Educational interaction and communication are classic topics of educational research. The first serious initiations are associated with the 1960s and researchers who focused on the microanalysis of school communication (e.g. the methods of Bellack, Flanders and Taber; in the Czech context, works by Mareš, Gavora, Tollingerová, Průcha and others). At the time of their origin, these usually represented very laborious quantitative perspectives on educational interaction and communication, all of them based on models of mass education. Although both the “school itself” and the research methodolog y have changed since then, these studies are still viewed as inspirational for the research projects of today. The author describes a modified method of FIAS which is applicable for research in teacher-to-pupil communication under conditions current in Czech primary and lower secondary schools. It follows the familiar categorical system of N. A. Flanders but uses different categories of activities and applies computer software.
There has been a long tradition of research aimed at teachers and their professional development in educational and social contexts conducted continuously by both international and Czech research community. In terms of frequency and intensity of the research interest, two areas or stages of teachers’ professional development are most focused on: a novice teacher and an expert teacher. The fact that studies on future teachers and the transformation of students of teaching into teachers are only few and far between deprives teacher education, both its theory and practice, of much needed in-depth insight into these stages. This study highlights two points: Firstly, the evidence of Czech researchers’ low interest in conducting research into teacher education from within, and secondly, the fact that individual stages of professional development of future teachers can be examined and described. It is particularly vital to encompass the early professional development stage when substantial changes in the attitude of beginner students of teaching to themselves as well as to teacher education and practice take place; a student role is redefined. Pointing research interest to this direction results in two outcomes. It leads to recognising a human being within a teacher student; moreover, it provides grounds for authentic and individualised interventions into students’ professional development at faculties of education.
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