Lower Secondary School Teacher Training in Mathematics

The objective of the study is the preparation of graduates for the profession of primary and secondary school mathematics teacher, and to further the development of essential values and positions of graduates so that they become active, responsible, and independent members of their professional mathematical group and society.

Through studying for the Master’s degree graduates gain the necessary competences that allow them to critically apply the use of their pedagogical and psychological knowledge in practice as a teacher at a primary or secondary school. Graduates are fully qualified to pursue the profession of a teacher. They are ready to base their professional conduct on well-structured knowledge and skills from their fields of approbation (content knowledge). The effectiveness of their professional conduct is conditioned by their subject-didactic (pedagogical content knowledge) and broader pedagogical and psychological knowledge and skills (knowledge of the broader background of education, knowledge of educational practices, knowledge about people involved in education, etc.).

The degree develops students’ analytical and comparative skills, which enable them to understand the diverse pedagogical reality and to use subject-specific, pedagogical, and psychological publications in their work for planning, implementing and reflecting on educational activities. They develop communication skills important for communication and collaboration with pupils/clients, colleagues in the workplace, with parents of pupils/clients and with practitioners. An important benefit of the degree is the development of self-reflective skills that provide space for the development of attitudes towards one another, to educated individuals and to the profession: perception of the responsibility of the teaching profession, the acceptance of the moral obligations of a helping profession and its ethics.

The studies emphasise the principle of interdisciplinarity (interconnection of some pedagogical and psychological subjects) and the principle of sequence and gradation of themes and courses, from the more general to the more specific. The concept is also characterized by the interdependence of theory and practice. An important part of the concept is the reflective teaching practice. The principles of reflection on teaching practice and self-reflection are related both to practice and to other experience-oriented subjects. An important part of the concept is also the promotion of inclusion, which is perceived as a cross-curricular theme (also supported by a separate course).

Upon successful completion of the programme, the graduate is able to:

• work as a mathematics teacher at lower secondary and secondary schools;
• notice the application of mathematics in other fields, including the school environment, and point out the connections between mathematics and other school subjects;
• develop professional knowledge and competence and extend their knowledge of mathematics and related sciences;
• work in various civic institutions devoted to pedagogical activities or mentoring;
• 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, describing the educational environment of the school where they taught;
• 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, parents and other professionals;
• 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;
• 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.

Graduates are fully qualified to work as mathematics teachers at lower secondary and upper secondary schools. They are also qualified for work in out of school (e.g. leisure time activities) institutions. They are ready to base their professional activities on well-structured knowledge and competences in mathematics. The efficiency of their professional behaviour is based on the didactical knowledge of the content of mathematics teaching in primary and lower secondary schools and wider general knowledge and competences in pedagogy and psychology (knowledge about the wider basis of the elements of education, knowledge of education process theories, knowledge about the participants in education, etc.).

• Teacher of the second level of primary school
• Secondary school teacher

The teaching practice is conceived as a coherent and gradated system with an emphasis on interconnection with theory and reflection and self-reflection of the student as a teacher.

The aim of the teaching practice is to acquire the professional competences necessary in the daily work of the teacher, to become acquainted with the roles which the teacher enters into in their work, to realize their own professional needs and to gradually take responsibility for the planning, implementation and evaluation of lessons. Throughout the teaching practice, students get a real idea of what a teacher's everyday work involves.

The teaching practice forms a coherent system of consecutive subjects. In the follow-up master's programmes, these are the subjects Teaching Practice 1 (1st semester), Teaching Practice 2 (2nd semester) and Teaching Practice 3 (3rd semester). In total, this makes up 280 hours (double-subject programme), followed by Seminar on Teaching Practice. Students enrol in the Seminar on Teaching Practice 1 twice during their studies (in the first and second semesters). The aim of the reflection is to provide students with a space for sharing and reflecting on experiences from their own teaching practice and helping them to deepen their reflective and self-reflective skills.

The system of teaching practice is regularly evaluated both through open and closed questions, both by students and the mentor teachers. The reflective seminars are also evaluated.

A graduate of the follow-up Master's degree program may (subject to meeting admission requirements) continue to doctoral studies.