Ivan TUREK, Roman HRMO

Doctoral Study in Engineering Pedagogy in the Slovak Republic*

Department of Engineering Pedagogy and Psychology of the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (KIPP MtF STU) has been providing postgraduate doctoral study in the field of didactics of technical subjects (engineering pedagogy) since 1981. Since then 40 postgraduates including four from abroad completed the degree and have been granted PhD title. Currently 31 PhD candidates study at the Department:^?

• Seven 1^st year PhD candidates (three full-time and four part-time students including two from the Czech Republic);

• Five 2^nd year PhD candidates (two full-time and three part-time students);

• Six 3^rd year PhD candidates (two full-time and four part-time students);

• Three 4^th year PhD candidates (one full-time and two part-time students);

• Seven 5^th year PhD candidates (all of them part-time students);

• Two 6^th year PhD candidates (both part-time students).

Currently postgraduate doctoral study in the field of didactics of technical subjects (engineering pedagogy) is the only accredited study of this type not only in the Slovak Republic, in the Czech Republic and Poland as well. KIPP MtF STU enrols students from those and other countries, if they meet requirements stated below. The study is guaranteed by Prof. PhDr. Ing. Ivan Turek, PhD. Co-guarantees are Doc. Ing. Roman Hrmo, PhD, a Doc. Ing. Mariana Kundratova, CSc.

According to art. 54, par. 1, Act No. 131 on Universities (hereinafter only Act on Universities) of 21 February 2002, doctoral study –the third university degree – provides the highest possible education aimed at acquiring knowledge based on the latest achievements of advanced scientific research, as well as at the students’ involvement and individual creative activity, so that doctoral theses evidently contribute to the development in the field and exhibit a high degree of creativity. PhD graduates of the present programme acquire the third degree of university education. According to art. 54, par. 15 of the Act on Universities, they are granted the academic title of PhD (philosophiae doctor), which is written after the name of the graduate.

Profile of a Graduate:

• A graduate will acquire the third degree university education in the field of Major Didactics.

• S/he is able to teach the university course of didactics of technical subjects in an independent and responsible way.

• S/he is able to identify, analyse and solve demanding didactic issues of empiric and conceptual character.

• S/he is able to plan, organize and evaluate research in Major Didactics.

• S/he possesses knowledge in methodology of research in the field.

• S/he understands fundamental facts, notions, principles and theories regarding research and education within the system context, particularly economic, political and cultural determination of development of personality.

• S/he can creatively utilise relevant knowledge to identify, analyse and solve professional didactic issues, creatively use notions, principles and procedures regarding planning, organizing and evaluating teaching, mainly of teacher candidates.

• S/he is able to reflect and self-reflect professional didactic practice and to assess its quality and effectiveness in a competent way.

• S/he is able to investigate system relationships between the education phenomena and schooling, mainly dependent of education and training effects on their programme, process and context determinants.

• S/he has developed abilities of meta-cognition, self-access and post-doctoral study.

• S/he cooperates with specific subject teachers in the Faculty, secondary training schoolteachers and experts in related professions.

The Graduate will be employed as:

• a teacher of didactics of professional technical subjects in the faculties training teachers for secondary schools,

• a research and methodology development worker in Major Didactics for R&D and methodology departments in the sector requiring 7^th-grade education within ISCED scheme,

• a concept and programme worker in state administration, sectors of education and culture.

The PhD Study Enrolment
Conditions

The graduates from the faculties of engineering and/or technologies (mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering, chemical and food technology, etc.) who have completed complementary teacher training (further only CTT) can submit an application for doctoral study in the branch “Didactics of Technical Subjects” at KIPP MtF STU. There is expected knowledge of at least one foreign language (preferably English) on the advanced level to develop communication competencies for research environment. The admission procedure is preceded with announcement of PhD (dissertation) thesis topics candidates for doctoral study can apply for. Individual advisors are destined for the purpose of supervising the proposed topics. Applicants declare their interest in one of the topics. The entrance exam consists of three parts:

• testing foreign language competencies;

• testing the major knowledge background (knowledge and competencies in pedagogy, psychology, didactics of professional subjects in extent of complementary study requirements);

• discourse on the issues of intended PhD thesis.

The doctoral study itself consists of two parts: educational part and research. Educational part concentrates on obtaining knowledge, competencies and approaches in recent knowledge in engineering pedagogy, didactics of professional subjects, psychology, and acquiring methodology of pedagogical research. Scientific part includes research of recent open scientific problem in the field and writing dissertation thesis.

