This diploma thesis is focused on the didactic use of woody plants in teaching at the secondary level of elementary schools and in the corresponding years of grammar schools. The purpose is to appropriately use trees and other woody plants that are close to schools and are available for teaching. The theoretical part deals with basic curricular documents, methods of teaching possibly used in science or biology that have been briefly characterized, and the representation of the topic of woody plants and their method of processing in commonly available textbooks. The following chapter provides a description of the woody plants used in the process of making of the practical materials. The research of the thesis includes a questionnaire survey done among teachers of science or biology at chosen elementary and grammar schools in Pilsen and surrounding towns. The research investigated the teaching methods and the actual use of woody plants in lessons and was evaluated afterwards. Based on the survey, a motivational teaching material was created and it was verified in practice with pupils of a specific grammar school. KEYWORDS curriculum documents, biology textbooks, teaching methods, woody plants, questionnaire research, dendrological walk

The purpose of this study was to examine which of the two vocabulary-learning methods non-contextualized vocabulary learning and vocabulary learning combined with semantic relations promote the learning and retention of new vocabulary items. The following research questions were asked: Which of the two above-mentioned methods best promotes the students’ vocabulary learning and word comprehension? What differences can be noted in the students’ test results regarding learning and retention of new vocabulary items between these two methods? Which method promotes the students' long-term retention of vocabulary items and word comprehension? In total, 36 students from two classes, divided into four groups, participated in the study. Each group was taught using one of the two methods. After the first round of lessons, the teaching methods were swapped such that all the students tried both methods and so that the survey could be considered reliable. The empirical material was obtained from field experiments and tests in direct connection with the lessons and retention tests four days later. The results were analyzed using Schema theory and a theory of memory processing called Executive Control Processes. These theories were used to investigate the students’ retention of vocabulary items and how students use schematic knowledge to associate words to one another. The results showed that the second method, the combined method, seemed to be the most promising not only for retention, but also for the number of learned vocabulary items and for word comprehension.

The thesis deals with social communication in economic education with special focus on actual level of students' communication abilities within selected institutions. The special attention is paid to the aspects and the competencies that are crucial to be developed. The work is divided into two parts and two related research problems. The base of the thesis lies in the application of rhetorical and social communication aspects into economic subjects in which the influence of these aspects on the quality of presentation is researched with the help of experimental method and observation. The presentation is focused on economic topic that is presented by students to their colleagues. The evaluation is focused on final quality of presentation (evaluated with the help of selected aspects). Next key part of the thesis is aimed on the development of students' ability to give the arguments in economic subject with the help of active teaching methods. The influence of active teaching methods on students' knowledge is assessed. The students are divided into two groups; the first one is taught with the help of active teaching methods, the second one via classic frontal teaching method. The knowledge of the topic is evaluated by didactic test. The fundamental meaning of active teaching methods with focus on argumentation is highlighted because of its crucial importance for future students' acting in the labour market. The importance of differences between pretest and posttest is evaluated via Paired Two Sample t-test; the importance of differences between experimental and control group via Student's t-test. The main methods used in the work are experiment, observation, scaling, survey, didactic test and statistic interpretations such a Shapiro-Wilk test, F-test, Paired Two Sample t-test, Student's t-test. On the basis of the results there will be suggested integration of rhetorical and communication aspects and of the selected active teaching methods into teaching of economic subjects. The purpose of the work is to show the importance of communication aspects integration into teaching of economic subjects and to suggest the possibilities how to develop the communication aspects.

