Specifics of Geography Teacher Training at the Faculty of Natural Sciences Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra

Abstract

The Slovak education is currently experiencing a turbulent period associated with ongoing efforts to reform the education system, under-funding of education with low teacher salaries, overworked and feminized teaching staff, low social status of a teacher in society, problems in the creation and distribution of current textbooks, insufficient interest in studying natural sciences, leaving of young people to study abroad, etc. This situation is also reflected in the training of future teachers including the geography teachers (in combination with other subjects). The aim of this study is to provide basic information on the development of future geography teacher education in Nitra, which has almost a 60-year tradition. Moreover, it characterizes the current state of this education in the context of the subject field didactics and pedagogical practice and identifies the challenges of their future preparation. Methods of text analysis, information comparison, and statistical processing of quantitative information were used in this study. Key findings include the dynamics of the number of graduates from geography teaching study programs, responding to the situation in education system and demographic decline in the population, and reduction of contact lessons at the university leading to a reduction in the professional and didactic extent of knowledge and skills of future teachers. The most important conclusions or recommendations as well as scientific contribution concern the necessity to change the attitude of teachers towards the practically oriented teaching with stronger emphasis on training students’ creativity not only through ICT, but also using creative and critical thinking strategies.