Abstract:

The paper focuses on teacher professional development. While searching for ways of enhancement of its quality there is an important prerequisite, understanding the learning processes (Oosterheert, 2001). It is important to be aware of the processes teachers learn to teach and to know whether and how student teachers differ from each other in the process of learning to teach.The existing research attention has been paid mainly to the processes of learning in terms of academic learning (Entwistle, 1988; Vermunt, 1998; Lindblom-Ylänne 1999, Messick 1994, etc.). In the area of learning o teach it has not been reported yet much experience and knowledge. Entry into the profession and the associated phase of novice teachers is described in the literature as an important turning period of big changes and difficult moments (eg. Kagan, 1992, or Placier and Richardson, 2001) accompanied by beginning teachers´ numerous uncertainties and doubts about their own qualities. Many educational systems reflecting these initial difficulties, which are referred to as reality shocks, include a large proportion of practical experience, which is then in a safe environment reflected, evaluated and leads to a new understanding and subsequent changes in their own practice (Finlay, 2008). Mentoring, supervision and intervision are parts of such conceptions and help new teachers adjust the mirror and learn from practical experience. In case of the absence of such systematic support mechanisms of professional preparation, as it has been and still is eg. in Czech teacher pregradual preparation, we can assume that learning to learn will be less effective and may have a different course. The aim of this paper was to: (1) find out how Czech beginning teachers learn to teach; (2) if it is possible to distinquish any typical learning patterns; of learning; and (3) how these patterns are related to their self-efficacy. Czech beginning teachers are in this regard, representatives of the learning environment, which has not the dual nature of the training and where the shock of reality among beginning teachers actually occurs Other goal of this study is (4) to compare learning to teach of Czech beginning teachers with learning processes of novice teachers from learning environment with the existence of dual training (eg. Netherlands). In our survey were used Inventory of learning to teach pattern - ILTP (Oosterheert, 2002b). The results suggest the existence of different learning patterns among the Czech novice teachers. Conclusions and suggestions for practice are being made. Conclusions and recommendations for practice were made.

Keywords:

Novice teacher, learning to teach, professional development, further training.