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The paper deals with the application of concept mapping in teaching mathematics at the primary level of education (ISCED 1), as well as the experimental verification of its qualitative contribution to the process of education. The authors present results obtained in a sample survey aimed at monitoring possibilities of influencing pupils' relationship to teaching and mastery of mathematics using digital concept maps within the process of pedagogical intervention. The authors tested the degree to which digital concept maps influence changes in the pupils' opinions and attitudes to mathematics (subject popularity, interest in the subject, easiness of understanding, fear and apprehension of mathematics) while explaining and fixating the curriculum of selected mathematics topics in the third grade of a primary school. The results of the experiment did not confirm that teaching supported by concept maps contributes to reducing pupils' negative attitudes towards subjects, particularly in mathematics at the primary level (ISCED 1). Due to the pedagogical intervention of concept mapping, no statistically significant changes occurred in the pupils' attitudes to the observed factors of mathematics. However, the authors have come up with research findings that may be notable in the field of branch didactics of mathematics and digital technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is aimed at review of qualitative methods in information research. Theoretical sources of the qualitative research style are identified, using methodologies applied from psychology, social psychology and phenomenography. Analytical procedures in qualitative methods are explained, namely the content analyses, interpretations, concept mapping. Examples of our qualitative studies of relevance, information ecology and information horizons mapping are mentioned. Findings of a recent qualitative study of information behavior of researchers with respect to research creativity are mentioned in detail. The methodology of semi-structured interviews with 19 selected top researchers in Slovakia was applied. Research creativity is determined and visualized by a conceptual map representing the collective discourse of researchers. Perception of research creativity includes innovations, bird's-eye view, new ideas, overlaps. Differences in domains are considered (interpretations, problem solving, discovery). Support of creativity as part of ecological information interactions is proposed with the emphasis on methodological creativity. Significance of the qualitative style of research in information science is summarized, namely understanding contexts, human experience, intuition, emotions and development of new methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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