Abstract
An aim of an article is to introduce a dissertation, which deals with a topic interdisciplinary approach in Chemistry and Biology. My thesis consists of three main parts: a survey among the academic staff of the Faculty of Science of Charles University, a survey among secondary school teachers and a creation and testing of learning materials for secondary schools.
The survey among the academic staff of the Faculty of Science was carried out in 2015 and 2016. It was focused on current topics and trends in chemistry and biology.
The form of the survey was interviews. There were six main research questions: Which topics are important in current research in chemistry and biology? Which research methods are often used in chemistry and biology? Which current topics in chemistry and biology should be taught in secondary school lessons? Which topics in chemistry and biology should not be taught in secondary school lessons? Which skills and knowledge are important for pupils interested in the study of chemistry and biology? Which sources can teachers get current information from? According to the interviewed academic staff, significant trends in current research are for example research connected with human medicine, environmental protection, improvement and optimization of existing methods or procedures, material research or research of cellular processes and biochemical processes.
At secondary schools, the basics of individual science subjects should be consolidated, attention should be paid to practical examples and consolidation of practical skills. For pupils who are interested in studying natural sciences are important abilities and skills such as effort, logical thinking, curiosity and basic working habits.
Knowledge is a good understanding of basic principles and phenomena in the natural sciences. Current information from science fields can be used by teachers and pupils from Czech and foreign language magazines, university textbooks and courses or lectures.
The survey among the secondary school teachers was carried out in 2017. It was a questionnaire survey.
Teachers were asked by a questionnaire which was created in Google Form. About 218 teachers participated in the survey.
The questionnaire survey has shown that teachers themselves prefer to keep separate science subjects. Teachers with a qualification in chemistry and biology have said that chemistry and biology in teaching are more often linked to teachers than teachers with a qualification in biology without chemistry or chemistry without biology.
As important factors that inhibit the interconnection of chemistry and biology, it is possible to point out that similar topics in biology and chemistry do not teach at the same time, insufficient knowledge of the second branch or lack of appropriate teaching materials.