Understanding the mechanisms underlying self-esteem is essential for mental health research. This study examined the relationships between anger rumination, depression, forgiveness, cognitive emotion regulation strategies, and self-esteem in 168 Hungarian-speaking adults from Romania (M = 33.8, SD = 13.3). Mediation and moderation analyses were conducted. Results indicated that depression fully mediated the relationship between anger rumination and self-esteem, suggesting that anger rumination impacts self-esteem indirectly through increased depressive symptoms. Neither anger rumination nor forgiveness moderated the depression-self-esteem relationship. Furthermore, adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies showed a partial mediating effect between depression and self-esteem, indicating a limited protective role. Overall, findings highlight depression as the central mechanism linking anger rumination and self-esteem, while adaptive coping may partially buffer its negative impact.
This study investigates the predictive role of metacognitive awareness in relation to science misconceptions among prospective and practicing teachers. Participants (n = 252) completed the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (to assess metacognitive awareness) and a ten-item true-false diagnostic instrument designed to assess science misconceptions. The analyses revealed a significant negative correlation between metacognitive awareness and misconceptions among prospective teachers. Within this group, higher levels of metacognitive awareness predicted lower levels of misconceptions. These findings highlight the importance of integrating metacognitive training into teacher education programs to enhance conceptual understanding in science and reduce the persistence of misconceptions.
Educational conflict is an inherent dimension of school life, yet it is often approached through administrative and disciplinary frameworks that prioritize control over understanding. This article examines educational conflict in Romanian schools from a phenomenological perspective, proposing a shift toward reflective and dialogical management. Drawing on hermeneutic phenomenology, the analysis integrates lived experiences commonly reported by teachers, students, parents, and school leaders, interpreted through the theoretical contributions of Husserl, Merleau-Ponty, Gadamer, and Ricoeur. Conflict is conceptualized as an emotionally lived and narratively constructed phenomenon. The article argues that when conflicts are addressed through description, dialogue, and reinterpretation, they can become resources for institutional learning, pedagogical innovation, and the strengthening of organizational culture.
Teacher identity is a dynamic, multidimensional construct shaped by personal, social, and institutional factors. This study uses Dialogical Self Theory (DST) to examine teacher candidates’ internal and external self-positions across 14 undergraduate programs. Data were collected from 345 participants using an adapted Personal Position Repertoire (PPR) instrument. Internal positions were grouped into personal, learning environment, teaching profession, social belief, and personal belief domains, while external positions included family, peers, instructors, classmates, and practicum contexts. The findings reveal that internal self-positions categorized as personal, learning environment, teaching profession, social belief, or personal belief did not vary substantially across disciplines. External positions were shaped mainly by family and peers, whereas practicum contexts had limited influence, pointing to structural constraints in teacher education.
From the perspective of the beneficiaries of education, the code of ethics for pre-university teachers can become a tool adaptable to their needs, as we intend to demonstrate in this study. The instrument developed and administered to 167 participants shows 7 indirect moral behaviours of pre-university teachers (as a moral agent) and in opposition to them 7 direct behaviours (as a moral coach). The results capture some significant differences in terms of the importance given to indirect (Q1 - Provides a safe environment for development, protecting the physical, mental and moral health of pupils, Q7 - Practices his/her profession with responsibility and passion, Q2 - Protects and respects the rights of the child) and direct (A1 - Does not accept and intervenes in situations of discrimination, abuse, harassment, neglect in the classroom and A2 - Provides equal development opportunities to all pupils) moral behaviours of teachers which need to be reflected on in the future.
