Martina Maněnová

The rapid integration of Generative AI presents unique challenges for primary education. This study investigates the adoption patterns and attitudes of primary school teachers. A quantitative survey was conducted in the Hradec Králové Region, Czech Republic, with a final analyzed sample of 360 teachers (N=360). The instrument, based on Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations theory, categorized teachers and measured their experiences with and attitudes toward AI tools. Findings reveal a significant deviation from Rogers’ model, with a high concentration in the ‘Early Majority’ (66.1%) and few ‘Laggards’ (5.8%). A strong positive correlation was found between completing AI-focused training and positive attitudes. Teachers primarily perceive AI as a productivity tool for their own preparation (e.g., ChatGPT, Canva), not as a tool directly for pupils. The data underscores an urgent need for targeted professional development to bridge the gap from viewing AI as a “teacher’s tool” to its effective pedagogical integration.

The development of artificial intelligence (AI) in education is significantly reshaping teaching, learning, and assessment processes. Students’ attitudes toward this technology are influenced not only by their digital competencies but also by personal and attitudinal characteristics, especially openness to innovation. This study aimed to analyse the relationship between students’ innovation profiles and their attitudes toward the use of AI in education. The research sample consisted of 228 pre-service teacher education students. Using 25 items measuring stages of innovation adoption and 12 statements reflecting attitudes toward AI, factor and cluster analysis were used to identify key attitudinal dimensions and student groups with different approaches to technology. The results revealed two distinct groups: the first demonstrated greater scepticism, concern, and delayed AI adoption; the second group showed positive attitudes, greater openness to innovation, and earlier adoption of AI. These findings offer valuable insights for developing educational strategies that account for the diversity of students’ perspectives on new technologies and suggest the importance of targeted support for students with reservations about AI integration into pedagogical practice.

The study provides insight into the current state of cultivating statistical graphics skills in primary education in the Czech Republic through a quantitative content analysis of graphic data displays in textbooks and workbooks that are widely used in classrooms. The findings unveil noteworthy disparities in the frequency of statistical graphics among various textbooks, along with significant distinctions in the forms and types of statistical graphics employed across different educational areas.

Technology in the classroom comes in many shapes to differentiate instruction, create meaningful learning experiences, actively engage the learners, or inform about classroom exchanges. Video recordings are no exception. They facilitate the investigation of classroom interactions and the collection of audio-visual data that provide further insights into the teaching practice and classroom dynamics. Previous education research has almost turned a blind eye to uncovering the intricacies of elementary classroom behavior and interactions through the medium of modern technologies. Only scattered attempts have brought to bear the issue. To this end, this paper presents an overview of the salient role of digital technologies, mainly video materials, in clarifying the different interactions that take place within the confines of the classroom, including teacher-to-teaching assistant (TA) relationships, teacher-aide-to-pupil interactions, and peer-to-peer interaction drawing on an ongoing data collection from elementary schools around Hradec Králové (HK) region in the Czech Republic. Classroom recordings might be a fountainhead for detailed, reflective analysis, enhanced communication among all participants, and better teaching-learning practice if used properly. The first part of the paper reviews some related definitions based on several previous theoretical grounds. Then, it highlights the peculiar classroom interactions aided by various analytic angles. Deeply rooted in education research, these dynamics are indebted to the presence of audio and visual records. Most importantly, the paper is built around the research endeavor by researchers at the University of HK, mainly the Faculty of Education, that aims at getting down to brass tacks of TAs interactions by means of technological intervention in data collection (video recordings) and measurement (Flanders et al. – FIAS). Keywords: Video recordings, TA-to-Pupil interaction, Teacher-to-TA interaction, elementary schools, Flanders Interaction Analysis System

The presented study focuses on pedagogical communication and interaction occurring in teaching with the presence of a teaching assistant. The aim was to enhance understanding of pedagogical communication and interaction in these classrooms. To achieve this goal, an analysis of teaching sessions was undertaken from the perspective of activities (interactions and communication) assumed by the teaching assistant during instruction. The research methodology relies on standardized observation, specifically employing the Flanders Interaction Analysis System, which investigates communication and interaction within the classroom environment. For observing teaching sessions with teaching assistants, 16 categories were developed and refined through pilot testing. Validation was conducted using video analysis. In total, 15 teaching sessions were recorded and subsequently analyzed. Specialized software Codenet was utilized for video data analysis, with a set time interval of 3 s. The data analysis revealed several crucial insights into the communication and interaction of teaching assistants and teachers in an educational context. Some categories, such as the preparation of teaching aids and those related to passivity, predominate, while others, including active involvement in teaching or introducing new educational content, are notably absent. Understanding these patterns may lead to optimizing the role of the teaching assistant in supporting individual students and classroom dynamics. The article discusses inclusive practices of teaching assistants, without distinguishing between students with special educational needs and typically developing peers. Inclusive education promotes social and environmental sustainability by fostering a sense of belonging and equality among students.

The aim of the text is to discuss the use of technologies in Physical Education (PE) at schools. The research focused on the pupils of an upper-primary school/lower-secondary school, who were given experimental PE for a period of 10 weeks. The research objective was to identify typical groups of students on the basis of their physical performances and motivation. Unifittest 6-60, a standardized motor-skills test, was used to measure physical performances, and the Czech translation of SIMS, a Canadian–American standardized test, was used to specify the degree of motivation. Based on the obtained data, the method of cluster analysis identified three typical groups of pupils. These three groups differ in their approach to the use of mobile applications in the process of PE. The research results show that thanks to the implementation of mobile phones in the process of PE and thanks to a different approach taken by the teacher, increased internal motivation and an increase in identified regulation can be seen, as well as a decrease in amotivation and a rapid increase in motor performances, especially in the case of students whose performances are average or below average in usual PE classes.

Cílem studie je zmapovat inkluzivní přístupy plně organizovaných škol, na kterých studenti učitelství plní pedagogické praxe. Tyto školy přijímají na pedagogické praxe studenty programu Učitelství pro 1. stupeň ZŠ. Metody: Na základě analýzy dostupných nástrojů byl použit český překlad mezinárodně uznávaného ukazatele inkluze od autorů Booth a Ainscow (2007). Pro šetření byl využit pozorovací arch č. 1, který může být použit i externím nezávislým pozorovatelem. Jako pozorovatelé působili zaškolení studenti učitelství 1. stupně ZŠ druhého až pátého ročníku, kteří ve spolupracujících školách vykonávali dlouhodobou praxi. Výzkumný soubor činí 139 plně organizovaných škol. Výsledky: Na základě získaných výsledků lze konstatovat, že většina škol, kam docházejí studenti na praxi, započala více či méně inkluzivní proces a nadále se snaží o jeho rozvoj. Pouze dvě školy získaly hodnocení pod 20 % celkového počtu bodů. Jedná se o školy, které získaly nízké hodnocení ve všech třech oblastech, tj. budování inkluzivní kultury, inkluzivní politika školy i rozvoj inkluzivní praxe. Naopak osm škol dosáhlo nadprůměrný výsledek ve všech třech oblastech. Závěry: Z výsledků vyplývá, že nemalý počet škol studenti hodnotili z pohledu realizace inkluzivního vzdělávání negativně, a je proto otázkou, zdali s těmito školami má být vedena spolupráce při praktické pedagogické přípravě budoucích učitelů.