Предметни програми за филозофскиот корпус предмети (филозофија, логика, етика и естетика) во средното образование во Р. Македонија

Abstract

This text, stemming from the work on the University project “Theoretical and practical update of the syllabi for the philosophical subjects (Philosophy, Ethics, Logic, Aesthetics) for high-schools” by the Institute of philosophy at the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje, offers a brief outline of the main conclusions and recommendations resulting from a twofold endeavor: the comparative analysis of the courses syllabi of four countries from the region with similar societal conditions (Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, and Bulgaria), and the empirical analysis of data obtained through a series of questionnaires and focus-groups on the courses syllabi, filled in by those most closely involved in the teaching process, the teachers of these courses in various Macedonian high-schools. The main points of focus for both types of analysis were the didactical goals of the subjects, the course contents set by the syllabi, the positioning of the courses within the curricula in the sense of possible interconnections with other disciplines, and the teaching methods. The didactical goals set by the syllabi in the Macedonian system, as was established, are more balanced than those in the other systems, but whether they are fully and fruitfully reached depends on the level of understanding of the material outlined in the contents of the syllabi for all four subjects. The contents do have some merits, compared to their analyzed counterparts, but it was established that their context-dependence is not on a satisfactory level, and needs to be updated to better suit the characteristics and challenges of contemporary life and the need to educate informed, aware, responsible individuals, sensitive to the questions and problems of their socio-economical and cultural milieus. The teaching methods across all subjects and countries analyzed are pretty similar and inclined toward interactive approaches, but the Macedonian schools should dedicate more effort to the improvement of digital literacy and the uses of contemporary technologies. Albeit not being a direct topic of interest for this projects, due to the urgency and importance of the issue of teaching materials, and in order to better prepare students for the terminology and the categorical apparatus of each subject, some valuable inputs were obtained, such as that all courses need either new, updated and context-relevant textbooks (especially considering that Philosophy-elective and Aesthetics are taught without any textbook), or teaching supplements in the form of readers, work-books etc. As to the status and positioning of the subjects, the experiences from the comparative analysis and the empirical research showed the prevalent opinions that Philosophy should be taught for two years (one for the “problems-based approach” and one for the “history-of-philosophy-based approach”) as an obligatory course in gymnasiums, art schools and vocational schools, and the elective should also be offered these schools; Logic should regain its status as obligatory course it had in gymnasiums until fifteen years ago, and be offered to all directions without exceptions, and should become an obligatory course in all vocational schools whose disciplines are based on its principles and categories; Ethics should be obligatory across as many school years as possible, and Aestethics should be obligatory for all art schools, and elective in gymnasiums.