The theoretical part of the paper presents an analysis of relevant theoretical classifications of values, particularly emphasizing Milton Rokeach's value system. The methodological section describes a study conducted with the aim of determining how senior high school students assess their current ultimate life goals (terminal values) in terms of their hierarchical ordering. The research was carried out at a convenience and stratified a sample of fourth-grade high school students (N = 420) in the Republic of Serbia - the Western Serbia region, during the 2023/2024 academic year. By using Milton Rokeach's Value Survey and applying descriptive and inferential statistical methods (calculation of arithmetic mean, standard deviation, MANOVA, F-test, test of homogeneity of covariances, Cohen's d), the rank positions of values at the manifest level were identified and analyzed. The results indicate that graduating students are primarily oriented toward personal ultimate life goals (family security, happiness, freedom), while social goals (world peace, equality, national security, social recognition) are at the bottom of the list. The variable of educational orientation significantly determined differences in the positioning of values, whereas gender had a somewhat smaller effect. In the context of intensive socio-economic and technological changes, the findings highlight the need for continuous re-examination of the structure of the value system, from the perspective of students who are exposed to rapid technological, demographic, globalization, and other changes. Considering the complexity and the diverse contexts of the pedagogical practice, the obtained results may serve as an important starting point for future longitudinal research aimed at monitoring the development and transformation of young people's value orientations within the educational process. The findings also highlight the importance of designing tailored educational methods that consider the diversity of value orientations among younger generations.
As self-efficacy is a complex construct, which includes motivation, emotions, thoughts, and behavior in a particular situation, it greatly affects the quality of life and well-being of students. The aim of this study was to determine the predictors of the general self-efficacy of students. Within this study, we examined the correlation of general self-efficacy with optimism, pessimism and academic life satisfaction, as well as differences in certain socio-demographic characteristics. A sample of 237 students of the University of Novi Sad participated in the research. The research results indicate that students achieved a moderately high score on the general self-efficacy scale. Additionally, the results of the research showed a statistically significant negative correlation between general self-efficacy and pessimism, as well as statistically significant positive correlation with optimism and academic life satisfaction. Students' perceived satisfaction with financial situation proved to be an important socio-demographic characteristic. Moreover, the results highlight the substantial impact of optimism on general self-efficacy, while academic life satisfaction and pessimism are shown to play lesser roles. The mentioned results can help with better understanding of this problem, as well as with further consideration and development of support programs that effectively address the needs of students, thereby contributing to their success and well-being during their studies. Integrating support programs into institutional practices can contribute to creating a stimulating environment that enables students to realize their full potential.
U svetlu pokušaja koncipiranja uloge pedagoga u predškolskoj ustanovi kao liderske uloge u procesu uvođenja i održavanja promene, rad prikazuje delovanje pedagoga u domenu podrške profesionalnom razvoju vaspitača, i to kroz prikaz rekoncipiranja pripravničko-mentorske prakse u Predškolskoj ustanovi. Profesionalni razvoj vaspitača, koji obuhvata i proces uvođenja u posao, odvija se u zajednici i oblikovan je kulturom ustanove dok istovremeno može uticati na promenu kulture. Rad prikazuje akciono istraživanje pokrenuto od strane praktičarke-pedagoškinje, sprovedeno u Predškolskoj ustanovi "Dr Sima Milošević" u Zemunu, u periodu od septembra 2022. do maja 2025. godine. Predmet istraživanja jesu program i praksa uvođenja pripravnika vaspitača u posao, kao okosnica uspostavljanja i razvijanja refleksivne prakse u zajednici učenja u ustanovi. Istraživanje osvetljava izazove u implementaciji programa orijentisanog ka uspostavljanju refleksivne prakse u zajednici učenja i ukazuje na moguće strategije za prevazilaženje izazova. Zaključci pokazuju da postignute promene u sistemu znanja, umenja i vrednosti, kako na nivou pojedinaca tako i na nivou zajednica učenja i zajednice prakse, doprinose unapređivanju kvaliteta realnog programa. Redefinisanje uloga praktičara i odnosa moći u Programu i u istraživanju produbili su osećaj osnaženosti kod vaspitača, kao odnos poverenja i podrške između stručnih saradnika i vaspitača. Rekoncipiranje pripravničko-mentorske prakse, kao planski uvedena promena u obrazovnu praksu postavilo je temelje za dalje razvijanje refleksivne prakse u zajednici učenja u Predškolskoj ustanovi. Održivost pokrenute promene zavisiće od doslednosti u razvoju prakse, ali i daljih težnji ka sistemskom utemeljenju kroz institucionalizaciju novih obrazaca rada i kroz širenje u sistemu putem dalje diseminacije i umrežavanja sa drugim ustanovama i praksama.
