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Purpose: This study aims to evaluate a culture-based blended learning multilingual course created for adult learners in ten languages and the development of learners' 21st-century skills during its implementation in six European countries -- Croatia, Latvia, Slovenia, Romania, Poland and Czechia in the COVID-19 period. Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional survey of 638 participants was conducted using a paper-based questionnaire. Data analysis was carried out applying Bereday's four-step model comprising description, interpretation, juxtaposition and comparison to find out similarities and differences among various groups of learners. Findings: Overall, learners have developed their 21st-century skills, but the improvement has not been the same for all target audiences. Learners with economic, social and cultural barriers were more positive in their evaluation than those with geographic and learning obstacles. Research limitations/implications: The research was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the face-to-face stage was replaced with online learning on virtual platforms, which impacted the research results. The results cannot be generalized to all adult learners as significant differences were discovered among various target groups of learners. Practical implications: The course may be implemented for formal and non-formal adult education when face-to-face teaching/learning is restricted. Social implications: The findings indicate that the course is especially suitable for learners with economic, social and cultural obstacles to learning. Originality/value: The article focuses on the use of blended learning in non-formal/informal adult education, which is a less widely researched area. The target course implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic shows a novel way of engaging adult learners in lifelong learning, including those with certain barriers to learning.

Outdoor environmental education programs frequently aim to influence participants' environmental values and behaviors. Published studies have frequently documented their success in doing so. However, few studies have examined the characteristics of programs in relation to accomplishing those goals. Using characteristics identified as important in the Real World Learning Model, this study investigated five residential outdoor environmental education programs in the Czech Republic. Findings include statistically significant correlations between participants' views of program characteristics and their environmental values and self-reported behaviors. Structural equation models demonstrate that the relationship between program characteristics was mediated by participants' environmental values. For participants with positive values, program characteristics more strongly influence behavior. For those with less positive values, the program characteristics are less influential. Program effectiveness seems to be influenced by an interplay between students' environmental values and the instructional strategies used in the program.

Purpose: To improve school organisational performance and innovativeness, and meet diverse student needs, school leaders should be innovative, risk-takers and proactive, thus applying entrepreneurial practices/strategies and market mechanisms. This study aims to investigate, from a schoolteacher's perspective, the degree of entrepreneurial leadership behaviour (ELB) applied by school principals in European primary schools. Given that school autonomy is perceived as an important predictor of leaders' entrepreneurship, this study investigates the impact of educational macro (autonomy and accountability) and micro (demographics) contexts on ELB by comparing centralised and decentralised European school systems with the highly centralised Greek school system. Design/methodology/approach: This comparative study was conducted in Greece (630 participants) and in 14 European countries (972 participants). Thornberry's Entrepreneurial Leadership Questionnaire was used, comprising general entrepreneurial leader (GEL), miner (MIN), accelerator (ACC), explorer (EXP) and integrator (INT) behaviours. Findings: The results revealed that ELB is a multi-dimensional concept, and that all participating teachers perceived ELB application moderately, with more focus on the internal (than external) school environment. Furthermore, the dual-directional macro-contextual influence found in applying ELB indicates that high school autonomy and accountability activate ELB owing to the school's freedom to engage in entrepreneurial ventures, while low autonomy/accountability still activates ELB, but only for organisational survival within hierarchical-bureaucratic school environments. This feature differentiates "intrapreneur/intrepreneur" from "entrepreneur" school principals. Originality/value: The theoretical basis of entrepreneurial leadership (EL) in education should include entrepreneurial multi-dimensional leadership aspects (competencies, behaviours, skills) and educational context (macro and micro). Implications for school leadership research and practice are also discussed.

In this study, we focused on students' intrinsic motivation towards practical work, more specifically the strength of predictors for intrinsic motivation. As a research tool, we used a modified Intrinsic Motivation Inventory supplemented by additional questions on attitudes towards physics. The respondents were more than 2000 Czech upper secondary students who had visited the Interactive Physics Laboratory (a lab offering hands-on experimenting for school groups). Using structural equation modelling, the data were examined with respect to the gender of the respondents, their intention to study STEM and their diligence in physics. For all three criteria mentioned, the perceived value and usefulness of activity emerge as the strongest predictor of intrinsic motivation, followed by effort invested into experimenting. The issue of effort is more strongly addressed by students who feel less diligent in physics and do not plan to study STEM. Both the students' perceived competence and felt pressure have a rather marginal influence on intrinsic motivation. Though the strength of predictors of intrinsic motivation is gender-similar, we found boys feel more competent and less stressed when experimenting. Further, diligent students and those who intend to study STEM feel more competent, perceive greater usefulness and feel less pressure during practical work.

This article presents the origins, development and perspectives of history of education in Central and Eastern Europe. Both the issues and the region are very broad, as they concern many countries with quite large cultural and identity differences, but also with a relative geopolitical similarity. This similarity has created and continues to create similar conditions for researching activities in and teaching of the history of education. Moreover, after 1990, the opening up and development of the history of education in the international space can be observed in the region. To explore the presented issues, three countries in this region of Europe are presented as individual case studies: Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. A stroll down the path of the history of education in the countries indicated allows for a close and in-depth look at the genesis, development and perspective of the history of education.

