What is needed to develop critical thinking in schools?

Starting with the fact that school education has failed to become education for critical thinking and that one of the reasons for that could be in how education for critical thinking is conceptualised, this paper presents: (1) an analysis of the predominant approach to education for critical thinking through the implementation of special programs and methods, and (2) an attempt to establish different approaches to education for critical thinking. The overview and analysis of understanding education for developing critical thinking as the implementation of special programs reveal that it is perceived as a decontextualised activity, reduced to practicing individual intellectual skills. Foundations for a different approach, which could be characterised as the ‘education for critical competencies’, are found in ideas of critical pedagogy and open curriculum theory. This approach differs from the predominant approach in terms of how the nature and purpose of critical thinking and education for critical thinking are understood. In the approach of education for critical competencies, it is not sufficient to introduce special programs and methods for the development of critical thinking to the existing educational system. This approach emphasises the need to question and reconstruct the status, role, and power of pupils and teachers in the teaching process, but also in the process of curriculum development

Why do teaching techniques in our school lack in diversity?

U prilogu se problematizuje pitanje zašto metode u nastavi u našoj sredini nisu dovoljno raznovrsne. Okvir problematizovanja čine različita naučna saznanja koja upućuju na neophodnost raznovrsnih metoda i tehnika rada u nastavi, reformski proces obrazovanja u Srbiji započet početkom dvehiljadite godine, kao i neki empirijski uvidi o vrstama i načinu korišćenja metoda u nastavi. Najnoviji radovi o metodama nastave, s jedne, i o profesiji nastavnik, s druge strane, ukazuju ne samo na nužnost korišćenja različitih metoda već i na potrebu da nastavnik razvija i u praksi istražuje odgovarajući metodski postupak. U prilogu razmatramo koliko je započeti reformski proces obezbedio uslove za autonomnu ulogu nastavnika u kreiranju obrazovanja različitim metodama i koje još obrazovne i normativne okolnosti imaju uticaja na ovu autonomiju nastavnika u našoj sredini. Problematizujući ovo pitanje zaključile smo da je mnogo više faktora koji ograničavaju profesionalnu autonomiju nastavnika i stavljaju ga pred suprotstavljene profesionalne zahteve od onih koji mu otvaraju prostor za autonomno oblikovanje i razvijanje nastave.The paper discusses the issue of lack in diversity of teaching techniques in our school. The framework for consideration includes different scientific findings which stress the importance of using varied techniques and methodology in teaching, the process of reforming education in Serbia, and some empirical insights on different teaching techniques and the modes of their usage in the classroom. The latest research on the types and modes of usage of teaching techniques, on the one hand, and on teacher profession, on the other, indicate not only the necessity of using different techniques, but also to the need for the teacher to develop and practically explore the possibilities of teaching procedures. This paper is an attempt to analyze to what extent the ongoing reform process provides conditions for teacher autonomy in fostering education by varied teaching techniques and which educational and normative factors affect teacher autonomy in our society. Having considered the issue we concluded that there are many more factors that limit professional autonomy of teachers and confront them with competing professional demands than those which open space for autonomous design and development of teaching

Teacher research: From theoretically-conceptual framework to the practice landmarks.

Teacher research is long– known concept in pedagogical literature and the phenomenon not new in the practice. However, there are different ways of conceptualising this kind of research and many dilemmas concerning its realization. This paper searches for the landmarks which could be useful if we want to encourage, research and realize this kind of research. Our search involves: 1. Clarification of the theoretical conceptual framework of teacher research; 2. Presentation and explanation of the general teacher research characteristics; 3. Discussion of the characteristics that the successful research of this kind have. The paper gives the analysis, integration and interpretation of different sources: literature on the contemporary tendencies in pedagogical epistemology and methodology (particularly postmodern and critically oriented), literature on teachers’ research and the experiences of teachers researching own practice. The most important landmarks are: 1. Teacher research should be based on the teacher’s research attitude and issues which are relevant for him/her; 2. Inseparability of research, practice and professional development; 3. Critical nature and change as the part of research process

Obrazovanje nastavnika za refleksivnu praksu

Educating Teachers for Reflective Practice:The understanding of the characteristics of the education for the re- flective practice and development of such an education is based on the way we understand the concepts of a teacher as the reflective practitioner and reflective practice. These concepts do not cover only the individual characteristics of a teacher and his/her practice but the aspects of the particular approach to a teacher profession too. The approach to a teacher as to a reflective practitioner encompasses teachers’ competences, his/her way of acting and the comprehensive understanding of the teaching profession as a whole, cognition and exploration of the education issues, institutions and the teacher’s position and his/her actions in relation to the institutional and wider context. The basic characteristics of this approach are:The way it responds to the epistemology issues: the unity of theory and practice, and spiral cycle of action, evaluation and reflection;The way it looks at the meaning and the purpose of the reflective practice: the development of the individual and environment, development of the theory and practice

