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The concept of teacher-student rapport is a relatively new concept that pertains to one of the factors in the classroom setting that promotes learning. It enhances the classroom atmosphere and promotes the well-being of students. The objective of our study was to examine the predictive value of teacher-student rapport in higher education on students' active participation in class. The study included a total of 1,682 students who were enrolled in classes taught by 50 instructors across three Slovene public universities. Self-reported measurements to assess teacher-student rapport (Instructor-Student Rapport Scale; Bardorfer & Kavcic, 2020), teachers' effectiveness (Student Evaluation of Educational Quality Scale; Marsh, 1982), autonomously regulated behaviour of students (The Self-Regulation Questionnaire-Academic; Ryan & Connell, 1989) measured by the index of relative autonomy (RAI), and participation levels (Participation Scale; Fassinger, 1995b) were used in the study. The findings from the hierarchical linear modelling analysis revealed that teacher-student rapport significantly predicted students' active participation in class. Establishing rapport between teachers and students therefore presents an effective way of promoting active student participation. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of the study on strategies that teachers might employ to foster rapport with students.

Based on the analysis of the available literature, the competence of cooperation with parents can be defined as a construct of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that enables speech and language therapists to collaborate successfully with parents of children in therapy. This study aims to examine how speech and language therapists from Slovenia and North Macedonia assess their knowledge and skills necessary for cooperation with parents and what their attitudes are in general regarding the involvement of parents in speech and language therapy. For the purpose of the study, a questionnaire was developed to measure the competence of cooperation between speech and language therapists and parents in a sample of 110 speech and language therapists, including 62 speech and language therapists from Slovenia and 48 from North Macedonia. The results show that there were differences between Slovenian and North Macedonian speech and language therapists in self-assessed attitudes towards parental involvement but no differences in the domain of knowledge and skills. The interaction of country and years of work experience is significant for the knowledge domain. Attitudes about cooperation with parents are not affected by years of work experience, area of work, or additional professional training; only the country where the SLTs work has an impact. The competence of collaboration between speech and language therapists and parents varies between the two countries, but there is space for improvement in each domain. The findings of this study may provide a starting point for further research on the competence of cooperation between speech and language therapists and parents.

This paper presents the results of a study focusing on the dimensions of object relations in people with autism spectrum disorder. An object relation denotes a relationship with a significant other, within which several identification processes take place through a meaningful emotional exchange. This is described by the developmental process of separation and individuation, which primarily occurs in children from birth to their third year of life. Although deficits in social relationships represent the most typical features of autism, there is still a great deal of uncertainty in this field. Based on the theoretical background, we hypothesised that differences in the characteristics of object relations in people with autism spectrum disorder compared to the characteristics of object relations in people without autism spectrum disorder are reflected in a greater expression of disturbances in object relations, especially in the more pronounced dimensions of greater social isolation and symbiotic merging. The quantitative research sample comprised 38 adults with autism spectrum disorder with normal intellectual abilities and 100 adults without autism spectrum disorder. The Test of Object Relations, which measures the individual dimensions of object relations, was used for data collection. The results show that there are statistically significant differences between the two groups of respondents, as the dimensions of symbiotic merging, social isolation and separation anxiety are more pronounced in adults with autism spectrum disorder. These findings serve as a basis for designing professional support for people with autism spectrum disorder in order to promote autonomy to strengthen the skills needed for social relatedness and social inclusion.

The article presents an example of social work education, in which reflexive practice learning was used to help students work competently in professional practice. Within an action research project, new forms of mentoring support for students working with families facing multiple challenges were developed as part of their practice learning. This paper presents the results of a qualitative analysis of the students' reflections on mentoring meetings. Content analysis was used for data analysis. The analysis shows that practice learning should be framed as a reflexive dialogue between mentors and students. Students need opportunities to share experiences and expand their knowledge with other students in small mentoring groups. The continuous and concrete support that the mentoring group provided to the students in practice enabled them to deal with the sense of uncertainty that often arises in collaborative processes of help.

