The formation of university lecturers presentation in english

The formation of university lecturers

Luís Alberto - UCM

Introduction

• This article aims at presenting some elements for the formation of university lecturers, more specifically about the formation of such university lecturers in Mozambique.

Introduction (cont.)

• The aspects that we deemed fundamental and necessary for their formation are the identity, the profile of the lecturer, their competences, and the vast encompassing angle of ethics and human values.

Key words

• Identity• Profile• Competences• Professional and ethical human values

1. The identity of the university lecturer

• The complex theme of the identity of the university lecturer takes us to the idea that we are set before a well-educated lecturer of the university, considering that the university is the place where one gets the highest level of education to get the various kinds of degrees, which differs from a primary or secondary school teacher.

The identity of the university lecturer (cont.)

• This means that the university lecturer must be known as the one who is a magister and a model by excellence, who teaches not simply to earn a living, but also as a vocation.


• To be a magister or a model is a fruit of a long and arduous process of solid formation that empowers him to have the knowledge and command of the knowledge that teaches him master the knowledge he passes on to others while at the same time it helps him to be well with himself and with others as he fulfils his tasks as a lecturer.


• A good or solid integral formation and its subsequent permanent capacitation are inseparable for a university lecturer since we are in a period and a century that is concerned more about information – formation – transformation.


• It is in this perspective that it is demanded and expected from the university lecturer to be a scientific researcher with a specific mission of producing knowledge and thought.

• He must permanently look for knowledge and truth through scientific research and investigation, and this should later on result in publications in scientific journals, conferences, and in other venues.


• In this arduous process of searching for truth, the lecturer should search for alternative ways to enrich himself with a lucid knowledge so that he can affront error, falsehood and illusion (Morin, 2001). He should also invest on acquiring right, constructive thought that elaborates coherent theories, checking if these theories are logical and adequate, and if the ideas in them are compatible or if they conform, or whether they are in harmony with the truth since “ninety nine lies do not make a single truth”.


• It is fundamental that the university lecturer particularly follows a self-critical line of thought because, recognizing its uncertainties, insufficiencies, weaknesses and limitations is in need of always doing a personal self-evaluation to understand the pitfalls so that he can more and more perfect himself and live better in harmony with the truth. For this purpose, he must always follow the traditional path of attentively seeing facts, judging them and acting accordingly.


• It is also part of the identity of the university lecturer to have knowledge about information technology and computer skills because in our modern times, it is not enough to have scientific knowledge. It is necessary to provide lecturers with technological and computer knowledge skills for them to know how to apply such knowledge in their interaction with students during class hours.


• The knowledge of at least three modern languages such as English, French and Spanish for the lecturer to better communicate with others be it locally or internationally also characterize and accompany the identity of the lecturer. In fact, Mozambique looks like an island because it is a country surrounded by Anglophone countries.


• For the lecturer to reveal and manifest his identity, he needs to equip himself with dignified conditions of work.

2. The profile of a university lecturer

• In addressing the complex issue of university lecturers’ profile, a dynamic profile and not static one, immediately it comes to one’s mind the idea that he, first of all, is an authentic and true "maieutic", which helps students develop the potential contained within them, as he accompanies them not only in the classroom but also in writing their theses and dissertations.

The profile of a university lecturer (cont.)

• Eloquence and/or rhetoric are also part of the university lecturer’s profile. It is expected that at any time he intervenes to rule-or to express adequately, arouse attention, capture interest of his interlocutors because making oneself perfectly understood is "compelling".


• It is expected that the gives good, logical, consistent and well framed speeches. It is in this sense that the university teacher should be a good communicator, with all the techniques that this entails. This means that for one to be an effective communicator, it is expected that the university teacher is decent in the expression and careful selects his vocabulary.


• Another aspect that should characterize a university lecturer is the coexistence of healthy and effective relationship with all: this includes friendliness, courtesy and good manners.


• It is also expected from him to have the ability to listen and dialogue. This entails empathic listening, in which the lecturer puts himself in the of the student to listen to him, even if the student has difficulties to speak properly.

• In fact, current teaching systems are more dialogical that “monological”.


• Also make part of the responsibilities of a university teacher, full availability to meet and discuss with students, to provide them with as the syllabus, to exchange information with them, to clarify possible questions, and to respond to requests of the institution (institutional profile).


• The willingness to animate and encourage students, the willingness to see them growing every way, be it academically, humanly, psychologically and spiritually thickens the profile of the university teacher.


• The sense of belonging and family. The university teacher must plan the university not as his own, but should think of it as his own institution, his "second home".


• Also part of the university teaching profile, the lecturer should not smoke in front of students and other members other son campus, although the Mozambican law is not strict on this.


