1 ABSTRACT The dissertation is focused on analysis of the preschool education in the kindergartens founded by private founders on the territory of the capital city of Prague in 2001-2015 with emphasis on performance indicators, trends in development and specific aspects of this level of education. During the mentioned period, the number of new private kindergartens considerably increased. The private kindergartens represent a segment of preschool education which has been absent in the Czech Republic for a long time and which could secure varied offer of education including alternative approach, above-standard or non- standard concepts of the preschool education. Kindergartens represent the very first educational institution, which any child normally faces to, and which serves as a systematic field for education. The capital city of Prague has been chosen as a key-region of the Czech Republic with high level of dynamic changes and economic potential which also have influence on development of the preschool education.

Theoretical part The theoretical part examines psychological resilience in pre-schoolers. It presents the terminology and factors influencing resilience. It describes the development of resilience in the context of the development of children. The following part describes the characteristics of resilience crucial for this research. An important part presents suggestions and tips for parents and teachers on how to foster and further develop these characteristics of psychological resilience. The last chapter of the theoretical part describes state-run, private and so called "forest" kindergartens and presents the legislative framework concerning pre-school education. Practical part The empirical part inspects the characteristics of resilience in pre-schoolers in private, state- run and the forest kindergartens. It examines the differences between the attitude of parents and teachers to initiative, self-regulation and relationship and bond forming in pre-schoolers in various types of kindergarten The key words resilience, preschool child, initiative, self-regulation, attachments and relationships, kindergarten

A model of Teacher Child Interaction Therapy (TCIT) was implemented in two kindergarten classrooms of students (n = 2) who successfully completed Parent Child Interaction Therapy, but continued to demonstrate disruptive behaviors in the classroom. The current study first indicated that TCIT was implemented with integrity by both the therapists and teacher participants. Next, the effects of this intervention on the teacher’s skills, students’ disruptive behaviors, teacher’s stress, and teacher-child relationships were investigated. The treatment acceptability was also examined. Both visual and statistical analyses found a treatment effect in both cases was seen for both teachers’ increased use of positive interaction skills and decrease of negative interaction skills during the intervention session. However, these skills generalized to the interactions between the teacher and student during classroom instruction. Mixed results were found related to teachers’ use of effective commands. Results from visual analysis indicated that one child participant demonstrated a decrease in disruptive behaviors according to both teacher rating scales and classroom behavior observations. Neither teacher indicated significantly reduced stress over the course of TCIT. Teacher-child relationships improved for both students; however, one teacher also reported increased conflict in the relationship. Both teachers expressed high levels of treatment acceptability for the intervention. Further research should investigate the underlying causes for the nuances in the findings of this study. Additional research is also warranted to determine whether these results can be generalized to other students as well as best practices for implementing this intervention in schools.

Using an applied anthropological approach focused on language, this study investigates the relationship between linguistic, racial, and ethnic identities and school resource access in the context of migration. This project examines how these identities are established, experienced, reified, and resisted by various school actors. Exposing power at its roots through a multi-level analysis, this research informs on how people negotiate socialization into particular identities, propelling them toward positions in school and society of varying opportunity. Focused on two elementary schools in a central Florida county that has been and is undergoing demographic changes, this work offers applications for educational institutions dealing with migration. One school’s orientation to meeting needs of non-English speaking students significantly impacts its ability to reach and form relationships with parents and improve the educational outcomes for children. The second school’s culturally responsivity makes it possible to meet higher expectations. At both schools, there is a disconnect between how the school and state think about people and how those people think about themselves, which erases groups and raises questions about how well students from those groups are served. While the ideologies promoted in dominant society are constraining, struggles and resistance do impact and reorganize the system. This study provides recommendations for the research site and similar schools to address linguistic, racial, and ethnic educational inequity. For instance, this project emphasizes the need to provide linguistically appropriate school-home communication. It also offers a means for the schools and state to better serve students by understanding the nuances of identity through more appropriate measures of race and ethnicity.