Student giftedness is a complex, developmentally dynamic and contextual phenomenon that teachers confront every day. In the classroom, teachers often meet students who have exceptional potential or achieve very high learning goals. The aim of this study is to illustrate the evaluation of inquiry-based learning activities in a specific context (Diversity in Science towards Social Inclusion learning modules) implemented in a non-formal educational setting for gifted students in relation to their level of individual interest and their autonomous and controlled motivation, comparing different groups of students. We investigate how these activities affect the students' attitudes towards inquiry-based learning, their situational interest and their interest in science careers. A total of 264 Slovenian lower secondary school students participated in the study. The students participated in non-adapted and adapted activities based on the inquiry-based learning approach. The data were collected using pre- and post-activity questionnaires. Participation in the study, which took place in the period between the 2021/22 and the 2022/23 school years, was voluntary. The data was collected anonymously and used for research purposes only. The results show several statistically significant differences in how students' level of individual interest, autonomous motivation and controlled motivation for learning chemistry affects their attitudes towards inquiry-based learning, their situational interest in Diversity in Science towards Social Inclusion activities and their interest in science careers. For the gifted and non-gifted students who participated in "Forensics Science" lab activities before and after the adaptations to the modules, the results related to their attitudes towards inquiry-based learning and situational interest are also reported. Thus, the results of the study provide useful insights for researchers in the field of chemistry education as well as for chemistry teachers in lower and upper secondary schools. The presented study is a good example of best practices that chemistry teachers can apply in teaching chemistry, thus enabling all students, not only the gifted ones, to learn chemistry using the inquiry-based learning approach.

The present article highlights the views of Slovenian language teachers on the introduction of comics in literature lessons in primary school. We were interested in Slovenian language teachers' views on the introduction of comics as an art-literary type of text as part of the literature curriculum as well as the use of comics as a literary-didactic method in literature classes. This was investigated via a questionnaire, which was fully completed by 121 Slovenian language teachers of the first to the ninth grade. The results show that factors such as gender, educational period taught, professional experience, field of study, highest level of completed education, source of skills related to the introduction of comics in the classroom, teachers' reading habits and attitudes towards reading comics, and agreement with stereotypical claims about comics per se have no influence on teachers' attitudes towards the use of comics in the forms studied. However, their attitudes towards the use of comics in the classroom are influenced by certain stereotypical attitudes of teachers towards comics. The most important limitation of our research was also the most important finding: teachers are neither empowered to introduce and use comics as an art-literary type of text in the literary curriculum, nor are they able to use comics as a literary didactic method in literature classes. There is a great need for teacher training and teachers should be empowered to use and introduce comics in all forms.

The quality of educational work is inextricably linked to many factors at the system, school, teacher, and student levels. This research was carried out within the project 'Education of Teachers as a Factor of Providing High-quality Life-long Learning in the Learning Society/The Society of Fast Socio-economic Changes and Unsure Future', funded by the Slovenian Research Agency. This paper provides a basic overview of the characteristics of open instruction, an umbrella term that combines active and learner-centred didactic strategies. The empirical section focuses on the use of didactic strategies. The survey was carried out with 1,536 primary school pupils in Grades 7 and 9 and 263 of their teachers. Both pupils and teachers cited problem-based learning and research-based learning as the most commonly used didactic strategies, while project-based learning was the least frequently used. Despite the agreement on the most and least frequently used didactic strategies, there are statistically significant differences between pupils' and teachers' perceptions of all selected didactic strategies. Teachers reported that they used these strategies more often than was perceived by their pupils. We also found a statistically significant impact of better learning performance on the perception of certain didactic strategies. The results of the study raise new research questions, especially in the design of more detailed analyses of the use of didactic strategies in pedagogical practice.

Smartphones and tablets have permeated various aspects of life. This study explores the differences in wishes between students, parents, and teachers regarding the use of smartphones and tablets in biology classes in the upcoming school year. An online questionnaire was used for the study, which provided eight different scenarios for the use of smartphones for teaching purposes. The data were collected from 934 participants, including 465 students, 282 parents, and 188 biology teachers from various Slovenian lower secondary schools. The principal component analysis revealed the unidimensional structure of the instrument, explaining 59.7% of the variance (alpha = 0.91). The results showed that the use of smartphones and tablets for distance learning, teaching purposes, schoolwork and homework is generally desirable. There was less consensus on their use for laboratory and field work, evaluation of knowledge, and biology lessons. The main finding was that the differences between the groups were small or even negligible in terms of effect sizes. Statistically significant differences were found between the focus groups, with students and teachers expressing greater agreement than parents. These findings emphasize the importance of addressing parents' concerns and understanding the perspectives of stakeholders in order to effectively integrate smartphones and tablets into the classroom.

