The article aims to show the importance of the teacher’s authority in the modern school. The authors present a different view from the one well established in the literature looking at the problem of the formation of teachers’ authority. In addition to the definitions relating to the professional competence and cognitive abilities, a significant aspect of the analysis was focused on the teacher’s ability to form and shape the student’s sense of belonging to school. The paper also includes the research findings univocally indicating that the teacher is a highly regarded authority if they can build and maintain positive relationships in the classroom between them and students as well as between the students themselves, especially the ones manifesting difficulties in the current social functioning.

One of the significant predispositions of the teacher is the ability to cope with emotions, which is recognized as emotional intelligence. The study was conducted among the students of the Academy of Physical Education in Wroclaw (263 individuals). In a group of students some were selected who declared their intention to work as teachers (95 people); the remaining students were the control group. According to the collected data, emotional intelligence of most of the students is average, and the belief concerning the level of this competence is overestimated in many cases. This result is particularly unsatisfactory for those associating their future with the teaching profession, for they are expected to have better interpersonal skills.

Inclusive education is a controlled process that creates an environment for education and training, respect for diversity, abilities, and various educational needs of a child or pupil. It is topical in most countries’ professional and legislative discourse. It turns out that teachers’ attitudes are one of the main pillars of inclusive education policy implementation. The present research aimed to pursue connections and relationships between the teachers’ pro-inclusive attitudes, length of experience, and content of their learning activities. The research sample consisted of 926 kindergarten and elementary school teachers; the TAIS was used (Saloviita, 2015) as the research tool. Results showed that kindergarten teachers had more positive attitudes towards inclusive education than elementary school teachers. There are themes in education through which elementary school teachers can be developed pro-inclusive attitudes.

The study presents a survey of perceived teacher self-efficacy on a sample of future and beginning Slovak secondary school teachers in two research approaches. The research aimed to find out the perceived professional proficiency of teacher students and future teachers in didactic readiness in the context of positive psychology. The obtained data from both groups were compared with foreign research results in this area.

Education as an Subject of Interest of Polish Political Parties in the Second Decade of the 21st Century. Analysis of Selected Election Programmes

The aim of this article is to reflect on the pluralism of plans and projects of the school education system in Poland at the end of the second decade of the 21st century and the positions of political parties regarding reforms of children’s and youth education. The hypothesis of the research in the article is the assumption that the electoral programmes of Polish political parties are characterized by a plurality of educational visions. They often are proposals for reforms adapting education to the tasks of the modern economy, market and social changes. The research method used in the article is the analysis of source documents, i.e. political party programmes, as well as their comparative analysis. The programmes of 14 political parties, valid in the second decade of the 21st century, were analyzed. These were in the order: Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), Labor Union (UP), Polish Labor Party – August 80 (PPP-S’80), Party Together, Spring, Green Party, Polish People’s Party (PSL), Democratic Party (SD), Civic Platform (PO), Modern Party, Law and Justice (PiS), Coalition of the Restoration of the Republic Freedom and Hope (KORWiN), Right Wing of the Republic, National Movement (RN).

Pogranicze jest kategorią, która doczekała się wielu rozstrzygnięć teoretycznych, zarówno na gruncie filozofii, jak i socjologii czy pedagogiki. Na potrzeby prezentowanych analiz przyjęłam kategorię pogranicza w ujęciu terytorialnym, w którym jest to obszar, wspólna przestrzeń, na której funkcjonują dwie lub więcej grupy etniczno-kulturowe. Formy współżycia ukształtowane są poprzez bycie obok – styczność z sobą i wzajemne kontakty. To przenikanie się, mieszanie kultur sprawia, że jest bardzo specyficznym terytorium. Przestrzeń, na której w sposób naturalny mogą zostać wypracowane normy warunkujące życie blisko siebie – mimo dostrzeganych różnic. Relacje na Pograniczu są zależne od wielu czynników. Część z nich związana jest z działaniami podejmowanymi indywidualnie przez poszczególne osoby, inne są inicjowane, promowane i realizowane przez różnego rodzaju instytucje, organizacje, związki i stowarzyszenia. Na Pograniczu polsko-czeskim w sposób bardzo intensywny rozwija się współpraca transgraniczna. W przygotowanym tekście prezentowane są analizy uzyskanych wyników badań prowadzonych wśród nauczycieli. Autorkę interesowało, czy badani angażują się w działania transgraniczne i jak je oceniają.

“I would like to be a teacher because...” A process of a choice of profession in the context of autobiography of students of pre-school and early-school pedagogy

The paper presents results of quality research aimed to study autobiographical experience of future teachers of pre-school and early school education concerned with their choice of profession. The research was conducted in 2019/2020 among 164 female students of the second year of pre-school and early school pedagogy at Faculty of Education of University of Białystok. In the first part of article various elements of the research are presented including the object of analysis, characterisation of the environment of investigations and an investigative test. A large part of the article is devoted to the presentation of the research results relating to the motives for choosing the occupation of teacher. Based on casual autobiographical statements of the students the circumstances, events and life experiences were presented that played crucial factors in the process of their job choice. Analysing their narrative prominent figures were identified that played an important part in decision making involved in selecting job of pre-school and early school teacher. The last part of the article includes the research conclusions. Furthermore, implications for theory, practice and research on professional development of teachers are also discussed.

