The main purpose of this diploma thesis is to obtain information on how Matfyz can improve its cooperation with high school students and their physics teachers to increase students' interest in physics. To obtain these information a questionnaire was sent to physics teachers, who had been mentioned by Matfyz students as teachers who had had a positive effect on them. The questionnaire itself consists of four parts - events for students, events for physics teachers, Mat- fyz activities, and teaching. The data was processed using both quantitative and qualitative methods, whereas larger part of research was build on quantitative methods. The collected data showed that according to respondents the most im- portant task is to focus on non-Prague students. Thus, organizers should organize events in various places in the Czech Republic or use modern technologies and organize events on-line (that also applies to events for physics teachers). High school students might also meet with scientists and university physics students, visit laboratories except for visitors' days (e. g. during excursions, internships) or have an opportunity to find out how physics in companies is used. Respondents expressed support for writing a new physics textbook on Matfyz, one containing more difficult parts for talented students.

The thesis discusses using an interactive board in teaching science (physics) in the second stage of primary school. The thesis is divided into different parts dealing with technical principles of different interactive boards and the implementation of these boards into teaching science at primary schools. Using special software, the author created a set of teaching materials that was tested in practice. The test results were discussed with a qualified teacher and with the supervisor of the thesis. After that, the materials were adjusted so that their use would comply with targets of the thesis and their further use would be comfortable for teachers. To use the materials in a comfortable way, a comprehensive guide on their use was prepared.

Title: Various Approaches to Didactics of Physics in the Czech Republic and Abroad Abstract: This diploma work deals with selected aspects of didactics of physics as a branch of science. Its aim is to start a more systematic reflection of a domestic didactics of physics in connection with the situation abroad as well as with previous developments in the Czech Republic. Important approaches to didactics of physics, (above all the applied, integrated and communicative approach) are described in this work and attention is also paid to international developments. This work also presents arguments about why didactics of physics could be perceived as a branch of science together with the mutual relationships of didactics of physics with other scientific fields. In the last chapter there is a discussion about new possibilities in the development of didactics of physics, especially about the tendency of mutual linking of didactics of physics with didactics of other school subjects. In this chapter there is also an outline of a new approach which focuses on goals. Keywords: didactics of physics, physics education research, approach to didactics of physics, subject didactics

Title: Physics education of students and teachers in the Heureka project Author: RNDr. Irena Dvořáková Department: Department of Physics Education, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University in Prague Supervisor: doc. RNDr. Leoš Dvořák, CSc., Department of Physics Education, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University in Prague Abstract: This doctoral thesis is aimed at physics education of students and teachers in the Heureka project. The introductory part concerns the brief outline of the current state of physics education both in the Czech Republic and around the world. The next chapters describe the genesis of the project, characterize its main principles and give several examples of methodological sequences in which the application of these principles is shown. The impact of these ideas on students is illustrated by several school tests and the Lawson test, too. The significant part of this thesis deals with the teacher training in the Heureka project. The methods and forms used are described and the impact is analyzed. The international contacts and their development are mentioned in the closing chapter. Several more examples of materials both for students' work and teachers' seminars are published in the appendices. The DVD with digital recording of one lesson is also attached....

The strategic goal of the research presented in this diploma thesis is to contribute to the improvement of the quality of physics teaching at secondary schools. During the research, we focused on the following two questions: Which quality parameters are typical for teaching led by physics teachers whose students continue their studies at MFF UK? How do teachers affect students gifted in physics and motivated for it? A case study was chosen as the research plan. Specifically, we focused on teaching of three teachers, whose students continue to study physics at university to an increased extent. The quantitative part, in which the pedagogical observation of teaching took place, was led as ex-post-facto research. This was followed by a qualitative part, in which semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. Thanks to them the obtained information was put in a broader context. The research results showed that fulfillment of several parameters is common for the teaching of all the teachers (e.g. physics expertise, mathematics model, abstraction, students' expressing), in other parameters their teaching differs (e.g. teaching aids, lecturing, students' interest, use of assessment) and some parameters are almost non-existent in teaching (e.g. work with text, heuristic method). Several research...

The goal of this work is to create a program which simulates the dynamics of rigid bodies and their systems using GPGPU with an emphasis on speed and stability. The result is a physics engine that uses the CUDA architecture. It runs entirely on the GPU, handles collision detection, collision response and different forces like friction, gravity, contact forces, etc. It supports spheres, rods (which are similar to cylinders), springs, boxes and planes. It's also possible to construct compound objects by connecting basic primitives.

Title: Experiments for Interactive Physics Laboratory: experiments and theory Author: RNDr. Zdeněk Šabatka Department: Department of Physics Education Supervisor: doc. RNDr. Leoš Dvořák, CSc. Supervisor's e-mail address: DvorakL@plk.mff.cuni.cz Abstract: The present doctoral thesis is concerned with practical work of students in physics education. More specifically, it focuses on preparation and implementation of practical seminars for high school students in the Interactive Physics Laboratory at Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University in Prague. The thesis describes practical work as one of the teaching methods with a focus on its goals, effectiveness and different types of assignment. Furthermore, the concept of the Interactive Physics Laboratory based also on Czech teachers' opinions gained from a small-scale survey is described. The main part of the thesis consists of activities organized into four topics suitable for the Interactive Physics Laboratory. The topics were processed both theoretically and experimentally and all prepared activities were tested on high school students. The current thesis describes the outcomes of two surveys that concentrated on students' and teachers' opinions. Data were collected using questionnaires. One survey focused on students' subjective experience with...

This diploma thesis "Experiment with simple tools" is about preparation experiments made from object of daily use or different commercially available tools. Experiments are direct to fluid subject. Experiments are constructed to homemade use. Working students? sheets are prepared for these experiments. They are attached to this thesis. These students sheets serve as leading in independent work. Students after them can try experiment and brush subject up.

The aim of this diploma thesis is to introduce wayshow teachers can make their elementary school pupils more perceptive to learning physics by the means of specific methods. The thesis first examines on howthe subject is perceived by pupils. It later inquires whether the usage of physical experiments changes how they feel about physics. Initially, the work makes use of an Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) questionnaire. The collected information is later compared and hypotheses are made. Next, the thesis describes how the structural dialogue with elementary school pupils was prepared and subsequently executed to prove the hypotheses. The questionnaire results put a base to the final conclusions and suggestions which can be applied in a classroom.

The focus of this thesis was to find and evaluate the information resources available to teachers, in the context of creating or conducting demonstrational and student experiments in the Physics of the Microworld at high school. Another goal of the thesis was the creation of four sets of aids for experiments from various areas of microworld physics taught at the high school level. These sets contain instructions for teachers and worksheets for pupils. Another goal was to make the sets portable, which all four met. Part of this work is a description of the created experimental sets, worksheets for pupils and texts for teachers. The experimental sets will be stored on the premises of the Department of Physics Education and will be available for loan to teachers for teaching purposes.