89 gianina-estera petre adventist international institute of advanced studies, philippines petreg@aiias.edu book review understanding the school curriculum: theory, politics, and principles, by alex moore. published by routledge london, uk, 2015 (198 pages). the rapid developments in today’s society entail changes in many fields and especially in education. as the goal of education is to prepare students for society (risinger, 2009), the schools should help them develop the 21st-century skills such as “communication, critical thinking and problem solving, professionalism and work ethic, teamwork and collaboration, working in diverse teams, applying technology, leadership and project management” (trilling & fadel, 2009, p. 7). in this preparation, the curriculum plays an important role in adjusting education to society’s needs and to properly prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s society (kitchen, fordham, henderson, looney, & maghnouj, 2017). in line with this preoccupation of developing an effective curriculum, is the book understanding the school curriculum: theory, politics, and principles. the author, alex moore, is an emeritus professor at the institute of education, university of london, uk. the book is addressed to students (undergraduate and graduate in the curriculum), teachers, and other people involved in the educational process. the author presents the actual necessity to develop a curriculum for the future. this must keep in attention 90 the swift changes of the society, which demand a “flexible, dynamic, evolving and reflexive” curriculum (p. 13). the book is structured in nine chapters, each of them adding a new link in the curriculum comprehension’s chain. in the introduction, the author explains the importance of developing a curriculum not only for the present but also for the future. it is important teachers understand why they teach a certain curriculum and for students to understand why they learn certain content. responding to the why question brings understanding and acceptance of the changes decided and implemented at the curriculum level. in the second chapter, the author introduces a new concept curriculum dynamikos (p. 21). this is closely related to the major need for education: an efficient curriculum for the specific society’s needs. developing an efficient curriculum requires addressing questions about the educational purposes. even if the purpose of education is known, the curriculum must be dynamic as the society is also dynamic. addressing questions about what is needed in a certain moment, regarding curriculum, may offer valuable responses and solutions in balancing curriculum policy and curriculum practices. in the third chapter, the contestability of a curriculum (p. 43) is the central approach. the author analyzes the notion and the applications of the curriculum and uses different ways to define and comprehend it. he presents the curriculum from the view of stenhouse, as a product, as a process, as praxis, and as context. additionally, he brings in attention the tyler’s questions addressed in understanding and deciding on curriculum purposes, experiences, organization, and evaluation. chapter four explores the curriculum as knowledge (p. 65). moore states that it is necessary to keep a balance between knowledge and skills. knowledge may be classified as propositional, procedural, and knowledge by acquaintance. further, the author highlights the importance of developing students’ skills and knowledge, as a package, basing his statement on bloom’s taxonomy which 91 emphasizes the need for both knowledge and skills, adding to them, experiences and feelings. chapter four ends with the idea of using meaningfully knowledge and not just knowing. in chapter five, the author addresses the issue of digital technologies and their role in the curricular and pedagogical areas. since, in the entire world, the new technologies occupy an important social role, learning occurs not only in the classroom but also outside of it. he also presents the concept of flipped learning which places the students in the role of self-learners, guided by the educators. chapter six, internationalising the curriculum, presents the importance of having curriculum items in common. from a multinational perspective, moore introduces two terms in this chapter: internationalisation relating to the curricula, and globalization (p. 106), concerning the evolutions in the communication area. in chapter seven, the author presents those groups who can decide when and how to update the curricula, taking into account all the changes in the community. the author reveals that the decision may be central, coming from the government, and local, coming from the schools. nevertheless, the pros and cons reasons are given for each type of decision made at the curriculum level. chapter eight demolishes some curricular myths that became misrecognized (p. 150) as methods to do something in the educational area. thus, the author relates the curriculum to the “decision-making perspectives, philosophies, and ideologies and the actual curricula they produce” (p. 149). he also provides criteria for deciding what and what not is worthwhile in education activities. in chapter nine, moore presents various action points developed as curriculum alternatives (p. 171). these are proposed as solutions to the conventional ways to see the theory and practice, the content, and the evaluation. he agrees that the old curricula should not be considered as unconventional or in contradiction with the students’ best involvement. furthermore, the national curriculum and the national identity should be 92 associated, because sometimes the curriculum can be hostile to changes. the book is written clearly and systematically. the author adds every chapter as an argument to support his theory about the necessity of a curriculum for the future. in doing so, he fulfils the purpose of his book, using a balanced and accurate style. moore analyses other authors’ opinions and summarizes them in an easy to follow way for the readers. from the beginning, the author argues for the necessity of a dynamic curriculum. equitably, avoiding generalization and speculation, the author offers proper examples for specific issues. he presents his theory in a flexible manner. furthermore, he repeatedly emphasizes the idea that each national educational system has to choose those reforms which are related to the social needs and with their educational environment. to explain and to create a clear image, the author presents a theory for a dynamic curriculum. by offering detailed examples of alternative curriculum applications in five different countries with good educational results (malta, sri lanka, china, japan, singapore), the author convinces the reader about the necessity of curriculum change, without sacrificing the principles of education (p. 24). the book understanding the school curriculum: theory, politics and principles can be recommended for students, teachers and other people involved in the educational field and dissatisfied with the current curricular situation. it can be a good guide for understanding the development of a curriculum for the 21stcentury. 93 references kitchen, h., fordham, e., henderson, k., looney, a., & maghnouj, s. (2017). oecd reviews of evaluation and assessment in education. romania 2017. paris, france: oecd. doi:10.1787/9789264274051-en risinger, c. f. (2009). citizenship education: the goal of education. social education, 73(7), 330–331. trilling, b., & fadel, c. (2009). 21st century skills: learning for life in our times. san francisco, ca: jossey-bass. 95 kiru ramona-simona adventus cernica university ramona.kiru@uadventus.ro the values of the beginner teacher keywords values, beginner teacher _______________________________________________ abstract values are passed on both through the family and the school. the degree of opportunity, necessity or utility of a thing determines its value. the family and the school teach the child, what are the most important values, according to which he must lead his life. the teacher must always be a model of honest behaviour. _______________________________________________ 1. introduction education is a component of contemporary man that accompanies him from birth to the end of life. it refers to organized, planned and intentional learning programs. there is formal, non-formal and informal education. the premise behind formal education is that students must know, understand, and be able to do things they would not otherwise know, or could not do, without all these intentional influences, and systematic. this formal education takes place in institutions such as kindergarten, school, university. 96 the family and the school continue to play an important role in educating people by teaching them, what are the most important values according to which they must lead their lives, although this is increasingly done in competition with the media and the internet. through the internet today, students can know, understand and be able to do things that their predecessors did only with the help of the education received in school. if the student can manage on his own to procure his intellectual food, then the role of the remaining school? in today's society, there is more and more talk about value in general, and more precisely about integrity, and corruption, lies and falsehood are blamed. integrity should be a general and profound concern of every human being defined as the set of actions and correct attitudes generated by one's moral and professional obligations. even if some socio-political and cultural conditions influence the level and quality of private moral life, integrity ultimately remains a matter of choice and personal choice (killinger, 2007). the study "education for democracy in romanian schools" conducted by gabriel bădescu, claudiu ivan, daniela angi, oana negru-subțirică, from babeş-bolyai university aimed to discover what are the attitudes, values of teachers, levels of civic involvement, social tolerance and interpersonal trust, the way they see the romanian education system, in a perspective compared in time and to other countries. one of the results of this study was that rural schools have more young teachers at the beginning of their teaching careers and teachers with ages close to retirement than urban schools. the differences are the biggest in the case of the disciplines that matter most for the continuation of the educational path. the same study also presented a series of values that teachers consider important and that the school can pass on to 97 students in addition to knowledge. here are these values listed in the order of importance given by teachers: • good manners • teamwork and cooperation with others • feeling of responsibility • tolerance and respect for other people • perseverance • diligence • imagination • the spirit of competition • independence • altruism • the spirit of saving • religious faith • submission from the perspective of the value model proposed by shalom schwartz (2001, 2004), values are motivational constructs that integrate goals that people seek to achieve. these goals have a high level of generality and are a kind of life goals, which outline the way the person wants to live his/her own life. thus, these goals guide globally the type of activities, people, or things that someone wants to interact with. not all values are equally important to one person. some values have a central role in self-definition, meaning that the person could not give them up without feeling that he is making a major concession, while others have a peripheral role in how people define themselves. thus, values with a central role in self-definition are much more stable in relation to different contexts or situations. schwartz (2001, 2004) proposes four broad categories of personal values, with several specific values in each category: • availability for change; • orientation towards conservation; • orientation towards self-transcendence; 98 • orientation towards personal optimization. the results of the study "education for democracy in romanian schools" showed that the values of teachers in their sample are focused mainly on self-transcendence and conservation and to a lesser extent with openness to change and personal optimization. in 2019 the curriculum for early education was changed and the beginner teachers have a clear idea of the changes that need to be made to adapt to the new changes. beginner teachers can provide suggestions for improving the quality of education and for assessing the level of implementation of changes in practice (spătărelu, 2019a). in order to understand in depth, the image of a teacher suitable for modern society we must outline the fundamental elements that form the central structure, the backbone of career choice and career development throughout his active life. why does a person want to become a teacher? gordon (1993) identified the following reasons: • influence from the families of the subjects; • the influence exerted by friends; • the influence coming from a positive teacher model; • the influence coming from a negative teacher model; • the need to "make a difference" in the sense of supporting the community they come from, to provide equal opportunities for development to students; • the “call” felt towards the didactic profession (or the pedagogical vocation); • love for children / people / passion for teaching; • long vacations and the pleasure of learning. ovidiu pânișoară mentions in the book “teacher's guide” the importance of intrinsic motivation in choosing a teaching career. he recalls rollins (2008) who highlights the factors that are able to promote intrinsic motivation: 99 1. the challenge a teacher is motivated to achieve goals 2. curiosity a teacher is focused on the concept "i want to know more!" 3. control the teacher likes to know that he has control over what is happening to him and over what is happening around him. 4. fantasy the teacher uses his imagination and creates mental images that are not found in the immediate environment to stimulate specific thinking and behaviours. 5. competition teachers like to compare their performance with that of others. 6. cooperation the teacher allocates time to help other teachers achieve their goals. 7. recognition the teacher wants to be appreciated and valued for his achievements. the first year of teaching is very challenging. many teachers would like to give up after the first few days. beginner teachers are vulnerable. lack of experience, daily challenges, the demands of superiors and pressure from parents are a constant stressor. however, teachers retain the deep sense of their profession, become aware of the huge stakes and choose to follow their great destiny, be the creators of the new society and send their present values into the future, through the children they educate. transformational leadership is used to a greater extent by younger teachers with a lower degree in education (kiru, 2019). the transformational leading teacher becomes a source of inspiration for others, through their commitment to leadership, colleagues and students, through their perseverance in a certain activity, through their willingness to take risks and through their strong desire to succeed. 100 2. methodology objectives this research aims to study the main values that guide beginner teachers and motivate them not to give up after the first year of teaching. based on this goal, the following objective has been formulated: 1. description of the main values that guide beginner teachers. hypotheses the following hypotheses have been formulated for the present research: 1. what is the most important ability and skill that the beginner teacher should have? 2. who should primarily support the beginner teacher? variables the research variables were: gender, age, teaching degree, teaching environment, values. methods the research method used was the interview-based survey tools the tool used was the interview. population the target population of this research is represented by teachers from state and private education. from this population, 11 teachers were chosen as a sample according with figure 1-4. 2. results and discussions the results obtained were indicated in figure 5-7. the responders choose the most important skill that a beginner teacher 101 should have, choose the most important ability that a beginner teacher should have and indicated who should primarily support the beginner teacher. the results obtained show that: • 1 teacher chose creativity as the most important skill that a beginner teacher should have. • 3 teachers chose adaptation as the most important ability that a beginner teacher should have. • 7 teachers chose patience as the most important skill that a beginner teacher should have. • 1 teacher chose cognitive flexibility as the most important skill a beginner teacher should have. • 3 teachers chose the overview as the most important skill that a beginner teacher should have. • 3 teachers chose collaboration as the most important skill that a beginner teacher should have. • 4 teachers chose emotional intelligence as the most important skill that a beginner teacher should have. • 2 teachers chose the principal as the one who should primarily provide support to the beginner teacher. • 2 teachers chose the person in charge of the methodical commission as the one who should offer first of all support to the beginner teacher. • 2 teachers chose their colleagues as the ones who should provide support primarily to the beginner teacher. • 2 teachers chose their parents as the ones who should first and foremost offer support to the beginner teacher. • 3 teachers chose the mentor as the one who should primarily provide support to the beginner teacher. these results show that beginner teachers need the support they seek from anyone who is available to provide it. and the fact that the first years of teaching represent a great challenge also 102 results from the fact that most chose patience as an important quality of the beginner teacher. 6. conclusions there are several types of problems that they have to deal with during the first years of teaching (spătărelu, e. m., 2019b): • transposition of theory into practice; • lack of teaching positions close to home; • lack of teaching materials; • lack of experience in working with children with disabilities; • poor educational communication; • be more captivating than cartoons; • working effectively with a large group of children; • to teach differentially; • to gain the trust of parents; • to design new projects daily; • to collaborate with experienced teachers; man is guided by his values. they dictate his behaviour and they are also the ones who lead him to achieve the proposed goals. the teacher is the one who guides the student's learning. so, the teacher's values are the ones that guide the student's learning. the beginner teacher must not lose patience with the challenges that arise in the first year of teaching but must be creative and adapt to any situation. he must use cognitive flexibility, collaboration, overview and emotional intelligence in school relationships. references badescu, g., ivan, c., angi, d., negru-subtirica, o. (2018). educație pentru democrație în școlile din românia. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328262519_ed ucatie_pentru_democratie_in_scolile_din_romania https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328262519_educatie_pentru_democratie_in_scolile_din_romania https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328262519_educatie_pentru_democratie_in_scolile_din_romania 103 gordon, j. (1993). why did select teaching as a career? teachers of color tell their stories. the educational resources informazion center: eric. killinger, b. (2007). integrity doing the right thing for the right reason. mcqueen’s university press. kiru, r. (2019). the leading teacher in the teacher-student relationship structure. cernica: editura universității adventus. pânișoară, i. o. (2017). teacher's guide. iași: polirom. schwartz, s. h., & boehnke, k. (2004). evaluating the structure of human values with confirmatory factor analysis. journal of research in personality, 38, 230-255. schwartz, s. h., melech, g., lehmann, a., burgess, s., harris, m., & owens, v. (2001). extending the cross-cultural validity of the theory of basic human values with a different method of measurement. journal of cross-cultural psychology, 32, 519-542. spătărelu, e. m. (2019a). beginner teacher and early education. journal of education studies, 1 (2), 5-24. spătărelu, e. m. (2019b). the value of early education from the perspective of a beginner teacher. journal of education studies, 1 (2), 55-73 104 tables, figures and appendices figure 1. distribution of teachers according to age figure 2. distribution of teachers according to the level of education they teach figure 3. distribution of teachers according to the environment in which they teach 105 figure 4. distribution of teachers according to teaching degree figure 5. distribution of teachers' responses on the most important capacity figure 6. distribution of answers regarding to the most important ability 106 figure 7. distribution of teachers' responses to support for beginner teachers 99 luiza–oana capotă montemorelos university luiza.capota@uadventus.ro the challenges of beginner primary school teachers keywords beginner teacher, challenges, initial training, efficiency abstract from the initial vocational training to its subsequent integration, the primary school teacher is constantly faced with a series of challenges in the instructive-educational process. he is expected to respond with professionalism and pedagogical tact. this article aims to identify the “buttons” that deserve to be pressed in order to be effective (vision, purpose, commitment) and to become a leader (competent, trustworthy, who cares about another). 1. review of literature the requirement to prepare students for the everchanging demands of a knowledge society necessitates curriculum reorganization, modernisation of learning resources, teacher training, and a system of assessment. new colleagues from the faculty frequently arrive at school at the start of the school year, eager to learn as much as 100 possible. they are full of questions, they share new ideas and thoughts, and they seek advice from more senior colleagues, leaders of methodical commissions, and even the director. after observing the activities of numerous new teachers at the school and the issues they encountered, i placed more emphasis on the positive experience through study and research in order to meet the needs of this group of educators. as various specialized studies say, reflection may be the first step for a teacher to look honestly at what and how is happening, in the classroom with their own students, what they could do better, what they can reply to, what to say stop (senge, 2012). it is certainly not easy to accept at first that not only children have something to learn, but also that you as a teacher are in the same position as a person who adapts, is flexible, uses scientific information in his own personal development. on a personal level, keeping a reflective journal, focusing on pedagogical practice, and employing psychological techniques of approach can all assist in overcoming the challenges of the early years of teaching (spătărelu, 2020). individual reflection, self-assessment, and how we get involved in knowing our own didactic approach are the ways in which all aspects of the student's knowledge can be applied coherently. "the mentoring process is more than just a tool; it is a technique for business development, personal development, and professional development. "mentoring provides a topical but valuable experience through personal experiences and examples" (hayes, 2000, on-line). individual teachers’ concerns and professional learning goals are not constructed in vacuum, but are constructed within a school context (monika, 2018). mentors must obtain proper training to guarantee that the mentee has the best possible environment in which to carry out the activity (spătărelu, 2020). each schoolteacher relates to the 101 best, respectively, the most uninspired professor / mentor he has had, sooner or later, consciously, or unconsciously, throughout the painful process of teacher training. this paradigm, whether true or wrong, acts on motivational forces, resulting in either failures or beneficial career choices. what is known is that the "disciple" must be aware of the landmark's presence and act in the sense of his creative promotion, or critical inhibition, respectively. 2. methodology the major goal of this study was to identify the immediate training and personal development needs of primary school teachers in their first five years of employment, as well as strategies to address those needs. research objectives we have established the following goals considering the stated purpose: 1. descripting of how new primary school teachers value the feeling of well-being in the school where they work; 2. identifying the most important training and personal development needs of beginning teachers; 3. analysing how the school acts to meet the training and personal development needs of beginning teachers; 4. analysing opinions about the most important values and personal characteristics of a teacher; 5. examining how beginning teachers find solutions to achieve their goals. 102 research hypothesis participating in programs where teachers are taught in specific ways of vocational training and personal development stimulates and motivates them to solve problems creatively, make collective decisions, and maximize classroom activity. research variables according to the hypothesis and objectives, the two types of variables (independent variables and dependent variables) were established in the research context. participation in various professional training and personal development programs on a regular basis is an independent variable. age, location, and type of institution where the activity takes place, seniority in education, teaching degree, and type of employment earned are all dependent variables. research methods and tools in order to conduct this empirical study, the satisfaction questionnaire for teachers was chosen as the approach for determining the immediate training and personal development needs of novice primary school teachers. it was an online tool, the questionnaire’s questions are divided into two categories based on how the answers are recorded: openended questions and closed-ended questions. the responses to the open-ended questions provided me with ample information to research the problem. population the researched population consisted of 19 primary school teachers in the first five years of teaching, as follows: 13 of them teach in an urban school (68.4%) and 6 of them teach in rural areas (31.6%). 15 of them are employed for an 103 indefinite period (78.9%), and 4 teachers obtained a position for a fixed period (21.1%). 16 of the primary school teachers teach in a private school (84.2%), and 3 teach in a state school (15.8%). their age is between 22-30 years (14 teachers) and 4248 years (5 teachers). 3. results and discussions the questionnaire has a total of 20 questions, with 2-3 of them being identical. there are six open questions and fourteen closed questions. there are some limitations to this study that may lessen the value of generality. because of the small number of participants, the results can only be applied to a portion of the population. a minority of the educational institutions picked is unable to provide a concrete overview. when we examine the data from the applicable questionnaire, we can see how important early training is at the start of a teaching profession. the first item in the questionnaire "i feel... " it had three variants of answers: "great", "good", "so-and-so". the majority of teachers responded "good", (47,7%), which could imply the presence of various plausible causes for the status of "wonderful" to be dethroned. 31.6% feel "great", and 21.1% feel "so-and-so". teachers responded to the second question by describing how they would like to be called out by their students. 8 of them noted the "miss", 10 prefer to be addressed by their first names, and 1 teacher says she would have preferred to be addressed by his first name, but “given the circumstances, miss – it became lovely." the respect and trust that a student has for his or her teacher is based on many other aspects of their personalities and styles, not just the formula of address. 104 although some modern teachers welcome students addressing them by their first names, the majority of teachers still have an old-school mentality, and addressing them by their first names could result in disciplinary action in the worst-case situation (harzing, 2010). on the third question, the teachers were asked to choose from a list of the most significant challenges they confront at the start of their careers. the following list is according to the resulting percentages: • lack of experience • discordance between theory and practice • absence of a model offered by experienced teachers • absence of an efficient pedagogical practice • ineffective mentoring • completing school documents • inadequate classroom discipline management • design and planning of teaching activities • completing school documents • the presence of extra tasks • a breakdown in communication with parents • the tenure evaluation to evaluate individual attitudes toward some of the problems encountered by beginning teachers, survey participants were asked to complete a likert scale ranging from 1 to 7, allowing them to check their level of agreement. as a result, discrepancy between theory and practice are frequent, according to the surveyed teachers. 63,1% of them "agree somewhat", "mostly agree", and "completely agree". "one of the best ways to link theory and practice is through a process of self-critical and systematic inquiry about teaching. not only is knowledge generated through the inquiry project, but the 105 personal and professional relationships of the interns and mentors are strengthened. " (senge, 2012) the lack of professional experience is an important difficulty in the first years of activity. 68,4 % of the teachers agree with this. a high percentage of 74% opted for "mostly agree" and "totally agree" regarding the lack of empathy of colleagues towards a beginner, which can affect the development of teaching. 47,4 % of teachers completely agree that required to complete the daily school documents is difficult. 47% of them receive additional work tasks, such as completing documents for special occasions. it should be noted that the tasks are present in the case of all 3 surveyed teachers working in the public system. 94,7% of teachers "totally agree" that communication with parents, as partners in education, is essential for the optimal development of the instructionaleducational process. for 42.1% of primary school teachers, the tenure exam at the beginning of their teaching career is a difficult obstacle. for 47.4% of teachers, the mathematical activities have a high degree of difficulty among all the activities carried out classes. 73,7 % of them chose to "mostly agree" that the lack of a role model provided by a mentor or experienced teacher affects personal development. item 19 of the questionnaire asked study participants to come up with three questions to ask a good mentor. we could notice three major areas of interest based on the questions asked: • collaboration with students' families • classroom discipline management • personal and professional training balance two items on the questionnaire treated with teachers' perceptions of the climate in the school where they work. a very open climate prevailed at the level of the school 106 organization in which 52 % of the questionnaire participants worked. private schools in urban areas serve the majority of the population. a medium open climate is represented by 26,3 % of novice teachers. to item number 18, "at school i did not expect to..." teachers mention the real challenges they face and that complement the list of problems they face: "i do not communicate with colleagues", "the relationship with parents to be so difficult", "to come with enthusiasm every day", "to stay overtime so frequently", "to have to teach simultaneously". an assault of such statements can reveal details about the existing reality, commitment, personal and school vision. another three questions in the survey were designed to determine the most significant values and personal attributes of a teacher, according to the respondents. kindness, respect, empathy, honesty, and patience are the most crucial virtues for teachers to pass on to their students. adaptability, responsibility, patience, creativity, optimistic attitude, and stress resistance are among the most significant personal qualities / competences listed in order of selection. when asked how teachers overcame the challenges they had in their early years of teaching, they applied the solutions listed below: • self-learning • embracing the positive role model of experienced teachers • emphasis on pedagogical practice • reflective journaling • collaboration between administrators and teachers 107 4. conclusions trying a thorough analysis of the results obtained, it can be seen that the majority of the new teachers questioned feel "good" in their places of work, conforming to an open climate, demonstrating their interest in personal and professional development. in terms of the identified needs for carrying out teaching activities in optimal conditions, the interviewed teachers emphasized the need for professional training, which included both specialized information (pedagogical competences, classroom management) and psycho-social information (communication skills, relationship with parents). mentoring, according to the interviewed teachers, is an important aspect of their educational present. the mentor's position is critical in both the observation and analysis sessions since he serves as a focal point for the practical activity. due to the general tendency among teachers to divide knowledge teaching and value education into two distinct works, there is a strong need for participation in programs in which value education and best practice teaching strategies are strongly intertwined. given the complexity of their responsibilities, the full range of knowledge and skills they must master, and the importance of having sufficient practical experience in real classrooms as part of their initial training, it is hardly surprising that initial teacher training courses are required. peter senge writes in his book "schools that teach" (2012) that students will never regard learning as natural and necessary if they do not see their teachers learning, collaborating, and seeking information about the most appropriate pedagogical means. the teacher, like the parent, serves as a model for the child. 108 references harzing, a. w. (2010). what's in a name? country differences in preferred ways of address for university teachers, aib insights, 10(3), 3-8. kiru, r. (2020). beginner teachers and the challenges of the tenure exams: a longitudinal zonal analysis of official data from pre-secondary education. ijrdo – journal of educational research, 5(3), 39-48. lovat, t. (2011). values education and holistic learning: updated research perspectives. international journal of educational research, 50, 148–152. lovat, t., dally, k., & toomey, r. (2011). the impact of values education on school ambience and academic diligence. international journal of educational research, 50, 166– 170. monika l. louws, jacobiene a. meirink, klaas van veen & jan h. van driel. (2018). understanding teachers’ professional learning goals from their current professional concerns, teachers and teaching, 24(1), 63–80. nicu, a. (2016). educational policies on initial teacher training for preschool and primary education. journal plus education, 3, 16-27. pânișoară, georgeta și pânișoară, ovidiu. (2010). motivarea pentru cariera didactică. bucurești: editura universității din bucurești. senge, p. (2012). schools that learn (updated and revised): fieldbook for educators, parents, and everyone who cares about education. london: nicholas brealey. spătărelu, e. m. (2020). beginner teacher in the recent research: a review of literature. journal of education studies, 2(2), 107–122. 