Understanding the intellectual demands of an intended curriculum is crucial as it defines the frames for teaching and learning processes and practice during lessons. In this study, upper-secondary school chemistry curricula contents in Czechia, Finland, and Turkey were analysed, and their objectives were compared using the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy (RBT). The intellectual demands were examined analysing the action verbs in the three curricula objectives based on their association with the intended cognitive process dimensions in the RBT. The Turkish upper-secondary chemistry curriculum was found to be more structured, detailed, and containing more objectives than the Czech and Finnish curricula. The domineering objectives in cognitive demands were understand (77.2%) and analyse and apply (both 7.1%). Conceptual items dominated (59.8%) with procedural items identified (29.1%). Also, there are five metacognitive items (3.9%). The Czech curriculum, compared to the Finnish and Turkish curricula, does not take modern trends in the field of chemistry into account. The cognitive demands in the Czech curriculum were skewed toward apply (40%) with understand and evaluate accordingly represented by 20%. Conceptual items dominate with a 53.3% of occurrence. In the Finnish curriculum, the cognitive demands were skewed toward apply (47.1%) with create (23.5%) and understand (17.6%). Procedural (35.3%) domains predominate, although metacognitive objectives represent a significant share (23.5%) too. These findings from the contents and intellectual demands of the curricula in each of the three countries have the potential to help teachers and other actors in education design the interventions and assessments implemented in the classes. Comparing the distribution of intellectual demands between the countries provides an international reference for educational reforms in hand in many countries.

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This research is focused on secondary school chemistry teachers’ (N=276) and chemistry pre-service teachers’ (N=159) attitudes towards the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in education. A questionnaire constructed upon Rogers’ theory of diffusion of innovation was used. Based on the answers, the respondents were grouped according to their innovativeness – into types of innovation adopters. Analysis of the participants’ responses to the statements in the questionnaire suggests that neither gender nor their teaching experience influence their innovativeness. The respondents mostly tend to hold a pragmatic view, accept the role of ICT in education. However, they need proof to decide whether to adopt it in their teaching practice. As the respondents could leave their contact information, it is possible to further focus on particular groups of innovation adopters, to observe their lessons, analyse their approach and mainly influence and support those groups, which maintain a “role model” position and trigger diffusion of innovations. Keywords: chemistry education, ICT, diffusion of innovations, teachers’ attitudes, pre-service teachers’ attitudes.

This paper deals with the process of eLearning implementation in engineering education. It is structured into four parts which (1) analyze this process in the Czech Republic, (2) evaluate the contribution of eLearning seminars, conferences and competitions held at the Faculty of Informatics and Management, University of Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic, (3) provide reflection of the situation in current research activities in this field and (4) present data collected at the University of Hradec Kralove

The aim of this research was to empirically validate constructs for evaluation of teachers' attitudes toward usage of educational software in chemistry teaching. Questionnaire with items transformed from UTAUT (Unified theory of acceptance and use of technology) and other technology acceptance theories were filled in by 556 Czech chemistry teachers. All constructs passed recommended .7 thresholds of Cronbach’s alpha so they can be used in acceptability researches before and after introduction of educational software or building models. However, analyses of effect sizes show that there are not only differences between users and all nonusers generally, but also prove differences between various types of nonusers. Nonusers were established as a) those who had used educational software and abandoned it; b) those who do not use educational software, but are planning to use it in the future, and c) those who do not use educational software and have no intentions to use it. An unexpected finding reveals that differences among subgroups of nonusers can be even larger than between users and nonusers, especially the group c) is an outstanding group. Consequently, factors and their influence on the acceptance and use of educational software in chemistry teaching should be explored for each group separately. Keywords: chemistry education, education software, technology acceptance.

School experiments represent a necessary means of subject-matter presentation in chemistry education and are important for chemical (scientific) thinking. Despite being a focus of several texts, a complex view on the experimental activity in chemistry education in Czechia is missing. The results of a questionnaire survey among 466 lower-secondary, lyceum and grammar school teachers focused on types of conducted experiments, their frequency, the place they are conducted. The most frequently used chemicals and sources of inspiration are presented in the paper. The results show that despite experiments’ significant role in education, its occurrence is rather seldom and teacher’s demonstrations prevail over students’ experiments. The list of the most often used chemicals suggests the experiments are mostly focused on inorganic chemistry. These results open further questions regarding occupational safety at schools as an important factor which could also be the reason for such a low representation of experiments in Czech chemistry education.

1799 prospective elementary and prospective science teachers from six countries (Croatia, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey) participate in the study about the level of motivation toward science courses, pedagogy courses and self-efficacy. The most important findings were that choosing educational career as the first choice of prospective teachers depends on country and study track. The highest percentage of prospective teachers who choose teaching career and will probably stay teachers is in participating institutions from Slovenia and Croatia and the lowest in Slovakia and Turkey with Czech Republic and Lithuania in between. The percentages are higher for prospective elementary teachers than for prospective science teachers. Motivation of prospective teachers' regarding to the science courses and pedagogy courses vary. Differences between countries are small but as a rule future science teachers are more motivated for science courses than for pedagogy/didactics courses and the opposite is true for elementary A. Šorgo et al. / Relations Between Motivation For Science Courses6598 teachers. Differences on general self-efficacy beliefs vary within and between countries? On average values falls in the upper third range what can be predictor of good teaching. Correlation between students' motivation toward science courses, pedagogy courses and their self-efficacy beliefs is statistically significant but low, showing that good students are generally motivated for all courses but differences between motivation toward science and pedagogy exists and depends on study track. Conclusion of our study is that science teachers are better equipped to cope with problems than elementary teachers, but elementary teachers will most probably work at the working place they choose as their first will.

Cross national study on opinions on science teaching was revealed on a sample of 1799 (596 males, 1203 females) pre-service elementary and science teachers' enrolled in various departments at selected universities in Croatia, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey. Three factors explaining 43.4% of variance were extracted from a pool of 22 items of affirmative statements. In combination with all three factors it was possible to construct a ghost teacher. Such teacher, constructed from the study, recognizes the importance of active student-centred teaching with respect to culture of the society, both in content and values, but will in practice teach with high achievements in mind and teacher centred practice as a vehicle towards success. Differences between teachers from different countries, between genders and between study tracks are statistically significant. The most influential factor determining opinions is the dominant teaching culture of the country.