Developing algebraic thinking is a key factor in learning mathematics. Despite its importance, many students still struggle with algebraic concepts. This research investigates students' achievements in algebraic thinking using Demetriou's test across 7th (approximately 12-13 years old), 8th (approximately 13-14 years old), and 9th (approximately 14-15 years old) grades. The study analyzes performance in different levels of algebraic tasks (i.e., [1] extrapolation of relationships, [2] coordinating simple structures, [3] operating with undefined symbolic structures, and [4] coordination with undefined structures), revealing a significant developmental leap in algebraic abilities during the 9th grade. While no statistically significant differences were found in the first level, 9th grade students demonstrated superior performance in levels 2, 3, and 4, suggesting cognitive readiness for abstract algebraic concepts around the age of 14. The research unveils a disjointed development in algebraic abilities, indicating a progression from basic arithmetic operations to proportional reasoning before the full integration of algebraic thinking. Notably, tasks involving variables in the third level pose persistent challenges for students. The findings contribute to understanding the optimal age for introducing algebraic concepts and underscore the importance of considering cognitive development in mathematics education. The study proposes implications for educators, such as emphasizing proportional reasoning in earlier grades and employing differentiated instruction based on individual students' abilities.

The author analyses the education of aristocracy in Croatia and Slavonia from the late 18th century until 1918. Education played a vital role in the mindset and lifestyle of aristocracy, and in retaining its elite position in the political, social, cultural, economic and military aspect, to name just some. Aristocrats were trained to become the pillars of society, they had private tutors and teachers, and often finished the gymnasium but did not necessarily continue their schooling at a higher level. Reforms of enlightened absolutism, which opened career chances for lesser nobility and burghers and the rise of well-educated and economically successful modern middle class after 1848, forced the aristocracy to keep pace. However, it still preferred traditional studies of philosophy, law or, to a much lesser extent, theology and was losing its dominant role in the field of arts as well.

Background/purpose: Despite progress in inclusive education policies, research has largely neglected the analysis of learning environments that are adjustable for all students. School gardens are learning environments that emphasize the broader view of participation on current perspectives of inclusion. This article discusses the possibilities and limitations of using school gardens in inclusive learning environments and their relations with different inclusive education national policies. Materials/methods: We performed a content analysis of inclusive education national policies and 16 learning activities tested and implemented in four schools from Slovenia, Spain, Greece, and Portugal participating in an exchange project which promoted teaching with school gardens supported by digital tools. Results: The study revealed illustrations of how activities that combine the use of school gardens with digital tools can emphasize collaboration and participation in inclusive learning approaches. However, fostering inclusive practices was found to be either constrained or promoted by each country's view of inclusion in educational policies. Conclusion: Integrating teacher collaboration and project-based learning with garden-based school activities fosters student collaboration and participation, while offering enriched sensorial experiences that benefit the learning and development of all students. School gardens also foster inclusion through deepening intercultural understanding and stronger student interactions that heighten awareness and normalization of diversity.

This study examines emotional well-being variations among students (n = 13,398) across 5 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary analysis is conducted using data from the "Responses to Educational Disruption Survey" (REDS), which focused on the pandemic experiences, including well-being, of 8th-grade students. The study constructs an emotional well-being scale employing bi-factor models and multidimensional item response theory, encompassing students' concerns, loneliness, social isolation, and negative emotions. Cross-analyses with gender and socioeconomic status (SES) reveal significant between-group disparities, measured by Cohen's d effect sizes. It uncovers gender gaps in emotional well-being, with girls consistently scoring lower in most countries. SES effects on emotional well-being vary among countries, with SES group distinctions generally smaller than gender disparities. Thus, gender appears to have played a more significant role than SES in relation to 8th-grade students' emotional well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Research suggests that the effect of emergency remote education on the motivation of gifted students during the COVID-19 pandemic differs from that observed in traditional students. The main aim of the present study was to explore the lived experience of academic motivation among gifted high school students in Croatia, Serbia, and Slovenia. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 47 gifted students aged 15 to 18, using the same methodological procedure in the three countries with similar educational backgrounds. Grounded in gifted students' narratives about their academic motivation, we detected three groups of students who experienced decreased, no change in, or increased academic motivation. Furthermore, we identified group-specific patterns based on the most common activities and salient features of students' school context, learning, and leisure time during the pandemic.

Objective: This study investigated active recess as an innovative approach to improving physical activity levels in European primary schools, addressing the need to counteract sedentary behaviour and enhance health in students. Method and Design: Using rapid reviewing, the article summarises empirical evidence from a variety of sources, including cross-sectional and intervention studies. Different approaches are investigated to determine their impact on physical activity during recess. Results: Different playground settings have distinct effects on physical activity, with grassland and designated zones in particular promoting moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Gender inequalities in physical activity patterns suggest the need for gender-sensitive interventions. Playground marking and scheduled activities temporarily increase physical activity, whereas recess of more than 60 minutes dramatically enhances physically active participation. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the impact of active recess in facilitating children to engage in higher levels of physical activity. The findings have implications for school health policy decisions.

