Polish Primary Schools Research Articles

Experiences of the Polish teachers of primary schools in working with war refugee students from Ukraine – selected problems, limitations and implications for pedagogical practice

ABSTRACT The ongoing war in Ukraine has caused that millions of people, mainly women and children, were forced to flee their country. Poland, as a country bordering Ukraine, accepted the most refugees. In consequence, Ukrainian school-age children started studying in Polish schools but preparing Polish primary schools (schools which educate children who are 6/7–15 years of age) to accept such an unimaginable number of Ukrainian students became a challenge. This was due to the fact that Polish teachers of primary schools had no previous experience of working with refugee students. The following article presents the results of the research survey conducted among 359 Polish teachers working in primary schools, the majority of whom were women (91.4%) and men (8,6%), aged 25–60 years. The research using a questionnaire technique was conducted in 4 Polish provinces that accepted the largest number of Ukrainian refugees. The aim of the research was to identify the mechanisms hindering education and integration of Ukrainian refugee students attending primary schools and to obtain information on the assistance activities provided by Polish teachers addressed to the refugee students. The developed conclusions could be used in schools in Poland and other countries.

Appreciation of Modern/Contemporary Art by Polish Primary School Children

Appreciation of Modern/Contemporary Art by Polish Primary School Children

Do Food and Meal Organization Systems in Polish Primary Schools Reflect Students' Preferences and Healthy and Sustainable Dietary Guidelines? The Results of Qualitative Research for the Junior-Edu-Żywienie (JEŻ) Project.

The school environment, together with that of the family, shapes students' eating behaviors, and is an important element of formal and informal nutrition education. The informal and practical dimensions can be realized through the food and meals offered/sold in school canteens, shops, and vending machines. As children and adolescents spend 6-10 h/day in schools and consume at least two meals there, the school food environment is important from a public health perspective. The aim of this study is to assess food and meal organization in primary schools in Poland. The study was conducted using individual in-depth interviews (IDIs) involving 24 school headmasters and 24 representatives of people employed in school canteens or catering companies involved in meal organization in schools. The nutritional food on offer at schools is important for shaping students' food preferences and choices, consequently influencing the development, functioning, and health of this subpopulation. The school environment can be an ideal place for hands-on nutrition education. In addition to the knowledge provided, there must be a consistent message concerning the provision of nutrition information to students between the teachings of parents, teachers, and, indirectly, the food and meals available at school. Our qualitative study is confirmed by the results of quantitative research to better understand the organization of nutrition and the problems and needs of primary schools in this area.

Determinants of School Success of Polish Primary School Pupils: Teachers’ Opinion

The concept of success has been known to a man since the dawn of time, and even more so today, but it can be understood in different ways. Success applies to people of all ages, genders and locations. Although the concept of success is understood in different ways, it can be assumed that most people strive in their lives to achieve the goals they have set for themselves, and therefore to succeed. It is worth noting that it is not only adults who have the opportunity for success, but also children. Therefore, paying scientific attention to pupils' school success is a need, as it pays off in adulthood with self-confidence, increased motivation to take on challenges and a sense of empowerment. For this reason, the focus of the designed research was to investigate the factors that, in the opinion of teachers, determine the achievement of school success by pupils in primary school grades I-III in eastern Poland. The main research objective was to determine the factors that condition the school success of pupils attending primary school grades I-III. The research sample consisted of 180 teachers. All the respondents worked with pupils in grades I-III and had at least 5 years of work experience in the teaching profession. A non-standardised survey questionnaire was used to obtain research data. The research was conducted at the beginning of 2023. The results from the surveys identified the most important determinants of school success for pupils in primary school grades I-III in eastern Poland. Teachers did not find that gender differentiated attitudes to learning among pupils at younger school ages or achievement of school success. The key to school success is the way the teacher works with students. It is important to choose working methods that are tailored to children's developmental levels, aptitudes and interests. Some of the interviewees indicated actions to be improved in terms of cooperation with the pupils' family environment. Knowing the relationships indicated, actions can be taken to optimise them, which will certainly be the subject of scientific reflection.