Oblast kurikuluma suočava se s „teoricidom“, pojmom koji ne mora da podrazumeva odsustvo teorije, već predstavlja pomagalo u širenju „neteoretične teorije“, što se naročito pogoršalo u drugoj polovini prošlog veka. Služeći se kritičkim, antikolonijalnim i dekolonijalnim teorijskim okvirima, moj cilj je da putem ovog eseja ispitam hegemonijske i kontrahegemonijske debate evrocentričnog usmerenja u domenu naše naučne oblasti, ali u kontekstu modernosti i njene eugeničke kolonijalnosti – Prosperovog rasuđivanja – čime se ističe epistemicidna priroda naše oblasti. Postupajući na taj način, ovaj esej raščlanjuje uzrok rane koju je zadobila savremena teorija naše naučne oblasti, a koju ja još nazivam i „kurikularnom involucijom“ ili „kurikuluarnim imparitetom“. Kobna teorijska praznina nastala je kao ishod građanskih ratova vođenih između dominantnih i kontradominantnih tradicija, kao i unutar obeju sukobljenih strana, čime je izazvano ono što ja nazivam teoricidom. Ovaj članak zagovara izlaz iz takve „involucije“ putem lutajuće teorije kurikuluma (u daljem tekstu: LTK) – nederivativnog, antikolonijalnog i dekolonijalnog pristupa osetljivog na epistemološke različitosti u svetu, kao i na epistemološku raznovrstnost. Ovaj esej prikazuje LTK kao deklaraciju epistemošloke nezavisnosti od evrocentričnog naučnog monumentalizma, koji sramno dehumanizuje legitimitet Kalibanovog rasuđivanja.
Matematička takmičenja sve više privlače pažnju istraživača u oblasti matematičkog obrazovanja, budući da donose brojne benefite za učenike - od produbljivanja i proširivanja matematičkih znanja do razvoja kompetencija za rešavanje problema. Imajući u vidu da je učenicima sedmog razreda u Republici Srbiji već dugi niz godina omogućeno pohađanje specijalizovanih odeljenja učenika sa posebnim sposobnostima za matematiku (SM odeljenja), postavlja se pitanje da li njihovo grupisanje u homogena odeljenja utiče na postignuća na državnom takmičenju iz matematike. Cilj ovog rada je da se podrobnije uporede postignuća učenika sedmog razreda SM i klasičnih odeljenja na državnom takmičenju, kao i da se analiziraju zadaci na kojima su učenici dve grupe ostvarili statistički značajno različite rezultate. Analizom uspeha u rešavanju 50 takmičarskih zadataka utvrđeno je da su učenici SM odeljenja ostvarili statistički značajno bolje rezultate u 23 zadatka, dok su učenici klasičnih odeljenja imali značajno bolje rezultate u samo jednom zadatku. Najveće razlike u korist učenika SM odeljenja zabeležene su u zadacima iz teorije brojeva, zatim geometrije i kombinatorike, dok su najmanje razlike uočene u zadacima iz algebre. Takođe, učenici SM odeljenja su u značajno većoj meri bili uspešniji u rešavanju dokaznih zadataka nego učenici klasičnih odeljenja. Detaljna analiza sadržaja zadataka ukazuje da razlike u postignućima mogu biti posledica šireg i temeljnijeg matematičkog obrazovanja kojem su učenici SM odeljenja izloženi, kao i njihove bolje sposobnosti za sintezu različitih matematičkih pojmova i tvrđenja u postupku rešavanja. Rezultati ovog istraživanja mogu poslužiti kao smernice nastavnicima i učenicima u pripremi za buduća matematička takmičenja.
