are created, the ways in which work is organised, etc. At the same time students need to test in practice their ability to work in a team, manage educational and social activities with the above-mentioned target groups (clients), lead teams of people, plan for activities, participate in setting up and implementing projects, etc. Students choose from a range of recommended institutions which the faculty (department) has cooperated with on a long-term basis and after having discussed this with the guarantors of practice they can choose also a facility (organisation) of their own choice, e.g. with regard to the topic of their master thesis, projects they work on, etc.

The aim of master thesis for students is to demonstrate the ability to think independently and creatively as researchers in the context of their selected topic and study programme. As early as in the first semester (in the second the latest) students choose a topic and write a proposal of their master thesis, which can focus on research, theory or methodology using research probing or evaluation research. When writing their theses students demonstrate their knowledge of relevant concepts and theories related to their research topic, ability to discuss, be critical, justify their attitudes and methodological procedures. While doing research students prove that they have mastered appropriate research procedures, especially knowledge of the methods of data collection and data analysis, including data interpretation and the ability to draw conclusions and recommendations. For their master thesis students can also present their educational projects supplemented with a research probe or evaluation research.

Graduates can continue their studies in Social education doctoral study programme (DSP), the transformation of which into a study programme is being prepared, or they can apply for a doctoral study programme of School education guaranteed by the Institute for Research in School Education (in its content the closest equivalent in terms of its focus on education). Graduates can also apply for other field-related doctoral study programmes, for example Andragogy or Education (UPV FF MU), or Social policy and social work (Department of Social Policy and Social Work, FSS MU) and other related programmes at other universities.