Abstract:

Choosing a seminar paper topic is a crucial decision for students, influenced by a combination of several factors. These can generally be categorized as intrinsic motivation, practical reasons, or external influences. Intrinsic motivation represents a set of key aspects manifested through personal relevance, such as individual interests, curiosity, or future career goals. This type of personal motivation and intrinsic interest increases student engagement, persistence during the writing process, and the overall quality of the resulting seminar paper. Practical reasons, driven by pragmatism as a characteristic personality trait of students, are manifested in the selection of 'traditional topics.' These are often well-established subjects where there is little risk of misunderstanding the content; furthermore, they offer a sufficient number of available resources and do not require excessive time to complete. The most significant external influence manifested in the selection of a seminar paper topic is its relevance to practice or the student's future career (e.g., current, modern topics such as AI). The personality of the teacher also plays an important role; many students choose topics pre-defined by the educator to minimize the risk of failing to meet the assignment's specific requirements.

The aim of our paper was to analyze the preferences of geography teaching students when selecting topics in the field of regional geography of Slovakia. The course itself is taught in the final year of the Master’s program, and upon its completion, students acquire comprehensive knowledge, skills, and competencies for their future teaching practice. Furthermore, as part of our research, we analyzed the content quality and the formal graphic level of the seminar papers. The research was conducted over four academic years (2022–2026) with a sample of 107 students. The research revealed that the largest proportion of students (29%) chose a seminar paper topic related to locations near their homes (intrinsic motivation). The second-largest group consisted of students who took the path of least resistance and requested a topic directly from the instructor (16%). The third group selected topics focusing on the surrounding areas of the university seat (15%), while the fourth group’s choice was guided by personal interests or hobbies (14%). Another strong preference was the students' professional specialization within their study profile (13%), and the final group comprised students who approached the selection pragmatically, choosing broadly conceived subject matter (12%). Both the content and visual quality of the students' seminar papers showed excellent ratings, considering they are in their final year of study. A significant 53% of students achieved an 'A' grade, while the lowest passing grade, 'E', was received by only 2% of students.

Acknowledgment:
This work was supported by the KEGA agency (grant number: 008UMB-4/2025)

Keywords:

Preferences, topic of seminar paper, regional geography, Slovakia, teacher training students.