Schools In Slovakia Research Articles

A szlovákiai magyarság történetének reprezentációja a szlovákiai alapiskolai történelemtankönyvekben

Representation of the History of the Hungarian Minority in Slovakia in Slovak Primary School History Textbooks In the past two decades, Gyula Popély, Attila Simon, László Szarka, Árpád Popély, Gergely Sallai, József Gyönyör and Katalin Vadkerty have written numerous summaries on the history of Hungarians in Slovakia, but what is less known is what children learn about this period sitting in the classroom. What can Hungarian students in Slovakia learn about their history from the textbooks, so that they can develop and shape their image of Hungarianness and form an emotional attachment to their nation, which could greatly contribute to halting the assimilation process that is affecting Hungarians in Slovakia. Of course, in addition to the school, the values conveyed by the family and home environment, society and culture are also decisive (e.g. commemorating the anniversary of the Treaty of Trianon or the day of remembrance of the Hungarians expelled from southern Slovakia). Since the school is the main source of such impact, we chose to study how our own history is reflected in history textbooks, and so we based our research on history textbooks for primary schools in Slovakia. Unfortunately, however, we do not know what other important events and additions, apart from the information in the textbooks, are mentioned in the lessons by the teachers who teach history. To explore this further, a comprehensive questionnaire survey of history teachers in primary schools in Slovakia would be needed, so in our study we have made observations and drawn conclusions only on the basis of the history textbooks analysed.

Potential of mobile virtual reality as a tool for supporting students’ motivation in school geography

The purpose of this study is to present the possibilities of implementing mobile virtual reality (VR) in school geography and to examine its benefits and risks. A total of 163 students from various elementary schools in Slovakia participated in this study. We used qualitative and quantitative data analysis from students’ feedback and observations of the VR activities. The Intrinsic Motivation Inventory questionnaire and researcher observation sheet were used as research tools. The study showed that the implementation of mobile VR is possible in the environment of Slovak schools and has positive effects on several areas of students’ internal motivation. The best results were achieved in the areas of interest/pleasure, understanding of the activity, and perception of the value and usefulness of the activity. We also found that the gender or age of the students in our research sample did not have a significant impact on students’ internal motivation when working with VR. Our work not only provides evidence to support the wider adoption of mobile VR in education but also clarifies several possibilities for its implementation in school geography. In conclusion, we identify the most significant benefits and risks of using mobile virtual reality in geography education. The results of testing mobile VR show the great usefulness of this technology, which serves as a motivational tool for 3D visualization of various locations and phenomena on Earth.

Odborné školstvo a technické vzdelávanie dievčat na Slovensku v rokoch 1918–1945 (optikou štúdia dievčat na priemyselných školách)

The study focuses on researching the possibilities of education for women and girls at technical schools in Slovakia from 1918 to 1945. With the aim of equal representation of eastern, central and western Slovakia, materials from three technical schools (Košice, Banská Štiavnica and Bratislava) were used in the research, because the technical schools in question existed throughout the period under review. The article was prepared based on school annual reports, statistical yearbooks, archival materials, contemporary literature, as well as professional literature related to the subject under investigation. The conclusions of the study provide summary findings on the number of girls in schools in the individual historical periods as well as an explanation of the socio-political conditions influencing the girls’ education.

Determination of student’s perception during biology online learning at COVID-19 crisis

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant shift from traditional, in-person teaching to online education, which has become indispensable. Nowadays, online learning is increasingly popular, encompassing educational programs delivered exclusively through digital platforms like video conferences and virtual classrooms. The flexibility of online education allows students to learn at their own pace and according to their schedule, but it also poses potential disadvantages. In this article, we explore the impact of online teaching on the practical subject of biology and students’ perceptions of education in primary, secondary, and tertiary schools in Slovakia. Our research focuses on evaluating the progress of online biology teaching, examining methods of knowledge testing, and assessing both the positives and negatives.