Representations of Holocaust protagonists in history education in Polish primary schools under the rule of the Law and Justice party

ABSTRACT This article examines how the ‘historical policy’ of the Law and Justice party influenced Holocaust education in Poland at the mandatory primary school level (7–14-year-olds). It analyzes the party’s programs vis-à-vis the Holocaust and the representations of Holocaust protagonists – perpetrators, victims, and others – in the history core curriculum, history textbooks, and teaching practice as presented by teachers in interviews. The analysis shows that the representations of Holocaust protagonists in Polish primary school history education are considerably influenced by the nationalist approach originating from the ruling party's ‘historical policy’ and stressing the salvation of Jews from the Holocaust by Poles.

Multimedia Art Therapy as a Psychological Support for Ukrainian Students in Polish Primary Schools Who Experience Difficulties in Peer Relationships

Multimedia Art Therapy as a Psychological Support for Ukrainian Students in Polish Primary Schools Who Experience Difficulties in Peer Relationships

Qualitative content analysis of school textbooks based on European Gender Equality Index

The main aim of the study was to identify the image of gender equality in Polish primary school textbooks. A thematic analysis of textbook content with elements of constant comparison method was carried out based on the six domains of the Gender Equality Index: work, money, knowledge, time power, and health. A total of 56 textbooks (32 Polish language textbooks and workbooks and 24 mathematics textbooks and workbooks) for primary school grades seven and eight were analysed. The content of the analysed textbooks seems to reflect the findings of the Gender Equality Index (GEI) regarding the Polish social reality and points to large gender polarisation and gender inequalities, in favour of men. The results are discussed based on theories of cultural understanding of gender and gender roles, as well as similar findings from other educational content studies.

The association between physical activity and musculoskeletal disorders-a cross-sectional study of teachers.

Combined with insufficient physical activity (PA) prolonged and improperly performed sedentary work can lead to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The aim of this study was (I) to evaluate the self-reported level of PA and the prevalence of MSDs in male and female teachers, and (II) to investigate the association between PA and MSDs in teachers in Polish primary and secondary schools. The study included 254 teachers from primary and secondary schools from Upper Silesia, Poland, excluding physical education teachers. The level of PA was assessed using the Seven-Day Physical Activity Recall (SDPAR). A standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) was used to assess the prevalence of MSDs. A similar percentage of female (80%) and male (90%) teachers met the WHO recommendations on moderate-intensity PA. The recommendations on performing vigorous-intensity PA were met by significantly (p = 0.002) less female than male teachers (50% and 75% respectively). Lower back disorders during the last 12 months and the last 7 days (57% and 45%, respectively) were the most commonly reported MSDs by teachers, followed by neck (53%, 40%), upper back (39%, 28%), and knee disorders (37%, 26%). The highest pain intensity was experienced by the teachers in the lower back and neck. Teachers with a greater number of MSDs were less likely to engage in vigorous-intensity PA and total PA than those with fewer painful areas of the body. Pain intensity in the neck, knees, upper- and lower back, and wrists/hands was negatively related to moderate and total PA. BMI negatively correlated with total PA, moderate-intensity PA vigorous-intensity PA, and high vigorous-intensity PA. The study revealed the association between PA and MSDs in studied teachers. The most of the studied teachers met the WHO recommendation, and women were less likely to perform vigorous and high-vigorous PA than men. The lower back and neck disorders were the most common among the teachers.

