Benefits of Social Sciences Courses at Technical University As a Quality of Teaching

Abstract

Nowadays, the need for general development in the education of students is increasing. Implementation of social sciences to the curriculum of technical universities is a way to fulfil this concept. The paper focuses on the evaluation of the benefits of social sciences courses for students. The theoretical basis justifies the need for implementation of general subjects at a technical university in order to equip the graduates with professional and general key competencies for further professional and personal development. The paper attempts to find a connection between the quality of teaching and the benefits for students. A case study is based on the characteristics of teaching quality. It designs, develops and evaluates the criteria for assessing the quality of teaching in connection with the benefits of the courses. It provides a list of the most important criteria that influence the perception of social sciences benefits, e.g. motivation, relevance to the future work, contribution to the personal development, cultivation of intellectual skills, the relevance for technicians and others. The paper attempts to describe a mutual relationship between the criteria. The research revealed that the students appreciate the courses in which they feel a closer connection to the professional specialisation. Social sciences courses in a curriculum of a technical university represent an integral part of the humanisation of technical environment and they contribute to the cultivation of students.