109 tables, figures and appendices table 1 sample primary school teachers trainees substitute teachers definitivat ii degree 19 6 2 9 2 note. the table above shows the distribution of the teachers surveyed in terms of their teaching degree 5 simona talida milici cjrae prahova milici.simona.talida@cjraeph.ro students’ motivation to learn during the pandemic keywords: learning, motivation, learning goals, pandemic abstract the pandemic situation in the last year has produced many changes in the academic space, both in terms of the interaction between human factors involved in education and the way and means of teaching, learning and assessment used in the virtual classes. these changes have visibly affected students and teachers’ well-being, sometimes with negative consequences on their motivation for learning. in this article, we aim to address the motivation of high-school students in pandemic and online school. we will present both factors that influence the motivation for high school students’ learning and the effects that we have found on school progress and may decrease learning and students’ performance. 1. introduction 6 regarding the influence of motivation for learning on school success, researchers from different periods (ausubel, 1981, apud cuciureanu, 2015; zimmerman, 1992; deci & ryan, 2002) consider that motivation is a factor that has a considerable impact on student’s school performance, as it can implicitly stimulate and influence the academic performance of students. we agree with these opinions, considering that students’ motivation for learning is the force that moves the student’s actions, behaviours, information, and experiences in the direction of academic success and achievement. as specialists in education, we are concerned with both the short-term success that students achieve in their daily school assignments and the long-term success that they can attain in the national examinations at the end of an educational cycle (national assessment, the baccalaureate) or the exams through which the students adhere to a higher education cycle (the high-school entrance exam and the university entrance exam). we also consider that the care shown to stimulate our students’ current learning will have medium and long-term consequences; more precisely, these students are expected to obtain good school results at the important exams they will face in the future. 2. review of literature researching the literature, we found that there is an abundance of motivational theories and models that provide convenient ways to explain and interpret the phenomenon of motivation. a meta-analysis of the terms and theories of motivation conducted in 2000 (murphy & alexander, 2000) to: • theories of motivation associated with learning goals; • theories of motivation associated with motivational orientation; • theories of motivation associated with interests; 7 • theories of self-motivation. from the multitude of motivational theories, we will focus on two of them, on which we will base our study of students’ motivation for learning in the online school. these two theories are: eccles’s theory of expectation (1983) nicholls’ theory of goals (1989) expectation (eccles, 1983) refers to students’ expectations of their success through learning. students’ expectations and their value to the learning task will lead to certain beliefs and successful behaviours. researchers (eccles et al., 1983) have identified four components that determine the value of a task: the value of achievement, the intrinsic value, the value of utility and the cost. • the value of achievement refers to how accomplishing a task or activity contributes to confirming or refutation of the students’ competence in specific fields. thus: if learning in history helps students become more competent, then the learning activity has a positive value and will do it with pleasure. • intrinsic value is represented by the fulfilment of some students’ personal needs through learning or their interest in the subjects and contents they study. this value is similar to intrinsic motivation, as defined by deci and colleagues (deci & ryan 1985). • the utilitarian value is determined by how practical the learning task is to achieve the students’ present and future goals, such as career goals. the learning activity can have a positive value for students as it facilitates crucial future goals, even if, for the time being, they are not interested in the task itself. • the cost represents the price that students have to pay for the learning activity. it is conceptualized in aspects 8 such as evaluation anxiety, fear of failure, effort to achieve the task. all four components identified by eccles (eccles & al., 1983) contribute to determining the positive or negative value of learning in students, which will influence their motivation for school learning. students’ expectations and the perceived value of learning tasks directly influence students’ perseverance in learning and their school performance. students’ learning goals (nicholls, 1989) represent their beliefs about what matters to them in any learning situation. students’ motives and intentions for learning differentiate between learning for understanding and personal development and learning because of the need to meet others’ requirements in school assignments (entwistle, 1988). nicholls (1989) identifies two broad categories of goals: • learning goals – emphasis on understanding and progress; students motivated by such goals have as main objective the acquisition of new knowledge and skills, the learning being sustained from pleasure; • performance goals – are intended to measure the students’ learning ability; students motivated by such goals have as main objective the validation of their abilities or the avoidance of showing their incompetence. 3. methodology this study used a qualitative research methodology with a questionnaire-based survey. this section presents each step of the inquiry to help researchers who want to replicate it and assure its transferability. 9 the questionnaire used in the present research is a questionnaire based on the students’ opinion, conceived by us for the purpose of this research. before application, the questionnaire was tested in a pilot form on a smaller group of participants. after the necessary revisions, it was applied for study. goals the present research started with a few basic questions: 1. how do students appreciate their motivation for learning after a semester of online schooling? 2. how do students rate online school motivation compared to face-to-face school motivation? 3. what are the students’ main learning goals? 4. how do students appreciate that they learn more easily: online or face to face? 5. what helps students learn more easily online? 6. what prevents students from learning online? 7. what are the most appreciated advantages of online school? 8. what are the most significant disadvantages of online schooling? the above questions materialized in the goals of our study: 1 – identifying students’ motivation for learning in online school compared to face-to-face school. 2 – identifying students’ goals for learning in the online school. 3 – identifying the advantages of learning in online school. 4 – identifying the disadvantages of learning in online school. hypotheses h1. students’ motivation to learn decreased during online schooling. 10 h2. the disadvantages of learning in online school are more than advantages. variables students’ motivation for learning – translated by their desire to learn guided by particular goals. students’ learning goals – translated by the reasons that determine students to get involved in the learning activity and give up competing activities. methods the method used in the present study is the questionnaire survey. this technique “is almost always an opinion poll” (v. miftode, 1995, p.245) through which questions are addressed to the subjects regarding the studied realities. the answers provided to the opinion that questionnaires are subjective. they can be influenced by the respondent’s experience and personality, by the survey’s topic, by the structure of the questionnaire, and by its application. tools the opinion questionnaire on students’ motivation for learning in an online school is a questionnaire conceived by us to observe the reality that students face in learning during the pandemic. the questionnaire includes 19 items, out of which 11 are objective items. simultaneously, 8 are personal items, aiming to ascertain students ‘motivation for learning in an online school, identify students’ learning goals, and teaching methods that work to stimulate online school learning and detect inefficient learning methods. population the population on which the research was applied consisted of 109 high-school students from the 9th, 10th and 11th 11 grades from a national college. the research was attended by both boys and girls from urban and rural areas, majoring in different fields of study, such as mathematics-computer science, philology, social sciences and natural sciences. 4. results the motivation of students to learn after almost a year of online schooling (figure 1), according to the surveyed students, is on average for most students (64%), a significant percentage of students (24%) stating they have a high motivation for learning and a minor part of the respondents stating that they have a low motivation for learning (11%) or have no motivation at all for learning (2%). starting from identifying the current level of motivation for learning, we aimed to determine the students’ opinion about their motivation for learning in online school compared to physical school (figure 2). the students’ answers revealed that: for almost half of the respondents (45%), the motivation for learning decreased in the online school, for a large part of the students (42%), the motivation for learning remained the same, and for a small part of students (13%) motivation for learning increased during online schooling. trying to identify the goals of students in learning (figure 3), we found that most of the responding students (70%) study in order to build a successful career in the future, less of them (23%) learn because they have to, a small part of the surveyed students (7%) learn with pleasure, none of the surveyed students stated that they do not want to learn. regarding the difficulty students face in online learning (figure 4), half of them (50%) say that they have a more challenging time learning online, 23% of responding students find it easier to learn online. in online school, 19% of students say that online 12 learning is more attractive, and 8% say that they do not learn online. we went further, trying to identify the obstacles and levels on which online learning is built. thus, we found that some students like online school because: • they have more time to learn by gaining time on the schoolhome commute; • classes are more interactive; • they have the opportunity to document themselves on the spot when they do not know something; • they have access to the presentation of the lesson before the teaching time through the presentations uploaded by the teachers on the class platforms; • they can work in their own office, in the comfortable space of the house; • they can concentrate more quickly because they have all the information in one place; • they have more time to relax; • they have more control over the learning environment, no longer being distracted by the noises of classmates. some students say that online learning is complex because: • the teacher is not physically with them, and then they can get distracted by the assignment very easily; • the board is minimal, and visibility is difficult; • they are tempted to use class time for other personal interests and not for school; • their attention is very easily distracted by what is happening around them; • it is very tiring to sit in front of the computer for 6-7 hours a day; • some teachers do not deal with technology or take little interest in creating online lessons; 13 • the connection between the student and the teacher is much weaker; • the internet connection is sometimes fragile and creates difficulties; • there is no possibility to socialize with colleagues, to make jokes during breaks, a rich source of energy for learning; • having fewer emotions during the assessment in some subjects, the pressure necessary for development decreases; • they focus much harder because they are not in class physically, with colleagues and teacher; • the factors that can distract students at home are more numerous than in the classroom; • it is not possible to perform physical and laboratory experiments from which to learn; • do not have the opportunity to complete their notes when they cannot keep the rhythm. we have also identified some aspects of why online schooling is more enjoyable than face-to-face schooling: • learning takes place at home, in a comfortable environment; • learning on their means that students can deepen their knowledge as and when they want; • physical and mental pressure is lower; • the use of videos and various applications enhances learning. the reasons why students say they do not learn in online school are: • they have internet access at any time, and it distracts them; • lessons do not always draw their attention; • connection problems; • they do not feel motivated enough by the teacher. 14 5. discussions the students’ motivation for learning in the research group has a medium and even high intensity. it should be noted that the students involved in the study group are part of an educational institution that has benefited from a particular learning platform since the beginning of the pandemic, and students also benefit from computers and adequate space for learning at home. the students’ main characteristic from this high school is represented by the increased learning performances and the generous per cent of the olympic students from the available number of students. we tend to believe that in other high schools with lower learning performance, the level of motivation for learning during online schooling may be much lower. during online schooling, the motivation for learning did not increase. for most students, the motivation to learn decreased or remained the same. an introverted and shy student who had a hard time expressing himself in the larger group of the class, in the physical school, but who felt more secure in the online school to communicate with the teachers, had a slight advantage during the online school. we assume that this category of students perceived that the motivation for learning increased during online school. most of the students surveyed find it harder to learn online than face-to-face. among the obstacles that hinder the activity of students in online school are: poor internet connection that sometimes prevents the clear reception of knowledge transmitted by the teacher; lack of natural social and emotional connection with the teacher and colleagues; physical fatigue and headaches from using prolonged computer interruptions; frequent disturbances and distractions during class hours caused by family members or the discretionary use of the internet during classes. for some students, learning in the online school is a total failure, meaning they cannot learn. the reasons that prevent them from learning are: the inability to connect and concentrate during 15 class because of the games and applications that capture and gain their attention in parallel with the teacher. 6. conclusions online schooling has been a real challenge for students, parents and teachers at the same time. this phenomenon, utterly unknown in the pre-university environment until last year, brought a revolution in education that involved reorganizing teaching, preparing lessons, achieving learning and evaluating students. students felt differently about the changes that took place through online schooling: most of them were negatively affected by all these changes, which denied them the right to socialize and get closer to their teachers and colleagues in a natural meaning; others, fewer of them, were positively influenced by these changes, which gave them a more significant proportion of time per day, spared from the time spent on the way to school, and others, who were shyer before, offered the opportunity to assert themselves during online classes. what is certain is that students’ learning and motivation have been negatively affected by most students, and this should be a wake-up call for teachers. we consider it necessary to rethink the teaching activity to consider the stimulation of students’ motivation. capturing students’ interest through interactive teaching methods and the increase in teachers’ interest in students’ problems are two ways that can help stimulate students’ motivation for learning. 16 references cuciureanu m. (coord) (2015). studiu motivaţia elevilor şi învãţarea. ise bucureşti. deci, e. & ryan, r. (eds.) (2002). handbook of self-determination. rochester, ny: university of rochester press. eccles (parsons) j, adler t.f., futterman r., goff s.b., kaczala c.m., et al. (1983). expectancies, values, and academic behaviours. in achievement and achievement, motivation, ed. jt spence, 75–146. san francisco: freeman. eccles, j. s. & wigfield, a. (2002). motivational beliefs, values, and goals. annual review of psychology, 53(1), 109–132. miftode, v., (1995). metodologia sociologicã. metode şi tehnici de cercetare sociologicã, galaţi: editura porto-franco. murphy, p.k., & alexander, p. (2000). a motivated exploration of motivation terminology. contemporary educational psychology, 25, 3–53. nicholls, j. g. (1984). achievement motivation: conceptions of ability, subjective experience, task choice, and performance. psychological review, 91(3), 328–346. nicholls, j.g., cheung, p.c., lauer, j., & patashnick, m. (1989). individual differences in academic motivation: perceived ability, goals, beliefs, and values. learning and individual differences, 1, 63-84. zimmerman, b. j., bandura, a., & martinez-pons, m. (1992). selfmotivation for academic attainment: the role of self-efficacy beliefs and personal goal setting. american educational research journal, 29, 663–676. 17 tables, figures and appendices figure 1 the level of motivation of students in a pandemic figure 2 level of motivation faced by students in online learning 23% 64% 11% 2% hight motivation average motivation low motivation no motivation motivation for learning increased 13% motivation for learning decreased 45% motivation for learning remained the same 42% 18 figure 3 the goals of students in learning figure 4 the level of difficulty faced by students in online learning pleasure 7% have to 23% career 70% no learn 0% it easier to learn online 23% have a harder time learning online 50% online learning is more attractive 19% do not learn online 8% 5 eliza mihaela spătărelu adventus university eliza.spatarelu@uadventus.ro beginner teacher and early education keywords beginner teacher, early education, preschool curriculum, kindergarten curriculum _______________________________________________ abstract the changes in the level of preschool education that took place in 2019 were received differently by the teachers. those who are in the beginning in this field are the most affected by this event because they do not yet have the stability offered by the experience. this research focuses on the attitude of beginning teachers, trying to identify the factors that could induce behavioural variations. through quantitative actions interwoven with qualitative ones, we will try to draw objective conclusions. _______________________________________________ 1. introduction recently, some important changes have been made in the field of early education in romania. teachers have their own opinions about these changes. it is interesting to find out what the opinions of beginner teachers are. those with long experience in education tend to have more confidence in their abilities and skills and their 6 practices are more balanced and stable. since they have already formed an objective overview of the general situation, the services they provide do not support a rapid and dramatic change, forced by the change of rules. rather, they reformulate and reshape their relaxed practices, adjusting any new rules over sufficient time. and this whole process is happening without visible failures. but what about new teachers entering the system? it is expected that their reaction will be different and they will be destabilized by every novelty that has appeared regarding the rules of the educational process. forming a proper attitude and a positive mentality has been an important goal of the initial and continuous training initiatives started in the last decades (păun, iucu, 2002, p. 44). 2. early education in romania categories of activities in romania early education has two main levels: pre-pre school and pre-school level. the first level is addressed to children between 0 and 3 years old, and the second level is addressed to children between 3 and 6-7 years old. each level is divided into sublevels (ministry of national education, 2019). three types of activities are used at this level. of the first type are personal development activities. the second type includes free-choice games and activities. the third type includes activities in experimental fields. routines (figure 1), activities specific to the first type, focus on the most important events of the day: the arrival of the children, the morning meeting, breakfast, personal hygiene moments, lunch, the afternoon sleep and relaxation period, the snacks and the departure of the children (tătaru, glava, chiș, 2014, p.25). the morning meeting is an important moment of the routines that aim to introduce the child into the atmosphere of the group and gain interest in the day's activities. it has a specific structure 7 that can include: discussions about the road to kindergarten, conversations about the weather, nature calendar, identification of absences, date, season and year, sports elements, theme of the day, presentation of interest centres and development of desirable behaviours through songs, stories and other methods specific to working with children. to create a smooth transition between activities, various activities with a specific, repeatable structure are used, which allow children to prepare more easily for the next activity and to enter a rhythm previously predicted. for this, songs, short lyrics, games or moving songs are used. such activities have long been part of the "underground" area of kindergarten practices. the changes made in 2008 give them legitimacy by offering them a well-deserved place alongside the other types of activities (munteanu, munteanu, 2009, p. 22). the games and activities chosen by the child occupy an important place in the children's daily schedule. these are part of the second important type of kindergarten activities. depending on the kindergarten program, there maybe two or three rounds of this kind. at this level, the main focus of children and educators is on the centres of interest. participation in these centres is done either individually or in work teams, and all tasks are integrated into the theme of the week or day. the centres of interest are: library, science, construction, role play, arts and sand and water (tătaru, glava, chiș, 2014, p.8). the library centre tries to motivate the child to try activities in the field of verbal communication, to stimulate his interest in print, to help him develop his ability to express his own inner experiences in different ways or to develop his correct writing skills. the purpose of the arts centre activities is to develop artistic expression skills using drawing, music, painting, using children's 8 imagination and creativity. one of the accompanying effects is the development of work capacity for longer periods. the role play centre involves providing space, material and ideas for experimenting with adult life through play, reminiscent of beloved activities or practicing desirable behaviours. the preschooler imagines himself in various situations and acts according to the social norms learned, suggested and practiced. the activities of the construction centre offer children the opportunity to develop their skills in which small muscles are involved. here they have the right space to work together as a team and to use their imagination and creativity in creating new objects from different materials. at the science centre, the activity is focused on familiarizing the child with the simplest investigative actions and on developing scientific curiosity. the child is introduced to the world of experiments, in the world of nature and of information about the cosmos. at this level, the use of numbers is understood as a tool for organizing and understanding the surrounding world. the most exciting and attractive activities are proposed at the sand and water centre. contact with sand and water develops in children self-control, calms irritated nerves, provides peace and develops creativity. due to the specificity of the materials from this centre, the children’s experience a higher level of freedom, which helps them to use all their energies in the proposed activities. annual themes the contents taught in the third big category of activities carried out in kindergarten, the activities on experiential domains, are described in the form of six annual themes (glava, pocol, tătaru, 2009, p.17). the first annual theme, "who are / are we?", explores the human nature, human body, the community in which the child lives and its nature, as well as the rights and responsibilities of children and adults. 9 the second theme, "when / how and why does it happen?", focuses on the environment, near or far, on the phenomena in nature and on the cause-effect relationship. children are taught to understand the effects of direct human actions on the environment. "how is / was and will be here on earth?" is the third annual theme that aims to focus on history from a personal, local and global perspective, accompanied by elements of geography, ecology, and local culture. a special perspective on reality is introduced by the theme "who and how do you plan / organize an activity?", analysing the world of human trades and activities and their impact on the environment. ever since kindergarten, the education of children in the entrepreneurial spirit is taken into account. "with what and how do we express what we feel?" proposes a foray into exploring ways of expressing one's ideas, emotions, plans and beliefs through plastic words or images. it also proposes a first investigation of the national and international artistic heritage. personal development, discovering one's abilities, building healthy self-esteem are addressed within the annual theme "what and how do i want to be?". all these annual themes are used through integrated teaching of the following fields: language and communication, sciences, human and society, aesthetic and creative, psychomotor. figure 2 summarizes all the activities in the kindergarten. recent changes the first major reform was in 2008, when several significant changes were made (munteanu, munteanu, 2009, p. 21): • the categories of activities have lost their importance, being replaced by activities integrated into curricular areas, called experiential fields; 10 • the finalities begin to correlate with the development areas (the completion of the correlations is completed in 2019). • the delimitation appears by types of activities; • the role of the parent increases in importance; • systematic observation of each child is encouraged; • the tendency to individualize teaching is encouraged. several changes have taken place in the current curriculum. pantazi (2019) selected a list of them: • reducing the number of hours allocated to experiential activities and increasing the number of hours for freechoice games and activities; • specific activities have been added for the level 0-3 years; • optional activities become part of the teacher's didactic norm for pre-school education; • the child progress tracking sheets have been revised. the ministry of education offers several arguments regarding recent changes (ministry of education, 2019): • correlation with the recommendations in the documents promoted at european level; • the correlation with the changes initiated in the preuniversity education level of the last decade; • correlation with the law; • the systematic approach of early education and the introduction of activities for the level 0-3 years. 2. methodology objectives the main purpose of this research is to analyse the attitude that the beginning teachers have regarding the changes in early 11 education. two general objectives have been elaborated for this research: • observing the relationship between various quantitative variables and teachers' attitude towards the proposed changes; • analysis of the changes that have penetrated the practice of beginner teachers. hypotheses of quantitative research: • the age of the teacher influences their attitude towards the changes that have taken place. • the level of the experience influences the attitude of the teacher regarding the changes in preschool education. • the level of education influences the attitude of the teacher regarding the changes in preschool education. • the working environment influences the teacher's attitude towards the proposed changes. hypotheses of the qualitative research: • teachers are aware of the changes introduced in the new curriculum and have been trained on them. • parents are interested in the changes that have taken place. • teachers have proposals regarding future revisions of the curriculum. variables the variables of quantitative research are the following: • the age of teachers • the level of experience • level of education • work environment 12 • type of school methods and tools the main method used was that of the investigation by interview. during the interview, numerical data were also collected to provide a quantitative perspective of reality, along with the qualitative perspective conferred by its use. population eleven beginning teachers were interviewed who completed or are in the process of completing their initial training at adventus university. persons who worked for less than four years (figure 3) in education were chosen, without any teaching degree. the ages of the subjects ranged from 21 to 29 years (figure 4), works in both state and private education (figure 5), both in rural and urban areas (figure 6). some of them have long-term jobs (figure 7), and some of them have only a medium education (figure 8). 3. results awareness of the changes that have taken place most teachers were aware of at least one of the changes that took place in educational practice. only one teacher could list any items. another teacher mistakenly reproduced the conversations between the teachers on the subject in question. three teachers provided far too general information, which may induce the idea that they did not know the event in question well enough. the other teachers mentioned the increase of the time duration for the activities on centres and personal development activities, in parallel with the reduction of the planned time for the experimental areas. others have also mentioned changes in planning and that the optional disciplines must be taught by the educators. there were 13 also mentioned the introduction of the daily story and the obligation of the moments of movement every day. the educators did not panic and negative emotions about the changes in the curriculum and they do not think that they could negatively affect the normal conduct of the activities. find out the news teachers reported several ways in which they became aware of the news in the field of early education. most of them learned from the director of the institution or the annual counselling meetings. some have been documented on the internet or they have learned from colleagues or inspectors during the checks. only one teacher reported that he was not announced in any way about this news. personal opinion in general, the opinions expressed are positive, the teachers are enthusiastic about the changes that have taken place: • „they make our work easier”; • „they are welcome because they give priority to the development of children's personality”; • „these changes are beneficial”; • „these changes help the teacher”; • „i agree with them”; • „i do not find it difficult to integrate them into practice”; • „is a step forward in the modernization of education”; • „i do not know anyone dissatisfied with them”. the teachers consider that the changes are well-founded and they are waiting for another proposal. there were also some disagreements regarding the short time for teaching activities. some people agree with this practice, others consider that the time allocated to the activity time is very short. 14 parents' opinion parents' opinions regarding the novelties in primary education are different. in the rural area, they were not informed, they are not interested and they do not know the implications that appear. in private urban institutions, parents are concerned that the shortening of the time allocated to teaching activities affects the preparation of children for school. suggestions for future improvements the teachers not only appreciate the new accents involved in the current curriculum but even suggest some things that could improve the pedagogical practice in the kindergarten. thus, they recall the following topics: • retraining of senior teachers; • prohibition of teaching for retired teachers; • improving the material supply; • reducing the number of documents that need to be completed; • freedom of movement for teachers; • reducing the number of children in the classroom; • the abolition of methodical commissions; • reducing bureaucracy; • reducing the time devoted to completing school situations. the influence of age on practice figure 9 presents the opinion regarding the integration of the changes in practice, according to the age groups of the subjects. the opinion regarding the integration of the changes in the practice is represented by the average of the scores from 1 to 100 offered by each subject. 15 subjects between the ages of 20 and 40 offer scores between 60 and 70. the surprise comes from subjects over 50 who offer much lower scores (m=30). the influence of experience on the practice figure 10 shows the opinion on the integration of changes in practices, according to the experience of individuals. the opinion regarding the integration of the changes in the practice is represented by the average of the scores from 1 to 100 offered by each subject. those with minimum experience (m=70) are the most optimistic regarding the level of integration of changes in practice, compared to the others (m=65/50/62). the influence of the level of education figure 11 shows the differences between the group of subjects with higher education and that of the subjects with average studies regarding the average of the percentages of integration of changes in practice. it is noted that the level of education does not visibly influence the opinion of the subjects regarding the level of integration in practice of the proposed changes. the averages obtained do not show significant differences. subjects with higher education (m=60) show similar averages to subjects with higher education (m=63). the influence of the school environment figure 12 illustrates how the rural and urban environment influence the teachers' opinion regarding the level of integration in practice of changes in the preschool curriculum. the teachers in the rural education show more optimism (m=70) by offering higher scores than the teachers in the urban education (m=56). 