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The demand for using the English language as a means of communication has increased substantially around the world because of its status as the language of globalisation, international communication, trade, media, and research (Flowerdew and Peacock 2001). The Saudi Ministry of Education (MoE) has considered this demand and taken significant steps to reform the teaching of English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). For example, the aims of and documentation for the TEFL curriculum have been modified to focus on the four basic language skills and to promote students’ communicative competence. However, despite all these efforts, there has been little progress in the area of TEFL in KSA. Classroom teaching practices are still devoted to secondary purposes, such as teaching grammar, translating literary texts, memorisation, rote learning, and preparing for summative exams. This reality may indicate an incompatibility between the government’s efforts to develop TEFL and the practices used by English language teachers in their classes. This incompatibility, however, may also suggest that English language teachers have their own reasons for not teaching English for communicative purposes and are incapable of implementing innovative teaching methods, such as the Communicative Language Teaching approach (CLT). This study therefore explores the challenges faced by Saudi English teachers (SETs) in their teaching practice that might prevent them from teaching for communicative purposes and implementing CLT in their classes. In order to meet this objective, data obtained from interviews, questionnaires and documents were analysed and classified into various categories. The key findings revealed that the current methodological practices of SETs are traditional teaching methods that stress the dominant role of teachers, marginalise students’ interactions, focus on discrete skills, and encourage competitive rather than cooperative learning. Furthermore, by using CHAT theory as a framework, the study explored a range of challenges that SETs face when the implementing CLT. These challenges stem from the individual and contextual levels of SETs’ teaching practice. At the individual level, it emerged that SETs had some misconceptions about some of the main features of CLT, and were not sufficiently confident to run communicative classes and adopt CLT in their teaching practice. The data, moreover, suggested that these shortcomings were a result of the SETs’ pedagogical and linguistic preparation in their pre-service programmes. At the contextual level, the study data suggested that there were two main types of constraint that challenge SETs in terms of teaching for communicative purposes and applying CLT in their teaching practice. Firstly, there were institutional and situational factors (for example the quality of the in-service training programme, examination purposes and classroom structure), and, secondly, socio-cultural factors (such as the traditional view of education, and the status of the English language in the Saudi context) that seemed to be incompatible with teaching English for communicative purposes. The study concludes with recommendations that aim to help improve the current situation of TEFL in KSA. For example, ending the isolation between the key parties involved in EFL teaching and learning in the Saudi context is very important, and changes to pre-service and in-service programmes, as well as at the contextual levels, are also essential.

It is widely recognized that educational research and theory should be motivated by the desire to continually improve the practice of teaching. However, bridging the divide between theoretical research outcomes and the practical constraints of classroom-based teaching has proved somewhat challenging. The involvement of teachers as the 'bridge-builders' between theory and practice could provide an effective mechanism for achieving this integration. The purpose of this study is thus to investigate whether the involvement of teachers in developing and implementing a theory-based teaching module would improve teaching practice in the classroom. A teaching module was collaboratively developed by a group of teachers for Grade 9 linear functions using: the principles of mathematical proficiency postulated by Kilpatrick, Swafford and Findell, (2001); the teaching phases formulated by van Hiele (1986); and the cognitive classification of classroom activities developed by Stein and Smith (1998). This module was then taught to six Grade 9 classes by four teachers in one school in the Eastern Cape, South Africa over a period of 5 weeks. The effectiveness of the module, and its application in the classroom, was assessed in terms of: (i) the extent to which theory could be used to inform the design and development of teaching materials; (ii) the efficacy of this teaching material in promoting teaching for mathematical proficiency; and (iii) the effects of extraneous influences on the usefulness of the module in teaching for mathematical proficiency. While