Learning and Role of the Family in New Media Environment

Abstract

Media are inseparable from upbringing and education. Different information sources should be a supplement to the basic educational relation between the teacher and students. But, immediate and dialogue based relation between the students and teacher, and between parents and their children, cannot be replaced or suppressed by any type of media interference. The final aim for the students/children is to critically approach information and to achieve their development of independent learning in the ever more complex environment. Our study includes theoretical insights on the specified theme, but also a short empirical research conducted on a sample of high school students (N = 104). The aim was to determine to which extent the students from grammar and vocational high schools believe information they encounter, whether their teachers instruct them to use additional information collected from various electronical and textual sources when solving an educational tasks and whether they are warned of the necessity to check out the information. The aim was also to determine the extent of parent’s familiarity with the topics their children confront in various types of sources, frequency of conversations about gathered information with their children and frequency of stimulation to check the information.