The ultimate objective of the present PhD thesis is to propose effective instructional methods to be employed in teaching macroeconomics as an academic subject, their selection being determined by the personality type recognition of the students of economics-based academic programmes. First, a current state of academic education and an increase in the number of university/college students, schools and faculties are analysed. Within the sector of higher education institutions (HEI) providing academic training in economic sciences, the focus is on the rationale of the inclusion of macroeconomics in their syllabi. Having conducted the quantitative research, the MBTI questionnaire being employed to measure personality types, the composition of academic study groups in the chosen economics-based schools was examined from the viewpoint of the given typology. An analysis of currently applied forms and methods of instruction in macroeconomics at the Private University College of Economic Studies (PUCES) is accompanied by the interpretation of their impact on the academic achievements of particular personality types. Based on the research findings, appropriate teaching methods are matched with respective personality types and subsequently with the entire study group comprising different types of personalities. The present dissertation thesis consists of an introduction, seven chapters and a conclusion. The introduction presents the aim of the thesis, an overview of the current state of relevant research on the topic as well as research hypotheses and methodology. Chapter 1 explores the current state of HEI programmes affected by soaring numbers of students, HEIs and their faculties. Chapter 2 focuses on macroeconomics as a scientific discipline and an academic subject incorporated in the syllabuses of the selected HEIs. Chapter 3 concentrates on academic teaching, outlining the philosophies, modes and methods of academic instruction. In chapter 4, personality typologies are exposed, focusing selectively on their development, emphasising those with significant social influence. The MBTI personality typology is given special attention, corresponding basic personality dimensions, dispositions and study successfulness being considered. Chapter 5 describes the results of the research of the student groups' structure according to MBTI typology in five chosen HEIs, summarizing the outcomes from the schools being tested. In chapter 6, macroeconomics examination results achieved by PUCES students are displayed, being related to respective personality categories in compliance with the above typology. In the last chapter, optimal methods and instructional approaches are suggested for teaching particular personality types of students, the heterogeneous composition of the study groups being taken into consideration.

Esta pesquisa tem como foco compreender como os professores utilizam o laboratório de informática e os dispositivos móveis – notebooks, tablets e smartphones – na escola, como possíveis mediadores nas práticas pedagógicas. Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo exploratório. O quadro teórico foi constituído por conceitos da teoria sociointeracionista de Vygotsky (1998), articulados ao conceito de “cibercultura” de Lévy (1999), de “cultura digital” de Lemos (2003), dentre outros. A criação do corpus de pesquisa foi realizada a partir de informações de oito entrevistas semiestruturadas, gravadas e posteriormente transcritas, com professores do Ensino Fundamental, de uma escola num município do Rio Grande do Sul. O corpus foi analisado segundo a análise textual discursiva, de Moraes e Galiazzi (2006), que se utiliza basicamente de três elementos: unitarização, categorização e comunicação. Nesse processo foram identificadas as categorias emergentes: “Laboratório de informática para a busca de informações na internet”; “Laboratório de informática para aprender conteúdos técnicos com o instrutor de informática”; “Laboratório de informática para jogos educativos orientados pelo instrutor”; “Professores que não utilizam o laboratório de informática por opção”; “Professores que não utilizam o laboratório de informática pelo atual formato técnico em que se encontra”; “Laboratório de informática utilizado para outras funções”; “Utilização dos dispositivos móveis nas aulas”; “Fatores que levam à não utilização dos dispositivos móveis” e “Falta de esclarecimento da regra de acesso ao wi-fi e de dispositivos móveis na escola”. O metatexto, com vistas a responder à pergunta de pesquisa, indica que os professores consideram o laboratório para buscas de informações na internet pelos alunos, contudo não desenvolvem práticas pedagógicas nesse espaço. Assim, os conteúdos programáticos desenvolvidos em sala de aula são desvinculados do laboratório. Apenas o instrutor de informática é responsabilizado pelas atividades didáticas, propondo uso de jogos educativos e ensinando conceitos de informática. Os resultados sugerem que há desconhecimento dos professores em como utilizar os computadores nas suas práticas. A internet da escola não tem um bom funcionamento e o atual formato do laboratório é precário, com computadores obsoletos e falta de tecnologias adequadas – cabos, tomadas, extensões –, levando ao desuso do mesmo. Considerando todos esses aspectos, as atividades pedagógicas desenvolvidas no laboratório são inadequadas para desencadear processos interativos entre os alunos. Em relação aos dispositivos móveis, estes são utilizados por alguns professores nas práticas pedagógicas para buscas de informações na internet e atividades com softwares. Suas verbalizações revelam que possuem pouco conhecimento de como esses recursos funcionam. A falta de esclarecimento quanto ao uso dos dispositivos móveis e do wi-fi na escola podem ser fatores que levam certos professores a não utilizarem smartphones, tablets e notebooks nas práticas de ensino e aprendizagem. Esses resultados sugerem a necessidade de formação para os professores, de forma que possam redimensionar suas práticas, incluindo as tecnologias digitais como elementos mediadores do processo educativo. / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, CAPES. / This research aims to understand how teachers use the computer lab and mobile devices - notebooks, tablets and smartphones - in school, as possible mediators in pedagogical practices. This is an exploratory qualitative study. The theoretical framework was constituted by Vygotsky's concepts of socio-interactionist theory (1998), articulated with Lévy's concept of cyberculture (1999), Lemos's digital culture (2003), among others. The creation of the research corpus was based on information from eight semi-structured interviews, recorded and later transcribed, with teachers from Elementary School, from a school in a city of Rio Grande do Sul. The corpus was analyzed according to the discursive textual analysis of Moraes and Galiazzi (2006), which basically uses three elements: unitarization, categorization and communication. In this process, the following categories were identified: "Computer laboratory for the search of information on the Internet"; "Computer lab to learn technical content with the computer instructor"; "Instructor-led educational games computer lab"; "Teachers who do not use the computer lab by choice"; "Teachers who do not use the computer lab because of the current technical format in which they are"; "Computer lab used for other functions"; "Use of mobile devices in classrooms"; "Factors that lead to non-use of mobile devices" and "Lack of clarification of the wi-fi and mobile device access rule at school". The metatext, in order to answer the research question, indicates that teachers consider the laboratory to search for information on the Internet by students, but do not develop pedagogical practices in this space. Thus, the syllabus developed in the classroom is disconnected from the laboratory. Only the computer instructor is responsible for the didactic activities, proposing the use of educational games and teaching computer concepts. The results suggest that teachers do not know how to use computers in their practices. The school's internet is not functioning properly and the current format of the laboratory is precarious, with obsolete computers and a lack of adequate technologies - cables, plugs, extensions -, leading to its disuse. Considering all these aspects, the pedagogical activities developed in the laboratory are inadequate to trigger interactive processes among students. In relation to mobile devices, these are used by some teachers in pedagogical practices for searching information on the internet and activities with softwares. Their verbalizations reveal that they have little knowledge of how these features work. The lack of clarification regarding the use of mobile devices and wi-fi in school can be factors that lead certain teachers not to use smartphones, tablets and notebooks in teaching and learning practices. These results suggest the need for training for teachers, so that they can re-dimension their practices, including digital technologies as mediators of the educational process.

