Papers by Ivana Cimermanova
Journal of language and cultural education, Oct 1, 2023
The rapid change in education in March 2020, triggered by the pandemic, prompted an equally swift... more The rapid change in education in March 2020, triggered by the pandemic, prompted an equally swift response from stakeholders, managers, teachers, and, not least, pupils. Struggling with physical, technological, and methodological problems, teachers also had to contend with the social isolation of their pupils, as well as the emotional, technical, and learning challenges faced by the pupils, all of which, of course, had an impact on their own mental and physical well-being. The aim of the study is to investigate the extent to which the ability to use online tools influences the stress teachers faced during a pandemic, similar to the effect of school and government management support on stress intensity. The sample for this study comprised 72 male and female participants between the ages of 24 and 54 years. Convenient sampling was employed to collect data. The questionnaire with binary, Likert scale, and open-ended questions was administered to the sample. Correlation tests and t-tests were used to analyze the data in this study. The research revealed a statistically significant medium negative correlation between the intensity of stress and the ability to use digital tools, as well as a similar correlation between stress and the perceived support from the government. The results indicate that teachers' ability to use online tools significantly improved during the pandemic. However, it also highlights the urgent need for changes in teacher training education to equip pre-service teachers with 21st-century skills.
Arab world English journal, Jun 28, 2024
A study investigated the perceptions and level of knowledge of education law and relevant documen... more A study investigated the perceptions and level of knowledge of education law and relevant documents, it presents the partial results focused on professionalization of the teachers' profession among regular education teachers (n = 275). The aim of the theoretical part is to present the basic terminology connected to the pedagogical profession. The authors focus especially on the determination and legislation of professionalization of this profession in the context of Slovakia's accession to the European Union. The research identifi ed opinions of teachers on the changes that EU legislation brought to their work. Key words: law education in Slovakia, teaching profession, EU degrees of education, entrance processes and graduation processes. Law 317/2009 coll. on Law on pedagogical employees and professional employees and on the Change and Supplement to Some Acts defi nes rights and duties, assumptions and professional development of the pedagogical employees and professional employees.
International Journal of English Language and Translation Studies, Dec 1, 2013
The article discusses the importance of acceptance of the multiple intelligence types as one of t... more The article discusses the importance of acceptance of the multiple intelligence types as one of the key factor influencing the (language) teaching. It focuses mainly on the possibility to introduce art as a source of material for language teaching, providing a wide spectrum of possibilities to introduce different types of activities. The author understands art not only as a source for language teaching/learning but something more than that. For her, the art can be a source for presenting moral and aesthetic values and the material, which will develop learners as a complete personality. The art can bring ethics, culture, history to the language lesson and can help learners to understand the mentality and culture of the target language countr(ies) more deeply. The paper is the case study done at the secondary school (1 graders), using some materials and preparing them for achieving the states aim, by the author. This study was a space to learn more about the students’ perception of task based approach, what gave them a chance to experience a shift from ‘teacher-centred’ learning to ‘learner centred’ lesson.
Scientia et Eruditio, 2017
Content and language integrated learning is one out of the bilingual methods that has been freque... more Content and language integrated learning is one out of the bilingual methods that has been frequently discussed by language teachers, researchers and scholars for the last decade in Slovak educational environment. Mostly they are positive about the benefits CLIL offers for learners and they study both results in language and subject achievement; moreover, they investigate its impact on teachers' competencies and feasible integration of language and content. The article outlines general definition of the CLIL term; illustrates its benefits and drawbacks; discusses the competencies of a CLIL teacher; deals with an issue of materials and takes closer look at integration of English language and Mathematics teaching.
Problems of education in the 21st century, Nov 25, 2011
International journal for innovation education and research, Nov 30, 2013
The author deals with a topic quite often discussed by not only pedagogy and psychology. Creativi... more The author deals with a topic quite often discussed by not only pedagogy and psychology. Creativity is present everywhere and the author suggests it should be a part of University education preparing pre-service teachers. Even though there are researches proving that creativity can be learnt and developed (to certain extent) it is still missing at our schools. Students and pupils still claim that they are asked to memorize the facts rather than to discuss their own opinions and perception. The study briefly presents part of the data gained in the research focused on using creativity at elementary and secondary schools. The interview with 22 teachers was done in 2 sessions (10 and 12 teachers to manage to administer the responses).
