Inclusive education is an educational approach that advocates the inclusion of all students in the education system, regardless of their different abilities. Since the main stakeholders of inclusive education are teachers, professional associates, and school principals, their opinion is crucial for the successful implementation of this complicated process. The aim of this study was to investigate the views of teachers, professional associates and principals in secondary schools (N=517) on the effectiveness of inclusive education implementation in secondary schools in the Republic (...) of Croatia. The results of this study show that indicators of the success of inclusive education in secondary schools include acceptance of students with disabilities by their peers, successful completion of secondary school and aspiration to further education. Teachers, professional associates and school principals believe that they are well versed in methodological adaptations and are aware of the abilities and limitations of students with disabilities. The research found a statistically significant correlation between collaboration between secondary schools and parents of students with disabilities and successful inclusive education. Professional associates were found to provide the greatest support to teachers in educating students with disabilities. There is also a recognized need for more in-service training and professional visits from mobile teams equipped by experts specializing in specific difficulties. The study highlights how important it is for the success of inclusive education to update textbooks to include inclusive and universal design. (shrink)

Since social interactions are the basis for many activities in modern schools, they also have an impact on students' school engagement. Therefore, the aim of this article is to analyze how peer relationships affect students' school engagement and achievement by systematizing findings from the literature. To better understand the aforementioned relationship, the role of some individual student characteristics (gender, age, self-esteem) and processes that contribute to the understanding of peer relationships and their connection to school engagement will be further explored. (...) The analysis of empirical research results has shown that peer relationships are directly related to students' school engagement. Positive, supportive peer relationships correlate with greater student engagement in various school activities. In contrast, students who have negative experiences with peers (non-acceptance, rejection, or victimization) are not sufficiently engaged in school. School engagement plays a mediating role in the link between peer relationships and student success. This work has important implications for the development of educational interventions to improve peer relationships, engagement and student success. (shrink)

Poznata obrazovna paradigma nastava usmjerena na učenika postala je vrijednost kojoj se u suvremenoj nastavi hrvatskoga jezika sve više posvećuje osobita pozornost. Riječ je o nastavi koja podupire učenikovo sudjelovanje u različitim zadatcima i aktivnostima i koja u svojim ciljevima promiče participativan način planiranja, zatim predlaganje, zaključivanje, prikupljanje podataka, traženje odgovora te potiče povjerenje, pomaganje, otkrivanje te duboko empatijsko razumijevanje. Takva nastava implicira i promijenjene uloge nastavnika i učenika, a samim tim i promjenu perspektive iz: Što ću sutra poučavati? prema: (...) Što će moji učenici sutra učiti, postići, ostvariti? Ta se promjena može pratiti u nekoliko područja: (1) učenikov doprinos u planiranju nastave, (2) funkcija nastavnih sadržaja, (3) uloga nastavnika prema ulozi učenika te (4) svrha i procesi vrednovanja. Namjera je ovoga rada primjenom tih kategorija istražiti planiraju li nastavnici hrvatskoga jezika nastavni sat iz perspektive razmišljanja o tome što će učenici učiti, postići i ostvariti. Identifikacija tih kategorija i njihova analiza te interpretacija ostvarena je na istraživačkoj građi koju čini 60 prikupljenih pisanih priprava za nastavni sat hrvatskoga jezika i komunikacije. (shrink)

Early childhood and preschool education and care have changed significantly due to many new findings. This has also changed the importance of preschool teachers, who are confronted with a variety of challenges and new tasks on a daily basis. It is closely linked to their professional identity as a changing category of the complex development process of an individual in their profession. The aim of this study was to determine how preschool teachers perceive certain factors, in this case career choice, (...) positive or negative experiences and the desire to leave the profession, to affect their professional development and identity. The questionnaires were completed by 594 preschool teachers at different stages of professional development and levels of education. It was found that a significant percentage of preschool teachers knew very early on that they wanted to become a preschool teacher, just as the majority never wanted to leave their profession. Those who do, usually see the reasons in stressful situations. A certain correlation was found between positive or negative descriptions and the professional development phase, i.e. the level of training of the preschool teachers. (shrink)