This qualitative descriptive study explored the experiences of three Kuwaiti pre-service teachers with guided reflection and the extent to which video technology facilitates reflection. The data sources were semi-structured and video-elicited interviews, field notes, and researcher reflective journals. The study was guided by two research questions: In what ways does video elicitation facilitate Kuwaiti pre-service teachers’ reflections? What do Kuwaiti pre-service teachers reflect about? I used Rogoff’s Sociocultural Theory (2003; 1995) as my conceptual lens for this study which stresses the importance of cultural contexts in all areas of education. I developed a concept I call “third-eye” thinking to define a multifaceted approach to education and reflection. I also developed a concept I call “cultural spheres of influence” to describe the multitude of cultural influences that shape individuals and groups in unique ways. This study also depended on guided reflection to complement the process of video elicitation. The findings of my study indicated that video elicitation provided concrete material as a basis for reflection. My findings showed that Kuwaiti early childhood preservice teachers reflected on various topics including: teaching tools and materials, strategies and techniques, everyday problems and challenges, classroom dynamics and management, and evaluators and the evaluation process. This research contributes to the existing body of literature by giving reflection a new culturally-rooted definition based on its application by Kuwaiti pre-service teachers and through a careful consideration of the cultural spheres of influences that shaped who the participants were and what they brought to the reflective process.

本文為一位幼師所書寫的生命敘說，這份「說」的起點來自於家庭造就的傷痕，研究者與家庭之間產生了心理距離。面對這個心理距離，研究者採取逃離的應對姿態，而此一姿態同樣出現在往後面對工作與愛情之中的挫敗。然而，隨著2012年家庭重大事件的爆發，研究者萌生了想要突破與家庭間心理距離的意念，走上回家的道路。整體而言，研究者藉由自我書寫、閱讀、參與敘說團體討論、聽生命中重要他人的故事，重新梳理對自身的認識，產生了能夠回家的力量。研究者發現家庭、工作與愛情之中的挫敗與傷來自於自身對三者存有既定的理想圖像，當現實發生的事件與理想有所落差時，產生個人內在衝突以及對他者的不諒解。隨著此一對自我與他者的認識與再理解，研究者進入了一段自我療癒的旅程，覺察自我與他者之間存在著愛的力量。因著這份愛，研究者不僅與自己及重要他者和解，治癒了生命議題的種種傷，同時也進一步產生了個人行動意向的轉變，從原本的逃離姿態轉變為自我的主動承擔，最終能夠以家作為新的生命旅程的起點。 / This is a story told by a kindergarten teacher growing up in a well-off family and leading a seemingly ‘smooth’ life. Two storylines mapped out the narratives. One is her family of origin; the other is her journey of becoming a teacher. Not having been through many difficulties in her life, the researcher/narrator found herself helpless and at loss in the face of unexpected life events. She had always been an obedient child who studied hard to meet the expectation of her mother, who wanted her to be a teacher. As she actually stepped into the workplace, however, she gave up on the opportunity of public schools and instead, ‘took the road less traveled by’. Wandering around in search of the ideal Education, she found herself losing the strength to be a teacher ever again. Family is my starting point. Confronted with the ‘ripping’ of my family, I found self-cure in this destruction. I traced back to my childhood for the absence of my father and the loss of family. Through writing, storytelling and interviews, I reorganized myself and, by understanding multiple perspectives, re-examined the significant others in my life. There are always blind spots in the writing and retelling of the story. Therefore, my readers became the critical eyes which enabled me to recognize the unrecognizable self. In the process of writing and ‘being read’, the self-exploring conversation and debate has become an eye-opening experience. It turned out that, when I am looking at other people, I have only been seeing myself.

Le but de cette recherche est d’étudier l’impact de l’apprentissage assisté par le multimédia sur le développement du vocabulaire et sur la compréhension, chez les enfants du préscolaire, par rapport à l’apprentissage traditionnel. Elle vise également à étudier l’impact des différents modes d’interaction dans les environnements informatisés, sur le développement du langage et sur la compréhension de l’histoire chez l’enfant.L’apprentissage du langage est un enjeu fort de réussite scolaire ultérieure pour les élèves de l’école maternelle. Cette recherche doctorale vise à étudier l’impact, sur l’acquisition de certaines compétences concernant le langage, de l’introduction d’environnements informatisés en dernière année d’école maternelle (grande section, enfant de 5 à 6 ans). Nous nous attachons particulièrement à l’acquisition, par les enfants, des connaissances linguistiques et des compétences langagières, en matière de lexique et à travers la réception et la compréhension de récits. Cette étude s’attache d’abord à faire le bilan des recherches et l’analyse des logiciels existants (les histoires électroniques) en français. Elle utilise ensuite un logiciel spécifique (Un Prince à l’école) dans des classes maternelles de région parisienne, pour étudier l’effet de son emploi dans le développement du vocabulaire (un pré/post-test) et la compréhension du récit (un post-test) pour ces élèves. Nous étudions (i) l’impact de l’interaction avec l’histoire sur support électronique vs l’histoire sur support papier, (ii) l’impact de l’interaction (individuelle vs collaborative) avec l’histoire sur support électronique sur le développement du vocabulaire et la compréhension du récit. / The purpose of this research is to study the impact of multimedia assisted learning on vocabulary development and comprehension among children of preschool, compared to traditional learning. It also aims to study the impact of different modes of interaction in computerized environments on language development and comprehension of the story among children of preschool.Learning the language is a major challenge for future academic success of students in kindergarten. This doctoral research aims to study the impact on the acquisition of certain skills on the language, and introduction of computerized environments in the final year of kindergarten (KG2, 5 to 6 year-olds). The study focuses particularly on the children acquisition of language skills in vocabulary and through the reception and comprehension of narratives. This work aims to take stock of existing research and analyses software (electronic stories) in French. It then uses special software (Un Prince à l’école) in the Paris region, and study the effectiveness in vocabulary development (pre/post test) and comprehension of the story (post-test) for these children. We studied (i) the impact of the interaction with the e-story vs. the story on paper, (ii) the impact of the interaction (individual vs. collaborative) with e-story on vocabulary development and comprehension of the story.

