The Role of Formal Teacher Education in the Work of Learning Facilitators at ScioSchools

ScioSchools are characterised by having a significantly higher proportion of learning facilitators without formal teacher education than traditional schools. There has been ongoing discussion about the extent to which teacher education is essential for effective teaching and whether its absence affects the quality of education. This research aimed to understand which aspects of teacher education teacher facilitators at ScioSchools actually use, where they feel its absence, and from what other sources they draw the necessary skills and knowledge. The research results may contribute to a better understanding of the specifics of the work of learning facilitators and help in designing further professional development for educators in alternative education.

IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD: 2023–2024

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE:

The main aim of the research was to examine the role of formal teacher education in the work of learning facilitators at ScioSchools and determine to what extent it influences their approach to teaching.

Specific objectives included identifying areas where formal teacher education supports learning facilitators, as well as those where they perceive a lack thereof. Another aim was to discover what other sources of experience learning facilitators without formal teacher education use and how their approach to teaching differs from those who hold formal teacher qualifications.

METHODOLOGY:

The research combined quantitative and qualitative methods to capture a comprehensive picture of the issue. First, two focus groups were conducted with six learning facilitators who had been working at ScioSchools for less than six months. The aim of this phase was to identify the main challenges learning facilitators face and use these as a basis for designing the questionnaire survey.

The questionnaire was part of the annual “ScioSchools Map” research and contained scaled questions focused on the application of pedagogical education in various aspects of the work of learning facilitators. A total of 211 learning facilitators from all 15 primary ScioSchools participated in the survey, achieving a response rate of 88%.

To gain a deeper understanding of the quantitative survey results, ten semi-structured in-depth interviews were subsequently conducted with learning facilitators who had been working at ScioSchools for less than two years. Half of the respondents possessed university-level pedagogical education, whilst the other half did not. These interviews focused on how learning facilitators perceive the importance of pedagogical education in their work and how they compensate for its potential absence.

From an ethical standpoint, respondent anonymity was ensured, and informed consent to participate in the research was obtained. Research limitations include the fact that the questionnaire items were not tested for validity and reliability, which may affect their interpretation. Furthermore, the results of the qualitative phase cannot be generalised to the entire population of learning facilitators, as they are based on a limited sample.

OUTPUTS AND RESULTS:

The research showed that pedagogical education is most frequently utilised by learning facilitators when working with pupils with special educational needs and in designing learning content. Although learning facilitators appreciate the theoretical foundation provided by their education, they often lack specific methodological strategies in practice that could be immediately applied in teaching.

Learning facilitators without pedagogical education most frequently stated that they lack a deeper understanding of didactics and developmental psychology, which may affect their ability to work effectively with diverse groups of pupils. Conversely, these learning facilitators often relied on experience gained from other areas—such as raising their own children, professional experience in other fields, or reflection on their own schooling.

The main benefits of pedagogical education reported by learning facilitators include gaining a broader pedagogical overview, developing a professional identity, and forming realistic expectations regarding children’s learning. The interviews further revealed that learning facilitators with formal education often focused on pedagogical concepts and strategies during their studies, whilst those without such preparation typically begin to engage with these topics only after several months or years of practice.

Overall, whilst learning facilitators may not utilise their pedagogical education in everyday teaching to the extent one might expect, it aids them in better navigating pedagogical theory and thinking structurally about their practice. The research has thus yielded valuable insights that can be utilised to design future professional development for learning facilitators at ScioSchools.

PUBLICATIONS:

The research outputs were compiled into a comprehensive research report that will serve primarily the internal needs of ScioSchools. The results may be utilised to improve the preparation of new learning facilitators and to better understand their needs in the area of professional development.

The research contributes not only to a deeper understanding of the specifics of the work of learning facilitators at ScioSchools but also to a broader discussion regarding the importance of pedagogical education in non-traditional educational models.

LINKS AND NETWORKS:

https://www.scioresearch.com/media/p3xpzbk0/vyzku-pedagogicke-vzdelani.pdf