Sustainability, Sep 20, 2018
Education for sustainable development has been addressed by professionals, authorities, and a num... more Education for sustainable development has been addressed by professionals, authorities, and a number of research studies in the last decades, and yet the results are not clearly visible. Teachers as agents of a new mindset do not seem to understand the ways of approaching raising awareness of the issues of global challenges. This study investigated the possibility of raising the extent of applying critical thinking to the problem-solving issues of a group of student teachers in their initial training. The sample consisted of 48 student teachers. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used: namely, a questionnaire, content analysis, and focus group interviews. An archive of the students' materials was also used for content analysis. In the data analysis, inter-rater reliability, as well as parametric (t-test) and non-parametric tests (Mann-Whitney U test) were applied. The results of the study provide evidence of the positive impact of the use of case studies in teaching pre-service teachers on the development of their critical thinking skills. It can be concluded that it should not be taken for granted that teachers automatically know how to develop the competencies that are necessary for sustainable development (SD). Instead, teacher education institutions need to incorporate thorough training that focusses on education for sustainable development (ESD) into the entire teacher programme in order to make sure that the teachers leave their initial training well prepared for guaranteeing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
INTED proceedings, Mar 1, 2023
INTED proceedings, Mar 1, 2023
Acta Didactica Napocensia, 2009
The article discusses the issue of e-learning courses as an alternative to traditional face-to-fa... more The article discusses the issue of e-learning courses as an alternative to traditional face-to-face courses or the support of the face-face courses. The main aim of the article is not to decide which alternative is more effective, but to find out whether there are students with particular learning style who are pre-disposed to e-learning. There were eight hypothesis postulated and tested in the research. However, we bring only four of them in this article. Hypothesis were verified by means the statistical analysis of a pedagogical experiment and results gained in the standardized questionnaires. The data were elaborated by the statistical software SPSS. The final conclusions are formulated based on the results of the research achieved by the author of the article. Zusammenfassung: Der Beitrag handelt über das Problem der E-Lernen-Kurse als einer möglichen Alternative zu der traditionellen Präsentionausbildung. Das Hauptziel besteht nicht darin, die Entscheidung zu treffen, welche Alternative effektiver ist, sondern zu beurteilen, ob so eine Gruppe der Studenten mit einem bestimmten Lernenstyl existiert, die bestimmt für die Ausbildung durch E-Learning wäre. Zuerst wurden 8 Hypothesen gestellt,von denen wir in diesem Beitrag 4 analysieren. Das Prüfen der Hypothese wurde von einem pädagogischen Experten und statistischer Bearbeitung der Ergebnisse von standardisierten Testen realisiert.
Some 15 years ago we were talking about using computers in language teaching in Slovak schools as... more Some 15 years ago we were talking about using computers in language teaching in Slovak schools as something very rare, mostly mentioning simple applications. Later on there was a boom of educational multimedia and we started to debate much not just about CALL, but we were also mentioning multimedia in language teaching. Today, talking about computer assisted language teaching is not the correct term to describe new trends as m-learning (using mobile phones in education). Using Second life to deliver materials to students (with 3D graphics) etc. is very slowly building its position in education as well. People even read texts, send texts, look up all the information about the movie sitting in cinemas and theatres; people traveling on buses read e-books and watch movies and they do not bother themselves by carrying notebooks, they have their phones. Development in the technical sphere is rapid, however its reflection in the educational sphere is much slower than one would expect. Usually some "geeks" act as pioneers and influence their colleagues showing the possibilities and advantages of using them in schooling. Systematic preparation of pre-service teachers in using technologies in language teaching is missing.
Electronic Journal of e-Learning, Oct 1, 2018
A technology supported environment in the educational context has been identified as a useful wor... more A technology supported environment in the educational context has been identified as a useful work space with the potential to deepen the learning experience. This study focuses on ways of using it for the development of reflection as a key teaching competence within initial teacher training. It is based on the premise that enriched reflection conducted in a technology supported environment will result in more a specific, more profound and thus deeper learning experience of student teachers. The purpose of this study was to measure the level of depth of the reflection conducted in a regular higher education ELT methodology course after a microteaching session and to compare it with the reflection student teachers provided after their experience had been enriched by other classmates´ suggestions within VLE. The study was conducted over 2 semesters and the research sample consisted of 52 undergraduate students. Non-probability sampling was applied, namely convenience sampling. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used including content analysis and semi-structured focus-group interviews. To increase the internal validity and objectivity in coding the responses and data interpretation multiple researchers were used. The results of the current study suggest that enriched reflection provided student teachers with such a depth of stimuli that their approach towards their own reflection demonstrated a significant difference in comparison with regular reflection conducted in face to face learning.