Even though genetics has been implemented in biology curricula at secondary schools for decades, reports repeatedly indicate that students still hold various misconceptions about this topic. To successfully target these misconceptions, we need to know their nature and origin. We aimed to investigate these properties in the Czech educational system among students of lower-secondary education (ISCED 2) and upper secondary education (ISCED 3). Students underwent a test focused on the basic concepts of genetics based on the content of the national curriculum and current textbooks. The results showed that students have general ideas about the nature of genetic information but struggle to synthetise this knowledge into a deeper understanding of functions in the living body. In many cases, these findings resulted in an increase of various misconceptions. Compared with data about the Czech educational environment and its properties, these problems are caused by a disconnection between the rules of inheritance and functions and impacts of DNA (trait development) on multiple levels of biological organisation both in the national curriculum and textbooks. Therefore, in order to prevent misconceptions, we should focus not only on the way lesson are conducted but also on the changes of national educational policies in the Czech Republic.

This paper compares within-country programmes of initial vocational education and training (IVET) in Austria, the Czech Republic and Germany and their outcomes. Specifically, it aims to analyse and compare the labour market success of graduates of different tracks at the ISCED 3 level in both early and later stages of their careers. The comparison is based on the analysis of PIAAC 2013 OECD study data. A composite multidimensional indicator was constructed to measure labour market success and subsequently used as a dependent variable in regression models. The results indicate that in the systems with dual IVET at the ISCED 3 level (Germany and Austria), graduates are indeed more successful at the labour market than their counterparts with other ISCED 3 tracks. However, their advantage diminishes in later stages of the career. Additionally, in Austria, the success of dual education young graduates is mediated by individual characteristics. In the system with only school-based IVET (the Czech Republic), this track does not guarantee substantively higher labour market success for young graduates compared to other ISCED 3 tracks and also to those with lower education. Czech apprentices in the later stages of career succeed even less than those with below ISCED 3 education.

Non-formal adult education (NFE) provides adults of all ages with the opportunity to acquire skills, knowledge, and expertise. However, there is currently a lack of validated instruments that measure the factors of NFE non-participation in European countries, particularly their barriers. One exception is the Non-participation in Non-formal Education Questionnaire (NP-NFE-Q). This study evaluates and compares the psychometric properties of this instrument among adults across four purposefully selected European countries: Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Czech Republic. The results indicate a good model fit for a three-factor model across randomly split pooled samples and for all countries (min. CFI, TLI, and GFI = 0.932, 0.908, and 0.941, max. RMSEA = 0.079). The findings reveal that adults currently face barriers in three key forms: (1) worries and (2) needs regarding NFE at the micro level and (3) the need for more suitable provision at the macro level.

The following article attempts to characterise the current changes in the communication of people living in the area of Polish-Czech borderland based on the results of the study conducted in 2018 and 2019. The aim is to determine the dominant mode of supranational communication, as well as the reason behind its prevalence by analysing the language skills of the interviewed Poles and Czechs, along with their language preferences and selected personal experiences. The multilingual modes known as English as a "lingua franca" and "lingua receptiva" as well as their combination, constitute a platform of reference. The analysis proves that in more peripheral areas of the globalised world where different languages and cultures cross, postmonolingual practices have been developed. They maintain the leading position of the first language but they also adapt other multilingual modes. It is suggested that these practices should not be treated as a transitional phase on the way to rich multilingualism but rather as a specific glocalisation effect.

This paper aims to provide a comprehensive narrative of the current status of Chinese language teaching at upper secondary schools in the Czech Republic. Processes involved in developing the Chinese language curriculum in upper secondary schools were mapped through a qualitative survey. Representatives of 20 schools were interviewed to identify factors associated with the successful implementation of Chinese language courses. The research focuses on answering two questions: (1) What factors determine the success or failure of a Chinese language programme at a secondary school? (2) What systemic support can be provided to facilitate Chinese teaching at upper secondary schools? In answer to the first question, factors such as the mindset of stakeholders, curricular classification, employment, and partnerships are discussed. As for systemic support, fostering a realistic attitude, institutional support and cooperative partnerships are suggested. These findings may serve as a source of inspiration for countries where the Chinese language in secondary education is still in the process of development, as is the case in the Czech Republic.

This article examines different rationalities for parental involvement in their children's early childhood education and care (ECEC). Starting from Foucault's governmentality and the context of the transforming and diversifying Czech preschool system, it analyzes parents' rationalities for their involvement in ECEC and discusses how they relate to the neoliberal ideal of the "responsible autonomous family." Analyzing data from interviews with parents in six ECEC facilities with different characteristics, it identifies five rationalities for parental involvement and shows how the neoliberal processes of responsibilization and autonomization play a central role in the (de)legitimization of these parental rationalities. Reflecting on how the rationalities of parental involvement gain or lose legitimacy in relation to dominant norms and ideals helps ECEC students and practitioners to understand how social inequalities are potentially exacerbated through the promotion/expectation of certain forms of parental involvement in parent -- ECEC facility relationships.

Problem-solving skills are often considered to be the key skills in today's world, and their importance in geography education is widely recognized. However, empirical evidence analyzing whether and how teachers develop problem-solving skills during geography lessons is especially scarce in the context of preservice teachers. Accordingly, we conducted a questionnaire survey with 256 respondents. The survey analyzed preservice teachers' experience with problem-solving skills and different teaching styles in their pre-college (upper secondary) geography education. The results show that preservice geography teachers prevailingly perceive that they were not exposed to problem-solving skills even passively, let alone actively developing them. The insufficient development is in line with the prevalence of teacher-centered styles. The article concludes with a discussion of possible causes and recommendations for improvement.