Conditions for completing PhD degree and granting doctoral title PhD are the following ones:

• Completing all the subjects from the list of study plan and achieving 180 credit points.

• Passing the state exams consisting of dissertation exam and defending dissertation thesis.

There are 180 ECTS needed to complete study. The extent of study is given by lessons per week (13 weeks per semester). The research work can be planned upon an individual study plan according to the student’s work results so that s/he can obtain minimum
40 ECTS per academic year.

Part-time study

1^st year is identical to the full-time form except of pedagogical activities. Part-time students do not have to make any pedagogical activity. Subjects dissertation projects III–VI and research work are applied in an individual study plan within four years. The standard part-time student’s study load from 2^nd through 5^th year is 15 ECTS per semester.

Brief Syllabus of Particular Subjects

Engineering Pedagogy:

• methodology, technology, technical sciences, pedagogy, pedagogic sciences, scientific system, education, profile of an engineer, profession of an engineer;

• social status of an engineer, value-creating potential of an engineer, education, pedagogy, engineering pedagogy, didactics, didactic transformation;

• didactics of a technical major, convergence of science and didactics, structural elements of a profile of an engineer, professional competency, social competency;

• teaching forms, teaching methods, material teaching aids, technical devices, teaching aids;

• didactical characteristics of material teaching aids, multimedia.

Psychology

• Mankind on the edge of millennium (global issues), science and a human being (humanities)

• Is “psychical” a reality? (general theory of psychology)

• Psychology as a science, professional activity and a component of social consciousness (general psychology), how to penetrate into a human soul/inner world (method of psychology)

• Determination of psychically regulated behaviour (biopsychology)

• How do we recognise/understand the world and ourselves? (cognitive psychology)

• Psychical development (ontogenetic psychology)

• Why do we behave like that? (psychology of motivation)

• System of integration in a person (psychology of personality)

• An individual in a society, social and cultural aspects of a personality (social psychology)

• Are we within a standard? Who is mentally ill? (pathopsychology)

• Implementing psychological notions in practice (applied psychology)

Professional English

Integrated micro-skills development (reading – speaking – listening – writing):

• Characteristics of a workplace and research

• Status of an engineer, manager, teacher, technologist, etc. within the organization mission

• Communication, negotiations

• Oral presentations

• Written reports, scientific papers and posters

• Business correspondence, professional ethics and etiquette

• Professional translation

Didactics of Technical Subjects

• Current educational theories, modernisation of teaching, project “Millennium”, teaching objectives

• Curriculum, standards, teaching/learning styles, key competencies

• Didactic rules, methods and organization forms of teaching

• Modern concepts of teaching

• Testing and evaluating pupils and students

• Planning teacher’s work

• Quality of teaching

Methodology of Pedagogical Research (Dissertation Projects I, II)

• Ways of perception, science, scientific research

• Types of research

• Educometry, measurement and pedagogical research, types of measurement

• Validity and reliability of research

• Methodology of pedagogical research

• Project of pedagogical research

• Methods of pedagogical research: observation, discussion, questionnaire, socio-metric method, didactic tests, method of verbal utterances/statements, projective method

• Meta-analysis in pedagogical research

• Statistical methods of processing research results: statistical description and statistical induction

• Writing a research report

Characteristics of the Study
Programme

The study programme “Didactics of Technical Professional Subjects” within the major of 1.1.10 “Major Didactics” emphasises the study of innovations in the field of “Didactics of Technical Subjects”, “Engineering Pedagogy and Psychology”, as well as knowledge and skills necessary to carry out a valid and reliable pedagogical research and to master a foreign language, professional English in particular. Scientific component of the programme is represented by pedagogical research on topical issues of didactics of technical professional subjects. Simultaneously, a full-time PhD candidate teaches in bachelor or master degrees, complementary teacher training courses, secondary technical schools or vocational schools. The aim of the programme is to develop candidate’s ability:

• to teach didactics of technical/engineering subjects in an independent and responsible way,

• to identify, analyse and solve demanding empirical and conceptual issues in the field,

• to plan, organize and evaluate research in “Major Didactics”,

• to utilise relevant knowledge in identifying, analysing and solving didactic issues,

• to implement notions, principles and procedures regarding, planning, organizing and evaluating teaching process in a creative way,

• to self-reflect major-didactic work and assess its quality and effectiveness in a highly competent way.

A graduate will possess developed abilities of meta-cognition, self-access, post-doctoral study and cooperation with specific subject teachers in the Faculty, secondary schoolteachers and experts from related fields.