16 the influence of the type of school figure 13 shows the influence that the type of school has on the opinion regarding the level of integration of the proposed changes in practice. teachers in private education show lower grades (m=56) compared to teachers in state education (m=65). 4. discussions and conclusions beginning teachers have a clear opinion about the changes in the curriculum for early education. for the most part, they know the important issues either because they have been announced or because they have been documented through the internet. beginner teachers can provide suggestions for improving quality in education and to evaluate the level of implementation of changes in practice. there were identified some variables that had the potential to influence the evaluation regarding the level of integration in practice: age, experience, level of education, school environment and type of school. only the level of education does not have a noticeable influence on the teachers' opinion regarding the level of integration in practice. it is observed that older subjects are less inclined to give positive feedback. they have probably lost hope about the chances of the education system for reform. next to this quantitative result, we can place the suggestions offered by one of the interview subjects, the re-training of the old teachers and the stopping of the teachers reaching the retirement age to profess. this result should also be verified in other research, to be sure whether the conclusions are maintained. about the optimistic assessments offered by teachers with minimal experience, it can be said that situations can also be explained by the fact that the subjects do not have a thorough 17 knowledge of all aspects of teaching, and the general impression can be slightly distorted because of this fact. as they gain experience, they discover more details that they didn't know before, and they change their minds. that is why teachers with only a few extra years of experience offer more objective assessments. a similar situation can be observed in the case of rural subjects. their assessment is better than their peers in the urban area. it seems that teachers in the urban environment tend to be more severe, displaying a much less relaxed attitude regarding the level of integration of the proposed changes in practice. the tendency is also found in the case of the distinction between teachers from private institutions and those from state institutions. private teachers have an attitude similar to those in urban areas. it is recommended to continue research in this area to see if the trends are maintained. references glava, a., pocol, m., tătaru, l. (2009). educația timpurie. ghid metodologic pentru aplicarea curriculumului preșcolar. pitești : editura paralela 45. ministry of education (2019). curriculum pentru educația timpurie. recovered on november 2019 from https://www.edu.ro/sites/default/files/curriculum%20et_ 2019_aug.pdf. munteanu, c., munteanu, e. n., (2009). ghid pentru învățământul preșcolar. o abordare din perspectiva noului curriculumului. iași: editura polirom. pantazi, r. (2019). curriculum pentru educația timpurie a fost schimbat. recovered on september 2019 from https://www.edupedu.ro/document-curriculumul-pentrugradinita-a-fost-schimbat-cu-3-saptamani-inainte-sa 18 inceapa-gradinita-optionalele-intra-in-normeleeducatoarelor/. păun, e., iucu, r. (2002). educația preșcolară în românia. iași: editura polirom. tătaru, l., glava, a., chiș, o. (2014). piramida cunoașterii. pitești: editura diamant. tables, figures and appendices figure 1 ru tin s arrival of children morning meeting breakfast personal hygiene lunch sleep and relaxation leaving 19 figure 2 figure 3 3 2 2 4 experience in teaching 1 year 2 years 3 years 4 years early education personal development routines transitions afternoon activities optional activities free-choice games and activities library centre science centre arts centre construction centre sand and wather centre role play centre experiential fields language and communication sciences human ans society aesthetic and creative psycholotor 20 figure 4 figure 5 2 5 3 1 age of subjects 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 6 5 the type of job state private 21 figure 6 figure 7 area urban rural the type of job long term short term 22 figure 8 figure 9 the level of education high school higher education 0 20 40 60 80 20-29 years 30-39 years 40-49 years 50-59 years 60 62 70 30 the average of the procentage of integration of changes in practice acording to age 23 figure 10 figure 11 0 20 40 60 80 1 year 2 years 3 yearsa 4 years 70 65 50 62 the average of the percentage of integration of changes in practice according to experience 0 20 40 60 high school higher education 63 60 the average of precentage of integration of changes in practice acording to level of education 24 figure 12 figure 13 0 20 40 60 80 rural urban 70 56 the average of precentage of integration of changes in practice acording to school environment 50 55 60 65 private state 56 65 the average of precentage of integration of changes in practice acording to type of school 55 eliza mihaela spătărelu adventus university eliza.spatarelu@uadventus.ro the values of early education from the perspective of beginner teacher keywords beginner teacher, early education, preschool curriculum, kindergarten curriculum, values education _______________________________________________ abstract the first year of teaching is extremely challenging. many teachers are tempted to give up on the very first days. some problems seem almost insurmountable. many teachers begin to recover from shock only after the first three months of teaching. and during this time, they focus in particular on "surviving". given the important challenges that teachers have to face in the first years of teaching, do they still have enough energy to worry about integrating the values assumed in the educational practice? is this still an important topic for them? perhaps focusing on survival consumes all the available work power. beginner teachers are very vulnerable. lack of experience, daily challenges, and pressures from parents are sometimes difficult to overcome. however, teachers keep the deep sense of their profession, become aware of the huge stake and choose to follow their great destiny, to be the creators of the new society and to 56 send their present values in the future, through the children they educate. _______________________________________________ 1. values and beginner teacher values and education all the existing forms of education are based on an educational ideal, a concise description of the personality desirable for the local culture. in defining the educational ideal, there are eight values adopted by almost all modern cultures. four of them belong to the classical greek-christian humanism: truth, good, beautiful, feeling of the sacred. the last four are social values added in modernity by the french revolution and the revolutions in england: freedom, equality, fraternity and legality (antonesei, 2015, p.122). cristea (2017) writes about general pedagogical values that are socially and psychologically determined. these are: • moral good important for the formation and development of moral pedagogical awareness; • scientific truth involved in the formation and development of intellectual pedagogical awareness; • the utility of applied scientific truth involved in the formation and development of technological pedagogical awareness; • beauty important for the formation and development of aesthetic pedagogical awareness; • psychic and physical health involved in the formation and development of psychophysical pedagogical awareness. antonesei (2005a, p.42) proposes a reform of education that will consider the return of the eight basic values of modernity, through important changes in the following fields: • the reflection in the educational ideal of the eight values; 57 • deduction of the general objectives from the set of the eight basic values; • improving the content by introducing new areas that meet real needs; • reintroducing all teachers in the spirit of european values. culture is the totality of material and spiritual products of people's work and creation, referring to nature, society and the idea of value (macavei, 2001, p. 46). recognizing the central role of values for culture leads to the reestablishment of values in the centre of education. if education is born of culture, then this is logical. in this case, it is necessary to move the emphasis from the instruction to the formation and modelling of the personality (antonesei, 2005b, p.30). the principles underlying the curriculum for early education indicate the fundamental values are taken into account (ministry of national education, 2019, p.4): • the principle of child-centred education; • the principle of respecting the rights of the child; • the principle of active learning; • the principle of integrated development; • the principle of interculturality; • the principle of equity and non-discrimination; • the principle of education as an interaction between educators and the child. based on these principles, it can be said that early education is based on the following values: respect for the uniqueness of the child, equality in rights regarding education, encouraging the right to expression and initiative, interdisciplinarity and integrated teaching, interculturality, equity, and non-discrimination. regarding the researches carried out in the field of education, the researchers selected different values for the study. for example, collier and dowson (2007) chose to study conscience, 58 compassion emotional growth, social growth, service of others and commitment to god. kiru (2019) selects the following values for an in-depth analysis in the field of education: order, harmony, measure, integration, creativity, curiosity, involvement, play and usefulness of the information. cobb-moore, lunn-brownlee, walker, and boulton-lewis (2014) mention ‘doing the right thing’. jones (2009) points out that the predominant discourses regarding values education are concentrated in the following areas: civics and citizenship education, values inculcation and character education. the challenges of beginner teachers beginner teachers have many challenges. many of them have mentors to guide them, and the effort i make is often greater, for this reason. they still do not have enough experience in maintaining the discipline in the classroom and they work quite hard with the bets. then, they discover that the documents that need to be completed are much larger than expected. moreover, i find fewer and fewer matches between what they have learned and practice (spătărelu, 2019). usually, specialized teachers for pre-school education have dual specialization. they can also teach in primary education. however, the majority choose kindergarten work for the beginning of their career (spătărelu, 2015), because they find it easier. studies show that the main problems encountered during the first years of teaching are: • lack of experience (kozigoglu, 2018); • disappointment (kozigoglu, 2018); • anxiety (kearny, 2017; kozigoglu, 2018); • the relationship with the staff (bickmore & bickmore, 2010; kozigoglu, 2018); • inefficient mentoring (hellsten, prytula, ebanks & lai, 2009, kozigoglu, 2018); 59 • tensions between program requirements and practice (mitchell, howard, meetze-hall, hendrick & sandlin, 2017). the concern for knowing the problems that beginner teachers face is very important. many of them brought so much stress that they can lead to leaving the education system. the first years of teaching are decisive for the formation of the personal style. only after this subject is studied with interest and attention can valuable strategies be developed for beginner teachers. 2. methodology objectives the objective of the research is to discover the attitude that the beginning teachers have regarding the values of early education. hypotheses of quantitative research: the following hypothesis has been described for this research: the level of integration of moral values in teaching in early education is influenced by socio-professional variables. hypotheses of the qualitative research: what are the opportunities and obstacles that accompany teaching in the idea of transmitting values in pre-school education? variables the socio-professional variables discussed are age, seniority in employment, type of employer institution, institution environment, type of employment and level of education. methods and tools the main method used was that of the investigation by interview. during the interview, numerical data were also collected 60 to provide a quantitative perspective of reality, along with the qualitative perspective conferred by its use. the main method used was the interview. during the interview, questions were also inserted that allowed the recording of quantitative information. the interweaving of the quantitative elements with the quantitative ones allows a more accurate description of realities and analysis from different perspectives. population the population was selected based on the variables presented above. the choice of teachers of the most varied ages was sought. this is possible because mature people are also oriented towards education, who have started their careers in other fields. they find that this profession can provide great satisfaction, that it can be easier to find work in this profession and that it is a viable option for mothers who do not yet have a specialization. for this reason, it was relatively easy to find beginning teachers of older age. the eleven interviewees have at most four years of work experience, employed in both private and state institutions, both in urban and rural areas. some are employed permanently, others for a year or two. about one-third of them have only secondary education, but they continue their education to complete their education. 3. results values transmitted through early education the teachers expressed their opinions regarding the types of values that can be transmitted through pre-school education. their answers had two ways of organizing. some preferred to provide general answers, others preferred punctual answers and descriptions related to the implementation modalities. the 61 teachers in the first category summarized four categories of values: moral, civic, religious and social. those who preferred to give more detailed descriptions mentioned several values that they considered important: respect, kindness, perseverance, honesty, diversity, moral good, honesty, independence, common sense, discipline, punctuality, collegiality, loyalty, tolerance, creativity, flexibility, inclusion, truth, justice, the pleasure of knowing and learning, obedience, empathy. table 1 and figure 1 shows how often each appears in the speech of the interviewed subjects. kindergarten values and parents’ values in most cases, teachers tend to believe that parents do not support them in transmitting these values. probably they formed this opinion because of the multiple interactions they had with their parents. perhaps the parents did not respond enthusiastically when they were asked to help with the various projects. they may have been anxious or inattentive when interacting with their children, and teachers were surprised by this and cataloged it as disinterest. however, this situation is different depending on the kind of kindergarten. there are two categories of parents in private institutions. teachers report that some parents work very well together. these are the parents who make sacrifices to provide their children with quality training. for many parents for whom bringing the child to a private institution is not a financial sacrifice, collaboration with the kindergarten is not a priority. they think they are paying enough for the services they receive and that they don't have to do anything extra. activities for integrating values in the kindergarten the teachers indicated several types of activities through which they believe that the values can be transmitted very effectively: game, example, story, diversity, objects, songs, poems, morning 62 meeting, nature lessons, socialization, role play, discussions, video, exercise, artistic-plastic activities, brainstorming, celebrations, social projects, trips, concerts, parables. all these activities were centralized in table 2 and displayed in figure 2. obstacles to integrating values the interviewed teachers, being at the beginning of their career, encounter greater difficulties in the process of integrating values. these have indicated some of the challenges they face in this area. the first big problem that could interfere with the process of transmitting values is a large number of school documents that must be completed by each teacher. this category includes annual planning, half-yearly planning, unit planning, activity projects, minutes, individual assessments and special projects. beginner teachers are in difficulty early in their careers. the concern for completing these documents could also swallow the energy needed to organize efficient activities for the transmission of values. lack of communication with parents can be an equally important issue. even if the beginner teacher would find the energy to organize valuable activities, if the parent does not support the same values as the kindergarten, the educator's work will not be successful. in other situations, teachers are not sufficiently motivated to convey authentic values. some subjects said they encountered careless teachers. they do not realize that they shape characters. i do not know the importance of their activities. several beginner teachers have discussed the technology. they believe that the habit of children to spend a long time each day in front of a screen decreases their interest and ability to concentrate on educational activities that require intellectual effort. a large number of children in the preschool group may be another obstacle to the efficient integration of values in the teaching-learning-evaluation process. in this situation, the process 63 is very cumbersome and the right methods can be quite reduced. the lack of diversity in teaching caused by the need to teach mainly from the front can lead to boredom and disinterest. in this case, the problem of time is also associated. when there are many children in the group, the time dedicated to each one is greatly shortened. the interaction between the teacher and the child is vital in this situation. beginner teachers and values integration most beginners interviewed teachers seem to understand the importance of integrating values into teaching. many of them said that for them this topic is one of the most important. one of the subjects says: “just as intelligence, the moral sense can be developed through education, discipline, and will. the moral sense is more important than intelligence. if he disappears, in a nation the whole social structure begins to shake” (g.g., 33). the other continues: "the integration of values helps us to organize the teaching of activities and the achievement of the performances not only at the level of knowledge but globally" (m.c., 40). the biggest challenges for beginner teachers in early education the teachers listed several types of problems that they have to deal with during the first years of teaching: • transposition of theory into practice; • lack of teaching positions close to home; • lack of teaching materials; • lack of experience in working with children with disabilities; • poor educational communication; • be more captivating than cartoons; • working effectively with a large group of children; • to teach differentially; • to gain the trust of parents; 64 • to design new projects daily; • to collaborate with experienced teachers; the first year of teaching is extremely challenging. many teachers are tempted to give up on the very first days. some problems seem almost insurmountable. many teachers begin to recover from shock only after the first three months of teaching. and during this time, they focus in particular on "surviving". the temptation to give up many educators confess that they have been tempted or think that they will be tempted in the future to give up this profession. some argue that the current generation of children is much more difficult, either accusing parents of disinterest or the system of excessive bureaucracy. however, some educators live their calling and vocation: "sometimes the job chooses you and not you, as it was in my case" (m.c., 33). some educators do not want to permanently drop out of education, but just try another level of teaching, such as primary education. it is very encouraging that most early education teachers have stated that although sometimes the work is difficult, they find enough satisfaction to never give up this position. self-assessment of the integration of the values in teaching each subject interviewed was asked to give a score from 1 to 100 in terms of personal practice regarding the integration of the values assumed in the teaching-learning-evaluation process. it should be noted that the scores offered for self-evaluation were very favourable. the lowest value was 70. two people gave the maximum score. the average score was 85. figures 3-8 show the distribution of scores according to the experience and age of the teachers, the type and area of the school 65 in which the teacher works, the type of teaching position and the level of teacher education. it can be observed that the teachers with the longest experience give their values above average (m = 91), a tendency maintained also in the case of the teachers of advanced age (m = 90). the average of teachers in private schools (m = 78) is well below the total average (m = 85), and the average of teachers in state schools is above this average (m = 90). the scores obtained in rural institutions are higher (m = 90) than those obtained in urban institutions (m = 83). regarding the scores offered by teachers depending on the type of job occupied, those employed in the short term have higher averages (m = 85) than those employed in the long term (m = 78). the level of education was the last variable discussed. high school teachers offered slightly higher scores (m = 87) than did higher education teachers (m = 85). 4. discussions and conclusions given the important challenges that teachers have to face in the first years of teaching, do they still have enough energy to worry about integrating the values assumed in the educational practice? is this still an important topic for them? perhaps focusing on survival consumes all the available work power. even if the beginning of the activity is difficult for a teacher, the answers received show that the concern for values is present in his activity. this has a special significance. the educator has a clear awareness of his mission and the impact it can have on society. the sense of responsibility that emerges from the recorded answers gives dignity and importance to the profession. the values repeated with the highest frequency (respect, perseverance, independence, morality) emphasize the formative side of the didactic activity and the commitment that the teachers have for this occupation. 66 it is interesting the difference in scores between teachers in state schools and those in private schools. given that the classes in private education have fewer children, higher scores would be expected there. things are different. the highest scores are obtained in state education. there seems to be sufficient time here for the effective integration of values into teaching. another explanation for this phenomenon could be the fact that the teachers in private education have much higher expectations from their people and consequently, they are evaluated much more seriously, compared to the other teachers. this situation should be reconsidered in further research. beginner teachers are very vulnerable. lack of experience, daily challenges, and pressures from parents are sometimes difficult to overcome. however, teachers keep the deep sense of their profession, become aware of the huge stake and choose to follow their great destiny, to be the creators of the new 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(2019). student satisfaction, teaching practicum and academic achievement. journal of education studies, 1(1), 26-46. tables, figures and appendices table 1. frequency of each mentioned value no. value frequency 1 respect 3 2 kindness 2 3 perseverance 2 4 honesty 2 5 diversity 2 6 moral good 2 7 honesty 2 8 independence 2 9 common sense 1 10 discipline 1 11 justice 1 12 punctuality 1 13 he pleasures of knowing and learning 1 14 collegiality 1 15 obedience 1 16 loyalty 1 17 empathy 1 18 tolerance 1 19 creativity 1 20 flexibility 1 21 inclusion 1 22 truth 1 69 figure 1. frequency of each mentioned value table 2. frequency for each activity mentioned no. activity frequency 1 game 4 2 story 4 3 example 3 4 poems 3 5 lessons 3 6 discussions 3 7 exercise 3 8 morning meeting 2 9 nature socialization 2 10 role play 2 11 artistic-plastic activities 2 12 brainstorming 2 13 songs 2 14 concerts 1 15 celebrations 1 16 video 1 17 social projects 1 18 diversity 1 70 19 trips 1 20 parables 1 21 objects 1 figure 2. frequency for each activity mentioned figure 3 70 75 80 85 90 95 1 year 2 years 3 years 4 years 85 85 75 91 integration of values according to experience 71 figure 4 figure 5 70 75 80 85 90 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 78 86 85 90 integration of values according to age 70 75 80 85 90 private schools state schools 78 90 integration of values according to types of schools 72 figure 6 figure 7 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 urban rural 83 90 integration of values accordin to school area 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 long term short term 78 85 integration of values according to types of teaching positions 73 figure 8 84 84,5 85 85,5 86 86,5 87 high school higher education 87 85 integration values according to level of studies 40 ramona-simona kiru adventus university ramona.kiru@uadventus.ro the values transmitted through the play in early education keywords: values, play, early education abstract children can understand the natural world through play. it occupies a leading place in children's education. children, when they see and do things, they learn more than when they read or listen. the game's essential function is to help the child adapt to the world in which he lives. play is not a simple occupation in which children waste their time but how they maintain their mental health and establish and develop relationships with each other. the play also provides an appropriate framework for developing values and supporting education in achieving its goals. the values are transmitted both through the family and through the school. this article tried to find the values transmitted through plays in early education. 1. introduction educators, advocates for children's rights and academic researchers agree that play is vital for young children. play should have a central role in young children's lives—from infancy into mailto:ramona.kiru@uadventus.ro 41 middle childhood and beyond. from children's development view, learning, growth and play have an essential role in all these aspects. there are five types of adult approaches to play (pyle & danniels, 2017): ▪ free play – help and support – provide time, space and things to play with ▪ inquiry play – encourage and support children's explorations in play ▪ collaborative play – take opportunities to enter children's play and incorporate skill practice ▪ playful learning – support play experiences that incorporate specific skills ▪ learning games – try specific activities and focused activities on using skills like literacy and numeracy kesicioglu, yildirim haciibrahimoglu & aktas (2019) recommended that: ▪ open spaces where preschoolers play to be as big as possible. ▪ play areas where children can play freely and naturally should be enlarged rather than structured and adultcontrolled play areas. ▪ families should be informed of the negative influence that technological devices can have on children. ▪ the parents need to take time to play with their children. ▪ the time children spend with their peers should be longer in which there are different play opportunities. by challenging children to solve complex problems through play, they will thus benefit from these experiences and help them to be prepared for future academic learning. using play to meet children's needs and interests is a more effective way for teachers to meet children's developmental stages naturally than direct academic instruction does. it is essential to 42 provide teachers with a variety of ways to use the game for optimal learning and instruct teachers on how to master these approaches to effective learning through play (alharbi & alzahrani, 2020, p. 15). 2. early education early childhood education is the care and instruction of young children outside of the home. it is now the first rung on the educational ladder. in many respects, however, this most recent addition to the pedagogical hierarchy is quite different from its elementary and secondary predecessors. friedrich frobel, an educator from germany, is known as a kindergarten parent due to his role in this field. he was a thinker who opened new paths in education, respectively the unique needs and qualities of children. in human education, frobel shows that play is a way of showing children's inner life in an externalised form. his writings urge both parents and teachers to play with children because they create a real connection that encourages mutual respect. he believes that by working with children, teachers become more open to learning from them and can discover how and what to teach them. frobel believes that play is an internal activity represented by expressive external manifestations. always starting with exploring tangible objects, such as cubes, frobel uses the senses in the playful setting to arouse the child's curiosity and reflection. he believes that the child's spontaneous interest and play create an internal awareness a connection between the child and the objects explored. for frobel, this connection produces harmonising thinking, feeling, will and activity in the child. frobel strongly believes that in children, there is a divine essence, a spirit. the teacher's goal is to help the child become aware of this inner being. therefore, he believes that education 43 means hiring and guiding the child, as a whole, as an intelligent being who thinks and feels and make him self-aware through play. however, frobel supports limited adult intervention in children's lives and learning. he does not suggest such freedom for the sake of freedom, but because he understood that people, including children, are more receptive to ideas and suggestions when they collaborate voluntarily rather than by coercion. proper understanding can be reached only through the child's autonomous activity, through his actions. frobel believes that the primary goal of the educator should be to develop relationships. people are always in touch with each other, and every association of this type is formative. therefore, educators must be highly aware of their intentions and actions and be extremely sensitive to children's various needs. both parents and teachers are inevitably connected to the child in the process of mutual growth and learning. in romania, early education has three types of activities: personal development activities, free-choice games, activities, and experimental fields activities. the activities freely chosen by the child occupy a central place in the children's daily program, these being represented by games and centres of interest. these are part of the second necessary type of kindergarten activities. the children participate in these centres either individually or in work teams, and all tasks are related to the theme of the week or day. roleplay is one of the centres of interest that involves providing space, material and ideas for experiencing adult life through play, which is reminiscent of particular activities or the practice of desirable behaviours. they imagine various situations and act according to the social norms learned, suggested and practised. several changes took place in 2019, and one of them was when the number of hours allocated for free choice games and activities increased and the number of hours for experiential 44 activities was reduced. "the teachers not only appreciate the new accents involved in the current curriculum but even suggest some things that could improve the pedagogical practice in the kindergarten. thus, they recall the following topics" (spătărelu, 2019, p.14): ▪ training courses for senior teachers ▪ retired teachers to give way to young people ▪ improving stock with materials, ▪ fewer documents to be completed ▪ the possibility for teachers to transfer and detach more easily ▪ fewer children in the class ▪ reducing the number of methodical commissions. "at birth, we first learn to make sense of booming, buzzing confusion. we learn from what we see, feel, touch, taste, smell, and do. we develop the special human abilities of language— speaking, listening, reading, writing, and discovering meaning. these new abilities enrich our lives with whole new realms of knowledge, but they never replace our immediate world of senses and activities. we learn what we do" (schweinhart 2009, p. 16). 3. values in education human society has accumulated, over the years, a vast experience embodied in a set of material and spiritual values. they realise the distinction between human communities, between peoples and between nations. to ensure continuity and cultural identity, each society preserves and transmits its values to the new generation through education. education thus mediates the relationship of the individual with society by ensuring the assimilation, by the individual, of cultural values and models to adapt to the requirements and demands of social life. 45 the influential role that education has is pursuing the continuous development of specific human qualities and the exploration of new horizons of knowledge for the individual. through this role, man's enthusiastic attitude towards his fulfilment is exploited and the sense of responsibility for future generations, expressed by the intention and permanent concern to transmit to his descendants the ideal of education, that of "being" and "becoming". marin călin (2001) distinguishes the following categories of values: a) strong values necessary to protect life and the environment as they are health (physical and mental), physical tone and strength, beauty and harmony of the body, the balance of the environment, material goods and economic prosperity. b) the moral, political, legal and historical values necessary for a state and nations such as democracy, sovereignty, goodness, justice, courage, wisdom, independence, legality, dignity, love of nation. c) theoretical values necessary for human knowledge and creation, such as truth, evidence, objectivity, scientific imaginary; d) aesthetic and religious values, which concern contemplation of the world and human creations. the romanian school's educational ideal consists of the free, integral and harmonious development of human individuality in forming the autonomous and creative personality. schools are a place of transmission and development of values, whether they are intentional or not. no school transmits only knowledge. through the way they behave, teachers, through the language they use, through the methods and pedagogy they choose, communicate values to students and the whole community. 