Rezultati međunarodnih testiranja PIRLS (2021) i PISA (2022) pokazuju da učenici osnov-nih škola u Srbiji postižu znatno slabije rezultate od međunarodnog proseka kada je reč o naprednom nivou čitalačke pismenosti. Zbog toga je sprovedeno istraživanje sa ciljem da se utvrde potencijalni problemi u razumevanju tekstova učenika VII i VIII razreda osnovne škole koji postižu najbolje rezultate iz oblasti književnosti. Uzorkom je obuhvaćeno 410 učenika koji su 2024. godine učestvovali na Republičkom takmičenju iz književnosti Književna olimpijada. Krenulo se od sledećih istraživačkih zadataka: 1. analizirati elemente sadržaja i tipova zadataka na republičkim testovima i utvrditi uspeh učenika u njihovom rešavanju radi identifikacije koje najveći broj takmičara nije rešio; 2. analizirati izdvojene zadatke sa aspekta predmetnih ishoda i obrazovnih standarda, koji stoji u osnovi razumevanja pročitanog. Za utvrđivanje uspeha učenika u rešavanju zadataka primenjene su deskrip-tivne statističke mere, a u delu istraživanja koji se odnosio na analizu zadataka korišćena je metoda analize sadržaja. Utvrđeno je da u testovima dominiraju zadaci zatvorenog tipa i da se ispituju znanja koja se povezuju sa razumevanjem konkretnih tekstova. Identifikovano je pet zadataka koje je uspešno rešilo manje od 75% učenika. Njihova analiza pokazuje da se potencijalni problemi tiču razumevanja neknjiževnih tekstova, razumevanja značenja termina, razumevanja leksike stranog porekla i izdvaja-nja strukturnih elemenata u književnim tekstovima kojima se pokazuje pojmovno znanje. S pedagoške strane, navedene oblasti impliciraju promovisanje različitih strategija čitanja, akademskog jezika, leksička vežbanja i motivaciju za čitanje.
U radu autori predstavljaju okvir učenja za uvođenje slova kao oznake za nepoznatu i promenljivu, koji se zasniva na situacijama iz realnog konteksta, njihovom modelovanju i prevođenju na algebarski jezik. U empirijskom delu rada organizovano je istraživanje s ciljem da ispitaju efekti ovakvog pristupa na razvijanje algebarske simbolike kod učenika mlađih razreda osnovne škole. Istraživanje je sprovedeno na uzorku od 257 učenika četvrtog razreda osnovnih škola u Republici Srbiji, primenom eksperimentalne metode sa paralelnim grupama. Rezultati istraživanja pokazuju pozitivne efekte primenjenog pristupa na bolje razumevanje simboličke notacije i veći stepen algebarske generalizacije. Ovi nalazi potvrđuju hipotezu da uvođenje algebarskih simbola kroz realistične probleme i kontekstualno povezane aktivnosti može značajno unaprediti sposobnost učenika da pravilno interpretiraju i koriste algebarsku notaciju.
Višejezične reforme sve češće dovode mlade učenike u učionice u kojima se istovremeno uče dva nova jezika. Ipak, malo se zna o tome kako takvi konteksti oblikuju međujezički uticaj (CLI) na samom početku formalnog obrazovanja. Ova studija ispituje istovremeno usvajanje francuskog i engleskog jezika kod učenika trećeg razreda u Alžiru nakon reforme iz 2022. godine, koja je uvela engleski jezik pored francuskog jezika u osnovnim školama. Kombinovanim metodama - dijagnostičkim testovima sa 372 učenika, anketama sa 48 nastavnika i intervjuima sa 60 roditelja - istraženi su obrasci transfera i uslovi u kojima se javljaju. Rezultati pokazuju da je CLI češće sistematski nego slučajan. Učenici su dosledno pribegavali francuskom jeziku, stvarajući predvidljive leksičke (32%), fonološke (28%) i ortografske (22%) transfere. Ovi obrasci odražavaju strukturno preklapanje jezika, ali su i pojačani dugotrajnom dominacijom francuskog jezika u alžirskom obrazovanju. Nastavnici su često koristili francuski pri formulisanju instrukcija, dok su roditelji, bez znanja engleskog, pružali podršku uglavnom na francuskom. Studija doprinosi teoriji pokazujući da CLI nije samo kognitivni već i socijalno uslovljen fenomen. Pedagoški, naglašava potrebu za obukom nastavnika u višejezičnim metodama i kontrastivnoj pedagogiji, dok na nivou politike ističe da simbolička promocija engleskog zahteva kontinuirana ulaganja u resurse i razvoj nastavnika.
