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 study focuses on the effort of students when answering achievement test questions and its relationship with their final test score. The aim of the study was to determine the extent to which insufficient effort responding in tests occurs among different groups of students based on gender and school type, and how the varying degrees of insufficient effort among these groups may be reflected in their comparison based on the final test score. The research sample consisted of male and female students from the 9th grade of basic school (N = 631) and the corresponding grades of multi-year secondary general schools (N = 713). As a research tool, we employed an online questionnaire application, which included an English placement test (Cambridge EFL Placement Test) with 25 multiple-choice questions. To identify insufficient effort, we employ time characteristics of students’ behavior during testing, recorded by an online testing application developed for this purpose. The results of the study indicate that insufficient effort is a marginal phenomenon among students of multi-year secondary general schools (3.1%), while affecting almost a quarter of basic school students (23.6%). In both school types, boys exhibit insufficient effort approximately twice as much as girls. Analysis of test results suggests that lower scores of boys compared to girls may be largely explained by lower effort of boys when completing the test. Our findings suggest that insufficient effort responding in tests may have a significant impact on conclusions of studies that compare different groups of students based on test results.

Editorial

The rise of far-right forces in Europe, the increase in the number of illiberal and autocratic regimes, and influence operations against European democracies call for a new role of citizenship education. While education policy has previously focused on issues of justice, inequality and inclusion, the focus of new far-right parties and governments is now on curriculum content and related cultural issues. In this article, we discuss the implications of changes in the European political landscape for citizenship curriculum making. We propose a research and development approach that connects two broad perspectives − curriculum studies and critical educational scholarship − and covers three areas: study of changing concepts of citizenship and education needs of young people; analysis of factors contributing to connections and disconnections between European and national policies in citizenship education; and new models of curriculum making at the meso-sites. The necessity for broader collaboration between researchers across disciplines and national contexts is highlighted, and the potential as well as limits of the proposed approach to curriculum making in the field of citizenship education are discussed.

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.

Currently, equality is one of the most debated topics in education and in the process of national curriculum revisions. Drawing on policy borrowing theory, this study examines how global trends on gender issues are integrated into the national curricular documents of four countries: Czechia, Estonia, Ireland, and Sweden. Using both qualitative and quantitative content analysis, the study explores how gender issues are embedded in the curricular documents and creates categories to help map their presence within the curricular documents, as well as frequency analysis to allow comparison and more detailed presentation of the data. The findings reveal notable differences. Sweden’s curriculum addresses gender issues comprehensively and in considerable detail. Ireland shows moderate integration of gender issues, setting them mostly within the broader context of equality. Estonia represents a concentrated approach, with gender issues primarily integrated within only a few subjects; however, they are listed with a similar degree of specificity as in Ireland. Czechia, in contrast, lags significantly behind the other nations, with minimal attention to gender issues. The study fills a gap in the research that deals with gender issues in the curriculum. The developed categories provide a framework for analysing different curricular documents, offering valuable insights for future revisions.

Conference Report

The study focuses on the types of early school leaving from upper secondary school programs in the Czech Republic and compares them with a synthesized typology derived from international research. The study aimed to determine 1) what types of early school leaving can be identified in the accounts of Czech students and 2) how these types correspond with the five significant categories of early school leaving synthesized from international typologies. Through interpretative phenomenological analysis of the experiences of eight respondents, four types of early school leaving were identified: unsuccessful, disadvantaged, disengaged, and maladjusted. None of the respondents fell into the fifth category (quiet). The findings suggest that in the Czech context, a significant issue is the failure of students who initially demonstrated high levels of school engagement, which may indicate insufficient systemic support for at-risk students. While the characteristics of each type are similar to those identified in international research, the Czech context reveals specific differences, such as a high proportion of unsuccessful students who nevertheless attempt to pursue education through alternative means. These contextual aspects play a crucial role in the Czech environment, particularly concerning the lack of effective intervention programs. The research provides insights for further studies and interventions aimed at reducing early school leaving in the Czech Republic.

Love, as both an individual experience and a cultural construct, presents unique challenges in educational contexts. This study employs q-methodology to examine how undergraduate students in pre-primary education conceptualize love, drawing on a diverse range of meanings available to them. Our primary questions focus on the origins of these love representations and the role that pedagogical love occupies within them. The study involved 32 students (31 male and one female), who sorted 60 statements about love based on their level of agreement or disagreement. Through q-analysis, three distinct factors emerged: Compounded love, encompassing romantic, spiritual, and primary forms of love; Christian-based love, grounded in Christian values; Strong, mutual love, incorporating elements of mutual affection and potential infatuation. Notably, the third factor also demonstrated the capacity to encompass many aspects of pedagogical love. These findings are discussed within the frameworks of social representations theory and pedagogical love conceptualizations.

Book review on Hejzlarová, E. M., Mouralová, M., & Štěpánková Štýbrová, M. (Eds.). Fantastická data ve veřejné politice a jak je využít. Praha: Karolinum, 2023, 538 s.