Upper Secondary School Teacher Training in Chemistry

The upper-secondary teacher-training follow-up Master's study programme of Physics, double-subject is a follow-up of the Bachelor's study programme of Chemistry. Graduates will become fully qualified teachers of chemistry at secondary schools. The goal of the study is to deepen their knowledge of specific chemical disciplines. Each student chooses courses according to their interests and relevant to the topic of their Master's thesis. Specific courses of pedagogy and didactics of Chemistry together with several practical training courses at secondary schools prepare students for their career as chemistry teachers at upper secondary schools.

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

• make the education attractive and engaging
• deal with unusual situations in the classroom
• motivate students, support principles of democracy in the classroom
• understand school politics and education trends
• know and use diagnostic and evaluation tools to identify the specifics of students
• make the education individual
• evaluate students and himself/herself
• work with chemical and scientific resources
• explain and process chemical rules
• guarantee safe treatment of the chemicals
• realize the historical, social and environmental aspects of chemical research and production

Graduates of NMgr. of the study programme will preferably work as teachers of relevant subjects in secondary schools (grammar schools and vocational secondary schools), according to the name of the accredited fields of study and their focus. However, given the educational and legislative realities, graduates may also find employment as primary school teachers. This extended employment opportunity is reflected in the staffing of all compulsory subjects. The profile of a graduate is based on a wide range of competences that a teacher should possess. Graduates have a range of competences necessary for the practice of teaching - knowledge and skills related to pupil education, classroom management and dealing with specific situations related to teaching and pupils.

Subject knowledge, general and subject didactic competences ensure a high level of knowledge of the subject area appropriate to the expected requirements of secondary schools and the ability of graduates to communicate the knowledge of the subject area to pupils/students in accordance with the school's curriculum using a range of didactic methods. Graduates are also equipped with the ability and skills to conduct pedagogical communication with pupils/students, their parents, colleagues and other subjects (social and communication competences), to educate and motivate pupils, to manage classes, to participate in the running of the school and to deal with specific situations related to teaching (pedagogical-psychological competences). In addition, the graduates are also equipped with diagnostic and special pedagogical competences that enable them to recognise the individual educational and other needs of pupils/students, to individualise the requirements of individual pupils/students, to cooperate with counselling specialists and to apply a wide range of support measures within an inclusive approach.

The concept of teacher training at the MU Faculty of Science is based on the desire to provide future teachers with the most essential knowledge and competences with which they can enter school reality during their studies, but their development and improvement must already be part of further teacher education and the acquisition of practical experience from their own teaching.

• Secondary school teacher

Practical training 1 – three weeks of teaching. The training should take place in September, before the beginning of the first semester. Practical training 2 - teaching under supervision of an experienced pedagogue with 10 lessons of observations, 10 lessons of teaching and 10 lessons of assistant work for the host school.

The standard length of a thesis is 50 to 70 pages, including figures, graphs, table of contents and list of references. The thesis has a didactic character, typically the creation of a teaching text for teaching chemistry in secondary schools or the creation of videos and other multimedia aids to support secondary school and university practical teaching. The rules for the preparation of diploma theses are regulated by the Dean's Measure No. 1/2012 - Guidelines for the preparation of bachelor, diploma and rigorous theses at the Faculty of Science of MU.

After a successful completion of the Master's study programme (and satisfying the admission requirements), graduates can continue their studies in the doctoral programme.