Using Discovery Learning Approach in Teaching EFL Grammar to High School Students: Its Possible Effects and Limits

This article presents part of a doctoral research project aimed at investigating the effects and possible limits of the discovery learning approach in teaching grammar to English as a foreign language (EFL) students in high schools in Slovakia from the teachers’ perceptions. The research project deployed design-based research with a total of 7 EFL teachers in Slovak high schools collecting data in three phases. The data presented in this article focused on intervention and were collected during the second phase of the research project. During the intervention, the teachers were taking field notes which were subsequently analysed. The results of the analysis of the teachers’ field notes showed there are mostly positive aspects of the discovery learning approach, pointing out students’ experience with discovery and their engagement when learning grammar. However, the results also showed some limits of this approach in the high school environment. Mostly training is needed for both teachers and students so they can make the most of the discovery process.

Student Evaluation in the Subject of Technology in Primary Schools in Slovakia

Student Evaluation in the Subject of Technology in Primary Schools in Slovakia

READINESS OF TEACHERS OF GEOGRAFHY OF SPECIAL SCHOOLS IN SLOVAK REPUBLIC TO USE THE ELECTRONIC MANUAL WITH IT SUPPORT

The purpose of the article is to highlight the level of readiness of teachers of geography of special schools of the Slovak Republic (on the example of 14 of special and inclusive education institutions of the Košice Region) to the use of an electronic didactic manual on IT support. Teachers of the Department of Special Pedagogy of the Pedagogical Faculty of the Catholic University in Ruzomberok together with teachers of the geography of special schools prepared an electronic didactic manual on IT support taking into account modern requirements to the level of knowledge, abilities and psychophysical capabilities of school children with special education needs. The manual has helped to raise the level of geographical learning among school children of special school. The convincing results of the pedagogical experiment are described in the previous article «Using a didactic tool with IT-support for teaching geography in a special school in Slovakia». However, in the course of studying the question the researchers concluded that success in the work depends on the level of readiness of the teacher for this work. Namely, the presence of interest and motivation to the introduction of innovative forms of training for the subjects of the education process the attitude of the teacher to the organization of the education process, the level of professional training (possession of the means and technologies of training). To obtain objective and unbiased results Google Form has conducted a survey of teachers of geography. The first set of questions – the reference one – provided an opportblocky to explain the answers of the second set of questions – the informative one. The statistical processing of the survey results supports the assumption that the quality of the IT-supported e-manual is largely dependent on the teacher’s readiness. The results also show that the majority of teachers of geography surveyed are well aware of the benefits of this teaching tool and are now ready to put the manual into practice. However, due to the rapid progress in the use of information and communication technologies the teachers of special schools do not deny the need to improve their professional knowledge of the use of ICT in postgraduate teacher training.

Adaptation of first-graders to school

The presented paper is devoted to finding out and analyzing the opinions of primary education teachers on the causes of the unsuccessful adaptation of current schoolchildren to the beginning of systematic education. To find out the above issues, pedagogical research was carried out at selected primary schools in Slovakia. The implementation of the research and the subsequent analysis of the research results confirmed that the length of teachers’ pedagogical practice has a statistically significant effect on their views on the causes of adaptation difficulties in emotional, social, intellectual, and psychomotor areas of children’s school readiness.

The Structure and the Distribution of Phraseological Units in Intermediate and Upper- Intermediate EFL Textbooks

The knowledge of native phrases and idiomatic expressions is considered to be an essential aspect of one’s fluency in a foreign language and can advance learners toward more excellent proficiency in foreign language acquisition. However, not much research has been dedicated to how they are implemented in the school textbooks. This research work aims to examine the occurrence of phraseological units in the four selected English textbooks for B1 and B2 levels, which are recommended for use at secondary grammar schools and secondary vocational schools in Slovakia by the Ministry of Education. They aim to prepare the secondary school learners for their final school-leaving exams – which are based on and in line with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages requirements for the specific proficiency levels. To fill the gap in present studies, a detailed analysis was implemented, which included not only the exercises explicitly aimed at phraseological units but also the parts of the textbook, which dealt with the formulaic language implicitly. The main question posed dealt with the categories of phraseological units and their distribution in the analyzed textbooks. Phraseological units were identified, classified, analyzed, and counted by quantitative content analysis. The results showed that although there were phraseological units found in all analyzed textbooks, their distribution and classification differed significantly. Once they were included in the very limited number and variety of exercises, they were never used or mentioned again. Moreover, their explanation was absent or insufficient. The listed findings indicate that learners might encounter significant issues when trying to advance toward higher EFL proficiency levels.