The study analyzes the relationship between social empathy and tolerance towards diversity among students, with a focus on gender differences, on a sample of 207 subjects. We aim to find out if there is a statistical correlation between empathy (the cognitive and affective dimensions of empathy) and the acceptance of cultural diversity differentiated by gender criteria. The two questionnaires to which the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and the Miville-Guzman Universality-Diversity Scale (M-GUDS-S) were applied, as well as the quantitative analysis of the data obtained lead us to the conclusion that, if in the case of women there is a significant positive correlation between cognitive and affective empathy, but without implications on the acceptance of diversity, in the case of men there is no statistically significant correlation established, neither between the two dimensions of empathy, nor between empathy and tolerance towards diversity. At the same time, the conclusions indicate the need to develop integrated educational programs that develop both socio-emotional skills and authentic attitudes towards its acceptance.
The present paper focuses on the issue of technology-enhanced and student-centered methodologies in the perceptions of students, future teachers for early and primary education. The research was structured on research variables like familiarization with technology-enhanced methods, the contribution of methods to development of student motivation and engagement, difficulties in implementing the methods in their future teaching career, challenges that teachers might encounter in implementation these methods. Results indicated strong correlations between familiarity with technology-enhanced methods and confidence in implementing them, need for specific teacher training and the importance of existence of technological infrastructure in schools to increase the methodologies implementation.
The study examines the relationship between the emotional demands of the teaching profession and the psychological readiness of prospective teachers in the context of the transition from the idealism of initial teacher education to the realities of educational practice. The research proposes an explanatory model of early professional adaptation, conceptualizing psychological readiness as a set of internal resources that facilitate integration into the professional role. A questionnaire developed based on the theoretical framework was used to assess this dimension. The findings highlight the role of psychological readiness as an explanatory mechanism of professional adaptation and support the need to integrate socio-emotional components into initial teacher education programs.
Teachers play a pivotal role in promoting educational equity, facilitating access to education, improving instructional quality, and contributing to broader sustainable development goals worldwide. The present study aimes to investigate whether psychological stress differs according to the presence of nevi across multiple body regions (trunk, upper limbs, and lower limbs) in future women teachers. One hundred and sixteen participants took part in the research, all female teacher candidates, aged 21-24 years, 3rd year students at the University of Bucharest and at the National University of Physical Education and Sports, Bucharest. To evaluate perceived stress, the Sense of Stress Questionnaire was administered. In addition, the instrument was supplemented with demographic and descriptive items, including age and gender, as well as questions concerning the presence of nevi on the upper and lower limbs and on the trunk - anterior and posterior (their number and size). Results were obtained using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) conducted using SPSS version 20. The findings suggest that variations in psychological stress among future teachers are domain-specific, with nevus size at the trunk level relating primarily to intrapsychic stress and nevus number at the limb level influencing external stress, highlighting the potential role of anatomical visibility in shaping distinct stress responses rather than overall stress levels.
The paper deals with the problem of the connection attributional style, meaning in life and death anxiety with loneliness. The presence of a clear sense of meaning in life emerged as a stable protective factor, associated with an optimistic attributional style and lower levels of loneliness. In contrast, the search for meaning correlated with heightened death anxiety, but not with loneliness, which may indicate a compensatory nature of this process. Death anxiety was associated with pessimistic attributions, reduced hope, and increased indicators of loneliness. An optimistic explanatory style played a buffering role in relation to loneliness.
The contemporary school has become a central psychological ecosystem in which children and adolescents develop not only academic competencies, but also emotional regulation, identity, belonging, resilience, and social functioning. However, educational systems often continue to treat mental health as peripheral to learning, interpreting emotional suffering indirectly through absenteeism, poor performance, disruptive behavior, withdrawal, or lack of motivation. This editorial argues that mental health is not an optional concern in education, but a fundamental condition for meaningful and sustainable learning. Drawing on evidence from school-based mental health promotion, social and emotional learning, adolescent digital behavior, and teacher well-being, the paper calls for a psychologically informed reconfiguration of educational practice. It cautions against both clinical reductionism, which risks medicalizing all distress, and superficial well-being rhetoric, which fails to address structural and relational conditions within schools. Instead, it proposes a whole-school approach grounded in mental health literacy, relational safety, teacher support, multidisciplinary collaboration, digital psychological literacy, and evidence-informed prevention. The central claim is that schools should not become clinics, but they must become psychologically intelligent learning communities capable of recognizing, containing, and responding to emotional suffering before it undermines development and educational achievement.