High quality pedagogical practise is one of the most important mechanisms to support families and children at risk of social exclusion (RSE) in the early childhood and pre-school education system (ECEC). This paper describes and presents the results of the evaluation of the model for the prevention of adverse developmental outcomes of children with RSE achieved through quality pedagogical practise. The contribution of using the model to children's social inclusion was determined using a quasi-experimental quantitative method. 60 educators from 15 (...) kindergartens in seven districts of the Republic of Croatia participated in the study. Before and after six months of implementing the model, they completed the scale for assessing the child's social inclusion and the protocol for documenting pedagogical practise in relation to the child. The qualitative thematic analysis describes the ways in which the application of the model contributes to children's well-being. 30 educators who implemented the model were interviewed. The use of the model was found to contribute to better developmental outcomes for children at RSE and to educators' professional development and practise. The results suggest that the pedagogical practise of ECEC needs to be improved to prevent unfavourable developmental outcomes for children at RSE. (shrink)

Musical activities play an extremely important role in the holistic development of children. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate parents' views on the importance of a musically stimulating environment for the holistic development of toddlers with regard to gender, vocational training, additional music lessons, knowledge of notation and children's participation in a music kindergarten program. The research was conducted through a survey of a sample of 193 participants, parents of toddlers from Split-Dalmatia County. A questionnaire consisting of (...) two parts was created for the purpose of the research: Questionnaire on general data and parents' attitudes towards the importance of a musically stimulating environment for the holistic development of toddlers. The results of the study confirmed that gender and vocational training were not significant predictors of parental attitudes towards the importance of a musically stimulating environment for the holistic development of toddlers. Additional musical education by parents and knowledge of musical notation are significant predictors of some of the attitudes towards performing musical activities at home and attitudes towards music in general. The results of the study confirm that parents whose children attend the musical kindergarten program have a more positive attitude towards the importance of a musically stimulating environment for the holistic development of toddlers compared to parents whose children do not participate in such activities. The results show the importance of the quality of the organization of music kindergarten programs and greater involvement of children in such programs. (shrink)

Along with critical thinking, collaboration and communication, creativity is considered a crucial skill to prepare students for uncertain societal challenges and future jobs in the twenty-first century. Therefore, it is not enough to just encourage creativity in education, but it is also important to assess it, because assessing creativity helps to recognise and understand students' creative abilities. In this paper, we focus on mathematical creativity and link it to general definitions of creativity. We thoroughly investigate and analyse methods that foster (...) mathematical creativity and enable its assessment, highlighting innovations that result from the application of these methods. The methods we consider focus on approaches to problem posing and problem solving, including open-ended tasks. The results show that these methods not only enhance students' mathematical creativity, but also contribute to more connected mathematical knowledge and improve problem-solving skills. (shrink)

Modern societies are increasingly culturally pluralistic and more and more people are coming into contact with other cultures. These encounters with different cultures do not always lead to mutual understanding and acceptance. In this context, the importance of promoting and developing intercultural sensitivity is recognized as one of the fundamental tasks of (future) teachers in modern schools, which presupposes that they themselves are interculturally sensitive and express this sensitivity. With this in mind, the aim of this study was to investigate (...) the extent to which multicultural experiences and certain socio-demographic characteristics of prospective teachers contribute to explaining their intercultural sensitivity. 630 students from all teacher education programs in the Republic of Croatia participated in the study. The survey consisted of a questionnaire on socio-demographic data, an Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (Chen & Starosta, 2000) and a modified Multicultural Experience Questionnaire (Narvaez et al., 2017). The research findings suggest that certain socio-demographic characteristics and multicultural experiences contribute significantly to the level of intercultural sensitivity of prospective teachers. In addition to considering the role of intercultural sensitivity and multicultural experiences in the affirmation of intercultural education in schools, implications for initial teacher education and recommendations for future research are provided based on the research findings obtained. (shrink)

