Context/Problem: Media discourses increasingly shape public perception, social behavior, and educational experiences within contemporary digital societies. While media environments create new opportunities for communication, learning, and civic participation, they also contribute to misinformation, persuasive framing, and ethical challenges. In Albania, the increasing influence of digital media environments has reinforced the need for critical media literacy, particularly among younger generations. Method: The research employs an integrated mixed-methods approach incorporating qualitative analysis of traditional and digital media content together 72 POLIS No. 25, ISSUE 1/ 2026 with survey findings and focus group discussions involving students, educators, and members of the public. The research examines how media discourses influence perceptions, attitudes, and engagement within educational and social contexts. Results: The findings indicate that media significantly influences the ways individuals interpret social reality, educational content, and public issues. Younger participants demonstrate stronger reliance on digital and social media platforms as primary sources of information, whereas older groups continue to prefer traditional media sources. The study also identifies difficulties in distinguishing factual information from opinion-based or emotionally framed content, revealing important gaps in critical media awareness. Implications: The study emphasizes the need to integrate critical media literacy and ethics-oriented education into contemporary curricula. Strengthening critical thinking, responsible media engagement, and civic awareness is increasingly necessary within digitally mediated educational and social environments.
Context – The rapid expansion of digital technologies has transformed educational practices worldwide, including within art education. Digital tools increasingly shape artistic production, visual communication, and creative learning, creating new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. However, the integration of these technologies remains uneven across educational systems, particularly in countries undergoing processes of educational and technological modernization. 132 POLIS No. 25, ISSUE 1/ 2026 Problem – Despite the growing importance of digital competencies in contemporary creative industries, Albanian art education continues to face significant challenges in integrating digital technologies into teaching and learning practices. Limitations related to technological infrastructure, access to specialized resources, teacher preparedness, and educational inequalities continue to constrain digital transformation within art schools. Method – This study employed a qualitative research design involving 35 participants, including students, teachers, lecturers, and educational administrators from the Jordan Misja Artistic Lyceum and the European University of Tirana. Data were collected through focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis. The empirical findings were analyzed using thematic analysis and interpreted in relation to contemporary literature on digital art education. Results – The findings reveal broad recognition among participants of the educational value of digital technologies and their relevance to contemporary artistic practice. However, the effective integration of digital tools remains limited by inadequate infrastructure, restricted access to specialized software and equipment, insufficient professional development opportunities, and socio-economic disparities affecting access to digital learning environments. Participants emphasized the need for stronger institutional support, curriculum modernization, and improved opportunities for developing digital competencies. At the same time, examples of successful practice demonstrate the potential of digital technologies to enhance creativity, student engagement, and innovative pedagogical approaches. Implications – The study contributes empirical evidence from the Albanian context and highlights the need for coordinated policies supporting infrastructure development, teacher training, curriculum reform, and digital inclusion. Strengthening these areas is essential for enabling Albanian art education to balance traditional artistic foundations with the demands of contemporary digital and creative industries.
This study explores dropout and study interruption through an institutional case study at European University of Tirana, situating the analysis within a European comparative framework on student persistence. Study interruption is examined not 196 POLIS No. 25, ISSUE 1/ 2026 only as a temporary phase, but also as an early indicator of potential permanent dropout within the student engagement lifecycle. The research is structured around a sequential mixed-methods design, in which qualitative findings are further supported through quantitative analysis. An extensive literature review establishes the study’s theoretical framework. The empirical component is primarily based on face-to-face and telephone semi-structured interviews guided by a predefined protocol, conducted with students who have either dropped out of or interrupted their Bachelor studies. This approach facilitates a deeper discernment of these phenomena, particularly in relation to underlying motivations and their long-term implications. The findings indicate that the decision to interrupt or drop out is influenced by a complex array of academic, economic, and personal factors. In addition, a significant association is observed between gender and the primary reasons for dropout, suggesting that these reasons differ between male and female students. Proposed policy interventions include early risk identification, personalized academic counseling, administrative flexibility for interruptions, and structured reintegration programs for returning students. Collectively, these targeted mechanisms are expected to contribute to reducing permanent dropout, optimizing interruption management, and enhance overall student retention indicators in higher education.
urpose: This paper analyzes the inseparable relationship between choreographic movement and music in Albanian folk tradition, focusing on the aksak metrorhythmic system and its structural role in dance. Design/methodology/approach: The research employs qualitative analysis of primary and secondary sources, including ancient Greek-Latin treatises on rhythm (Aristoxenus, Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Bacchius), ethnomusicological studies (Bartók, Brailoiu), Albanian scholarly works (Sokoli, Kongo, Tole, Koço), archival materials from the Central State Archive and the Institute of Popular Culture, and contemporary press (Zëri i Popullit, Drita, 1976–1980). Findings: Asymmetric rhythms (5/8, 7/8, 9/8, 11/8, 12/8) suggest possible continuity with the alogoi (irrational) rhythms of antiquity, though definitive proof remains unavailable due to fragmentary sources. The Albanian agogic characteristic—slow metronomic movement based on eighths (5/8, 7/8) rather than sixteenths (5/16, 7/16)—distinguishes Albanian tradition from Serbian and Bulgarian traditions, emphasizing the plastic over the purely rhythmic aspect of dance. The «Silent Dances» of northern Albania represent a well-documented phenomenon demonstrating internalization of rhythm and social cohesion; comparative evidence from Montenegro suggests regional parallels rather than global uniqueness. Originality/value: This paper provides a comprehensive synthetic analysis of the auditory dimensions of Albanian ethnochoreology, demonstrating that sound is not merely an aesthetic background for movement but an active, creative partner. It contributes to the under-researched field of Albanian dance music studies and engages critically with debates on the origins of Balkan asymmetric rhythms.
his article examines the multifaceted implications of technological mediation for democratic participation and public trust in governance institutions. Drawing on political theory, science and technology studies (STS), and empirical evidence from post-communist transition states, the article argues that digital technologies simultaneously expand participatory opportunity and introduce new risks of exclusion, manipulation, and legitimacy erosion. It develops a tripartite analytical framework—access, agency, and accountability—to evaluate the democratic quality of technology-mediated governance. Albania is deployed as a primary illustrative case, offering a vivid portrait of the tensions between rapid e-government expansion and persisting deficits of civic trust, institutional capacity, and digital equity. Written as a conceptual and illustrative case study analysing secondary data, the article draws on data from INSTAT, the European Commission, and Freedom House, among others, and concludes with policy recommendations oriented toward inclusive digital democracy. Its purpose is to generate theoretical and policy insights rather than establish causal relationships.
