Master's Degree
Characteristics of the study programme
The second, master's degree of the study programme Teaching of Slovak Language and Literature (in combination) is a continuation of the first, bachelor's degree of this study programme. The curriculum and the structure of courses are designed to enable graduates of the bachelor's degree of the study programme Teaching of Slovak Language and Literature (in combination) implemented at the Faculty of Education, Comenius University Bratislava as well as at other universities to continue their studies at the master's degree level smoothly and seamlessly.
The study programme Teaching of Slovak Language and Literature (in combination) fulfils the description of the study field Teacher Training and Education Science in its structure and content.
An integral part of the study programme Teaching of Slovak Language and Literature (in combination) is the study programme of the Common social science, pedagogical and psychological basis of teaching.
The study programme Teaching of Slovak Language and Literature (in combination) at the master's degree level in both full-time and part-time form is designed in a three-pillar structure. It combines professional knowledge based on critical understanding of contemporary Slovak language and literature from a developmental (diachronic) point of view, provides knowledge of current developments in the field of language norms and culture, and all professional knowledge is linked to its application in the educational and pedagogical process and to the development of the competences of a teacher of Slovak language and literature.
The structure of linguistically, literary and didactically oriented lectures and seminars constitutes the main body of the compulsory subjects of the study programme.
The first pillar is represented by subjects focused on the history and development of the Slovak language, language culture and current language usage, on the basis of which the main axis of the logical sequence and continuity of knowledge about the main historical-periodization stages of the development of the national language is formed. The formation of cultural non-codified forms of the national language, the emergence and use of the national, cultivated and codified form of Slovak as the existential form of the national language are emphasised, and the knowledge is linked to the actual phenomena of the development of standard Slovak at the level of the individual subsystems of the language. The student is able to navigate in the knowledge, identify its role especially in the linguistic context and is able to apply it correctly in the broader educational process in the context of literary and historical development of the Slovak language and culture. He/she perceives individual phenomena in broader linguistic, cultural and social contexts. In problem solving, the skills of analytical and synthetic thinking are developed and concrete conditions for critical assessment of the suitability and appropriateness of the applicability of the acquired knowledge in working with the use and communication of information in the teaching process are formed.
The second pillar consists of subjects in the history of older literature, literary classicism, romanticism and realism. These literary-historically oriented subjects provide a picture of the application of the Slovak language in literary works within the individual periods of the development of the Slovak language and culture and of the processes and contexts of linguistic-cultural and value communication of the Slovak environment in the European context. These subjects are fully interlinked with the linguistically oriented subjects. Within the framework of the literary science-oriented courses, the student has the opportunity to acquire the skills to link linguistic and literary science knowledge.
The third pillar represents the didactic-application framework of the subjects, which enable the student to learn and practise the application of professional knowledge in the practical field. With the help of the compulsory subjects, the didactics of the Slovak language and the didactics of literature provide a fundamental and comprehensive profiling of the personality of a teacher who can reliably navigate in the educational standards of the Slovak language and literature in his or her future job as a teacher of lower and upper secondary education. At the same time, he/she is oriented in performance and content standards and applies his/her skills and competences in terms of content and structure in a balanced manner using textbooks, teaching texts, e-learning methods and means that enable the transfer of information and professional knowledge in lower and upper secondary education.
These pillars are complemented by compulsory elective and elective courses, which develop the main professional knowledge of individual subsystems of the contemporary standard language (from the Bachelor's degree programme) and at the same time form and activate additional and new skills of students in the field of study. They focus on the application of knowledge in the educational process and school practice, developing knowledge in the field of contemporary Slovak in the context of its historical and dialectal development. At the same time, they form application skills based on the principles of Slovak spelling and current practice. They build and develop the competences of creative writing and complex linguistic analysis, as these are essential for school practice in lower and upper secondary education. In particular, they develop reading and literary-interpretive skills when working with a selected range of literary works by Slovak authors, which were written during the various developmental periods of Slovak literature in the Slovak language. At the same time, however, students are also given the opportunity to become acquainted with the cultivated literary form of individual variants of Slovak, Old Slovak and Slovakized Czech, which are manifestations of homogeneous multilingual communication of the Slovak cultural environment. This distinct knowledge of the development of Slovak language and literature is mainly applied thanks to the diverse interlingual and interliterary contexts and processes that determine the image of a pluralistic Slovak culture in the European context.