46 the six principles underlying the early education curriculum show that fundamental values are taken into account (ministry of national education, 2019, p.4): the principle of: 1) child-centred education; 2) respecting the rights of the child; 3) integrated development; 4) interculturality; 5) equity and non-discrimination; 6) education as an interaction between educators and the child. early education based on these principles can be said to be based on the following values: "respect for the unique needs of the child, equality in the rights regarding education, encouraging the right to expression and initiative, interdisciplinarity and integrated teaching, interculturality, equity and non-discrimination" (spătărelu, 2019, p. 57). education is the realm in which values most often find their expression. the most important values for society are also found in education. the goals of education have always been the goals of society. the ideas they materialised reflected the specific conceptions of time (albulescu, 2007, p. 17). the school is where values and messages from several directions come into contact: family, church, informal group, media, teachers. that is why the child is exposed to different sets of values: the personal values of the teacher, the values of the institution he represents, the values of the subject taught, the values of the students' class, family values, community values, transmitted values through the media, the values of religious institutions (cucoș, 2013, pp. 119-122). 47 4. the play in early education the game is an act of imagination. when children go out to play to run, fly, jump a different kind of knowledge is activated. it is a way of believing, which allows children, if they want to, to run faster than the wind, to jump above the clouds, becoming in an instant part of the exuberance and playfulness of nature itself (lewis, 2009, p. 8). kindergarten play helps children to develop self-control, language and cognitive skills but also social skills. early childhood educators have noticed that play helps children develop skills that they will use throughout their lives, and that lack of play can result in delayed or incomplete development (brown & vaugh 2009; copple & bredekamp 2009). play is a vital activity for the development of young children. "through playing games, they explore the world, develop knowledge and accumulate experiences. during the play, they use their imagination and creativity, having to solve problems" (maftei, 2019, p. 85). the game is in most of their activities and can be "a critical social activity with children playing together and learning how to get along with other children and learning about sharing and negotiating social contracts" (wasik & jacobi-vessels, 2017). many of today's early childhood play-based curriculum approaches stem from constructivist theories of development which support the importance of learning through play. play provides opportunities for children to explore and have hands-on experiences with their environment (singer et al. 2006). play also invites children to problem solve, use their imaginations and their creativity, and experience enjoyment of the world around them. it is also crucial that play can be a social activity in which children play together and learn how to get along with other children and negotiate social contracts (gagon and nagle 2004). the play has 48 been described as children's work, and that most of the children are engaged in play. the game is about the essence of early education lessons. rich gaming experiences are developmental opportunities for children who can reach self-knowledge and understand the world around them. the game leads to the solid and solid development of the conception of oneself; it helps children feel that they can influence others and create harmony and order, all positively and acceptably. playing skills, both with objects and ideas, is essential for both children and adults because play forms skills such as problem-solving, perseverance and collaboration skills that individuals use throughout life (jones & cooper 2006). there are different types of games. the most widespread distinction is between free play and structured play. structured play or guided play refers to play experiences in which the adult has more of an input, either in initiating the play, controlling the resources available, or intervening or participating during play. "seventy-eight children were tested on their theory of mind and emotion understanding. the main findings showed that free play and children's theory of mind is negatively related to externalising behaviours. empathy was strongly related to children's social competence, but free play and social competence were not associated. less time for free play is related to more disruptive behaviours in preschool children; however, certain emotional functioning skills influence these behaviours independently of the time children have for free play. these outcomes suggest that free play might help to prevent the development of disruptive behaviours, but future studies should further examine the causality of this relationship" (veiga, neto, rieffe, 2016, p. 48). there is the self-active game in free play that is used to describe children's spontaneous play with materials with various 49 possibilities of use, especially reusable materials (nell, 2013, p.23). the concept of self-play is not new in early childhood. friedrich frobel (1887/2005) wrote: play is the highest stage of a child's development of human development it is a self-active representation of the child's interior. frobel used the concept of self-active play as an essential component of ongoing human development. the child who plays carefully, on his initiative, and who perseveres until he is physically tired will undoubtedly be a determined person, capable of sacrifice to promote his good and the good of others. practical approaches and pedagogical research show that a play experience can become a learning exercise in which children can be placed in various playful contexts with a formative character. in support of this idea, gotesman (2001) pointed out that the game's activity: can serve, however, to goals that the player overlooks, but which are inherent in the game, without his intention and intervention. the game can have a pedagogical purpose and a well-defined instructive content"; "instructional processes, especially those of an exercise nature, can take the form of play (gotesman, 2001, p. 217). the challenge is to adopt a strategy of using the game that combines freedom with structure. just as today's childhood is different from what it was before, so is the game. the old games are no longer in the lives of today's children. one of these changes is the spaces in which they play. clements (2004) established that today children play more indoors than the last generation, devoting more time to television and computer games. karsten (2005) also reported that today children play more indoors, have smaller areas where they can play, have fewer playmates, play more at home, and parents impose more limits on them. children are learning less and less from books and more and more through the media. computer, internet, satellite connection, 50 television and video games are considered essential in the classrooms. 5. the values transmitted through the play playing in itself is valuable for all participating. however, utilising the situations and settings of playing for learning and social processes adds a valuable dimension it adds both value and values. all beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. they are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood (art. 1, united nations universal declaration of human rights). the game is an educational and training tool for personal and social development, with an extraordinary power to adjust behaviours. in and through the game, it is believed that people can build a better society for themselves and future generations. a society that does not encourage racist attitudes, violence, manipulation of competition results, non-compliance with fair play or ethical rules is a developing society. through play, children exercise, make friends, have fun, learn to cooperate as a team member, learn to play fair and acquire skills and ideals vital to well-being, self-esteem and self-confidence. at the heart of these values are the three fundamental olympic values: excellence, friendship and respect respect for the rules, respect for oneself and respect for others. research has shown that, under the right conditions, children can learn universal values through play and that it plays an essential role in the social, mental and moral development of young children. specific to some games is the group activity, with all the advantages deriving from its capitalisation within the instructive-educational process. the game involving cooperation, collaboration with game partners, the balance between interests, 51 reasons for actions and personal efforts with those of the team to which the person belongs involves joining the team, accepting and recognising values, assuming responsibilities, leadership and selfhelp, critical and self-critical attitude. favourable or unfavourable situations that occur during the consumption of different phases of the game educate the person who practices sports games. emotions and feelings, emotional states experienced, and other mental processes present in these circumstances are specific to each person and familiar to the team to which he belongs. they are determined by the team's successes or failures, which gives a deep formative character to sports games, which can be capitalised in achieving development goals. the game allowed the manifestation of initiative and independence in actions and manifested in solving game situations. these become possible only if the person has a minimum of skills, sufficiently developed motor skills and has been trained to act within precise rules. many of the leading theorists of early education, such as frobel, piaget, and vygotsky, argued for the use of play as a vital tool in helping children understand their world. children learn by acting and thus gain excellent knowledge about themselves. through play, children test hypotheses and evaluate the results' correctness; these results become basic knowledge, which is used in other situations. this is the process by which children come to understand the world through play. "playing together, discussing, planning, communicating with each other, resolving and/or preventing conflict while playing are all valuable social experiences for a child" (ljubetic, m., maglica, t., vukadin, ž., & bulgarian comparative education society, 2020, p.127). 52 6. conclusions play is a fundamental children's activity that is usually associated with childhood. by playing, children satisfy their need to have fun, socialise, move, explore, collaborate, and build a positive self-image; they develop their creativity and successfully deal with and resolve problematic situations. as it is the dominant activity for early and preschool-aged children, which occupies most of their time, playing is also understood as "one of the most natural ways people learn. the benefits of children's play are multiple in terms of both specific learning (development of speaking, listening, and observation skills, development of the ability to follow complex instructions, to wait for one's turn, of perseverance, responsibility) and personal, i.e. social learning (building self-esteem and respect for others, developing tolerance, honesty, empathy, responsibility, recognising and understanding one's own and other people's feelings). depending on the child's age and development, and characteristics, he expresses a desire and a greater or lesser interest in involving adults in his play activities. 53 references alharbi, m. o., alzahrani, m. m., (2020). the importance of learning through play in early childhood education: reflections on the bold beginnings report, international journal of the whole child, 5(2), 9-17. albulescu, i. 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(2001). impactul instruirii asistate de calculator asupra învățării și evaluării, teză de doctorat susținută la universitatea bucurești. jones, e. & cooper, r. m. (2006). playing to get smart. new york: teachers college press. kars, g. b. (2010). şiddet içerikli bilgisayar oyunlarinin çocuklarda saldirganliğa etkisi (yüksek lisans tezi), ankara 54 üniversitesi sağlik bilimleri enstitüsü disiplinler arasi adli tip anabilim dali, ankara. karsten, l. (2005). it all used to be better? different generations on continuity and change in urban children's daily use of space. children's geographies, 3(3), 275-290. kesicioglu, o. s., yildirim haciibrahimoglu, b., & aktas, b. (2019). an examination of preschool-aged children's perceptions of play. online submission, 11(18), 451–472. lewis, r. 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(2019). the values of early education from the perspective of beginner teacher. journal of education studies, 1(2), 55-73. schweinhart, l. (2009). active learning. the wisdom of play: how children learn to make sense of the world, accesibil la adresa: www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/room planning/wisdomofplay.pdf veiga, g., neto, c., rieffe, c. (2016). preschoolers'free play – connections with emotional and social functioning. the international journal of emotional education, 8(1), 48-62. wasik, b. a., & jacobi-vessels, j. l. (2017). word play: scaffolding language development through chil-directed play. early chidhood educational journal, 45(6), 769-776. http://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/roomplanning/wisdomofplay.pdf http://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/roomplanning/wisdomofplay.pdf 5 diana csorba university of bucharest diana.csorba@fpse.unibuc.ro argument for a pedagogical hermeneutics keywords hermeneutics, history of pedagogy, pedagogical reflexivity, historical hypothesis, interpretation abstract this study aims to epistemologically analyze a series of arguments for which pedagogy must consistently harness hermeneutic strategies of interpretation and meditative reflection on the meaning and significance of the paradigms of education and their evolution over time. current practice demonstrates that there are many difficulties in establishing the authentic meaning of a text about education. the meaning conferred by the author of the interpretation may not coincide with the proper meaning of the work analysed, even if it goes without saying that the meaning of a pedagogical conception must flow directly from the work itself, determined epistemological and axiological. the history of pedagogy, as an academic discipline, provides the favorable context for the practice of reflexive hermeneutic skills. we believe that between archaeology and teleology proposed by any 6 pedagogical theory, the hermeneutics of the text necessarily interposes. 1. introductive hypothetic-reflexive context: history of hermeneutics teacher training programs offer sporadic, random opportunities for the cultivation of reflexive – interpretative skills of the hermeneutic type. the study of pedagogy courses capitalizes on pedagogical reflection methods in the formula of epistemological models at the level of theory, or example of good practice that are analyzed by reference to the internship achieved by reference to the positivist model. identifying ways to practice and form the reflexive skills of future teachers has brought us to explore, analyze and check possibilities to capitalize on the history of pedagogy course, in order to cultivate the reflexivity of future teachers by internalizing a specific algorithm of historical research of education and in particular hermeneutics as a method of interpreting texts. we have become increasingly convinced that actively, perseveringly and carefully consider each faith or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the foundations on which it is based and the conclusions to which they refer is not only a challenge but a pressing necessity of academic learning exercises in the contemporary university space. in this study we reflect from an epistemological perspective on some of the conclusions of the case studies that we have carried out in the course and seminar activities at the department of teacher training, faculty of psychology and education sciences, bucharest. accompanied by the question: "does the hermeneutics of the pedagogical text succeed in being applied to pedagogy for 7 the cultivation of reflexive professional competences?" we analyze the interpretation albeit that the history of pedagogy gives the teacher concerned with his own pedagogical reflexivity. etymologically, hermeneutics originates in the greek "hermeneutics" which signifies – interpretation. dilthey's distinction between the two types of sciences: those "of nature" and "of spirit", between "explaining" and "understanding", will establish the concern to clarify substantially what hermeneutics mean in its essence. the 20th century will develop consistent theories about hermeneutics through the contributions of h.g. gadamer (heidegger's follower) to germany and p. ricoeur in france. hermeneutics appears as a way to interpret the meaning of human intentions and actions, relativizing the approach of truth conceived according to the model of positive sciences. the specialized dictionaries insist on clarifying the meaning of the act of interpretation as a form of "explanation", of "translation" of the attribution of meanings, in one direction or another in order to clarify, find a hidden meaning, but also to judge a work in search of specific ways of expressing its true meaning. the old aristotelian method, consisting of the grouping of phenomena into classes and genres and the use of syllogistic reasoning which established that everything that is valid for a genre is valid for all classes subordinated to it, was a viable time and brought added clarity to the explored universe. with the advent of descartes' works, the universe no longer seems so simple to explore! he showed the ways and directions to go, achieving the junction of mathematics with physics, by the way that mathematics became not only an instrument but a model for physics, in which sentences would depend on principles considered obvious. "the spontaneity of 8 the spirit" and the "priority of psychic life over the physical world" – so clearly expressed in the established formula – cogito ergo sum! – gradually led to a revolution of concepts in science, to a new way of discovering through thought and experiment, the laws of nature. later in history, kant will affirm that it is our spirit that prescribes the laws of nature. neutral, in romanian philosophy, mircea florian (2002) told us that descartes' lesson deserves all our attention by referring to the two fundamental principles "superior certainty of consciousness" and the idea of "ontological value of thought". gaston bachelard. in "la formation de l'esprit scientifique" (paris, 1972), he carried out, much later, an analysis of scientific thinking and the progress of knowledge by overcoming obstacles. bachelard groups under the name of "epistemological obstacles" the limits under which the previous knowledge stands and which must be overcome and replaced by another form of knowledge. any truly new knowledge is preceded by an "epistemological rupture", a rupture that separates the natural experience, unique to each of us, from the scientific one, inaccessible to all. all "pre-knowledge" must be denied in order to reach a new knowledge. the perspective reappears as renewed in the contemporary space when the relationship between the epistemology of education sciences and the methodology of research in education asserts itself as priority and necessity. but without continuing the historical trip, we appreciate that even today, any speech about the method is not redundant and numerous discourses are proposed, in different areas of human knowledge. pedagogy could not and must not remain far from these debates. any speech about the method will always be accompanied by a set of interpretations in an epistemological laboratory of hermeneutic consistency. 9 2. pedagogical reflection: about hermeneutic strategies appreciated as historical messages, pedagogical texts reflect, globally, the image of a determined "pedagogical time". we wonder, in the hermeneutic process how can we connect to the authentic rhythm and vibration of that time, when, historically, we are part of another pedagogical time and beyond? education is inseparable from historical, social, legal, political, psychological, etc. we identify in a positivist manner numerous causation that require explanatory, nuanced and fine interpretations to clearly delineate the lesson that history can portray. "pedagogical work as a way of existence is a subjective act, consubstantial with the human, reflecting by distancing itself from less important, random aspects, the essence of one's own vision of the world, life and specifically of education. this does not mean breaking history, but just revealing its merits. distance and proximity to pedagogical work allow the historian to learn the deep meaning of reflection, its place in the explanation of the universe of education." (csorba, d., 2015, p. 498), we appreciated, in an article focused on discovering whether historical experience can represent that normative court capable of supporting pedagogical reflexivity. current practice demonstrates that there are many difficulties in establishing the authentic meaning of a text about education. „the meaning conferred by the author of the interpretation may not coincide with the proper meaning of the work analyzed, even if it goes without saying that the meaning of a pedagogical conception must flow directly from the work itself, interpreted in the social-cultural, scientific, complex context that has determined it.” (csorba, 2015, p. 499). 10 in this problematic space we are interested in the predictive-objective qualities of hermeneutic strategies, the rigor and methodological objectivity that they must prove in the process of establishing the pedagogical, authentic meaning in determinative relationship with the historical truth, the scientific truth. hans-georg gadamer, a german philosopher, appreciated in the book "truth and method" (2001) the idea that, "interpretation" as an act, is comprised of three moments: "understanding", "interpretation" and "application". each of the three moments presents a particular, defining specificity: "to understand" implies to identify the true meaning or appropriate to the primary intention for which a message has been proposed, "to interpret" implies to give the message new and different understandings, “application” means adapting to a concrete, identifiable situation and extracting a practicaleducational meaning. the author emphasizes the idea, important for any hermeneutic act, that moments are indissociable. we see this very clearly in the space of pedagogical hermeneutics: we cannot achieve understanding without the interpretation of messages. synthetically derived significance in the end of a research of the history of pedagogy, is found in the preliminary anticipation from the beginning of the research, anticipation associated with interests and decisions conditioned by contemporary problems of theoretical or practical nature for which solutions are sought. for example, any reading of the history of pedagogy implies the highlighting of a meaning that cannot be dissociated from the guidelines, interests and even the cultural formation of the historian! an important notion proposed by philosophers helps us to understand more easily this inter-determination of the three moments. it's about the phrase "hermeneutic circle". 11 the teacher's consciousness, concerned with the research of education, will describe "circles" initiating infinite dialogues possible with the essence of the phenomena studied in order to then allow himself to build new perspectives of approach and understanding based on what happened through reconciliation with what is. the analysis of controversies in the study of the sciences of education is in the process of expansion and we notice how many polemics are born in this space. the methodological constraint that we feel in this context is the concern to follow with caution and wisdom the authors of pedagogical statements and not to do so in a teleological manner and to take them all seriously! a focal distance is needed in this respect: historical reporting and an anti-retrospective approach, with the authors who come to collectively define a meaning. more often than not, consensus occurs more easily when the material is standardized and researchers are cultured from each other and from the techniques they harness in research. in the space of education and its history as an object and as a theoretical court, the formulation of epistemological questions is an obvious difficulty and provokes us insistently. educational reality is perceptible only fragmentarily and through prisms (social, cognitive, ideological, political, economic, philosophical, etc.) that are always deforming, and it is normal to appear a plurality of legitimate and interesting sentences. even if we assume that in education the world is orderly and stable it never shows itself in its immediate truth. we will always be in the education research space in a position to initiate and re-initiate readings that will suggest what the order of the "pedagogical nature" might be! for a long time in the history of pedagogy, pedagogical evidence is the result of localized interrogations of a series of 12 educational ideas and practices. the scientific effort consists, in this case, of correctly appreciating their overall relevance. of course, we will not forget to point out that lack of consensus plays a key role in science and particularly in the space of sociohuman sciences such as pedagogy. a theoretical and "positive" discourse succeeds critical and approximate approaches and the "history of pedagogy" offers rich opportunities for the formation of hermeneutic skills of future teachers. we must admit that any scientific activity is one of interpretation and invention placed in a spatial context (physical, social, etc.). such a perspective conveys to us that any scientific approach in the field of education can be conceived as a temporal succession, as a sequential and progressive accumulation of discoveries. depending on their veridicity, they are diffused and so we have a rather spatial representation of knowledge. we can recognize the heterogeneity of the regimes of legitimacy and harmonization––the agreement of the authors––on the substance and effects of pedagogical readings––that another future will contradict or not! producing and negotiating meaning between the different actors of a pedagogical reading for the production of pedagogical knowledge is an essential condition of pedagogical hermeneutics. the emergence and fixation of the meanings of the texts read requires an effort to explain and contextualize the multimodal. the focus on a number of historically conditional needs determines the lack of depth of the research conclusions, because the actors of pedagogical readings are ideologically dependent on the networks in which they act. in historical research, the relationship between hermeneutics and hypothesis goes beyond the much-known meaning of the natural sciences, where the hypothesis is an unknown rationale of a sentence that gives the explanation of 13 a fact. in its substance, the historical hypothesis is itself a form of interpretation, a sentence about the past before it is subject to verification, with a certain degree of retrospective reflexive and anticipatory foundation. pedagogical hermeneutics develops in a systematic process of analyses and synthesizes that will tamp in the process of retrospective knowledge of the world and the reality of education, which is of epistemological, axiological or even ontological interest. "the formulation and foundation of hypotheses in the pedagogical research process but also in the process of reflective interrogation on the decisions necessary to optimize professional practice, refer to the decoding of primary information through external and internal criticism of sources / data. the establishment of facts and explanation (including the establishment of the law) and the construction of the historical image is gradually achieved through successive integration and theoretical reintegration" (csorba, 2015, p. 500) through the hermeneutics of the text. for the value of hermeneutics in the historical research of education, it is important to remember that, more often than not, contemporaries see only the literal meaning of each of the successive facts. the true meaning of events will only be shown to future generations. if in the phenomenological sense of the word, "understanding" represents the sense of the living meaning, the interpretation transcends the meaning of the lived, because it discovers a hidden meaning. the epistemological rupture between direct experience and explanatory theory about that experience is evident, from experimental science to interpretive science. in the first case theory is a set of formalized sentences (a mathematical language), in the second case, theory is a proposed meaning. of course, we do not deny that an interpretation can be ingenious, convincing by its own light but always arbitrary because there 14 is no experimental device to validate its righteousness or falsehood! as a modern work of art in which the idea of "expressing the truth" is not predetermined in the unrepeatable act in which it was conceived, increasing its valences with the passage of time, being continually recreated and redefined by all those who become co-authors in the process of interpretive reading. in a broader analysis framework, the educational phenomenon is an "opera aperta" an "open work", as umberto eco would call it, which makes all those who want to understand its meaning, "small new creators", broken away from foreign influences, identifying new messages, thinking critically, deriving new hypotheses, interpreting. 3. hermeneutics in historical research of education: possible applications or pedagogical reflexivity we can formulate hypotheses on how to decipher the information contained in the springs, hypotheses on their critical analysis, hypotheses about causalities, which can integrate all information about the past, proposing a specific narrative on which we will reflect. questions are formulated and ways to find answers are anticipated. hermeneutically, the hypotheses can be formulated as attempts to answer, before giving a basis to it and as an answer after its basis to the questions asked. in the process of formulating questions specific to historical research, as well as during the reflective process, we operate with three types of questions presented as fundamental (csorba, 2015, p. 498/500): (a) fact graphic questions such as: what happened? the answers consider describing the realities, their complete presentation, in most situations in a narrative perspective; (b) explanatory questions: why did this happen? how did it 15 happen that it happened? what relevance does a current problem have in the recurring problematic context of past/but future educational theories and practices? (c) theoretical questions: what scientific laws can be established by studying the past of educational experiences, at the level of theory and generalized practice? narrative responses can be formulated in many ways, theoretically infinite, but if we consider the legislativeprescriptive answers we expect as precise formulations as possible, which requires rigour and objectivity in the reflective process of drawing the conclusions of our studies. open to the philosophical positivist guidelines, taking over the models of nature research, pedagogues have sought and assiduously seek absolute truths to justify the science sense of their own pedagogical conclusions. in opposition, history determines the pluralistic structure of ideas and practices about education which, at a glance, suggests a "pedagogical anarchy", with dionysian features, which prevent us from easily anchoring in the quiet port of a definitive and compact system. certain opinions, contrary to pedagogy, state that there is no historical explanation in the scientific sense of the word but only a way of organizing stories about education, in an intelligible plot. it is accepted that the pedagogical truth is from a historical perspective, a truth relative to the times, cultures, people! the relativistic adherence of pedagogy to historical becoming has made history, apparently, a kind of guillotine. are we passing or not, the test of time with the substance of wisdom of our conclusions about education? „under the impact of the establishment and affirming of humanistic sciences and the resoundingly dispute over the issue of scientific rationality and other types of rationality, hermeneutics acts today as a major theoretical and 16 methodological enterprise, bringing together, through an authentic style of thinking, "the experience of truth" and the historical consciousness, as well as a cognitive model which subscribes an emotional participation in the modern reconstruction in logic, methodology and philosophy of science, in the history of philosophy and culture. in plato's dialogue ion, socrates says that "poets are nothing more than translators of gods, each possessed by that one who has them in control", and performers, those who sing the texts of poets, are called "interpreters of the interpreters". similar to poets, the experts in a domain, particularly those of education, are in a position of translating the significance of metaphors crystallized in time with regard to education. an exercise of historical analysis allows identifying the main metaphors that have led to the foundation of the educational process as a whole in the diachronic and the synchronous perspective” (csorba, 2015, p. 767). an absolute pedagogy could be recognized by its timeless character, severing any form of connection with the past, expecting from the future confirmation and preservation, perpetual. hence the fear of approaching, in an apollinic spirit, the thoughts of education that reflect a reality, marked, especially in this century, by an unprecedented dynamic, of major transformations, difficult to predict and control. and yet time has no patience! precisely, the impossibility of a system of absolute truths, in terms of education, brings pedagogy dependent on history. indeed, it could reduce pedagogy to its history. not necessarily in the restrictive and harmful sense, that of reducing such a complex field to a number of associations between the educational ideas and practices of certain times, but especially with a view to accepting the dynamics of the field as a space for continuous becoming and transformation. 