Students’ Practicum (20 ECTS)

Students’ Practicum (Practical Placement) is a final process of the Department of Early Childhood Education, during which students are prepared to be ready to respond as teachers and professionals to the demands of society.

In particular, students:

• Study modern educational theories, how these theories are applied in school practice, and they are also called to shape their personal model through these theories, a model that they will follow consistently when undertaking their educational work.
• Approach the educational practice as a field of research, in which they participate themselves, applying research tools and methods that have been taught in previous courses during their studies.
• Based on the above, students design, implement, and evaluate the educational work assigned to them.

Prerequisite courses for the attendance of Practical Placement phase A:

• The course 0701C “Pre-school Pedagogy” offered in the second semester.

Prerequisite courses for the attendance of the Undergraduate Training phase B:

• The course 2213C “Teaching Practice: Early Childhood Curricula, Observation, Reflection“ offered in the third and fourth semesters
• Four of the teaching subjects courses offered in the fifth and sixth semesters.

Regulation of the Students’ Practicum (Practical Placement)

The programme of Students’ Practicum is implemented under the responsibility of the Teaching and Research Staff (T.R.S.) and Special Teacher Staff (S.P.S.) members, and is subject to the approval, monitoring and control of the Committee of the Practicum (C.P). The Committee is convened whenever there are issues to be resolved and is informed by the members who implement the Students’ Practicum on issues that arise and need to be discussed and settled. The C.P. proposes to the General Assembly for approval what it is necessary for the improvement and effective operation of the Students’ Practicum.

For the best preparation of students, the Students’ Practicum from the academic year 2016-17 is implemented in 2 main phases, which take place in the 2nd year (Phase A) and 4th year (Phase B).

During the 2nd year, the students attend the compulsory core course: “Teaching Practice: Early Childhood Curricula, Observation, Reflection“. The course is offered in the winter and spring semester and students to attend it, are distributed according to alphabetical order in the two semesters. The course is a combination of theory and practice, as apart from the theoretical courses, the students make observations and educational activities in the collaborating kindergartens. In the first phase of the Students’ Practicum, students are given the opportunity to:

• use the method of observation as a tool for collecting data, assessing, and understanding the educational process
• understand the institutional, material, educational, social context of the classroom
• identify the connections that exist between educational practices and theoretical assumptions about learning and teaching
• take into account the data of each formal or informal learning environment in order to create (design, implement and evaluate) learning activities, documenting their methodological choices
• reflect on the dynamics of the educational process, educational practice and their role as future teachers.

During the 4th year, the students attend the compulsory core course: “Teaching practice: design, development, and intervention”. The course is offered in the winter and spring semester and students to attend it, are distributed according to alphabetical order in the two semesters. The course includes: a) tutorials providing theoretical and methodological directions, b) observations of a systematic participatory nature, c) cooperation with the teachers, d) undertaking, in pairs, educational and auxiliary work, e) lessons of reflection and evaluation of the educational work and evaluation of the Students’ Practicum.

The total duration of the Students’ Practicum is one-semester and is completed with the presentation of the educational work of the students and the submission of the diaries they keep. The aim of the Students’ Practicum in the 7th or 8th semester is to form professional teachers, who consider the classroom as a field of observation and research and who seek, counter, and evaluate educational options and evaluate their impact.

Aim of the 7th and the 8th semester is for the students to:

• deepen the observation and interpretation skills of educational work
• understand how children learn by gathering and utilizing information
• create an open and flexible learning environment, which facilitates the learning effort and promotes the development of autonomy for all children
• design, implement and evaluate creative activities within the framework of developmentally appropriate educational programmes that emerge from the needs of children (through observation) and contribute to their all-round development
• be able to reflect on the basis of scientific assumptions, their personal theory and the values implied in their practices.

For the design, organization and implementation of the Students’ Practicum, members of the T.R.S. and S.T.S., seconded teachers, the teachers of the collaborating kindergartens, the Directorate of Primary Education and the Student Association cooperate. In the educational programmes designed and implemented by the students, other bodies are involved, such as the local government, cultural associations, museums, etc., seeking the extroversion of the Department in the wider social context.

Organization of the undergraduate training

Α) Members of the T.R.S.:

• implement theoretical courses for the preparation of the students for the educational work they are going to undertake
• visit the classes where the students practice to encourage and support them
• hold reflective meetings with the students after the completion of the educational work of the Students’ Practicum in kindergartens.

Β) Members of the S.T.S.:

• coordinates the organization and implementation of the Students’ Practicum programme
• implements theoretical courses at the beginning of the Students’ Practicum, in order to prepare the students for the undertaking of their educational work
• organizes collaborations before undertaking the educational work of the students and helps them in the planning of their educational work
• visits the classes where the students practice to encourage and support them
• participates in reflective meetings with the students to improve their educational work
• cooperates with the seconded kindergarten teachers for the best possible support of the students.

C) Seconded teachers:

• cooperate with the members of the T.R.S. and the S.T.S. and support the Students’ Practicum as a whole
• cooperate and support the students in the design and implementation of the educational work assigned to them
• provide advisory work in groups and/or individually
• visit the classes where the students practice to encourage and support them
• inform the C.P. in a timely manner of any issues that arise during the Students’ Practicum that need to be resolved or settled.

D) Students

• attend the entire programme of the Students’ Practicum, which is compulsory for them and is subject to the general regulations of the compulsory courses of the Course of Study
• undertake the responsible execution of the educational work assigned to them and take care of the timely attendance in kindergarten, as well as the avoidance of unjustified absences
• cooperate with the members of the T.R.S. and the S.T.S. and seconded kindergarten teachers for the good preparation and implementation of their teaching work
• cooperate and inform the kindergarten teacher of the class who welcomes them about all their activities and initiatives
• keep a diary of the Students’ Practicum and deposit it upon completion.

Ε) Teachers of the collaborating kindergartens:

• are in charge of their class and attend it throughout the duration of the timetable
• facilitate students in their pedagogical work
• inform the parents of their students about the presence of students who are taking out their Students’ Practicum in their kindergarten
• inform students about the context of their class and the pedagogical methods they apply
• inform and cooperate with all those involved in the Students’ Practicum to address any problems that may arise.