Abstract:

The study investigates how computing teachers at lower secondary schools in the Czech Republic perceive and respond to the curricular transformation of computer science education introduced by reforms in 2021 and 2024. The reforms marked a fundamental conceptual shift away from user-oriented digital skills towards the development of computational thinking, encompassing decomposition, abstraction, pattern recognition, algorithmisation, testing, and evaluation. This reflects broader international trends and the growing recognition that pupils require not merely the ability to operate digital tools, but a deeper understanding of computational principles applicable across educational domains.

The theoretical framework addresses the evolution of computer science as a school subject in the Czech Republic, conceptualises computational thinking and its components, and maps available teaching aids and enrichment activities. Alongside traditional computer classrooms, the new curriculum has expanded the repertoire of tools to include programmable robots, microcomputers, and visual block-based programming environments such as Scratch. Competitions including Bobřík informatiky and First Lego League are identified as valuable motivational extensions of classroom instruction.

The empirical component is based on a quantitative questionnaire survey completed by 474 computing teachers from primary schools across the Czech Republic. Data were collected between October and November 2024. The questionnaire covered professional characteristics, familiarity with curriculum documents, perceived usefulness and difficulty of the new content, attractiveness of topics for pupils, technical equipment, and availability of methodological support. Responses were analysed using descriptive statistics, with open-ended items subjected to thematic analysis.

The findings reveal that a majority of teachers (53.74%) consider the new curriculum more useful than the original, whilst approximately 22% perceived the transition as difficult. Robotics emerged as the topic most frequently identified as attractive to pupils (68.14% agreement), whilst programming attracted a more divided response (44.73% agreement), suggesting its appeal depends more heavily on instructional method. Technical infrastructure proved a considerable strength: 92.19% of schools possess both fixed and mobile computer classrooms, and 90.30% of pupils have individual device access during lessons.

Methodological support yielded more ambivalent results. Whilst approximately half of respondents rated the availability of quality materials positively, one third adopted a neutral position. Notably, 66.46% of teachers reported regularly preparing their own instructional materials, indicating both professional engagement and the insufficiency of existing resources. These findings point to a continuing need for differentiated methodological support and structured continuing professional development.

The study concludes that the reform is progressing positively, underpinned by strong technical infrastructure and broadly favourable teacher attitudes. Sustained systemic support — particularly in teacher education and methodological resourcing — remains essential to ensure the reform fully achieves its objectives in developing pupils' computational and digital competencies.

Keywords:

Computer science, computational thinking, digital competence, primary school, revision of the Framework Educational Programme for Primary Education, teaching aids, curriculum reform.