U radu se istražuju pogledi učitelja i nastavnika književnosti na zastupljenost ekokritičke pedagogije i njenu relevantnost u kontekstu osnovnih i srednjih škola u Srbiji. Obrazovni potencijal ekokritike, koja se definiše kao interdisciplinarno proučavanje veze između književnosti i životne sredine, prepoznat je širom sveta, ali je njena primena u srpskim programima ograničena i nedovoljno proučena. Cilj istraživanja je da se utvrde potencijalne razlike između prvog i drugog ciklusa osnovnog obrazovanja i srednje škole, nastavnog iskustva ispitanika, kao i percepcije vezane za mogućnosti i izazove integracije ekokritičke pedagogije. Analiza je izvršena kombinacijom metoda, korišćenjem kvantitativnih i kvalitativnih podataka prikupljenih anketiranjem 213 učitelja i nastavnika književnosti u osnovnim i srednjim školama u Srbiji. Rezultati ukazuju na generalno nizak stepen upoznatosti sa ekokritikom, kao i na to da ispitanici ekokritičku pedagogiju ne smatraju zastupljenom, ali je percipiraju kao relevantnu. Statistički značajne razlike uočene su prilikom poređenja prvog i drugog ciklusa osnovnog i srednjoškolskog obrazovanja: učitelji, naime, više smatraju da je ekokritička pedagogija zastupljena i relevantna nego što to smatraju nastavnici književnosti. Ipak, većina ispitanika prepoznaje razvoj kritičkog mišljenja kao ključni ishod ekokritičke pedagogije i izrazila je volju za primenom ekokritičkog pristupa. Nisu uočene značajne razlike vezane za radni staž, odnosno, nastavno iskustvo ispitanika. Takođe, moguće je izvesti zaključak da postoji potreba za većom podrškom učiteljima i nastavnicima radi premošćivanja jaza između teorijskog potencijala i praktične implementacije u učionici, budući da prepoznaju kapacitet nastave književnosti da doprinese holističkom, interdisciplinarnom ekološkom obrazovanju i podstakne učenike na kritičko mišljenje, empatiju i bavljenje realnim problemima današnjice.
The curriculum field faces a ‘theorycide’, which is not necessarily the absence of a theory, but the yoke of a ‘non-theory theory’ momentum which has worsened, especially in the last half of the last century. Drawing on a critical, anticolonial, and decolonial theoretical framework, my aim in this essay is to examine the hegemonic and counter-hegemonic Eurocentric debates in our field, but within the context of modernity and its eugenic coloniality, the Prosperous reason, thus framing the epistemicidal nature of the field. In so doing, the essay dissects the contemporary theoretical hemorrhage we face as a field, what I have called ‘curriculum involution’ and ‘curriculum imparity’. A lethal theoretical void has emerged from the epistemological civil war within and between dominant and counter-dominant traditions, triggering what I call the theorycide. The article advocates a way out of such ‘involution’ through an itinerant curriculum theory, a non-derivative anti-colonial and de-colonial approach responsive to the world’s epistemological difference, and diversity. The essay frames ICT as a declaration of epistemological independence against the scientific monumentalism of Eurocentrism that egregiously dehumanizes the legitimacy of Caliban’s reason.