Students have the opportunity to learn and use all these knowledge and tools of critical thinking in lectures and seminars focused on the application of selected examples of linguistic and literary communication to the inside of the community and outside in communication with other linguistic-cultural environments. Reflecting on the developmental arc and pulsation of our literary culture from the earliest times to the present in the context of literary excursions serves to consolidate the theoretical knowledge acquired and to create prerequisites for its future implementation in teaching practice.
The specific feature of the study programme at the Master's degree level is therefore knowledge in the field of the history of the standard language and its development. In the context of its historical and dialectal development, knowledge in the field of contemporary Slovak is further developed. Together with the literary science content focused on the older and more recent history of Slovak literature, they form a concrete idea based on the logical sequence and succession of the entire historical and periodization development of the Slovak language, literature and culture. This dimension of the Master's degree programme at the Pedagogical faculty, Comenius University Bratislava is unique and indispensable for school and educational practice. Through this interpretation of history, knowledge of the current linguistic and cultural situation is offered.
Special attention to the connection of theoretical and practical training of teachers of Slovak language and literature with the current needs and requirements of school and out-of-school practice as another specificity of the study programme results in students forming application skills, building and developing competences in the field of spelling, creative writing, complex language analysis, because these are essential for school practice in lower and upper secondary education.
The curriculum of the study programme Teaching of Slovak Language and Literature (in combination) at the master's level is designed to lead to the achievement of the goals set out in the graduate profile. The structure and content of the study programme fulfils the description of the field of study Teacher Training and Education Science in such a way that the profile of the graduate is in line with the profile of a graduate of this field of study.
The focus of the study programme accepts and respects the requirements of the Slovak educational environment and is in line with global trends aimed at the humanization of education, furthermore, it is an important prerequisite for building a positive attitude towards one's field of study and for internalizing its social and cultural significance in contemporary society, in which education, ethical and socially responsible actions based on facts represent particularly exposed values important for the consolidation and development of a democratic society.
Graduate´s Profile
The comprehensively formed personality of the graduate of the second degree of the study programme Teacher of Slovak Language and Literature (in combination) possesses the knowledge, skills and competences for the performance of a comprehensively profiled teacher and for the application of the latest professional and pedagogical competences in school practice. The role of such a profiled graduate is to educate, train and support the improvement of the quality of knowledge, thinking and responsibility of primary and secondary school pupils in the field of Slovak language and literature. The graduate is fully qualified in Slovak language and literature at the lower and upper secondary education, and is able to educate, train and support the improvement of the quality of cognition, thinking and responsibility in pupils of the second level of primary and secondary schools. It can also reliably pursue a third level of higher education in its own or a related field and develop the knowledge acquired to improve the quality of education.
The graduate of the second degree of university studies in the study programme Teaching of Slovak Language and Literature (in combination) is formed as a complexly prepared personality with professional competences, which decisively influence educational activities. The acquired knowledge, skills and value attitudes provide the space for the development and formation of the ability to learn, educate and become aware of the contexts and relationships arising from cultural and historical contexts in the current cultural and social framework. The acquired knowledge and skills comprise the extra-curricular component of the second level of university studies in the study programme Teaching of Slovak Language and Literature (in combination) at the Faculty of Education, Comenius University Bratislava. The graduate can reliably apply the knowledge, skills and competences in creative and complex problem solving in the environment of current and innovative school practice. The graduate is reliably theoretically prepared and professionally competent to educate himself/herself and educate pupils/students.
In order to improve the quality of his/her own professional communication, he/she reflects the current theoretical knowledge in the field and reflects it in the educational process. He/she makes reliable use of current procedures for evaluating the course and results of teaching, and is also prepared to work in the field of extracurricular or leisure activities in accordance with the current needs and trends in education and school practice in teaching general education subjects at lower and upper secondary level. The graduate possesses professional competences that are necessary for the implementation of new knowledge in the field into the educational process. The graduate respects the basic pedagogical documents and implements them in educational activities. He/she reflects the current requirements of modern education, which is student-oriented, based on creativity and learning through the discovery of knowledge and the use of the results of critical thinking.
The graduate is familiar with the school system in the environment of the Slovak Republic, has knowledge of the educational process and school practice and can characterize and reliably use didactic tools, distinguishes and applies the main principles of educational practice, uses proven classical as well as modern teaching methods, forms and means.