Bolesław Wojciech Sadaj (1908–1997), Founder of Pedagogical Studies in Szczecin

The article is a biography, showing the life and work of Bolesław Wojciech Sadaj (1908–1997) as a creator of pedagogy in Szczecin in the organizational and scientific terms. Bolesław Sadaj was a teacher, organizer of teacher training in Szczecin, school superintendent, university teacher, researcher, social and educational activist. He was an important person for the education in Szczecin and Western Pomerania in the second half of the twentieth century, examining the work of teacher, the profession of teacher, their need for education, training and improvement as well as the participation of schools and teachers in the integration processes in Western Pomerania after World War II.

Janina Parafiniuk-Soińska (1922–2012), Educator and Academic from Szczecin

The article presents professional and scientific acitivity of professor Janina Parafiniuk-Soiński. The scientist was connected with Szczecin (family and professionally) already since 1949. She actively participated in the construction of the Szczecin academic education because worked at Wyższa Szkoła Nauczycielska and Wyższa Szkoła Pedagogiczna. These institutions, as we rememeber, can be considered as a praforma of University of Szczecin, including Instytut Pedagogiki. The professor also served as a director of the latter institutions in the most difficult period of its operation, which certainly required from the considerable amount of work and effort. The paper also presents the directions of scientific work – research focusing on two fundamental: learning process in teaching and initial preparation of teachers at university level. Also invoked the image of Janina Parafiniuk-Soińska in the memories of her colleagues and students at the same time pointing out its most important qualities as a man and scientist.

Teacher in the “Mirror” of Virtual and Visual Culture

The school forms the specific society, which creates a specific for student and teacher language, behaviours and products. They penetrate from the real world into the virtual world, constructing the peculiar virtual and visual culture. In the article the culture of this type was analysed, with reference to the person of teacher. Presented situations, based on films about teachers, placed in the Internet by students as well as based on press reports, illustrate the process of creating the culture seen in „a distorting mirror”.

Empathy of future teachers and their intercultural sensitivity

This article is empirical. It presents the results of a study aimed at determining the level of empathy and intercultural sensitivity of future teachers. Preparation of teachers to fulfil the pedagogical role of school, especially in the current situation caused by the war in Ukraine and the enrolment of approximately 200,000 Ukrainian children into the Polish education system, involves the necessity of adequate training of candidates for this profession. What is significant in this context is the definition of empathy, which should be understood as the ability to respectfully understand the other person and the inner power that guides and motivates an individual to pro-social behaviour. Another important element of that definition is cultural sensitivity understood as an indicator of cross-cultural communication ability, manifested in the readiness to interact with people from different cultures. The study was conducted employing a diagnostic survey with the use of a revised version of the Empathic Understanding Questionnaire by Andrzej Węgliński and the scale of intercultural sensitivity developed by Guo- Ming Chen and William Starosta in the Polish adaptation of Dariusz Majerk and Mariusz Korczyński. The survey involved students in pedagogical faculties from various higher education institutions in Poland. The results of the study reveal the need for pedagogical preparation of future teachers to fulfil their professional role to the highest possible extent.

A culturally diverse school in Poland. Experiences of Bydgoszcz teachers in the first period of the war in Ukraine

The article describes the experiences of Bydgoszcz teachers working in culturally diverse schools in the first period of the war in Ukraine (from February 24 to April 22, 2022). The basis of the article is the analysis of the statements provided by the participants of the conference “A Ukrainian student in the Polish education system. How to help teachers create a multicultural learning environment?” organized at the Kazimierz Wielki University, by its Department of Didactics and Studies on Culture of Education and the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Centre for Teacher Education in Bydgoszcz. The statements presented in the article concern the experience of eighty teachers from Bydgoszcz schools of various levels as well as academics, doctoral students and students working in educational institutions. The article is a contribution to the methodical trend of intercultural pedagogy. It contains practical tips on the work of teachers in culturally diverse classes, developed on the basis of current statements provided by people taking care of refugees from Ukraine.

About encounter. In searching of spiritual dimension in educational-didactical relation

The purpose of this essay is to point out how important for righteous educational – didactical course the problem of encounter is. The method applied by author relies on analyzing the concept of encounter from the perspective of humanities and social studies. Thanks to that, there can be pointed out the essential (spiritual-metaphysical) aspect of encounter as an interpersonal event by reference to ontological category, of which example could be the space of interrelationship. The author assumed that an encounter is unquestionably a positive occurrence. The reference in this reflection is an issue of spiritual potential of homo sapiens and what comes with it – the culture condition of human population. Recently it is characterized rather weak, whereas the undisputed preeminence – domination of mass culture, which annihilates the spiritual element. For every humanist this situation is a justified reason for concern. Going back to the fundamental matter – strengthening the position of high culture, remembering that human being is an animal symbolicum and can not focus only on meeting the needs of a lower rank. Notwithstanding spirituality is demanding. It makes high demands, for the highest price, which the human has to pay that is the question of abjuration and that only a few can afford. All hope maintains in teachers – idealists who adoring the ideals of high culture will strengthen their spiritual existence and furthermore in educative process inspire and pass on values and ideals to their students, pupils. Conclusion which comes to mind after the analysis is following: a true educational – didactical relation can occur only then and exclusively when it will be in consequence of an encounter set on the spiritual foundation, of which the main beneficiaries will be students and pupils.

