Journal of Department of Pedagogy

Attitudes of Directors and Professional Associates on Indicators of the Quality of Work of Preschool Institutions

2025-11-05T10:54:05+00:00

The research provides an insight into how directors and professional associates perceive their professional role in the process of ensuring the quality of preschool institution work. The goal of the research was to determine the views of directors and professional associates on the possibilities of improving preschool education, what is the relationship between those views and whether there are any differences between them. On that occasion, 70 directors and 32 professional associates from 70 preschool institutions from the Republic of Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina were examined.

The results indicate that both directors and professional associates share similar views on the improvement of the educational process in preschool institutions. However, there are certain differences in attitudes related to professional training, the partnership of parents with the preschool institution, as well as the equipment of the preschool institution. The place of employment corresponds with the most variables on attitudes and measures for promotion, whereas the age of the employees did not show significance in the results.

Both directors and professional associates recognized the importance of partnership with families and the local community, as well as the development of programs for parents. When creating the budget, educational policymakers should take into account the redirection of surpluses for financing preschool education.

The results indicate directions for further action through the improvement of the quality evaluation system in preschool institutions in areas of work such as management and leadership, partnership with family and community, as well as the creation of a stimulating environment.

Approaches to School Discipline in Educational Concepts from the Early 20th Century

2025-11-05T10:54:11+00:00

Contemporary education faces the critical challenge of establishing disciplinary frameworks that uphold children's freedom while fostering democratic communication, individualization, flexibility, and the effective realization of educational objectives. This paper examines approaches to school discipline within pedagogical theories emerging in the early 20^thcentury—a formative period that laid the groundwork for modern conceptions of discipline. The primary aim is to explore how proponents of early 20^th-century pedagogical movements –particularly those aligned with romantic and progressive philosophies – conceptualized school discipline. They found ways to integrate discipline into the teaching process, rather than viewing it as an external tool to ensure its implementation. They grounded their approaches in the development of responsibility, intrinsic motivation, autonomy of choice, and self-discipline. The paper focuses on four influential models: Leo Tolstoy’s concept of free education and the Summerhill School, which emphasize the cultivation of freedom; and the Montessori Method and Dalton Plan, which are rooted in the principle of autonomy in education. Among these approaches, self-discipline stands out as the most desirable form of discipline and the most prevalent outcome in alternative schools guided by the philosophies analyzed in this study.

School Climate from the Perspective of High School Students: Examining Differences by Student Gender and Type of High School

2025-11-05T10:54:17+00:00

The idea that every school has its own ethos is not new, and research consistently shows that various aspects of school climate are associated with different student and teacher outcomes. This paper aimed to examine differences in perceptions of school climate according to gender and the type of high school attended by students. The sample consisted of 1524 high school students, and data were collected using the Delaware School Climate Scale. The results showed that female students have a more positive perception of all dimensions of school climate, except for the presence of school bullying, which male students reported as occurring more frequently at school. Concerning the type of school, students attending vocational high schools evaluated most aspects of school climate more positively, except for the dimensions of student-student relations and safety, where students from grammar schools had higher scores. Interaction effects between students’ gender and school type were observed for a few dimensions of school climate. The research results are partially consistent with previous findings, but a more detailed examination of certain mediator or moderator effects is needed.

Theory of Cognitive Load and Interpretive Test-Task: Psychological, Didactic and Documentological Opportunities in Higher Education Teaching

2025-11-05T10:54:22+00:00

Achieving and/or improving quality in teaching is a constant imperative for every teaching researcher, as well as for every practitioner in the teaching process. The quality of the teaching process depends not only on the success of achieving learning outcomes, but also on very important contextual variables, primarily student motivation for learning in general. The aim of this paper is to affirm the interpretive test-task in higher education by offering examples of tasks and guidelines for improving the teaching process in the light of the Theory of Cognitive Load, and to examine learning experiences in the application of the interpretive test-task. First, a separate analysis of the constructed interpretive test-tasks and the Theory of Cognitive Load, close but nevertheless constructs from different scientific domains (didactics and cognitive psychology), was conducted. After that, reflections on learning experiences with the application of an interpretive test-task were presented. The research sample consisted of the created material for evaluating achievements and 200 respondents who gave their reflections on the learning experience with the application of the interpretive test task. The research results confirm the didactic value of such material, indicate a positive experience and overall learning experience, increased motivation, and affirm the use of interpretive test-task in higher education as a methodological step forward and in documenological processes. In conclusion, an overview of conceptual overlaps and possibilities for upgrading these constructs based on the knowledge we have gained is offered.

Design Thinking and Instructional Design in Formal Education

2025-11-05T10:54:28+00:00

Design Thinking is one of the popular and widespread modern concepts found across various fields (urban and fashion design within the arts, product and/or service design in business, web design in IT), in science (research design) and education (curriculum design, instructional design). Design thinking emerged as a response to constant, rapid changes in the global market that bring new problems demanding original solutions. This review article provides a systematic overview of the concept, key features, and cognitive elements of design thinking, with a focus on instructional design. The aim is to emphasize their importance and potential for implementation in formal education, mainly in problem-solving and project-based teaching. Although the integration of design thinking and instructional design represents incremental innovation, it demonstrates readiness and capability of institutions to adapt in response to the demands of the labour market and their users (students and parents), in order to preserve not only the quality, but also the viability of (formal) education.

Youth Engagement and Resilience

2025-11-05T10:54:35+00:00

Resilience is widely recognized as a critical factor in the psychological well-being and positive development of young individuals. Consequently, research examining variables that contribute to the enhancement of resilience has garnered substantial attention. The present study investigates the correlation between youth engagement and resilience, as well as differences in each construct across various socio-demographic variables. The sample comprised 200 participants aged 19 to 29 years. Results indicated that the overall level of engagement among participants was moderate. No statistically significant differences in youth engagement were observed with respect to gender, financial status, or other examined socio-demographic characteristics. With regard to youth resilience, statistically significant differences were found in relation to gender, perceived financial situation, and employment status. A significant moderate positive correlation was found between youth engagement and resilience, suggesting that increased engagement is associated with higher resilience among young people. The implications of this study point to the value of designing comprehensive, activity-based interventions that enhance resilience and promote overall well-being among youth. It also highlights the importance of multi-level support systems—spanning family, school, and community involvement—in fostering youth resilience.

Educational Experiences and Gender Socialization: Young People’s Attitudes toward Gender Roles

2025-11-05T10:54:45+00:00

Commencing from the assumption that education, by its means of action, has a considerable potential to contribute to the development of a more gender-equal society, this paper aims to explore the relationship between students’ educational experiences and their attitudes toward gender roles, based on the review of the previous literature and the results of the conducted research. The objectives of the conducted research were focused on examining young people’s perceptions of the presence of gender-related topics in education and their experiences of gender-(in)equal treatment in the educational context, as well as investigating the correlation between attitudes toward gender roles and these variables. The sample included 211 male and female, third- and fourth-grade, high school students, in the territory of Serbia. The three instruments applied included instruments in the form of Likert-type scales. The results obtained showed that gender-related topics are still not sufficiently represented when it comes to education. In addition, the percentage of high school students reporting unequal treatment based on gender cannot be disregarded. Moreover, the percentage of young people reporting experiences of gender-unequal treatment is not negligible, with gender differences identified in the types of gender-unequal treatment experienced. On the other hand, no statistically significant correlation was found between students’ attitudes toward gender roles and the presence of gender-related topics in education or between their attitudes and experiences of (in)equality in treatment. Such findings imply the need to implement the changes which will enable the integration of a gender perspective into the educational process.