Concepts of zero among pupils of the 5th year of elementary school

The diploma thesis deals with the issue of ideas about zero among pupils of the first stage of primary school, specifically among pupils aged 9-11. The aim of the research was to find out what ideas pupils have about zero. To solve the diploma task, the non-standard diagnostic method Kaslová (1994) was used, a style with a mathematical theme outside the mathematics lesson. However, to obtain a complete picture of pupils' ideas, it would be necessary to supplement the diagnostic method with testing methods, however, the analysis of styles shows a number of interesting facts that can be used by primary school teachers and possibly also by authors of didactic materials. The research was carried out in Prague and Central Bohemia, which made it possible to obtain a representative sample of responses from various school environments. The theoretical part of the thesis analyses the historical development of the concept of zero, its role in various number systems and didactic aspects of its introduction into teaching. Attention is also paid to the psychological aspects of acquiring the concept of zero in childhood, including the developmental stages of understanding zero and typical difficulties that children experience in acquiring it. The practical part is divided into two main lines of research. The...