Fostering the Key Competencies of Undergraduates Majoring in Primary School Teaching and Learning based on the Standards of PISA International Comparative Study

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to identify how the reshaped curriculum that was based on PISA standards fostered the key competencies of undergraduates majoring in primary school teaching and learning in terms of materials design and teaching methodology used throughout the internships at schools. The study used qualitative and quantitative methods with qualitative methods getting higher priority to enlarge the base of evidence and get a deeper insight into the issues under research. It was found that reshaping the pre-service teacher professional training, specifically in test format, materials design, and assessment, and made the shift to training schoolchildren to take PISA-based test was necessary for the school educational settings in Ukraine. The teacher students’ awareness of the PISA-based test needed improvement. The training model used in the study along with the internship addressed the loopholes in the university curriculums and training of the students majoring in primary education. The intervention brought a positively challenging experience for the students. It helped them to ‘pump up’ their intellectual, professional, and technical skills. They raised awareness of the PISA-based test, Blooms’ Taxonomy, and test question formulation. The students learned to use DIF and DTF methods to validate the PISA test questions, age specifics in training primary school children in terms of adjusting it taking the PISA-based test, and approaches to creating a positive mindset in primary schoolchildren towards learning through dialogue and cooperation. It was found that the students upgraded their teaching and material design skills and became more confident as teachers in terms of PISA-based test training. Changing the students’ perceptions and their teaching approaches were the major difficulties and challenges to the study. They were addressed through mentorship which was used when the students did internship