Implementation of the teaching competency framework in practice: UJEP hosted a nationwide workshop organized by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports
J. E. Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem hosted a day-long workshop organized by the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports focused on implementing the Competence Framework for Teacher Graduates (KRAAU). The event, organized by the Ministry of Education in cooperation with the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Education at the University of Jan Evangelista Purkyně, attracted fifty university lecturers and accompanying teachers from the Ústí nad Labem Region and other regions of the Czech Republic.
The main topic of the meeting was the application of KRAAU in the university preparation of future teachers. The document, which defines the key competencies necessary for the teaching profession, sets modern standards of education that respond to the needs of today’s schools. The workshop day thus became an important step towards its introduction into educational practice.
The opening speech was given by the dean of the Faculty of Science at UJEP. Doc. RNDr. Michal Varady, Ph.D., emphasized the importance of high-quality training for future teachers and the active role of universities in strengthening the prestige of the teaching profession. The participants were also welcomed by Doc. PhDr. Kateřina Jančaříková, Ph.D., head of the Center for Science Education Support at the Faculty of Science, UJEP, and coordinator of KRAAU implementation at UJEP. Mgr. Radka Kmochová, Ministerial Advisor from the Department of Support for Regional Education Workers at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, provided information on the current steps and priorities of the Ministry.
The program included two professional workshops that offered practical insight into methods of supporting the professional development of teacher training students. The focus was on integrating formative assessment into teaching and working with students’ professional portfolios. Participants also discussed the importance of so-called tripartite meetings between students, accompanying teachers, and university educators, which help to systematically link theory with pedagogical practice. Specific procedures and practical experiences were shared that universities can use when implementing the competency framework.
The workshop day confirmed the growing interest of the professional public in modernizing teacher training and showed that UJEP is an important partner in the nationwide process of implementing educational standards.
“Improving the quality of teacher training is one of the key steps in the development of Czech education. The adoption of the Competence Framework is just the beginning. Real change takes place in practice – in our classrooms, seminars, and school internships,” said
Dean Varady.
“The Competence Framework is an opportunity to unify expectations and improve the quality of teacher training across Czech universities. The meeting proved that the academic sphere has the will and the power to make this change a reality,” added Associate Professor Jančaříková, one of the authors of the KRAAU and also of the Subject-Specific Competence Framework for Natural History and Biology.
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