the theoretical framework provided a sound basis for developing the teaching module, it was found that collaboratively transforming this theory into a teaching module for practical use in the classroom is certainly possible, but it requires considerable time and effort that practising teachers do not have. Developing the depth of understanding required for mathematical proficiency also takes time - a commodity often in short supply as teachers grapple with the demands of the curriculum. Teaching for mathematical proficiency is a layered process. It starts with thinking about an idea (like a graph) that is developed out of a related concept that then has a set of characteristic algorithms and actions which are learnt and performed in sequence. Building understanding in this way ends with a student being able to visualize and conceive the graph as a structure that can be described as if it were an object (encapsulating all the previous concepts belonging to similar graphs in one idea). This development of understanding is important for mathematical proficiency but is not necessarily easy. When teaching with the module, it was necessary to create an extra opportunity for students to use procedural knowledge and repetition in order to provide enough examples to help them see the link: between linear number patterns and linear graphs. Extraneous influences on teaching for mathematical proficiency were grouped into two categories - endogenous and exogenous influences. Endogenous influences were teacher related and included the attitudes, decisions and disposition of the teacher. Exogenous influences were more contextual (and in effect out of the control of the teacher) and included teaching time available, curriculum, external assessments etc. Both of these influences were seen to affect teaching for mathematical proficiency, either promoting or inhibiting it. This research affirmed the central role that teachers play in teaching for mathematical proficiency. It is considered critical that research actively involve teachers in the evolution of mathematical theory. The development of an enabling environment (including institutional support, time, capacity, resources, skills and tools) for teachers will further enhance their capacity to teach for mathematical proficiency.

1 Abstract This dissertation concludes teaching experience of several years which was dedicated to examining the possibilities of role playing in history teaching. The theoretical part offers an excursion into the area of didactic literature and observes the importance which is attributed to role playing by general teaching methodology, teaching methodology of history, personal and social education as well as drama education. The author focuses especially on recent examples of role playing in history teaching, she comments and interlinks them. The rules and principles for practical usage of role playing in history teaching are provided at the end of the theoretical part. The empirical part describes the progress of two-phase action research realized during the years 2007-2011 at grammar school with four-year study programme. At the beginning of the empirical probe there were two general questions: Can the role playing in history teaching help the development of students' personality? Can the role playing in history teaching help to fulfil the educational goals of history teaching? These were gradually more specified and modified according to the progress of action research. The main subject of interest was observing the students' development in the area of working in groups of different sizes, role playing...

Maria Montessori's work was initiated in 1898 as a result of her becoming acutely aware of deficient children's learning patterns, while working at the Psychiatric clinic of the University of Rome. The principles which dominate the system, however, did not ·'"spring in full panoply from Montessori. Indeed, her inspiration came largely from early and mid-nineteenth century writings of two French physicians, Itard and Seguin, who were Also involved in the teaching of deficient children. Extending on the ideas of these two educator-physicians, as well as the ideas of Froebe!, Montessori innovatively brought the child's senses into contact with carefully selected didactic apparatus in a carefully structured and ordered environment. According to Montessori, the liberty of the child is a prerequisite for self-education and forms the first major pillar of her didactic theory, and thus becomes the focus of the first chapter dealing with her didactic approach (chapter three) • Montessori believed that the function of education was to assist growth and if the individual child was given the liberty of movement within a prepared environment, a sense of competence would be achieved and the learning of the child would come about almost spontaneously. The principles of individuality and the training of the senses comprise the other two pillars, and form the basis for chapter four and five respectively. The principle of individuality is rooted in the belief that each child has a uniqueness which cannot be ignored without irretrievable damage to his personality. The current educational situation in South Africa, reveals a diversity of educational problems as a result of different ethnic and cultural groups all being thrust into a common educational system. The insidious pressures of conformity to a single standard of education must of necessity lead to a compromise of '"standards. The exposure of educational deficiencies inherent in such a move is characterised by learning impediments and deficiencies in the educational scenario. Research has therefore been undertaken in an attempt to extract those aspects that could provide meaningful pedagogic assistance to meet a present educational need. