Teaching Computer Science in combination

Graduate of the 2nd cycle of higher education studies in Informatics Teacher Training in Combination in the field of study 38. Teacher Training and Education Science is qualified to perform the profession of a qualified teacher of the subjects of his/her specialisation at the level of lower and upper secondary education. Pursuant to Act No. 138/2019 Coll. §28, this is the classification of the career grade of a beginning teaching staff member who has extensive knowledge and experience in the field of teaching. He/she has mastered the broad content of the disciplenes of his/her specialisation, as well as the content of several psychological and pedagogical disciplines. He or she acquires pedagogical competence in the course of training in the pedagogical-psychological foundation, general and subject didactics and during continuous teaching practice in each year of the second cycle of higher education for a total of at least 10 weeks under the supervision of erudite practitioners. He/she is able to independently plan and design teaching in the school classroom, its implementation and reflection in the profiled educational areas. In addition, the graduate can perform the profession of a methodologist for the teaching of specific subjects and subject groups, a civil servant for the field of education and training in primary and secondary schools. However, he or she may also pursue a third level of higher education.

Graduate of the 2nd degree of higher education in Informatics Teacher Training in Combination:

• acquires full competence to teach the subjects of his/her apprenticeship and to independently carry out educational activities at the level of secondary education (both lower and higher),
• possesses extensive scientific knowledge in the profile educational areas, experience and developed skills in informatics, has an in-depth knowledge of the basic content and principles of the disciplines of informatics also in a broader cultural and social context, knows the background, current trends and perspectives of informatics, interdisciplinary or intersubject overlaps and contexts,
• is familiar with the basic content, methodology and epistemology of computer science at a level appropriate to the current state of knowledge in the field, - has extensive knowledge of the didactics of informatics, and is familiar with its theoretical and practical contexts, especially with regard to the design and implementation of classroom teaching,
• is able to design, implement and analyse educational activities within his/her subject specialisation
• can create modern educational and methodological materials for teaching (including electronic materials) and collaborate in the specification and development of software tools for the development of the cognitive process,
• knows and applies modern ways of integrating digital technologies into education, has deeply developed his/her own complex information literacy, knows the social aspects of informatics and the computerisation of society,
• knows how to use digital technologies to make the cognitive process more effective, attractive and up-to-date in the teaching of informatics, knows how to assist teachers of other subjects in such support of the cognitive process of pupils in other subjects,
• can effectively support the development of students' information literacy,
• can apply digital technologies in his/her further education (e-learning, social web, MOOCs),
• ...

The study program is a set of subjects and a set of rules compiled in such a way that successful completion of the subjects while maintaining the above rules allows the student to obtain a university degree. For each study program, a recommended study plan is set, which is compiled so that by completing it, the student meets the conditions for successful completion of studies within its standard length. The creation of the study plan is usually based on the modular (block) principle in order to enable students to continuously adjust the focus within the chosen field of study and expand the scope of the study. The study plan is divided into compulsory, optional, and elective subjects. The subject consists of individual independent educational activities or their combination, which are aimed at providing education in a defined area.

The profile subjects of the study plan are compulsory or optional subjects and the student will acquire the knowledge and skills that are essential for the completion of the study program.

The updating of study programs reflecting the development in the field is realized by elective subjects, which enable the use of the short-term presence of non-faculty experts in the teaching process. The inclusion of several (selective) subjects in the programs is a response to the constructive comments of students and their interest in a particular area. When creating the study plan, the mission and goals set by the faculty in the field of science and research and in the field of education, which are stated in the Faculty's Long-Term Plan, are taken into account. The study program is prepared in accordance with the needs of the practice and monitors the applicability of graduates.

In order to fulfil the objectives of the study, the study programme is composed of two lines: the line of the discipline and the line of the didactics of the discipline. The list of compulsory subjects (also with regard to the individual years of study) is balanced - it contains an equal number of subjects of the discipline and the didactics of the discipline. All compulsory courses are profile courses of the study programme.

