Vloga obdobja pripravništva pri pridobivanju kompetenc za poučevanje slovenščine : doktorska disertacija

slovenian

doktorska dela

2016

Univerza v Ljubljani, Filozofska fakulteta
(Obvezni izvod spletne publikacije)

The main purpose of the research The role of the apprenticeship in acquiring competences for teaching Slovene was to investigate whether the apprenticeship training for teachers of Slovene is of such a quality that would allow the apprentices to sufficiently develop their professional competences in order to autonomously teach Slovene as a mother tongue/the first language. A doctoral dissertation is made up of two major parts: theoretical and empirical. Theoretical part is divided into three major chapters. In the first chapter titled The apprenticeship period, by analysing our legal regulations and scientific professional sources, we have defined the apprenticeship period and explored how the goals and conditions for acquiring professional teaching competences are defined by our legal regulations, proposals and recommendations by the bodies of EU and in professional and scientific literature of the research area. The second chapter is named Teacher's professional competences. There we have indicated the established divisions of teacher's competences into general or generic, that is subject-independent and subject-specific. Within the latter we have identified and accurately depicted subject-specific competences for teaching Slovene. The third chapter Development of professional competences for teachers of Slovene during the apprenticeship period in the school environment presents the agents of an apprenticeship - principal, school staff and mentor. The latter is given extra space and a thorough study. Empirical part is divided into five chapters. The first chapter defines the research problem more precisely, the second one outlines the research methodology. In the third chapter we have demonstrated data analysis and interpreted the research results. Here, we were evaluating achievements of the apprenticeship goals for teachers of Slovene based on the opinions and views of mentors regarding apprentices' competences for autonomous teaching of Slovene. Based on the analysis the fourth chapter summarizes the main research findings in the light of the research hypotheses and gives proposals for improvement of the current model of an apprenticeship. Using the results of our research, we systematize and comprehensively define subject-specific competences for teaching Slovene and create a model example of the manual guide for the apprenticeship program for the teachers of Slovene. The analysis of the systemic acts (regulations and other documents governing apprenticeships in Slovenia) and guiding principles found in the scientific literature on managing apprenticeship and school-to-work transition has shown the existence of general procedural and substantive requirements for apprenticeship (duration, framework, formal training, examination and the like) while contextualized aspects of professional development, that is subject-specific competences related to the program and the subject, are being dealt with only vaguely. For this reason, we have proposed suggestions how to fill in these systemic gaps. The study has found that the school environment (management, staff, working groups) insufficiently supports or encourages the acquisition of subject-specific competences for teaching Slovene and thus apprentices' professional development, but rather follows pragmatic requirements of the current school work. Based on the opinions of the apprentices we draw a conclusion that most of the work is done self-initially, followed by the work initiated by the mentor's advice and then other. A major obstacle in acquiring professional competences for teaching Slovene apprentices see in volunteering or unpaid work. Apprentices from our sample experienced a proper organizational care and a moral support from their mentors and a less proper encouragement for a thorough contemplation of professional competences. They reported that they were mostly active on their own initiative, rather than on their mentors'. This may indicate high apprentices' knowledge and awareness of individual subject-specific competences (basic teacher professional qualifications, teacher qualifications for using the methodical system of school interpretation and the method of comprehensive treatment of non-fiction texts) or good enough (theoretical) preparedness of apprentices for teaching or it may reveal that the mentors represent more human and collegial support rather than didactic support to their trainees. In the light of this we have noticed some contradicting evidence, namely apprentices rate their mentors' competences for carrying out key tasks and quality work as excellent while still believing that most of the professional work related to teaching Slovene are done on their own initiative. In contrast the mentors believe that the apprentices possess a profound theoretical knowledge but they lack an overall view of the curriculum and planning as well as the experience, so what they need is more incentive in lesson planning and teaching itself. As a result mentors perceive their role as more active than the trainees observe it believing their incentives for trainees' activities aimed at getting professional competences, which is their weakest point, are at a high standard. In the professional literature and in the regulations of the system acts we have not traced specific guidelines for mentors on how the acquiring of subject-specific competences is done. Therefore we have designed a sample of an apprenticeship program and a training manual with an emphasis on developing those professional, especially specific-didactic competencies, which are neglected in practice.

18.05.2023