In recent years, there has been considerable investment at the European Union level in expanding early childhood education and care (ECEC) facilities. In line with this quantitative substantial initiative, research and social policies are increasingly focusing on the quality of such facilities. High quality depends, among other things, on well-trained early childhood educators. This poses a dilemma for early childhood educators for various reasons; there is a shortage of skilled early childhood professionals, so that low-skilled staff are also being employed in early childhood education facilities. Online formats for professional development can contribute to the professionalisation of the ECEC system through vocational training. Since these formats are designed and produced to high professional and technical standards, they can be cost-effective thanks to their multiple uses and because they can often be completed by participants independent of time and location. This article presents an empirically studied blended e-learning training format based on the principles of co-constructivist didactics. The content focuses on the quality of interaction between early childhood professionals and children. Before and after the training course was completed, standardised non-participant observations were conducted in Austrian, German, Hungarian, Slovenian, Italian, and Portuguese early childhood education and care institutions. The before/after measurements (N = 43) showed a significant effect on the quality of interaction between the early childhood professionals and the children.

Education is a fundamental human right and essential to enable people to maximize their abilities to settle in a new country, adapt to a new environment, and become participating community members. As part of the challenges posed by immigration, the society aims to provide at least primary education to the children of immigrants. Statistical data show that in recent years, the number of students from other countries has increased in Slovenia. Slovenian educational institutions are confronted with a larger number of immigrant and refugee children with different cultural and linguistic backgrounds than Slovenian children. In order to explore what the challenges are in integrating immigrant students into Slovenian primary schools, we will try to answer the main research question of what challenges principals face in integrating immigrant children into primary education. This will be researched through an empirical analysis methodologically based on semi-structured interviews with school principals in selected primary schools.

Parents and teachers play a key role in developing students' self-regulated learning (SRL), which is closely linked to academic achievement and acts as a protective factor for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Research has shown that authoritative parenting style, parental responsiveness, emotional warmth, behavioural control, and autonomy support are associated with better academic performance. In addition, studies have shown that the quality of the teacher-student relationship plays an important role in the development of SRL. However, there is limited research on the relationship between school and home environmental factors, student characteristics, and SRL, especially in primary school. The present study examined the relationship between parenting styles, teaching styles, student characteristics, and SRL. The sample included 328 ninth-grade students in Slovenian primary schools. SRL, parenting styles, and teaching styles were assessed using student self-reports. Using latent profile analysis, three subtypes of parenting styles (discipline-oriented parenting, democratic parenting, and responsive parenting) and three subtypes of teaching styles (autonomy-supportive teaching, diverse teaching, and directive teaching) were identified. Results indicate that students who perceive autonomy-supportive teaching and responsive parenting styles exhibit higher levels of SRL. Autonomy-supportive teaching was positively associated with student achievement. This study highlights the importance of an authoritative parenting and teaching style for the development of SRL in primary school.

The emotional stance of the instructor in an educational video can influence the learning process. For this reason, we checked the first link of the cognitive-affective model of e-learning, namely, whether learners can recognize emotions that an instructor expresses only with their voice. Since English is not the native language for many learners and most instructional videos are produced in English, we tested for possible differences in emotion recognition between native and non-native speakers. We focused on positive emotions typically conveyed in such videos - enthusiasm and calmness. Native and non-native English speakers watched 12 short video clips about wood as a building material spoken by an instructor in different emotional tones - five videos expressed enthusiasm, five calmness, one boredom and one frustration. Participants rated the extent to which they thought the narrator expressed a specific emotion, the valence and activation level of the narration and solved an English vocabulary test. Both native and non-native speakers recognized the correct emotions (except for frustration), demonstrating the power of voice prosody to convey emotion in a multimedia learning scenario. Native speakers rated the enthusiastic videos more positively than non-native speakers, indicating a subtle difference in the way the two groups perceive emotions expressed through voice.

