הבדלים בין סטודנטים-מורים בגישות הקוריקולריות להוראת מקצועות היהדות: השלכות על הכשרת מורים

This six-year longitudinal study examined the curricular approaches of student teachers in the various fields of Jewish Studies. The study commenced in their first year of studies and continued until their sixth year, when they assumed their roles as fully-fledged teachers in schools. The article focuses on the student teachers ׳ approaches regarding the curriculum and the differences in their attitudes toward two formal study programs that differ in character and essence. The major argument in this article posits that the character and essence of a formal syllabus exerts a great influence on the curricular approaches of students preparing to become teachers as well as on their place in developing their own teaching program. The study was conducted according to the qualitative-constructivist method. The research tools consisted of observations and open in-depth interviews with 14 participants who were taking part in the prestigious "Revivim" Program at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The program was established in order to prepare a future cadre of outstanding teachers of Jewish subjects. The results of the study suggested five different curricular approaches expressing the student teachers ׳ attitudes toward the formal syllabi in Bible Studies and in Jewish Thought. During the course of the analysis of the findings, differences between the approaches were identified and mapped on a graph; these ranged from "Autonomy" to "Adherence". The student teachers ׳ attitudes toward the formal syllabus in Jewish Thought was characterized by a clear tendency toward curriculum autonomy, openness, and flexibility. In contrast, their attitudes toward the formal syllabus in Bible Studies tended more toward adherence to the demands of the system and a greater sense of obligation vis-à-vis the mandatory material, particularly at the onset of their actual teaching careers.