To: Latvia Ministry of Education and Science
The Centre of Higher Education
quality assessment
Request for accreditation
of Special School teacher higher professional study programme at Rezekne Higher Education Institution
Pedagogical faculty address:
Atbrīvošanas aleja 115
Rezekne LV 4600
Tel. 4622679
Programme director Master in pedagogy,
lecturer Marite Rozenfelde – responsible
for the preparing of study programme’s
accreditation materials
The Dean of RHEI Pedagogical faculty
Mg.paed., lect. G.Strods -
accepts the request for accreditation
in pedagogical science
4.The description of the study programme ‘’Special education teacher’’
The professional higher education study programme is 2,5 years long. The studies provide possibility to acquire the qualification of higher pedagogical professional education that is determined in Latvia Republic Professions’ classifier. The fifth level professional qualification Special education teacher is conferred after the professional programme’s mastering.
The study programme is made according to the standard of the professional higher education. The content of the study programme consists of the theoretical and professional specialisation courses’ studies, research work and teaching practice. Research work is included both in the content of the study courses and in study papers.
The study programme’s theoretical and specialisation courses are compulsory for all students. The student acquires the amount of the credit points that are necessary in the elective courses’ part, choosing the courses offered by both – Pedagogy departments and other RHEI departments according to their interests.
The statutes on academic and professional studies and study programmes regulate studies at RHEI (16.09.2002).
The study programme’s tasks, the content of the study courses, the specified study courses programmes are specified during the particular self -assessment period.
The study programmes have been made, taking in consideration Higher education institutions’ law, the requirements of MES decrees.
5. Advertisements, informative issues on the study opportunities
The information on the professional higher education study programme Special education teacher can be found:
- In the Internet RHEI Home page –http://www.ru.lv
- In the booklets on the studies’ opportunities at the higher education institution published at RHEI (see the department);
- During Information days (see the department);
- In the city, regional and the area’s mass media (materials can be seen at the department).
Advertisement materials can be seen at RHEI Pedagogy and psychology office.
6. The perspective assessment of the study programme from the point of view of Latvia State interests
The special education teacher’s study programme is provided for the training of highly qualified specialists mainly for the necessities of Latgale region and Latvia that is determined by:
· high number of special education institutions in the area (19 institutions);
· qualification of the teachers’, working at special education institutions(only 17% of the teachers, working at special education institutions have special school teacher’s qualification);
· specialists’ demand at labour market (municipalities and education councils support the necessity to start training of special school teachers as the number of special needs’ children at comprehensive schools increases because of their integration into the comprehensive schools but there are no enough specialists who could work with these children);
· economical and social conditions in the region (economically depressive region) that determine impossibility to acquire special school qualification in similar programmes at Latvia University and Liepaja Pedagogical Academy.
The support for realising of study programme Special education teacher has been received from MES comprehensive education department deputy director R. Bosa and the heads of Rezekne city and Rezekne region school councils. The affirmation on the special education teachers’ demand at the comprehensive schools has been received from the heads of education departments. (see appendix 1).
6.1 Study programme’s adequacy to the standards of the professional education
The study programme has been made according to the Statutes on the professional studies and study programmes; according to Latvia Education law; Professional education law, the Cabinet’s regulations on the teachers education and professional qualification’s requirements. It corresponds to the standards of professional higher education.
6.2.The results of employers’ questionnaire
Information on the special teachers’ demand -which schools and how many special education teachers are required, how many teachers’ loads are already paid for by the licence of MES, as well as promise to help the graduates’ of the programme to find a job are received from the potential employers and particularly from Rezekne city and regional school councils (see appendix 1).
As the study programme is implemented for only three years, it is not possible to provide information on the results of the graduates’ professional activities, but the questionnaire of the working students’ employers has been carried out. In general, it provided a positive assessment. The information on the results of the questionnaire can be received at the department.
Profession’s standard has been worked out and accepted in the association of special education teachers (see appendix 2).
