Abstract
The first part of the edited monograph deals with two diagnostic categories:epilepsy and dyslexia. Studies of these two diagnoses empirically supported the claims that a school environment represented by peers and teachers attitudes toward an afflicted child has a significant influence on the forming of its self-concept.The epilepsy study focused on an experimental program aimed at changing peers attitudes toward a fellow student suffering from epilepsy.
The experimental manipulation in the study succeeded in effecting an attitude change in more prosocial direction.Research of various social dimensions among dyslectics showed lowered self-esteem and worsened sociometric position of dyslectics among their peers. These findings have a strong tendency to persist into adulthood.Motivational and emotional determinants of the learning and teaching processes are studied in the second part.
Research showed that the use of individual relational norms may not lead to the improvement of students´ motivation and -quite contrary to it- the use of such norms in the areas of attributions of achievement and expectations may lower general motivation.Moreover, it indicates certain discrepancies between measured teachers´ orientations to prefer a specific type of norm and their actual work with relational norms.Another study focusing on motivation diagnostics dealt with the development and validation process of the Czech version of the technique: On-line Motivation Questionnaire - OMQ by M. Boekaerts.The questions of teachers´ self-development are being discussed in the third part.
Experiential study of psychosomatic disciplines (dialogical conduct, voice education) is a path to self-knowledge and to the building of one´s own identity.These issues are dealt with in two chapters.The last chapter introduces the method of themes collages and the method is shown as appropriate for the widening of teachers´ views as regards their vocation and as regards the themes in their personal lives.