Physics with a view to Education

The study programme is a part of a double-subject programme and constitutes the first level of the university studies leading to a teaching qualification for secondary schools. The goal of the study is to provide general knowledge and give a good orientation in both study branches together with the basics of pedagogy and psychology. It should prepare graduates for the follow-up Master's study programme of Upper Secondary School Teacher Training in Physics.

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

• understand basic terms from pedagogy and didactics
• understand actual trends in teaching
• to manage a classroom with help of the teacher
• understand basic terms from psychology
• understand basics of recent school politics and understand actual trends in education
• apply the knowledge and skills from mathematics and physics
• understand basic physical concepts, relations and equations
• do simple physical experiments, analyse and interpret results
• work with computer technology to process the results
• be knowledgeable in physics and deal with the elementary physical issues

Graduates can use their skills in various positions in basic and applied research. Although they are not fully qualified for teaching, they can prepare special activities and seminars at primary and secondary schools (e.g. seminars for gifted students, preparation for the Olympiads and different competitions, or for entrance exams to higher education institutions). They can also get involved in the popularization of physics. Graduates can pursue their studies in the follow-up Master's study programme – to become fully qualified teachers of physics at secondary schools.

• Secondary school teacher

XS090 Initial teacher training

During the course student stays at the secondary school where, in both subjects of his study, he/she takes at least 7 lessons of sitting in the classes and 3x10-15 minutes of his own teaching (at least in three different lessons). Students stays at school a half day weekly for a period at least 6 weeks.

During the course students gets to know working at the secondary school, pedagogical documentation, he/she assists the teacher with preparing experiments, correcting homework and tests, etc., in the total range of 7 hours in both of the subjects of his study.

Main objectives can be summarized as follows: to get information on the practical teaching of the subject (sitting in the classes); to get basic acquirements with practical teaching; to get information on working at the secondary school.

In a double major, the student chooses a thesis from one field of study. Bachelor's theses in physics may focus on the following areas:

The development of demonstration and student physics experiments and their incorporation into the classroom.

Collection of examples.

Applications of physics in selected areas of everyday life: technology, sports, transport and their possible use in secondary school teaching.

Historical development of physical theories and knowledge of the world.

Solution of a moderately difficult experimental problem in a scientific research laboratory.

The student typically completes the thesis in the last two semesters of his/her studies and its completion is formally declared by the completion of Bachelor Thesis 1 and Bachelor Thesis 2.

After the successful completion of the Bachelor's study programme, students can pursue their studies in any Master's study programme (after satisfying the admission requirements). At the Faculty of Science of MU – to become fully qualified teachers of physics at the secondary schools, students can apply for admission to an Upper-secondary teacher-training follow-up Master's degree programme.