7. Study programme’s assessment
The content of the specialisation part has been compared and in general it doesn’t differ from the specialisation courses’ parts of the similar study programmes that have been worked out at LU, LPA and at Special pedagogical faculty of Shaulai University. New, current study courses are included in the study programme that is worked out at RA. They are as follows:
Psychosomatic disturbances, Adaptive pedagogical and psychological aspects, Arts therapy, Deviant behaviour, Learning disturbances and others. 20 CP are provided for the teaching practice in the programmes of the higher education institutions compared, 26 CP –in the RHEI study programme.
Comparing the study programme, worked out at RHEI to the corresponding programme of Oslo University (Norway) (OU), it has to be concluded that special school teacher’s training takes 6 academic years (12 semesters). Specialisation takes the last 3.5 years. But study duration period at RHEI is 4 years for the full –time studies and 4.5 years for the part –time studies (the courses that provide qualification are included into all plans of all academic years), as well as two years’ study course on the basis of higher pedagogical education or Bachelor’s education. After finishing of the studies, RHEI graduates can do their Master’s studies, but the graduates of Oslo University can continue their studies in three years’ long Ph.D. programme.
In the similar Iceland University study programme, students study according to their option in 5 different Bachelor’s programmes, and then they work as teachers for two years. To acquire the diploma of special education teacher, students have to graduate 1 –2 years’ programme (30 CP) in an optional programme that is concerned with special education. RHEI study programme provides teaching practice in the amount of 26 CP.
The academics of Rezekne Higher Education Institution co –operate with the academics of these higher education institutions in the framework of the international project ‘’Teachers’ education in Latvia in 2000 –2003’’.
Criteria of comparison / RHEI / LU / LPA / OU / IUDuration of studies (years) / 4 –4.5; 2 / 5 / 5 / 6 / 4 –5
Programme’s amount (CP) / 160 / 200 / 200
Teaching practice’s amount (CP/ weeks) / 26/26 / 20/ 20 / 20/20 / ---/13 / 2 years’ teaching practice
Qualification paper (P) and exam (E) / P,E / P,E / P,E / P,E / P
Comprehensive study courses / Bachelor’s study programme / Bachelor’s study programme / Bachelor’s study programme / Bachelor’s study programme / Bachelor’s study programme
Courses providing special education teacher’s skills / Included during all studies’ period / Included during all studies’ period / Included during all studies’ period / Implemented during the last 3.5 academic years / Implemented during the last 1 - 2 academic years
Qualification mastered / Special education teacher / Special education teacher with specialisation tyfloteacher,olygophrenoteacher , hearing problems’ teacher, speech therapist / Special pre – school, special school teacher and speech therapist / Special education teacher / Special education teacher
The study programmes, with which RHEI programme is compared to, are provided in the appendix 11.
The comparison of study programme reveals that study programme that is offered by RHEI includes a wide range of theoretical general and special pedagogy and psychology courses that provide a possibility to study for Master’s Degree and form the skills for a high quality work of special education teacher in the appropriate amount.
7.1 Study programme’s objectives and tasks
The objective of Rezekne Higher Education Institution (RHEI) professional higher education programme ‘’ Special education teacher’’:
to train highly qualified special education teachers who would work at educational and upbringing institutions with children who have development disturbances, doing the amendments of their development disturbances, helping them to become full –bodied and sound members of society who are trained for independent social and working life.
To achieve the objective, the following tasks were set up:
· to provide the acquisition of academic, professional knowledge and skills during study period;
· to create circumstances for a well –rounded development of students’ personality, offering a wide range of comprehensive courses;
· to encourage the combining of creative academic studies with practical pedagogical work, developing the skills for the fulfilling of the special teacher’s functions;
· to perfect students’ research work skills and abilities, to help students to develop the skills of pedagogical problems’ scientific research to analyse and assess pedagogical process;
· to form the necessity for self –education, encouraging further studies and life –long education.
