Teachers in a world of information: Detecting false information

Abstract

The media have advanced rapidly in recent years, bringing with them new challenges, such as the need to acquire adequate training to be successful in today’s global world. Since anyone can participate in public media communication, misinformation is an element that shapes today’s society. This article focuses on the extent to which Czech teachers believe fake news and conspiracy theories. We conducted an online survey with a total of 2,155 teachers from all regions of the Czech Republic. The teachers assessed a total of 34 statements divided into three thematic groups: statements related to the European Union, statements related to the Covid-19 disease pandemic and statements focusing on well-known historical, cultural and social phenomena. More than half (61.14%) of Czech teachers were able to correctly judge the truthfulness of statements. Nevertheless, 15.59% of Czech teachers admit that they are not able to assess the statements in a relevant way, and only 10.41% believed some of the fake news or conspiration theories.