Abstract:

The aim of this work is to probe the outcomes achieved by 270 subjects, who are going to teach in primary and children’s school, when they plan and execute educational actions in the classroom, and what possible difficulties they encountered during the development of the planned teaching action. In the instructional design the teacher in formation has used SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) as a strategy for the formulation of the goals, the management and the evaluation of the didactic action.

Teaching planning was understood by the students both as a structure and as a guide for the action; the design prepared the sequence of education activities, anticipated the organization and as well as the carrying out of events and experiences, stimulated the evaluation of the results learning and process.

This paper presents the research that investigates and evaluates a training program for the future teachers, for developing critical thinking skills during the third year of university internships.

The training course, lasting seven months, and tools created ad hoc resulted being effective for increasing the performance of the sample group, consisting of undergraduate students attending the degree course in Primary Education Sciences of the University of Palermo during the 2018-2019 academic year.

The results showed an appreciable increase of critical skills in the group of trainee teachers by use of educational planning strategies. Through well-designed teaching activities, which were mediated by the SWOT analysis, it was found that teachers enhanced critical awareness and communicative interaction.

Although the findings concern only experimental situations which cannot be generalized, the taken interventions confirmed the efficacy of the used procedures.

Keywords:

Internship, SWOT analysis, educational planning, critical awareness, evaluation.