High-quality art pedagogical work requires continuous further training for teachers and the observation of art practice and art exhibitions. As art changes, so does society and therefore schools. If the teacher wants to refresh the content and bring it closer to the students, he or she must follow the changes. In this article, we present part of a broader study in which we were interested in teachers' personal interest in monitoring art practice. The research was conducted on a sample of (...) 84 upper elementary school art teachers from all over Slovenia (N = 84). We analyzed teachers' interest in terms of age and length of service. We were interested in whether age and length of service are factors that influence the personal interest of art teachers and the continuation of their professional development. The results show that teachers, regardless of age and professional experience, show a similar interest in artistic practices. (shrink)

U radu se proučava potreba, značaj i načini profesionalnog usavršavanja učitelja za upotrebu inovativnih nastavnih sustava u nastavi o prirodi i društvu koji su podjednako primjenjivi i u drugim predmetima u osnovnoj i srednjoj školi. Cilj istraživanja je utvrditi procjene učitelja o svom stručnom usavršavanju za realizaciju nastave prema novim sustavima. Pošlo se od opće pretpostavke da su učitelji različito upoznati s inovativnim nastavnim sustavima pa ih stoga ne primjenjuju jednako u nastavi o prirodi i društvu na razini inicijalnog obrazovanja, (...) te posebnih pretpostavki da je upoznatost učitelja s inovativnim nastavnim sustavima pod značajnim utjecajem akademskog obrazovanja te da stupanj akademskog obrazovanja i nastavno iskustvo značajno utječu na njihov profesionalni razvoj. Kako bi se to utvrdilo, u prosincu 2023. godine na uzorku od 107 učitelja zaposlenih u osnovnim školama zlatiborskog okruga (Republika Srbija) provedeno je istraživanje prikazano u ovom radu. Prikupljeni podaci potvrdili su sve istraživačke hipoteze. Zaključeno je da su inovativni nastavni sustavi učenja i poučavanja značajni u realizaciji nastave o prirodi i društvu na razini inicijalnog obrazovanja, ali da su prisutni u provođenju kod učitelja do 10 godina i s više od 30 godina rada u praksi. Kako bi učitelji osnažili svoje kompetencije za upotrebu inovativnih nastavnih sustava, predlaže se drugačiji profesionalni razvoj koji podrazumijeva drugačije inicijalno obrazovanje tijekom kojeg bi budući učitelji stekli temeljna znanja za upotrebu inovativnih nastavnih sustava u realizaciji razredne nastave, kao i kasnije stručno usavršavanje koje podrazumijeva pohađanje edukacija o inovativnim sustavima nastave. (shrink)

The aim of this research is to identify the success factors of music students and to find out what the success of primary and secondary school students in the Republic of Croatia looks like. For the research, 153 music teachers working in primary and secondary music schools in 38 cities and municipalities in Croatia were surveyed. The results show that students most often enrol in music schools because they want to learn to play an instrument or sing, then because of (...) parental encouragement or curiosity, and finally, as a rarer motivation for enrollment, the love of music or the influence of peers who attend the music school. Teachers working in Croatian music schools believe that the most important success factors for music students are family and parental support, the quality of communication between teachers and students, and the time and quality of students’ individual practicing. (shrink)

