Career Opportunities for Graduates: Teaching Assistant, Youth Worker, Pastoral Assistant

Bachelor’s Degree Programme

Graduate Profile – Teacher Training in Religious Education (combined with another teaching subject), Bachelor’s Degree

The graduate profile of the Bachelor’s degree programme in Teacher Training in Religious Education includes the knowledge, skills and competences defined within the field of study 38 – Teacher Training and Education Sciences, as well as knowledge and skills related to the core of the field of study 37 – Catholic Theology.

Graduates understand the fundamental concepts and contexts of Christian teaching. They have knowledge of philosophy, ethics and theology and are able to apply this knowledge within the educational focus of their field of study. They have a basic understanding of educational and psychological issues to the extent necessary for working as a teaching assistant. They have experience with institutional education and are able to participate actively in educational processes. Graduates are personally prepared to work both within and outside the school environment.

Successful completion of the Bachelor’s degree qualifies graduates to continue their studies at Master’s level. Graduates of the Bachelor’s programme are qualified to work as teaching assistants in accordance with Regulation No. 1/2020 Coll. of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic, Annex No. 6.

Theoretical Knowledge

• understand the history of Christian thought and culture and are able to evaluate and critically assess the significance of Christianity for European culture;
• are able to describe and reflect on the historical development of theories of Christian education in the context of broader human history and are familiar with key thinkers and proponents of Christian education throughout history;
• are familiar with contemporary theories of education as an orientation towards goodness, truth and beauty, and with a range of educational methods that can be applied in teaching with regard to the aims and participants of religious education;
• have knowledge of the content of the individual books of the Bible, understand the historical process through which the Old and New Testament books emerged, and are able to describe the process by which the early Church established the biblical canon;
• understand the motives underlying free choice and distinguish between freedom understood as arbitrary choice and freedom understood as personal responsibility;
• understand the importance of conscience in the formation of pupils‘ values and are familiar with methods for developing conscience;
• are familiar with the fundamental concepts of systematic theology.

Practical Skills and Competences

• are able to formulate a problem, describe its causes, and identify and distinguish between different ways of knowing;
• are able to integrate the principles of critical thinking into the educational process and formulate their own arguments in the pursuit of truth;
• raise, systematically reflect on and explore fundamental human questions, including happiness, friendship, love, fear, suffering and death;
• connect rational inquiry with Christian faith when reflecting on pupils‘ existential questions;
• read and interpret biblical texts using selected methods of biblical analysis and are able to distinguish the biblical language of images, symbols and gestures from the language of facts and norms;
• apply knowledge of systematic theology within the context of religious education;
• take into account pupils‘ developmental characteristics and specific needs;
• search for and process relevant sources of information;
• are able to work independently with academic literature and various information sources;
• use digital technologies and have experience with online teaching.

Additional Knowledge, Skills and Competences

• are able to cooperate directly with teachers in the classroom and with other educational staff at school;
• are able to facilitate pupils‘ adaptation to the school environment and help them overcome barriers resulting from possible social disadvantage;
• assist in organising pupils‘ activities during the educational process in accordance with the teacher’s instructions;
• are able to provide educational supervision during a teacher’s absence and during breaks in the educational process;
• are able to accompany and supervise pupils, including accompanying them to and from primary school;
• actively assist in preparing teaching materials and resources for extracurricular activities;
• communicate with pupils‘ parents or legal guardians about the educational process.

Career Opportunities for Graduates

• Graduates of the Bachelor’s degree programme are qualified, on the basis of their completed pedagogical, psychological and social-science training, to work in schools and other educational institutions, for example as teaching assistants or educators.
• The Bachelor’s programme also provides preparation for subsequent Master’s degree studies, leading to the qualification required to work as a teacher at primary and secondary schools.
• Graduates may also pursue careers as youth workers, parish or pastoral assistants, or work in leisure-time centres, catechetical centres and other institutions involved in the education and development of children and young people.