In the first year of study, the didactics line of study emphasises the basic rules for the implementation of informatics teaching and, more broadly, computer science education (including non-formal and informal education). Students learn to plan the implementation of teaching sequences and also the teaching of whole thematic units and to use selected teaching methods, to analyse and evaluate algorithmic tasks from a didactic perspective, to design and implement a didactically correct sequence of steps for explaining the solution of a problem. They will get a synthesizing view of the issues of teaching informatics; they will get to know in detail the curricula of the compulsory subject informatics and its extension forms at secondary school, as well as at the first and second level of primary school; appropriate didactic procedures for teaching informatics; they will learn how to didactically analyze informatics textbooks (domestic and foreign); they will learn the form and content of the graduation examination in informatics; they will get acquainted with modern methods of evaluation in informatics; etc. Semester projects are also part of the didactic courses.

The line of informatics courses of the first year of study includes subjects focused partly theoretically and partly applied, so that students can not only gain a more comprehensive view of selected areas of theoretical and applied informatics, but also acquire skills in the practical use of the acquired theoretical knowledge and understand the connections between the different areas.

In the summer semester of the first year, students will complete a two-week teaching practice in informatics under the supervision of experienced informatics teachers at the second level of primary and secondary school.

In the second year, students further develop and deepen their knowledge and skills in didactics. They will delve deeper into the issues of teaching informatics, in this semester mainly with an emphasis on secondary school; they will competently discuss and reflect on different approaches to the implementation of the subject of informatics in general education. They will be able to plan, implement and evaluate a lesson. They will know and be able to design, apply and reflect on different forms of teaching organisation, different didactic situations. They will discuss possible ways of investigating the effectiveness of the cognitive process. They will get acquainted with specific qualitative and quantitative methods of pedagogical research in informatics and will verify the acquired knowledge on a practical project.

In the winter semester of the second year, students will complete a three-week teaching practice under the supervision of experienced teachers of informatics at the second level of primary and secondary school. In both years, students have the opportunity to choose from a larger number of compulsory electives arranged in two blocks according to their line of study (informatics and didactics of informatics, respectively). In addition to the compulsory and compulsory elective courses, students have several elective courses available to them.

The studies are completed by a state final examination, which includes a thesis defence and an examination in informatics and didactics of informatics.

With the diploma thesis, the student has to demonstrate the ability to independently acquire theoretical and practical knowledge based on the current state of science and creatively apply, use and develop them. The final thesis will be prepared by the student under the guidance of the thesis supervisor. The supervisor of the final thesis will prepare a written report on the final thesis and propose its evaluation. The final work is assessed by the opponent. The opponent will prepare a written report on the final thesis and propose its evaluation.  

Examples of successful final theses of our students (only in Slovak language): 

• Code review v informatike na strednej škole (PaedDr. Iveta Demková)
• Obťažnosť úloh v súťaži Informatický bobor pre nevidiacich (Mgr. Natália Kostová)
• Príprava žiakov na programátorskú súťaž Imagine Logo Cup (Mgr. Dana Babiarová)
• Aktivity na rozvoj schopnosti riešenia problémov (PaedDr. Eva Klimeková, PhD.)
• Možnosti použitia formálnych jazykov vo vyučovaní (Mgr. Michal Vido)
• iBobor - nová súťažná kategória Rodina (Mgr. Zuzana Vilémová)
• Prostredie Scratch vo vyučovaní základov programovania na základnej škole (Mgr. Ľuboš Jaroš )
• Spoločenská hra na podporu informatického myslenia (Mgr. Monika Šramková)
• Edukačné prostredie na precvičovanie for cyklu v jazyku Python (Mgr. Samuel Spišák)
• Budovanie motivácie študentov v elektronickom vzdelávacom prostredí (PaedDr. Veronika Dropčová, PhD.)
• Metodika výučby tematickej oblasti bezpečnosť na internete pre žiakov 1. stupňa ZŠ (Mgr. Tatiana Sirotová) 

A graduate of the master's study programme in Informatics Teacher Training in Combination in the field of study 38. Teacher Training and Education Science is qualified to pursue the profession of teacher independently at the level of lower and upper secondary education. In addition to the profession of Informatics teacher, he/she can work in other professions related to education (lecturer in the training center, development of study and methodological materials, development of educational software, research in education, employee in church, governmental and non-governmental organizations, cultural and social facilities, etc. .).

There is a great interest in schools for graduates of our study programme Teacher of Informatics in Combination. Schools are already taking the initiative to find future teachers of computer science among our students before they have even finished their studies. That is why many of our students are already teaching (part-time) informatics at primary and secondary schools in Bratislava during their studies.