Journal of Arts and Humanities, Dec 26, 2013
Available Online December 2013 Developing foreign language skills as well as information communic... more Available Online December 2013 Developing foreign language skills as well as information communication skills belong among the key competences defined by the EU. We do realize that the current generations are digital natives and they live in the world that is different than was ours. Even though we are ready to use technologies to simplify our life, to make some processes more efficient, our children use them naturally. The article presents information gained in the research realized among elementary school teachers who teach 6-7 years old children. The focus group consisted of the teachers who use internet to support their teaching and their pupils use the net for their home preparation and practice.
Journal of language and cultural education, 2017
The study of foreign languages is obligatory for all pupils in Slovakia, where the first foreign ... more The study of foreign languages is obligatory for all pupils in Slovakia, where the first foreign language is English. Conforming to integration legislation, pupils with special educational needs (SEN) are taught in mainstream classes. Foreign language teachers, however, lack training and where not prepared how to apply teaching methods and techniques for pupils with SEN in the regular language learning class. In the study presented, 187 elementary school teachers filled out questionnaires dealing with integration of pupils with SEN and possible inclusion of learners with disabilities in Slovakia and a group of 56 university FLT students-teachers-to-be. Teachers are not forced and/or encouraged to take part in in-service courses or other education on how to teach these pupils. The pre-service teachers are offered courses on SEN teaching, however, these are not compulsory and mostly general education oriented. The majority of in-service and preservice teachers felt that pupils with SEN should be taught in regular education class. The article also describes the current situation concerning integration of students with SEN using the official statistical data.
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, Feb 1, 2015
ABSTRACT The study concentrated on the possible effects of using authentic comics with EFL learne... more ABSTRACT The study concentrated on the possible effects of using authentic comics with EFL learners. It examined the strategies applied by novice readers in reading comics with the special focus on lexical guessing using context. The data for this illustrative qualitative case study were collected from observations, discussions, verbal report and in some cases students' writings. The results indicated possible positive effects in vocabulary development and motivation to reading and overcoming linguistic barriers in reading authentic material using the context and prior knowledge.
International Journal of Instruction, Jul 3, 2018
In recent years, researchers have shown an increased interest in learner styles as one of the key... more In recent years, researchers have shown an increased interest in learner styles as one of the key factors influencing learning generally. During the last decade we have also noticed rapid advances in the field of technology enhanced learning and growing trend towards its application in formal education. Introduction of different forms of e-learning (e.g. computer assisted learning, blended learning, massive online open courses (MOOCs), etc.) has become reality at most universities. The principal objective of the research presented in the study was to find out whether learning styles of students and the form of teaching generate interaction effects on their learning achievements. Grasha-Riechmann Student Learning Style Scales (GRSLSS) inventory was applied to define the learner styles of the sample subjects and pedagogical quasi experiment was conducted within the period of one semester. The research used a convenience sample of 81 fifth year university students (pre-service English language teachers) split into control (n=55) and experimental (n=27) groups. The results of a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed no significant findings. The results indicate that the learning styles and form of teaching have no effect on academic achievement.
Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra eBooks, 2014
Journal of language and cultural education, 2015
The paper discusses the role of e-portfolio in the development of reflective thinking in a group ... more The paper discusses the role of e-portfolio in the development of reflective thinking in a group of pre-service English as a foreign language teachers. It stresses the benefits it can bring (e.g. autonomous learning, cooperative learning-the author highlights the social context of e-portfolio) as well as presents the threats and risks it might bring based on the own experience of the author. The results of this case study showed that the process of eportfolio building can enhance professional development, self-confidence and the ability to self-reflect own work and progress. The author indicates also the possibilities of its use not only in the groups of pre-service teacher trainers but also in the groups of in-service teachers. Keywords e-portfolio, self-reflection, self-confidence, cooperative learning We cannot teach people anything; we can only help
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Papers by Ivana Cimermanova