Lower Secondary School Teacher Training in Czech Language and Literature

An integral part of the studies is also to develop knowledge and skills in field didactics of the Czech language and literature via basic and special subjects (alternative methods of Czech language teaching, etc.).

The structure of the field enables students to combine the acquired knowledge and skills in linguistics and literary science with skills in didactics and use them together with knowledge in pedagogical, psychological and other disciplines when interpreting fictional and educative texts, developing oral and written discourse, and primarily when teaching the Czech language. During the studies, the skills of reflection on the teaching process are developed for the appropriate types and levels of education and skills of self-reflection on the role of the teacher.

Pedagogical and psychological constituent part of the study

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:

• use knowledge of standard Czech, its codification and stylistic differentiation while creating oral and written discourse, doing linguistic proofreading and an arrangement of stylization of a text;
• apply acquired theoretical knowledge in teaching Czech language and literature at primary school, and combine them with skills in didactics to develop pupils’ key skills defined by the Framework Education Programme for Elementary Education;
• develop the abilities of primary school pupils to do linguistic and stylistic analysis of a text and to do interpretation of a literary text; lead pupils to work creatively with texts of fiction;
• communicate in a cultivated way, develop pupils’ communication competency, i.e. teach them to formulate their ideas and opinions in logical sequence, clearly, distinctly, correctly, and to cultivate pupils’ relationship with the mother tongue;
• read aloud and recite in a cultivated way and lead pupils to do these literary activities;
• develop pupils' reading and encourage them to read valuable literary works, strengthen the relationship to cultural values via literature;
• monitor new expert literature, look up information individually and be knowledgeable in new information sources and use these sources critically at school;
• qualifications by attending courses of lifelong learning, expert presentations and seminars, etc.;
• 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;
• 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 possibly parents;
• 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.

- teacher of Czech language and literature at lower secondary school and secondary school;

- instructor at education centres;

- instructor at free-time centres;

- employee at cultural institutions requiring education in the Czech language and literature (linguistic consultant on radio and TV, theatres, specialist in literary archives, etc.);

- editor or proofreader.

There is the possibility of extending skills to other professions within the field (work at specialized scientific institutions, libraries etc.).

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

After completion of the Master's studies, it is possible to continue in further studies in a doctoral study programme.