PIRLS 2006 Encyclopedia

Teachers and Teacher EducationIn Hungarian elementary schools, one teacher teaches all subjects to the students andworks with them through the end of grade 4. The overwhelming majority (87%) of primaryschool teachers are female. Teachers working at state-financed institutions are publicservants; their salaries are regulated by the public servants’ pay grades. Teaching on alower-elementary level requires a bachelor’s degree from a tertiary educational institution,which can be earned in eight terms (240 credits). Classroom teachers can teach specificdomains in grades 5 and 6, in addition to their work at the lower-elementary level.Training classroom teachers takes place at teacher training colleges that areindependent institutions or parts of universities. The courses for classroom teachers fallinto five basic domains:• Basic knowledge: Social sciences, pedagogy, psychology, and information technology;• Professional subject modules: Hungarian grammar and literature, mathematics,science, music, visual arts and crafts, life skills, physical education, and themethodology for each;• Differentiated professional knowledge: Foreign language; special needs education;child safety; domain-specific knowledge; family, child, and youth protection; andpublic communication;• Compulsory specialization module: Hungarian grammar and literature,mathematics, science, music, visual arts, crafts and life skills, physical education,foreign language, people and society, nature/science, and information technologyskills; and• Student teaching: Internship, microteaching, camping, and 8–10 weeks ofprofessional practice outside the institution.Classroom teachers’ training ends with an in-classroom teaching examination and astate examination.PIRLS 2006 EncyclopediaTeacher In-service EducationThe Public Education Act requires all teachers to participate in regular in-service training.Schools must create an in-service education plan for every 5-year period, and teacherscan apply for courses listed in these plans. Teachers are required to take at least 120 hoursof in-service training every 7 years. Teachers that participate in the training receive afinancial reward, while those who do not risk losing their jobs.If a teacher attends courses for in-service training, the number of classes he or she isresponsible for can be reduced. Furthermore, the employer may cover the total costs oftraining. Generally, the school covers 80% of training costs; coverage of the additionalcosts (e.g., travel, accommodations) is different in each case.Subject examination preparatory courses have the highest rank in in-service training.These are usually education management, pedagogical, and professional services-relatedcourses. However, assessment and evaluation courses also are becoming more popular.HungaryTIMSS & PIRLSInternational Study CenterLynch School of Education, Boston College 173