In the military environment, resilience is an essential psychological resource, playing a central role in the military's ability to cope with intense demands and unpredictable situations. At the same time, performance is a significant indicator of adaptation to mission requirements and operational efficiency. The purpose of this study is to investigate how resilience influences professional performance among military personnel, through two important psychological mechanisms: commitment to work and perceived self-efficacy. The investigation was carried out by testing a parallel mediation model on a sample of N= 145 active military personnel. The results revealed a significant direct effect of resilience on military performance, as well as indirect effects of both mediators. Integrating the two psychological mechanisms into a single model provides a coherent perspective on how resilience supports effectiveness in high-stress professional environments. The results support the importance of developing training programs aimed at cultivating resilience and strengthening psychological resources to optimize the performance of the military personnel.
The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of an intervention program in teaching geometry on math anxiety, self-efficacy, and geometry achievements of 5th-6th grade students. The study was conducted during the 2023-2024 school year. The intervention program integrates everyday situations and emotional tools into geometry classes. The intervention program was validated in a pilot phase before the main investigation. The research sample consisted of 124 students (11-12 years old), with 75 students in the experimental group and 49 students in the control group. The research tools included an achievement test in geometry and calculation, alongside scales assessing geometry related math anxiety, test anxiety, self-efficacy in geometry, and general self-efficacy. The results indicated that the intervention program, which combined personal and academic development tools, had a positive effect on reducing math anxiety and test anxiety while improving student achievement in geometry and calculation. The findings emphasize the importance of integrating emotional and academic development tools and strategies in teaching geometry as a crucial and necessary goal in mathematical education worldwide.
This study examined associations between attitudes toward animals, animal empathy, and belief in animal mind (BAM), controlling for pet ownership. Adults (N = 288) completed the Attitudes Toward Animals Scale, short Animal Empathy Scale, and BAM scale; ownership was a binary covariate. Correlations and mediation (MLE) were conducted. Attitudes correlated with empathy (r = .261) and BAM (r = .228), and empathy with BAM (r = .226), all p < .001. Empathy partially mediated the attitudes-BAM link (indirect beta = .046, p = .012; direct beta = .170, p = .004). Pet ownership predicted attitudes (beta = -.432, p = .002) but not empathy or BAM. The findings suggest that animal-mind attribution is partly shaped by empathic-attributional processes that remain significant beyond pet ownership. Overall, BAM appears to function as an affective-cognitive construct linked to attitudes and empathy rather than to direct animal contact alone.
This study investigates primary and preschool teacher candidates’ performance solve two real-life rate-based mathematical problems: one simple and one complex task. The focus was on how students’ understanding of quantities, use of simple rule of three, and interpretation of visual information predicted problem-solving success. Results indicate that students performed significantly better on the simple problem compared to the complex one, even though both problems involved the same procedural strategies. Regression analyses indicate that correct use of quantities and the simple rule of three predicted performance in solving simple problems while only the simple rule of three predicted performance in complex ones. The findings suggest a strong reliance on procedural strategies and reveal the challenges in transferring such strategies to complex real-life contexts.
The study investigates the relationship between the development of a consistent individual study routine and academic achievement among pre-service teachers enrolled in three educational disciplines: History of Ideas and Educational Paradigms, Alternative Pedagogies, and Theory and Methodology of Curriculum. Drawing on self-regulation and habit formation theories, the research explores how sustained engagement across a semester predicts academic outcomes. Data were collected from 74 students who self-monitored their study frequency over three months (March-May 2025) and reported subjective challenges in maintaining regularity. Quantitative analyses (correlation, ANOVA, regression) reveal that consistency in study behavior is significantly associated with performance in History Ideas and Educational Paradigms, moderately in Alternative Pedagogies, and minimally in Theory and Methodology of Curriculum. Age had no significant effect, while specialization predicted outcomes only in History of Ideas and Educational Paradigms. Findings suggest that the quality of engagement, not merely study time, plays a significant role in academic success, particularly in conceptually integrative disciplines.
