Abstract
The longitudinal qualitative research study described in this book adds to existing knowledge on educational reforms in transition countries. A set of five schools from different parts of the Czech Republic was chosen by theoretical sampling, based on the assumptions about the role of context, above all, the degree of competition for pupils among neighboring schools.
The main data collection was performed in the first year of the reform, and again five years later. The second part of the book displays the case studies of the five schools.
Finally, a cross-case analysis using cross-case displays was performed, looking for the key issues that emerged in the individual cases and topics. (1) When talking about their curricular priorities, all schools more or less focus on the quality of English (or broadly foreign) language teaching and learning. (2) The school choice seems to be the key mechanism responsible for the changes of the five schools studied. (3) The majority of school leaders and teachers declared more or less openly their distrust and resistance to reform.