In our research we were searching how influential are textbooks (in comparism with other materials and factors) in teachers´ decisions about the content of teaching. We were also interested in the question if (and why) teachers modify the existing textbooks and what kind of textbooks they prefer. 

The researches show that especially at the beginning of their professional career, teachers use the existing textbook materials to plan their lessons with a relative consistency, even though they think that the majority of commercially published textbook materials require some adaptations and adjustments (Grossman & Thompson, 2008; Peacock & Gates, 2000).

 According to many experts, the commercially published textbooks can no longer be perceived as materials that carry authority and therefore are rigorously used by teachers. Currently the concept of participation on the text coined by Remillard (2005) is coming to the fore. In this concept, teachers and textbook materials are in a mutually dynamic relationship. Teachers adapt and interpret texts and in the process of working with texts they themselves undergo changes. At the same time, the textbook texts are products of sociocultural development and as such, they are retrospectively formed by both teachers’ and pupils’ actions (Brown, 1992; Dvořák et al., 2008, p. 83; DBRC, 2003; Wang & Hannafin, 2005).

Pinar and col. (2004, p. 699 – 704) mention the approach they call curriculum enactment, in which the implementation means a change in teachers’ thinking. In this approach, teachers individually develop themselves and change their thinking as well as their behaviour while working with curriculum. This process can therefore be referred to as curriculum development rather than its implementation.

 Research surveys (Grossman & Thompson, 2008; Peacock & Gates, 2000) reveal that teachers realize the need to modify the existing textbook materials. Many professionals are of the opinion that teachers should be active designers of the curriculum (Rodríguez, Mesa, 2012). In their opinion, teachers should be able to analyse state and district curriculum decisions, to a certain extent they should be able to decide about the content of education and methodology, select, utilise and elaborate their own textbook materials that provide greater contextual appropriateness. In the times of European curriculum reforms, development of subject matter methodologies and individualized teaching, these demands on teachers are very ambitious.

 The findings of our previous research based on qualitative approach (Stará, Krčmářová, 2014; Stará, Dvořáková, Dvořák) showed that selected teachers see themselves as the ones who decide on instructional content although they base their decision on textbook materials in reality.

 In our quantitative research, we would like to collect the data that should say us how much teachers really decide on instructional content, to what level they modify the textbooks and what qualities of textbooks help them to realize the instruction according their beliefs.

We are also interested in the relationship of the length of teaching practice and the level of modifying the textbooks, the level of decision making on the instructional content and type of preferable textbooks.

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