In this paper, the authors present a learning framework for introducing letters as symbols for the unknown and variable in mathematics, a framework that is based on real-life situations, their modeling and translation into algebraic language. In the empirical part of the paper, we conducted a research with the aim of investigating the effects of such an approach on the development of algebraic symbolic thinking ability of the students in the early elementary school grades. The research was conducted on a sample of 257 fourth-grade students of primary school in the Republic of Serbia, by using an experimental method with parallel groups. The research results show positive effects of the implemented approach on a better understanding of symbolic notation and a greater degree of algebraic generalization. These results confirm the hypothesis that the introduction of algebraic symbols through real-life problems and context-related activities can significantly improve students’ ability to use algebraic notation and interpret it correctly. In this paper, the authors present a learning framework for introducing letters as symbols for the unknown and variable in mathematics, a framework that is based on real-life situations, their modeling and translation into algebraic language. In the empirical part of the paper, we conducted a research with the aim of investigating the effects of such an approach on the development of algebraic symbolic thinking ability of the students in the early elementary school grades. The research was conducted on a sample of 257 fourth-grade students of primary school in the Republic of Serbia, by using an experimental method with parallel groups. The research results show positive effects of the implemented approach on a better understanding of symbolic notation and a greater degree of algebraic generalization. These results confirm the hypothesis that the introduction of algebraic symbols through real-life problems and context-related activities can significantly improve students’ ability to use algebraic notation and interpret it correctly. In this paper, the authors present a learning framework for introducing letters as symbols for the unknown and variable in mathematics, a framework that is based on real-life situations, their modeling and translation into algebraic language. In the empirical part of the paper, we conducted a research with the aim of investigating the effects of such an approach on the development of algebraic symbolic thinking ability of the students in the early elementary school grades. The research was conducted on a sample of 257 fourth-grade students of primary school in the Republic of Serbia, by using an experimental method with parallel groups. The research results show positive effects of the implemented approach on a better understanding of symbolic notation and a greater degree of algebraic generalization. These results confirm the hypothesis that the introduction of algebraic symbols through real-life problems and context-related activities can significantly improve students’ ability to use algebraic notation and interpret it correctly.
Recent international assessments, PIRLS (2021) and PISA (2022), reveal that primary school students in Serbia perform significantly below the international average in advanced reading literacy skills. This emphasizes the need to investigate underlying difficulties in text comprehension, especially among high-achieving students in literature from grades seven and eight. To this end, a study was conducted involving 410 students who participated in the 2024 National Literature Competition, Literature Olympiad. The research aimed to analyze the content elements and task types on national tests, and to assess students’ success in solving these tasks, thereby identifying those that the majority of students struggled with. Additionally, the study examined these tasks from the perspective of subject outcomes and educational standards, which underpin reading comprehension. Descriptive statistical measures were employed to evaluate student success, while content analysis was utilized for task evaluation. Findings indicated that the tests predominantly featured closed-type questions designed to assess understanding of specific literary texts. Five tasks were identified where less than 75% of students successfully solved them. Analysis of these tasks suggests potential problems related to understanding non-literary texts, interpreting the meanings of specific terms, vocabulary of foreign origin, and recognizing structural elements that demonstrate conceptual understanding. The pedagogical implications point to the importance of promoting diverse reading strategies, developing academic language, engaging in lexical exercises, and fostering motivation to read. Implementing these approaches may enhance reading comprehension and overall literacy competencies among students, addressing gaps highlighted by both national and international assessments.
The paper explores teachers’ perspectives on the presence and relevance of ecocritical pedagogy in literature education within Serbian elementary and secondary schools. Despite the growing global recognition of the educational potential of ecocriticism – defined as an interdisciplinary study of the relationship between literature and the environment – its application in Serbian curricula remains limited and underexamined. The study aimed to investigate potential differences across different education levels (lower and upper grades of elementary school and secondary school), teaching experience, and teachers’ perceptions of the possibilities and challenges regarding the integration of ecocritical pedagogy. A mixed-methods approach was employed using both quantitative and qualitative survey data from 213 teachers. Findings indicated that teachers generally lack familiarity with ecocriticism and with the average perception of ecocritical pedagogy as a more relevant approach to education than it is currently represented and utilised. Statistically significant differences emerged by education levels: teachers of lower elementary grades scored highest on both presence and relevance subscales. Most teachers, however, valued the development of critical thinking as a central outcome of ecocritical pedagogy and expressed willingness to integrate it into practice. No significant differences were observed by teaching experience. The results highlight the need for structured support to bridge the gap between theoretical potential and classroom implementation, as teachers recognize literature’s capacity to contribute to holistic, interdisciplinary environmental education, encouraging critical thinking, empathy and student engagement with contemporary, real-world issues.
