From Falling PISA Scores to Better Teaching
The results of Czech students in the international PISA assessment highlight the need to find ways to improve their literacy skills. How can we translate these findings into everyday teaching practice? This course offers practical examples and strategies for developing literacy across subjects, connecting knowledge to real-life situations, and planning lessons so that students not only know and can do things, but also understand and apply their knowledge. We will focus on setting learning objectives, designing meaningful learning tasks, and fostering a whole-school approach to literacy development.
01What the course brings
Participants will gain practical strategies for developing students’ literacy skills across subjects and connecting classroom knowledge with its application in real-life situations. They will learn how to plan lessons that emphasize understanding, independent thinking, and problem-solving without the need to add more content to the curriculum. The course will provide inspiration for improving everyday teaching practice and promoting the systematic development of literacy skills through collaboration across the entire teaching staff.
02Content and expected outcomes
Course Content:
- Literacy as the ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-life situations.
- The international PISA and TIMSS assessments and their significance for education in the Czech Republic.
- Practical examples of developing literacy across different school subjects.
- Lesson planning: formulating learning objectives, designing meaningful learning tasks, and identifying evidence of learning.
- Opportunities for the systematic development of literacy at the school level and collaboration among teaching staff.
Expected Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Explain the importance of literacy and identify opportunities to develop it within their own subject.
- Design or adapt a learning task that connects subject content with real-life situations.
- Define a lesson objective and design student activities that support its achievement.
- Identify evidence of learning and establish criteria for evaluating whether the intended objective has been achieved.
- Identify opportunities to collaborate with colleagues in planning and evaluating the development of literacy across the school.
03Format and length
In person or online, 180 minutes
04Price and what is included
CZK 1,299 per person (online training)
On-site training for the entire teaching staff is priced individually
Each participant who completes the training programme will receive a certificate of completion of continuing professional development for teaching staff, in accordance with Act No. 563/2004 Coll.
05Dates
Wednesday, 18 November 2026 at 5:00 p.m.
Monday, 30 November 2026 at 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, 15 December 2026 at 5:00 p.m.
06Lecturer
RNDr. Jan Břížďala, Ph.D.
