Fundamental Pedagogy Jana Doležalová

Aspects of the environment 
The environment considerably affects personality development, an individual’s 
abilities, skills and the value system and hence, his/her performance and 
behaviour. It is therefore appropriate to state various aspects of the effects the 
environment has to get a more specific idea about these links and connections. 
1. If we take the perspective of the size of the relevant space, we can 
differentiate a micro-environment (family, class), a local environment 
(school, place of residence), and a macro-environment (entire society). The 
frequency and intensity of interpersonal contacts and therefore the degree 
of their impact on personality formation depends on the size of the 
respective space. 
2. If we take the perspective of the intensity of the impact on personality 
development, V. Smékal (2004, In Manniová, 2005) categorises the 
environment into a micro-environment (family), a semi-environment (class, 
school), a mezzo-environment (town or city, district), a macro-environment 
(country, continent) and the global environment (whole world and space). 
The micro-environment and semi-environment have the largest impact on 
personality development; the mezzo-environment has a fairly large impact, 
as well, and the global environment has the least impact. 
The intensity of the impact of the relevant factors depends on whether the 
impact is direct, immediate or mediated. 
Successful and problem-free education is the result of the impact of all 
environments together and in one direction. The activity of educators in their 
positive influencing of the conditions for education is equally important.
If we combine perspectives 1 and 2, the social environment diversification can 
be depicted in a short scheme (see below). 

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3. According to the character of the environment, we can differentiate the 
rural, municipal, urban and suburban environment where the quality of 
factors is different and which provide various stimuli for personality 
education and formation.
4. As for the frequency of stimuli, we can specify the environment with poor 
stimuli (few stimuli of poor or no quality); with optimal stimuli (using 
individual and age peculiarities, possibilities and abilities of the child, giving 
adequate stimuli in a reasonable amount and quality), and the