Contents of Natural Science as Foundation for Teaching Nature and Society in the Elementary School - 4. and 5. Year Students Reflections at the Department of Teacher Education

Istraživanje o prirodi i odnosima u njoj staro je koliko i samo društvo i ljudska civilizacija. Čovjek je, kao integralni dio prirodne i društvene zajednice, istraživačkim radom neprestano proširivao svoja znanja. Poznavanje prirode i njenih zakonitosti postale su nužne za opstanak ljudi. Tako se tijekom povijesti razvila potreba za prirodoznanstvenim opismenjavanjem društva, a danas spoznaje prirodnih znanosti predstavljaju neizostavan dio sustava odgoja i obrazovanja. Stjecanjem prirodoslovnih znanja i vještina pojedinci razvijaju intelektualne sposobnosti, postaju osposobljeni logički promišljati i kritički zaključivati, rješavati probleme te živjeti i raditi u skladu sa zahtjevima koje nameće ubrzani razvoj tehnologije i suvremeno društvo. U radu su ispitani stavovi studenata o sadržajima kolegija Prirodoslovlje kao temelja za poučavanje nastavnoga predmeta Priroda i društvo u nižim razredima osnovne škole, a u svrhu istraživanja je proveden upitnik koji su ispunjavali studenti 4. i 5. godine Učiteljskoga studija Filozofskoga fakulteta Sveučilišta u Splitu. Cilj kolegija je ovladati osnovama iz sadržaja prirodnih znanosti, upoznati temeljne zakone života, građu živih bića i njihovu povezanost s prirodom, u svrhu razvijanja općih i specifičnih kompetencija za kvalitetan rad u nastavnom procesu i primjenu u svakodnevnom životu. Rezultati istraživanja potvrđuju da su studenti razvili pozitivan stav prema kolegiju Prirodoslovlje u svim njegovim segmentima, predavanjima, seminarima i vježbama te ga smatraju nužnim u obrazovanju budućih učitelja. Posebno se ističe pozitivan stav studenata prema aktivnom sudjelovanju u izvođenju pokusa i praktičnim radovima, jer samostalno istraživanje dovodi do otkrivanja i boljeg poimanja procesa i pojava u prirodi i okruženju u kojem se živi te razvoja osobnog mišljenja i logičkog prosuđivanja. Studenti 4. i 5. godine Učiteljskoga studija Filozofskoga fakulteta Sveučilišta u Splitu smatraju da ovako osmišljeni sadržaji kolegija Prirodoslovlje predstavljaju dobar temelj za obrazovanje budućih učitelja razredne nastave u predmetima prirodoslovnog područja.Researching nature and its relations is ancient as a society and human civilization itself. Human, as an integral part of natural and social community, has been expanding his cognition by researching reality around him. Knowing of nature and its legitimacies became fundamental for mankind's survival. During the course of history, necessity for natural sciences have increased and today represents an essential element of educational system. Gaining the skills and knowledge of natural sciences, individual becomes enabled of logical thinking, critically concluding, problem solving, living and working in accordance with rapid tehnology's development and demands of contemporary society. Thesis is questioning opinion of college students on the contents of Natural Sciences course as foundation for teaching curriculum of Nature and Society class in elementary school programme. Questionnaire has been conducted among the students of forth and fifth year of Department of Teacher Education of Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of University of Split, for the purpose of research. Goals of the course are: to master basics of Natural Science's contents, to agnize primary natural laws, structure of living beings and their connection with nature, in purpose of developing general and specific competences for more productive work in teaching process and its implementation in everyday life. The resaults of the research confirmed that students have positive attitude towards Natural Science in its totality: lectures, seminars and practical work and consider it to be crucial part of teachers to be education. Especially emphasised is positive attidude towards active participation in conducting of experiments and practical works, since autonomously researching adducts to revelation and better comprehension of processes and phenomena in natural enviroment in which one lives and develops personal and logical judgement. Students of forth and fifth year of Department of Teacher Education of Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of University of Split consider this way designed contents of Natural Sciences course represents a good foundation for natural sciences field classes teachers to be education