The comprehensively formed personality of the graduate of the second degree of the study programme Teacher of Slovak Language and Literature (in combination) possesses the knowledge, skills and competences for the performance of a comprehensively profiled teacher and for the application of the latest professional and pedagogical competences in school practice. The role of such a profiled graduate is to educate, train and support the improvement of the quality of knowledge, thinking and responsibility of primary and secondary school pupils in the field of Slovak language and literature. The graduate is fully qualified in Slovak language and literature at the lower and upper secondary education, and is able to educate, train and support the improvement of the quality of cognition, thinking and responsibility in pupils of the second level of primary and secondary schools. It can also reliably pursue a third level of higher education in its own or a related field and develop the knowledge acquired to improve the quality of education.
The graduate of the second degree of university studies in the study programme Teaching of Slovak Language and Literature (in combination) is formed as a complexly prepared personality with professional competences, which decisively influence educational activities. The acquired knowledge, skills and value attitudes provide the space for the development and formation of the ability to learn, educate and become aware of the contexts and relationships arising from cultural and historical contexts in the current cultural and social framework. The acquired knowledge and skills comprise the extra-curricular component of the second level of university studies in the study programme Teaching of Slovak Language and Literature (in combination) at the Faculty of Education, Comenius University Bratislava. The graduate can reliably apply the knowledge, skills and competences in creative and complex problem solving in the environment of current and innovative school practice. The graduate is reliably theoretically prepared and professionally competent to educate himself/herself and educate pupils/students.
In order to improve the quality of his/her own professional communication, he/she reflects the current theoretical knowledge in the field and reflects it in the educational process. He/she makes reliable use of current procedures for evaluating the course and results of teaching, and is also prepared to work in the field of extracurricular or leisure activities in accordance with the current needs and trends in education and school practice in teaching general education subjects at lower and upper secondary level. The graduate possesses professional competences that are necessary for the implementation of new knowledge in the field into the educational process. The graduate respects the basic pedagogical documents and implements them in educational activities. He/she reflects the current requirements of modern education, which is student-oriented, based on creativity and learning through the discovery of knowledge and the use of the results of critical thinking.
The graduate is familiar with the school system in the environment of the Slovak Republic, has knowledge of the educational process and school practice and can characterize and reliably use didactic tools, distinguishes and applies the main principles of educational practice, uses proven classical as well as modern teaching methods, forms and means.
Knowledge
Graduates of the second level of university studies in the field of Slovak language and literature (in combination) possess theoretical knowledge and practical skills that can be accurately, creatively and effectively applied in the educational environment of the public and private sector. The subjects taught in the second level of higher education allow, according to the profile of the graduate, to provide space for the integration of knowledge and its consolidation in the form of a self-directed study path leading to the profiling of a professionally competent personality ready to implement methods of critical thinking about Slovak language and literature (especially in the context of current trends in thinking about the historical and cultural development of the European cultural space).
The theoretical knowledge of the graduate of the second level is developed by linguistically oriented subjects focused on the history of standard Slovak, on contemporary Slovak and its norm and codification in relation to its history and dialects, and on the basics of language culture. In the context of literary studies, emphasis is placed on the periodisation of Slovak literary development, which includes the history of older literature, the history of literary classicism and romanticism, and the history of literary realism. The linguistic and literary part of the study programme is developed, enriched and synthesised by knowledge of current research processes and contexts of cultural communication, which are reflected in particular in the field of the relations of Slovak linguistic and literary communication with the cultural layers that have been involved in the formation of the Slovak cultural environment since the earliest times.
Subjects of linguistic and literary-science part of the graduate's professional profiling are interconnected by their focus on the periodization periods of the earlier development of Slovak language and literature from Great Moravia to the Baroque period. An important role in this context is played by the periodisation moments influencing the emergence and development of cultural variants of the Slovak language and their application in the context of the Slovak literary tradition. Another dimension of knowledge provides a picture of the formation of proto-national and national ideological frameworks that resulted from Enlightenment, classicist and romantic ideas, as well as ideas influenced by literary realism with overlaps into literary modernism. The vitality of the Slovak language is reflected in the context of the emergence of efforts to codify the language, in the formation of language guides and rules. The culminating moment of national life, also with regard to the dialectal stratification of Slovak, is the adoption of a codified national form of standard Slovak. The unifying, communicative and cultural role in the formation of Slovak national and civic identity is framed by a course focused on language culture in diverse cultural and social contexts. The graduate possesses a comprehensive set of knowledge and skills in the field of the history of Slovak language and literature, knows the laws and conditions of the practical use and functioning of Slovak language and literature in relation to neighbouring languages and cultures.
