The objective of this study was to identify teachers’ diffi culties in implementing thematic learning in elementary schools. The study was phenomenology-type qualitative research. Data were collected through interviews followed by focus group discussion; the focus group discussion involved 15 elementary school teachers from eight provinces that had implemented Curriculum 2013. The data were analyzed by means of Cresswell’s steps. The results of the study showed that teachers encountered obstacles in selecting appropriate problems and themes within thematic, scientific and problem-based learning and in managing time for project-based learning. The availability of learning facilities was still limited. The problems found at the assessment stage was the teachers’ capacity in selecting appropriate techniques, in creating good instruments and in formulating clear assessment criteria.

Pupils’ aggressive behaviour towards teachers is a serious educational problem prompting social need for its solution in the school environment. The present research study aims to monitor the current state of pupils’ aggressive behaviour towards teachers. The study is of a theoretical-empirical nature. At the theoretical level, the issue is relatively little treated in the Slovak professional literature. It is paid more attention by foreign authors. The empirical section of the study presents results of our research conducted in Slovakia in 2016 among teachers of the elementary school second level in the Banská Bystrica and Žilina regions, as well as among professional staff at centres for pedagogical counselling and prevention. The research paid special attention to forms of aggressive behaviour, gender differences and causes of these serious behavioural disorders in pupils. Pupils’ aggressive behaviour towards teachers may have a variety of forms of which the verbal form such as back-talking and vulgarisms towards teachers is the most frequent. Gender differences recorded in pupils’ aggressive behaviour towards teachers showed the prevalence of boys. From the aspect of causes of pupils’ aggressive behaviour towards teachers, those were mainly improper parenting and a lack of teacher authority.

The contribution refers to the participation of environment for the emergence of drug addiction of children and youth. It expounds the origins of drug addiction emergence with special respect to environment’s impact. It also presents selected results of the research implemented at elementary schools of the Banska Bystrica district in the Slovak Republic. A part of the research was directed to determine personal experiences with drugs of pupils at the 2nd stage of elementary schools.

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the school climate in elementary schools. The sample included 231 teachers in 17 public elementary schools in Burdur, Turkey. An exploratory factor analysis on the OCDQ revealed eight factors and reliability analysis indicated that the instrument was reliable. The subscales emerged were hindrance, disengagement, esprit, intimacy, aloofness, trust, consideration, production emphasis. A cluster analysis was performed and two main clusters formed. In addition to descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, and correlation coefficients, and regression analyses were used. A negative relationship between production emphasis and disengagement was found while aloofness and trust positively related to hindrance.

External factors affecting creativity in aesthetic education according to general education school graduates. Findings from qualitative research

The development of creative abilities is crucial for the holistic development of an individual. If the goal of schooling is the comprehensive development of students, the educational environment should stimulate and support processes of creative thinking rather than hinder or block them. One area of education particularly associated with creativity is aesthetic education. By encouraging exploration and interpretation of art and other forms of artistic expression, aesthetic education supports the emotional, intellectual, and social development of students, enabling them to express themselves in original and personal ways, which is essential for cultivating a creative attitude. This article addresses the issue of external factors affecting creativity within aesthetic education implemented in general education schools, specifically in the subjects of visual arts, music, and Polish language. The research process is guided by the question of external conditions influencing creativity in aesthetic education and their potential significance for students’ creative development. The article presents the results of qualitative research conducted through individual interviews with 25 graduates from the 2022/2023 school year. The experiences shared by respondents highlight numerous factors that, according to existing literature, hinder the development of a creative attitude. The research is exploratory in nature.