Contextualização: Existem poucas investigações sobre recursos didáticos modernos para o ensino de habilidades técnicas de massoterapia. Objetivo: Avaliar o efeito de instruções usando filme no formato DVD associado ao ensino tradicional (aula expositiva com demonstração do instrutor em um voluntário), no aprendizado e na retenção de massagem miofascial (MM). Método: Estudo retrospectivo e duplo cego. Uma fisioterapeuta experiente que atuou como professora (cega ao objetivo do estudo) e 60 fisioterapeutas que realizaram o curso sobre MM. O curso teve 15 aulas, utilizando o livro \"Massoterapia Clínica\" de Clay e Pounds (2003) e aulas expositivas para o grupo A (n=30) e o livro e o DVD para o grupo B (n=30). O livro descreve e ilustra as manobras de MM e o DVD as demonstra. A avaliação foi realizada por meio de observação de filmagem com simulação de tratamento, realizada ao final do curso, repetida dois meses após, para avaliar retenção. No final do curso os participantes responderam um questionário sobre satisfação com o curso. As atividades filmadas foram avaliadas por dois fisioterapeutas cegos ao objetivo do estudo. Resultados: A análise de correlação de coeficiente intraclasse confirmou confiabilidade das notas dadas pelos avaliadores. Houve diferenças entre os grupos na habilidade de aplicação de MM, com melhor aproveitamento do grupo B (ANOVA twoway). Os alunos do grupo B sugeriram complementações no curso com novas tecnologias de ensino. A utilização de DVD diminui o tempo das aulas em um terço. Conclusão: As instruções de DVD complementaram os recursos didáticos tradicionais, com vantagens para o aprendizado e tempo de curso / Contextualization: There are few investigations on modern resources for educational teaching ability techniques of massage therapy. Objective: To evaluate the effect of instructions using film in DVD way associated to the traditional teaching (expositive class with instructor demonstration in a volunteer), in the learning and retention myofascial massage (MM). Method: It is a retrospective and double blind study. An experienced physiotherapist she served as a teacher (blind to the purpose of the study) and 60 physiotherapists carried out the course on MM. The course had 15 classes using the book ¨Massage Clinic, Clay and Pounds (2003)¨ and expositive classes for group A (n = 30) and the same book and respective DVD for group B (n = 30). The book describes and illustrates the maneuvers of MM and the DVD demonstrates technical. The assessment was performed by means of recording with simulation of treatment realized at the end of the course, repeated after two months to evaluate retention. At the end of the course the participants answered a questionnaire about satisfaction with the course. The film was evaluated by two physiotherapists blinded to the study. Results: Analysis of intraclass correlation coefficient confirmed trustworthiness of the ratings given by the evaluators. There were differences between groups in the ability of application of MM, with better use of group B (two-way ANOVA). Students in group B have suggested supplementations on course with new teaching technologies. The use DVD of classes decreases the time in onethird. Using DVD decreases the time used to perform the lessons in a third. Conclusion: The instructions of the DVD have complemented traditional teaching resources, with advantages for learning and course time