Foreigner child in Polish primary school. Case study

The aim of the research was to examine the functioning of foreign child in Polish primary school, with some particular focus on the experienced difficulties and the possible forms of help in the process of dealing with various adaptation problems. The research used the method of individual cases. The subject of the study was a 13-year-old Olena, who at the age of 9, came to Poland with her mother. The results of the study show that the girl in the new educational environment had to face many challenges, which included, above all, the need to acquire the ability to use the language of the country of emigration and establish relationships with Polish peers. The teaching staff of the institution that she attended undertook several measures to help her find herself in an unknown socio-cultural environment. Noteworthy is primarily the preparation of classmates for the presence of a foreign student, the individualization of teaching and the possibility of participating in various additional activities. Unfortunately, the school lacked several important elements, e.g., no reliable diagnosis of Olenas situation was made and no welcome package was prepared for her.

Tempo czytania ze zrozumieniem w języku polskim na przykładzie uczniów klas ósmych i maturalnych

Reading constitutes for one of the most important activities, both in work and in education. There are three major components to reading: comprehension, decoding and reading speed. The relationship between comprehension and reading speed is a tradeoff; after reaching a certain peak one has to decrease for the other to increase. The knowledge of how fast an average person reads can be a useful tool in planning any activity that requires the use of text, such as a language course. To date Polish linguistics lacks relevant research on the speed of reading with comprehension. The following paper presents part of the doctoral project that aims to answer the questions “How fast and with what level of understanding do Poles read?” The paper sums up two research studies which examined the reading speed and comprehension in Polish of students in the final year of high school and in grade 8 of Polish primary school. Both groups read a non-specific text of medium-difficulty about Sherlock Holmes and completed a 9-item comprehension test. The high school students on average scored 77% on the comprehension test with an average reading speed of 173 words per minute (wpm). On the same text, primary school students scored 66% and read at 156 wpm.

Teachers’ Experiences in Working With Cognitively Gifted Students

The article presents the results of research into the knowledge and experience of Polish primary school teachers. The main aim of the research was to identify the experiences of primary school teachers in educational work with cognitively gifted students. Within this framework, the following research tasks were selected: (1) investigate teachers’ preferred ways of supporting cognitively gifted students in the learning process and (2) investigate the difficulties experienced by teachers in working with cognitively gifted students. The research sought answers to the following questions: How do teachers recognize the individual needs of cognitively gifted students? How do they monitor their development? How do they evaluate their progress? What methods and forms of working with gifted students do they prefer? What difficulties do they experience in working with cognitively gifted students and what are the sources? How do they deal with these difficulties? The relationship between selected aspects of teachers working with gifted students in grades 1–3 versus grades 4–8 and the level of education were examined. The empirical data show that in Polish schools, cognitively gifted students are neglected and do not receive adequate educational support from their teachers. The preferred forms and methods of organizing the education of cognitively gifted students are mainly characterized by a teacher-centered attitude. The respondents indicated that difficulties working with cognitively gifted students result mainly from a lack of time, the need to evaluate the student against the background of the class, a lack from support from experts and parents, and their own insufficient competency. The research is important because it shows the desirable changes to teacher education programs and the process of supporting teachers in their professional practice.

The Result of the Meeting of Voluntary Migrants with Forced Migrants at the Volunteering Background – Research Report

Abstract The aim of the paper is to present the specificity of voluntary work of Erasmus+ Spanish students (voluntary migrants) in aid of children in Polish primary schools attended by foreigners (often forced migrants). The first – theoretical part of the text presents the outline of migration issues, including forced and educational migration as well as voluntary work. The second part of the text shows methodological assumptions of qualitative research, which was conducted using the method of individual cases in June 2022 among Spanish volunteers working on behalf of the Dialog Foundation in Bialystok, Poland. Chosen research results concerning the activities undertaken by the volunteers, their motivation to act and the multilateral benefits from their work have been shown. In the light of the results of the research, Spanish volunteers contributed to the integration of pupils in the primary schools, in which they conducted workshops. The results of the research may hopefully be useful to develop further educational research concerning volunteering in aid of children in an intercultural environment.