Educational Needs of Form Teachers in Primary and Secondary Schools in Slovakia: Pilot survey results

An innovative approach to delivering pre-service teacher training to student teachers in individual areas is considered crucial in the smooth digital transformation of education in Slovakia. One of the major shortcomings of the current pre-service training of student teachers is the fact that not all higher education institutions involved in the teacher trainee preparation have incorporated into the relevant part of the curricula the area of acquisition of specific competences of the form teachers with such accent as the requirements of practice would require. The authors present the conceptual and methodological background of a pilot sample survey focused on self-assessment of the educational needs of form teachers at the secondary level of education in Slovakia. The specification of the assessment areas was based on extensive research of available literature, as well as on personal discussions led by different experts.

DIFFERENCES IN OBJECTIVELY AND SUBJECTIVELY MEASURED WEIGHT AND HEIGHT IN SLOVAK ADOLESCENTS

The goal of our contribution is the issue of differences in objectively and subjectively measured weight (and consequently Body Mass Index /BMI/) and height in Slovak adolescents. The data obtained are a part of international study Health Behaviour in School Aged Children (HBSC) performed in Slovakia in 2017/2018. Our representative sample consisted of 782 adolescents of the fifth to ninth grades of elementary schools in Slovakia in the target group of 11 to 15 years old. We also obtained objective somatic indicators by measuring and subjective indicators were obtained using 2 item questions of the HBSC questionnaire. The results obtained point to the fact, that adolescents tend to add height and decrease weight (boys on average 0.9 kg and girls 0.6 kg) by self-reported question. However, statistically significant difference was observed in weight difference among boys girls and in total. Overweight boys tend to take almost 3 kilograms of their weight. Moreover, obese boys tend to take 5.14 kilograms and obese girls 2.40 kilograms of their weight. The results of survey show that adolescents self- assessing their height and weight tend to increase their height and decrease their weight, which is more pronounced in boys than in girls. Acknowledgments: The document is also based on the support of the grant task of MS VVS SR: VEGA 1/0460/23: „Postural health in children and adolescents and the possibilities of influencing it “

Triáda v podloží teórie a praxe vyučovania slovenčiny ako materinského jazyka (nielen vo výučbe)

In the present study, the author discusses the issue of universal code 3 in the theory and practice of teaching Slovak as a mother tongue. In doing so, he builds on the initial study (see Ligoš, 2024a) and, relying on a broader theoretical background, applies the functioning of the triad and the trinity not only in terms of the nature of the main actors of teaching, i.e. the teacher and the pupil, but also of selected key didactic categories and the essence of the basic model of the educational process. This optics is updated in a perspective setting also in the content analysis of new pedagogical documents for the teaching of Slovak as a mother tongue within the curricular reconstruction of the school in Slovakia at present according to the project Education of the 21st century.

Adolescents' academic performance: what helps them and what hinders them from achievement and success?

Research on adolescents' academic performance has mostly focused on the contribution of objective factors, such as socioeconomic situation of the family or individual cognitive skills and school results. Evidence with a focus on adolescents' subjective experiences is scarce. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore factors related to adolescents' academic performance from their perspectives. We used data from 11 group semi-structured interviews conducted in 2020/2021 with 45 adolescents in the first year of high school in Slovakia (mean age = 14.98; 22.2% boys). Participants were selected from three types of high school with regards to the graduation system. We analysed the data using consensual qualitative research and thematic analysis. Based on the statements of the adolescents, we identified five main themes of factors that affect their academic performance. Adolescents reported that the following contribute to their academic performance: the contents and methods of teaching; how teachers behave and do their jobs; the way in which adolescents study and what motivates them; support within and outside the school, and the environment and appearance of the school. Adolescents reported that improving the curricula and using teaching methods that balance theoretical information with practical skills training would help their academic performance immensely. We identified several factors related to adolescents' academic performance using their own perspectives and experiences. Strengthening the capacities of teachers may largely benefit adolescents' educational process and further academic performance.