Academic libraries, apart from their main function, which is to provide information services to academic communities, may also perform a number of social roles in the broad meaning of the term. Accordingly, they now tend to serve as the third place offering inclusion and animation activities to academic as well as local communities (including potential students) and to groups in risk of social exclusion (immigrants, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, etc.) or in need of various kinds of care and support. However, for libraries to be able to fulfil those tasks, they need properly trained staff who not only have the required competencies but also the right social attitudes. The paper presents an analysis of the social attitudes of academic librarians from twenty countries across the world as compared to the personnel of other types of libraries. The level of individual social capital, activity in social networks, aspirations in life and social and civic engagement were investigated. It was noted that the respondents tend to undervalue the importance of the work done by libraries for local communities. At the same time, the research showed that academic librarians have a somewhat lower level of individual social capital and trust than public librarians and less extensive social networks. Nonetheless, they are open to relationships with others, which enables them to engage in various social projects.

The paper describes various forms and modes of partnerships and cooperation between mainstream schools and private tutoring providers, and their risks and benefits as perceived by Czech school leaders. Its main findings are drawn from interviews with management representatives of 43 lower-secondary schools. Schools displayed tutors' advertisements, recommended private tutors to students, cooperated with tutors or offered school premises for private tutoring. Some forms and modes of collaboration could be mutually beneficial, whilst others were at the edge of ethical practices. Most principals carefully weighed perceived benefits and risks of such partnerships, but others practiced a laissez-faire school policy.

Background: The competencies for the 21st century are defined as a broad and interrelated system of knowledge, skills, values and attitudes enabling the full application of man in personal and professional life. Regarding the science education competencies combining science and scientific knowledge, as well as skills such as inquiry, critical thinking, analytical thinking, problem solving and decision making should be developed. These higher-order abilities are reflected in the concept of scientific thinking and reasoning that has no specific definition yet, although many employers expect these abilities at their job applicants. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to create a framework of scientific thinking and reasoning for knowledge-based companies operating in natural sciences that would meet the needs of these companies. Sample: Theoretical research is based on analysis, comparison and synthesis of five relevant scientific and reasoning frameworks from years 1997-2014. Empirical research was an expert survey conducted with seven participants, experts working on key positions inside companies, followed by two interviews with experts outside the companies. Design and methods: During the first part of the study a prototype of a scientific thinking and reasoning framework based on the methods of theoretical research was developed. Following empirical part (expert survey) aimed at adjusting the framework based on semi-structured interviews to employees in key positions of companies whose production portfolio or services are based on the knowledge and skills of their employees in natural science disciplines. Results: Qualitative analysis of interviews showed that the proposed framework seems as a useful tool for companies that can easier identify the skills and abilities for their employees. Conclusion: The framework has been slightly changed according to results of the analysis and can be used as a supporting tool bridging the gap between those who prepare students for a specific graduate job and the companies that employ graduates.

The study shows the content of future teachers' education and their needs to teach media education in their future practice. The preparation of future teachers within the faculties of education varies considerably across Europe, as does the level of teaching in primary and secondary schools. In the Czech Republic, media education is a cross-cutting topic in primary and some types of secondary schools and is rather rarely found in the university training of future teachers. The research shows the areas in which future teachers were prepared in their teacher training, their sense of readiness to teach and their needs in their training.

In addition to the opportunities afforded to them, the development of care for gifted pupils is also associated with the problematic handling of the "gifted" label. These associations could affect several aspects of her/his life. The aim of this qualitative study was to discover the positive and negative consequences of the labelling of gifted pupils and to find their coping strategies, which would eliminate the negative consequences of labelling. Two hundred and eight intellectually gifted pupils aged ten to fifteen participated in the research. They were pupils of regular, inclusive elementary schools from the Czech Republic. The source of data was a questionnaire with open-ended questions. The positive aspects of labelling mainly concerned the academic and personal spheres, for instance, feeling good about oneself and extensive opportunities with regard to further education. Negative consequences affected the personal (problems resulting from giftedness) and academic (perfectionism, high expectations) areas, but above all, the social sphere. We discovered that gifted pupils are singled out from their peer groups, used for school work, and even bullied. The gifted pupils developed several coping strategies to deal with the negative consequences of labelling, such as helping others, conforming and denying their giftedness.

Recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have paved the way for the integration of text-based and voice-enabled chatbots as adaptive virtual tutors in education. Despite the increasing use of AI-powered chatbots in language learning, there is a lack of studies exploring the attitudes and perceptions of teachers and students towards these intelligent tutors. This study aims to compare several linguistic and technological aspects of four App-Integrated Chatbots (AICs) and to examine the perceptions among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher candidates. In this mixed-methods research based on convenience sampling, 237 college students from Spain (n = 155) and the Czech Republic (n = 82) interacted with four AICs over a month, and evaluated them following a rubric based on the Chatbot-Human Interaction Satisfaction Model. This scale was specifically designed to assess different linguistic and technological features of AICs such as response interval, semantic coherence, sentence length, and user interface. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered through a pre-post-survey, based on the CHISM model and student assessment reports. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS statistics software, while qualitative data were examined using QDA Miner software, focusing on identifying recurring themes through frequency analysis. The findings indicated a moderate level of satisfaction with AICs, suggesting that enhancements in areas such as better adapting to learner needs, integrating interactive multimedia, and improving speech technologies are necessary for a more human-like user interaction.

