TITLE: International trends in reading strategy instruction and their possible aplication in Czech schools. AUTHOR: Ladislava Whitcroft DEPARTMENT: Primary Education, Faculty of Education SUPERVISOR: prof. PaedDr. Radka Wildová, CSc. ABSTRACT: This study focus is based on detailed analysis of reading strategy instruction abroad and possible strategies for application in Czech schools. The theoretical part of the study brings definition to the term reading strategies, and it maps different approaches to reading strategy instruction on the basis of relevant international studies. The empirical part is based on qualitative case study research methods. It presents a description and analysis of two Czech teachers; both are distinctive advocates of reading strategy instruction in the Czech Republic. The study shows how their values get reflected in their approach to reading strategy instruction and how they influence the way these teachers scaffold comprehension of their pupils. The US programme CORI was chosen for detailed analyses as an example of an international research-proven programme. In the concluding part, the study summarises practical recommendation for future teachers' preparation (inclusion of systematic reading strategy instruction methods as well as drama teaching methods and instruction in...

The growing pressure on pursuing the 2030 Agenda and focus on meeting the SDGs within partnership of all actors is putting Transnational corporations (TNCs) to a new role - a role of stronger power, but also wider responsibility. At the same time the global civil society is keeping an eye on big companies even where they may try to hide. Developing countries are still vulnerable to misbehavior and unfair treatment while with their natural resources they are the birth place of most of the consumers' worlds' products. At the same time they are the place where the need for sustainable development is most pressing. The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a tool which is growing on popularity a it offers a new approach of a more thoughtful behavior with a potential of moving towards sustainable development. This thesis was a research on this potential or maybe with time more and more obvious connection of the concepts of CSR and sustainable development (SD). It also reveals the growing role and need for participation of the private sector. CSR offers a way to participate for sustainable development in manner which create a win-win situation for both private sector and their stakeholders. However there is the dangerous of not using this tool in a mutual beneficial way. Companies often use...

This thesis wants to make clear the theoretical concept in the form of a testable hypothesis on the relationship between the political control of the territory by a Violent Non-State Actor (VNSA) and the effectiveness of realization of its political objective (policies). Since in the literature there is no explicit theory or theorization that would reflect the varying degree of effectiveness with regard to the varying degree of territorial penetration, and there are no explicit parametric indicators and values that may be necessary for effective achievement of the political objective in relation to the territory, the purpose of the research will be to answer the question whether, how and to what extent the intensity of the physical penetration of the territory is related to the ability to more easily and efficiently achieve the goals for which the VNSA has been established and has strived. A general definition of threshold values of the penetration can also provide partial piece of knowledge for practical policies and approaches to territorial VNSA on the part of states (counterinsurgency actors). Although there is no explicit use of any of the theories of international relations in the research, the used theoretical framework is inspired by a) approaches to political geography and outlines of...

This diploma thesis focuses on understanding the nanocellulose and production routes of this nano-scale cellulosic material. In the literature review, there is an overview of different production routes including pretreatment and treatment processes of biomass fibers and list of main global producers of nanocellulose currently available on the market. The practical part includes collected cost inputs for four different production scenarios which are: (1) enzymatic pretreatment with microfluidization treatment, (2) carboxymethylation pretreatment with microfluidization treatment, (3) enzymatic pretreatment with high-pressure homogenization treatment and (4) carboxymethylation pretreatment with high-pressure homogenization treatment. Costs of these four production routes are compared for three locations in the Czech Republic and contrasted with the cost of purchase of nanocellulose from abroad.

The main aim of this master thesis is to assess the social environment of Jesenice u Prahy, in the context of social dimension of sustainable development. With the outcomes of the case study, a conclusion will be drawn, whether a suburban municipality model can be sustainable or not (again from the social point of view only). The master thesis also tries to identify areas, which seem to be crucial for the social dimension of sustainable development. Another aim of this thesis is to identify the means by which a suburban municipality can move towards sustainable development. The research is aimed predominantly at the inner factors of municipal development, especially in the form of municipal government or the role of local communities on the way to sustainable development in its social dimension.

