Rethinking Career Paths: The Methodology of Teaching Mathematics and English to Adult Teachers through Conversion Programmes - A Comparative Study

• Author: Purcaru, M.A.P. - Nechifor, A.
• Position: Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, Transilvania University of Brasov - Faculty of Letters, Transilvania University of Brasov
• Pages: 27-34

Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov

Series VII: Social Sciences • Law • Vol. 6 (55) No. 2 - 2013

RETHINKING CAREER PATHS: THE

METHODOLOGY OF TEACHING

MATHEMATICS AND ENGLISH TO ADULT

TEACHERS THROUGH CONVERSION

PROGRAMMES

- A COMPARATIVE STUDY

M.A.P. PURCARU1 A. NECHIFOR2

Abstract: The current research is part of the European project “Professional

training of teachers in the pre-university education system for new opportunities in

career development”, and its main purposes are to identify and compare the

participants’ opinions and results, in order to prove the efficiency of the modules of

Didactics of Mathematics in the “Mathematics programme” and of Didactics of

English in the “English programme” in developing the specific competences for

teaching Mathematics/English. The instruments of this study are complementary,

highlighting both the subjective aspect, provided by the opinions of the participants,

and the objective aspect, present in the results of the two programmes. We extracted

the personal opinions of the candidates, their competency, their plans for the future

and their capacity to learn. The resulting data is compared against the results of the

examinations, therefore confirming or negating the general self-evaluation.

Key words: Mathematics, English, lifelong learning programmes,

professional conversion, teaching.

1 Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, Transilvania University of Braşov.

2 Faculty of Letters, Transilvania University of Braşov.

1. Introduction

The programmes for lifelong learning

have benefited from a tremendous growth

in the past years [1], [2], [8]. Inside this

frame, due to the existing needs present in

the educational system, the professional

reconversion programmes for teachers

were designed [5], [10], [12], [13 ].

The current study is a part of one of

these programmes, as already mentioned in

the abstract, called: “Professional training

of teachers in the pre-university education

system for new opportunities in career

development”, contract number POSDRU/

57/1.3/S/32629. This project, a European

project of professional reconversion, which

was designed as a distance learning

process, consequently using specific

instruments for this [9], with a span of four

semesters, helped the teachers who wanted

to gain a new specialization, thus enabling

them to further complete their teaching

base norms.

The motivation for participating in the

programme varies and the arguments are as