The paper explores the effects of the sociological concept of reflexivity to parents' media education of preschool children. It draws upon the recommendations of the American Academy of Paediatrics referring to the restrictions of screen exposure based on different age groups, coviewing and discussing media content. It applies a social survey on the Slovenian national sample of parents to (1) review their media education practices, (2) identify the factors affecting these practices through regression analyses and (3) use path analysis to provide an explanatory model of the factors affecting children's screen exposure. A Reflexivity Measurement Tool is applied to assess the parents' meta-reflexivity scores. The hypothesis that meta-reflexivity is one of the key factors affecting media education is confirmed. The results show differences in screen exposure between age groups and higher exposure of boys when compared to girls. Children of the divorced/separated parents are more exposed to screens. Setting restrictions is quite common but it is also the quality of media content and the interaction with children that matters. Meta-reflexivity not only decreases the quantity of screen exposure. but it also makes coviewing and discussing media content with children more likely. Moreover, the significance of parents as role models is confirmed.

In our study we tested a model of the relationships among students' perceived parenting styles, their emotional control and peer bullying involvement, since family characteristics are understudied and unclear in comparison with individual and school factors of peer bullying. Our sample included 202 students from 7th and 8th grade from 14 lower secondary schools. The resulting model showed that the authoritative parenting style positively predicted emotional regulation and observation of bullying. The authoritarian parenting style positively predicted relational and physical bullying with teasing and observation of bullying, and negatively emotional control. Emotional control as a mediating variable negatively predicted all forms of involvement in peer bullying. The results indicate the importance of promoting self-regulation skills in adolescents. Some practical implications for parents and school staff are discussed.

Microcontroller programming competencies contribute to the sustainable employability of engineering graduates of both higher and secondary education. To develop the required programming skills, one of the challenges for educators is to determine which programming environments should be implemented in introductory programming courses. Conceptually, graphical (e.g. iconic or diagrammatic) environments appear to be very different from textual environments. Our study focused on a programming course in a mechatronics vocational training programme at the secondary school level in Slovenia. To investigate the expectations of potential employers towards our graduates, we surveyed local companies. Out of 104 respondents, 90 (86.5%) expected graduates to be able to use various programming environments, including upcoming ones. In our study, we divided 114 students into two groups of equal prior knowledge. Group A started the course with a textual programming environment and switched to a graphical one in the second sequence, while group B followed a reverse sequence. Group A achieved better test results after both sequences. Knowledge transfer, as measured by normalised learning gains, was also in favour of group A. We concluded that it is more efficient to start with the textual environment and then continue with the graphical environment. The results of this study open up some challenges for further research to investigate the effectiveness of introductory programming courses based on programmable electronics with students of similar ages. Further research should consider the specific requirements of the different courses but should also the effectiveness of knowledge transfer between different programming environments.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many changes in all areas, including education. In this paper, we discuss the changes in the studying habits of higher education students brought about by the new modes of education. The research was conducted in Slovenia at the University of Maribor on a sample of 272 students. We investigated whether there had been changes in studying time, studying space, mode of studying and learning during lectures, social elements, and the advantages and barriers of distance learning. We found differences in certain studying habits related to the time and space of studying which are mainly associated with the prohibition of movement and socializing outside the household. We noticed a decline in motivation and its connection with lowering learning goals and students finding it harder to focus on learning. However, we also found that the new mode of studying brings greater flexibility for students, so some want to continue to study in this way. [Note: The page range (67-84) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct page range is 67-83.]

In the present study, we were interested in the appraisal by teachers who have had experience with an individual form of differentiation of the efficiency of grouping learners into homogenous or heterogeneous groups. In the study, seven aspects were thus considered: (1) the learning performance and motivation of learners, (2) the learners' activity, (3) didactic ways of adapting teaching to diverse learners, (4) the impact on the formation of learners' personality, (5) cooperation among learners, (6) opportunities for professional development, and (7) cooperation with parents. The research has shown that there is a statistically significant difference between the teachers who teach in homogeneous groups and the teachers who teach in heterogeneous groups in all the seven aspects of the appraisal of the efficiency of grouping learners into homogenous or heterogeneous groups. Regarding most of the assertions, teachers belonging to both groups perceive the way of teaching they perform as having the most advantages.

This study examined the difficulties experienced by Slovenian upper-secondary school and university students aged 18 to 25 in their close social relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the extent of social difficulties in six domains (relationships with friends, establishing a new relationship with an intimate partner, sexuality, relationship with a current intimate partner, parental control and living with parents, and family conflict) in the pre-pandemic period and in the first two waves of the pandemic. We were also interested in whether demographic variables were related to the students' perceived social difficulties. The results showed that the severity of reported difficulties increased in all six domains during the government-imposed quarantine periods, with relationships with friends and the opportunity to establish new intimate relationships being the most affected. In addition, we found differences in the extent of perceived difficulties related to educational status, gender, intimate relationship, and change in living situations. The study offers insight into the socio-emotional life of students during a non-normative life event that educators should acknowledge.

