In the panel session an educational experiment is presented developed by the Faculty of Science at the University of Szeged for students specializing only in one science subject. The aim of the training is to expand the knowledge of the originally chosen science subject with practice-oriented knowledge of other science subjects without heavy overload. Complex science knowledge is first gained through special lessons, laboratory work and later practice teaching applying new methods. The programme is optional for 4th year students specializing in one science major, who would be able to combine the different science subjects and to use their knowledge of other subjects as examples in teaching after about 15 extra lessons in the next three semesters. The main elements of the program are the Science Laboratory and the Science Education lecture whose curriculum and methods can greatly help to obtain the object of our experiment. Practice teaching, visits of classes in partner schools and leading study circles can help future teachers to develop abilities for teaching as opportunity is given for a complex working out of certain topics. Basic part of our educational experiment is quality assuring whose important tool is questionnaire for students, secondary school pupils and teachers is taking part in the experiment. Questionnaires combined with oral interviews can assure feed-back for theoretical and methodological elaboration of the program and the documents of the training. In our presentation beside the syllabuses student activities developing abilities for gaining science knowledge are presented.
The program is sponsored by the project KOMA 2001/XXIXO93.