This article examines how second language (L2) interactional competence is manifested in students' use of "and"-prefaced turns when doing meaning-focused oral tasks in pairs and small groups. Drawing on video recordings from English-as-a-foreign-language upper-secondary classes recorded in Czechia and Finland, 86 sequences involving "and"-prefaced turns were scrutinized using multimodal conversation analysis, focusing on language, gaze, and material resources. The findings suggest that by producing "and"-prefaced turns, students orient to task progression. These turns have two functions: task managerial and contribution to the emerging task answer. By using task-managerial "and"-prefaced turns, the current speaker invites another student to participate, while in "and"-prefaced contributions to the task answer, a participant adds to, generalizes, or modifies the previous task answer. The analysis shows that students mobilized their L2 interactional competence in producing "and"-prefaced turns in close coordination with embodied resources and with respect to the spatio-material surroundings and the nature of the task. These findings contribute to the multimodal reconceptualization of the grammar-body interface and research on turn-initial particles within L2 interactional competence.

Democratic school climate, critical reflection, and student participation at school have been linked to the development of civic and political attitudes. The study aims to identify the contribution of these characteristics to the development of civic and political attitudes and their impact on students' participation (civic, political, activist, and lifestyle/online). Questionnaire data were collected in two waves with 1589 students from four European countries (Italy, Sweden, Germany, and the Czech Republic). Structural equation modelling tested the effects of school characteristics on different types of participation, mediated by institutional trust, political efficacy, and political interest. The results highlight the importance of opportunities for active involvement and critical reflection in fostering interest, efficacy, and all forms of participation activities. Democratic school climate was found to positively impact institutional trust and efficacy, but not participation. The findings highlight the need for a school environment that invites critical reflection and gives value to students' participation.

The article focuses on the hitherto unresearched impact of nudging on the successful completion of HEIs studies. The aim of the study is to find out how HEIs students accept different forms of nudging and how individual forms of nudging can contribute to the successful completion of studies. The explanatory paradigm is anchored in nudge theory. Based on a systematic literature review, key behavioral factors and forms of nudge that influence the successful completion of studies are identified. A two-phase empirical research was conducted (questionnaire among university students, N = 207) and a structured interview with experts (N = 22). High-touch nudges were far more acceptable. By contrast, 40% of low-touch nudges were considered somewhat unacceptable. Students do not mostly accept reminders and defaults. Students differed in their evaluation of proposed techniques and their acceptance according to their socio-economic and socio-demographic characteristics. Support was slightly stronger among men, part-time students, and economists. Female, graduate, medical, health, and social study students, and students up to 25 years of age were more likely to be against the interventions. Students having at least one parent with higher education showed slightly less acceptance of nudges. The study's insights provide a deeper understanding of diverse needs regarding behavioral tools and enable derive of guidelines for the education policy implementation and development.

This study investigates the professional identity of Montessori school teachers. The research was conducted using qualitative methodology, specifically in-depth semi-structured interviews with teachers in Montessori schools located in Brno, Czech Republic. The study found that the professional identity of Montessori school teachers consists of two main components: (1) professional identity of the creator of the prepared environment and (2) professional identity of the individual guide. These identities are mainly influenced by factors such as respect for the child's development and freedom in the classroom, as well as their own personal beliefs and values. The results highlight the importance of respecting the individuality of each child and creating a supportive environment that allows for freedom and exploration within structure. This research sheds light on the unique characteristics and challenges faced by Montessori teachers, and provides insights into the development of their professional identity.

The paper presents the international research study conducted in selected Czech and Russian primary schools in 2020. This research was mainly focused on the issue of pupils' relationships with their classmates with special educational needs, who are inclusively educated in regular school classrooms. According to the research results, the attitudes of pupils towards their classmates with special educational needs are rather neutral or even slightly negative in primary schools in both countries. However, most teachers do not consider this a problem affecting the classroom climate at all, and it seems that they do not work effectively with this issue as they are not skilled in this area and do not master the appropriate techniques used in support of pupils' relationships and a quality classroom climate. Although there are some differences between the results in Czech and Russian primary schools, we can suggest the improvement in working with diversity, as well as the development of teachers' skills for teaching heterogeneous peer group in a school classroom.

Cultural intelligence (CQ) is a multidimensional socio-mental construct that allows a person to effectively explore and understand different cultures for the benefit of the entire organization. Therefore, many studies investigate which factors support or hinder CQ development. Our study anticipates that intercultural social contracts, travel experience and knowledge of foreign languages affect CQ. We further explore how these direct relationships are mediated by the variables of self-efficacy in communication. To confirm or reject our hypotheses we used a sample (n = 190) of university students studying at a private Czech university and a public Russian university that is analyzed using the statistical technique PLS-SEM. Our results confirm that intercultural social contacts, the experience of traveling abroad, and knowledge of foreign languages are positively related to CQ, and that self-efficacy partially positively mediates these relations. The study can serve as the base for other research concentrating on the mediators of the factors supporting CQ.