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (History of Education)

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:44:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 5702.pdf: 10348848 bytes, checksum: 2355f32e177c8053fcbb4fb7eef4e2a8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-12-06 / Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos / The object of this research is the formation of the Brazilian sign language teacher (Libras), in particular, pedagogically. The study about the Libras teaching and teachers formation is a new subject. Herein, I discuss some international experiences focused on the formation of the sign language teacher. A link is created between the formation conditions and the public policies for the formation of teachers, describing the syllabus for the Brazilian course, once the subjects for this research are submitted thereto. I compiled elements for the formation of teachers based on Bakhtinian studies for a methodology for teaching/studying languages. This work is structured as a field research carried out with teachers graduated with a Teaching Certification in Libras under the distance learning system coordinated by the Federal University of Santa Catarina. A Libras "back-talk focus group" was established, which was constituted by five deaf teachers, and the researcher acting as the group s mediator. The meetings were scheduled monthly, for one year (ten meetings with duration of two and half hours each). It was made a video recording and translation/transcription of these meetings. Based on the group enunciations, events discussing pedagogic practices and conceptions were selected. Based on the dialectical method, principles raised by Vygotsky (1998) were used, wherein the processes are analyzed and not only the object/product alone, articulating the microgenetic level of social interactions with the study of the dialogical-discursive behavior. Thus, elements from specific events were associated to macrosocial conditions. On a theoretical-methodological reference, the researcher sought support in historical-cultural approach theories, in particular, in the ideas published by Vygotsky and Bakhtin, which find its foundations on the enunciation and mediation, highlighting the importance of the role of our life s history, of our language and of our experiences in the constructions of our conscience. The concepts of meaning and sense were applied; the concept of dialogic; proper wording and the word of others; enunciation, ideology and enunciation, associating these concepts in order to understand the formation of teachers and the Libras teaching processes. The object hereof is limited to understand the history of formation of Libras teachers in Brazil, and the nature of the knowledge (scientific/technical) destined thereto at the time of the initial formation. The hypothesis was that, even with an initial formation, teachers presented theoretical-practical difficulties in their teaching performance. Upon the analysis of aspects of the initial formation and the enunciations of the group of teachers, it was interpreted the manner in which they signify and resignify their work, and how they apply their methodological knowledge to teach this language. Therefore, the analysis was carried out under three categories: 1) meaning and sense of the teaching work; 2) theory and practice in the teaching-learning process of the language; 3) political ideology and conscience. A thesis was established in which the formation of the Libras teachers must take into consideration the pedagogic practice as a political and didactic action within discursive contexts, providing the future teachers the understanding that the language is not an abstraction described by linguistics (solid), but that it is a part of the enunciation process. For this reason, the language is frequently mobilized by the active understanding, the teacher, therefore, being responsible for creating and conducting interactions that make Libras learners to take over manners to signify the world in this sign-visual language. This knowledge may favor the formation of future Libras teachers. / Esta pesquisa aborda a questão da formação do professor de língua brasileira de sinais (Libras), em particular, o fazer pedagógico. Mostra-se recente o estudo sobre o ensino e a formação de professores de Libras. Algumas experiências internacionais, que tem por fim a