Jaroslava Simonová

Assessment in the School Systems of the Czech Republic.

Student assessment in the Czech Republic is still rather traditional, with classroom practice continuing to focus on summative assessment. The country has regularly participated in international surveys, but the findings from these only started to influence educational policy during the past decade, when Czech students’ performance fell markedly in all assessment domains. The principal response has been to introduce standardised school-leaving examinations at different points in the primary and secondary school systems. The examinations have several widely acknowledged shortcomings, however, and in the meantime assessment for learning remains a neglected area. The improvement of evaluation and assessment practices in the Czech Republic is hindered by low levels of expertise among teachers, principals and policy-makers, and the private sector testing agencies that have become very active in the country suffer from the same weaknesses.

Postoje rodičů k volbě základní školy

Volba zakladni skoly patři k důležitým mechanizmům ovlivňujicim nerovnosti ve vzdělavani. Pro jakoukoliv změnu v rozdělovani žaků do zakladnich skol je důležite znat postoje rodiců a při navrhu opatřeni vzdělavaci politiky s nimi pracovat. Přispěvek přinasi výsledky setřeni, ktere se zabývalo analýzou postojů rodiců k volbě skoly a k casne vnějsi diferenciaci. Výzkum vychazi z kvantitativniho setřeni reprezentativniho výběru rodiců děti, ktere absolvovali zapis do povinneho vzdělavani a take z kvalitativniho setřeni – z polostrukturovaných rozhovorů a ohniskových skupin. Studie představuje typologii rodiců, ktera zohledňuje konfliktni tendence brat do uvahy při volbě skoly individualni zajmy ditěte a spolecnosti. V zavěru pak zdůvodňuje potřebu aktivniho přistupu k utvařeni rodicovských postojů.

Výběr základní školy v ČR a faktory, které jej ovlivňují

The influence of family background on educational attainment in the Czech Republic is strong compared to other countries internationally and there is great variation in the composition and academic performance of students between schools. Research to date has focused primarily on this issue in reference to multi-year gymnasia. This article concentrates on variation at the primary-school level, on which there are only limited empirical data available on the distribution of students. It looks at how important the choice of primary school by parents of preschool-age children is, how that choice is realized over time, and what parental characteristics influence their choice of school. The answers to these questions are obtained from an analysis of data from a questionnaire survey conducted in 2014 amongst a representative sample of 2008 parents of preschool-age children. The authors employ a logistic regression analysis and compare data for 2014 with data obtained in 2009 in a survey of parents with children who were of compulsory school age. These analyses reveal that there is currently universal support amongst parents for the right to choose between schools. The possibility to choose puts at an advantage those children whose parents have at least upper secondary education and live in large towns, who are able to effectively obtain information on the quality of schools, the potential effect of which is to reinforce existing educational inequalities.

Improving mathematics results: does teachers’ academic optimism matter? A study of lower secondary schools

ABSTRACT Educational effectiveness research has provided evidence about the importance of teacher beliefs and attitudes for teaching and learning. This study builds on the concept of academic optimism, which combines 3 aspects of a teacher’s professional creed: self-efficacy, trust, and academic emphasis. The study explores the functioning of the collective and individual measures of academic optimism in the Czech environment and studies its impact on students’ outcomes. The analyses are based on pilot data from 39 schools, 325 teachers, and 1,316 Grade 9 students and on the data from the Czech Longitudinal Study in Education (CLoSE), covering 163 schools, 1,469 teachers, and 4,798 students. The individual measure was selected for further studies based on 2-level confirmatory factor analysis. Two-level structural equation modelling showed a significant impact of a school’s academic optimism on students’ achievement even after controlling for prior achievement and socioeconomic status at both the student and the school level.