Peer victimisation during school years has been found to significantly shape the way students perceive themselves and how they enter into relationships with peers, thus impacting students' current and long-term wellbeing. However, victimisation has seldom been examined in university students. The present study aimed to investigate students' current level of self-reported peer victimisation and perceived peer support and their retrospectively reported victimisation as predictors of their social self-concept and loneliness in their first year of university. First-year university students (N = 200; 26% male) participated in the study. The results indicated that retrospectively reported victimisation experiences during their years of schooling explained additional variance in social self-concept and loneliness beyond their concurrent peer experiences. These findings indicate that experiencing victimisation during school years could have consequences for students' wellbeing that are not limited to the period of primary and secondary schooling, but can persist after their transition to university. Practical implications for the promotion of mental health in the higher education context are discussed.

Much research has been done on the first quarantine period in 2020, however little is known for what it concerns remote emergency teaching and learning in Italian schools with Slovene as language of instruction. No extensive research explored teachers' and students' perceptions of this remote learning period, nor analyzed their opinion about positive and negative aspects of online learning, especially those related to the teaching material in Slovene language, which should address the Italian program. The present article presents the analysis of online semi-structured interviews that involved 15 high school teachers and 15 students who teach or attend Italian high schools with Slovene as teaching language, and it aims to answer these questions. We found that teachers and students preferred face-to-face classes, since they faced several issues connected with remote learning, such as a lack of interaction during remote learning, technology and connection problem, health issues and psychological distress. High school teachers and students faced less problems than those reported by primary schools' pupils and teachers, since they are older and more independent than primary school pupils. High school students also communicated through several social applications and peers might have helped them to overcome the language obstacles.

With the development of technology allowing for a rapid expansion of data science and machine learning in our everyday lives, a significant gap is forming in the global job market where the demand for qualified workers in these fields cannot be properly satisfied. This worrying trend calls for an immediate action in education, where these skills must be taught to students at all levels in an efficient and up-to-date manner. This paper gives an overview of the current state of data science and machine learning education globally and both at the high school and university levels, while outlining some illustrative and positive examples. Special focus is given to vocational education and training (VET), where the teaching of these skills is at its very beginning. Also presented and analysed are survey results concerning VET students in Slovenia, Serbia, and North Macedonia, and their knowledge, interests, and prerequisites regarding data science and machine learning. These results confirm the need for development of efficient and accessible curricula and courses on these subjects in vocational schools.

In a sample of 1215 teachers, this study examined the readiness of science educators for assessment in the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence in education. Participants responded to an online questionnaire during the emergency remote teaching phase, offering insights into the frequency and nature of assessment methods utilized. The research draws a connection between assessment techniques during remote teaching and the emergence of AI in education. The results show that the selected assessment methods vary across teachers, with some specific differences observed in the assessment practices of science teachers. The study underscores the critical role of reading literacy in enhancing student engagement in contemporary learning environments. Moreover, the findings suggest that continuous professional development significantly improves the readiness of (science) teachers for AI-enhanced assessment. Drawing from these insights, recommendations for subsequent research are delineated.

The present work deals with career counselling for people with special needs based on the paradigm of positive psychology, which is becoming increasingly relevant in counselling and therapeutic processes. It is an approach to counselling and working with clients based on the strengths of the individual and represents a paradigm shift -- a departure from the approach based on deficits and weaknesses. The empirical study established the prevalence of this approach in Slovenian elementary and secondary school counsellors. The results show that this way of counselling is a new strategy for mobilising various internal sources of strength and a supportive environment, which improves the individual's ability to achieve the best possible self-sufficient education and integration into professional and social life. However, in the case of counselling for persons with special needs, a balance needs to be achieved between a strength approach and others that focus on personal problems and weaknesses.

The primary aim of this paper is to present the key elements that characterise online course design, addressing the process of designing, implementing, and evaluating an online course for Bachelor's degree students that focuses on developing their academic writing skills. These skills are essential for university students as they provide the knowledge necessary to express themselves effectively, analyse texts, think critically, cite correctly, and avoid plagiarism. Academic writing is also the foundation for responsible research practice. The Research Integrity Competency Profile Model, which includes four main areas, namely values and principles, research practice, publication and dissemination, and violations, was created prior to the design of the course and the skills students need to acquire at the Bachelor's level for successful academic writing were identified. A small private online course was carefully designed in 2020. It consisted of a variety of assignments, including interactive elements such as quizzes, videos, and work in international interdisciplinary groups. The participants of the course were 36 students from Slovenia, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic. The course lasted four weeks and covered topics such as literature analysis, writing a research paper, avoiding plagiarism, paraphrasing, and citation styles, among others. The course was launched in 2021 for two consecutive instances. The participating students evaluated the course positively, describing the assignments as motivating, useful, and well-structured. However, they concluded that they need more practice in this area, and we suggest that a university course be established to provide all students with the necessary academic writing skills.

