Teachers complain about the difficulty of teaching integrated subjects. How does the Ministry of Education and Training guide to solve the problem?

The Ministry of Education and Training has just issued a document guiding the resolution of difficulties in teaching Natural Sciences (integrating Physics, Chemistry, and Biology), History, and Geography.

Natural sciences

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, the implementation of the new general education program has revealed difficulties and obstacles in assigning teachers and scheduling timetables for teaching and learning according to the curriculum for some subjects and educational activities.

For Natural Sciences, the school assigns teachers who are qualified and trained to teach the assigned content (according to the content areas: Matter and its transformation, Energy and its transformation, Living things, Earth and the sky).

Teachers complain about the difficulty of teaching integrated subjects; what guidance will the Ministry of Education and Training provide?

The assignment of teachers who have received professional training and development to teach two content areas or the entire subject curriculum must be done gradually, ensuring that the teachers' professional qualifications are met to guarantee the quality of teaching.

In cases where scheduling is difficult, a flexible teaching plan should be developed regarding the time and timing of implementing content areas or topics within the curriculum, taking into account teacher assignments and meeting the requirements of scientific rigor, pedagogical soundness, and teacher capabilities.

The Ministry of Education and Training provides guidance on regular testing and evaluation to be conducted during the teaching and learning process.

Teachers are responsible for testing and evaluating the content they teach. The principal assigns a teacher to be in charge of the subject in each class, coordinating with other teachers teaching the subject in that class to standardize the regular assessment scores, ensuring the required score is met, compiling the scores, recording the scores and comments in the student assessment log and report card.

The matrix and content of the periodic tests are designed to align with the content and duration of the curriculum up to the time of the test. Instructions for students to take the test are provided to facilitate the assignment of teachers to grade the papers and compile the results.

Teach History and Geography simultaneously.

For History and Geography subjects, according to the new guidelines, schools assign teachers to ensure that their training matches the assigned teaching content (according to the History sub-discipline, Geography sub-discipline, and interdisciplinary topics).

The assignment of teachers who have received professional training and development to teach the entire subject curriculum must be done gradually, ensuring that the teachers meet the professional requirements to guarantee the quality of teaching.

Regular and periodic assessments are conducted during the teaching process for each subject. The content of periodic assessments is consistent with the content and time allocated for teaching each subject in History and Geography up to the time of the assessment.

The principal assigns a teacher to be in charge of the subject in each class, coordinating with other teachers teaching the subject in that class to compile scores, record grades, and provide comments in the student assessment log and report card.

Prioritize teachers who teach using thematic approaches.

Regarding experiential and career guidance activities, the Ministry of Education and Training requires prioritizing the assignment of teachers to specific themes to facilitate the planning, organization, guidance, and evaluation of students during the experiential learning process, in accordance with the learning objectives of that theme.

The plan for organizing experiential and career guidance activities is developed according to specific themes. For example, for the career guidance theme, technology teachers will have an advantage in organizing activities for students to learn about the curriculum and to organize students to report, discuss, and evaluate the results of their activities.

The timetable is designed to ensure flexibility (it is not mandatory to divide the number of lessons evenly per week, nor is it mandatory to follow the topics in the order presented in the textbook) so that each topic is implemented within a timeframe that suits the teacher's schedule.

The aforementioned guidelines contain no new or different points compared to previous ones. However, this time the Ministry of Education and Training has included suggested teaching plans for each subject to facilitate and standardize implementation across localities.

Over the past three school years, most teachers teaching integrated subjects at the lower secondary level have faced difficulties, with many still mechanically applying the model where teachers of each subject teach only their respective sub-subjects. For example, Natural Science is taught by Chemistry, Physics, and Biology teachers simultaneously, instead of being taught by a single teacher.

The same applies to History and Geography. The task of creating and grading tests is also divided among the teachers through mutual agreement. This is not very effective and even increases the workload for the teachers.

Ha Cuong

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