17 in pedagogy, the experience of truth is contextualized and it depends on the productive nature of the systemic understanding of specific realities. the concern to establish epistemological pedagogy, as socio-human science, systematically envisages references to an axiological and methodological framework of historical type. the hermeneutics of any pedagogical text refers to a specific period, well delineated over time. this approach does not take into account eminently historical reasoning, but, in particular and more often, (more or less declared), pedagogical concerns. the history of pedagogy is a product of pedagogy and not of history. the spirit in which a history of pedagogy is developed is the sure sign of the specific transformations of the field of pedagogy. on these issues we continue to reflect. the reticence, more or less openly stated, concerning the exploitation of historical research in the evaluation of the educational phenomenon, synchronically and diachronically, call into question issues concerning the relativity of this type of approach. in a framework of analysis of the relationship between philosophy and history, mircea florian (2002) affirmed a significant aspect that can be analyzed prolifically in the space of the relationship history and pedagogy: "until now historical research has been of great use a history of systems, types of thinking, not problems. the systems come and go, but the problems remain" (florian, 2002, pp. 192-193). the problems facing the school of our time come and go back with a recurrence that is hard to imagine, in uncontrolled waves, no matter what solutions are proposed and what sources of pedagogical scientific foundation they may have. one of the purposes of pedagogy should systematically pursue, identify and historically reveal the problems that the school has faced and faces for a time and a space and how they have been 18 thought ably reflected in the pedagogical works of the time. cultural problems and values demand historical temporality, but also ensure the independence of thought from the historical aspect. pedagogy is forced to integrate history, time, the place of realization into an indefinite process of the problems it strives to solve by referring to the cultural values of humanity to which it is subordinated and for whose permanence justifies its existence and meaning. history thus becomes an integrative factor of a system of socio-human conceptions, and the association of temporality with pedagogy is not a sign of weakness but on the contrary. pedagogy needs more than any other discipline of its history. if the sciences of nature, called exact, not by chance, can ignore people, pedagogy must not detach itself from them, their specific peculiarities and their human purpose, established at the level of destiny. the person is historically conditioned, and from this derives an essential peculiarity of pedagogy and its object of study – education – which is addressed to the unique people – the historical character. "the role of the historian is to discover, under these diverse appearances, the eternal man, always like his own" (aries, 1995, p. 66), philippe aries tells us in a reference work for the grounding of historical research. multi-perspective in history research is not simply the application of the hermeneutic method. it aims to expand the scope and depth of historical analysis on a particular theme or phenomenon. until the 1980s and 1990s, historical research was focused on transmitting a huge amount of information, organized chronologically, with a predominant focus on events and personalities. after the 1980s, the first concerns differed from those previously mentioned, which must be considered by both education historians and reflective teachers. 19 there is currently a widening of the centers of interest, aiming at a "total history" encompassing different evolutionary, philosophical, economic, social, political, cultural, educational series capable of providing a systemic picture of reality in its temporal perspective. the problem of a predominantly narrative history (important to be properly recognized and harnessed) is today subordinated to a new perspective of analysis and interpretation, following the conflicts of ideas and phenomena of anticipation or constancy that mark and/or structure a certain evolution. account shall also be taken of the interdisciplinary relationships that exist and can be highlighted in evolution. deepening a temporally determined stage sends interrogations to the content of a previous or/and future period, addressing the invitation to open new investigations, recalling that there is still "unwritten history" and uninterpreted (see csorba, 2015, p. 33). 4. open conclusions: new spaces for pedagogical hermeneutics the use of the past allows a better understanding of concepts, their emergence and dynamics, their reflection in educational practices, as well as current scientific methods. it can be appreciated that there is a genuine historical evolution of the notions of a field and that with the passage of time many expressions have changed their meaning, but in a symbolic sense of context, they can be used inappropriately. history allows the practice of the skills to achieve interpretations and correlations between categories of facts, ideas, realities, allowing clarification of the relationships between the development of individual thinking and that of configured temporal scientific ideas. 20 history helps to explain and understand the nature of research/knowledge activity, allowing the demarcation between the ideologies of some epochs, between the initiated scientific theories and the promoted school practices. routine, the proposed models of action for imitation are critically analyzed, from the perspective of clear benchmarks in their area of theoretical foundation as well as in that which has in mind the educational practice with advantages and limits, vulnerabilities, special conditions. interpretation of current practices will be achieved by reference to a coherent set of theoretical models and pedagogical applications, validated or invalidated by time, or temporarily ignored for objective or subjective reasons (see csorba, 2015, pp. 20-22). on the basis of the same sources, representations of educational facts, accepted and proven pedagogical theories argued in educational practice can lead to more or less similar reconstructions of the past as well as reflective projections of formative, future approaches. the history of pedagogy, like the history of any field of socio-human knowledge, recognizes that the more a sentence refers to a greater chronological and geographical area, the more its theoretical character extends beyond the constraints of individual facts. the so-called "ontological spaces of the historian" (topolski, 1987, p. 6) are thus created, being, as the framework drawn in research by one's own knowledge, attitudes, within which the research undertaken can be moved. both education historians and reflective teachers must build common hermeneutic spaces that allow for axiological and praxiological understanding. of course, independent of their own hermeneutic spaces, reflexive historians and practitioners must critically question interpretively the 21 universe of education, prolonging any hermeneutics in the space of solving contemporary school problems. 22 references aries, ph. (1995). timpul istoriei. bucurești: editura meridiane, bucurești. csorba, d. (2011). scoala activă. paradigmă a educației moderne. bucurești: editura didactică și pedagogică. csorba, d. (2014). recursul la trecut. o istorie deschisa spre viitor! revista concept, 8, 30-42. csorba, d. (2015). metaphor in science education. implications for teacher education. procedia-social and behavioral sciences, 180, 765-773. csorba, d. (2015). historical experience-principle of pedagogical reflection. management intercultural, 34, 497-502. florian, m. (2002). experiența ca principiu de reconstrucție filosofică. bucurești: editura 100+1 gramar. gadamer, h-g. (2001). adevăr şi metodă. bucureşti: editura teora. topolski, j. (1987). metodologia istoriei. editura științifică și enciclopedică, bucurești. 82 florina-gratiela șchiopu-constantin montemorelos university gratiela282000@yahoo.com academic integrity – plagiarism and the impact on students’ work keywords academic integrity, plagiarism, prevention in plagiarism abstract nowadays, the subject of academic integrity is largely studied and discussed about as an issue of great interest, especially because teachers in all fields want their students to know from the beginning what is expected from them in terms of fairness when it is about completing a task the students are given and respecting the requirements of fairness. the reality is that education in this field is needed, and should be grounded on a strong background, knowing that it is much easier to take the information and use it as it belongs to you, rather than do a lot of research and get to some conclusions for which you had to work many hours, days or even months. thus, easier, and faster needs to be replaced by harder and more serious work, which will result in personal, enriching information and results. this research has as purposes to explore the reasons for which someone would commit plagiarism, to make students 83 aware of the consequences that such an act attracts, and to observe what can be done, to prevent it. the study will be done through qualitative research, using a focus group discussion, 7 students in the first year of pipp,1 from adventus university of cernica, romania. the students seemed to have enough knowledge about the problem in discussion, both the act of committing plagiarism and its consequences. drawing the conclusions after the focus group information was gathered, there could be seen some results. 1. review of literature in spite of the years in which efforts were made concerning academic dishonesty in higher education, and even though there are results based on the concern for the students ideas on school work, and the way they use the internet in order to accomplish their tasks, we should admit that the problem of cheating in the form of plagiarism in connection with academic integrity is still a matter that calls out attention, being an issue which is pressing at all levels and, in this respect, there are also programs constructed to implement preventive interventions (rabahi, 2019; giannotta, özdemir, & stattin, 2019; chankova, 2020). consulting some dictionaries, the result that one receives by searching is that the word integrity means showing total acceptance and embracing moral and ethical principles, in other words to show a strong, moral character, to have a whole development (dictionary.com, 2020), and the term is seen as the acceptance of a moral and artistic code. to say it clearly, in even deeper words, to be seen no way of moral corruption, 1 the pedagogy of primary and pre-school education (rom., pedagogia învățământului primar și preșcolar) 84 which makes a person totally admirable, to be a complete human being guided in all situations by strong, immutable moral values (merriam webster dictionary). moreover, eaton (2020) tries to get our attention on academic integrity mentioning that we can even speak about some of the values that belong to academic integrity like being universal, rising the idea that, by all means, the result is our vision, interpretation and ideas that are of great importance in the research we work at, and such a result is quite essential and worthy. to go forward, it might be said that the teachers’ ideals concerning integrity at all levels can be and should be transferred to students, because generally speaking, people have the tendency to show their trust totally in those whose integrity is proved, even in cases when they do not always show a deep agreement with them and in this respect, aryanitis and kalliris (2020) mention a rule or rather a moral principle in accordance to which one acts morally, in different situations of life. thus, according to aryanitis and kalliris (2020), integrity is recognized when, no matter the circumstances, one can stand up fearless for what that person believes and chooses to do the right thing regardless the opinion of those around. as a result of this approach, they worked on self-determination theory explaining the issue that leads someone to act out of moral motivation stressing the idea that one reaches to moral integrity because of an internal, moral system of principles, emotions, and motives. this behavior is a result of the person’s interaction with the environment, and the greatness of this principle is that the contexts of life will definitely not change the framework of integrity, no matter the situation, which is, we might say, the core of education through integrity. the google generation is the term rendered for the nowadays students, and findings on the matter suggest that 85 this generation witnesses a more difficult issue than before in the fact that they face a conflict in learning value, owing to the fact that the knowledge they have is of little structure, and chankova (2020) specifies that the nowadays students generally think of cheating as an action that has no connection with the moral or ethical implications. as an answer to this concern, giannotta, özdemir, and stattin (2019) mention the implementation of preventive interventions which is considered an important factor, also speaking about implementing integrity in parenting programs in sweden, for example. in this study the parents are shown as being very interested and engaged in this intervention procedure and this action grows the intervention effects, but such an involvement is only discussed in the case of younger students. moving forward to college or university students, heiser and mcarthur (2020) mention the fact that students face the tendency to violate academic integrity and are strongly tempted to commit fraud and cheating, which, among students, is not a new phenomenon, and it takes place at all levels. at the same time, arvanitis and kalliris (2020) come up with a view of moral integrity that gather three distinct features such as cognitive, emotional, and motivational moral consistency. akbar and picard (2020) mention a multitude of research that has been conducted in academic integrity related to culture in western world, and some work has also been conducted in asian contexts, and because of this work it could be noticed the impact of culture and religion on academic integrity in eastern countries with a muslim majority. on the other hand, betawi (2020) brings to our attention the idea that in the absence of values, in general the situation in jordanian schools keeps on deteriorating ethically speaking, even 86 mentioning the increase in cheating, bullying and vandalism also. eaton (2020) speaks about the examination of the existence of a system approach which is to address contract cheating in all its forms, using 4m framework, through which is demonstrated the importance of the micro-the individual, meso-the department, the macro-the learning organization, and finally the mega-which is something beyond the institution. henning, alyami, melyani, and al mansour (2020) established a reliable and valid measure of academic integrity which can be used in higher education institutions, and the three domains proposed are cheating, copying, and complying a questionnaire with 10 items (ccaiq-3), an instrument which intended to promote academic integrity and whose results were better than those of the previous one (ccaiq-2), which belonged to the second version. keefer, brown, and rothschild (2020) saw the problem of plagiarism as a metaphor, mentioning that this type of using such a metaphor influence to a great extent the manner people perceive social, problematical issues, and even more, when such a situation is seen as a disease, people’s attitude towards it changes naturally. as a result of their study, they noticed that while naming the plagiarism a disease, even the students’ perception on the matter in campus changed, seeing it as it was in reality, a severe problem, and thus, they were more supportive when it came to discuss about or implement a lot of anti-plagiarism policies. plagiarism in the digital era in the last decades, in the digital era, it can be said that it is like a great burden when it comes to academic integrity in the digital context, for universities and other institutions of education worldwide, mentions rabahi (2019). in his study, 87 which was conducted in some universities in algeria, the findings got to the conclusion that, to complete their work, students used technology to commit cheating and plagiarism. to bring a light of hope, he said that integrity can be achieved by institutions and universities when the students start to understand the positive side of ict.2 tran, huynh, and nguyen (2018) conducted a study on plagiarism in vietnam, whose results led to the idea that the main source of the situation was that the authors of those materials used the information taken from internet but did not cite the authors that originally had written about the problem in discussion. moreover, tahir and patak (2019) see plagiarism as being a complex problem which can be done by accident, by mistake or on purpose, the last one being the most dramatic of them all, but the first two ones must be taken into consideration seriously, too. they mention some levels of plagiarism, such as cut-and-paste, when the student getting the information does not mention the source it was taken from, and this meaning more than half of the original text. hard to believe, but true, in such a situation the reference is not given at all. a second level could be to copy a great amount of the information, which is less than half of the work, and also not giving the source, and the third level, copying some tables, paragraphs, pictures, without even mentioning the source. as a fourth level or method they mention the works in which there are rewritten pages or paragraphs without mentioning the source, and the words or sentences can even be said in order. finally, plagiarism is when someone only changes the order of words or sentences only. thus, it is very important to pay attention at such an act, to be able to accomplish scientific research using one’s own 2 information and communications technology. 88 way of citing and writing the references in academic style. while trying to help the students understand what is permitted to write in their research, not to commit plagiarism, we should mention that the citation and references are permitted, as being part of this process of writing in scientific works. douglass and watt (2019) mention that there is a specific view considering plagiarism and the way it must be dealt with it in every university, and that some errors, negligence, and lack of technical knowledge should not be considered as plagiarism, but as the result of a work written in an inappropriate way. as a result of their work, they mentioned the necessity that the students, especially when speaking about electronic submission, should have the chance to see the detailed online plagiarism report before the moment of submission, so that they can have the chance to correct the places in which there seems to be plagiarism. thus, they say that the students should immediately receive their work back, as soon as possible, after the moment the work has been sent, and the copy of the plagiarism report also. 2. methodology this study research was motivated by the desire to get the subject into attention in the academic area, not because it was not known, but because being brought again into students’ attention, and the focus being stronger, it could lead to the understanding that it deserves being taken into discussion. besides, one of the most important and meaningful purposes was to make the students aware of the implications of such an act. the qualitative research methodology was conducted on a group of seven students, all students in the first year of pipp. the students were made aware from the beginning of the study that their names will not be mentioned, and that their opinion 89 mattered to the extent to which they meant what they said about the subject in discussion, and the qualitative methodology was based on asking questions about their knowledge about plagiarism and the results that such an act could lead to. the way the data was collected was by focus group discussion, teacher-students (fgdt/s), seven student girls and a teacher. collecting data data collection is about asking, watching, and reviewing the information and qualitative data consists of direct questions from people about their opinion, experience, feelings, and the information they have about a specific subject, and all these are obtained through interviews. in education we find interviewing as the most common form of collecting data, and this method is found in most applied fields also. the work of writing the results of the study is much facilitated by paying attention to some issues before the writing task, such as determining the audience, selecting a focus and report outlining, keeping in mind the idea that first of all the issue needs to be understood by the researcher, and then to be understood by others. being a work in which the names of the participants (table 1) are not given, they received information about the subject they were to discuss, and they signed an informed consent, which showed they did this willingly. the data was gathered for one hour and later the result was thematically analyzed, coded and put under themes. the limitations of the study there is a small number of participants, from the same class and the same university. 90 3. results the results of the study will lead to a better understanding among the students in this university, as well as in others. the study was conducted on 7 students at pipp, adventus university of cernica, romania, and was meant to find out which was the level of knowledge of the 1st year students about academic plagiarism. the interview was semi structured, with the possibility of forming other questions, too, which really happened. the students were told the purpose of the study and were also assured of total confidentiality. question 1. what do you know, what have you found about plagiarism? when was the first time you got in contact with this term? student x1, who was at the second faculty spoke about the fact that in the first faculty there were many students whose research works had been rejected because of plagiarism. this student said that before this moment it seemed to her that the teachers were exaggerating, but later on, she changed her attitude: some of my colleagues gave their works to be checked and the result was negative, and therefore, they received the grade 1, and had their work rejected. in some cases, they were given the chance to write it back, but sometimes it was too late and there was nothing to be done. it was a turning point for them, and for their colleagues a lesson to be learnt. student x2, another student mentioned that they learnt about this subject in university, but that when students do their work, they still use to do copy-paste, or taking the information without mentioning the source. 91 question 2. which are the difficulties you faced concerning the subject and how did you handle them? mentioning about the past, they spoke about situations when they were required to do research and they needed to write the source and in the end the work was tested, which, while waiting, caused them some fear. student x6: i remember when i finished the work, i gave it to my teacher and then i had to wait for an answer, to know if i had done it well, in accordance to the rules mentioned in the university, and of course, to see if it was accepted. i was a little bit nervous while waiting. question 3. why do you think that people commit plagiarism? the issue of plagiarism is known by students, but even if they know the consequences of such an act, because they consider that it might be easier to get the information and use it as it belongs to them, without paying so much work, they resort to plagiarism. other reasons that were mentioned connected to this issue led to the lack of time, the large amount of work consumed with writing the footnotes, as well as the lack of a specialized, appropriate language. student x7: i think that students find it easier to copy the information, instead of working hard, and because they think it is not going to be so bad, or that the teachers will not be so categorical. student x3: there might be some situations when we, students, have just a short time to accomplish our task, being not so easy to write all the footnotes. the lack of time can also be because of a bad administration of time. 92 student x4: another reason could be the lack of an appropriate, specialized language, the presence of some difficulties in expressing oneself, while getting the information and transmitting it back in our own words. student x5: i also think that for some students it is difficult to render some ideas in their own words in the most appropriate language. even though, i am sure that only through hard work, through repetition, we can get to the performance of doing a work which is written in accordance with the requirements of that task. question 4. which are your recommendations concerning the subject? student x1 told that in the first university where she had studied, students were asked to put a lot of footnotes in the end of the page, and then the page looked crowded, but she mentioned having been told that they needed to do that: we were told that because we did not have so much knowledge on the subject we needed information from other sources, but we needed to mention the source. another student spoke about the necessity of mentioning the source, focussing on the importance of appreciating someone else’s ownership on the subject or the information in general. the importance of being fair to yourself and to the author from whom one might consider taking the information without mentioning the place it was taken from, seemed to be very much appreciated by the student. student x2: the teachers told us that when work research is written it is necessary to specify the place we take our sources, because anybody else worked a lot for it, and it is not fair to assume the information as if it belonged to us. 93 question 5. which do you consider as being the best practices to avoid plagiarism? to this question also, one student mentioned some practices that she had learned at a course she had participated at, such as paraphrasing, the use of inverted commas, the method of rendering the same information in one’s own words, in short, working intelligently. she also meant that one learns only by working hard and paying serious attention to such an endeavour. student x7: i learned that paraphrasing is a good way of avoiding plagiarism, close to rendering the same information in one’s own words, and the use of inverted commas. i also think that if one does this for a long time, he will learn how to handle this. 4. discussion and conclusions the purpose of this study research was to get the subject of plagiarism into attention of the students in the academic area, not because it was not known, but because being repeated and the focus being stronger, it could lead to the understanding that a second and better implementation is needed, which would also involve improvement. all relevant data was gathered and studied, after being organized in such a manner that was easy to be followed. then, the researcher wrote down all the answers of the students in the focus group considering the topic covered in the questions of the study. the following step was to put the topics in order. the findings showed that the students had a lot of knowledge on the matter, they received information from teachers, one student even had colleagues, in the previous faculty, whose works had been rejected, marked with the grade 94 1, in some cases they were given the possibility to do it again, but in others, not. further on, it can be noticed that the students’ view on plagiarism resemble the results of the study conducted by tahir and patak (2019) and whose elements are: cut-and-paste, copy a great amount of the information and not giving the source, copying some tables, paragraphs, pictures, without even mentioning the source, and when someone only changes the order of words or sentences. the students in the focus group admitted the fact that the teachers mentioned this in their courses, militating against plagiarism, helping them understand that working more for now is a way to give them a better understanding on the issue in discussion, and the freedom one needs when having finished an important research study. some of them showed disapproval toward those who commit plagiarism and were sure that they would not do such an act in order to do a better or faster work. further research is waited for in this field, so that the students should be aware of the importance of this issue whose results affect their present situation and, in some situations, their future career. 5. recommendations teachers and students necessarily need to be aware of the seriousness of the problem in discussion, which is plagiarism and cheating. at the same time, it is the teachers’ role to create such an environment in which cheating can be just an exception, and integrity can be seen as the core of all values connected to learning. thus, the students should be oriented to doing the things as well as possible, but not necessarily inclined to receiving high grades with all costs, 95 which will by no means cut down cheating through the motivation presented to the students. 96 references akbar, a., & picard, m. (2020). academic integrity in the muslim world: a conceptual map of challenges of culture. international journal for educational integrity, 16. arvanitis, a., & kalliris, k. (2020). consistency and moral integrity: a self-determination theory perspective. journal of moral education, 49(3), 316–329. betawi, a. (2020). calling for character education: promoting moral integrity in early childhood education in jordan. early child development and care, 190(5), 738–749. chankova, m. (2020). teaching acadenic integrity: the missing link. journal of academic ethics, 18(2), 155-173. doi.org/10.1007/s10805-019-09356-y dictionary.com. (2020). integrity. https://www.dictionary.com /browse/integrity douglas, s & watt, g. (2019). plagiarism, academic integrity and the law. e-journal of business education & scholarship of teaching, 13(2), 73-79. eaton, s. e. (2020). academic integrity: a systems approach to address contract cheating. online submission, null-2020. giannotta, f., özdemir, m., & stattin, h. (2019). the implementation integrity of parenting programs: which aspects are most important? child & youth care forum, 48(6), 917–933. heiser, r. s., & mcarthur, d. (2020). online accounting education: how to improve security and integrity of students’ performance assessments. journal of instructional pedagogies, 24. henning, m., alyami, m., melyani, z., alyami, h., & al mansour, a. (2020). development of the cross-cultural academic integrity questionnaire – version 3(ccaiq-3). journal of academic ethics, 18(1), 35-53. 97 keefer, l. a., brown, m., & rothschild, z. k. (2020). framing plagiarism as a disease heightens students’ valuation of academic integrity. international journal of psychology, 55(2), 210-214. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijop.12581. nechita, o. d., casanovas, m., and capdevila, y. (2019) academic writing and the internet: cyber-plagiarism amongst university students. journal of new approaches in educational research (8)2, 112-125. https://doi.org/10.7821/naer.2019.7.407. patak, a. a. & tahir m. (2019). avoiding plagiarism using mendeley in indonesian higher education setting. international journal of evaluation and research in education, 8(4), 686–692. https://doi.org/10.11591 /ijere.v8i4.20268. pethrick, h. (2020). academic integrity week programming for faculty members: an environmental scan. eaton (ed.). calgary, canada: university of calgary. in online submission. preciado babb, a. p., yeworiew, l., & sabbaghan, s. (eds.) (2017). selected proceedings of the ideas conference 2017: leading educational change. calgary, canada: werklund school of education, university of calgary. rabahi, h. (2019). the use of information and communication technology in academic research: is it possible to realize academic integrity? arab world english journal, 10(4), 88–100. https://doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol10no4.7 tran, u.t., huynh, t., nguyen, h.t.t. (2018). academic integrity in higher education: the case of plagiarism of graduation reports by undergraduate seniors in vietnam. journal of academic ethics, 16(1), 61-69. 98 tables, figures and appendices table 1. participants’ profile participants university section year of study first/ second faculty measure of encountering the subject x1 pipp student 1st year second faculty heard of it in the 1st faculty x2 pip student 1st year 1 year in another faculty at courses x3 pip student 1st year first faculty at courses x4 pip student 1st year first faculty at courses x5 pip student 1st year first faculty at courses x6 pip student 1st year first faculty at courses x7 pip student 1st year first faculty at courses 55 mihai covaci hyperion university mihaicovaci@gmail.com ppsp students' perceptions of online learning in pandemic conditions keyword: student, e-learning, face-to-face learning, pandemic abstract the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic led to the cessation of face-to-face courses and many schools opted for education using online learning platforms. using data obtained from students specializing in preschool and primary school pedagogy (ppsp), this research estimates the causal effects of online learning on student performance. using the differentiated approach of current education with classical education, we want to observe the efficiency of the current educational approach carried out online on various platforms. among the advantages of e-learning would be the access to online materials, the advantage of staying at home and the possibility to record a meeting and the disadvantages are reduced interaction with the teacher, technical problems, lack of interaction of colleagues and social isolation. compared to e-learning, face-toface learning is still perceived as extremely effective when it comes to accumulating knowledge, pedagogical skills and social skills. 56 starting with march 11, 2020, following the decision of the ministry of education and research to suspend face-to-face courses in romania, the education system is reoriented towards new communication and cooperation practices to ensure continuity of learning and organizational functioning. the measures instituted by the state of emergency reveal to us different, sometimes unique, ways of being and acting. adults and children were put in the situation to discover new ways of social connection and to continue their professional, social, cultural, playful and leisure activities. thus, the use of virtual technologies and platforms has increased. all these elements certainly have an important area of evolution and social development, but the fact that everything happened suddenly put society in front of a huge challenge. as a result, government institutions, schools, ngos and private companies, education and tech professionals have found themselves at a roundtable of debates (often online, at a distance) to find solutions, putting expertise, ideas, resources, portals, tools and elearning platforms. although it must be said that speed and quantity are not always guarantees of a quality process, we can still speak here primarily as a favorable context for reflection and permanent adaptation (botnariuc et al., 2020). the covid-19 pandemic caused the greatest disruption of education in history, already having an almost universal impact on students and teachers around the world, from preschools to middle schools, educational and technical and vocational training (vet) institutions, universities, adult learning institutions and skills development. by mid-april 2020, 94% of students worldwide were affected by the pandemic, representing 1.58 billion children and young people, from preschool to higher education, in 200 countries. (un, un sg, unsdg, 2020, p. 5). switching to online learning is a challenge, even for students who have felt ready, as the study conducted by pinkus shows (pinkus, 2000). almost nine out of 10 (86%) consider this transition 1. review of literature 57 to be disruptive and only 37% are extremely or very prepared to move to an online learning environment. even among those students who are most prepared for online learning, over seven out of 10 (71%) find their school experience disrupted by this transition. less than half of students maintain a regular schedule now that they are at home most days or every day (47%). in fact, only 16% have a set schedule each day and this drops to just six percent among those who feel unprepared for online learning. the arguments associated with e-learning are accessibility (including rural areas), flexibility, a less rigid pedagogy, lifelong learning, it is considered to be a relatively cheaper way of education in terms of lower transport costs, accommodation and the overall cost of institution-based learning. flexibility is another interesting aspect of online learning; a student can schedule or schedule time to complete the courses available online. combining face-to-face lectures with technology gives rise to blended learning or the creation of blended learning rooms, which can increase the learning potential of students and pupils, pupils and students can learn anytime and anywhere, thus developing new skills in the process that leads to lifelong learning (clark et al., 2020), (dhawan, 2020, p. 2). 