This article examines the concept of academic autonomy within the "Yugoslav model" of higher education as a peripheral system characterised by an eclectic mix of elements from different systems, resulting in mutations with unique features during its development. The hitherto under-researched history of this higher education model has by no means been uniform or linear; because of this complexity, the focus here is limited to the case of Slovenia but considers the broader context. The focus is on the understanding, legislation, and (non-)implementation of academic autonomy as articulated between 1945 and 1991. The concept was inherited: it was never used in the legislation of federal socialist Yugoslavia yet was used in political and public debates. Our analysis relates these debates to the rapidly changing legislation and the broader socio-political context. Although the "Yugoslav model" has vanished, its traces and ashes, including old contradictions and dilemmas, remain partly present in the higher education systems of independent states that emerged on the territory of the former federation. The principle that knowledge of the past is the key to understanding the present and approaching the future is confirmed in this case as well.

One of the aims of education is to produce wise and responsible citizens who are aware of their impact on the environment and can address and solve daily life problems. From this point of view, science education leading to science literacy is helpful for all students, regardless of their future careers. In this paper, we first review the definitions of science literacy in the literature and present the strategies for its development. In Slovenia, we refer to the ongoing national project NA-MA POTI. Most of the strategies studied focus on primary and secondary schools. However, for the development of science literacy in primary and secondary education, teachers themselves must achieve a sufficient level of science literacy. The research was conducted with a small group of prospective teachers, focusing on three components of science literacy: asking research questions, making hypotheses, and designing an experiment. In addition, we analysed the curricula of the science didactics courses in the teacher education program. The findings show a great need for a systematic change in the curricula. Finally, proposals and ideas for improving the curricula for the didactics of science and the syllabus of the Subject teacher study program are presented.

This paper presents a pilot study of creative movement workshops that enriched the school life of fourth graders at a primary school in Slovenia during the closure of educational institutions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The project involved a dancer who met with students via the Zoom platform for four months, preparing, leading, and facilitating dance activities based on current curriculum content. Using qualitative analysis, we present the views of students, parents, a teacher and a dancer on the integration of arts to online teaching and learning. The creative movement workshops exhibited the importance of including opportunities for movement within online curriculum for students, as they spent most of their time sitting in front of screens. The workshops created opportunities for social interaction where other forms of online instruction otherwise reduced social contact. Finally, the movement and dance activities contributed to a better understanding of some learning content.

Emoticons have become a common phenomenon in email correspondence between students and professors. Even though the use of emoticons in formal writing is considered inappropriate and unprofessional, more and more students are using these nonverbal communication tools to add context or emphasis to their email messages to professors. This paper examines the association between the use of emoticons and professors' perceptions of higher education students' email messages with and without emoticons in two countries, Serbia and Slovenia. The students' emails were collected and assessed on several levels. The students' messages were examined with particular attention to the appropriateness of the students' writing style. In addition, the students' level of digital literacy, their attitude toward a professor, and gender differences in the use of emoticons were examined. Furthermore, an online questionnaire was used to identify characteristic differences between students who use emoticons and students who do not. The results show that messages with emoticons are rated lower on several dimensions than messages without emoticons. In addition, students who use emoticons show lower digital literacy and perceive their professors as more understanding and helpful. Emoticon use is not related to gender. The results suggest that students should avoid using emoticons even if they have a positive attitude toward their professor.

Computational thinking (CT) is seen as a key competence of the 21st century and different countries have started to integrate it into their compulsory school curricula. However, few indications exist on how to assess CT in compulsory school. This review analyses what tools are used to assess CT in European schools and which dimensions are assessed. We analysed 26 studies carried out in K-12 between 2016 and 2020 in Europe. The results indicate that 18 different tools have been used and they can be categorized into five groups: questionnaires, tests/tasks, observations, interviews and analysis of products. From the tools we analysed, more than 50 dimensions were assessed and the vast majority of those were closer to programming skills rather than CT per se. Based on these results it seems that a common operational definition of CT, a competence model that indicates which competences students should reach at which age, and a tool that allows all different facets of CT to be assessed are currently missing.