Elementi za strategiju građenja kvaliteta nastave

U ovom radu se istražuje pedagoško-didaktički reformski odgovor o građenju kvaliteta nastave u aktuelnom obrazovno političkom kontekstu. Polazi se od analize različitih načina konceptualizovanja kvaliteta obrazovanja i tendencija u savremenim pristupima kvalitetu, od rezultata istraživanja pojedinih aspekata nastave u Srbiji koji govore o njenoj neusaglašenosti sa savremenim tendencijama, kao i od stajališta da je značajno preispitivati i (re)definisati koja obrazovna politika se želi realizovati posredstvom koncepta kvaliteta. Deo tog traganja je i preispitivanje načina evaluiranja kvaliteta nastave. U vezi njega se naglašava značaj praćenja nastavnog procesa, metodološko zasnivanje evaluacije na interpretativnom i kritičkom pristupu, te značaj unutrašnje evaluacije, samoevaluacije i participativne evaluacije. Polazišta za razvijanje strategije građenja kvaliteta nastave pronalaze se : 1) u shvatanju kvaliteta obrazovanja kao društveno konstruisanog koncepta, koji zavisi od razumevanja učenja, znanja, nastave ali i od karakteristika konteksta i načina na koje ove fenomene razumeju njegovi akteri, 2) u uvažavanju humanističkih vrednosti i diskursu razvoja čoveka 3) u potrebi preispitivanja i pregovaranja značenja kvaliteta nastave iz perspektive učenika i nastavnika. Sa tih osnova u radu se predlaže niz dugoročnih i kratkoročnih mera, kao elemenata strategije građenja kvaliteta, koje se mogu preduzeti na nivou škole i na nivou obrazovnog sistema, a čiji je zajednički imenitelj menjanje paradigme koja je u osnovi obrazovanja u nastavi.This paper explores the pedagogical and didactical reform response to building quality of teach- ing in the current educational and political context. It starts from the analysis of different ways of conceptualizing the quality of education and the tendencies in contemporary approaches to quality, from the results of studies on specific aspects of teaching in Serbia that indicate its incompliance with these contemporary tendencies, as well as from the point of view that it is important to explore and (re)define the policy that is to be implemented through the concept of quality. Part of this quest is also reconsideration of the ways to evaluate quality of teaching. According that, we emphasize the importance of monitoring the teaching process, the need to establish evaluation methodology on interpretive and critical approach, thus the significance of internal evaluation, self-evaluation and participatory evaluation. The starting points for the development of strategy for building quality of teaching are found in: 1) understanding the quality of education as a socially constructed concept, which depends on the understanding of learning, knowledge, teaching as well as the characteristics of the context and the ways in which these phenomena are understood by various actors 2) respect of humanistic values and dis- course of human development 3) need of reconsideration and negotiation of meanings of qual- ity of teaching from the perspective of students and teachers. From these grounds, the paper proposes a series of long-term and short-term measures, as elements of the strategy for building quality, which could be taken at the school level and at the level of the educational system, and whose common denominator is changing the paradigm that underlies teachin

Teacher Education in Yugoslavia,. International Journal of historical learnig, teaching and research

Pre- and in-service teacher education in Yugoslavia has no structure and pattern providing the system to cover all teachers coming from diverse background. Current situation of teacher education in Yugoslavia is presented in this paper. Its main characteristics and difficulties are outlined in relation to 1) the legislation and normative and 2) users needs. After analyzing the current situation, we present an agenda for reform and development that should enable teacher education to respond to the changing needs of Yugoslavia. Throughout the paper we refer to the initial and continuing professional development of history teachers: they are one element in the overall equatio

How to educate teachers: What can we learn from research insights on teaching and teacher education in Serbia and from contemporary understandings of teaching?