• Finally, the university teacher should walk with the decency of teaching. In this sense, it is indeed essential that the university teacher takes care of himself, of his being, of his appearance, through regular physical exercise, as well as he should take care of his visual aspect, his clothing or his aplomb.

3. The competences of a university lecturer

• Here we are faced with the duty of teaching well: know how.

• That require a high level of professionalism and preparation (cfr. Congregação para a Educação Católica, Educar hoje e amanhã, 2014, p.7).

• And the core competence of university teaching is to accompany and guide students to the source of being, living, knowledge and doing.

The competences of a university lecturer (cont.)

• In this last sense, another task is to support and promote the lives of students (cfr. Cury, 2005, p. 59).

• The culture of personal and team work helps the competence of the university teacher.


• The formation that is more urgent, more necessary and indispensable is in conformity better equips the university lecturer. It empowers him in the acquisition of human values, responsibilities, disciplinary psycho-pedagogical, methodological and didactic competencies of research, which are necessary for better exercising his munus docendi.


• It is recommended that the selection of lecturers be very careful and seek people who have a true vocation to it, avoiding to recruit people who go there simply to earn a living, which is a way of escaping from lack of employment in the country.


• There are four important elements, which have already been mentioned that they should be taken in to account. These are the following: the dimension of being, knowledge, know-how and human and to live in dignity with others.

4. Ethical and professional human values

• Ethical and professional human values must accompany the life of any university lecturer, considering that he educates even it is not his intention to do so. He carries the power of teaching to wherever he goes.

• For this reason, he should work as a mirror and a guide.

Ethical and professional human values (cont.)

• Some pertinent values such as responsibility, respect, sociability, Sigils, creativity, efficiency, justice as well as gratuity.

Responsibility

• The university lecturer is responsible as he adequately fulfils his duties such as having a good preparation for his lectures, teaching adequately, giving the necessary follow up to his students, without abandoning them to their own lack and leaving them to research on their own. He should take full responsibility of all that is due to him.

Respect

• To university lecturers, it is demanded that they “should be capable of respecting the diversity of students’ intelligences...” (cfr. Congregação para a Educação Católica, Educar hoje e amanhã, 2014, p. 7) and also respecting the total conditions of each one of them, of their being, of their image and their status quo.

sociability

• The university lecturer will be one who is full of affection and human love to relate in an acceptable and dignified manner with all.

Sigils

• In the process of interacting with students and other people within an institution, the lecturer meets some delicate, intimate and secret situations which are accompanied by relevant information that require a lot of professionalism to handle them due to their sigils nature, requiring obligatory secrecy and civility

Creativity

• The university teachers are required to do a lot. It is hoped that they should have the ability to create, to invent and manage the various learning environments opportunities presented to them" (Congregação para a Educação Católica, Educar hoje e amanhã, 2014, p. 7) for them to avoid falling into a permanent routine.

Efficiency

• University lecturers are also expected to be effective and efficient, in their activities, handling their syllabus, in implementing their course outlines, as well as in presenting the evaluation sand the results obtained from the students. This should be done within the pre-established or recommended deadlines, without wasting time or the resources that are at their disposal.

Justice

• It is also hoped that university lecturers act fairly in relation to students, to the extent that on the one hand, they evaluate them impartially, rewarding those who deserve and, on the other hand, motivating those who do not work hard.

Gratuity

• It is true that the teachers work with the view that at the end of the month they earns a salary to sustain themselves and to support their families. This is undeniable and unquestionable. But it is not to underestimate the spirit of self-giving and delivery for the "health" and the good of the institution, students and all users who benefit from the institution.

Final remarks

• For a university that is immersed in the modern globalized world, which is highly demanding to have a credible authority, this has the difficult task of recruiting and carefully select lecturers who are people of good and unquestionable reputation.

• These must be highly qualified professionals who did not enter into teaching as a second profession, or as a profession that will simply satisfy their economic interests. Rather, to be a university lecturer is, at the same time, “a task, a vocation, a profession and above all a mission” (cfr. Mazula, 2012, p. 13).

Final remarks (cont.)• It is also healthy that university lecturers be offered

many opportunities for them to continuously feel actualized and satisfied with what they do.

• Nevertheless, the university lecturer either educates himself for an integral, continuous and permanent formation (renovar a paixão educativa) for him to keep a personality that is qualitatively as a means to avoid stagnation, or she dooms himself into personal failure, which later on has got its implications on the lives of the students, on the life of the institution and of society as a whole

Final remarks (cont.)

• This means that such a lecturer should be equipped with a human, socio-cultural and intellectual baggage that is effective and, relational, and of many other instruments that are needed for this arduous and laborious process.

Thank youGrazie mille

Muchas graciasMerci beaucoupMuito obrigado

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The formation of university lecturers presentation in english