Student Diversity and Differentiation in Teaching

This research group focuses on the manifestations of differences among students, their impact on the educational process, and effective ways of managing classroom diversity to ensure that every student achieves success. This topic is significant because every classroom contains differences among students arising from their individual educational needs.

We examine the issue of working with student diversity in various environments and from different perspectives – observing the teaching practices of student teachers at the faculty and during their internships at lower secondary schools, focusing on their preparation for working with diverse classrooms. We are also interested in the practices of experienced teachers and the perspectives of students themselves on how their needs are met in the classroom.

For example, our research has shown that student teachers during their internships at lower secondary schools tend to focus primarily on "prominent" students whose needs are hard to overlook within the class, often neglecting the individual needs of other students, who make up the majority of the class.

Based on our research findings, we recommend that both novice and experienced teachers differentiate and individualize instruction more thoroughly, thereby contributing to truly inclusive practices. They can utilize various strategies, such as alternating organizational forms of instruction, materials and aids, or ways of providing feedback to students.

On the Road to Inclusion: Ukrainian Refugees in Czech Schools

An independent research team led by Dr. Oksana Yuriyivna Stupak is currently focusing on the inclusion of Ukrainian refugee students in Czech primary and lower secondary schools. The study examines the current efforts and needs of all key stakeholders in the educational process – students, teachers, parents, and others. The main goal of the research is to provide insights that can help improve educational conditions for Ukrainian refugee students and support the development of an inclusive learning environment in Czech schools.