Statistical and clustering validation analysis of primary students' learning outcomes and self-awareness of information and technical online security problems at a post-pandemic time

The authors decided to investigate the impact of the pandemic period and the resulting limitations in Polish primary school online security education. The first part of the study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students’ educational learning outcomes in information and Internet security. The study has been performed via a student-oriented survey of 20 questions. The statistical analysis confirms the significant difference before and after the pandemic in several questions at most. Nevertheless, this justifies the statement that pandemics had a positive impact on post-pandemic Internet-related security education. The second part of the study has been focused on students' perception and self-awareness of cyberspace problems. For this purpose, the authors used novel majority-based decision fusion clustering validation methods. The revealed results illustrate the positive tendency toward the students' self-awareness and self-confidence of online security problems and e-threats before, during and after the challenging pandemic period. Moreover, the presented validation methods show the appealing performance in educational data analysis, and therefore, the authors recommended these methods as a preprocessing step that helps to explore the intrinsic data structures or students' behaviors and as a postprocessing step to predict learning outcomes in different educational environments.

Personal and Social Education Carried out by Polish Primary Schools during the COVID-19 Pandemic – Two Insights into Early Childhood Education

Remote education caused by the spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus proved to be a difficult experience for all of its participants. Teachers and parents faced logistical and organisational challenges in teaching young children, but were equally affected by educational and socio-emotional development issues. The aim of this article is to present how personal and social education (PSE) was carried out by Polish teachers of the first three grades of primary school during remote classes. The authors conducted an empirical qualitative study in early 2021, before the third school closures in Poland. The study involved 20 teachers and 20 parents of pupils in grades 1–3 of public primary schools from the Mazovian voivodeship. A semi-structured interview was used to explore the experiences of the respondents and obtain information to address the research question: “How was personal and social education carried out by teachers during remote education in grades 1–3 of Polish primary schools in the COVID-19 pandemic?”, which referred to the activities used by teachers to implement remote personal and social education, as well as the parents’ and teachers’ opinions as regards this process. The conclusion pointed out by the majority of respondents was the need to adapt to utterly new conditions, to focus on the emotional and social needs of the youngest pupils being the result of an unfamiliar, remote reality. The PSE with the youngest pupils during the pandemic was carried out in two ways: prevention and intervention. Prevention took place during everyday meetings, and took the form of a talk about their experiences from the previous day or anything that mattered to childrenwithin the time of the online classes. Intervention took place only when needed, and took such forms as an individual conversation with the pupil, a conversation with a parent or other.

Outdoor education: perspective of Polish primary school teachers

The article presents the results of the research showing Polish teachers’ knowledge and experiences concerning organising outdoor education of children. The research searched for answers to the following questions: How do teachers define outdoor education? Where do they derive knowledge about it from? Do they take into account spaces and places other than the school building in the education process? What methods and forms of work with a child do they prefer? What factors facilitate and which make it difficult for them to practise outdoor education? The relationship between the selected aspects of outdoor education practised by teachers and the location of the school (city and village) was also examined. The research used the diagnostic survey method and the questionnaire technique. A proprietary questionnaire for elementary education teachers was developed. 276 respondents, in response to the questions, revealed their knowledge, their own views, and described their own activities related to the practice of outdoor education. Empirical data have shown that in Polish schools, outdoor education is practised extremely rarely, and its frequency is mainly related to the location of the facility. Incidentally conducted, it is characterised by a predominantly didaskalocentric attitude. Respondents indicate that only occasional education outside the school building results mainly from the lack of acceptance of this type of classes by the headmaster of schools and parents, and also from deficit of teachers’ competence in this area. The undertaken studies are important due to their unique nature in Poland. Moreover, they show directions of changes desired in teacher education curricula and the process of shaping parents’ awareness.

Attitudes Toward Inclusion Among Polish Primary School Teachers: A Strategic Factor in Implementing Inclusive Education

The purpose of the article is to determine the dominant attitude toward inclusive education among primary school teachers in Poland and to explain the predictors of this attitude. Research conducted on a group of 71 teachers using the “Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education” questionnaire showed a moderately positive attitude toward inclusive education among teachers, with statistically significant differences between teachers of grades 1 to 3 and 4 to 8. The much more positive attitude among the teachers of lower grades is supported by their richer experience of working with students with special educational needs and their broader competences and qualifications in inclusive education. These results give an important perspective that should be considered when implementing the idea of inclusion in the Polish education system (mainly when preparing teachers for the profession) so as to ensure continuity in supporting the development of all students at every stage of their education – not only in grades 1 to 3.

