RESEARCH OBJECTIVE:
The overarching aim of this research is to deepen our understanding of curiosity development in school-aged children. A key research question investigates the trajectory of curiosity following entry into primary school. Consequently, the research focuses on factors influencing the development of curiosity and examines potential interventions to foster it during this period. Secondarily, the study will target curiosity at the onset of adolescence, a period marked by significant cognitive development. The research will examine whether this developmental stage presents a renewed “window of opportunity” for fostering curiosity.

METHODOLOGY:
The research employs a longitudinal design within ScioSchools, involving pupils from grades 4 to 9 (ages 10–15). Additionally, we conduct cross-sectional surveys to assess curiosity levels in primary schools outside the Scio network. To date, data has been collected from 600 ScioSchool pupils and approximately 1,000 respondents from other schools. While primarily relying on self-report questionnaires, we complement these quantitative measures with qualitative methods to validate our instruments. This mixed-methods approach not only strengthens the validity of current measurements but also lays the foundation for developing more advanced assessment tools. Building on these insights, we are developing objective methods rooted in cognitive tasks and behavioural approaches. The ultimate goal is to understand curiosity and its drivers using a diverse range of analytical tools designed to establish causal relationships.

OUTPUTS AND RESULTS:
The research is currently ongoing. Due to the subtle nature of changes over time, the longitudinal phase requires an additional 2–3 years to identify developmental patterns. However, cross-sectional analyses have already revealed correlations between curiosity and five key domains: interpersonal relationships, systems, wellbeing, attitudes, and habits.
A summary of preliminary findings is available here: https://www.scioresearch.com/vyzkum-zvidavosti/

PUBLICATIONS, LINKS, NETWORKS:
Papers summarising the research findings to date were presented at the international ECER 2025 conference in Belgrade and at the 33rd Annual ČAPV Conference held in Olomouc in September 2025. We plan to submit a peer-reviewed article later this year. Alongside academic publications, we will make the research results accessible to the wider public through popular science articles. One such example is the article “How Does Curiosity Work in Children?”, published in the online magazine Perpetuum.cz.

This research topic is being addressed within the framework of our two ongoing projects: OP JAK 2025–2028: New Technologies and Transformations in Education TA ČR 2025–2028: Explorer