1 As more media continues to become available, there is an ever-growing need to consider how certain technologies and media messages affect users and society overall. The aim of this dissertation is to develop an understanding of media literacy in the Czech Republic and to investigate its significance within education, particularly teacher education. The research methods adopted for this study include an in-depth review of relevant media literacy literature, coupled with interviews from Czech Pedagogical Faculty members, and analyses of Czech national policy and university curricular documents. The findings from this work show that the main benefit of media literacy in primary and secondary schools is a non-hierarchical learning environment that encourages discussion, interaction, and critical thinking amongst students. Additionally, current media education policy in the Czech Republic is found to be ineffective. The main conclusion is that with more required media literacy courses or even a national standard for media literacy in teacher education programmes, the Czech Republic could improve teaching methods and present policy.

The thesis focuses on differentiation, which is currently a highly discussed topic in connection with inclusive education. Teachers are expected to adjust their way of teaching to the individual needs of students in heterogeneous classrooms. The aim of this thesis is to examine various differentiation strategies and methods, which teachers could use and moreover, to discover whether the methods are being applied to education scheme in a private primary school and if so, then in what ways. The theoretical part introduces the terms differentiation and individualisation and in addition, explores teaching strategies and methods supporting differentiation together with allowing for the individual students' needs. The empirical study investigates the use of differentiation strategies among private primary school teachers. Qualitative research is based on in-depth interviews with teachers, which were conducted right before and after detailed in class-observation of their teaching. The research discovered that out of various differentiation strategies and methods, which were introduced in the theoretical part, the majority of observed classes were focusing on group work and critical thinking. It was clear that in practice, the internal differentiation prevailed over the external one together with working...

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This study examined personality characteristics of dental students at Faculty of Dentistry at Kuwait University and investigated the relationships between personality characteristics of these students and their preferred teaching methods. In order to assess personality characteristics, The Myers-Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI) was used. For teaching method categorization Grasha’s (2002) classification was used. This research builds knowledge about personality traits as measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory® of dental students in Kuwait. Further, it adds knowledge about teaching methods preferred by dental students. Two surveys, the Myers- Briggs Type Indicator® Form M and a brief learning preference for teaching methodology survey, served as data collection instruments. Twenty-seven out of 43 dental students were interested in participation. Twenty-three (53.4%) students completed both surveys. After the data were analyzed, no dominant personality types among the dental students surveyed was uncovered. There were, however, four types slightly more represented than others. This study did find some correlations between certain subgroups and preferences for teaching methods. The study also found that students perceived Hybrid and Demonstrator methods as both the most preferred and most beneficial. Overall, the findings support that there is association between personality and preferences of teaching method and there is a preference of a teaching method over the other in dental education in general.