Jan Činčera

Internet Addiction Disorder and Chatting in the Czech Republic

This study analyzes connections between online chatting and the Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD). In the research are compared two groups of respondents--Czech online chat users and Czech university students. The set of answers designed by Kimberly Young, of the University of Pittsburgh, was the common base for research. The research showed that IAD is known among university students, that some of them spend an enormous time on the Internet, and that many of them feel it is a problem. The research also clearly showed that the most serious chat users more often have problems with IAD than other university students.

Being an EcoTeam Member: Movers and Fighters

This article presents a qualitative evaluation of the EcoSchool program in the Czech Republic. In order to analyze the way in which pupils interpret the purpose of their membership in EcoTeams, eight focus groups in schools highly involved in the program were interviewed (N = 83). The study is based on the assumption that the implementation of the program varies from a highly instrumental to a highly emancipatory approach. As a result, the analysis found significant differences between EcoTeams in terms of the level of pupils’ participation in decision-making processes, their satisfaction with the program, and their identification with the programs outcomes.

Eco-School in kindergartens : the effects, interpretation, and implementation of a pilot program

This study presents an analysis of a Czech pilot project in implementing the Eco-School program in kindergartens. The evaluation applied a mixed design that included pre/post testing of children using picture-based questionnaires, and interviews with the teachers responsible for conducting the program. The findings revealed a significant increase in the pro-environmental attitudes of the children (N = 419) between the pre-test and the post-test. The results of the qualitative part showed a broad spectrum of the ways in which the program was interpreted by the teachers (N = 16): while some teachers interpreted the program in a highly instrumental way, others interpreted it as emancipatory. Their different ways of interpreting the program led the teachers to different models of distribution of power between the adults and the children. Some of the teachers made the effort to establish a democratic participation of the children in setting the program agenda, but others manipulated the children to obtain their agreement with pre-selected activities. Although the study did not find any evidence that the instrumental implementation of the program would be less effective in promoting children’s attitude change, it showed differences in the interpretation of the merit of the program among the teachers.

Evaluation of a Place-Based Environmental Education Program: From There to Here

The article introduces a Czech environmental education middle school program focused on helping students develop place attachment to their community and on increasing their interest in natural area in their region. The evaluation applied a mixed approach combining pretesting/posttesting of the students (N = 158), two group interviews with selected students (N = 16), an interview with teachers (N = 2), field observations, and ongoing interviews with the main program leader. Although the evaluation did not find an effect of the program on the attractiveness of the natural area, the program appeared to increase community place attachment of the participants to their own community.

What science is about – development of the scientific understanding of secondary school students

Abstract Background: Development of scientific understanding of secondary school students is considered to be one of the goals of environmental education. However, it is not quite clear what instructional strategies and what other factors contribute to the effectiveness of environmental education programs promoting this goal. Purpose: The aim was to analyze if an applied instructional strategy applied on an outdoor environmental education program was successful in developing the students’ scientific understanding, their interest in studying science at university, and if the students’ scientific understanding is influenced by their gender or intention to study science at university. Program description: The investigated program was 3–5 days long and it was based on principles of inquiry-based learning approach applied in outdoor setting of an environmental education center. Sample: For the analysis, data from 83 students (60 girls, 23 boys) of three grammar schools who participated in the program (mean age of 16.45 years), were collected. The control group consisted of 93 students (59 girls and 34 boys), with a mean age of 17.5 years. Design and methods: The research applied a quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design when both group received the same instruments in the same time span. The instrument consisted of three parts: 1-item Science and Engineering Indicator, 1 Likert-type item for assessing students’ intention to study science, and a problem-based task for assessing students’ understanding of the procedure of scientific inquiry. Results: The program seemed to positively affect students’ understanding of scientific principles and procedures; however, no effect on their intention to study science at university was found. Conclusions: The evaluated strategy which consisted of elements such as the application of mobile technology, balancing between teacher- and student-directed approaches, and emotion-based activities was proven effective for developing students’ scientific understanding. However, in order to increase students’ intention to study science, a different or a better developed strategy is needed.