formação de professores de língua de sinais, são discutidas. Relacionam-se as condições de formação às políticas públicas de formação de professores, descreve-se a organização curricular do curso brasileiro, pois os sujeitos desta pesquisa foram submetidos a ele. Compila-se elementos para formação com base nos estudos bakhtinianos para uma metodologia de estudo/ensino de línguas. Esta se estrutura como uma pesquisa de campo realizada com professores que se formaram no curso de Licenciatura em Letras Libras - modalidade à distância coordenado pela Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Foi constituído um "grupo focal reflexivo" em Libras, formado por cinco professores surdos, tendo a pesquisadora como mediadora do grupo. Os encontros foram mensais, durante um ano (dez encontros de duas horas e meia cada um). Utilizou-se de vídeo-gravação e de tradução/transcrição dos encontros. Das enunciações do grupo foram selecionados episódios em que ocorreram interações discursivas sobre suas concepções e práticas pedagógicas. Baseando-se no método dialético, fez-se uso dos princípios apontados por Vygotsky (1998), nos quais se analisam os processos e não simplesmente o objeto/produto em si, articulando o nível microgenético das interações sociais com o exame do funcionamento dialógico-discursivo. Assim, relacionou-se elementos de episódios específicos às condições macrossociais. Como referencial teórico-metodologógico, buscou-se suporte em teorias da abordagem histórico-cultural, principalmente, nas ideias de Vygotsky e Bakhtin, que têm na enunciação e na mediação seus eixos constituintes, as quais ressaltam a importância do papel das histórias de vida, da linguagem e das experiências para a construção da consciência. Trabalhou-se com os conceitos de significado e sentido; dialogia; palavra alheia e palavra própria; enunciação, ideologia e discursividade, articulando-os para compreender a formação de professores e os processos de ensino de Libras. Delimitou-se como objetivo compreender a história da formação dos professores de Libras no Brasil e a natureza dos saberes (científicos/técnicos) destinados a eles no espaço de formação inicial. A hipótese era de que, mesmo tendo uma formação inicial, os professores apresentavam dificuldades teórico-práticas em sua atuação docente. Pela análise de aspectos da formação inicial e da enunciação do grupo de professores, interpretou-se o modo como eles significam e resignificam seu fazer, e como se apropriam do conhecimento metodológico de ensinar esta língua. Para tal, a análise foi organizada em três categorias: 1) significação e sentido sobre trabalho docente; 2) teoria e prática no processo de ensino-aprendizagem de língua; 3) ideologia e consciência política. Construíu-se a tese na qual a formação de professores de Libras deve considerar a prática pedagógica como ação política e didática inscrita em contextos discursivos, provendo aos futuros professores a compreensão de que a língua não é uma abstração descrita pela linguística (dura), mas de que é célula constitutiva da enunciação. Por essa razão, a língua está a todo o momento mobilizada pela compreensão ativa, cabendo, portanto, ao professor criar e conduzir interações que levem aprendizes da Libras a se apropriarem dos modos de significar o mundo nesta língua gestual-visual. Este conhecimento pode favorecer a formação de futuros professores de Libras.

Acompanha: Formação continuada de professores: ensino de ciências interdisciplinar na perspectiva histórico-crítica; Uma proposta para o ensino de ciências interdisciplinar na perspectiva histórico-crítica com o uso da WebQuest / A presente pesquisa é delineada na formação continuada de professores da Educação Básica, anos iniciais do Ensino Fundamental do município de Londrina/PR, tendo por princípio dimensões acentuadas quanto aos benefícios do trabalho interdisciplinar no Ensino de Ciências na perspectiva Histórico-Crítica, com uso da WebQuest. Para este estudo, foi necessária uma orientação entre os docentes, apresentando um referencial teórico, que elenca a formação de professores na visão de Nóvoa (2009); Veiga (2002); a Pedagogia Histórico-Crítica, na perspectiva de Saviani (1983; 2008); Gasparin (2012); e a Sequência Didática Interativa embasada em Oliveira (2013), com o intuito de contribuir para o planejamento de suas ações em sala de aula, a oferecer uma sistematização do conteúdo a ser pedagogicamente trabalhado. O trabalho visa investigar e implementar recursos e estratégias para o Ensino de Ciência interdisciplinar, proporcionando subsídios para a elaboração de um planejamento de aula, conforme aporte teórico metodológico da Pedagogia Histórico-Crítica . A relevância deste estudo é oferecer um Ensino de Ciências interdisciplinar mediante uma nova estratégia educacional com uso de recursos didáticos. A principal questão de pesquisa foi investigar como um curso em Ensino de Ciências interdisciplinar, mediante o uso da WebQuest, poderá contribuir para a formação continuada dos professores participantes da pesquisa tendo por base o aporte teórico-metodológico da Pedagogia Histórico-Crítica? Para