This research investigates the integration of students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) into mainstream education, focusing on the perceptual divide between parents of children with SEN and those of typically developing children. Using a quantitative, comparative design, the study analyzed a sample of 284 participants (80.98% female) whose children are enrolled in primary and secondary education (ages 6-14). Data was collected via an online questionnaire assessing teacher competencies, resource availability, and psychosocial benefits. The findings reveal a general axiological openness toward inclusion across both groups. However, significant statistical discrepancies emerged: parents of typical children exhibited more ideological optimism regarding integration feasibility, while parents of children with SEN displayed contextual realism, expressing deeper concerns about teacher training and systemic barriers. Specifically, significant differences were identified in perceptions of teacher preparedness, the concrete impact on academic progress, and the development of empathy within the student collective. In conclusion, while inclusion is validated as a moral imperative, its practical success is contingent upon addressing structural deficits. These results underscore the need for targeted educational policies, enhanced teacher professionalization, and robust multidisciplinary support teams to transition from formal integration to an equitable, sustainable inclusive model.
The online school experience forced by the COVID 19 Pandemic represented an unprecedented challenge for modern education systems, a challenge that has become, for many teachers, a turning point of their careers, in which much of what they knew and did suddenly change. The school gradually moved into the homes of teachers and students, and for many teachers it was the first time they taught in this form. It required adaptation and significant additional effort from all actors involved in the educational area to sustain the continuation of the school. The migration to online teaching was unexpected, with no instructions and few guidelines for what online teaching should be like. In this direction, the current study, undertaken on a statistically representative sample of high school teachers in Romania, analyzed their experience in the context of online teaching. Also, the study addresses the level of digital skills of Romanian high school teachers, analyzing the differences between groups and the influences of teaching experiences on the development of digital skills. The analysis integrated in this proposal brings to the forefront the experience of online education through the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, combined in a mixed method research design. The results of the study reveal diverse experiences, like, lack of centralized support, increasing working time to support the restructuring of practices or deficient digital skills at the beginning of this period. Our study brings draws attention to the diverse adaptation strategies teachers employed in the new context. Some embraced technology with enthusiasm, leveraging digital tools to enhance engagement and foster interactive learning experiences. Others grappled with the unfamiliar terrain, highlighting the need for targeted professional development to bridge gaps in digital literacy. The experience of online teaching was a significant challenge in many ways for teachers, but it was also a period of learning, adaptation and resilience where teachers effectively developed their digital skills and accessed more than ever before online training activities.
This study examines the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on work-family dynamics among military personnel, a context underexplored in existing research. Using a cross-sectional survey of 316 Air Force members with retrospective assessments, we investigated how changes in family-work conflict (FWC) related to changes in work-family conflict (WFC), and the role of work-related and Covid-19 rumination in predicting WFC. Results indicate that the pandemic increased FWC, which in turn led to higher WFC. Furthermore, both work-related and Covid-19 rumination positively predicted increases in WFC associated with the outbreak. These findings suggest a sequential process whereby pandemicrelated stressors and cognitive preoccupations exacerbate interrole conflict. The study contributes to understanding the family-work interface during crisis conditions, mainly in military settings.
In recent decades, the rapid development of digital technologies has profoundly transformed the educational process. The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), represented by tools such as ChatGPT or intelligent educational platforms, has created new opportunities for students, but it has also generated significant challenges. The integration of AI into learning raises important questions related to efficiency, autonomy, and ethics. The empirical study shows that the integration of AI in education must be analysed from a balanced perspective. The benefits are evident, but the risks cannot be ignored. The solution is not to eliminate AI from the educational process, but to use it responsibly, with teachers playing an essential role in guiding students and developing the critical skills needed for the effective use of AI.
