SYSTEMIC TEACHER EDUCATION TO SUPPORT GIFTED STUDENTS IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Problem Statement:
Quality in Science and Technology Education (hereinafter STE) is based on quality of teacher and his/her education. Therefore the quality of teachers and way of its improving are considered key tools of educational reforms and innovations in instructional activities. The issues related to the improvement of the quality of teachers have become important not only for the management of schools and parents, but also for politicians. The proof is that big attention is paid to these issues in international documents from organisations such as UNESCO and OECD. In recent years teachers must respond to the request of society to prepare students for lifelong learning because main goal of education is to give students science and technology skills that they will need to prosper in a time of global economic competition. The gap between teacher education and classroom practice in schools is a serious problem. Teachers build up their pedagogical knowledge, skills and competences similarly to students, using their own experience from teaching and thus connecting pedagogical theory and practice. Teacher pre-service and in-service education should be systematically linked with practical experience. This study presents research results of some specific components of the systemic teacher education aimed at quality and excellence in STE of gifted students.

Purpose of Study:
The study provides research outcomes, the aim of which was to answer the research question regarding systemic teacher education to support gifted students in science and technology. Research question was: Is it necessary to develop and implement systemic teacher education as a support of gifted students in science and technology?

Methods:
Design-based research (hereinafter DBR) was used as a main research method. DBR as a development research method can be described as a cycle: analysis of a practical problem, development of solutions, evaluation and testing of solutions in practice, reflection and production of new design principles. We also used a set of research tools as questionnaires, interviews etc. The research sample consists of 50 teachers and teacher-candidates from Czech Republic. The research was conducted in 2014-2016. This research was partly conducted within the project PROFILES in the European 7th Framework Programme.

Findings and Results:
The main output of the research is finding that is possible to close the gap between teacher education and teaching in schools by the creation of systemic teacher education. Its core is the systemic connection of all the three basic components: pre-service teacher education, in-service teacher education and practical experience. The study brought the specific components of the systemic teacher education aimed at quality and excellence in STE of gifted students: motivation, modified educational methods (e. g. IBSE, excursion to research centres), creativity development etc.

Conclusions and Recommendations:
It is necessary to do a detailed analysis of the links between the elements of developed three-component system in future research. To increase effectiveness of science and technology teacher education (especially for gifted students) it is necessary to implement this systemic teacher education into all teacher continuous pedagogical development.