This dissertation is about cognitive needs of teachers. Cognitive need, called also intellectual need, is a feature of character which is expressed by searching and gathering information and creating knowledge. Sociologists claim that today’s society is information society and knowledge is the condition for living and surviving in it. Scientists claim that we must learn all our life and education must last longer than school or university. A famous UNESCO report talks about „long life learning” because of our information civilization. To develop and do one’s tasks well people should learn, improve skills and knowledge constantly. This is very important for teachers and their job. Not only must a teacher be an expert in his fi eld but also he or she should remain an open-minded person and always be ready to learn new things. A teacher should have developed cognitive needs and cognitive competence.