Diploma thesis "Impacts of demographic development on the system of continuous financing of pensions" deals with the situation in the area of pension financing in the Czech Republic. The aim of the thesis is to identify the current issues, find their causes and try to propose possible solutions to improve the situation. In its first part, the thesis is focused on theoretical aspects and concepts of social politics as well as on economic theories on which programs of political parties are based. The methods used in the thesis are presented as well. The analytical part of the work is concerned with demographic development, legislative framework of social security, main actors of social politics and modifications proposed by political parties. The last part concludes all results of the research and presents possible solution to the problem.

The thesis responds to recent changes in the hinterland of our bigger cities arising from the process of residential suburbanization. Townships in the immediate vicinity of Prague, which often suffered from a population decline and overall stagnation under socialism, have seen a rapid increase in the number of people coming from the city. The aim of this case study is to examine the nature of social relationships between old- time residents and newcomers in Nučice, a village in the Prague West district. The study combines a questionnaire survey with semi-structured interviews and on-site observation. I have looked at the socio-demographic differences between the two groups, differences in their social status and integration and community activities based on Chapin's behavioural typology on site. I have found out that on average, new residents are younger, better educated and with a higher income than the original population. At the same time, they bring a different lifestyle to the countryside, with different attitudes and opinions. The differences between the natives and the newly-arrived population make their integration more difficult and their social relationships remain largely undeveloped.

This diploma thesis examines the public political process for the implementation of local bilingual names while focusing on the enforcement of this law for citizens with Polish nationality in the Těšin Region. The main objective is to explain why this policy was or was not changed, what the reasons were for the non-conformity of the policy objectives with the results and to discover the actual failures in the implementation process, where as a consequence, in some villages the right of the minority to use local bilingual names was not fulfilled or was beset with problems in some villages. The subject of the investigation of both the legal and the institutional aspect of the problem focuses on the participating subjects, where one of the main roles of the committee for national minorities on the board of the municipal representatives was the requirement to implement local bilingual names. The guidelines for understanding the tools, procedures and relations used were the initial theoretical points related to the institutions and their changes, the implementation process (top-down and bottom-up approaches), initial theoretical points explaining the responsibilities of the participating subjects and not the intended consequences of their actions and those of others. The research design is a case study.

This thesis focuses on the concept of public space as a construct which is formed at time and is a subject to the contemporary social conditions. The first part maps the historical evolution of this construct. The changes of content of terms that have been used at different times in the sense which today is understood as a public space are described. This part presents contemporary theoretical basis, their reflections in the society and also their reflection in the lived reality. It describes the key influences that shaped today's "modus vivendi" of public space. Apart from the ancient agora the work focuses on the Czech environment from the 19th century to the present. The second part, the research work describes how the current discourse of public space, represented by the Via Foundation (Nadace Via) and its program The place, where we live (Místo, kde žijeme), transcribed into the social structure of the three Czech villages. In the context of three case studies we focus on how the public space of these villages have changed and which elements from the past survived in this structure.

The diploma thesis discusses the issue of innovation in education. Although society and the requirements of a competetive person are changing Czech schools use only few innovative elements. The main objective is to identify and explain the current situation and find out when and why innovations are or are not implemented. Conditions are described as external (legislative, financing, staffing), but also the internal (teacher's personality, motivation, innovative potential). The research design is a case study, Hejny method at the chosen school. By means of semi-structured interviews with the main persons involved (teachers, school headmaster) identifies the events, changes, but also the participating actors and conditions and uncovers their role in the process, development in time. The author uses the 4-level public political cycle model, Multiple-streams theory, force field analysis and Model of change. The author reveals the key role players (the policy entrepreneurs and opponent of change). Many forming conditions is discovered. That is systemic, personal, organizational and social conditions. The work provides recommendations for the chosen school to successfully conclude the change. General recommendations for implementing innovation are also included.