From the study of didactics and methods developing critical thinking about the Slovak linguistic and literary tradition, the graduate of the second level will acquire a comprehensive competence to act in the educational process. All the theoretical knowledge will be applied in educational school practice in Slovakia after completing linguistically and literary oriented courses and courses on didactics of Slovak language and didactics of literature. Through teoretically and practically oriented courses in didactics with a focus on Slovak language and literature, the graduate will acquire knowledge and skills necessary for their methodologically correct application in the preparation and implementation of teaching Slovak language and literature at lower and upper secondary education. On the basis of the didactic courses, the graduate will gain reliable knowledge of official pedagogical documents, gain orientation in Slovak language and literature textbooks, teaching texts, guides for Slovak language and literature used in primary and secondary schools. The student has knowledge of the theory of teaching, knows the methods and forms of teaching and can use this knowledge and apply it methodologically correctly in developing the knowledge and skills of primary and secondary-school pupils in the context of approved practice and modern concepts of teaching, also in the light of the latest trends in information and communication technologies.
Skills
Graduates of the second level of university studies in the field of Slovak language and literature (in combination) can demonstrably and reliably apply the knowledge that is the result of the acquired education and qualifications and which is mainly conditioned by the needs of school practice and the labour market. The linguistic and literary-science knowledge, together with value attitudes and didactic knowledge forms a set of comprehensively acquired skills that enable the graduate to communicate, link and evaluate knowledge in historical and current discourses on Slovak language and literature.
The graduate is thus qualified to carry out educational activities in the field of teaching general education subjects in lower and upper secondary education in the field of Slovak language and literature, to be responsible for the quality of the course and for the education results, to manage required pedagogical documentation, to implement new knowledge and approaches in educational work, based on the basic pedagogical documents. He/she is prepared to participate in the creation of school pedagogical documents, to carry out tasks related mainly to direct pedagogical activity, to design, implement and reflect educational activities within the scope of his/her subject specialisation, to prepare educational and methodological materials with the support of the latest digital technologies.
The graduate possesses practical skills that enable him/her as a professionally integrated and creative personality to integrate them successfully into working and non-working social structures. He/she applies the structure and methodology of the study programme in order to improve and innovate education, can design and implement teaching in an innovative way and reflect the latest research results in school practice for the needs of current cultural and social communication.
He/she possesses reliable skills acquired from the extra-curricular area of his/her field and the didactics of Slovak language and literature, which build on the skills acquired in the first level of his/her study. On the basis of his/her experience, he/she is able to contribute to the development of teaching materials that reflect the current needs of school practice. He/she is prepared to provide practical experience in solving problems of social and ethical responsibility.
Competencies
The competencies to learn independently, evaluate and critically access information and sources of knowledge are based on the developed knowledge, skills and attitudes.
The graduate of the second level of the study programme Teaching of Slovak Language and Literature (in combination), on the basis of reliable knowledge of the development, history and stratification of the Slovak language and literature, can apply methodology and didactics, knows the basic processes and contexts of cultural communication, and can use and evaluate knowledge obtained from information sources and apply current information and communication technologies. He/she is an expert not only in the field of cultivated written and verbal expression in the standard Slovak language, but is also familiar with its non-codified and dialectal forms.
He/she possesses a coherent set of knowledge, skills and attitudes that are essential for developing responsibility for the field of education and can integrate individual linguistic and literary knowledge into teaching and also in developing creative and critical thinking. He/she understands the connections between past and present linguistic and literary strata, traditions, events, and stereotypes, understands the logic and content of each period, and can use these to provide a reliable interpretation of current frameworks in a comparative and interdisciplinary context.
He/she can analyse and critically evaluate the knowledge and resources of the field of study with overlap into the fields of related disciplines and is well oriented in the current results of scientific research in his/her field of study and can apply them. He/she implements new knowledge in the educational process and school practice, possesses reflexive-evaluative competences, on the basis of which he/she is able to think critically and evaluate the processes and results of education, is able to link professional knowledge and methodology of the educational process in school practice and possesses creative and critical thinking, is flexible and adapts the axiological system to education.