Ovo istraživanje u fokusu ima ulogu kontekstualnih čimbenika i samoefikasnosti u samoreguliranom učenju te ciljeva postignuća kao motivacijskih odrednica akademskog nepoštenja u pisanim radovima kod visokoškolskih studenata. Cilj nam je bio istražiti potencijalnu medijacijsku ulogu samoefikasnosti u samoreguliranom učenju i ciljeva postignuća u odnosu između kontekstualnih čimbenika i akademskog nepoštenja u pisanim radovima. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 414 studenata s tri fakulteta društvenog i humanističkog usmjerenja Sveučilišta u Zagrebu. Studenti su ispunjavali upitnik koji je uključivao mjere kontekstualnih čimbenika akademskog nepoštenja, (...) samoefikasnosti u samoreguliranom učenju, ciljeva postignuća i čestine uključenosti u akademsko nepoštenje u pisanim radovima tijekom studija. Kontekstualni čimbenici predviđali su akademsko nepoštenje u pisanim radovima, kako izravno, tako i posredstvom samoefikasnosti u samoreguliranom učenju i cilja izbjegavanja rada. Nalazi istraživanja ukazuju na važnost okružja učenja i motivacijskih uvjerenja u razumijevanju akademskog nepoštenja u visokom obrazovanju. (shrink)

U svrhu razumijevanja promjena u obrazovanju uzrokovanih prelaskom na nastavu na daljinu, koristimo sociološke koncepte poput Turnerova koncepta društvene dinamike kako bismo teorijski postavili promijenjene odnose između pojedinaca, institucija i društvenog sustava, a koristimo se i različitim konceptima kapitala u razumijevanju aktivacije kapitala i resursa nastavnika. Osnovni ciljevi istraživanja bili su analizirati (a) institucionalnu potporu nastavnicima iz njihove perspektive i (b) kapital i resurse koje su nastavnici morali aktivirati tijekom nastave na daljinu. Tijekom 2020. godine provedeni su intervjui s 32 (...) nastavnika iz Hrvatske i potom je primijenjena deduktivna tematska analiza. Rezultati pokazuju da se prilagodba iz perspektive nastavnika najviše oslanjala na njihov neposredni rad s učenicima te na aktiviranje osobnog i profesionalnog kapitala i resursa, dok je institucionalna potpora bila od sekundarne važnosti. Teme vezane uz institucionalnu potporu ukazuju na mješavinu pozitivnih i negativnih iskustava, s time da su negativna iskustva izraženija u pogledu potpore na nacionalnoj razini. Socijalni kapital i razmjena iskustava s kolegama ističu se u usporedbi s institucionalnom potporom na nacionalnoj razini, što je u skladu s Turnerovom analizom društvene dinamike. (shrink)

The paper is devoted to the status and perspectives of critique in the theory of education. Detecting that it is either a social criticism in which education appears as a convenient culprit and an investment currency, or a criticism of a small scope that corrects didactic strategies within predetermined frameworks, the author articulates two axiomatic beliefs that prevent a radical critique of education in modern times. The first belief or the first methodological dogma refers to the necessary but unjustified privileged (...) epistemic position of the critic, which makes the critique either unfounded or, if it is at all theoretically responsible, regenerates the system it aims to undermine. The second dogma refers to the preconceived notion that education should achieve something that goes beyond the immediate scope of education, something that its current organization does not achieve, and which supposedly cannot be achieved by any other means. It is concluded that this normative dimension that society imposes on education can have disastrous effects. (shrink)

The educational system in multi‑ethnic environments plays an important role in the socialization and preservation of the cultural and linguistic identity of minorities. Due to socio‑historical events, the Italian component represents a significant identity segment of the city of Rijeka. There are four elementary schools of the Italian national minority operating in Rijeka. In this paper, we examine the attitudes of teachers working in these schools, the challenges they face in their teaching practice, and the level of satisfaction with their (...) pedagogical work and the status of minority schools in the local community. The research is based on a qualitative research paradigm, with the discussion focused on the implications of the conducted descriptive analysis. The future development of minority schools will depend on the ability to maintain the number of student population and preserve ethnic identity. A brief historical overview of elementary education of the Italian minority in Rijeka from 1945 to the present day preceeds the analysis of the research results. (shrink)

