PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF TEACHERS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEACHING ABOUT NATURE AND SOCIETY BASED ON INNOVATIVE LEARNING AND TEACHING SYSTEMS
January 1, 2024 - Milenovic, Hadzi Zivorad M.; Vasilijevic, Danijela N.; Botic, Mladen M.
Print
EmailJournal or Book Title: METODICKI OGLEDI-METHODICAL REVIEW
Abstract: The paper examines the need, significance, and methods of professional development for teachers to utilize innovative teaching systems when teaching about nature and society. These systems are equally applicable in teaching other subjects in the lower grades of elementary school and in subject-specific lessons in elementary and high school. The goal of the research is to identify teachers' assessments of their professional development for the realization of teaching about nature and society based on innovative educational systems of learning and teaching. It started from the general assumption that teachers are differently familiar with innovative educational systems of learning and teaching, and therefore do not apply them equally in teaching about nature and society at the level of initial education. It was also based on special assumptions that teachers' familiarity with innovative teaching and learning systems is significantly influenced by their academic education, and that the ways of their professional development are significantly influenced by the level of academic education and teaching experience. In order to determine this, in the December 2023, the research was conducted on a sample of 107 teachers employed in primary schools in the Zlatibor district (Serbia). The data collected have confirmed all research hypotheses. It is concluded that innovative educational systems of learning and teaching are significant in the implementation of teaching about nature and society at the level of initial education, but these are also present among teachers with less than 10 years of experience as well as those with over 30 years of practical experience. To empower teachers in utilizing innovative teaching systems, it is proposed to implement a different professional development approach, which involves a different initial education where they would acquire fundamental knowledge for the use of innovative teaching systems and classroom instruction. Subsequently, they would undergo further professional development through attending training programs on innovative teaching systems.
Type of Publication: Article
