Book review on Od deníků k výzkumu: Metodologie sociálních věd interaktivně (L. Jarkovská & M. Nosková, Grada 2026, 286 s.)
International comparisons of curricular documents are among the basic sources of information in first language (L1) subject didactics and in education policies. The study analyzes curricular documents for L1 teaching from ten countries, using the Czech Framework Educational Programme for Basic Education as a reference frame. The aim of the research was to find out how the relationship between grammar teaching and the development of communication skills and cognitive abilities is addressed in the curricular documents under investigation, as this issue is at the heart of not only L1 subject didactics but also curriculum modelling. The study analyzes the curricula of those countries that have been found to be the most successful in international comparisons. The research approach was qualitative, using the method of content analysis of text documents. The results show that the basic starting point for effective curricular models is full integration of language and communication teaching and the development of metacognitive abilities so that students can think about the function of language means and use them appropriately in both reception and production. The main integrating element is text.
The pilot study presents the quantitative observational tool Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) Pre-K and verifies its suitability for use in the conditions of Czech preschool education. Using structured observation using video recording, we obtained data in kindergarten classes (N = 10), coded them according to the CLASS Pre-K tool manual. Content analysis assessed the consistency of the tool’s domains and dimensions with the objectives of the Framework Educational Program for Preschool Education (RVP PV) and further verified the agreement of three raters in coding the observations. The results demonstrated a high level of content compatibility of the CLASS Pre-K tool with the RVP PV and medium to high agreement of raters. The pilot study suggests that the CLASS Pre-K tool is applicable in the Czech context, especially for observing pedagogical interactions in kindergartens, and possibly also as a means of teacher professional development, however, it still requires verification of the validity of the tool’s scales using confirmatory factor analysis on a larger set of observed classes.
The aim of this study is to examine the dynamics that shape the coordination of institutions involved in education during times of crisis. Our case study analyzes the coordination of measures against the COVID-19 pandemic in elementary schools, with a focus on the 2021/2022 school year and the role of key institutional actors. Central to our approach is the concept of sensemaking − the process of forming and revising understanding in response to crisis. Specifically, we draw on concepts of normality and crisis, as well as scholarship on education in crisis, to investigate how the meanings of individual actors shaped perceptions of crisis and normality, the temporal dimensions of crisis, and both self-perceptions and perceptions of others. The instrumental case study is based on public policy documents and 12 interviews with representatives of institutions within the education system and related actors. A detailed analysis of the dynamics of actors’ perceptions and their interactions reveals a vivid picture of policymaking in the final pandemic year, when the meanings of “children in schools,” “coping with the situation,” and “recognition” emerged as essential elements of collective sensemaking. We describe this collective sensemaking as “unintentional,” as it was not actively steered but developed through adaptation to the meanings of the Ministry of Education − the actor wielding the greatest power.
This qualitative multi-case study explores parental involvement in three schools in Jerusalem with varying socioeconomic status. Two United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) schools in a refugee camp represent low socioeconomic status (SES), while one private school in central Jerusalem represents high SES. The study includes interviews and focus groups with school administrators, teachers, a social worker, and students with different achievement levels from the fifth and ninth grades. The key findings highlight the differences in parental involvement between high- and low-SES schools. While parents from all SES backgrounds encourage their children’s education, those in elite school are more engaged and communicate frequently with teachers. Challenges in elite school include parental over-interference, pressure for high achievement, and ranking. Low-SES schools face barriers such as family disintegration, drug addiction, students’ absence, early marriages, and low parental education, which limit effective involvement. However, open-minded and cultured parents tend to be more engaged across both settings.