Student evaluation of teaching (SET) involves numerous conceptual and methodological problems. This paper focuses on a specific methodological dilemma: whether to conduct SET surveys before or after the final examination. This decision is a critical administrative and practical issue that can affect the level and quality of SET results. To address this problem, a systematic literature search was initially performed. However, it found only 17 studies and inconclusive results. In the empirical component, a replication survey (n = 5,077) was conducted. It posed seven course-related questions to the same students before and after their final examination. A slightly higher but statistically significant (p < 0.001) average score was obtained in the after-examination survey (a 0.06 difference on a 1-5 scale). This increase was partly attributed to a positive examination experience. The overall test-retest correlation (r = 0.61) indicated relatively low reliability, suggesting that the before-examination survey better reflected students' attitudes. The data quality was also higher in the before-examination survey, although the before-examination survey could not properly assess the examination-related aspects of the course. From a methodological perspective, the most comprehensive insight seems to be derived from conducting SET surveys before the examination and following up with a brief after-examination survey.

Early career investigators (ECIs) in the Social Sciences and Humanities need to receive adequate information so that they will be empowered to progress in their academic career and deal with the various evaluation processes that constitute an essential part of their professional development. This article relies on an informational-ecosystemic approach originally developed in the context of resilience studies and crisis communication and uses it as a theoretical framework to analyse and understand the "early academic career building information ecosystems" (EACBIEs), into which ECIs professionally develop. The characteristics of these ecosystems are then refined through the analysis of interviews conducted with ECIs from all around Europe in the framework of the European Network for Research Evaluation in Social Sciences and Humanities (ENRESSH), European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action. The analysis reveals the remarkable heterogeneity of the information ecosystems into which early career researchers have to build their career in Europe, articulating a diversity of formal, non-formal and informal learning environments, and several related information channels, as well as showing a geographical spread that covers institutional, national and international levels. Furthermore, although the diverse information channels at hand and geographical levels at which they operate appear in some cases to be complementary, and even mutually reinforcing, they can also, in other cases, be dysfunctional, fragmented and unfair to some extent.

The study of variables related to the use of ICT in the classroom is a topic of interest that has been frequently researched. In this paper, after examining the importance of teacher training in explaining the use of ICT in the classroom, we focused on analysing the weight of variables related to teaching practices and the organisational context of schools, which are variables that are less frequently addressed in the literature. To do so, a secondary analysis was carried out using data provided by the Teaching and Learning International Study (TALIS 2018). Specifically, we worked with a sample of 3,918 principals and 64,899 teachers from a total of 3921 schools in 21 countries. A multilevel binary regression model with random intercept, fixed coefficients and a two-level structure with teachers at level 1 and schools at level 2 was used. The results indicate that the presence of ICT in the classroom is associated with self-efficacy in teaching and the cognitive activation of students and with the organisational aspects of the school, which are scarcely addressed by the existing literature on this topic of interest, such as school climate, educational innovation and cooperation among teachers. Based on these results, we reflect on possible ways to promote the use of ICT in the classroom.

We present how gender treatment is envisaged in the formal framework that defines early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Slovenia, with special emphasis on the curricular document, which frames the system and concept of ECEC in Slovenia. We present in detail how the latter deals with the issue of gender in individual areas of activities in ECEC settings. In addition, we present the results of the empirical survey we conducted among future early childhood educators where we explored whether in ECEC settings they would be willing to read fairy tales that open up the issue of gender from various perspectives, and if not, what reasons they give for this.

Teachers' mental representations significantly shape their attitudes and guide their professional behavior. This study focuses on identifying prospective teachers' mental representations of gifted students and their education, using the AGA technique. In a cross-sectional study, 480 prospective teachers (M[subscript age] = 20.73 years) listed the associations about two selected concepts (i.e., gifted student and gifted education). The identified semantic categories of the prospective teachers' associations indicate that the participants' mental representations of gifted students primarily concern the psychosocial characteristics. These mental representations suggest that gifted students excel academically in general or in specific domains. Other psychosocial characteristics of gifted students are underrepresented, including characteristics of twice-exceptional gifted students. The analysis of associations with the concept of gifted education, on the other hand, shows the dominance of the semantic category of concrete didactic-methodological adaptations, with additional and challenging tasks predominating. Prospective teachers in their final year of study more frequently express associations with weaknesses in the implementation of gifted education in practice than prospective teachers in their first year of study. In general, the mental representations reflect an awareness of the importance of gifted education in terms of an enumeration of active working methods, differentiation, and critical reflection on existing practice.