The project The Content Dimension of Basic School Curriculum aims at the analysis of the demands on educational content, in particular on the level of the basic school leaver. The topic is examined from the point of view of the subsequent schools and also from the point of view of the society´s expectations. The project is based on the presupposition that basic school curriculum should not be primarily determined according to scientific fields, but that the needs and possibilities of pupils of that age should be taken into account. In this project, methodologists are involved who examine the topic in the light of their fields, and psychologists, who study the process of learning. To deal with the project, quantitative approach (lesson analyses, curricular document analysis, textbook analyses, questionnaires) as well as qualitative one (participative observation in schools, case studies) will be involved. In the course of this project, seminars and conferences will be organised, theoretical studies will be published as well as conference books and others. The project will contribute to the clarification and specification of the basic school curriculum´s function in the content and methodical dimension.

Results

The aims of the project have been achieved because of a large team of colaborators, and active participation of other colleagues and teachers. 1/ Basic school subject matter was assessed according to the model of curriculum and analysed with an emphasis on text books and with the help of cvideo recordings of teaching, etc. 2/ Basic characteristics of curriculum were observed in school documents, textbooks, in observation reports; several reports were published that presented the results. 3/ Textbooks were analysed by a separate group of researchers; two monothematic collections and several studies were published so far; the group continues to work together. 4/ The processes of acquisition were observed mainly by psychologists and field didacticists. Associate prof. Vyskočilová’s collaborations helped to clarify the field in primary education, namely in Introduction to Geography. 5/ Curricular content in individual school subjects was analysed by field didacticists; the findings were published in collections and in separate studies. 6/ The new methods of pupil acitvation were examined by th Zlín team, dr. Kašpárková et. al. 7/ Teacher training was analysed namely by V. Švec, who published a number of studies and summarised the findings in Maňák, Janík, Švec - Kurikulum v současné škole.

Publications