TEACHER AS A CONCEPTION OF ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

Abstract

The quality of university education defines creating of scientific knowledge and development of professional competencies for the members of the social community. In the era of the continuous scientific, technical, technological development and changes which emerge in these conditions, the quality of a university education, at the same time, means a continuous changing of pedagogical acting in work with students, which defines the accomplishments of those who are taught. The objective of the current researchers was to determine whether and in which way students of faculties of education from Slovenia and Serbia, who are educated for the future pedagogical work with children of preschool and school age, recognize and define a teacher as a component of enhancing the quality of a university education. For the needs of this research the five-grade rating scale was prepared. The sample consisted of the students of faculties of education from Kopar (Slovenia) and Jagodina (Serbia) (N = 258 for rating the indicators of quality of a university teaching, N = 253 for rating the indicators which define the students’ interests in engaging into learning activities, N = 170 for rating the indicators which define work responsibility of the teacher. The results of the research confirm that students recognize the readiness of teachers to implement diverse teaching methods and work forms, the quality of teachers’ class preparation and regular organizing of lectures as prior indicators of the quality of university teaching and teachers’ activities. Such results define further steps in the direction of research and enhancing the quality of university education which refers to teachers’ competencies for teaching, encouraging students, communication and cooperation with them.