tanto, foi desenvolvido um curso “Ensino de Ciências interdisciplinar na perspectiva Histórico-Crítica” com a análise realizada pelos professores de uma Sequência Didática Interativa SDI (elaborada pela pesquisadora), levando em consideração suas experiências didáticas e conhecimentos sobre a temática. De abordagem qualitativa, o trabalho foi desenvolvido por meio da pesquisa de campo conforme Bogdan e Biklen (1994). Para a organização e leitura interpretativa dos dados, utilizou-se a análise de conteúdo de Bardin (2011), a qual revelou, em síntese, meio aos resultados, a mudança de postura, o aprimoramento frente ao conteúdo encaminhado, exploração e interesse desses docentes quanto à elaboração de uma sequência de planejamentos de aula fundamentado na Pedagogia Histórico-Crítica em uma perspectiva interdisciplinar. Por meio dessa investigação, verificou-se que a proposta de formação continuada de professores, demonstrou-se apropriada, satisfatória e teve seus objetivos atingidos ao proporcionar subsídios para a prática pedagógica, norteada pelo planejamento didático que relaciona teoria e prática, com reflexões que permitiram a análise das experiências didáticas, para uma projeção de novas maneiras de atuarem em sala de aula, associada ao uso da nova tecnologia a WebQuest. Constatou-se que o planejamento de aula, no Ensino de Ciências Interdisciplinar em uma perspectiva Histórico-Crítica, contribuiu para o processo de organização do trabalho pedagógico, permitindo a flexibilidade da prática educativa e ainda a valorização da singularidade dos alunos, sendo possível a articulação, elaboração de estratégias e procedimentos pedagógicos, a fim de promover o enriquecimento curricular no sistema educacional e, por conseguinte, a melhoria da qualidade do processo de ensino e aprendizagem. / The present research is outlined in the continuing education of Basic Education teachers, initial years of Elementary School in the city of Londrina / PR, having in principle dimensions in terms of the benefits of interdisciplinary work in Science Teaching in the Historical-Critical perspective, using the WebQuest. For this study, it was necessary a orientation among the teachers, presenting a theoretical reference, which lists the teacher formation in the view of Nóvoa (2009); Veiga (2002); the Historical-Critical Pedagogy from the perspective of Saviani (1983; 2008); Gasparin (2012); and the Interactive Didactic Sequence based in Oliveira (2013) with the intention of contributing to the planning of their actions in the classroom, to offer a systematization of the content to be pedagogically worked. The paper aims to investigate and implement resources and strategies for the teaching of interdisciplinary Science, providing subsidies for the elaboration of a lesson planning, according to the theoretical methodological contribution of Historical-Critical Pedagogy. The relevance of this study is to offer an interdisciplinary Science Teaching through a new educational strategy with the use of didactic resources. The main research question was to investigate how an interdisciplinary Science Teaching course, through the use of WebQuest, could contribute to the continued formation of the participating teachers, based on the theoretical-methodological contribution of Historical-Critical Pedagogy. For this, a course called "Interdisciplinary Science Teaching in Historical-Critical Perspective" was developed with the analysis carried out by the teachers of an Interactive Didactic Sequence IDS (elaborated by the researcher), taking into account their didactic experiences and knowledge about the subject. From a qualitative approach, the paper was developed through the field research as Bogdan and Biklen (1994). For the organization and interpretive reading of the data, was used the content analysis of Bardin (2011), which revealed, in synthesis, among to the results, the change of posture, the improvement of the content forwarded, the exploration and interest of these teachers as to the elaboration of a sequence of lesson plans based on Historical-Critical Pedagogy in an interdisciplinary perspective. Through this research, it was verified that the proposal of continuing teacher training, proved to be appropriate, satisfactory and had its objectives reached by providing subsidies for pedagogical practice, guided by didactic planning that relates theory and practice, with reflections that allowed the analysis of didactic experiences, for a projection of new ways of acting in the classroom, associated with the use of the new technology to WebQuest. It was verified that the planning of lessons, in the Interdisciplinary Sciences Teaching in a Historical-Critical perspective, contributed to the process of organization of a pedagogical work, allowing the flexibility of the educational practice and also the appreciation of the singularity of the students, being possible the articulation, elaboration of pedagogical strategies and procedures, in order to promote curricular enrichment in the educational system and, consequently, to improve the quality of the teaching and learning process.

