The role of the teacher in the education process is of crucial importance, as it includes lesson planning, guiding students through learning, and adapting lesson content to students’ abilities. By planning and conducting classes the teacher determines what and to what extent the students while learn and what their activity will be like during class.
Slovenian legislation makes it possible for primary school teachers to teach home economics in 5th grade. This master’s thesis aimed to discover what their experience was in planning and conducting lessons for this subject. Of particular interest was why teachers decide to teach home economics and how qualified they feel for doing so. We found how often they use particular educational forms, methods, and approaches. Research including determining where expertise was lacking and what topics they would like to be more qualified in.
The study included 30 primary school teachers who also teach home economics in 5th grade. The survey sample was chosen on purpose, as our selection criteria covers but a small portion of all Slovenian teachers.
Results showed that, according to their assessment, teachers are well-qualified for planning courses in home economics and that in actually teaching them they use a wide range of forms, methods, and approaches. Teachers maintain that they are most qualified for teaching the unit on Food and Nutrition, while the least qualified for Clothing and Textiles. They also maintain that the study does not contribute greatly to actual learning about the subject of home economics, and that a greater role is played by open-mindedness and personal interest.
It is our position that educating teachers for instruction in home economics is necessary and we recommend that they have this option as an elective during their studies, enabling them to gain expertise in home economics and qualifying them to teach it in 5th grade.
|