A PhD graduate will employ his expertise in the jobs such as a teacher of didactics of technical professional subjects in teacher-training faculties, a research and methodology development worker in “Major Didactics” for R&D and methodology departments in the sector requiring 7^th-grade education within ISCED scheme, as well as a concept and programme worker in the state administration, sectors of education and culture.

Standard length of the submitted study programme is 3 years, or 5 years in part-time form respectively. Regarding the time necessary to cover part-time programme, the part-time form is scheduled for 5 years.

Organization of PhD Study

Organization of PhD study at MtF STU is based on a credit system. Each unit of the study programme is allotted with a certain amount of credits (ECTS) that after successful completing are acquired by the student. The amount of credits allotted to a unit of the study programme articulates the proportionate part of student’s work compulsory for completing the unit. There are 180 ECTS needed to complete the whole study.

Standard student’s load per academic year is expressed by 60 credits (30 per semester). The student gets credits after successful completing the study programme unit, i.e. if student passed all the subjects (units of the study programme) in the plan of academic year, s/he will obtain 60, eventually 30 credits if there are subjects in a semester study plan. The credits per study unit can be obtained only once in the course of study.

The doctoral study itself consists of two parts: educational part and research.

1. Educational part concentrates on obtaining knowledge, competencies and approaches in recent knowledge in engineering pedagogy, didactics of professional subjects, psychology, and acquiring methodology of pedagogical research. The content (but also means) of instructional process of subjects in the study plan should include the latest scientific knowledge and trends. PhD candidates have to pass exams in particular subjects. Evaluation is binary one: passed – failed. Content and methods of the exams are introduced in the subject curricula. The subject exam commission consists of the subject teacher, supervisor and a member of the Major Commission delegated by the chair of the commission. The subject instructional process is organized in a block, in a form of individual study, lectures followed by discussion, seminars, project work and tutorials. Educational part results in final dissertation exam – the one which belongs to state exams.

2. Scientific part includes research of a recent open scientific problem in the field and writing dissertation thesis. It is accomplished in subjects Dissertation Projects I–IV and within research work. The research work is evaluated particularly according to publication activities of PhD candidates, their participation at conferences and acknowledgement their results (citations). First results are expected in 3^rd semester. Dissertation thesis must contain an overview on the state of scientific knowledge and subject of dissertation, but especially candidate’s own new research results significant for theory and practice. It consists of an analytical part, in which the candidate summarizes knowledge on current state of investigated issue, and a contribution part, where the candidate proposes new effective solutions. The thesis is been working out within subjects Dissertation Projects I–IV. For a full-time student it symbolizes a check point at the end of each semester, when s/he demonstrates results:

• After the 1^st semester (completing subject Dissertation Project I) minimum 15 pages of written report evaluated by guarantee.

• After the 2^nd semester (completing subject Dissertation Project II) minimum 15 pages of written report evaluated by guarantee.

• After the 3^rd semester (completing subject Dissertation Project III) minimum 40 pages of written work for dissertation exam including attached project of dissertation thesis.

• After the 4^th semester (completing subject Dissertation Project IV) minimum 20 pages of written report evaluated by supervisor.

• After the 5^th semester (completing subject Dissertation Project V) minimum 20 pages of written report evaluated by supervisor. Results are presented at the research seminar organized by KIPP MtF STU.

• After the 6^th semester (completing subject Dissertation Project VI) dissertation thesis.

Scientific part as well as the whole PhD study is completed with defending dissertation thesis, which belongs to state exams.

During the entire study the postgraduate doctoral student participates in the pedagogical process. The standard average teaching load is 4 hours per week and supervising two bachelor projects (complementary teacher training thesis) in academic year (except of the first year study).

Doctoral study is carried out upon an individual study plan under tutorial of a supervisor. Supervisors can be: professors, associate professors or research workers with scientific qualification degree I or IIa in the PhD study branch, or in close major field. Besides the “domestic” research staff, supervisors can come from other workplaces than KIPP MtF STU, they can be self-employed persons. Supervisors are approved by the Scientific Board of the Faculty (MtF STU).

Individual study plan is set-up by supervisor in cooperation with PhD candidate and submitted to the Major Commission. The PhD candidate’s individual study plan defines in details the educational and scientific part of PhD study, particularly the following:

1. study plan including the timetable and time of exams in particular subjects,

2. time of dissertation exam,

3. for full-time students the content and extent of pedagogical activities or other activities connected with educational pro-cess,

4. schedule with deadlines of priority tasks characterising content and procedure in solution the dissertation thesis according advanced dissertation project goals,

5. student’s active participation at research conferences, seminars or other professional events connected with the dissertation thesis topic.