The article presents findings from a Czech environmental literacy survey conducted in 2020 on a sample of 6th (N = 3773), 8th (N = 21518), and 9th graders (N = 4368). Specifically, the effect of environmental and sustainability education (ESE) as well as the effect of gender and age on environmental knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, place attachment, locus of control and behavior were analyzed with regard to teaching strategies. The analyses revealed significant differences between respondents who participate in residential outdoor environmental education programs, those who were involved in a school eco-club or a nature-oriented non-formal-education youth clubs compared to those not involved in these activities. In addition, the perceived holistic, emancipatory, and community-based ESE approaches were among the significant predictors of environmental literacy. The findings support the relevance of the ESE strategies examined in shaping environmental literacy of young students. Older students and boys showed a lower level of pro-environmental values and behavior.

This study explores the role of the welfare state in reducing young people not being in education, employment, or training (NEET)s across 15 European countries. Using data from the Survey of Adult Skills in the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) in combination with the Social Expenditure Database, we conducted cross-national analysis to reveal whether the increase in public social spending moderates the risk of being NEET at a young adult age, especially for socially disadvantaged young people. Our results highlighted that the rise of one percentage point of public social spending per gross domestic product, including social expenditure on education, active labor market, and unemployment, is significantly associated with decreasing the odds of being NEET. Furthermore, these social expenditures appeared to lower the NEET risk given socially disadvantaged backgrounds suggesting that young people with low educational levels, whose parents have low educational attainment levels, non-immigrant families, and females are likely to benefit given the robust social protection system. These findings suggest that public social spending may be an effective investment in promoting the social involvement of young people from socially disadvantaged background.

The impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on nonformal adult education has become a frequently discussed issue in lifelong learning. Nonformal adult education is understood here as all organised adult learning outside formal education that usually does not result in official certification. Many scholars have considered the pandemic as the leading cause of both decreased participation in nonformal adult education and increased inequality among adults. Nevertheless, it has not yet been empirically established how profound this outcome has been for participation patterns, inequality and perceived barriers to involvement in nonformal adult education. Accordingly, this study explored how much the pandemic contributed to a decrease in overall participation, changes in participation patterns, as well as contributed to an increase in related inequalities in the Czech Republic. This article reports on results from a national representative survey in June 2020 (N = 1013) conducted between the first and second wave of the pandemic. Trends in participation in nonformal adult education along with barriers were mapped for the 12 months preceding the survey. To establish trends, we compared our results with data from the Adult Education Survey conducted in 2011 and 2016, respectively. Our analytical approach is primarily based on descriptive statistics and modelling factors influencing the involvement of adults in nonformal adult education. We found that overall participation in nonformal adult education decreased from June 2019 to June 2020 to its lowest recorded level. Furthermore, the results indicate that inequality based on educational attainment, as well as the perception of substantial institutional and situational barriers have significantly increased.

This paper sheds light on the impact of the digital platforms' enhancement and usage of latest synchronous and asynchronous teaching-learning platforms through a global virtual project involving business schools across five countries. The study focuses on how technology involved in the learning-teaching process at different business schools has affected the commitment of undergraduates and graduates in the post-COVID era. Furthermore, the paper discusses how the global virtual teams of students has increased their motivation in their studies. The paper is based on a blended learning international collaboration (BLIC) project involving 150 students participating in global virtual collaboration via different digital platforms in classes on International Management and International Business. The study results show, that with computer-supported collaborative learning, students across all involved business schools have been highly committed and motivated in conducting their assignments. The paper shows that the enhancement and utilization of digital platforms in face-to-face and online classes in International Business and International Management, within this virtual collaboration, has provided the students with new knowledge and has held motivation high throughout the project.

In 2016, the characteristics and approaches to art mediation as an educative approach to facilitation of understanding and experiencing art in Czech extracurricular field trips and school outreach programmes were defined and investigated by faculty members of Department of Primary Education within an independent research project. This paper presents a theoretical background to the investigation results. The research study used a qualitative research method of semi-controlled interviews with professionals from different extracurricular establishments. The goal was to achieve a holistic view of the current concept of visual art on the basis of extracurricular school programmes and their pedagogical potential and to describe and define the methodological specifics of this phenomenon using a research design based on datas gained from six extensive interviews. The open-coding analysis method used here reveals a generalised view of the topic. Thus it will provide clear reasons and way of implementation of art mediation from extracurricular environment to schools.