Changes in the Development of Future Educational Leaders’ Social Competencies

Social competence is one of the basic key competencies of educational leaders, where the research aimed at targeted facilitation is absent. Thus, the study aims to verify the changes in the development of social competence and coping self-efficacy of future educational leaders within two courses (one-term course at university vs. one-year course at an educational non-profit institution) (university students of teaching branches: NUMB = 13; AMage = 27.8; SDage = 7.4; 29.4% men vs. participants of the educational institution: NNGO = 14; AMage = 38.6; SDage = 7.8; 21% men). The Coping Self-Efficacy Scale, CSES) assessed the overall level of coping self-efficacy and its four factors, and the Inventory of Social Competence (ISK – K) assessed four social competencies. Results showed a significant increase of low practical significance over time (pretest vs. retest) in the level of social orientation (in ISK – K) and an increase of medium significance in overall self-efficacy and in the ability to use strategies focused on problems and unpleasant emotions and thoughts (in CSES) among university students. After completion of the course, NGO participants increased (with a low practical significance) their SK-K levels of offensiveness and self-control and their CSES self-efficacy and ability to use strategies focused on problems and unpleasant emotions and thoughts. There were no significant differences between overall levels in the two courses. The study offers possible implications of social competence facilitation in the context of educational leader formation at Slovak schools.

Predchádzanie rizikového a problémového správania žiakov v základných školách pohľadom učiteľov primárneho vzdelávania

Risk factors for problem behavior occur throughout a child's development, and children face new risks at each developmental period. Children's environments become more complex as they grow older, making early intervention more difficult. Some manifestations of risky behavior are repeated in children and may erupt in a more serious form at a later time. Reducing the occurrence of these risks has the possibility of preventing the occurrence of several problems. It's true that preventing problems takes time and some resources, but the alternative can be even more expensive. We know from practice that reacting to challenging student behavior with clear consequences, for example a visit to the principal's office or a reduced behavior grade, may seem like a simple solution, but it is not effective. In the article, we present the qualitative view of primary education teachers (n = 65) on the prevention of risky and problematic behavior of pupils in Slovak schools. Data collection was ensured through a questionnaire with open items, which allowed teachers to create their own meaningful answers. We evaluated these based on open coding and categorized them according to the relatedness of the answers. We believe that the varied spectrum of these answers and proposals will encourage schools to participate in the elimination of risky and problematic behavior among pupils.

School Curriculum of Technology in Primary Schools in Slovakia – A Case Study

Since 2008, schools in Slovakia have been able to adapt the curriculum of each subject according to the requirements of the school, pupils or parents. Only the content and performance standards of the subject are binding for them. In this article, we publish an analysis of three school curricula and thematic educational plans. Through content analysis of the documents, we investigated how primary schools implement the content of the subject of technology. We analysed the differences in the thematic units, common features and the number of lessons each topic implements. We found differences in the thematic units that primary school teachers include in teaching technology, although they are insignificant. We identified the most considerable differences in the seventh year of primary school. Also, the thematic units taught in the subject area of Household economics are very heterogeneous in schools.

Renewal Plan and Reform State Educational Programme in Relation to the Perspective of Technical Education in Primary Schools in Slovakia

The study is based on selected parts of the Renewal Plan – Component 7: Education for the 21st Century, outlining the main aims and objectives of curriculum reform for primary and secondary education in Slovakia. The reform is set to be fully implemented from 2026. In relation to the aims and objectives of the curriculum reform, the study presents analytical conclusions regarding possible problem areas related to technical education in primary schools.