2. methodology objectives the present research aims to highlight the way students relate to learning in pandemic conditions compared to the previous conditions. thus, we set out to highlight the factors that matter in this learning framework, factors such as the effectiveness of learning in terms of increasing knowledge, the effectiveness of learning in terms of increasing pedagogical skills, the effectiveness of learning in terms of increasing social skills, the effectiveness of learning in terms of increasing knowledge, one's own involvement in the 58 learning process, the advantages and disadvantages of e-learning and the general attractiveness for learning. hypotheses of quantitative research the research topics are the following: • students adapt quickly to new forms of learning; • technical problems and aspects related to social collaboration are solved on the fly or as a minimum of experience is gained in learning approaches in pandemic conditions; • there are also unexplored advantages of online learning; • uncertainty about online learning outcomes is fragile hypotheses of the research: we assume that the efficiency of online learning is lower at this stage; we estimate that pedagogical skills are better developed in online learning; we admit that social skills are better developed in the online environment; we assume that increasing knowledge in online learning is not exactly effective; we assume that the involvement of students in the process of effective online learning is lower. variables the research variables were: gender, age, year of study, domicile, skills in using technical devices and online platforms and participated in any type of e-learning before the pandemic. methods, tools and population i used and adapted a questionnaire designed and applied by bączek (bączek et al., 2020). the questionnaire was applied through google forms during november 2020. from the 59 perspective of group composition, the situation was as follows for the 57 subjects studied (figure 1). 3. results and discussions the presentation of the results will be made in the order of the items in the questionnaire: • what do you think are the benefits of e-learning? choose everything you think is true (figure 2). • what are the disadvantages of e-learning? choose everything you think is true (figure 3). • on a scale of 1 to 5 (where 1 = extremely inefficient, 5 = extremely effective) evaluate the effectiveness of learn in terms of increasing knowledge (figure 4). • on a scale of 1 to 5 (where 1 = extremely inefficient, 5 = extremely effective), evaluate the effectiveness of learn in terms of increasing pedagogical skills (figure 5). • on a scale of 1 to 5 (where 1 = extremely inefficient, 5 = extremely effective), evaluate the effectiveness of learn in terms of increasing social skills (figure 6). • on a five-point scale (where 1 = extremely inactive, 5 = extremely active), describe your activity while learning (figure 7). • on a five-point scale (where 1 = extremely unpleasant, 5 = extremely pleasant), evaluate how much you like e-learning courses (during the pandemic) (figure 8). in doolan's research, the students were largely satisfied with the way the supporting lecturers have appeared since the cancellation of classes on the spot. they were less satisfied when it came to organizing seminars and practical courses (doolan et al., 2000). abbasi's research, in agreement with other research, found that 84% of students appreciated that in e-teaching studentteacher interactions are limited (abbasi et al., 2020), 60 the covid-19 pandemic has strongly affected the emotional well-being and therefore the mental health of people around the world [14,30,40,93] either directly in terms of health problems or indirectly in relation to its economic consequences, and social (brooks et al., 2020), (wang, c.; zhao, h. , 2020), (shuja et al., 2020). the online activity has the obvious advantages but also limits in the teacher-student relationship. these limits have a negative impact on effective learning because an important side of face-toface teaching cannot be done virtually or does not have the same efficiency if it is conducted online. explainable, the support they traditionally provided to students with special needs or learning difficulties is difficult to provide online, given the implicit technological limitations. in reality, in the online environment, each student can represent for the teacher a possible situation of learning difficulty, thus making it difficult to identify those with real problems. even if the teacher knows his class and students well and knows who needs additional support, this could possibly be done after the online teaching activity, through individual counseling. it is very difficult to have a personalized interaction with a specific student in the context in which the contact is not direct, the teacher is followed online by an entire class and each student asks for his attention. online educational platforms, streaming platforms, in general, facilitate real-time communication between the teacher and his students. however, communication in this case is very often perceived as somewhat artificial, partly due to the impossibility of obtaining real communicative feedback (which makes communication authentic), and partly due to the awkward context of placement in the virtual space. . the fact that you can be recorded, the fact that you can be heard by anyone (not just your students), without real control of the target audience, determines teachers to build a correct, consistent, fluid discourse. nonverbal communication and mediated use of paralanguage complete the difficult paradigm of online communication if 61 communication is through instant chat, and some clues that good nonverbal communication could produce to support verbal communication are now lost through specific interruptions or blockages. these sessions in conditions of limited bandwidth capacity or loaded traffic (botnariuc et al., 2020). the authors of other studies and reports came to such preliminary ideas (zewde et al., 2020), (aristovnik et al., 2020). 4. conclusions students adapt with some regrets to new forms of learning. usually, face-to-face learning is perceived from a different perspective in the current context and is somehow romanticized. the technical problems are more acute now or especially at the time of the course and the aspects related to social collaboration are felt quite strongly and negatively. in general, these shortcomings of social collaboration are attributed to technology and are recognized as requiring a minimum of experience in online approaches. online learning has the advantage of participating in any location and therefore saves more time and also has some advantages not sufficiently explored. uncertainties about online learning outcomes are on the part of both students and teachers. it is probably the variable that will be most intensively researched in future studies. research has shown that the effectiveness of online learning is lower at this stage. effective involvement in the proper conduct of the course is more difficult to achieve remotely and in the absence of an environment that stimulates students in this direction. pedagogical skills are better developed in online learning or there is a need to develop other skills than those present in traditional learning. also, social skills are better developed in the online environment due to the fact that isolation is felt at the level of personal comfort. hence the increase in the need for socialization through the technological means available and finding 62 strategies to maintain these relationships in the virtual environment. increasing knowledge in online learning is less effective due to several factors. the countless distractions during online education are not beneficial. the lack of total involvement in a course is limited due to an environmental environment devoid of pedagogical connotations. thus, the effective involvement of students in the online learning process is lower. the main advantages of e-learning are: access to online materials, the advantage of staying home and the possibility to record an appointment. the disadvantages of e-learning surprised by the student are: reduced interaction with the teacher, technical issues, lack of peer interaction and social isolation. compared to elearning, face-to-face learning is still perceived as extremely effective when it comes to knowledge accumulation, pedagogical skills and social skills. also, in the context of active participation in courses, face-to-face learning is considered much more effective. references abbasi et al. (2020). perceptions of students regarding e-learning during covid-19 at a private medical college. pak j med sci, 36(covid19-s4). aristovnik et al. (2020). impacts of the covid-19 pandemic on life of higher education students: a global perspective. sustainability, 12(8438). bączek et al. (2020). students’ perception of online learning during the covid-19 pandemic: a survey study of polish medical students. doi:https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-41178/v1 botnariuc et al. (2020). școala online. elemente pentru inovarea educației. raport de cercetare evaluativă . editura universității din bucurești. 63 brooks et al. (2020). the psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence. lancet, 912–920. clark et al. (2020). compensating for academic loss: online learning and student performance during the covid-19 pandemic. paris school of economics. dhawan, s. (2020). online learning: a panacea in the time of covid-19 crisis. journal of educational technology systems, 49(1), 5-22. doi:10.1177/0047239520934018 doolan et al. (2000). student life during the covid-19 pandemic: europe-wide insights. retrieved from http://www.ehea.info/upload/bfug_hr_ua_71_8_1_sur vey_results.pdf pinkus, e. (2000). surveymonkey poll: distance learning for college students during the coronavirus outbreak. retrieved from https://www.surveymonkey.com/curiosity/surveymonkey -poll-distance-learning-college-students-covid/ shuja et al. (2020). covid-19 pandemic and impending global mental health implications. psychiatr. danub., 23, 32-35. un, un sg, unsdg. (2020). policy brief: education during covid19 and beyond. retrieved from https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/sg_policy_brief _covid-19_and_education_august_2020.pdf wang, c.; zhao, h. . (2020). the impact of covid-19 on anxiety in chinese university students. front. psychol. zewde et al. (2020). education in a post-covid world: nine ideas for public action. united nations educational, scientic and cultural organization. doi:https://en.unesco.org/sites/default/files/education_in _a_post-covid_world-nine_ideas_for_public_action.pdf 64 tables, figures and appendices gender age year of study domicile male 3 (5,26% ) 1820 20 (35,09% ) ppsp 1st year 19 (33,33% ) rur al 35 (61,40% ) fema le 54 (94,74 %) 2135 19 (33,33% ) ppsp second year 17 (29,82% ) urb an 22 (38,60% ) 3653 18 (31,58% ) ppsp third year 21 (36,84% ) how would you describe your skills in using technical devices and online platforms? have you participated in any type of e-learning before the pandemic? advanced 8 (14,04%) yes 11 (19,30%) middle 35 (61,40%) no 46 (80,70%) beginner 14 (24,56%) figure 1. population figure 2. benefit of e-learning 40 23 40 7 38 26 0 10 20 30 40 50 access to online materials learning at your own pace the advantage of staying home collegiate interactivity possibility to record an appointment comfortable environment 65 figure 3. disadvantages of e-learning figure 4. effectiveness of e-learning – knowledge 38 52 41 23 21 44 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 reduced interaction with the… technical issues lack of peer interaction insufficient (home) learning… lack of self-discipline social isolation 4 6 31 15 1 1 9 9 15 23 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 extremely inefficient ineffective neither efficient extremely efficient face-to-face e-learning 66 figure 5. effectiveness of e-learning – pedagogical skills figure 6. effectiveness of e-learning – social skills 4 12 28 12 1 1 5 8 18 25 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 extremely inefficient ineffective neither efficient extremely efficient face-to-face e-learning 7 28 14 7 1 1 5 8 12 31 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 extremely inefficient ineffective neither efficient extremely efficient face-to-face e-learning 67 figure 7. activity while learning figure 8. pleasant learning 2 15 21 16 3 0 2 11 29 15 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 extremely inactive inactive neither active extremely active face-to-face e-learning 6 12 21 10 8 0 5 10 15 20 25 extremely unpleasant unpleasant neither pleasant extremely pleasant 27 eliza-mihaela spătărelu adventus university eliza.spatarelu@adventus.ro beginner teachers in primary education: comparisons among european countries keywords beginner teacher, primary education, private schools, unemployment rate, student’s expenditure, education labour market, retired teachers ________________________________________________ abstract beginner teachers represent a small percentage of the total number of primary school teachers in europe. the research tries to identify the factors that are related to this fact by comparing different age categories in different states. multiple regression was used to highlight the predictive power of certain educational or socio-economic variables. the percentage of young teachers and the percentage of older teachers were compared to estimate the teaching positions that will be available in the near future. the comparison between the states of eastern europe and the other states of the european union led to the identification of some aspects that helped to the global understanding of the studied phenomena. 28 careful analysis of unexpected information obtained during research has helped to compile a list of research directions for future studies. _________________________________________________ 1. review of literature concern for studying the challenges that beginning teachers have to face is very important for maintaining an efficient and balanced education system. research in this field follows several directions of study focusing on the tenure exam (dragomirescu, 2007; brătianu, & popescu, 2009; sas, 2010; wood, & stanulis, 2011; andone, 2014; spătărelu, 2015b; nicu, 2016; szekely, 2018, spătărelu, 2019a; kiru, 2020), on the challenges of the first year of teaching (moir, barlin, gless, & miles, 2009; bozu, 2010; richter, kunter, lüdtke, klusmann, anders, & baumert, 2013; avalos, 2016; spătărelu 2019a), on the distance between theory and practice (windschitl, thompson, & braaten, 2011; ibarrola-garcía, 2014; spătărelu, 2019b), on dropout in the first year of teaching (darling-hammond, 2010; wood, & stanulis, 2011; richter et al., 2013; krasnoff, 2014; spătărelu, 2019c). another important topic was mentoring, many researchers have recently chosen to focus on this area (bressman, winter, & efron, 2018; nolan, & mola, 2018; bjuland, & helgevold, 2018; becher, & orland-barak, 2018; hudson, & hudson, 2018). studies in the area of the education labour market are limited. lately, they focus on immigration, wages and education (llull, 2018), on educational decisions (heijke, & borghans; 2018; mahomed, 2019), and on links between age, gender, inequalities and education (spătărelu, 2015a; sahoo, & klasen, 2018; gimpelson, & kapeliushnikov, 2018; iannelli, & duta, 2018). 29 the field of jobs in education deserves more attention. beginner teachers need to be informed about their employment prospects before completing their studies. they need to be advised, guided and supported in order to make the best decisions. 2. methodology objectives the following objectives were formulated for this research: • comparing the percentages of beginner teachers in primary education in different countries in europe; • identification of the main socio-economic factors that interact with the percentage of beginner teachers; • making predictions with the help of multiple regression, for the subsequent evolution of the percentages of young teachers in primary education; • comparison of the percentages of very young teachers with the percentages of teachers near retirement, for estimating the future vacancies in primary education, in europe. variables the variables chosen and examined in this research were defined as follows: • the percentage of teachers under 25; • the percentage of teachers between 60 and 64; • the percentage of active pensioners; • students percentage enrolled in private institutions; • the number of students per teacher in primary education; • the unemployment rate among young people under 25; • percentage of gdp for pre-secondary education; • expenditure per student in primary education. 30 the first four will be considered educational factors, and the last four will be considered socio-economic factors. hypotheses h1 there are statistically significant differences in educational and socio-economic factors. h2 there are correlations between educational and socioeconomic factors. h3 it is possible to formulate a prediction for the percentage of beginning teachers according to other educational or socioeconomic variables. data collection and analyses for this research, the data series provided by eurostat at https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/education-andtraining/data/database were used. information provided for 20162018 was analysed. the numerical data analysis was performed with the pspp statistics program. population data were collected from all member countries and all partner countries of the european union. for the current analysis, the series of teachers under the age of 25 and over 60 was selected. figure 1 shows the total number of teachers for primary education in the european union countries. in decreasing order, most teachers are in: united kingdom, turkey, italy, france, germany, spain and poland. as can be seen in figure 2, the countries with the highest number of students enrolled in primary education, in descending order are: turkey, united kingdom, france, spain, germany, italy and poland. all have between two and five million students. because the hierarchy of countries according to the number of students is not identical to the hierarchy of countries according to https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/education-and-training/data/database https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/education-and-training/data/database 31 the number of teachers, the ratio of students per teacher was calculated (figure 3). in this case, countries with fewer students per teacher are considered advantageous. switzerland, norway, luxembourg, greece have very few pupils per teacher. at the other extreme are turkey, romania, france, and the czech republic. 3. results and discussions differences between eastern european countries and other european countries the first concern of the study was to determine if there are differences statistically significant between the group of former eastern bloc and the group of other eu countries. when applying the student t-test, significant differences were found for the following variables: the percentage of students enrolled in private schools, the number of students per teacher and the expenses for students in primary education. the percentage of students in the private sector is significantly lower (t = -2.31; p = 0.11) in eastern european countries (m = 12.88; sd = 14.43) than in other european countries (m = 3.67; sd = 4.42). this result is an expected one, in eastern european countries private education does not have a long tradition. apparently, this information has no visible connection with beginning teachers. the next section will show that there is still connection between the percentage of novice teachers and the percentage of students in private education. this is why this result has been reported. the number of students per teacher is significantly bigger (t = 2.45; p = 0.20) in eastern european countries (m = 14.29; sd = 2.86) than in other european countries (m = 12.01; sd = 2.48). the quality of education is considered to be higher as the number of students per teacher is lower. thus, the teacher will have enough time and energy for each student. as can be seen, countries with a developed private education system also benefit from a smaller 32 number of students per teacher. all these results consider only primary education. state expenditures per pupil in primary education are significantly lower (t = -4.72; p < 0.01) in eastern european countries (m = 2490.68, sd = 1093.23) than in other european countries (m = 8365.28, sd = 4013.76). correlations between educational and socio-economic factors regarding the identification of correlations, the most important variable analysed was the percentage of teachers under 25 in primary education. the strongest correlation identified was between beginning teachers and the percentage of students enrolled in private education (figure 4). there is a significant positive relationship between the percentage of teachers under 25 and the percentage of students in private education, in primary education (r = 0.60, df = 30, p <0.001). it seems that european countries where there is a strong tradition of primary education there is also a higher percentage of young people among the general population of primary school teachers. this phenomenon can have several explanations: • it is possible that a significant part of young teachers may be attracted to jobs in private primary education; • wages may be more attractive in countries where the private education system is well represented; • there are jobs available because of the massive retirement of teaching staff. future research will have to determine which of them are the most important factors that can explain the phenomenon mentioned above. a weak association was reported between the percentage of teachers under 25 and the unemployment rate. there is a negative relationship between the two variables (r = -0.35, df = 25, p = 0.07). there is a slight tendency for the percentage of newcomer teachers 33 to be lower as the unemployment rate among young people up to 25 years is higher. because the relationship is weak, it will not be commented on here. subsequent research will follow this trend to see if it will increase or decrease. another possibility would be to start a longitudinal research to find out how each country's evolution is influenced by specific internal factors. there were no correlations between the percentages of beginning teachers and the percentages of retired or nearretirement teachers (p>0,05). this could mean that the number of teachers entering the system is influenced by other factors, not just the number of teachers leaving the system. it seems that neither the size of the student classes nor the amount of money that the state invests in education has anything to do with the decision of young people to become teachers (p>0,05). the number of students per teacher in primary education is strongly negatively correlated (r = -0.54, df = 28, p = 0.02) with the expenditure per student (figure 5). small classes bring big expenses because they require a larger number of teachers. there is a negative relationship between the number of students per teacher in primary education and the percentage of gdp allocated to primary education (r = -0.37, df = 28, p = 0.042). this is to be expected because funding per pupil and the percentage of gdp allocated to primary education are slightly positively correlated (r = 0.36, df = 27, p = 0.5). given that the two variables are financially related, this association makes sense. the percentage of teachers who are close to retirement is positively correlated (r = 0.54, df = 30, p = 0.01) with the percentage of active retired teachers (figure 6). european countries with high percentages of teachers close to retirement tend to have high percentages of retired teachers working in primary education. probably, the number of teachers who want to 34 work in education is small, and the system needs to keep teachers after retirement. the percentage of gdp for primary education is positive correlated with both near-retirement teachers (r = 0.37, df = 28, p = 0.042) and with active retired teachers (r = 0.50, df = 28, p = 0.005). the last correlation being more statistically significant is shown in figure 7. it is interesting to know why the percentage of older teachers increases with the increase in the percentage of gdp given to primary education. probably, as it was shown earlier, in rich states the youth is not attracted to the area of education and the retired teachers must remain active. making predictions by linear regression multiple regression was applied and it was observed that the unemployment rate and the percentage of students in private education together explain 56% of the total variation of the ratio of teachers under 25 in primary education (f2.26 = 15.52, p < 0.001). high percentages of teachers under the age of 25 were associated with a low unemployment rate and a high percentage of students in private education. it is possible to predict the percentage of teachers under 25 years of primary education knowing the unemployment rate and the percentage of students from primary private education. the constant is 3.19. the b value is -0.39 for the unemployment rate and 0.67 for the percentage of students in private education (table 1). based on the equation y = a + b1x1 + b2x2, where x1, x2 are the values of the independent variables (unemployment rate and percentage of students in private education), the prediction can be made for the dependent variable (y = percentage of teachers under 25 years of primary education). 35 estimation of vacancies in primary education in the near future the best way to estimate vacancies in education in the near future is to analyse the percentages of teachers close to retirement and the percentages of active retirees. figure 8 shows this situation in percentages, and figure 9 shows this situation in numbers. there are five countries that have more than 10% teachers over 60: germany, italy, sweden, iceland and norway. more than 5,000 teachers in the same category have the following countries: germany, spain, italy, the netherlands, sweden, england. the differences between the two data sets are given by the ratio to the total number of the first series. spain, the netherlands and england do not appear in the first series because the total number of teachers is very high and the percentage of teachers over 60 decreases. it is observed that in romania (figure 10) the most strongly represented class is that of teachers between 35 and 50 years old. in the next 2-3 years, about 4,000 teachers will retire, and in another 5 years about 6,000 teachers will be in the same situation. given that entries into the system have been reduced in recent years (there are about 5,000 teachers in the system under the age of 30), there will be enough jobs in primary education in the near future. this information is extremely important for higher education which has to adapt its offer to the requirements of the labour market. 4. conclusions the issue of beginning teachers is very important for the future of primary education in europe. many european countries have lower and lower percentages of young teachers and retired teachers who are kept in work due to the shortage of teachers. countries with a tradition of private education maintain an acceptable percentage of young teachers. most likely, the general 36 context in these countries is favourable both for the development of private education and for attracting young teachers to the education system. the identification and analysis of these factors may be the subject of future research. there seems to be no direct connection between the percentage of young teachers and the percentage of teachers over 60 in the system, but this issue should be re-investigated in a longitudinal survey of groups of countries where internal conditions are similar. major differences between the educational and social policies practiced in european countries can alter the information in this area. socio-economic variables seem to correlate much better with the percentages of older teachers than with the percentages of young teachers. the advantageous conditions keep them active and encourage them to continue their work. this is an unexpected result of research that 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(2011). quality teacher induction: "fourth-wave" (1997 2006) induction programs. the new educator, 5 (1), 1-23. 40 tables, figures and appendices 72.269 17.393 30.075 240.170 7.453 35.669 69.214 231.683 240.557 12.165 252.806 4.640 10.532 8.425 4.745 36.726 1.994 100.110 33.438 225.581 50.982 48.009 8.797 14.507 26.633 70.389 318.533 3.077 51.737 51.133 7.317 18.943 292.878 0 100.000 200.000 300.000 400.000 belgium bulgaria czechia germany estonia ireland greece spain france croatia italy cyprus latvia lithuania luxembourg hungary malta netherlands austria poland portugal romania slovenia slovakia finland sweden united kingdom iceland norway switzerland north macedonia serbia turkey figure 1. number of teacher in primary education 41 814.974 264.503 575.980 472.523 2.954.775 85.617 559.151 649.246 3.042.396 4.309.942 162.955 2.902.379 55.862 121.506 113.881 37.452 390.970 25.796 1.181.893 334.933 2.296.529 629.804 928.245 123.998 225.427 363.990 861.084 4.820.283 31.981 2.005 444.638 507.686 109.121 267.297 4.972.430 0 1.000.0002.000.0003.000.0004.000.0005.000.0006.000.000 belgium bulgaria czechia denmark germany estonia ireland greece spain france croatia italy cyprus latvia lithuania luxembourg hungary malta netherlands austria poland portugal romania slovenia slovakia finland sweden united kingdom iceland liechtenstein norway switzerland north macedonia serbia turkey figure 2. number of students in primary education 42 11,28 15,21 19,15 12,3 11,49 15,68 09.ian 13,13 17,92 13,4 11,48 12,04 11,54 13,52 7,89 10,65 12,94 11,81 10,02 10,18 12,35 19,33 14,1 15,54 13,67 12,23 15,13 10,39 8,59 9,93 14,91 14,11 16,98 0 5 10 15 20 25 belgium bulgaria czechia germany estonia ireland greece spain france croatia italy cyprus latvia lithuania luxembourg hungary malta netherlands austria poland portugal romania slovenia slovakia finland sweden united kingdom iceland norway switzerland north macedonia serbia turkey figure 3. students per teacher 43 figure 4. correlation between the percentage of students in private education (x axis) and the percentage of teachers under 25 (y axis) figure 5. the correlation between the expenditure per student (x axis) and the number of students per teacher in primary education (y axis) 44 figure 6. correlation between teachers close to retirement (x-axis) and active retired teachers (y-axis) figure 7. correlation between the percentage of gdp for primary education (x axis) and active retired teachers (y axis) 45 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 belgium bulgaria czechia germany estonia ireland greece spain france italy cyprus latvia lithuania luxembourg hungary malta netherlands austria poland portugal romania slovenia slovakia finland sweden united kingdom iceland norway switzerland north macedonia turkey figure 8. percentage of teachers over 60 years 46 0 5.000 10.000 15.000 20.000 25.000 belgium bulgaria czechia germany estonia ireland greece spain france italy cyprus latvia lithuania luxembourg hungary malta netherlands austria poland portugal romania slovenia slovakia finland sweden united kingdom iceland norway switzerland north macedonia turkey figure 9. the number of teacher over 60years old 65 years or over from 60 to 64 years 47 table 1. multiple regression (predictors for percentage of teachers under 25 in primary education) variable multipl e r b standar d error b bet a t significan ce of t unemployme nt rate -0,39 0,1 1 0,04 0.3 9 2,9 0 0,008 percentage of students in private education 0,67 o,1 4 0,03 0,6 7 4,9 5 0,001 0 2.000 4.000 6.000 8.000 10.000 less than 25 years from 25 to 29 years from 30 to 34 years from 35 to 39 years from 40 to 44 years from 45 to 49 years from 50 to 54 years from 55 to 59 years from 60 to 64 years 65 years or over figure 10. primary school teachers in romania 48 eleonora mihaela popa university of bucharest nora_popa35@yahoo.com family climate and students’ attitude toward school: a systematic review keywords family climate, attitude to school, parental style __________________________________________________ abstract this paper studies the relationship between the family climate and students’ attitude towards school. the family climate can be determined by the parental style, the degree of involvement of the parents in the child’s life, the socioeconomic status. students attitude towards school can also affect the attitude towards teachers and colleagues, the self-image. there were selected 12 studies, the samples varied according to age, geographical area and number of subjects. the results of the studies showed that there is a significant relationship between the involvement of parents in the school life of the students and their academic results, which may vary according to gender, geographical area and age of children. _________________________________________________ mailto:nora_popa35@yahoo.com 49 1. review of literature the family is an open system that depends on the environment for survival and the regulation of internal and external interactions to reach a delimited state of balance. in a family system each action and reaction cause a change of the system as a whole. patterson (2002) identifies four functions of the family: (a) belonging and training, (b) economic support, (c) feeding, education, and socialization, (d) protecting vulnerable members. each of these functions has positive and negative implications for family members. the first function ensures the unity of the family, to which are added the children planned and wanted, but divorce can also occur. the second function ensures the necessary food and clothing, the safety of the home, but there is a risk in neglecting children. the third function ensures mutual support, love, marital satisfaction, but there may be episodes of domestic violence, child abuse. the fourth function is to ensure the care of children with special needs, but the impossibility of fulfilling this function leads to sending family members with disabilities in foster care. although most parents love their children, there are times when they behave inappropriately, because within the parent-child relationship, unresolved traumas from the parents’ childhood can be triggered. in these situations, the parents may be dominated by anger, fear, sadness or frustration, and their response to the child’s behavior will be totally inappropriate. parental frustration can cause disorientation, insecurity, and frustration in child. these behaviors will lead to unhappiness and exhaustion on both sides, and the relationship will become increasingly difficult. often the unresolved traumas and problems are transmitted from one generation to another. the only solution proposed by siegel and hartzell (2017) is acceptance, understanding and solving of past problems. only this way the relationship between parents and 50 children will be healthy and produce positive results in each person’s life. effective communication between parents and the child will help the child to feel understood, protected and have a sense of belonging. siegel and hartzell (2017) propose three stages of attachment development: alignment, balance and coherence. they suggest that, first of all, it is necessary to align the parents’ spiritual state with the child’s, and then the child will obtain a state of bodily, emotionally and mentally balance, which will help him to feel integrated and connected, for the relationship to become consistent. björnberg and nicholson (2007) identify family dimensions according to: the balance between authority and attention in the parent-child relationship (figure 1), the relationship between emotional and cognitive unity among family members (figure 2) and the relationship between open communication and adaptability within the relationships among family members (figure 3). all these aspects determine the family climate. according to amatea, smith-adcock and villares (2006), there are several key methods that lead to children’s academic success, grouped into four categories. the first of these concerns the expectations and beliefs of the family and is expressed through a sense of purpose, a positive outlook, and a sense of efficiency. the second category refers to the emotional connections existing in the family and is materialized through affection, warmth, a sense of belonging, open expression of emotions, clear communication, and collaboration in solving problems. the third category refers to the habits of family organization, which consist of a strong leadership, with clear expectations, a friendly but firm management style and emphasizes the development of social ties. the last category considers the learning opportunities of the family and is achieved by developing routines, habits that support the achievement of 51 family members and guide children to acquire both academic and social skills. researchers often associate family climate with parental style. baumrind (1971), for example, identified four parenting styles, depending on the balance between the exigency and the ability of parents to react to children. the classification of these styles is like the dimensions of the intergenerational style suggested by björnberg and nicholson (2007). the authoritarian style is characteristic of those parents who are often restrictive and require unconditional listening to their children. authoritative parents set reasonable standards but are open and flexible to the needs of their children. permissive parents set only a few limits to children’s behavior and are tolerant of certain deviations. negligent parents do not impose limits or rules on their children, nor do they demand performance from them (baumrind, 1971). students’ attitudes towards school can be determined by several factors. chen and howard (2010) found that students’ attitudes towards science learning are strongly correlated with their training and participation in live simulations and are significantly influenced by the teacher, and boys tend to have a better attitude towards science than girls. the study was conducted on 311 high school students. domino (2009) conducted a quantitative study on high school students. he also states that students’ attitudes towards mathematics can be influenced by the quality of the teacher, the psychosocial climate in the classroom and the organizationmanagement of the classroom. the qualities of teachers that determine students’ positive attitude towards mathematics consist in teaching techniques that appeal to the practicality and usefulness of mathematics in everyday life, constant care for students, ensuring understanding of content, willingness to provide additional explanations and, last but not least, the enthusiastic attitude of the teacher. 