Reliability of the new environmental paradigm for analysing the environmental attitudes of Senegalese pupils in the context of conservation education projects

Abstract The New Environmental Paradigm scale for children was developed and validated in Western nations but has seldom been applied in non-western countries. The aim of the current study is to examine the scale’s validity for schoolchildren in Senegal. The study was conducted in three regions of Senegal in November and December 2015, and a total 782 schoolchildren with an average age of 13 years participated. We used Cronbach’s alpha and confirmatory factor analysis to assess the consistency of the scale. The principal component analysis was used to reveal the different potential dimensions of our data-set. Given the low internal consistency of the scale and the unexpected responses to certain items, the scale seems to be rather unreliable for the investigated population. This difference could be caused by specific cultural features encompassing strong religious beliefs, different understandings of the place of humankind in nature, and weak awareness of humans’ impact on the natural world.

Hodnocení kvality terénních programů digitální interpretace přírodního dědictví

Studie diskutuje otazku kvality terenni digitalni interpretace přirodniho dědictvi. Popisuje proces vymezeni kategorii kvality, který zahrnoval kombinaci literarni reserse, diskuse s experty v ramci ohniskove skupiny a terenni průzkum. V posledni casti představuje a diskutuje klicove kategorie kvality, ktere by se mohly stat doporucenim pro dalsi autory digitalni interpretace.

Evaluation of the attention capture and holding power of interpretive signs among visitors to a self-guided trail in the High Tatras National Park (Slovakia)

Naucne stezky se staly popularnim a siroce rozsiřeným prostředkem interpretace přirodniho a kulturniho dědictvi. Cilem prezentovane připadove studie je přispět ke zvýseni jejich kvality. Text předklada výsledky evaluacniho výzkumu naucne stezky v Narodnim parku Vysoke Tatry (Slovensko). Na zakladě pozorovani byly v ramci výzkumu vyhodnocovany atraktivita a sila jednotlivých panelů a provedeny souvisejici analýzy hodnotici význam dalsich faktorů, jako je napřiklad umistěni panelů. Evaluace ukazala, že naucna stezka je přesycena textem a dostatecně nepropojuje komunikovaný obsah se svým okolim. Jednotlive panely vykazuji relativně malou hladinu sily a atraktivity. Evaluace dale ukazuje na důležitost kvalitni a promyslene interpretace přirodniho dědictvi. Celkově take studie poukazuje na problemy souvisejici s využitim statistických metod pro analýzu přinosu vybraných rysů naucne stezky. Pro hlubsi poznani problematiky pak navrhuje provedeni dalsich výzkumů, ktere by cerpaly ze zahranicnich zkusenosti při zohledněni interpretacnich tradic cerpajicich z jineho kontextu.

Do Environmental Education School Coordinators Have a Mission

Abstract Teachers who are specialized in environmental education (environmental education school coordinators1) can play an important role in empowering students to shape a sustainable future. In this study, the authors examined a group of Czech environmental education school coordinators. The authors aimed to clarify how they interpret their role at their respective schools, how they perceive their self-efficacy, and what they observe as benefits and barriers to their work as a coordinator. They conducted a qualitative study with focus groups and completed individual in-depth interviews with the coordinators. The results suggest that the coordinators view their work as a mission. The ultimate goal of this mission is to change the children’s behavior to make it more pro-environmental, and, at the same time, to establish this effort as a commitment of the whole school. The authors identified different forms of mission, described development in time and connected them with the perceived self-efficacy of the coordinators.

Experiential Learning in Education for Sustainable Development: Experiences from a Czech–Kazakh Social Learning Programme

The article presents experience from a joint Czech–Kazakh project based on experiential education. The goal of the project was to develop trust and cooperation between various stakeholders to promote effective public participation in local sustainable development issues in Kazakhstan. The article describes the methodology of the programme and its evaluation. Despite the fact that the programme achieved its goals, its effectiveness was diminished by shortcomings in its implementation that are described in the article.