Formative Assessment and other Assessment Methods in Biology Education and Pre-service Biology Teacher Training in the Czech Republic

Author(s):  
Lukas Rokos ◽  
Radka Zavodska
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakub Holec

In recent years, both in the Czech Republic and abroad, there has been a debate about the renaissance of educational content and its intended form expressed in national curricula. From the curriculum analyses point of view, it is highly interesting to compare similar curricula created in different contexts, on the one hand, and different curricula created in similar contexts on the other hand. On the basis of the context-curriculum analysis, the curricula of England, Scotland and the Czech Republic were selected. The paper seeks to explore biology education in three National Curriculum Frameworks in the field of primary and lower secondary education. The comparative analysis is a tool for a deeper understanding the intended learning objectives as stated in the curricula. It provides an opportunity to compare different types of curricula and analyse biology content organization and the cognitive demands of the respective disciplinary knowledge, at least judging from the curriculum documents. The paper contributes to comparative curriculum research and provides the knowledge needed for the future process of curriculum review in the Czech Republic. I conclude that, while all these curricula emphasize learning outcomes and experiences, there are distinct differences between them in a stronger emphasis on the disciplinary knowledge or developing transversal competencies. It is reflected in both the learning outcomes formulation and the level of their specificity. This paper offers a contribution to the debate about the way in which particular disciplinary content is organized and taught from the perspective of a specific curriculum policy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 109-134
Author(s):  
Jitka Slaná Reissmannová

The present time brings a number of emergency and crisis situations, including floods, fires or Covid-19, the management of which requires the active involvement of citizens. Lower secondary education in the Czech Republic includes the subject of Health Education, in which this topic is addressed. Education of students in the area of lifestyle and health is included in Health Education and Home Economics, the latter being delivered in Slovenia. In terms of content, both courses are similar and can enrich each other by sharing valuable experience both in teaching students and in preparing future elementary school teachers. The objective of this paper is to present the concept of elementary education in human protection in emergency and crisis situations in the Czech Republic and the related concept of undergraduate teacher training. The research methods used were document review (of curricular documents and study plans) and questionnaire survey. The paper presents the results of an analysis of the curricular document governing elementary education in the Czech Republic (Framework Education Programme for Elementary Education), as well as the results of an analysis of a health education textbook focusing on the area of safety issues. The paper also presents the results of an analysis of the study plans of selected faculties of education in terms of human protection in emergency and crisis situations, as well as the results of a questionnaire survey focusing on the awareness of future teachers in the area of human protection in emergency situations. The results and main findings of the analysis of the curricular document suggest that the topics of the human protection in emergency situations should be strengthened in the context of Health Education (and throughout elementary education). The studies on teachers’ and future teachers’ awareness of human protection in emergency situations (including first aid) point to some shortcomings in undergraduate teacher training (for example, the optional course in first aid and human protection in emergency situations at the Faculty of Education, Masaryk University). Conclusions and recommendations for practice: the current revision of the Framework Education Programme for Elementary Education should allow the strengthening of emergency issues in Health Education. Based on the inquiry, the following is recommended: due attention should be paid to all emergency issues in the course of education; further teacher training in all emergency issues should be promoted; emergency issues in undergraduate teacher training should be integrated in the form of compulsory common base courses.


Author(s):  
Dana Lauerova ◽  
John Sharples

The paper presents results of a sub-task of the STYLE project currently running within the 7th Framework EU programme by way of an overview of deterministic engineering assessment methods (EAM) used for evaluation of flawed nuclear plant components, as used in various European countries (Germany, France, UK, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Spain, Finland and Sweden). Within STYLE, several mock-up experiments are being performed on specimens containing structural features. Structural features being considered include (1) dissimilar metal welds, (2) repair welds, and (3) austenitic cladding on a ferritic pipe. The overview thus focuses on the evaluation of flaws contained within each of these three types of features. Information on the procedures and codes applied in the various countries are given: KTA standard, ASME Code in Germany; ZG Appendix of RCC-M, A16 Appendix of RCC-MRx, and App. 5.4–5.6 of RSE-M in France; R6 in the UK; BS7910, R6 in the Netherlands; VERLIFE, ASME Code in the Czech Republic; ASME Code in Spain; SSM Handbook, ASME Code in Finland; and SSM Handbook, ASME Code, ProSACC in Sweden. An overview and brief description of the different methods is included in the paper, highlighting the commonalities and differences among the various approaches.


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