Far from the harmony of the Greek statues, the Renaissance proportions in which is reflected metaphysical beauty, the clarity of Realism and the tranquility of Impressionism, the art of the 20th century is turning to new expressive possibilities and new, often incomprehensible, perhaps even meaningless, forms of communication. One of the most provoking artistic expressions is auto‑destructive art that appears in the 60s of the last century. The creator of the concept and author of the manifesto on auto‑destructive art, Gustav (...) Metzger (1926–2017) successfully combined his own political and ethical preoccupations with his work and showed a great degree of engagement with current issues of society and its (re) humanization. Auto‑destructive artistic expression should not be interpreted as a negation of painting, but rather as a creative process that carries a strong social and ethical message. (shrink)

The aim of this paper was to examine the professional burnout of professional associates (51 psychologists and 70 pedagogues) in primary and secondary schools in relation to socio‑demographic determinants. The MBI – Questionnaire for experts in helping occupations was applied. The most common symptoms of professional burnout are in the domain of personal achievement (76%), followed by emotional exhaustion (63.6%) and depersonalization (62%). The results indicate that there is a difference between school pedagogues and psychologists in terms of depersonalization and (...) personal achievement. When it comes to the level of the school where professional associates work, the difference is determined on the scale of depersonalization. Considering the location where the school is located, differences are present in relation to emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, with professional burnout being higher in suburban schools. The research results point to the need for psychological‑pedagogical preventive work, encouraging social support and teamwork. In subsequent research, it is necessary to include expert associates from other institutions, and to apply other instruments related to professional burnout. (shrink)

Feedback encompasses different aspects of learning and enables students tofocus on the goal of the lesson while being conscious of their responsibility fortheir success. It should neither be strictly criticism, nor mere praise; rather, itshould contain a set of information that will guide them in correcting their mistakesand learning. Feedback has a positive impact on student learning (Voerman et al.,2012) and is a key factor in increasing mathematical achievement (Clarke, 2001).The purpose of this action research is to improve elementary mathematics (...) teachingthrough the provision of feedback. Analysis of the video recordings from the lessonsrevealed the prevalence of feedback aimed at assessing students’ comprehensionand achievement. Additionally, students received feedback on the assignment. Asthe planned activities were implemented, an increase in student motivation, controlover their own learning and student satisfaction was also observed. The findingsdemonstrate that it is possible to improve mathematics education by introducingchanges that align with for the students’ abilities and interests. In doing so, it iscrucial for teachers to be knowledgeable about effective teaching methods thatmust be adapted to the educational context in which they work. (shrink)

Dobro je poznato da je učiteljska profesija jedna od najstresnijih. U ovom istraživanju smo, unutar Teorije samoodređenja, ispitivali odnos između životnih ciljeva i izgaranja. Također, se ispitivalo služe li temeljne psihološke potrebe povezane s poslom i zanesenost kao medijatori između životnih ciljeva i izgaranja. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 480 učiteljica osnovnih škola iz različitih dijelova Hrvatske. Sudionice su imale prosječno 17 godina radnog iskustva. Rezultati istraživanja su pokazali da su ekstrinzični životni ciljevi izravno doveli do većeg izgaranja. Intrinzični životni ciljevi (...) dovode do višeg zadovoljenja temeljnih psiholoških potreba i češćih iskustava zanesenosti te tim putem neizravno smanjuju izgaranje na poslu. Doprinos ovog rada leži u objašnjavanju veze između varijabli iz Teorije samoodređenja i koncepta zanesenosti. Također, rezultati se mogu koristiti u poboljšanju uvjeta na poslu tako da potiču dobrobit nastavnika. (shrink)

Interest in Japanese language, and consequently the number of students of the Japanese language is constantly growing, both globally, and on the national level. Pula University undergraduate study program of Japanese Language and Culture and graduate program of Japanese studies with Japanese Language Teaching module, the first accredited Japanese study programs in Croatia, open up the possibility of introducing the subject curriculum of the Japanese language in secondary schools in the Republic of Croatia. Creation of educated teaching staff and the (...) publication of Japanese language textbooks in Croatian are important prerequisites for teaching in secondary schools, as the results of surveys in secondary schools and the number of students enrolled in Japanese study program indicate a great interest in this language. The aim of this paper is to develop a proposal for a subject curriculum of the Japanese language for secondary schools in the Republic of Croatia with content and structure based on an analysis of existing Japanese language curricula of foreign countries (the curricula of Germany, Serbia, Canada, and Ireland) and on the foreign language subject curricula of the Republic of Croatia (French, Serbian, Greek and Latin). The proposal presents parts of the elaborated learning outcomes and suggests selected topics and language content for two classes of secondary schools. In addition, cross‑subject topics correlated with Japanese language were also listed. (shrink)