The PhD candidate’s individual study plan is specified and detailed every year as a part of annual evaluation of the student.

Completing PhD Study

There are the following conditions for completing PhD study:

• Successful completing all the subjects in accordance with rules and conditions set-up in the study plan and acquiring 180 credits.

• Passing state exams, i.e. dissertation exam and dissertation thesis defense.

Full-time PhD candidate applies for dissertation exam at the latest in the 18^th month and part-time candidate three years after beginning the study. The exam has written and oral parts. The written one has an extent of at least 54000 signs (1.5 AH, i.e. 30 standardized pages). Project of dissertation thesis is attached to the written work. The written part and project are considered and evaluated by an opponent delegated upon the advice of supervisor by the head of the training workplace. The opponent works out an expert opinion. The oral part of the dissertation exam consists of:

• problem solution, e.g. case study in each of the following subjects: engineering pedagogy, psychology and didactics of technical subjects set by subject teachers,

• presentation of the written work and project of dissertation thesis,

• responding to comments and objections from the expert opinion,

• disputation of the work and evaluation of the dissertation thesis project.

The course of the exam and the result announcement are open to public. The exam commission judgment meeting is made within closed session. The exam evaluation is binary: passed – failed. Only university teachers in a range of professors and associated professors or other experts approved by the Scientific Board have the right to examine at the dissertation exam.

Dissertation thesis defense: Dissertation thesis is submitted in Slovak language. Student can submit the thesis also in a foreign language with an approval of the Major Commission. PhD candidate can submit published work or set of published production, that in its content deals with the dissertation topic. S/he has to write a commentary on this type of submitted work, where s/he will describe the current state of investigated issues, aims of the thesis and results. If the dissertation thesis is the result of a team work, the parts written by PhD candidate must be identified. The extent of the dissertation thesis has to be in a range of 4 – 11 AH (144000 – 396000 signs, i.e. 80 to 220 standardized pages). The candidate will also work out the dissertation thesis summary that briefly summarises aims, ways they were achieved (methodology of the research), basic results of investigation, specifying of the dissertation thesis benefits and its contribution in the field, data on its acceptance and responses, and list of references. The summary should have 30 to 40 pages. It has to be sent especially to: the thesis opponents, members of the Major Commission, members of the Scientific Board of MtF STU, members of the Dissertation Commission and Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic. Three opponents give an expert opinion on the dissertation thesis. At least one of them is professor or Doctor of Science or research worker with qualification degree I. The other opponents can be associated professors or workers with PhD title, exceptionally qualified experts from practice without PhD title.

Dissertation thesis is defended in front of the State Examination Commission. The Commission has a minimum four members. At least one member is an expert in the field from practice or from another university. Minimum two members are university teachers from practice or from another university. At least two of the Commission members are university professors or associated professors.

Each of those interested in the dissertation thesis issues can submit his/her written report, opinion or comments to the Commission Chair a week before defense at latest, or orally within dissertation thesis defense. The PhD candidate must take the position.

Dissertation defense is open to public. It is a disputation on obtained knowledge contained in thesis between PhD candidate, opponents, Commission members and other participants of the defense. It has to deal with relevance and reliability of results and proposals of dissertation thesis. Opponents participate at dissertation defense. Following criteria have to be considered at evaluation of the state examination:

• Submitted dissertation thesis with an accent on scientific contribution, creativity and its placement in current world knowledge (upon expert opinions).

• Working results during its solution (upon supervisor’s opinion).

• Presentation and defense of dissertation thesis.

• Expressions and standpoint in disputation on thesis.

The state exam evaluation at PhD study is: passed – failed.

To submit proposal of granting the title PhD at least two thirds of all persons entitled to vote must be present (i.e. members of the Commission, opponents, but not the supervisor) and majority of the entire present members vote for the proposal. State exam can be repeated only once in the time defined by the examination commission.

The Scientific Board of MtF STU will verify if the procedure at the dissertation defense was correct in accordance with academic regulations, research and professional ethics and take the final decision on granting the title PhD to the candidate. The written decision of the Scientific Board of MtF STU on granting the title PhD is sent to the candidate. Diploma is usually delivered at the festive degree ceremony (promotion) organized by the Faculty at the latest six months after granting the PhD title.