Mobile devices have penetrated all spheres of human activities, including education. Previous research has shown that smartphones are becoming widely used in learning as they can improve knowledge retention and increase student engagement. The purpose of this study was to discuss students' perception of the use of a mobile application aimed at learning new English vocabulary and phrases and describe its strengths and weaknesses as perceived by the students. In total, 28 university students answered a pen and paper questionnaire survey after experiencing the app during one semester. Overall, the students' agreement to the positive aspects displayed in the questionnaire prevailed over their disagreement or neutral opinions. The mobile app helped students prepare for the final achievement test, learning was accessible from anywhere and at any time, students appreciated the corrective feedback and would opt for the implementation of the mobile app in other courses taught at the faculty. On the other hand, as the findings indicate, the students reported that the app was not very supportive regarding communication performance; they did not find the teachers' notifications encouraging and they did not use the pronunciation support much, which was caused by various factors, such as offering students words and phrases without context or not testing all the items in the final credit test. The findings of this study contribute to the existing knowledge of students' perceptions of the use of mobile apps for learning purposes.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is an essential part of sustainability. The CSR concept can be extended to social responsibility of organisations and personal responsibility of the citizens (Personal Social Responsibility). Extending the CSR concept requires increasing the knowledge of it. The Social Responsibility Index (SR Index), inspired by the CSR indices used to measure the performance, can be a convenient tool to educate adult population in the Lifelong Learning (LLL) process. It is essential that the index is understandable for all users. Moravian Business College Olomouc has applied andragogical approaches in an index methodology proposal -- so called SR ETA Index 2019 (hereinafter referred to as SREI). The aim of the paper is to present the SREI. Beyond the function of the measuring instrument, it can be used to educate all types of target user groups. The SREI design is based on a combination of piloting methodology and field preresearch methodology.

Electro technical kits have many positive effects in school education, suitably supplement as well as support it, and are also one of its subject matters. Considering the fast, global development information technology is experiencing, there is a growing need to combine computer systems and electro technical kits in education. This assists in the process of digitization, too, which asserts itself in the conditions set for educating children as early as in nursery schools. The constructivist concept of education is based on the activities of students which lead to the development of their cognitive skills, thinking, and creativity; the issues of motivation, activity, independence, creativity, and humanizing education are appreciated; respect is given to the notion that students interpret new facts on the basis of understanding what they learned previously; of their existing knowledge and experiences. These mental structures constitute patterns which serve as a foundation for new, constructed knowledge. When a teacher assumes the constructivist approach to education, they assess and diagnose the students' dispositions and attitudes to the expected content and to the manner of its processing. Subsequently, the teacher adapts their approach to these results. It is the teacher's responsibility to establish suitable conditions and materials for education to take place, to make it easier for students to construct new knowledge as a part of their education, to respect their individual traits and pace, ensure that the students are active, and combine their knowledge with activities and skills -- all of this can be ideally combined by using of electro technical kits. The paper presents the results of past research surveys which were conducted in relation to incorporating electrical engineering into education, and of the effectiveness of the implemented education in the practical reality of teaching which includes using electro technical kits as one of the basic didactic training tools in this sphere of technics. One subject of discussion also includes the condition/the current state of implementing education in the primary school environment.

The contribution focuses on issues related to the implementation of formative assessment methods into inquiry based teaching, by means of issues related to solving twelve multiple-step arithmetic word problems based on operations with natural and rational numbers. These word problems have multiple correct solution procedures and the presented qualitative exploratory empirical study investigates how varied and how usual might be correct solution procedures provided by diverse groups of solvers -- future primary school teachers attending diverse university mathematics courses of diverse forms and/or time extent. According to written data collected from 149 solvers, six notions are introduced in the paper: majority, minority and even solution procedures, and majority, minority and mixed solvers. Issues regarding minority solvers are recognized as an important element for implementing formative assessment methods. All the six notions are illustrated in the paper by samples of solution procedures and diagrams of relative frequency. Implications are given for formative assessment within any kind of education involving multiple-step word problems, regardless of the extent of implemented inquiry.

The article presents the results of research into entrepreneurship education in economic and noneconomic study programmes of the College of Polytechnics Jihlava (n = 104). The College represents a regional public college of professional orientation in the Vysocina Region, where the business potential is relatively high. Significant differences in attitudes concerning entrepreneurship among students of economic and non-economic programmes have not been proven. As well the correlation between attitudes (interest in conducting business, having preconceptions to start a business and subjective evaluation of one's own ideas) and the students' knowledge of entrepreneurship was not significantly demonstrated. Despite these insignificant differences, there have been links in students' attitudes. Students of both programmes have a great interest in doing business even at the cost of having preconception to start a business. Above all, the high risk and uncertainty of business earnings are perceived very negatively. They also admit that they do not have enough knowledge and are thus afraid of starting a business, even though they have their own business ideas. Therefore, it is desirable to focus on new platforms for the development of entrepreneurship education and thus support the potential of students.

Each new generation brings a challenge to employers, university management and teachers with new attitudes affecting their continuous matriculation and degree completion. This article discusses how to retain both business and institutional career-oriented students using real-time communication based on their attitudes, emotions resulting from logically generated synonyms by automatic data evaluation by the information system. The objective of this article is to identify these students early in their academic studies and to assess their likelihood for continuous matriculation and ultimately increase retention rates. Using data from entry questionnaire during application at university, based on their attitudinal expectation, students were categorised into groups that affected their continuous matriculation. Data used in this study were gathered by compulsory entry questionnaire of 535 students in the academic year 2017-2018. Using statistical and dimensional analysis, four groups were identified among university applicants: Proactive, Reactive, Lazy and Institutional. Responses were tested according to Complementary Distribution Function (CDF) and normal distribution as Probabilistic Distribution Function (PDF). Antagonist attitudes were found for answers corresponding to PDF and CDF. Results indicate that business and institutionally oriented students should be separated and treated individually to increase retention.