Za razumijevanje i učenje matematike vrlo je važna razvijenost vještine matematičke komunikacije. Cilj vrednovanja matematičke komunikacije je procjena načina korištenja matematičkog jezika, sposobnosti postavljanja pitanja, elaboriranja i argumentiranja vlastitih odgovora, upotrebljavanja i tumačenja matematičkih simbola i čitanja algoritama, sposobnost prelaska iz jednog zapisa (prikaza podataka) u drugi te sposobnost primjene tehnologije. Jedno od pitanja koje se samo nameće je: koje su metode i načini vrednovanja najprimjereniji za procjenu vještina matematičke komunikacije? Cilj ovoga rada je istražiti je li interpretativni (matematički) esej (...) prikladna metoda za vrednovanje vještine matematičke komunikacije. Analiza je pokazala da je esejom moguće ispitati gotovo svaku sastavnicu vještine matematičke komunikacije zbog čega autori navode da je matematički esej prikladna metoda vrednovanja matematičke komunikacije. Dodatno, autori su razvili okvir za vrednovanje matematičkog eseja na pet razina uspješnosti, a pri čemu je poseban naglasak stavljen na aspekt vrednovanja matematičke komunikacije, uzimajući u obzir strukturu i sadržaj samog eseja. (shrink)

Specifičnosti karijernog puta strukovnih nastavnika i njihova tranzicija iz gospodarstva u odgojno‑obrazovni sustav kao i zahtjevi kontinuiranog profesionalnog razvoja nakon što postanu nastavnici može uzrokovati tenzije u njihovom profesionalnom identitetu. Svrha ovog rada je dati pregled utjecaja na profesionalni identitet strukovnih nastavnika iz makro, mezo i mikro perspektive kako bi se omogućio cjelovit pogled na kompleksnost njihovog profesionalnog identiteta. Pregled literature upućuje na to da je na makro razini važno istražiti kako se obrazovne politike spuštaju na razinu škole i nastavnika (...) te kako status strukovnog obrazovanja i osposobljavanja u zemlji može utjecati na strukovne nastavnike. Na mezo razini valja istražiti odnose strukovnih nastavnika s različitim dionicima kao i institucionalnu podršku pri kontinuiranom profesionalnom razvoju. Na mikro razini važno je steći uvid u osobne biografije strukovnih nastavnika istražujući njihovu društvenu pozadinu, prethodna obrazovna i profesionalna iskustva i razloge odabira nastavničke profesije. (shrink)

The term ‘pedagogical tact’ is very difficult to theoretically define and operationalize in practice. The aim of this paper is to analyse this construct which is not only often used in both theory and practice, but also differently defined and understood in literature. Despite the general consensus on the fact that pedagogical tact represents one of education’s crucial parts, this phenomenon is still shrouded in a veil of mystery due to which it has been placed on the margins of educational (...) discourse because it is not susceptible to behaviouristic, measurable and conceptually technical language. Pedagogical tact is known as “the jewel of the pedagogical skill” which means it is being developed by theoretical understanding of educational process and mastered in practice. Teacher with highly developed pedagogical tact puts students’ wellbeing and interests on top, respects them and their individuality, has the ability to interpret their thoughts, understanding, feelings and desires as well as carefully and adequately act in complex and unpredictable educational situations. Pedagogical tact offers teachers a basis for continuous development of practice, personal pedagogical attitudes and values as well as critical approach to curricula. (shrink)