Mathematics competitions are increasingly attracting the researchers’ attention in the field of mathematics education, as they offer numerous benefits to students — from deepening and broadening their knowledge to developing problem-solving skills. Given that seventh-grade students in the Republic of Serbia have had, the opportunity to attend specialized classes for mathematically gifted students (SM classes) for many years, the question arises as to whether grouping these students in homogeneous classes affects their performance in national mathematics competitions. The aim of this paper is to make a detailed comparison of the performances of students from SM and from regular classes in the national competitions and to analyze the tasks which the two groups solved with statistically significant differences. The analysis of students’ performance in 50 competition tasks showed that SM students achieved statistically significantly better results in 23 tasks, while the students from the regular classes only performed better in one task. Greatest differences in favor of SM students were observed in number theory, followed by geometry and combinatorics, with the smallest differences in algebra tasks. SM students were significantly more successful in solving proof-based tasks than their peers from regular classes. A detailed analysis of tasks content suggests that the performance differences may stem from the broader and deeper mathematical education of SM classes, as well as their superior ability to synthesize various mathematical concepts and statements in the problem-solving process. The results of this study can serve as a guide for both teachers and students in preparing for mathematics competitions.
In an effort to conceptualize the role of a preschool pedagogue as the leadership role in initiating and sustaining change, this paper presents the pedagogue’s engagement in supporting the professional development of preschool teachers by reconstructing the induction and mentoring practice within the institution. The professional development of preschool teachers, including the induction process, takes place within a community and is shaped by the institutional culture, while simultaneously influencing that culture. This paper presents an action research initiated by a practitioner-pedagogue, conducted in the Preschool Institution “Dr Sima Milošević” in Zemun from September 2022 to May 2025. The research focuses on the induction program and practice as a foundation for building reflective practice within a learning community. The study highlights challenges in implementing a program aimed at fostering reflection and identifies strategies for overcoming them. The findings suggest that shifts in knowledge, skills, and values — both individually and collectively — contribute to improving the quality of the real-life curriculum. Redefining practitioner roles and power dynamics within the Program and the research itself deepened preschool teachers’ sense of empowerment, as well as the trust-based relationship between them and professional associates. The reconstruction of the induction and mentoring practice, as an intentionally introduced change, established the basis for developing a reflective culture of learning. The sustainability of the change will depend on continuous support, institutional anchoring of new work models, and broader dissemination through networking with other institutions and practices.
Multilingual reforms increasingly place young learners in classrooms where two new languages are taught concurrently. Yet little is known about how such contexts shape cross-linguistic influence (CLI) at the very start of formal instruction. This study examines Algerian Grade 3 pupils’ simultaneous acquisition of French and English following the 2022 reform, which introduced English alongside French in primary schools. A mixed-methods design combined diagnostic tests with 372 pupils, questionnaires with 48 teachers and interviews with 60 parents to capture both transfer patterns and the conditions in which they arise. The findings show that CLI is systematic more often than random. Pupils consistently defaulted to French, producing predictable lexical (32%), phonological (28%), and orthographic (22%) transfers. These patterns reflected structural overlap between the languages but were also reinforced by the entrenched dominance of French language in Algerian education. Teachers frequently relied on French to formulate the instruction, while parents, lacking English competence, provided support mainly in French. The study advances theory by showing that CLI is not only cognitive but also socially conditioned. Pedagogically, it highlights the need for teacher training in multilingual methods and contrastive pedagogy, and on the policy level, it emphasizes that a symbolic promotion of English requires sustained investment in resources and teacher development.
By using the potential of flexibility in play, a child learns to adapt to various situations that the modern world often requires by changing themselves and their environment. When adults support play, they help children express their creative potential. This paper presents a study to identify creative potential in pretend play and explore how adults contribute to play development. The method used was content analysis of narrative stories from pretend play sessions between children and an adult, recorded in a kindergarten group. The analysis focused on identifying the creative abilities that children express during play, as well as the ways in which adults contribute to play development by participating in it. The findings show that flexibility in play, fluency of ideas, and originality in solving problems that arise during play all enable the expression of creativity. Adults participating in play contribute to its development and expression of children's creative potential by helping to sustain initiated play, co-creating strategies with children in building the play together, maintaining the play context, interpreting values (such as fairness, responsible behavior, friendship, etc.) through dialogue with the children, being sensitive to children's initiatives and encouraging them. The results suggest that preschool teachers need to continuously reflect on and deepen their understanding of the connection between play and creativity and approach play as a co-creative space built together with children, while supporting the realization and development of their creative potential. In that way, they can help improve and evolve play practices in kindergarten settings.