52 lee (2016) conducted an analysis of the pisa studies from 2003, 2009 and 2012 and found that there is no direct relationship between the general attitude towards school and the academic results of students in reading and mathematics. the non-existence of this relationship between school attitudes and academic outcomes was observed for most of the 64 countries that participated in the survey. these results varied according to gender, socio-economic status of the family from each student came from, membership of the oecd, level of education. the conclusion was that the attitude towards school may be, to a small extent, related to the school results, but it is not a predictor of them. based on the researched aspects, i chose to do a systematic review. this will have the role of providing useful information in order to make practical decisions of educational policies, which will facilitate the improvement of the attitude of the students towards school. 2. methodology this systematic review was elaborated using prisma declaration’s guidelines (moher, liberati, tetzlaff, altman, & prisma group, 2009). inclusion and exclusion criteria the main inclusion criteria were: (a) the purpose of the included studies is to determine the influence of the family climate on the student’s attitude towards school; (b) the population must be composed of students of all levels of education; (c) the results provided are obtained by quantitative methods. 53 search strategy in order to identify articles and studies that aimed to highlight a relationship between family climate and students’ attitude towards school, we studied different publications and articles, searching in different databases keywords or synonyms: family climate, parental style, family environment, attitude towards school, school results, school environment. the databases and sources used were: academic search complete, psychology and behavioral sciences collection, eric, professional development collection, atla religion database, academic publishing, google scholar, jstor, sciencedirect. selection of studies because the searches regarding the school results, the school environment, the family environment gave a lot of irrelevant results, i tried to reformulate the terminology in order to obtain results closer to the topic of my research. the excluded articles studied either the family climate compared to variables other than attitude towards school, or the attitude towards school determined by other variables, or the researched population was not made up of students, or were too small groups of students, selected according to certain criteria. the main moderators were the age of the subjects, the geographical area, the socio-economic and cultural context. bias risk assessment to perform a critical reading, we used the systematic review checklist from the critical appraisal skills program (casp; http://www.casp-uk.net/casp-tools-checklists). we checked the 10 questions for each revised study. this list, structured in three sections, checks: if the results of the study are valid, what are the results and if the results help locally. the questions can be found in the appendix. 54 tabulation and data analysis the selected studies were summarized in table 1, in which we recorded the author’s name, geographical area or country, year of study, objectives/ hypotheses, number of participants, age of subjects, variables evaluated and results obtained/ conclusions. 3. results the selection of studies was accomplished in three stages. first, i searched for the most relevant titles, which correspond to the inclusion and exclusion criteria formulated, accessing the mentioned databases, as well as from other sources. out of the total of 2023 studies, we eliminated the duplicates and 685 studies remained for reading the abstracts. we have included in this systematic review a meta-analysis by castro et al. (2015) and a systematic review by ruiz-hernandez, moral-zafra, llor-esteban, jiménez-barbero (2019). after reading the summaries, i eliminated the ones that did not meet the requirements. there were 23 studies that we included in the qualitative synthesis, of which 12 in the systematic synthesis. figure 4 describes the selection of studies. description of studies the interest of the specialists regarding the influence of the family environment on the behavioral aspects of the students is increasing. there are studies that show that students’ attitudes towards school can depend on several factors. research by erkman et al. (2010) showed that the perception of teacher’s acceptance was significantly positively correlated with self-image, sub-scales of attitude towards school (academic selfperception, attitude towards teachers, towards school, evaluation of motivation and values) and school results. the study also shows that perception of teacher’s acceptance and academic self55 perception were the only important and significant precursors of boys’ academic achievement. for girls, only academic selfperception was significantly associated with school results. the conclusion is that teachers’ perceptions of behavior vary by gender. avnet et al. (2019) conducted a study on 450 students from kindergarten to fourth grade, out of which 66 students had autism spectrum disorders (tsa). the data were collected through the pfi questionnaire, a section of nhesp, which was part of a national database developed by the nces. this tool included questions related to school choice, family and parent involvement in children’s school life, children’s behaviour at school, parents’ satisfaction with children’s school life, and other factors affecting parent involvement. the results showed that students with autism had worse outcomes than the other students. however, if the students’ results were better, there was a decrease in the level of involvement of parents in the school life of students, both those with autism and others. sengul, zhang and leroux (2019) conducted a longitudinal study using a national database that recorded the progress of students from the 10th grade to the post-secondary level. the random effect of all predictors, including students’ perceptions of the teacherstudent relationship and family structure, was insignificant, except for socioeconomic status, as a control variable, with significant variation from certain schools. most of the time, children are influenced by the mood and emotions of adults. in the classroom, the teacher may be stressed by the disturbing attitudes of certain children. if there are already a few children of this kind in the classroom, the stress increases, the teacher feels more and more upset, and therefore changes their attitude towards them. on the other hand, the other children feel this attitude of the teacher and transfer it to the disturbing children, behaving in a negative way towards them. 56 the results of the study conducted by papanastasiou (2002) show that there are three external factors – the educational environment of the family, the encouragement of students and the school climate – which can be precursors of students’ attitudes towards learning science. the way teachers teach can be a predictor of students’ attitudes toward science. valeski and stipek (2001) proposed an instrument called feelings about school (fas) to examine the factors associated with school-related feelings of kindergarten and first-grade children. this tool measures children’s perceptions of academic competence, their feelings about the teacher and their general attitude towards school. fas has 12 items, operationalized on a likert scale from 1 (not good) to 5 (exceptionally good). in general, in kindergarten and in the first year of school, the attitude of the children is positive, and their feelings about their relationship with the teachers are better in the first class, compared to the kindergarten. children’s perception of their own competence is a precursor to their attitude towards school. the results obtained by ruiz-hernandez, moral-zafra, lloresteban and jiménez-barbero, (2019) in their systematic review show that authoritarian parenting style is often associated with behavioral problems. this situation is explained by the attitude of parents who use coercive methods through physical punishment. in contrast, trusting parenting style is strongly associated with the dimensions of affection, communication, and autonomy. on the other hand, the careless parenting style generates contradictory behaviors, which must be treated individually. the author considers that there are differences between the parental practices of mothers and fathers. this systematic review highlighted that there are many factors that can influence the students’ attitude towards school. by analyzing the documents included in the comparative table (table 1), certain aspects can be observed. as independent variables are 57 considered: the family climate (hu, leung and chen, 2018; papanastasiou, 2002; spătărelu, 2015), the parental style (ang and goh, 2006; ruiz-hernandez, moral-zafra, llor-esteban, jiménez barbero, 2019), the degree of parents’ involvement in the school life of students (assefa and sintayehu, 2018; castro et al., 2015; ratelle et al., 2005; spătărelu, 2015), family structure (sengul, zhang and leroux, 2018), self-image of students, level of parents’ studies (lai, stevens, martinez and ye, 2015), the level of students’ education, socio-economic situation (spătărelu, 2015), teaching materials, school climate (lai, stevens, martinez and ye , 2015; papanastasiou, 2002), teachers’ attitude towards students (erkman et al., 2010; sengul, zhang and leroux, 2018) and other family and personal factors, such as gender, time spent on homework, number of books owned (hu, leung and chen, 2018; lai, stevens, martinez and ye, 2015) etc. as dependent variables, the students attitude towards school (lai, stevens, martinez and ye, 2015), towards certain specific disciplines (hu, leung and chen, 2018; papanastasiou, 2002), academic achievements (assefa and sintayehu, 2018; castro et al., 2015; erkman et al., 2010; sengul, zhang and leroux, 2018), test results (ang and goh, 2006; spătărelu, 2015), adaptability (ratelle et al., 2005; ruiz-hernandez, moral-zafra, llor-esteban, jiménezbarbero, 2019). in some studies, students’ attitude towards school and academic results, in an interdependent relationship, are compared, so that attitude towards school becomes a dependent variable (erkman et al., 2010; verešová and malá, 2016). the age groups on which the research was conducted were from kindergarten (castro et al., 2015), primary school (castro et al., 2015), secondary school (ang and goh, 2006; assefa and sintayehu, 2018 ; castro et al., 2015; erkman et al., 2010; lai, stevens, martinez and ye, 2015; papanastasiou, 2002; spătărelu, 2015), high school (assefa and sintayehu, 2018; lai, stevens, 58 martinez and ye, 2015; ratelle et al., 2005; sengul, zhang and leroux, 2018; spătărelu, 2015; verešová and malá, 2016) to first year of college (assefa and sintayehu, 2018; sengul, zhang and leroux, 2018). a research conducted by polovina (2009) aimed the understanding of the relation between the attitude towards school and the educational aspirations of the students according to the educational status of their mothers and fathers, as indicators of the gender role. the survey was conducted on a sample of 2447 eighthgrade students from 36 schools in serbia. this study analyzed data from a broader timms survey from 2007. research has shown that girls have significantly higher educational aspirations than boys and demonstrate a better attitude towards school as a learning environment in their daily lives in extracurricular activities towards boys. on the other hand, the educational aspirations of female students are positively correlated with the interest in study and academic achievement. the study realized by borelli et. al (2018) shows those children who are too emotionally attached to their parents face difficult stressful situations in their lives. thus, when they are faced with stimuli that create discomfort, including school tasks, they manifest insecurity, have difficulty adjusting their emotions, and feel the failure more strongly. 4. discussions and conclusions analyzing the previously presented documents, it is observed that the research was conducted on populations of different ages, from different geographical areas. the results of the research varied according to these moderators, but also on the type of subjects and the period during which the studies were carried out. this systematic review offers a multicultural perspective on issues related to family climate / parenting style and students’ attitude 59 towards school, being conducted in countries in europe, asia, america, asia-pacific, africa. the impact of parents’ involvement in the school life of students is extraordinarily strong, being recognized both by teachers, administrators, and decision-making forums, so that in-depth studies on this topic are needed (assefa and sintayehu, 2018). the involvement and support of both parents in the students’ lives are positively associated with the school results, with the sense of competence, autonomy and belonging. the perception regarding the autonomy granted to the students by the parents persists even after two years after the completion of the studies, but the perceived involvement is not related to the persistence in the sciences (ratelle et al., 2005). a study conducted by spătărelu (2015) shows that the absence of the mother in the child’s life imbalances him at an intellectual and emotional level, but the influence of the father’s level of education is greater than that of the mother. the conclusions of this study consist in the fact that the family, in its complexity, is one of the impact factors on children’s behavior, which manifests itself in the form of attitude towards school, towards a particular subject, attitude in certain circumstances , how he evaluates life and how he relates to certain situations. references amatea, e. s., smith-adcock, s. and villares, e. 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(2016). attitude toward school and learning and academic achievement of adolescents, iceepsy 2016: 7th international conference on education and educational psychology. 63 tables, figures and appendices t a b le 1 . c o m p a ra ti ve s tu d y 64 t a b le 1 . c o m p a ra ti ve s tu d y ( co n ti n u e d ) 65 t a b le 1 . c o m p a ra ti ve s tu d y ( co n ti n u e d ) 66 t a b le 1 . c o m p a ra ti ve s tu d y ( co n ti n u e d ) 67 authority t a b le 1 . c o m p a ra ti ve s tu d y ( co n ti n u e d ) 68 low high a tt e n ti o n high indulgent authoritative low neglecting authoritarian figure 1. family dimensions – intergenerational style cognitive cohesion low high e m o ti o n a l co h e si o n high diverse bonded low fragmented like-minded figure 2. family dimensions – family cohesion open communication low high a d a p ta b il it y high reactive adaptive low rigid avoidant figure 3. family dimensions – family process 69 figure 4. the selection of studies (following prisma guidelines; moher et al., 2009) 70 appendix section a: are the results of the review valid? did the review address clearly focused question? did the authors look for the right type of papers? do you think all the important, relevant studies were included? did the review’s authors do enough to assess quality of the included studies? if the results of the review have been combined, was it reasonable to do so? section b: what are the results? what are the overall results of the review? how precise are the results? section c: will the results help locally? can the results be applied to the local population? were all important outcomes considered? are the benefits worth the harms and costs? journal of educational studies volume 5, number 1, 2023, pp. 45–61 45 evaluation of the level of perseverance in adolescents florina grațiela șchiopu-constantin1 abstract the importance of perseverance in students' development and the learning process in today's society is increasingly a subject of thinking and implementation. this is seen as a must in education if we intend to assess behaviors and not only the information students acquire. moreover, following the idea that values are transmitted both through family and school, we understand the importance of both, as seen in the specialized literature. this study mentions the importance of perseverance in the long term in students' lives while performing their duties and also in their relationships with their peers. this is due to improve the quality of learning and performing in different fields. moreover, this research dealt with the value of perseverance and proposed a validated instrument. it started from the idea that perseverance value is an ingredient that is tremendously needed in accomplishing one's goals, and it is something without which, most of the time, we will not be able to develop and grow. while all people want to be successful, only a few people know that success is to be accompanied by discipline, motivation, and perseverance. the instrument's items were initially grouped into five dimensions: perseverance in academic achievement, perseverance in peer relationships, perseverance in moral behavior, perseverance in health habits, and perseverance in physical fields. the proposed instrument was tested in mihai ionescu highschool, bucharest, romania, on a sample of 192 students, eight classes from the secondary school, from fifth to eighth grade. the research design is quantitative. item analysis, exploratory factorial analysis, and reliability analysis led to item selection and the final design. as a result of the analysis, some items were taken out. the final model consists of 15 items 1florina grațiela șchiopu-constantin, phd student, montemorelos university, mexico, 1080172@alumno.um.edu.mx. 46 grouped into four dimensions: perseverance in academic achievement, perseverance in peer relationships, perseverance in moral-spiritual behavior, and perseverance in physical health. the instrument was given the name p-parm. future research will help in the subsequent enrichment of the instrument. keywords perseverance, instrument validation, values education, quality of learning, secondary school, grit introduction in the context of christian education, transmitting values is an important tool without which humanity cannot function at its capacity (spătărelu, 2020, pp.108-109), an instrument that can shape students not only for this life but also for the life to which god called us all. the value of perseverance is seen as that value that we need to have all our lives, from the moment we are born while growing day by day and facing difficulties in speaking, walking, and understanding the world around us. we try to persevere in all kinds of things we do in order not to remain at the same level, up to the moment we get old, when we still need to accomplish some targets, in order to slow down the immobility, both mentally and physically. at the same time, the value of perseverance seems to be very important, and anyone knows how difficult it is to keep doing things when they deserve to be done, but even though it is not an easy job to do, especially when giving up is way much easier. perseverance is also a magic ingredient that shows the difference between mediocrity and brilliance, between having the idea of writing a book, which is not such an easy task, and the actual result of really writing it (habenicht, 2000). in simple words, perseverance means for someone to finish what he started (psalm 1), to go on no matter the difficulties one meets on the way, and to find satisfaction in what one does, while accomplishing the tasks. perseverance can also be seen as an ingredient that is tremendously needed in accomplishing the 47 targets we set in life, and it also represents something that gives us the power to go on. moreover, understanding that besides parents, who have a great influence on students concerning their school life, the teachers have an important role in teaching students to become perseverant (spătărelu, 2021, p. 26). nevertheless, this construct makes teachers aware of their tremendous job of building strong characters in students who will later become mature adults. review of literature spătărelu (2019, p. 57) mentions the central place that values in general have in education, and when focusing on the value of perseverance. seibert (2021) specifies that teachers have in their attention the generation z and the fact that this generation lacks experience in the field of higher critical thinking having the tendency to give up easily when facing challenges. kostromina, grishina, moskvicheva and zinovyeva (2018) speak about the decrease in importance of some values from generation to generation. on the other hand, there are the teachers who are asked to promote critical thinking and to foster perseverance through teaching strategies. huescar, moreno-murcia, cid, monteiro and rodriguez (2020) mention the fact that having passion and perseverance for what one does, will help the person succeed despite challenges and adversity, being able to get to greater achievements in comparison to those that do not have these characteristics. in addition to this, they mention the effect of teacher-induced influence on grades and performance concerning their students. they also speak about mediatic effects of psychological needs of satisfaction such as motivation and grit as two factors, dependent on each other, focusing on perseverance that shapes student motivation and school success through the autonomy support transmitted by teachers. 48 habenicht (2000) suggests a few guidelines that parents and teachers can use while guiding children. among these, we find the idea of gradually teaching young children how to wait for something they want, engaging the children in activities that cannot be finished immediately, and helping children learn how to deal with frustrations. the author goes on with the idea of teaching the children that success and perseverance are closely related, while also teaching the children that impatience and impulsiveness can have very really bad consequences and helping children to overcome difficult situations when a task seems overwhelming and almost impossible to be accomplished. moreover, mckaughan (2018) approaches the issue of religious faith from the perspective of perseverance in faith when one faces significant doubt, especially knowing that not all religions give the same importance to faith – and also knowing that perseverance can be taken into consideration while one is amidst life’s challenges and uncertainties. at the same time, baruch-feldman and hoerr (2017), as well as styk and klinkosz (2021) focus on the necessity for teenagers to work on perseverance, resilience, and self-control, striving to set and reach their targets, this being an important ability in their lives without which they could not develop totally. duckworth, peterson, mathews and kelly (2007) say that close to the intellectual talent which is needed in order to achieve great things in all professional domains one needs perseverance and passion in what one does. also, duckworth (2016) speaks about the desire that people have to succeed, either they are parents or children/students, educators, sportsmen or business people mentioning that the secret to a great achievement is not talent but a special blend of passion and persistence which she calls grit. at the same time, baruch-feldman and hoerr (2017) also use the term grit, while mentioning the way students want to do well in school, sports, to make good friends and to be great 49 on music. it should be noticed that in all these, students as well as adults need perseverance to succeed. one study that rises interest and brings light in this field is that lead by duckworth et al. (2007), and which states that the achievement of difficult goals entails talent as well as sustained and focused application of this talent over time – meaning that you may be talented, but if you don’t use your talent, this is worthless. the term grit is used to get together all that a person needs to succeed, such as the values of self-control and tenacity, as well as the ability to have an appropriate behavior when one fails, and the power to go on. in fact, the key in perseverance is to get to a way of thinking that helps one focus on improvement and hard work such as to accomplish the goals set for each step, learning how to turn disappointments into opportunities, to manage stress, and ultimately to be the best version of yourself. the good news is that grit is something that one learns at home first, but especially in school, and it is not given as a special gift to some at their birth, fortunately, while others do not receive it. teachers teach this grit also, and students learn how to take advantage of it. at the same time, li, zhao, lin, chen and wang (2018), besides the real evidence which supports the importance of perseverance for long-term goals in predicting personal success, stress the importance of one factor that causes individual differences in perseverance, this being the belief in the free will in chinese adolescents attending high school. thus, it is revealed the power of free will as being a crucial tool in long-term goals accomplishments. according to styk and klinkosz (2021, p. 1277) perseverance is seen as “an important component of human functioning” mentioning that two meaningful agents that help people accomplish their targets are perseverance and the power of motivation for them to bring some change, for the good, in their lives. this research also says that perseverance is “a trait of behavior determined by situational (external) and 50 waters (2021) presents perseverance as a solution to the rejection issue, which is present in human life, as a reality which cannot be denied, mentioning that there is no way for us to sometimes receive no answers, either at home, at school or at work, but using bible verses to sustain the religious point of view, which is helpful in our lives, might help. hupp (2021) sees perseverance as being not just a personal trait only, for which we need to work, but rather an opportunity for someone to help others in their way through life, in their troublesome situations, when not having any solution sometimes. this can be a way of promoting their own perseverance through leading, coaching and role modelling for financial as well as for emotional support, in order to get someone through difficult times. the author specifies that we will not always see perseverance as getting to its hopped endpoint, but without this value people will never know where they might have got. from this point of view the value of perseverance can be found in other life goals such as when trying to give up smoking or lose weight, or when seeking to become financially secure either at a young age or getting balanced in work and leisure activities when life asks you to do sacrifices in order to have more and more. also, many other dreams can be talked here to be accomplished, from the perseverance perspective. at the same time, bandono, bastari and suharyo (2021) reveal the importance of the need we have for being successful, personality related (internal) factors” (styk & klinkosz, 2021, p.1277). as a result, styk and klinkosoz (2021) found out that perseverance can have the same credibility as talent, bringing great results, not taking into consideration the profession, workplace, or organization. not all the time the tasks we need to accomplish bring us satisfaction, therefore success needs to be accompanied by perseverance and the power to get rid of frustration and to the desire to give up. thus, this value is in strong connection with intelligence and school achievements leading to professional success. 51 while carrying out quality research assignments, and mention that the success is to be accompanied by discipline, motivation and perseverance, all these traits being taught in family and in school. spătărelu (2021, p. 26) observes the influence of family background on students’ school activity, mentioning that the family influences to a great extent the students’ results. in this context it is shown that teachers should work as a team with the students’ parents if we are to speak about efficiency and meaningful results. the two important factors, family and school should always stay together in trying to help the students go for success. while stating that even while researching one can face a lot of obstacles, the problem of how to get to success, how to find the solution to succeed – receives an answer which is the perseverance doubled by grit and motivation, on a long run. methodology the construction and validation of an instrument to measure the level of responsibility of middle school students was the main goal of this research. as a first step in this endeavor, several tools compiled by researchers with experience in this field were selected and studied. different authors (bandura, 2004; baruch & hoerr, 2017; elliot, et al., 2020; farrington et al., 2012; habenicht, 2000; huescar et al., 2020; keown & bourke, 2020; kool et al., 2018; laursen, 2015; ohtani, et al, 2020; seibert, 2021; shechtman et al., 2013; styk & klinkosz, 2020; tang et al., 2021), enriched the study with the information provided. following the analysis of the dimensions proposed by these authors, the decision was made for the structure of the own instrument which was created as a tool for this research. the final structure includes some modified items of the previously cited authors, changes made in order to have better and clearer results on the population we chose, but also dimensions and items that were added following the 52 study of the specialized literature mentioned in the introduction, as well as some items which were created especially for this study, more specifically, the dimension named perseverance in moral-spiritual behavior. the initial instrument was made up of 25 items, grouped into five dimensions: perseverance at school, in relationships, in the moral domain, with regard to health and in the physical domain. the items were arranged in a different order than the one in which they were initially organized, in order to avoid intuiting the assessed domain. the instrument was subject to expert review, both to verify the relevance of the items and to assess their clarity. after coding the answers, the resulting database was statistically analyzed using the spss program, in three steps, item analysis, factor analysis and reliability. practicability, purpose of the study and population the study research was meant to emphasize the importance of the value of perseverance in teenagers’ lives, either when it is learnt at home or at school. it is also important to notice that not all teachers or schools give a great importance on this matter, reason for which there are not so many researches in this field. also, unfortunately, not many parents try to give the same importance to teaching this value to their children. the instrument was applied to a group of 192 students, aged between 10 and 16, at mihai ionescu high school in bucharest. it was aimed to ensure the minimum number of five subjects for each item. during completion, students were assisted by the instrument developer to ensure that all understood the meaning of the items. the instrument was developed in english and used in that language. for each item of the instrument there were answer options given. 