NATURAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION: TOWARDS PROFESSIONAL TEACHER IMPROVEMENT

The importance of natural science and technology education does not raise any doubts, and probably no additional considerations or discussions. Education in this field is inevitably necessary for every contemporary man. Exhaustive enough and right understanding of nature and the processes taking place in it, a certain knowledge, helps not only understand the world in which we live but also forms particular value attitudes, the ability to adequately live in natural-technical environment. It is obvious, that natural science and technology education in a comprehensive school is an inseparable part of general education and total education. One of the main components of natural science and technology education process is the teacher. Their everyday and constant work developing, promoting natural science activity, realising purposeful nature conservation/environmental education, is undoubtedly important. Experienced, qualified teachers are necessary for such work. This short editorial article deals with some insights on the qualification questions of natural subject teachers. The importance of national scientific practical conference is being analysed. It is devoted to the teachers, willing to acquire knowledge and skills, creativity, positive thinking, willing to develop scientific-research activity, to apply innovative education strategies and so on. Conferences form conditions for the teachers to improve, to acquire new ideas, to share experience. The importance of pre-primary and primary natural science education is especially accentuated. The first investigations start namely in this education stage. Any knowledge becomes meaningful and valuable only in one way or another applying it in life, in other words, in practical activity. It is important, that the research work is carried out consistently and systematically, to ensure research and analytical skills education. For this purpose, high educators' competence in this field is necessary. An indirect mission of the conference has to be mentioned. It is understandable, that one of education forms, promoting students' scientific research cognitive activity is students' scientific practical conferences, which become more and more popular. Such events contribute to the formation of more universal learners' ideas about future professional activity, active creative thought, strengthen learning motivation. Teachers, preparing presentations and/or reports for the conference, most often prepare an article for publication as well. In this way educational experience is fixated, the possibilities are formed for the others, not taking part at the conference, to get acquainted. Finally, good teachers become great teachers “going outside” of the formal duties and/or textbooks/class boundaries. This is a universal truth. All natural science and technology education specialists get a personal responsibility for natural science and technology education improvement and development. In this context, comprehensive school natural science teacher preparation and constant professional improvement of the working ones, is unquestionably important. It is obvious, that the discussed scientific practical conference is one of the effective instruments of teacher professional improvement.