Innovation in biology and environmental education didactics in pre-graduate training of secondary biology teachers in the context of current changes in the education system

Abstract

The authors conducted a survey among graduates of Master's courses in Teacher Education in Biology to determine their opinions on the importance of biology and environmental education didactics during their pre-graduate studies. Results of the survey indicated some existing deficiencies in pre-graduate teaching of biology and environmental education didactics and raised suggestions for innovation. T e survey of 119 respondents was conducted in 2009. Most respondents considered the benefit of their pre-graduate Teacher Education in Biology degree sufficient for their own knowledge in biology, while considering the benefit of a pre-graduate course for their own pedagogic and didactic competencies a small one. T e survey proved that most graduates of Teacher Education in Biology studies ranked the subject of biology didactics among the key modules of their pre-graduate degree course and identified several strengths and weaknesses in the teaching of biology didactics. T e respondents who were professionally involved in Environmental Education viewed the absence of special didactics of environmental education and limited time allocation for teaching practice as shortcomings of their pre-graduate course structure. Based on this research, two educational projects were designed, allowing for the implementation of innovated didactics of biology and environmental education together with specialized teaching practice for biology teacher education students in collaboration with several Czech universities and participating foreign lecturers.