Teachers from the Polish-Czech borderlandabout their neighbours

Abstract

The recent years in Poland have brought some particular interest in Czechs, who have been for many years indicated as the most liked nation in the studies conducted by the Centre for Public Opinion Research (CBOS). Due to its political and administrative determinants, borderland is a space of sociocultural diversification. The intensity of contacts is regulated by legal solutions of international character. Borderland residents have much more possibilities of getting acquainted with their neighbours, also owing to the opportunity of obtaining transfrontier projects. Exploring the Polish-Czech borderland in her studies for many years, the author notices that the tendency towards the interest in Czechs, present in other regions of Poland, is not as strong in the borderland itself. The easy access to information and to establishing formal and informal contacts does not result in stronger interest. In the article, the analyses are presented of the results obtained in the studies carried out among teachers from the Polish-Czech borderland in the county of Cieszyn. The results were subjected to quantitative analysis and the provided empirical data were processed with the use of statistical methods. The research focus was on the surveyed teachers’ activity in undertaking the participation in transfrontier projects and in seeking the knowledge concerning the neighbours. The author also wanted to find out how the teachers evaluated their own knowledge of Czech culture, art, tradition and cuisine.