Tutoring as a teaching method is associated with the most prestigious European universities. More and more Polish universities decide to implement tutoring recognizing it as a way to create the image of an institution whose objective is to treat students subjectively and care about the quality of education. It is also a great method of improving talents and developing students’ and teachers’ academic potential. On one hand it is a method representing the elite personalized education; however, on the other hand, by means of providing the appropriate organizational conditions, it would also supplement the current educational process, which is typical for the mass education. The article presents the specific nature of the academic tutoring in terms of benefits that it would bring to the university, teachers and students. On the basis of the qualitative data collected during interviews with 15 participating in the program students from four Polish higher educational institutions, the program specificity and elements that, in students’ opinion, influence the program effectiveness were presented. The elements are as follows: relational nature of tutoring, tutor’s personality and classes in the form of individual meetings. Quoted comments indicate the effectiveness of this method, both in the context of students’ ability to be familiarized with the appropriate knowledge but also in the context of developing students’ communicative competence, ability to learn as well as increasing their motivation for learning. For teachers, tutoring is an opportunity to develop their didactic competence, to get rid of the academic routine, a chance to teach on the basis of constructing a good relationship with a student. For the university, tutoring is an opportunity to improve the quality of education and to implement methods of personalized education, which is associated with elite education and the best foreign universities.

The article presents the circumstances of creation the magazine titled “Prace Polonistyczne” which focuses on the study of literature and didactics of literature and Polish language. The history of the magazine in 1937-39 was described as well as the forms of editorial activity. The main focus is put on bringing closer profiles of editors and contributors of the magazine: Stefania Skwarczyńska, Wilhelm Falleka, Tadeusz

Teaching of Scandinavian languages in the time of pandemic – (necessary) changes in the syllabus, positive and negative aspects

The outburst of COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 for the first time in the history of 21st century led to a sudden cease in the functioning of the modern world. An initial disbelieve, common fear and the feeling of uncertainty had to pass as decisions had to be made fast and actions taken into place without hesitation. The world of academia suddenly had to face the challenge of reorganising the well-known approaches and teaching methods. This article is an attempt to describe the necessary changes that were introduced in the syllabus and teaching approach for Scandinavian languages at the Institute of Applied Linguistic at the Faculty of Applied Linguistics of the University of Warsaw in the time of pandemic. The positive and negative aspects of the introduced changes are presented with reference to the specifics of “small languages” didactics that is among others working with highly motivated students. The authors present the results of the survey research that aimed at checking and levelling students’ motivation and involvement while working online; evaluating the Swedish courses in the time of pandemic with reference to the introduced changes.

Assuming the statement, according to which video games (or the entire culture related to them) can serve as a valuable teaching material, is true, it is reasonable and justified to question the still-existing opposition and dispute that digital games must face in school environments. This fact is all the more astonishing as it is the representatives of educational environment that are currently providing particularly didactically inspiring evidence, and thus also strong arguments for this claim. At the same time, the fact that computer games have always dealt with the cultural industry, or at least as much as with culture, means that the “distrustfulness” towards digital games present in the educational space does not only have to be an expression of prejudices and moral panic. Acting from the position of a philosopher involved in the educational potential of computer games, in this text I take up to formulate a possible answer/possible answers explaining the reasons for this conjuncture. Relying on the hermeneutic method, I also suggest possible ways of reading a computer game, pointing to its didactic importance. This text is therefore directed primarily to teachers and educators interested in searching for innovative and practical educational strategies.

The article presents the results of a comprehensive study (N = 497) among Slovene primary school teachers with the aim of examining practical work in Primary Science courses (age 9-11). The study examined the attitude towards practical work and obstacles. The aim was also to find out whether the level of socio-economic development impacts on attitudes and obstacles. The main obstacles to the implementation of practical work at class level are: lack of material support, oversized classes, poor spatial conditions and a need for assistants. Surprising results followed an analysis of differences in the development of the environment: primary school teachers from less developed regions show a more positive attitude towards practical work compared to those from more developed regions. In addition, obstacles are perceived similarly regardless of the socio-economic situation.

From a diversity perspective, all students should receive an education that continuously affirms human diversity – one that embraces the history and culture of all racial groups and that teaches people of colour to take change of their own destinies. With regard to teaching, a diversity perspective assumes that teachers will hold high expectations for all students and that they will challenge these students who are trapped in the cycle of poverty and despair to rise above it. Individual teachers in individual classrooms play an important role in providing equity of opportunity to learn and in ameliorating racism, but more comprehensive conceptions of diversity education capture the school’s crucial role as well. This article wants to address diversity in the classroom and how racial and cultural diversity is valued and what can be done to improve it.