Nauczyciele edukacji wczesnoszkolnej i ich gotowość do zmiany

The article describes the debate on the teacher’s role in the dynamic reality of the Polish education system and the impact of individual experience in the uptake of innovation to professional change. In the first part, teacher awareness concerning the necessary changes is considered, while in the second, the results from research using the innovative educational tool “Gramy w piktogramy” (“We play pictograms”) – supporting mathematical skills in primary education – are presented. Changes to teachers’ opinions in three dimensions (educational pessimism, educational formalism, promoting students own activities) are also included as support for the conclusions. Influencing significant change to teachers’ outlook is possible but a long-term process, both requiring sustained encouragement from education authorities and a bottom-up approach. Nevertheless, the crux of the problem is to instill the belief into teachers that profound change in primary education is vital.