Student Scientific, Professional and Artistic Activities (ŠVOUČ)

The aim of the competition is to:

• Deepen students' scientific, professional, and artistic activities at the Faculty of Education, Comenius University Bratislava.
• Stimulate and develop students' abilities and qualifications for scientific, professional, and artistic activities.
• Identify and support talented and creative students.
• Cultivate prospective experts in various scientific and artistic disciplines.
• Improve communication among students and between students and teachers.

• Participants in the competition shall prepare a paper on a topic related to their study program. Topics will be announced by faculty and research staff of the department and center (no later than December 6, 2024). Students may also prepare a paper on their own topic, provided it is approved by the study program coordinator or head of department.
• The paper may be theoretical, theoretical-applied, or empirical-research.
• A paper presented in the ŠVOUČ competition may be part of a final thesis; however, this fact must be clearly stated at the beginning of the paper. It is recommended to elaborate on a specific chapter of the final thesis or to choose another topic that has interested the student during their studies (e.g., expand on a seminar paper).
• During the preparation of the paper, students may consult with faculty members or other experts (if applicable, this should be stated in the paper).
• The total length of the paper (including appendices) is a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 45 pages with 1.5 spacing and a font size of 12. The paper must have a comb binding or other suitable binding.
• The written paper must comply with the ISO 690 standard.
• The paper may be written in a foreign language, but it must have a sufficiently extensive summary in Slovak.
• Interested participants must submit a completed application form to the relevant ŠVOUČ coordinator (Mgr. Tomáš Hlava, PhD.) by February 10, 2025. The form, along with the ŠVOUČ statute, is available on the OVDŠ website.
• Two copies of the competition paper must be submitted by the participant to their departmental ŠVOUČ coordinator no later than April 30, 2025..

The ŠVOUČ competition is held at the faculty in two rounds. The first round takes place at departments and institutes, and the second round is the faculty round. Both rounds of the competition are public and competitive and take place in the following sections:

Teacher Training Programs:
1. Section for undergraduate students
2. Section for graduate students

Competitors whose papers meet the specified conditions will participate in the first round within their respective departments and institutes, which will take place no later than May 23, 2025. The first round takes the form of a student conference where students present the theses of their papers, respond to reviews from reviewers and supervisors, and answer questions and suggestions from the audience. Based on the results of the first round, the commission may nominate up to three papers from each section (i.e., a maximum of six papers) to the second, faculty round.

The second, faculty round will take place no later than June 13, 2025. The second round takes the form of a student conference where competitors present the theses of their papers, respond to reviews and questions and suggestions from the audience. The expert commission in the faculty round will announce the three best papers in each section. The evaluation committee may recommend papers for the national or international rounds of ŠVOUČ, if such rounds are held in the given field. The academic community will be informed of the results on the faculty's website.

Students who place in the top three in the faculty round will receive a scholarship. The specific amount of the scholarship will be determined based on the amount of funding available to the faculty for this purpose in the given academic year.
Participants in the first round will receive a certificate of participation. If a national or international round of the competition takes place, the faculty will cover the travel and accommodation expenses of the students who advance to this round.

Closing Date for Applications: February 10, 2025

Final Submission Date: April 30, 2025

First Round Commencement: no later than May 23, 2025

Second Round Commencement: no later than June 13, 2025

The information provided is in accordance with the ŠVOUČ regulations at the Faculty of Education, Comenius University, effective from February 23, 2024.

PaedDr. Martina Šipošová, PhD.

From Study to Employment – An analysis of the factors why foreign language (English language) pre-service teachers refuse to pursue their profession
Od štúdia k nástupu do zamestnania – analýza faktorov, prečo študenti učiteľstva cudzích jazykov (anglického jazyka) odmietajú vykonávať svoju profesiu

In the theoretical part of the thesis, the author will comprehensively elaborate the issue of socio-economic, cultural-political and personal factors that influence the decision of students enrolled in teacher-training programmes to refuse to pursue the teaching profession after graduation. The empirical part of the thesis will present the results of a survey aimed at identifying and then analysing these factors. The survey will be based on a questionnaire that will be administered to groups of English language teaching students in Slovakia. The results of the survey will provide valuable information for educational institutions, employers and the Ministry of Education in order to improve the attractiveness of the teaching profession and to support young professionals - future foreign language teachers in their career choices.

Mgr. Diana Židová, PhD.

The Creative Writing Guide in EFL
Sprievodca tvorivého písania vo výučbe anglického jazykaa

This thesis explores the theory and practice of creative writing, with a particular focus on selected books by Michael Rosen on reading and writing for children. Based on the books What is Poetry? The Essential Guide to Reading and Writing Poems and Writing for Pleasure and Why Write? Why Read?, the thesis explores the possibilities of using reading and writing poems in children's foreign language learning, combining practical exercises with insights into the craft of poetry. The work will result in a teaching tool to improve students' creative writing skills and their relationship with poetry.

• ŠVOUČ Statute
• ŠVOUČ Schedule
• Application Form