Abstract:

Our current education system faces complex challenges. These challenges manifest themselves in the different performances of students who are not always ready for life after school, e.g. future pedagogical practice. In the educational process, the latest knowledge regarding science and technology is being used. Various methods and trends are applied. A necessary component in the training of pre-service chemistry teachers during their studies is, in addition to acquiring theoretical knowledge, for them to become familiar with its application in practice, e.g., during chemical excursions.

This paper aims to examine the discipline of ”Chemical excursion” and point out how this discipline can affect young people's interest in working in a laboratory setting. This discipline plays an essential role in the pre-graduate training of chemistry teachers. It is a bridge between theoretical knowledge and its practical use. Working in model situations, carried out during laboratory exercises within university studies, is not required to develop professional competencies. These begin to form only based on real examples from practice. They are developed further in the educational process within the profession. This paper describes students' excursions to a selected chemical laboratory in a wastewater treatment plant called ČOV Nitra (the Nitra region, Slovakia). The “Chemical excursion” discipline is intended for students in the 1st and 2nd years of the ‘Magister’ study program of the combined Teaching of Academic Subjects and Chemistry course. Education in this discipline is aimed at acquainting students with selected methods and procedures in laboratory facilities. This discipline focuses not only on the usage of chemical technologies but also on connecting theory with practice, thus broadening graduates' horizons of knowledge. We aimed to increase the level of education by attaching theoretical knowledge to practice. Based on the current state's evaluation, we can state that the relationships between education and its application in life are changing significantly. Acquired theoretical knowledge and practical skills that our students gain during their studies give them a wide range of applications.

Keywords:

Education, Chemical excursion, experimental education, theoretical knowledge, pre-service teacher.