COMMON SIGNS AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE DISCOURSE OF TEACHERS IN THE CZECH AND SLOVAK REPUBLICS ON THEIR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CAREER GROWTH

Abstract

The aim of improving the educational process and the results associated with it is declared as a priority objective in the Czech and Slovak environments. The path of professionalization of teachers may be conceptual for improving the quality of education. The professional development of a teacher becomes a central category. The paper aims to present the results of research dedicated to the discourse of teachers about professional development and career growth in the Czech and Slovak Republics. For the discourse analysis, as the central design, research uses a qualitative approach in research. Using modelling in the focus group, discourse characterization categories are created through grounded theory and open coding. Despite the absence of career growth in the Czech Republic, the central category for participants in both countries is their internal motivation for further education - being a better teacher for their pupils. There is a negative attitude of teachers towards the ability of the state to assess who is a “good” teacher through career stages in Slovakia in relation to the career system; then the Czech Republic is accentuated by what criteria the state will do. Based on the participant's arguments, the author assumes that the system of in-service training should provide teachers with opportunities for further education. The primary function should be to ensure the quality and diversity of in-service training programs, as well as to provide teachers with opportunities and freedoms to participate.