Abstract:

The objective of this paper is to present the applicability of foreign experience and especially the TAPATE model in the Czech education system. Education systems across Europe are diverse. There is still a noticeable difference between the countries of the so-called Eastern and Western bloc. The Czech educational environment is influenced by historical development and, in contrast to Western Europe countries, it is markedly paternalistic and focused on memorizing. The teacher, rather than being an educational guide teaching students to think, is forced to cover a large amount of content knowledge defined in the Framework Educational Programme provided by the Ministry of Education. Currently, we are implementing a project in the field of pedagogical innovation, focusing on the transfer of the British model TAPATE. The project includes the implementation of action research, in which teachers are observed, having their selected competencies assessed, followingly, they are trained in the TAPATE model and provided with methodological support. Finally, they are observed again and evaluated on the behavioural level. The uniqueness of the project lies in the transfer of the approach and viewing the learner as a partner. In this case, we can talk about the transfer from Teacher-Centered Pedagogy to the segment of Learning-Centered Pedagogy.

The TAPATE model (Transactional Analysis Proficiency Award for Teachers and Educators), created by Julie Hay, is based on the principle of the psychological approach of transactional analysis and its application in the field of education. Its roots lie in the six primary concepts that are important for pedagogical intervention and active involvement of the student in the process. These concepts are contracting, life positions, ego states, transactions, psychological games and discounting. Contracting represents setting up and concluding a mutual agreement between the teacher and the student (class) regarding the educational process. Life positions include philosophy of life, their fundamentals lie in respecting oneself and the other; when the teacher has healthy self-esteem and at the same time respects the student and the way he acts. A healthy (respecting) position presupposes mutual respect between the teacher and the student. Ego states are the basis of the transactional analysis approach; they include three ego states which are Parent, Adult and Child. The behavioural model of ego states represents observable manifestations of the behaviour and actions of individual ego states. These then enter the communication and are recorded as transactions which are the smallest units of communication. Challenging communication situations, or situations that happen repeatedly, are called psychological games. These are situations between the teacher and the student that do not much support the educational process. The last concept of discounting provides the teacher with awareness in which situations he discount himself, the student or the topic discussed.

The TAPATE model is applied in the environment of Czech primary and secondary schools, where there is a conflict between the paternalistic concept of teaching and modern methods.

Keywords:

Learning-Centered Pedagogy, Pedagogical approach, Transactional Analysis, TAPATE.