The rapid expansion of digital technology in children's daily lives has generated increasing concerns regarding the effects of excessive screen exposure on psychological well-being, social relationships, and healthy development. Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of positive psychology, self-determination theory, and research on digital well-being, this study examined the effects of a digital detox intervention on primary school students' well-being. The conceptualization of well-being was informed by established literature and international research conducted by organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and empirical studies investigating the relationship between screen use and children's mental health, social functioning, and life satisfaction. An experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group was employed. The sample consisted of 50 primary school students aged between 9 and 11 years, randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 25) and a control group (n = 25). Participants in the intervention group engaged in a two-week digital detox program aimed at reducing recreational screen time and increasing participation in offline activities, including physical play, creative tasks, face-to-face social interactions, and reading activities. The control group maintained their usual digital routines throughout the study period. Students' psychological well-being and life satisfaction were assessed before and after the intervention using the WHO-5 Well-Being Index and the Student Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS). Recreational screen time was monitored throughout the intervention using a structured daily Screen Time Diary completed with parental support. Data were analyzed using paired-samples and independent-samples statistical procedures to evaluate changes across groups and time points. The results indicated a significant improvement in overall well-being among students who participated in the digital detox intervention. Compared with the control group, the intervention group reported higher levels of positive emotions, greater life satisfaction, and improved peer relationships following the program. The findings suggest that even a relatively brief reduction in recreational screen use may contribute positively to children's psychological and social well-being. These results support current recommendations advocating balanced digital consumption and highlight the potential value of school-based digital detox initiatives as preventive and promotive interventions for children's mental health and healthy development.
This research aims to examine the function of the main pillars of social support in building a comprehensive, just and civic-minded community. The research aims to study the virtues of ethics, compassion and assumption through the prism of pedagogical and social aspects, emphasizing the need to apply clear, productive and non-discriminatory norms that confirm the particularity of each person. At the same time, the approach analyzes the inclusion of personality as an additional contribution in the academic and societal spheres, precisely differentiating this aspect from the field of excessive individualism. A pertinent example of the implementation of these rules is the integration into society of young people placed in placement centers. Having insecure family backgrounds and being affected by possibly difficult experiences, these young people manifest fragilities that can endanger their emotional, intellectual and relational development. Comprehensive actions - based on emotional support, education and group membership and exercised with morality and sensitivity - are vital to reducing the danger of marginalization, strengthening the capacity for recovery and supporting a balanced transition to adulthood. In conclusion, the contribution affirms that ethics, compassion and commitment go beyond the status of detached theoretical ideas, becoming absolutely necessary practices for structuring a world in which each person, regardless of their situation or challenges, receives real inclusion, appropriate help and equal opportunities for their own development.
Outdoor education has increasingly been recognized as an innovative pedagogical practice capable of extending learning beyond the conventional classroom and connecting curriculum content with authentic, real-world contexts. This article examines the contribution of outdoor education to experiential learning, student engagement, and the development of competencies associated with sustainable development. Grounded in experiential and student-centred learning perspectives, the paper argues that outdoor educational activities can support active participation, reflective thinking, collaborative problem-solving, environmental awareness, and responsible civic action. By engaging students directly with natural, social, and community environments, outdoor education creates meaningful opportunities for observation, inquiry, practice, and reflection, thereby strengthening the link between theoretical knowledge and lived experience. The article also highlights the relevance of outdoor education for Education for Sustainable Development, particularly through its potential to cultivate systems thinking, anticipatory thinking, critical reflection, cooperation, and action-oriented learning. The discussion suggests that outdoor education should not be understood merely as an extracurricular activity, but as a structured pedagogical approach that can enhance learning quality, motivation, inclusion, and sustainability-oriented competence formation. The paper concludes that integrating outdoor education into formal educational practice may contribute to more holistic, participatory, and transformative learning experiences, while also preparing students to respond moreresponsibly to contemporary ecological and social challenges.
Adult education occupies an increasingly central place in contemporary societies confronted with rapid technological change, extended working lives, and the growing demand for continuous reskilling and upskilling. This article examines the theoretical foundations and empirical evidence that underpin effective practice in adult education and distils them into a coherent set of strategies for practitioners, curriculum designers, and policy makers. Drawing on andragogical theory, experiential and transformative learning frameworks, social learning perspectives, and self-efficacy theory, the article argues that adult learning is most effective when it is learner-centred, experience-based, reflective, socially situated, and attentive to the motivational architecture of adult learners. It further reviews global evidence on participation patterns and persistent inequities in access to adult learning opportunities, and it discusses the implications of this evidence for programme design. To support comparison and application, the article integrates four summary tables and two original figures alongside a synthesis of eight interlocking strategies—ranging from learner-centred curriculum design to technology-enhanced and blended delivery—intended to help institutions unlock the potential of adult learners across diverse educational and professional contexts.
Children's literature occupies a unique position at the intersection of language development, emotional growth, and identity formation. Within bilingual educational contexts, literary narratives may acquire additional significance, functioning as pedagogical resources and as symbolic spaces in which linguistic belonging and cultural continuity are negotiated. This article examines the formative value of children's literature through a theoretical and applied perspective that integrates narrative theory, developmental psychology, communication studies, and bilingual education. Drawing upon the works of Bruner, Vygotsky, Bettelheim, Nikolajeva, Cummins, and Krashen, the study explores the role of literary narratives in supporting meaning-making, emotional externalization, communicative development, and identity construction. Particular attention is devoted to Romanian minority education in Hungary, where children's literature may contribute to the development of an affective relationship with Romanian as a heritage language. The theoretical discussion is complemented by a case study based on the literary narrative ”A Carriage of One's Own”, (Birescu Iacob & Olteanu-Sturza, 2025), selected from the volume ”Stories from Romanian Homes”, illustrating how the same story may generate different forms of participation, interpretation, and identity work across developmental stages. The findings suggest that the educational value of children's literature resides not primarily in the transmission of cultural content, but in its capacity to create symbolic environments where communication, emotion, and belonging becomeinterconnected. Within such environments, identity is not directly taught, but gradually constructed through meaningful narrative experience.
