This paper focuses on the procedure and results for analyzing text-difficulty in lower-secondary chemistry textbooks in the Czech Republic. The authors use established methodology for text-difficulty analysis by Nestler, adapted by Průcha and Pluskal by adding a second independent analyser to improve reliability. Some textbooks do not follow the expected trend of either text-difficulty coherence or increasing text-difficulty between books for the 8th and 9th grade. No trend in topic difficulty was found either. The results show that learning outcomes may differ significantly when different books are used, despite the fact that they are supposed to support the same curriculum. For this reason, the results serve to support not only teachers when selecting a textbook, but also researchers as a starting point for lesson observations.

No abstract

The (written) state curriculum is one of the cornerstones influencing education. Its specifically mediated by textbooks. In an open textbook market, the influence of the state curriculum is limited, and the main responsibility passes to individual schools or teachers. In order to understand education from the potential attainment of curriculum goals’ point of view, it is necessary to pay attention to the teachers’ textbook preferences. This research was focused on the field of lower-secondary chemistry education in Czechia, with special attention paid to the textbooks in use, their choice, and teachers’ perception of them. The data were gathered using a questionnaire distributed to a representative sample of 387 lower-secondary school chemistry teachers. The results showed that teachers favor traditional chemistry teaching conceptions. Most teachers stated that textbooks play a vital role for them when preparing lessons and new textbooks are mostly chosen by the most experienced teachers. Most teachers also expressed their preference for textbooks which contain subject-matter ordered according to the structure of chemistry, i.e. not adjusted for learners, as well as textbooks dominantly orientated towards the transmissive approach to education. Regarding the teachers’ perception of textbooks, potential limits were identified in implementing innovations in (chemical) education. Keywords: chemistry textbooks, lower-secondary school science education, teachers' teaching conception

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.

Tento článek je příspěvkem k procesu mapování edukační reality výuky chemie na středních odborných školách nechemického zaměření. Jeho hlavním cílem bylo zjistit postoje žáků středních odborných škol k chemii jako vědě a školnímu předmětu. V rámci zkoumání postojů žáků byla sledována i orientace žáků v náplni učiva chemie a jejich názor na užitečnost oboru pro jejich život. Výsledky orientačního průzkumu jsou dány do souvislosti s dosavadními poznatky o edukační realitě na těchto typech škol a slouží jako důležitá informační základna pro další výzkum.

This work is focused on upper-secondary school students' ability to use the periodic table of elements to solve problem tasks. Eye-tracking and retrospective think-aloud methods were used to evaluate the reasoning behind the students' (N = 8) performance, i.e., to map the strategies they used and problems they faced when solving the tasks. The data from the eye-tracker were submitted to a quantitative analysis−time fixation duration evaluation on predefined areas of interest. The think-aloud method supporting the eye-tracking record together with the students' transitions also enabled a qualitative analysis of the students' procedure. Most of the students failed the tasks. The main reason was their lack of fundamental knowledge together with low reading and problem-solving skills, in addition to a lack of motivation to solve more demanding tasks. Their knowledge and ability to use the periodic table was proved insufficient to the corresponding curricular objective. The students mostly used expansive strategies, however, due to some problems (e.g., low prior knowledge, misunderstanding, or inattentive reading), they used limiting strategies (e.g., deducing from the task structure or guessing answers), and failed the tasks. These results offer a solid foundation for subsequent steps toward improving classroom practice, which stresses the need to focus on problem-solving and strategy development more during (chemistry) lessons. Also, the results call for extra support for the periodic table's teaching conception.

Textbooks’ fundamental influence on teaching is caused not only by their subject matter, but also by their didactic elaboration. Textbooks’ individual functions are fulfilled through incorporated structural elements. Their pool is referred to as the didactic equipment of the textbook and represents qualities of the textbook through the options it gives to its users. The presented overview of lower-secondary chemistry textbooks’ didactic equipment included 7 series of currently available textbooks. Results of the analysis serve not only as a possible guide for chemistry teachers’ textbook selection, but they also provide insight into the current state to authors of textbooks and other didactic materials. Chemistry textbooks for lower-secondary schools achieve relatively high didactic equipment (75-92 %). The best equipped are the series of textbooks published after the current state curriculum introduction (by publishing houses Fraus and Nova Skola). Surprisingly, however, the most recently published textbooks by the Taktik publishing house showed the lowest didactic equipment.

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.