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How do students perceive their first-year classes? What motivates them to become teachers? And which study methods help them the most? These are some of the questions explored by the new Center for Educational Research (CPV), established at the Faculty of Education of the University of West Bohemia at the start of the 2024/2025 academic year.

Researchers at the center spent the year collecting data from all years and study programs. Through surveys, interviews, and focus groups, they investigated what helps students learn and how their view of the teaching profession evolves over time. “We’ve gathered valuable data that we are now analyzing. I believe that publishing these findings will help improve teacher training and spark further academic discussion,” said Václav Stacke, head of the center, adding that the full results will be published later.

However, the first publishable findings are already available. “During their studies, students benefit most from active teaching methods, opportunities to collaborate with peers, and regular feedback from instructors. Sharing experiences with fellow students also proves to be valuable. The research further showed that support from both teachers and classmates plays a significant role in boosting students’ motivation and academic success,” added Miroslava Huclová from the Center for Educational Research, noting that the complete results will gradually be published in peer-reviewed educational journals.

For the faculty leadership, one particularly positive finding is that most students begin their studies with the clear intention of becoming teachers. “At the end of the academic year, we held a discussion with first-year students from all programs. It followed up on an earlier survey conducted at the beginning of their studies, allowing us to compare their initial expectations with actual experience. In the discussion, students expressed strong motivation to become teachers and voiced satisfaction with both the teaching and the overall atmosphere at the Faculty of Education,” Stacke added.

The center also focused on the professional development of faculty researchers. It organized a series of workshops led by experts from Masaryk University and the University of West Bohemia, covering research methodology, academic writing, and project development. In the area of qualitative research, participants learned to conduct in-depth interviews and perform thematic analysis. Workshops led by Petr Knecht, Michaela Spurná, and Martin Majčík also addressed the formulation of research questions and data evaluation. The quantitative part of the research was led by Patrik Galeta from the Faculty of Arts, who supported researchers with data analysis for their individual projects.

Practical advice on how to succeed in project calls and publish in high-impact journals was provided by Jiří Zounek and Libor Juhaňák. They also introduced participants to the process of preparing proposals for the Czech grant agencies TA ČR and GA ČR.

The Center for Educational Research has already established cooperation with experts from Masaryk University on research into the quality of higher education. In the future, it aims to further connect research with teaching, inspire educators to innovate, and expand its collaborations with other universities and schools across the Czech Republic.