The article reveals diagnostic research findings which concerned the use of ICT in homework. The formulated conclusions involve capability of homework check if and to what degree it is copied from websites. Thus also becoming a reference point in future activities aimed at increasing homework.

This paper presents conclusions based on intercultural studies of the significance of passive strategies relating to the declared teachers’ needs as construed by transactional analysis. The study participants included 322 educators from Guatemala, the United Kingdom and Poland. The findings referred to Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory, comparing individualism and collectivism. The study used a questionnaire, specifically the Educational Needs Questionnaire (ENQ) and the “Educator’s Reality” one. The study findings disclose connections consistent with Hofstede’s theory assumptions where the factor protecting teachers coming from the most collectivist culture worldwide (Guatemala) from passivity is the satisfaction of needs in a relationship with another human being (recognition hunger), while in the most individualistic cultures (the UK), this factor will be the satisfaction of individual needs not connected with relationships (structure hunger).

A child's entry into primary school is an important life event for parents that is accompanied not just by the child’s expectations but also those of the parents themselves. We have attempted to interpret them in the present study, which presents the results of a quantitative research investigation conducted through random multi-stage stratified sampling based on analysing relevant surveys and building on the authors' previous qualitative investigations. The sample studied was 504 parents of pupils in Years 1 and 2 who attended selected primary schools in the 2020/2021 school year. The main data collection tool was an online questionnaire that mapped primary school choice strategies and parents' expectations of the school, schooling, and teachers. These factors were then examined in relation to the variable choice of an educational program and parents' attitudes toward education (an academic approach versus a personalistic one). We found that parents' expectations of school choice are principally divided according to whether respondents believe school should fulfil the more traditional role of education or whether they prefer their children to develop their personalities and seek an alternative educational program or school for their offspring.

The main purpose of this paper is to present the preliminary findings of the research focused on the relationship between teachers’ identity processing styles and their attitudes towards external and internal evaluation, as well as teachers’ self-evaluation. This goal allowed for formulating the following research questions: (1) What are teachers’ attitudes toward the three types of evaluation? (2) What are their identity processing styles? and (3) What relationships between the above variables exist? The average was highest on the informational style scale and lowest on the diffuse-avoidant style scale. The study demonstrated a clear differentiation of teachers’ attitudes: from a negative attitude towards external evaluation to a positive one towards self-evaluation. Although the study did not find statistically significant relationships, it contributed to some conclusions on how to study teachers’ attitudes towards evaluation in the future. The research is a step towards finding the factors that positively and negatively influence teachers’ perceptions of evaluation research in their work.

The purpose of the study is to establish the types of emotions that are expressed by primary school teachers, their frequency, and the situations that trigger them. Teachers were observed by primary education students during their practical work at school. The observations of 108 teachers in 93 primary schools in Slovenia were analysed. The results show that teachers express a variety of emotions with the unpleasant ones prevailing. Anger was the most frequently expressed emotion. The situations that triggered emotions were varied. Among them, students’ discipline and academic achievement triggered the majority of pleasant and unpleasant emotions in teachers.

Transformation or Transmission? Humanities Education Facing the Problems of “Displacement” in Pedagogical Relation

In my paper I discuss in pedagogical context the mechanism which Freud referred to as “transference”, and expand this subject with pedagogically relevant commentaries of Jacques Lacan who has proposed to inscribe the Freudian concept of transference into the wider context of the functioning of the authority comprised by the problematic of knowledge as such. The aim of this examination is not only to draw attention to numerous psychoanalytical insights into man’s existence in culture that may enrich pedagogical reflection with new intellectual stimuli, but also to show both positive, and negative sides of the mechanism of transference in education (consisting respectively in facilitating the process of learning and debilitating it) and in this way consider from a different perspective the ambivalence of the teacher’s authority in the classroom.

The aim of education in the uniting Europe is to teach people of different cultures, religions and nationalities how to live together in peace. In the political aspect, it means bringing about rapprochement between nations. In Polish circumstances, Europeanism in the school context means carrying out activities aimed at making pupils realize the existence of the European Union, as well as its objectives and guiding rules. European education assumes that the European Community should be perceived not only in the institutional, economic or poHtical perspective, but mainly in the human one, as related to ever tightening bonds within the frameworks of the OId Continent that build an integrated community. However, the consciousness of the on-going changes can hardly be acknowledged as prevailing and well founded, since the probing research reveals that the knowledge of European problems among present and future PoHsh teachers from the Upper Silesian region is only fragmentary. Such a state of affairs should be a subject of retlection, especially in view of PoIand's imminent accession to the European Union.