Abstract:

During their studies, university students in teaching-oriented programs with a natural science focus prepare for various more demanding situations that may arise during the performance of the teaching profession. In the Slovak educational context, there is a particular possibility for a teacher to teach subjects for which he does not have the required education. For example, a qualified mathematics and physics teacher can (must) manage the educational process in school chemistry, biology, computer science, and the like. However, in connection with the decreasing number of graduates in physics teaching and the retirement of experienced teachers, we also encounter the opposite situation when a teacher without a higher formal physics education can (must) teach the subject of physics. Therefore, several university workplaces preparing future teachers have included at least the basics of non-approbation subjects in their course offerings. How do we meaningfully set up such a focused course? Can basic physics knowledge be available to pre-service teachers primarily pursuing a non-physics career path? We thought about this and other questions when we designed a physics course for future teachers of biology, chemistry, geography, mathematics, and, for example, the Slovak language. Can physics be exciting and beneficial even for non-physicists? Experience so far tells us that it is. One possible way is to include elements of non- and informal education in the context of a regular university course. In this paper, we will present some of the methods and forms we used to introduce physics concepts and clarify the essence of some situations in everyday life where physics can answer the question "Why?". We will also look at teaching methods, experiences, and skills that we can apply to train pre-service physics teachers. We will also outline the perspectives of further development of the described teaching methods.

Keywords:

Physics education, teacher training, non-formal education, alternative education forms.