Research Material and Feedback on the Innovative Training of Teachers of Foreign Languages in Slovakia

The aim of the contribution is to present an evaluation of the innovative and updating education of teachers of French who participated in the Erasmus+ project “With French on the Horizon” (ID 2021-1-SK01-KA122-SCH-000014674). Teachers involved in the project who teach French and English at primary and secondary schools in Slovakia took part in the assessment (31 mobilities). The hybrid mobility in Nice brought its fruit in the form of 70 hours of training course education for 20 participants and 56 hours of education for three participants. Job-shadowing mobility in Besancon with a bonus training course brought 50 hours of training for seven participants, while job-shadowing mobility in CFAIE Val-de-Reuil was an extra mobility for one teacher. The teachers stated their high level of satisfaction with the Erasmus+ training courses They also prepared a lot of useful activities that were then published in a book. All the training participants received an international certificate of successful completion, and were offered the opportunity to complete their training by presenting their work and defending it through recognition of innovative education at the national level. Registered and completed participants were issued a certificate of innovative training education. Since the defences took place as a dissemination exchange of knowledge for other teachers of the French language, the participants of these disseminations were also issued certificates for updating training education at the national level.

Development of Grammar Competence via Work with the Literary Text in Teaching FFL

In this paper we deal with the issue of teaching foreign language grammar using literature in secondary schools. The aim of this paper is to propose and provide teachers of French as a foreign language with effective and practical didactic recommendations for teaching the past tenses in French through authentic literary text. Working with a literary text has the potential to contribute to the learner's self-development, to the development of his/her reading and language skills, to the development of critical thinking and other important aspects of his/her personality. The literary text chosen is the Quebec short story "Le petit bonhomme de graisse", which meets the criteria for selecting a text for didactic purposes in terms of content and scope. From a linguodidactic point of view, it corresponds to the language level B1 according to the CEFR, at which the learners are confronted with the chosen grammatical phenomenon and the problem of its application in communicative practice. When developing proposals for didactic procedure for working with the selected text, we come out from Rafajlovičová's research of the assessment of grammatical competence from the year 2016, which shows that the application ability of foreign language learners is significantly lower in comparison with the mechanical formation of grammatical forms. The partial aim of this paper is to contribute to the development of grammatical competence and its application to learners' communicational practice. In proposing activities related to authentic literary text, we take into account Slovak learners in Slovak schools, but nevertheless these proposals are applicable in the educational system of other countries, where French is taught as a foreign language. The topic of past tenses in French is one of the most difficult phenomenon to learn and use in communication, as the Slovak language operates with a different grammatical system. The proposed activities serve for effective teaching and acquisition of past tenses in French, not only their formation, but also their application to common communicative situations.

USING A DIDACTIC TOOL WITH IT-SUPPORT FOR TEACHING GEOGRAPHY IN A SPECIAL SCHOOL IN SLOVAKIA

The article tells about the peculiarities of using electronic didactic tools in teaching special school students in Slovakia. The staff of the Department of Special Pedagogy, Catholic University in Ruzomberk (Slovakia), together with teachers of special schools prepared a didactic manual with IT support considering the modern requirements for the level of knowledge and skills of students with intellectual disabilities. The purpose of the manual was to increase the level of success in learning geography. The content of the didactic guide is based on the typical curriculum for 9th grade students of a special school approved by the Ministry of Education and Science of Slovakia. As an example, the article briefly highlights the essence of the preparatory stage and the specific sequence of the teacher's work when studying one section «Slovakia». In the course of preparing the didactic guide, the peculiarities of psychophysical development of children in special schools, the problems of perception and understanding of new educational information were taken into account. To showcase the effectiveness of our innovative approach, we conducted an experimental test using the developed electronic textbook with IT support in one of the special schools in Slovakia. During this study, we analyzed and compared the level of geography knowledge among students over a span of 6 academic years (2016 – 2018 – traditional education, 2019 – 2021 – education using e-Learning). Based on the statistical data, a noteworthy improvement in academic performance was observed. To validate these results, considering the limited research sample due to the unique nature of special schools' educational process, we employed nonparametric tests such as the Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's tests for multiple comparisons. These tests were utilized to ensure the reliability and significance of the findings. The results of the mathematical processing of the materials convincingly confirmed a significant increase in the level of academic achievement over the six years of the educational process in a special school. Thus, the electronic didactic guide for studying geography by 9th grade students of special schools proved to be quite effective. The idea of preparing and using such a didactic guide can be used in practice by teachers of other social studies subjects in special schools.