Within the conditions of rapid development of internationalization processes, the scale of international cooperation between tertiary educational institutions is growing at a quick rate. Currently, the practice of international cooperation between tertiary educational institutions is the most commonly encountered in the form of: international exchange of applicants of tertiary education (students), teachers (educators), scientists; holding conferences, round tables, symposiums; exchange of information and data on improving the efficiency of the educational process. Therefore, the list of the above mentioned types of international cooperation between tertiary educational institutions is not exhaustive and is constantly updated. Based on the foregoing, the aim of the scientific article is to study the theoretical and practical aspects of international cooperation among tertiary educational institutions in the framework of determining current trends and future prospects for the development of such relations. Methods of analysis, synthesis, observation, description and comparison have been used to disclosure the theoretical and practical aspects of international cooperation among tertiary educational institutions in the framework of determining current trends and future prospects for the development of such relations. The scientific article has discussed and analyzed the dynamics of the students' mobility from abroad, enrolled in tertiary education, as well as the level of students' mobility in areas of the corresponding level of higher education in such countries, as: Germany, the Czech Republic and Sweden. The peculiarities of the functioning of the following international networks and university wide projects and platforms have been determined, namely: ACCESS, CALIE, European University Association, Eutopia, Inspireurope, International Association of Universities, MIRAI, Nordic Association of University Administrators, Nordic Centre India, Nordic Centre Fudan University, Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, SGroup European Universities' Network, SANORD, Scholars at risk, SASUF, which have been formed as a result of international cooperation among tertiary educational institutions. According to the data of the European University Association, it has been established that tertiary educational institutions of Ukraine also take an active part in the system of international cooperation. For instance, 26 tertiary educational institutions of Ukraine act as Individual Full Members and Individual Associate Members of the European University Association. It has been established that the basic areas of international cooperation among tertiary educational institutions include: the development of international mobility in the framework of the exchange not only of students, but also of educators, researchers, and administrative staff; joint teaching and investigation activities; research cooperation.

The purpose of higher education is to produce active and intellectually well-rounded individuals yet, the transition to higher education seems to have deleterious effects on university and college students' (UCS) fitness levels and physical activity (PA). The aim of this quantitative research was to analyse the influences of organisational factors on the implementation of physical education (PE) among UCS in European tertiary institutions. A purposive sampling method was employed. Seven academic peers gathered information on characteristics of tertiary institutions, sport and leisure facilities, types and characteristics of PA programs available for UCS in 66 European tertiary institutions. The results suggested that the curricula requirements for PE in public tertiary institutions were similar to private establishments, with minor administrative variations. Public tertiary institutions had significantly higher number of PE hours and PE sessions per semester, PE minutes per academic hour, duration of PE session, number PE teachers and number of students per one PE teacher. Universities had significantly higher number of PE semesters, PE minutes per academic hour, and hired more PE teachers. The organizational differences between public and private institutions might be explained by a lack of clear guidelines regarding PE curricula in higher education across European countries, and greater autonomy of the private tertiary institutions. Moreover, PA programs in higher education adhere to minimum requirements of the syllabi, which restrict total amounts of PE among UCS. Thus, it is recommended PE classes should become obligatory, with extended hours, appropriately qualified teachers and improved financing.

A case study entitled 'New Age Atlantis or Mysterious Seventh Continent' was developed as an exemplar model to show how the teaching methods and themes of Global Education (GE) can be used in geography lessons. The main intent of this article is to share an example of good practice about the use of this case study in geography lessons in Czechia. The aim of the study was twofold: to develop an understanding about how plastics contribute to ocean pollution, as a serious and current ecological topic in Global Education; as well as to show how the characteristics and movement of ocean water are related to the topic of ocean pollution. The main research goal was to study how pupils were able to put their skills and knowledge in practice by fulfilling the objective of the teaching activity -- to understand global ocean pollution. The teaching activity is based on methods which develop principles of critical thinking, learning by living, brainstorming, discussion, and group teaching. The teaching activity also allows for cross-curricular links to occur between school geography and other subjects including biology, physics, civic education, ecological education, and personal and social education. The teaching activities for the 'New Age Atlantis' case study is aimed at pupils aged between 12 to 15 years. The case study results confirm that as pupils collaborate and communicate with their peers and teachers, they learn to critically accept the opinions of others and, at the same time, to defend their own opinions. All of the pupils were able to understand and recognize the problem at hand.

Pro-environmental behavior is a key to environmental sustainability. It is important to know which variables influence the development of pro-environmental behavior and how important direct interaction with nature is for future environmental engagement. The aim of the research was to examine the correlation between childhood interaction with nature and pro-environmental behavior as an adult and the mediators influencing this correlation. The respondents (N = 370) were selected by the snowball method and completed an on-line questionnaire. Bivariate correlation and parallel mediation analysis were done. Previous research studies focused mainly on one type of influence, and this research brought a comparison of three mediators. The results confirmed that interaction with nature in childhood affects future pro-environmental behavior. The main mediator seems to be the affective mediator. The cognitive mediator and interaction with nature in adulthood had only a small mediation effect. Children's emotional bonding with nature is the important element for the development of pro-environmental behavior. This appears to be a more effective way of ensuring stronger pro-environmental behavior in the future than building environmental knowledge or relying on sufficient interaction with nature in adulthood.