He/she implements teaching in the form of examples, problem situations, through discovery and the organisation of independent activity in order to achieve the desired level of learning. He/she is creative, encourages independent work of pupils/students in primary and secondary schools, can plan and organise educational activities and pupils'/students' work.
He/she can achieve synergistic success from pupils'/students' discovery of knowledge in the field through diverse forms, ways and methods of teaching, stimulate the active role of the pupil/student in the learning process, diagnose and evaluate the course and results of teaching.
The graduate is able to integrate knowledge from other, especially related disciplines and understand them in a broader context, to communicate clear conclusions and their justifications within professional and non-professional discourse.
The profile of the graduate of the Master's degree programme in Teaching of Slovak Language and Literature (in combination) is in accordance with the Long-Term Plan of Development of Comenius University Bratislava and the Long-Term Plan of Development of the Faculty of Education, Comenius University Bratislava, with the mission and strategic goals of Comenius University Bratislava and the Faculty of Education, Comenius University Bratislava, in accordance with the description of the study field and other relevant documents. The objectives of education are specified in the graduate profile and detailed in the information sheets of individual courses of the study programme.
An integral part of the graduate profile of the Master's degree programme in Teaching of Slovak Language and Literature (in combination), both full-time and part-time, is the knowledge, skills and competences that students have developed by completing the subjects of the study programme Pedagogical-psychological and social science basis of teaching, which are detailed in the graduate profile of this study programme.
Graduates' qualification and employment opportunities
By successfully completing the second degree of the study programme Teaching of Slovak Language and Literature (in combination) in both full-time and part-time form, the student obtains a Master's degree and a qualification corresponding to level 7 according to the Slovak Qualification Framework (SKKR). Proof of qualification is a university diploma (2nd level), a certificate of state examination and a supplement to the diploma.
A graduate of the second level of the study programme in accordance with the Slovak Qualifications Framework (SKKR, level 7) obtains the qualification and meets the qualification prerequisites for the performance of the professional activity of a lower secondary education teacher and a teacher of general education subjects in upper secondary education.
Graduates of the second level of the study programme will qualify as teachers in lower and upper secondary education in the field of Slovak language and literature, but can also reliably continue to the third cycle of higher education in their own or a related field and will be qualified for the following jobs and professions: 1. teacher of the lower secondary education; 2. teacher of general education subjects of upper secondary education (gymnasium, secondary vocational school, secondary sports school, school of art industry, conservatory).
The competences, knowledge and skills of the graduate of the second cycle of the study programme, including transferable competences acquired during the study, enable him/her to enter professions requiring the required level of knowledge, skills and competences of the graduate corresponding to level 7 of the Slovak Qualification Framework.
The second level of the study programme enables the graduate to continue in the third level of study (PhD.) in order to obtain higher qualifications for the performance of professional activities in the categories oriented to work in science and research in the field of Slovak language and literature and in related fields focused on research on communication and the relationship of Slovak language and literature with other languages, literatures and cultures.
Most of the graduates of the second, master's degree level are working as teachers of Slovak language and literature at the lower secondary education and teachers of Slovak language and literature in secondary schools in the Slovak Republic.
Study Programme Board
Study programme: Teacher of Slovak Language and Literature (in combination)
Degree of study: second (Mgr.)
Form of study: full-time/external
Study Programme Board
prof. PhDr. Peter Žeňuch, DrSc.
doc. Mgr. Jaroslav Šrank, PhD.
doc. PhDr. Erika Brtáňová, CSc.
Bc. Eva Frtúsová (student representative)
Bc. Adela Zemková (student representative)
Bc. Anežka Gernešiová (student representative)
Bc. Filip Lopuch (student representative)
PaedDr. Elena Backová (employer's representative) teacher of Slovak language and literature, chairwoman of the subject committee, Gymnasium Ivana Horvátha, Ivana Horvátha 14, 821 04 Bratislava
Mgr. Jitka Vaňová (employer's representative) teacher of Slovak language and literature, Gymnasium Metodova, Metodova 2, 821 08 Bratislava
Mgr. Róbert Jedlička (employer's representative) teacher of Slovak language and literature, chairman of the subject committee, French International School of Bratislava/Ecole française internationale, M. C. Sklodowskej 1, 851 04 Bratislava
Invitations to Board meetings
Zápisnica zo zasadnutia 19. 4. 2023
Zápisnica zo zasadnutia 10. 5. 2023
Zápisnica zo zasadnutia 04. 10. 2023