Poslání a aktuální problémy předškolního vzdělávání – postoje a názory ředitelek mateřských škol

The introduction of compulsory pre-school attendance as a means to improve readiness for school, especially among disadvantaged children, has raised a series of controversies in the Czech Republic . Relatively little attention has been paid to the opinions and attitudes of an important group of actors in this important change − kindergarten teachers. The aim of this empirical study is to present the results of a research study focused on the views of kindergarten principals on the mission and current problems of preschool education . The principals of 383 kindergartens selected in two-stage stratified random sampling responded to a questionnaire. Their answers to closed-ended questions were analysed by descriptive statistical methods, while open-ended questions were analysed using qualitative content analysis . Almost all the kindergarten principals do not consider readiness for school to be the primary target of preschool education; two-thirds of them do not see reducing differences between children from different socioeconomic backgrounds as a priority . The biggest problems are seen as lying in the administrative burden, low capacities of kindergartens, funding, and problems with parents and children . The principals noticed significant changes in children’s readiness for kindergarten, a lack of social skills, and the prevalence of diagnosed disorders . These results are discussed with regard to educational policy measures which have recently been proposed and introduced . 1 Text je výstupem řešení projektu GA ČR „Vztahy mezi dovednostmi, vzděláváním a výsledky na trhu práce: longitudinální studie“ (číslo P402/12/G130). OS/1/2017 5714.indd 71 29.01.18 9:03 Jaroslava Simonová, Eva Potužníková, Jana Straková 72

Czech teachers’ beliefs and their students’ educational outcomes: Evidence from the Czech Republic in light of international education research

The Czech education system tends to be rather selective and exhibits a relatively high level of educational inequality in international comparison – especially when it comes to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. An estimated 30% of Roma children are educated in schools designed for pupils with mild mental disabilities, compared to 2% of their non-Roma counterparts, for example (e.g. Amnesty International, 2015; European Commission, 2014; Ivatts, Cada, Felcmanova, Greger & Strakova, 2015). Attempts to integrate Roma children and other disadvantaged student groups into mainstream education face a strong opposition from Czech compulsory school teachers. This study investigates whether Czech teachers’ beliefs differ from the beliefs of their foreign colleagues and whether Czech teachers’ beliefs can explain differences in their students’ educational outcomes – especially when it comes to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Educational effectiveness research shows that teachers’ beliefs filter their perceptions of teaching situations and influence teachers’ interactions with their students (Hattie, 2012; Konig, 2012; Reusser & Pauli, 2014; Reynolds et al., 2015). A teacher’s interpersonal relationship styles, supportiveness, and mindset with regard to all students’ abilities to succeed were found to be predictive of students’ engagement in school, learning motivation, and academic achievement, as well as positive social development, and can “turn a child’s life from risk to resilience” (Benard, 2004). Academic optimism seems to be a powerful concept in explaining teachers’ beliefs towards their students. Academic optimism refers to teachers’ sense of efficacy, trust in students and parents, and emphasis on academic achievement (Boonen, Pinxten, Van Damme & Onghena, 2014; Strakova & Simonova, 2016). The concept is rooted in positive psychology focusing on potential rather than pathology (Pajares, 2001) and thus, emphasises the potential of schools and teachers to overcome the power of socioeconomic factors that impair students’ educational outcomes (Hoy, Tarter & Woolfolk Hoy, 2006a, 2006b; Woolfolk Hoy, Hoy & Kurz, 2008). This paper researches the concept of academic optimism based on empirical data collected in Czech basic schools in TIMSS 2011, TALIS 2013 and in the national survey Kalibro carried out in January 2016. Descriptive data are used to compare the beliefs of Czech teachers internationally. Hierarchical linear modeling techniques are applied to explain students’ educational outcomes against the academic optimism of their teachers. The results are discussed in the context of current political developments and compared with empirical studies with the participation of Switzerland and Germany – countries with similar educational traditions and experiences with regard to educating an increasingly diverse student body (Kunter et al., 2013; Tatto et al., 2012; Terhart, Bennewitz & Rothland, 2014). Preliminary results indicate that the academic optimism of Czech compulsory school teachers is low compared to other countries. Academic optimism does not change with school composition and seems to be rather characteristic of the teaching body independent of the students taught. We are currently analysing the relationship between academic optimism and the educational outcomes of disadvantaged students versus students without any disadvantage. Stronger relationship between teacher beliefs and student outcomes are expected in the former case.