Studies’ result – special education teacher’s qualification during the period of 8 terms, with rights to continue studies for Master’s degree.
Special education teacher’s professional higher education study programme is years long and it includes theoretical and professional specialisation courses, teaching practice, elective courses and state examinations.
7.2 Study programme’s organising
The realisation the professional higher education study programme is started in 2002./2003.a.y. The licence is got in 2002. on 28.Juny. This programme can acquire in the part-time studies (in holidays or week-end). The plan of programme studies provides of 5 terms.
The plan of special education teacher’s professional higher education study programme corresponds to the objectives and tasks of the structural unit.
The content of the study programme consists of theoretical studies, research work and teaching practice. Research work is included in the content of particular study courses, study papers and diploma papers.
A study paper is written in the 2nd term, a diploma paper –in the 4th term.
Professional skills are perfected during teaching practice that is organised in the 1st 3rd term. The Statute on the teaching practice in the particular programme regulates the organising of the teaching practice (see appendix 3). The originals of the agreements with special education institutions on the providing of the teaching practices’ positions are at the department (see appendix 4).
The statute determines:
During the 1st term –Pedagogy teaching practice ( methodology and logopedia ) at special school for the children with development disturbances in the grades 1 –9;
During the 3rd term -qualification teaching practice at special school for the children with development disturbances in the grades 1 –9.
The requirements for the special education teacher professional qualification acquisition in credit points (CP)
Study work form / CPTheoretical research course / 53
Study papers / 3
State examinations
(including the working out of diploma paper and its defence) / 10
Teaching practice / 14
Total / 80
The theoretical part of the study programme consists of the theoretical and professional specialisation courses that include comprehensive courses, special pedagogy and psychology and professional skills’ acquisition courses –53CP or 69%.
In the elective courses’ part a student acquires the required amount of CP, choosing the courses offered by both –Faculty of pedagogy departments and other RHEI departments according to their interests.
In this study syllabus take on only these students, who have the higher professional education and / or pedagogy bachelor education, in that goes on 12 CP, and for this study syllabi grant 14 CP or 14 weeks.
Study syllabi are improved on the basis of the research and changes in the MES regulating and normative documents.
7.3 Study programme’s practical realising
The following RHEI structural units are involved in the realising of the programme: Faculty of pedagogy - Pedagogy and psychology department, Foreign languages’ department, Arts, crafts and home economics department, primary school methodologies’ department, Faculty of Humanities and law -History and philosophy department, Faculty of engineering - Computer sciences’ department.
Students have additional opportunities to study English, German, Norwegian languages. Computers are available for students’ independent work at RHEI and Faculty of pedagogy computer classes. There are opportunities to work out at RHEI sports club, participate in amateur performances, competitions, scientific conferences and seminars.
The studies involve the following work methods and forms: work in lecture -rooms –practical works, seminars, tutorial examinations, tests, discussions, business games etc.; students’ independent work: work in the library and computer classes, using the Internet, tutorials etc.; study excursions and practical classes at special education schools.
Work in lecture -rooms and contact classes make 10% of programme’s total amount, but students’ independent work –90%.
Lectures, tests, discussions are organised for academic groups; seminars and practical works are organised in smaller groups.
Students show or hand in their independent work to the corresponding academic in the appointed time or an academic does an another kind of checking according to his/her choice.
To perfect study work, every academic prepares methodological materials that consist of the expanded courses’ syllabi, materials of seminars and practical classes, teaching aids, tasks for tests, topics of study scientific reports, tests and examinations’ materials and other materials that are included into everyday work. The academics perfect their methodological competence, also participating in international projects (see appendix 7 ).
Faculty of pedagogy council approves the study plan for the academic year. The Faculty council approves the changes in the study plan as well as in the study programme. The council’s meeting approves diploma papers and state examinations’ staff.
The director according to the RHEI statute ‘’On the study programme’s director’’ manages the study programme.