The vicious circle of stereotypes: Teachers' awareness of and responses to students' gender-stereotypical behaviour.

The study was conducted using a mixed methods approach combining lesson observations and interviews with teachers. A total of 204 hours of observation in 34 classes of 7th and 8th graders (aged 13-14 in the Polish primary school system) were conducted to investigate teachers' behaviour that may exacerbate gender stereotypes and gender bias in the classroom. Moreover, the 25 female teachers conducting the observed lessons were interviewed to identify: (i) teachers' awareness of stereotypical behaviours of girls and boys during classes; (ii) teachers' awareness of possible causes of these behaviours; (iii) teachers' responses to these behaviours, including actions that could deepen gender stereotypes; and (iv) teachers' sensitivity to the gender polarised content of school textbooks. The results of the study show that teachers, although they are aware of the existence of gender stereotypes and declare their willingness to counteract them, tend to strengthen rather than eliminate these stereotypes with the strategies and actions undertaken. They have difficulty recognising possible reasons for the occurrence of stereotypical student behaviour and have little awareness of the gender-polarised content of school textbooks. The results of the study are discussed, inter alia, in light of the concept of the vicious circle of stereotypes and self-fulfilling prophecies in education.

Co-teaching in Polish primary schools: model of cooperation and benefi ts for students

The aim of the study presented in this article was to analyse the ways of co-teaching organization used by Polish teachers, and to observe what kind of benefits those ways bring to students with and without statements of special educational needs. Nine hundred and eleven students (including 208 with statements) from integrative classes across Poland took part in the study. The students filled in the Polish version of the questionnaire "Which teacher?" (King-Sears et al., 2014). It was found that in Poland dominates the co-teaching model known as "One Teach, One Assist". However, teachers relatively often exchange roles. Special educators engage more intensively in educating students with statements than typically developing students, as well as students younger than older. Importantly, though, not only students with statements benefit from personalized support given by special educators. Many typically developing students benefit from it as well. Thus, co-teaching creates an advantageous educational environment for all students in the classroom.

On the need of usage information in dictionary definitions: EFL students of Polish primary schools in focus

Assuming that the information presented in dictionary definitions should indicate that language use depends on the pragmatic situation and the social relationship between speaker and hearer, dictionaries often use special conventions. It is particularly important from the point of view of the language learner that these conventions are not too complicated. Of course, the knowledge of the difference between the semantics of a word and its pragmatic meaning, especially when the dictionary user comes from a different culture, seems to be of prime importance. When consulting dictionaries, the learner of a foreign language needs clear instructions on the formal use of the language, as well as on the use that is not formal, in order to avoid the consequences of a wrong choice.

TEXTBOOK AS A MEANS OF CREATIVITY DEVELOPMENT OF A STUDENT

The article provides a comparative analysis of primary school textbooks in Poland and Ukraine. Summarizing the results of the analysis of the approaches of different authors, the following functions of the school textbook are singled out: informational, managerial, developmental, communicative, educational, differentiation of learning, individualization of learning. It is established that in modern textbooks of New Ukrainian School (NUS) much attention is paid to: development of logical thinking; activity approach; work with information; development of students' critical thinking; ability to interact and communicate; creativity development. Tasks of a creative origin aimed at organizing the search activities of students and the development of creativity improve the developmental function of textbooks for primary school. One of the key trends is the use of “open” textbooks. It is noted that the “open” textbook promotes the creativity of teachers who become its contributors; in addition, the textbook is enriched with local realities. Key words: textbook, development of creativity, modern Polish primary school, creative potential, New Ukrainian School (NUS), reform.