Teaching English as a foreign or additional language (L2) at ever-younger ages has become a growing trend in the 21st century. Given the rapidly changing world and technology development, early language learning (ELL) and teaching has undergone a significant paradigm shift that highlights postmethod pedagogy, multilingualism, multiliteracies, holistic approach, integrated curriculum, intercultural communication, and the implementation of a number of innovative approaches that can prepare children to thrive as global citizens in an uncertain future. The aim of the study was to determine how well the Serbian L2 context had responded to the paradigm shift. We reviewed recent ELL research in Serbia, and mapped the results onto the framework of TESOL 6 Principles for Exemplary Teaching of English Learners (The 6 Principles), the most comprehensive global guidelines for bridging the gap between the challenges posed by the new paradigm and high-quality L2 education. Our survey dataset comprised 29 empirical studies, written in English and published in the last 10 years. The findings indicated that all studies were embedded in a theory, dealt with L2 learning in pre-primary (2 studies) and primary contexts (27 studies), a majority focusing on teacher perspectives and competencies, a minority investigating learner skills and perspectives, and only two studies examining both teachers' and learners' views. Our meta-study showed that The 6 Principles' requirements had partly been met in ELL and teaching in Serbia, but it also pointed to some huge steps already made in that direction. Implications for future studies are suggested.
This article presents the results of a qualitative and quantitative study that used an online questionnaire to research Lithuanian university EFL students' (N=34) self-perceived engagement. It assesses the role of engagement in the EFL classroom through the following research questions: 1) what engages students studying English as a foreign language? 2) what disengages students studying English as a foreign language? 3) how do students describe their own engagement while learning English as a foreign language? Using quantitative and thematic analysis, the findings suggest that the students are engaged by classroom activities (mostly speaking), long-term personal goals, classroom atmosphere, their own mood, and other factors that may differ from student to student. Disengagement is mostly caused by early lecture time, students' laziness, peers who are late or disturb the class, reading tasks, and homework tasks. The students also reflected on their own engagement while studying English, which helped to see the bigger picture regarding their (dis)engagement, as particular challenges, experienced outside the classroom, could also contribute significantly. The study suggests that in order to make teaching and learning more effective, some changes may be necessary, but it is impossible to implement them without understanding the current situation. Knowing what engages and disengages EFL students can help to meet students' needs, shape their learning behaviour, and adopt more multimodal classroom practices.
The aim of the study is to examine the practices that teachers use for encouraging social acceptance of students in the context of inclusive education. Fifty teachers from seven vocational high schools of various profiles in Serbia were asked to participate in a questionnaire in which they described the ways they encourage the social acceptance of students with developmental difficulties. Data processing was conducted through qualitative thematic content analysis, focusing on the following themes: the teachers' positive attitudes toward students with developmental difficulties, support in the learning process, and the sensitisation of students. The findings indicate that the teachers recognise the importance of the social component of inclusive education, that their practices align with the key principles of this process, and that they succeed in finding solutions to the various challenges posed by inclusive teaching in order to achieve the intended outcomes. They nurture positive relationships with their students by unlocking their latent potential, creating opportunities for learning and progress, and demonstrating a willingness to engage in professional development and collaboration. The teachers pay attention to student sensitisation through the development of social skills and the encouragement of prosocial behaviour. They apply cooperative learning, individualisation, and various motivational strategies in their teaching practice so as to stimulate cognitive progress and the social acceptance of individuals. This study suggests that it would be advisable for schools and the educational system as a whole to encourage teachers to regularly share their experiences and tried-and-tested solutions in the inclusive education process through various forms of professional development, such as collaborative learning and cooperation. Future research in this field should involve a larger number of teachers, apply other qualitative methods such as interviews, focus groups and systematic observation and include diverse stakeholders in order to gain a more comprehensive insight into teaching practices.
