Historical consciousness and the teaching of history in the Czech Republic

Abstract
This article deals with the problems of teaching history in the Czech Republic. The fi ndings contained in it have been obtained under broadly conducted research of historical consciousness of the population of the Czech Republic, carried out in the years 2009-2012. This project included several partial investigations, carried out through qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The research focused on the population of the Czech Republic, especially on teachers of history from primary and secondary schools. This article focuses on four research questions: a) how important is the knowledge of history and teaching of history for Czech citizens? b) from where do people derive their knowledge about history and what role does the teaching of history play? c) how is the teaching of history at primary and secondary schools considered from the perspective of citizens and teachers? d) what problems are now commonly associated with the teaching of history at Czech schools? It tries to identify the strengths and weaknesses of contemporary history education in Czech schools.