Abstract:

Lessons preparation requires the teachers to make a wide variety of learning and evaluation materials, their manufacture having different purposes. Thus, some of the materials serve to acquire or deepen students' knowledge (learning materials, sheets, grids, models, etc.). Another category of handmade materials are prototypes and other concrete products, serving to transfer students' knowledge in practice and develop their skills. The involvement of students in making these materials also contributes to the education of attitudes and values such as perseverance, open mind, etc. The teacher experience has an impact on the diversity and quality of these materials and on the process of making them. This process is a step-by-step one, involving documentation, product design, making a draft / model / prototype, product development, and in-process reflection on the process and on the final product.

However, for making a teaching material or concrete product, teachers prefer to copy or reproduce materials and products described in the literature. The documentation stage is reduced to a minimum and the realization of the material/product consists in adapting an existing model to its teaching purpose and to the particularities of its students.

This study investigates the practices used by teachers in the context of the above-mentioned stages, insisting on documentation and product implementation. 146 students and teachers of primary and pre-school education participated in the research. Participation was voluntary. The research instrument has been adapted by researchers from the literature of the field.

Based on the results obtained, this study identifies malfunctions on the process of making teaching products and suggests recommendations for the initial and continuous training of teachers.

Keywords:

Teaching materials, hand-made products, skills.