Acompanha: Formação continuada de professores: ensino de ciências interdisciplinar na perspectiva histórico-crítica; Uma proposta para o ensino de ciências interdisciplinar na perspectiva histórico-crítica com o uso da WebQuest / A presente pesquisa é delineada na formação continuada de professores da Educação Básica, anos iniciais do Ensino Fundamental do município de Londrina/PR, tendo por princípio dimensões acentuadas quanto aos benefícios do trabalho interdisciplinar no Ensino de Ciências na perspectiva Histórico-Crítica, com uso da WebQuest. Para este estudo, foi necessária uma orientação entre os docentes, apresentando um referencial teórico, que elenca a formação de professores na visão de Nóvoa (2009); Veiga (2002); a Pedagogia Histórico-Crítica, na perspectiva de Saviani (1983; 2008); Gasparin (2012); e a Sequência Didática Interativa embasada em Oliveira (2013), com o intuito de contribuir para o planejamento de suas ações em sala de aula, a oferecer uma sistematização do conteúdo a ser pedagogicamente trabalhado. O trabalho visa investigar e implementar recursos e estratégias para o Ensino de Ciência interdisciplinar, proporcionando subsídios para a elaboração de um planejamento de aula, conforme aporte teórico metodológico da Pedagogia Histórico-Crítica . A relevância deste estudo é oferecer um Ensino de Ciências interdisciplinar mediante uma nova estratégia educacional com uso de recursos didáticos. A principal questão de pesquisa foi investigar como um curso em Ensino de Ciências interdisciplinar, mediante o uso da WebQuest, poderá contribuir para a formação continuada dos professores participantes da pesquisa tendo por base o aporte teórico-metodológico da Pedagogia Histórico-Crítica? Para tanto, foi desenvolvido um curso “Ensino de Ciências interdisciplinar na perspectiva Histórico-Crítica” com a análise realizada pelos professores de uma Sequência Didática Interativa SDI (elaborada pela pesquisadora), levando em consideração suas experiências didáticas e conhecimentos sobre a temática. De abordagem qualitativa, o trabalho foi desenvolvido por meio da pesquisa de campo conforme Bogdan e Biklen (1994). Para a organização e leitura interpretativa dos dados, utilizou-se a análise de conteúdo de Bardin (2011), a qual revelou, em síntese, meio aos resultados, a mudança de postura, o aprimoramento frente ao conteúdo encaminhado, exploração e interesse desses docentes quanto à elaboração de uma sequência de planejamentos de aula fundamentado na Pedagogia Histórico-Crítica em uma perspectiva interdisciplinar. Por meio dessa investigação, verificou-se que a proposta de formação continuada de professores, demonstrou-se apropriada, satisfatória e teve seus objetivos atingidos ao proporcionar subsídios para a prática pedagógica, norteada pelo planejamento didático que relaciona teoria e prática, com reflexões que permitiram a análise das experiências didáticas, para uma projeção de novas maneiras de atuarem em sala de aula, associada ao uso da nova tecnologia a WebQuest. Constatou-se que o planejamento de aula, no Ensino de Ciências Interdisciplinar em uma perspectiva Histórico-Crítica, contribuiu para o processo de organização do trabalho pedagógico, permitindo a flexibilidade da prática educativa e ainda a valorização da singularidade dos alunos, sendo possível a articulação, elaboração de estratégias e procedimentos pedagógicos, a fim de promover o enriquecimento curricular no sistema educacional e, por conseguinte, a melhoria da qualidade do processo de ensino e aprendizagem. / The present research is outlined in the continuing education of Basic Education teachers, initial years of Elementary School in the city of Londrina / PR, having in principle dimensions in terms of the benefits of interdisciplinary work in Science Teaching in the Historical-Critical perspective, using the WebQuest. For this study, it was necessary a orientation among the teachers, presenting a theoretical reference, which lists the teacher formation in the view of Nóvoa (2009); Veiga (2002); the Historical-Critical Pedagogy from the perspective of Saviani (1983; 2008); Gasparin (2012); and the Interactive Didactic Sequence based in Oliveira (2013) with the intention of contributing to the planning of their actions in the classroom, to offer a systematization of the content to be pedagogically worked. The paper aims to investigate and implement resources and strategies for