Inspired by the fact that teacher education is often seen as the cause of low quality of teaching, but also as a potential solution to this problem, in the paper we look for recommendations on how to educate teachers in Serbia. Starting from an analysis of research data on teacher education, professional development and teaching in Serbia, as well as from contemporary theoretical understandings of teaching, we derived implications for teacher education on two levels – systemic and curricular. As important system measures to be taken we point out: finishing establishment of the initial teacher education system; providing support to the programs of teacher education and induction; changing system of teachers’ professional development and taking special care for the status of teacher profession on the state level. The suggestions for the curriculum development and methodical aspects of teacher education are: focusing the curriculum on the teacher competence, basing teaching on dialogue, reflection, interdisciplinary approach and teamwork of teacers and providing context where students feel safe

Diversity of teaching methods in our schools

Budući da su nastavne metode i odnos prema njima u načelu zasnovane na određenom shvatanju obrazovanja i nastave, podaci o njima predstavljaju dobar pokazatelj prihvaćene koncepcije obrazovanja i pristupa nastavi, te su element za građenje slike o kvalitetu nastave u celini. Zato je predmet empirijskog istraživanja koje predstavljamo u ovom radu raznovrsnost nastavnih metoda u školama u Srbiji, a istraživanjem se nastoji saznati koje se metode sreću, koliko su zastupljene pojedine metode i na koji način su organizovane u nastavnom procesu. Podaci su prikupljeni posmatranjem 354 nastavna časa u školama različitih vrsta i nivoa obrazovanja, tokom tri školske godine, u periodu 2012-2014. godina. Rezultati pokazuju da se u nastavi primenjuju različite metode, ali je njihova zastupljenost neujednačena, pri čemu dominiraju oni načini rada i organizacija metoda na času koji su zasnovani na transmisiji znanja. Najviše se koristi metoda predavanja, a ona se u toku časa najčešće javlja zajedno s ispitivanjem u funkciji ponavljanja gradiva. Na osnovu dobijenih podataka može se zaključiti da je raznovrsnost načina rada na časovima u našim školama mala i u neskladu sa savremenim tendencijama u konceptualizovanju nastavnih metoda.Since teaching methods and the attitudes towards them are based, in principle, on a certain concept of education and teaching, the data about teachers' attitudes are a good indicator of the accepted educational concept and approach to teaching, and are at the same time an element for forming a view of the quality of teaching in general. That is why the subject of the empirical research, which we present in this article, is the variety of teaching methods in Serbia. By research we tried to find out which methods are common, how much individual methods are used and how they are organized in the teaching process. The data were gathered by observing 354 teaching lessons in the schools of different types and levels of education, during three academic years, in the period of 2012 - 2014. The results show that, in practice, different methods are used, but the frequence of individual methods use are uneven, and that those ways of work and the organization of methods based on transmission of knowledge dominate. Lecturing is the most commonly used, combined with examining in the function of the repetition of the matter. It can be concluded that the diversity of work forms in our schools is small and not in accordance with modern conceptualizations of the teaching methods

The concept of teacher internship in the light of reflexive practices

Polazeći od značaja perioda uvođenja u profesiju i potrebe da se razvije koncepcija pripravništva, kako bi se obezbedilo da ovaj period bude zaista korisna faza u profesionalnom razvoju nastavnika, u radu se razmatra značenje koncepta refleksivne prakse nastavnika i pristupa nastavniku kao refleksivnom praktičaru za tu koncepciju. Refleksivni pristup nastavniku predstavlja suštinski zaokret kako u praksi, obrazovanju nastavnika i istraživanju prakse. U njemu se pronalaze implikacije za sve elemente koncepcije: funkcije ovog perioda, ciljeve pripravništva oličene u slici nastavnika kakav se želi razviti, uloge pripravnika i mentora, vrste aktivnosti pripravnika i mentora i principe na kojima se zasniva njihovo učenje. Na osnovu analize doprinosa ideja o refleksivnoj praksi za pojedine elemente koncepcije pripravništva, zaključuje se da ozbiljno uzimanje u obzir pristupa nastavniku kao refleksivnom praktičaru utiče ne samo na pojedine elemente koncepcije, već i na način razumevanja suštine celovitog procesa. Ono pomera ulogu celokupnog perioda uvođenja u profesiju i značenje pripravništva konceptualizujući ga kao fazu u profesionalnom razvoju i pripravnika i mentora u kontekstu škole kao zajednice učenja.Starting with importance of the period of introduction into the profession and the need for development of the concept of internship so that this period would truly be a useful phase in a teacher's professional development, this paper considers the meaning of the concept of the teacher's reflexive practice and approaches teachers as reflexive practitioners for that concept. This reflexive approach to the teacher is a true turn both in practice, teacher education and practice research. Within it we find implications for all elements of this concept: functions of the probationary period, internship goals presented as the image of teacher to be, roles of trainees and mentors, types of activities of trainees and mentors and principles that their learning is based on. Based on the analysis of the contribution of reflexive practice ideas for certain elements of the internship concept, the authors conclude that to seriously approach the teacher as a reflexive practitioner influences not only certain elements of the concept, but the way of understanding essence of the entire process. It shifts the role of the entire introduction into the profession and the meaning of internship, conceptualizing it as a phase in the development of both trainee and mentor in the context of the school as the learning community