The Early Childhood Educators’ Knowledge of Self-Regulation Skills Questionnaire (ECESRQ) was devised to measure current teacher knowledge and implementation of pedagogical tools that enhance self-regulatory skills in the early childhood classroom. The purpose of the first phase of this study was to conduct test validation on the ECESRQ. The purpose of the second phase of this study was to (a) assess if teacher knowledge of self-regulation skills predicted teachers’ attitudes and beliefs in the classroom, and if (b) the results from the ECESRQ predicted knowledge of instruction of self-regulation skills. To address the first phase of the study an exploratory factor analysis was conducted on the Likert Style items in the ECESRQ. Three factors were extracted and named as teacher attitudes and beliefs (factor 1), children’s behavior (factor 2), and child behavior (factor 3). Cronbach’s Alpha was reported as high for factor 1 (.718), moderate for factor 2 (.552) and factor 3 (.529), suggesting that the survey demonstrated high to moderate estimates of internal consistency. To address the two questions in the second phase of the study, linear regression and multiple regression analysis were conducted. It was found that teacher attitudes and beliefs (represented by the three factors found in phase one) did not significantly predict teacher knowledge where factor 1 was the dependent variable (R2=.003, F(1, 172)=.503, pR2=.010, F(1, 172)= 1.732, pR2=.007, F(1, 172)=1.221, p However, in the second equation, predicting knowledge of instruction, both variables (age and factor 2) were significant in predicting knowledge of instruction accounting for 7% of the variance in the model. Overall, the results suggest a discrepancy between teachers’ attitudes and beliefs and reported classroom management implementation. This indicates that teachers believe children are capable of internal control, yet implement external over internal control in the classroom. Possibilities for this phenomenon are discussed and implications for future research are presented in the discussion of this study.

Behavior problems are quite common in preschool.  Without effective intervention, children with behavior problems are at risk for rejection by teachers, peers and academic failure. But many children in preschool are not diagnosed and are not getting the support they need. At the age of two, children can show both prosocial and aggressive behavior with peers. Researchers stress the importance of positive peer relationships in childhood, because early childhood is the time children learn how to interact with each other. Through peer interactions children develop social, cognitive and language skills. The aim of this systematic literature review is to identify, and critically analyze, special support in preschool which promote peer interaction of children with behavior problems (age of 2-5 years). Five studies, with different interventions have been found through the search procedure. The results show that all the implemented interventions had positive effect on peer interactions and did reduce behavior problems in the classrooms. The results show that the studies focused on different behavior problems, but aggression was found in all the articles.  The studies were focused on different participants in order to influence behavior problems and peer interactions. Four major groups of special support orientations were found: Teacher oriented support, Team-based oriented support, Peer oriented support and Support oriented toward target children. This review presents a good overview on available special support in preschool settings, however more research still needs to be done.

This Master´s Thesis deals with the visual style of Elementary school and Kindergarten Brno, Blažkova 9, state-funded institution with the main emphasis on its logo. The thesis also concentrates on the form of corporate identity, culture, image and corporate design in terms of graphic theory and on the comparison of corporate brands of elementary schools of both the same and different localization throughout the republic. The monitoring of various elementary schools and their logos including their applications has been carried out as a basis for the thesis. In its conclusion the thesis presents author´s design of graphic manual that should be used by the above mentioned elementary school for presentation purposes from school year 2016/2017 onwards.