the teaching of interdisciplinary Science, providing subsidies for the elaboration of a lesson planning, according to the theoretical methodological contribution of Historical-Critical Pedagogy. The relevance of this study is to offer an interdisciplinary Science Teaching through a new educational strategy with the use of didactic resources. The main research question was to investigate how an interdisciplinary Science Teaching course, through the use of WebQuest, could contribute to the continued formation of the participating teachers, based on the theoretical-methodological contribution of Historical-Critical Pedagogy. For this, a course called "Interdisciplinary Science Teaching in Historical-Critical Perspective" was developed with the analysis carried out by the teachers of an Interactive Didactic Sequence IDS (elaborated by the researcher), taking into account their didactic experiences and knowledge about the subject. From a qualitative approach, the paper was developed through the field research as Bogdan and Biklen (1994). For the organization and interpretive reading of the data, was used the content analysis of Bardin (2011), which revealed, in synthesis, among to the results, the change of posture, the improvement of the content forwarded, the exploration and interest of these teachers as to the elaboration of a sequence of lesson plans based on Historical-Critical Pedagogy in an interdisciplinary perspective. Through this research, it was verified that the proposal of continuing teacher training, proved to be appropriate, satisfactory and had its objectives reached by providing subsidies for pedagogical practice, guided by didactic planning that relates theory and practice, with reflections that allowed the analysis of didactic experiences, for a projection of new ways of acting in the classroom, associated with the use of the new technology to WebQuest. It was verified that the planning of lessons, in the Interdisciplinary Sciences Teaching in a Historical-Critical perspective, contributed to the process of organization of a pedagogical work, allowing the flexibility of the educational practice and also the appreciation of the singularity of the students, being possible the articulation, elaboration of pedagogical strategies and procedures, in order to promote curricular enrichment in the educational system and, consequently, to improve the quality of the teaching and learning process.

In her thesis the author looks at written communication in teaching Czech for foreigners. The theoretical part gives an account of theoretical foundations, such as synchronic and diachronic approaches to the language situation (worldwide, in Europe and especially in the Czech Republic) and language education, including introduction to communicative methods. Furthermore, the author describes individual component parts of the language education (means of expression and communication skills), with a focus on written communication. The analytical part analyses language-teaching methods of written communication in textbooks of Czech for foreigners. The last language-teaching methodological part is more practical, which the author offers specific recommendations for teaching written communication in Czech language for foreigners. Keywords analysis of textbooks, Czech for foreigners, means of expression, communicative method, recommendations for language-teaching methodology, writing, written communication, communication skills

Presented master thesis tackles common piano practicing issues among students at the first stage of piano learning. The main purpose of the study is to investigate the difficulties that block students' progress, and analyze proper approaches that improve students' musical capabilities. The practicing issues are scientifically categorized into three categories: technical, interpretative and general practicing and performing issues, and are further analyzed from physical, psychological, and most importantly, educational perspective. In addition, contemporary piano teaching methods from various countries are explored and various methodologies and teaching philosophies are investigated and presented. Effective approaches, suitable strategies and practicing suggestions are provided in the study for both teachers and learners. Chinese piano educators can use this study to enrich their teaching methodologies and to develop new piano teaching methods.