JAK UČIT OCHRANU PŘÍRODY A ENVIRONMENTÁLNÍ VÝCHOVY?
HOW TO LEARN A CONSERVATION BIOLOGY AND ENVIROVMENTAL EDUCATION ? (CASE STUDY FROM PALACKY UNIVERSITY OLOMOUC, CZECH REPUBLIC)
Ivo MACHAR1, Olga Vránová2, Helena KILIÁNOVÁ2
1 Přírodovědecká fakulta Univerzity Palackého v Olomouci, Katedra rozvojových studií; e-mail: ivo.machar@upol.cz
2 Pedagogická fakulta Univerzity Palackého v Olomouci, Katedra biologie
Abstract
The authors conducted a survey among graduates of Master’s courses in Teacher Education in Biology and Applied Ecology to determine their opinions on the importance of biology, ecology and environmental education during their pre-graduate studies. Results of the survey indicated some existing deficiencies in pre-graduate teaching of biology, ecology and environmental education and raised suggestions for innovation. The survey of 119 respondents was conducted in 2009. Most respondents consider the benefit of their pre-graduate education degree sufficient for their own knowledge in biology, while considering the benefit of pre-graduate course for their own pedagogic and didactic competencies a small one. The survey proved that most graduates of Teacher Education in Biology and Applied Ecology studies rank 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. Respondents who are professionally involved in Environmental Education view the absence of special courses of ecology, didactics of environmental education and limited time allocation for ecological practice as shortcomings of their pre-graduate course structure. Based on this research two educational projects were designed, allowing the implementation of innovated biology, ecology and environmental education together with specialized teaching practice for biology teacher education and applied ecology students in collaboration with several Czech universities and participating foreign lecturers.
Key words: applied ecology,environmental education, innovation in pre-graduate training at university, projects, survey.