The Department of Mathematics of the Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, in cooperation with the Nitra branch of the Union of Slovak Mathematicians and Physicists, organized with the support of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education (ERME) a summer school for doctoral students and young researchers called Intensive training school in qualitative research design and research methods in mathematics education 2022.

The organization of the summer school received financial assistance as part of the support of emerging communities of researchers in the field of mathematics education in Eastern Europe already in 2019. Part of the costs of the summer school realized in 2022 was covered by projects 006UKF-2-1/2021 Support of internationalization at the Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, KEGA 015UKF-4/2021 Collaboration as a means of professional growth of mathematics teachers and 2020-1-DE03-KA201-077363 Computational Thinking Learning Environment for Teachers in Europe. The summer school was originally scheduled on March 25-27, 2020. Due to the global pandemic situation, it was moved to the on-line space on March 22-26, 2021. On June 29-July 1, 2022, it took place also as a face-to-face event in the Department of Mathematics and in the Hall of Constantine the Philosopher.

The eight speakers accepted the invitation to the summer school (Ronnie Karsenty from Israel, Jose Diego-Mantecon from Spain, Jarmila Novotná from the Czech Republic, Zsolt Lavicza from Austria, Edyta Nowinska from Germany, Miroslawa Sajka from Poland, Ingrid Semanišinová and Veronika Hubeňáková from Slovakia) and prepared lectures and workshops for the participants about their experiences using qualitative methods in research in mathematics education. Some of the participants also presented their research and received valuable feedback from international experts. The scientific program of the summer school was supplemented with a guided tour of the Nitra castle on Thursday and a visit to the museum in Oponice on Friday afternoon.

We received more than 50 applications for the spring school, from which 20 participants from 7 countries were selected (Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Denmark, USA, and Israel). Preference was given to participants from the target countries of financial support (Slovakia and Hungary). Other applicants were selected based on their motivation letters.

The participants and lecturers at the summer school highly rated the level of the lectures and workshops, as well as the work of the organizing committee composed of: doc. PaedDr. Janka Medová, PhD. (chairman), RNDr. Kitti Páleníková, PhD., PaedDr. Veronika Bočková, PhD., Mgr. Martin Cápay, PhD. and Mgr. Silvia Harnigová. We would like to thank also to doc. Mgr. Martin Drlík, PhD. for creating and managing an LMS course for the participants.

Text: Janka Medová, KM FPVaI UKF v Nitre
Photo: Lubo Balko