Chair of Chemistry Education

In terms of teacher training, the staff of the Chair is responsible for specialised didactics ( ICT in
Chemical Education, Chemistry Didactics and Practical Works in Didactics of Chemistry),
coordination of teaching practice at schools and supervision of Masters theses.
 
However, high school chemistry teacher programme has not been popular among students. Since
the group consists of only four to eight students and the number of subjects is limited, the staff of
the Chair is also teaching inorganic, general, physical and electrochemistry for chemistry,
biology, material science, pharmacy and medical students.
 
Graduates defend their theses at the Science Education Centre. The evaluation commission
always includes 1-2 persons from the Chair of Chemistry Education. Between 2008 and 2012
thirty future chemistry teacher students have successfully defended their theses. Most of the
graduates work at schools as chemistry teachers.
 
Employees of the Chair of Chemistry education have many years participated in the evaluation
of chemistry state exams for high school graduates, in the expert commission of the exams as
well as preparing the questions of the exams.

The staff of the Chair has been active in organizing the national chemistry Olympiad as well as
training the Estonian team for the international chemistry Olympiads.
 
The Chair of Chemistry Education and the Chair of Inorganic Chemistry have organized
information days for chemistry teachers with assistance from the staff of Institute of Chemistry.
The aim of the information days is to introduce the latest developments and achievements of
chemistry to teachers, provide methodical advice and other information. Information days have
attracted 60-100 participants from all over Estonia.
 
A lot of attention has been paid by the Chair on organizing life-long learning for teachers.