In its descriptors for oral fluency the Common European Framework of Reference includes frequent references to the tempo of speech and the use of pausing. The present study aims to provide empirical evidence that these fluency phenomena exist; it also seeks to establish how they distinguish two different levels of proficiency (B2 and C1) among L2 English speakers as well as between these speakers and native speakers. The analysis is based on a large dataset of 50 native English speakers and 89 learners of English (derived from the LOCNEC corpus, and from the Czech and Taiwanese sub-corpora of LINDSEI); it compares their speech rates and the frequency and location of unfilled pauses in picture description tasks. Significant differences are found between all the groups showing that even between B2 and C1 levels the growth of proficiency is accompanied by an increase in speech rate and a decrease in the frequency of pausing, particularly within clauses and within constituents. By establishing the ranges of these values, the study sets possible targets which can be exploited for the purposes of language teaching and assessment.

Graphs are often used to represent mathematical functions, to illustrate data from social and natural sciences, or to specify scientific theories. With increasing emphasis on the development of scientific research skills, the work with graphs and data interpretation are gaining in importance. The research involved an eye-tracking experiment conducted to evaluate student work with graphs in physics. Eye-movement data were recorded using the GazePoint eye-tracker. A total of 40 third-year grammar school students participated in the research. These students were allocated into three groups by a physics teacher. These groups were called PLUS, AVERAGE and MINUS. The PLUS group showed excellent results in education and included gifted physics students. The MINUS group was composed of the opposite end of this cognitive spectrum, whose members made the most mistakes in graph reading. The aim of the experiment was to find the differences between students allocated to these three groups and to evaluate whether the allocation based on the teacher's experience, long-term observations and the students' previous achievements was sufficient. The results showed that students from all three groups had problems with reading graphs in physics. According to the eye-movement data, several students who had been incorrectly assigned to groups were identified.

Students' motivation is one of the key factors that determine their school success. It is closely linked to their attitudes toward individual school subjects. This research analyzes four crucial dimensions of students' subject-related attitudes (practical importance, difficulty, popularity and curriculum contents attractiveness) in the secondary economic education in the Czech Republic and Slovakia in the international context. The research focused on the four dimensions of students' attitudes (n = 573) toward four major school subjects (economics, accounting, mathematics and the mother tongue) at business academies. It analyzes the data from the questionnaires using the Spearman Correlation Coefficient, the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test and the modification of Tukey's method for multiple comparisons. The results show that the popularity of a school subject significantly correlates with its curriculum contents attractiveness and practical importance. However, the difficulty of school subjects did not influence their popularity in a negative way, which opens several questions for further research in the area.

The aim of the research was to find out what factors of school culture affect the expected results of teaching and learning processes in basic schools. The research evaluated current and desired school culture in selected basic schools to identify culture gaps. Research using School Culture Inventory explored relations among selected sub-categories, namely between the sub-categories focused on shared objectives, trust in school leadership, and on managerial approach and the important sub-categories focused on innovation process and expected results of teaching and learning processes. The independent evaluators were final year students of the Faculties of Education from two universities in the Czech Republic who assessed schools after one month of their position at the selected schools (the research sample included 182 basic schools). The findings provided the evidence of current culture gaps and of a positive association between higher positive evaluations in the sub-category leadership and management and the sub-category expected results of teaching and learning processes. The results brought by the research will help school leaders when they plan to shape or change the culture of the schools they manage.

Knowledge of the appropriate learning styles in which students approach the study supports the effectiveness of the teaching process. There is international research that explores the factors that influence student learning styles or students' preferences. The results of some research based on the similar methodologies are inconsistent. The aim of this research under the conditions of Czech tertiary education was to verify what factors students' learning style preferences in the subject Marketing depend on. The method of questioning based on quantitative research was used. 132 students of University of Economics, Prague and of College of Polytechnics Jihlava were involved in the research. The questions were formulated in a way to be able to define the learning style and whether students were aware of their sensory preferences. The model was based on the VARK model and the learning style according to motivation and intent. A chi-square test of independence was used for verification. The preferences of a deep problem-based learning style prevail. Learning styles preferences depend on factors related to the practical preparation of the students and the difficulty of the subject.

Each of us in our lives will face emergencies, whether a fire, accident, traffic collision or natural disaster, and it is crucial that we know how to recognise them and how to adequately react. The text presents the knowledge level in protection and safety among first to third grade primary school pupils living in socioeconomically marginalised localities, in Central Europe -- specifically in the Czech Republic. Education of children and pupils in areas of population protection is becoming the number on topic. The challenge is to alert and motivate teachers to continue with topics that develop not only knowledge but also the perception of the outside world and the awareness of threats and dangers that may affect the development of the child or pupil. The findings are the outcome from the project weeks implemented over two years and yielding interesting findings that formed the basis of practical recommendations.

Across Europe, educational institutions are essential in assisting exploration of politics, culture and history, and the use of creative arts appears crucial to supporting this aim. This article reports on Creative Connections, a multi-partner research project that facilitated exchanges for young people to explore their European identities using online art galleries and blogging technologies. Their multimodal conversations revealed an openness to consider artworks as sources of knowledge and experience. Participants did not focus on the nationality of the artist, but concentrated on the relationship that the subject matter of the work had with their own concerns. Anxiety related to populism, exclusive nationalism, social inequality and new forms of labour appeared to impact young European citizens' relationships and their perceptions of democracy.