NEWS

21.4.2026 The EduArt Center is a leader in research on virtual music therapy, which has emerged as a completely new area of ​​music therapy practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. A team led by doctoral student Mgr. et Mgr. Monika Bucharová has just published a scoping review in the prestigious journal JBI Evidence Synthesis, which represents the most comprehensive existing review focused on this issue. Find the published scoping review here.

9.4.2026 In March, we met with representatives of the easySLR systematic review program, Hemant Rathi. It was a day full of information, tips and tricks for working with this program. We learned how to create a project and protocol in the program, how to set inclusion and exclusion criteria, how to create a PRISMA diagram here, how to use highlights and tags and how these functions can facilitate screening of results and their quick filtering. We also learned how to use the software to design a search strategy, how to upload search results and full texts to the program or how to use tools to facilitate screening of results, both in the title-abstract phase and in the full-text phase and for data extraction, or how to generate a final report. The meeting also included a stimulating discussion of questions and suggestions. We are very happy that we had the opportunity to test the software and we thank the company for providing a demo version and we look forward to further cooperation.

23.2.2026 The EduArt Center is launching a collaboration on the project "Supporting Teaching Science with Digital and AI Tools" within the framework of contractual research with the Educational Research Institute in Poland (Instytut Badań Edukacyjnych). As part of this project, two systematic reviews will be created to determine the effectiveness of digital technologies and AI in STEM subjects, which will be supplemented by proposals for their use in practice. In the photo, the main researchers of this project (doc. Jiří Kantor from UPOL and dr. Kamila Lewandowska from IBE) with prof. Marek Wozniak (the head of the digital education team) at the IBE conference in Poland on the 20th February 2026.

An article about our cooperation with the Instytut Badań Edukacyjnych was published also at the Polish website here.

13.2.2026 A Qualitative Synthesis of Teachers’ and Students’ Experiences with Pedagogical Interventions in the Teaching and Learning Toolkit: Focusing on Students with Special Educational Needs. A Ph.D. student, Alžběta Smrčková, a member of the EduArt Centre, will present this project at the upcoming international conference “Bridges in Special Education”, organized by the Faculty of Education in March 2026. The project has been conducted in cooperation between Palacký University and the British Education Endowment Foundation (EEF).

The EEF is the creator of the globally respected Teaching and Learning Toolkit, which provides educators with guidance on effective evidence-based teaching approaches. Based on our research we would like to complement this resource by introducing an important qualitative dimension—the perspectives and experiences of students and their teachers in relation to these teaching methods. 

This work is grounded in close collaboration with Mohammad Zaman at the EEF headquarters in London, ensuring alignment with this global evidence-based resource.

5.11.2025 Jiaoli Li from the EduArt Centre made a substantial contribution to the JBI collaborative project, which was published in the Research Synthesis Methods journal in October 2025. It is the first in a series of methodological projects being undertaken to inform the update of the JBI Umbrella Reviews (UR) methodological guidance.

The study titled „Data analysis and presentation methods in umbrella reviews/overviews of reviews in health care: A cross-sectional study“ provides valuable insights into the methodologies, methods, and characteristics of URs within health care. The findings reveal a strong emphasis on synthesizing quantitative data, with a growing interest in integrating qualitative and mixed methods evidence.

„JBI Umbrella reviews are a type of research study that synthesize findings from multiple systematic reviews on a specific topic. Methodological approaches for analyzing and presenting umbrella reviews results vary, and reviewers often adapt methods to align with research objectives,“ explains Jiaoli Li from EduArt Centre. „I could systematically study JBI working model and explore the shared research interests and methodological intersections between education and evidence-based healthcare as part of my internship at JBI Adelaide in Australia in 2023, together with my EduArt fellow Jian Du, who participated at the above mentioned study with his work in screening. This experience has helped me a lot in collaborating on the published study as such”, she concludes.

Selected findings of the study were presented at the Global Evidence Summit in Prague in 2024 by the leader of the study Cindy Stern from The University of Adelaide, Australia, and Jiaoli Li from EduArt – JBI Center of Evidence-Based Education&Arts Therapies at the Palacky University Olomouc, Czech Republic (article photo). The study is available here.

10.10.2025 Team of Dagmar Sedláčková from EduArt published a research study analyzing the experiences of students with physical disabilities in inclusive education published in the prestigious educational journal Educational Research Review. More here.

7.10.2025 Jitka Klugarová and Miloslav Klugar from EduArt will participate in the JBI meeting and colloquium in Kochi, India. At the international meeting, which will take place in November this year, they will present professional contributions. Jitka Klugarová on Hippotherapy in children with musculoskeletal disorders: Czech National rapid recommendations. Miloslav Klugar on: Inclusive, Evidence-Informed Policy in Practice: Development of National Rapid Recommendations and Guidelines Using the GRADE-ADOLOPMENT Approach.

28.5.2025 EduArt started collaboration with producer of acoustic grand and upright pianos PETROF. Contract research will focus on using the piano to support wellbeing among company employees.

6.5.2025 Jiří Kantor joined the International Conference Addressed Securing Ukraine’s Healthy Future, talking at the Rehabilitation & Medical Spa workshop. More here.

3.2.2025 Jana Marečková and Jiří Kantor presented How to find publications that can be counted in bibliometric analyses according to Methodology 17+ at the Afternoon with Science at the Faculty of Education. More here.