53 results in the preliminary analysis of the p-parm instrument through the correlations between the variables it is observed that there are numerous sets of correlations above 0.30. adding the fact that no correlations above 0.80 were identified, it can be said that multicollinearity and singularity are ruled out. furthermore, the results show that the variables are suitable for factorization, as the barlett test shows χ2 (276) = 1716, p < 0.001. so, the correlation matrix differs significantly from the identity matrix. the kmo index is 0.836, showing that factor analysis can be used. for the 25 initial items, the cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.852, a value that allowed the continuation of the analysis and improvement of the instrument through other types of analysis. during the factor analysis, several problems were identified for which the best solution was sought. first, several items had minimal meaning in the overall context, and one of the dimensions was not represented by enough items. after repeating the analyzes with different sets and dimensions, it was decided to join two dimensions and withdraw non-significant items. thus, the dimension of perseverance in preserving health was joined to the dimension of perseverance in the field of physical development, being considered two very close domains. the new instrument lost 9 items and remained with 15. for the new instrument variant, the entire analysis was redone, in all its stages. regarding the second matrix, there are enough correlation sets above 0.30 and below 0.80, thus multicollinearity and singularity are avoided (table 1). 54 table 1 correlation matrix it1 it3 it6 it7 it8 it9 it10 it12 it13 it14 it15 it17 it20 it22 it23 it22 ,028 ,511 ,127 ,131 ,549 ,230 ,197 ,252 ,493 ,323 ,219 ,244 ,177 1,00 0 ,119 it3 -,06 0 1,00 0 -,05 7 ,162 ,721 ,206 ,194 ,175 ,637 ,222 ,141 ,188 ,023 ,511 ,070 it6 ,148 -,05 7 1,00 0 -,13 7 -,07 5 -,17 7 ,009 -,01 8 -,03 6 -,05 4 -,07 0 -,02 6 ,389 ,127 -,00 1 it8 -,06 0 ,721 -,07 5 ,183 1,00 0 ,405 ,286 ,201 ,593 ,314 ,256 ,169 ,004 ,549 ,162 it9 -,00 7 ,206 -,17 7 ,271 ,405 1,00 0 ,403 ,201 ,141 ,376 ,416 ,158 -,00 5 ,230 ,346 it7 ,004 ,162 -,13 7 1,00 0 ,183 ,271 ,143 ,359 ,105 ,222 ,245 ,318 ,014 ,131 ,147 it23 ,163 ,070 -,00 1 ,147 ,162 ,346 ,247 ,095 -,02 8 ,167 ,277 ,011 ,023 ,119 1,00 0 it12 -,06 8 ,175 -,01 8 ,359 ,201 ,201 ,134 1,00 0 ,168 ,127 ,246 ,346 ,120 ,252 ,095 it13 -,08 6 ,637 -,03 6 ,105 ,593 ,141 ,145 ,168 1,00 0 ,092 ,155 ,140 ,064 ,493 -,02 8 it14 ,034 ,222 -,05 4 ,222 ,314 ,376 ,503 ,127 ,092 1,00 0 ,412 ,109 ,060 ,323 ,167 it15 ,075 ,141 -,07 0 ,245 ,256 ,416 ,574 ,246 ,155 ,412 1,00 0 ,252 -,01 1 ,219 ,277 it17 -,01 6 ,188 -,02 6 ,318 ,169 ,158 ,145 ,346 ,140 ,109 ,252 1,00 0 -,07 4 ,244 ,011 it1 1,00 0 -,06 0 ,148 ,004 -,06 0 -,00 7 ,074 -,06 8 -,08 6 ,034 ,075 -,01 6 ,248 ,028 ,163 it20 ,248 ,023 ,389 ,014 ,004 -,00 5 ,009 ,120 ,064 ,060 -,01 1 -,07 4 1,00 0 ,177 ,023 it10 ,074 ,194 ,009 ,143 ,286 ,403 1,00 0 ,134 ,145 ,503 ,574 ,145 ,009 ,197 ,247 for the final instrument, barlett test shows χ2 (105) = 778, p < 0.001, thus, the correlation matrix differs significantly from the identity matrix, the variables can be factored. the 55 kmo index is greater than 0.050, so factor analysis can be used for this database. the obtained coefficient is 0.0776. the four components that have eigenvalues above 1 explain 58.2% of the total variation of the items (table 2). table 2 total variance explained co mp on ent initial eigenvalues extraction sums of squared loadings rotation sums of squared loadings total % of variance cumulative % total % of variance cumulative % total % of variance cumulative % 1 3,93 26,2 262 3,93 26,2 26,2 2,65 17,7 17,7 2 1,85 12,3 38,5 1,85 123 38,5 2,77 18,5 36,1 3 1,62 10,8 49,3 162 10,8 49,3 1,62 10,4 46,8 4 1,33 8,9 58,2 13,3 89 58,2 1,71 11,4 58,2 5 0,98 6,5 64,7 6 0,84 5,6 70,3 7 0,79 5,2 75,6 8 0,66 4,4 79,9 9 0,60 4,0 84,0 10 0,57 3,8 87,8 11 0,48 3,2 90,9 12 0,44 3,0 93,9 13 0,35 2,4 96,3 14 0,33 2,2 98,5 15 0,23 1,5 100 note: the cumulative for factor 1 is 26,2. the cumulative for factor 2 is 38,5. the cumulative for factor 3 is 49,3, and the cumulative for the four factors is 58,2. in figure 1 it can be seen that the four chosen factors are placed outside the plateau line, which is installed starting with factor 5 and 6, plateaus slightly further from factor 4 on the diagram. 56 figure 1 scree plot table 3 shows the item saturation for the four factors, represented by the item-factor correlation. the first factor collected items 9, 10, 14, 15, and 23. the second factor collected items 3, 8, 13, and 22. the third factor collected items 6, 20, and 1 and the fourth factor collected items 7, 12, and 17. the highest correlation is observed with item 3. the value of 0,82 represents the correlation between item 3 and factor 2. table 3 rotated component matrix component items perseverance in healthy habits perseverance in moral-spiritual behavior perseverance in academic achievement perseverance in peer relationships it. 9 0,68 0,18 0,17 0,14 it. 10 0,77 0,12 0,02 0,02 it. 14 0,67 0,19 0,02 0,05 57 it. 15 0,73 0,07 0,02 0,24 it. 23 0,57 0,05 0,11 0,03 it. 3 0,11 0,87 0,07 0,07 it. 8 0,31 0,82 0.09 0,06 it. 13 0,01 0,83 0,04 0,08 it. 22 0,21 0,71 0.23 0,19 it. 6 0.14 0,03 0,75 0,05 it. 20 0,01 0,08 0,79 0,08 it. 1 0,22 0,14 0,54 0,11 it. 7 0,25 0,03 0,07 0,68 it. 12 0,09 0,15 0,07 0,76 it. 17 0,07 0,14 0,07 0,72 extraction method: principal component analysis. rotation method: varimax with kaiser normalization. the significant factorial loadings are written bolded: here are the dimensions: (1) perseverance in healthy habits (phh); (2) perseverance in moral-spiritual behavior (pmsb); (3) perseverance in academic achievement (paa); (4) perseverance in peer relationships (ppr). at the end of the analysis, cronbach's alpha coefficient was also calculated for the new version of this instrument. the value obtained was 0.753, which allows the use of this tool. the final description of the factors by means of the key concepts contained in the affiliated items can be found in table 4. table 4 factors and keywords from items perseverance in healthy habits perseverance in moral-spiritual behavior perseverance in academic achievement perseverance in peer relationships keywords from items 9. right choices in eating habits 10. physical exercises 3. constant prayer 8. bible time 13. going to church regularly 6. interest in learning 20. lack of concentration 7. improving learning even in difficult moments with classmates 12. contact with classmates even 58 14. spending time outdoor 15. sport practicing 23. healthy habits. 22. spending time with god 1. lack of constancy in learning when things go wrong 17. keeping going on even when disrespected by classmates. conclusions even though students do not perceive perseverance from the point of view the adults see it, the study showed that it is an important ingredient in teenagers’ lives, one that is greatly needed in accomplishing one’s goals. it was also proven that without perseverance, most of the times we would probably not accomplish our goals, especially when we face obstacles, but the study also tells us that teenagers have the power to go on when led by perseverance and grit, being accompanied by their friends and encouraged by teachers or other adults around them. moreover, understanding that besides parents, the teachers have an important role in teaching students to become perseverant, gives the teachers a lot of reasons not to give up helping them. taking time to notice the fields mentioned in this study, perseverance in academic achievement, perseverance in peer relationships, perseverance in moral-spiritual behavior, and perseverance in physical health, gives strength to students and helps them become stronger, because these fields have a strong connection with everyday life. recommendations for further study: future research that might require more respondents will definitely help in the subsequent development of the instrument, in order to bring more information in this field, that can strengthen some dimensions belonging to the perseverance value required for the benefit of teenagers. 59 references 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(2021). the word. america, 225(1), 62–65. 47 ramona simona kiru adventus university ramona.kiru@uadventus.ro comparative study of the 4th class school textbooks about transmitted values keywords values, school textbooks, integration _______________________________________________ abstract values are passed through both family and school. the degree of opportunity, necessity or utility of one thing determines its value. family and school teach the child what are the most important values after which they have to lead their lives. the handbook is an instrument the student uses to discover and interact with the world around him. the values transmitted by the manual guide the pupil in the act of learning and lead him throughout his training. how much the manual provides for more integrated and creative contexts, with that much it is a useful and valuable manual. _______________________________________________ 1. review of literature romania joined the european union in 2007. since then, it has mastered the objectives and values of this european community. 48 these objectives and values are the foundation of the european union and are enshrined in the treaty of lisbon and the charter of fundamental rights of the european union. the objectives of the european union are: "to promote peace, european values and the well-being of its citizens; to provide freedom, security and justice without internal borders; to ensure a sustainable development based on balanced economic growth and price stability, to maintain a highly competitive market economy that promotes full employment and social progress and protects the environment; to combat social exclusion and discrimination; to encourage technical and scientific progress; to strengthen economic, social and territorial cohesion and solidarity between member states; to respect the cultural and linguistic diversity of its peoples; to create an economic and monetary union whose currency is the euro" (european union). the values of the european union are shared by all member states in a society where tolerance, justice, solidarity and antidiscrimination are at the forefront. the following values should be part of the life of each european: human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights. axiology is the branch of philosophy dealing with the theory of values. the syntax of pedagogical axiology involves highlighting the educational values appropriate to the educational process. it also has as a center of interest the values underlying the educational endings, the contents of the program, the methodology of the training, the ways of developing the educational activities. axiological education is education for and through authentic values. the european parliament recommends including the teaching and learning of the eight key competences, including social and civic competences, which means the ability to participate effectively and constructively in social and working life and to engage actively and democratically chosen in increasingly diverse 49 societies. these are axiological competences because they represent "the ability of the subject to effectively evaluate the new cultural stimuli and to integrate or connect them to a system. the ability to highlight new reference codes or discover new connections in the value field. it is the superior requirement of axiological education, which implies maximum cultural autonomy of educators "(cucoș, 2002, p. 181). in order to achieve this goal, "education should be organized around four fundamental types of learning, which, throughout life, are the cornerstones of knowledge: learning to know, which means acquiring the tools of knowledge; to learn to do so that the individual interacts with the environment; to learn to live with others, to cooperate with others, to participate in human activities; to learn to be, an important element, resulting from the first three " (delors, 2000, p. 69). learning to live with others is one of the major challenges of our day. people have less and less empathy, assertiveness, understanding and sincerity. competition, violence, deception, lying and corruption have become leverage to solve problems. the task of education is to highlight how different people are, as well as to raise awareness of the similarities between individuals and their interdependence. all this can be done in educational activities when the teacher takes the following actions: it helps the student to discover his / her own identity, cultivates empathy for pupils to get to know each other and proposes common goals that take pupils out of differences and their conflicts. the school textbook is an instrument that the teacher uses to transmit values and attitudes to the influences of the environment. school textbooks are official documents "that focus the knowledge of a given field, being developed according to the requirements of school curricula defined at national or regional level" (dictionnaire encyclopédique de l’éducation et de la formation, 1998, p. 666). 50 the school textbooks are: "program support, the main student learning tool, content structuring model, ideology and culture vector, editorial product" (dictionnaire encyclopédique de l’éducation et de la formation, 1998, p. 667). in the study "the role of alternative textbooks in child education" conducted for the union of publishers from romania on the 17th 24th of october 2017 on a sample of 1214 parents the following results were obtained: • 78% of parents believe that alternative textbooks have a satisfactory or very satisfactory content. • 40% of parents said the textbooks selectively select the contents of the curriculum, and the teacher and the student are offered creative space. • 32% of parents said the information in the alternative textbooks is open to interpretation. • 27% of parents consider that they provide a way of learning that requires understanding and explanation. • 25% of parents said that information in alternative textbooks is a means to build skills, values and attitudes (uer, 2017). • both parents and teachers recognize the important role of the textbooks. 2. methodology objectives this research aims to study the values that are transmitted by the school textbooks used in the fourth grade. based on this goal, the following objectives were formulated: 1. describe the school textbooks used in the fourth grade in terms of transmitted values. 2. discover the differences between manuals in terms of transmitted values. 51 hypotheses for the present research the following hypotheses were formulated: 1. to what extent do the 4th grade school textbooks transmit the following values: order, harmony and measure, integrated learning, creativity, curiosity and involvement, play and usefulness of information. 2. to what extent is there a correlation between the following values: order, harmony and measure, integrated learning, creativity, curiosity and involvement, play and usefulness of information. variables research has two main variables: textbook and values. the textbook's indicators are: discipline and publishing house. values are: order, harmony, measure, integration, creativity, curiosity, involvement, play and usefulness of information. methods the research method used was document analysis, which is a method that refers to the quantitative analysis of documents, highlighting certain themes, trends, attitudes or values. content analysis is proprietary to rigorous and complex information. tools the tool used was the handbook analysis grid tracking the promoted values. this grid had the following indicators and descriptors: 1. the order, harmony, and extent of the content of the manual. a) the contents of the handbook are crowded with many exercises and information placed without order and harmony. 52 b) the content of the handbook provides measure, harmony and order through the exercises and information provided. c) the contents of the handbook are incomplete without enough exercise and information. 2. the handbook offers an integrated learning. a) multidisciplinary relationships are present to a small extent. b) multidisciplinary relationships are present to a big extent. c) multidisciplinary relationships are missing from the contents of the handbook. 3. existence of the possibility to develop the creativity, curiosity and involvement of students in the act of learning. a) the handbook offers too few possibilities to develop creativity, curiosity and student involvement in the learning process. b) the handbook provides structured possibilities for developing pupils' creativity, curiosity and involvement. c) the handbook does not offer possibilities to develop students' creativity, curiosity and involvement. 4. the role and the weight of the didactic game in the structure of the contents of the handbook. a) didactical games are too little present in the structure of the handbook. b) didactic games are present in a balanced number in the structure of the handbook. c) didactical games are not present in the structure of the handbook. 5.valuing learning acquisitions in new theoretical and practical context. a) the handbook offers opportunities to apply learning acquisitions in theoretical and practical contexts different from those in which they are presented without being relevant to the socio-professional adaptation of students. 53 b) the handbook offers possibilities to apply learning acquisitions in theoretical and practical contexts different from those in which they are presented, relevant for the socioprofessional adaptation of students. c) the handbook does not offer possibilities to apply learning acquisitions in theoretical and practical contexts other than those in which they are presented. population the documents analyzed were the following class iv manuals: 1. romanian language and literature 4th grade semester i intuitext publishing house. 2. romanian language and literature 4th grade semester i ars libri publishing house. 3. romanian language and literature 4th grade semester i art publishing house. 4. math 4th grade semester i intuitext publishing house. 5. math 4th grade semester i aramis publishing house. 6. math 4th grade semester i art publishing house. 7. natural sciences 4th grade semester i art publishing house. 8. natural sciences 4th grade semester i aramis publishing house. 9. natural sciences 4th grade semester i aramis publishing house. 10. geography 4th grade semester i intuitext publishing house. 11. geography 4th grade semester i aramis publishing house. 12. geography 4th grade semester i art publishing house. 13. history 4th grade semester i aramis publishing house. 14. history 4th grade semester i aramis publishing house. 15. history 4th grade semester i corint publishing house. 16. civic education 4th grade semester i cd press publishing house. 54 17. civic education 4th grade semester i aramis publishing house. 18. civic education 4th grade semester i aramis publishing house. 19. music and movement 4th grade semester i cd press publishing house. 20. music and movement 4th grade semester i litera publishing house. 21. music and movement 4th grade semester i aramis publishing house. 22. visual arts and practical skills 4th grade semester i ars libri publishing house. 23. visual arts and practical skills 4th grade semester i litera publishing house. thus, 23 manuals from seven publishing houses were analyzed as follows: one manual from the corinth publishing house, two books from the ars libri publishing house, two textbooks from the publishing house litera, two textbooks from the cd press publishing house, three textbooks from intuitext publishing house and nine manuals from the aramis publishing house. the 23 manuals concerned the eight disciplines studied in the 4th grade. three manuals were analyzed for each discipline, only two manuals were analyzed for visual arts and practical skills. all 23 manuals are approved by the ministry of national education. 3. results the results of this research were as follows: a) the content of 10 textbooks provides measure, harmony and order through the exercises and information provided. b) the content of 13 textbooks is crowded with many exercises and information placed without order and harmony. 55 c) no manual has been found, with content to be incomplete, without exercise and enough information. d) in the content of 10 textbooks multidisciplinary relations are present to a large extent. e) in the content of 10 textbooks multidisciplinary relations are present to a small extent. f) in the content of three textbooks the pluridisciplinary relations are missing. g) the content of 15 textbooks provides structured possibilities for developing students' creativity, curiosity and involvement. h) the content of six textbooks offers too few possibilities to develop creativity, curiosity and student involvement. i) the content of two textbooks does not offer possibilities to develop pupils' creativity, curiosity and involvement. j) in the content of seven textbooks, didactic games are present in a balanced number. k) in the content of 11 textbooks, didactic games are too little present. l) in the content of five textbooks, didactic games are not present. m) the content of 14 textbooks offers possibilities to apply learning acquisitions in theoretical and practical contexts different from those in which they are presented, relevant for the socioprofessional adaptation of pupils. n) the content of eight textbooks offers possibilities to apply learning acquisitions in theoretical and practical contexts different from those in which they are presented without being relevant to the socio-professional adaptation of pupils. o) the content of a manual does not provide opportunities to apply learning acquisitions in theoretical and practical contexts other than those in which they are presented. 56 the following data was obtained following the handbook analysis grid: as for order, harmony and measure: • all three natural science textbooks provide measure, harmony and order through the exercises and information provided. • all three textbooks from mathematics as well as from civic education are crowded with many exercises and information placed without order and harmony. in terms of integrated learning: • in all three civic education textbooks, pluri-discipline relationships are largely present. • in all three mathematical textbooks, pluri-discipline relationships are present to a small extent. • in terms of creativity, curiosity and student involvement: • all three textbooks of natural sciences, visual arts and practical skills and civic education provide in a structured way the possibilities to develop creativity, curiosity and student involvement. • all three mathematics textbooks offer too few possibilities to develop creativity, curiosity and student involvement. in terms of didactic games: • in the two textbooks of visual arts and practical skills there are a balanced number of didactic games. • in the mathematics and geography textbooks, didactic games are present in a small number or not at all. 5. about the usefulness of the information submitted: the three textbooks in the disciplines of natural sciences, visual arts and practical skills and civic education offer possibilities to apply learning acquisitions in theoretical and practical contexts different from those in which they are presented, relevant to the socio-professional adaptation of students. 57 all three textbooks of mathematics offer possibilities to apply learning acquisitions in theoretical and practical contexts different from those in which they are presented without being relevant to the socio-professional adaptation of students. pearson's correlation coefficient was also calculated between the following variables: measure, integration, creativity, play, and usefulness of the information. as a result of this correlation, the results show that there is a significant positive correlation between the usefulness of information and creativity: r (23) = 0.774, p <0.01 and the usefulness of information and integration: r (23) = 0.663, p <0, 01. 4. discussions the results show that many manuals are crowded with many exercises and information that tired and bored the students, especially those of mathematics and civic education. on the opposite side are the natural science textbooks that provide order, harmony and measure through the exercises and information provided. the results show that many textbooks do not give students through their content an integrated learning that is to help the student to develop personally and socially in integrated contexts. these manuals are especially mathematical. in contrast, the civic education textbooks are largely present in multidisciplinary relationships. the results show that more than half of the analyzed manuals offer opportunities to develop creativity, curiosity and student involvement in the learning process. these include natural sciences, visual arts and practical skills and civic education. and at the opposite end is the mathematics manual. the results show that the didactic game is present in a few textbooks. which means that pupils are deprived of their main means of learning and one of the most effective methods of 58 education. in the visual arts and practical skills textbooks, didactic games are present in a balanced number. and in the mathematics and geography textbooks there are few or none of the didactic games. the results show that more than half of the analyzed manuals offer possibilities to apply learning acquisitions in theoretical and practical contexts different from those in which they are presented, relevant for the socio-professional adaptation of students. the results obtained from pearson's correlation show that there is a significant positive correlation between the usefulness of information and creativity on the one hand and a significant positive correlation between the usefulness of information and integration. the more multidisciplinary relationships in the manuscript, the more opportunities it offers to apply learning acquisitions in theoretical and practical contexts different from those in which they are presented, relevant for the socio-professional adaptation of students. the more the handbook provides for the development of creativity, curiosity and student involvement, it offers more opportunities to apply learning acquisition in theoretical and practical contexts different from those in which they are presented, relevant for the socio-professional adaptation of students. so, a creative and integrated manual is a useful manual. 5. conclusions this study wanted to analyze all the 4th grade manuals approved by the ministry of national education to carry out a comparative analysis of the transmitted values. the study aimed to monitor whether they are informationally balanced, attractive, living and motivating for reading. is the student's or teacher's book 59 manual? many times, the latter becomes the translator of the contents of the manual. in romanian society, the manual is a very important element in the education process because often the teacher teaches after the manual and not the program as it should. the ministry of national education states that textbooks are a resource rather than a didactic norm. one student said, "the best manual is the teacher." this shows the teacher's importance in organizing, planning and coordinating the educational process. however good a manual is, without a competent teacher in the classroom, students will not be able to make their way to knowledge. to support his students, the teacher has the duty to consult all the textbooks approved for his class in order to provide them with the best support in learning. the teacher must choose those textbooks that do not bombard the student with information and exercises but give him measure, harmony and order through his content. the abundance of new knowledge in the handbook can intimidate and discourage the path of knowledge. the perspective of interdisciplinarity is another reason for choosing a manual. personal and social development of the pupil through education must take place in integrated contexts. these contexts give the student the opportunity to solve the problems in real life. in order to awaken student’s creativity, curiosity and involvement, the teacher must show confidence in students, their talents and ideas. the manual, in its turn, should not be loaded with stimuli to cushion its desire for knowledge and research. the handbook should transform the student from the consumer into the innovator. repetitive, many and poorly motivating exercises should be missing from any manual. the rush in solving all the exercises proposed in the manual should not take away from the time students need to learn. 60 didactic play is another important element that should not be missing from the contents of the manual. through the game, students become curious to see what is going on until the end, and so their attention is captured throughout the teaching scenario. the handbook that offers the opportunity to apply learning acquisition in theoretical and practical contexts different from those in which they are presented is a manual that aims to prepare pupils for life and to face upcoming challenges. such a manual could fulfill the educational ideal that aims at forming an autonomous and creative student. references dictionnaire encyclopédique de l’éducation et de la formation. (1998). paris: editions nathans. cucoș, c. (2002). pedagogie. iași: polirom. delors, j. (2000). comoara lăuntrică: raportul către unesco al comisiei internaționale pentru educație în secolul xxi. iași: polirom. uer. (2017, noiembrie 1). rolul manualelor alternative în educația copiilor. retrieved martie 11, 2019, from tribuna învățământului: http://www.tribunainvatamantului.ro/rolul-manualeloralternative-in-educatia-copiilor/ uniunea europeană. (n.d.). retrieved februarie 20, 2019, from https://europa.eu: https://europa.eu/europeanunion/about-eu/eu-in-brief_ro 61 tables, figures and appendices table 1 the correlation between values pearson correlations utility creativity game integration measure utility pearson's r p-value creativity pearson's r 0.774 p-value < .001 game pearson's r 0.512 0.456 p-value 0.013 0.029 integration pearson's r 0.663 0.590 0.387 p-value < .001 0.003 0.068 measure pearson's r 0.357 0.453 0.383 0.505 p-value 0.094 0.030 0.071 0.014 25 ramona simona kiru adventus university ramona.kiru@uadventus.ro integrity in the educational environment keywords values, integrity, plagiarism _______________________________________________ abstract the values are transmitted both through the family and the school. the degree of opportunity, necessity or usefulness of a thing determines its value. the family and the school teach the child what are the most important values after which they must lead their lives. plagiarism has lately become the disease of the educational environment. he is increasingly exaggerated in the achievement of school resources. the educational process plays a very important role in the prevention of corruption, in the medium and long term at the level of their society. _______________________________________________ 1. review of literature education is a component of the contemporary man who accompanies him from birth to the end of his life. the family and the school continue to hold an important place in the education of people by teaching them what are the most important values after which they must lead their lives, although this is becoming more 26 and more competitive with the media and the internet. in today's society there is more and more talk about value in general, more precisely about integrity, and corruption, plagiarism is blamed. integrity should be a general and profound concern of every human being defined as the multitude of right actions and attitudes generated by the moral and professional obligations of each. even if some socio-political and cultural conditions influence the level and quality of private moral life, integrity remains ultimately a matter of personal choice and choice. ¹ the following values should be part of each person's life: human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights. the european parliament recommends including the teaching and learning of the eight key competences: 1. communication in the mother tongue. 2. communication in foreign languages. 3. mathematical and basic competences in science and technology. 4. digital competence. 5. learn to learn. 6. social and civic competences. 7. spirit of initiative and entrepreneurship. 8. cultural awareness and expression. to achieve this goal, “education must be organized around four fundamental types of learning, which, throughout life, are the pillars of knowledge: learning to know, which means acquiring knowledge tools; to learn how to do so that the individual gets in touch with the environment; to learn to live with others, to cooperate with other people, participating in human activities; to learn to be, an important element, resulting from the first three” (delors, 2000, p. 69). learning to live with others is one of the major challenges of our day. people are increasingly showing less empathy, assertiveness, understanding and sincerity. competition, 27 violence, cheating, lying and corruption have become problem solving levers. samuel johnson said that "integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, knowledge without integrity is dangerous." terminal of integrity, according to the explanatory dictionary of the romanian language, has several meanings: • “the characteristic of being integral; honour; probity; incorruptibility; • integral character; feeling of dignity, justice and conscientiousness, which serves as a guide in human conduct; honesty; honour; probity”. the law of national education no.1 / 2011 defines the principles that govern pre-university and higher education, as well as lifelong learning. these are: • the principle of equity • the principle of quality • the principle of relevance • the principle of efficiency • the principle of decentralization • the principle of public accountability • the principle of guaranteeing the cultural identity of all romanian citizens and intercultural dialogue • the principle of assuming, promoting and preserving the national identity and cultural values of the romanian people • the principle of university autonomy • the principle of academic freedom • the principle of transparency the integral character of a person must accompany him all his life. integrity as the value of man, exists or does not exist throughout his life. therefore, on the one hand, the fact that a person is doing research, in education, should not change the data of the problem if the man is, in essence, an honest man. on the 28 other hand, there is the concept of lifelong learning, especially for learning what is not known or perfecting what is already known, because no one was born learned” (stefan, 2018, p. 94). in order to have a quality education it is important to emphasize the essential role that integrity plays in education. this should start from the one leading the educational process: the teacher. the teacher must take care of his behavior both in the school environment and in society. he must always be a model of moral conduct. as mazilu said: "no one has to be so rich that he can buy another" and "no one so rich that he is forced to sell” (mazilu, 1999, p. 6). academic integrity is defined by the us center for academic integrity as a commitment to five core values for both professional and moral conduct: honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. 2. methodology objectives this research proposes to study the main values that are appreciated by the students and the child in which they refer to them during the academic activity. based on this scope, the following objectives have been formulated: 1. description of the main values appreciated by students. 2. discovering the methods of prevention and detection of plagiarism that students use. hypotheses for the present research, the following hypotheses were formulated: 1. the extent to which honesty occupies a central place in the hierarchy of student values. 2. measure the plagiarism term known to the students. 29 variables the research has two main variables: honesty and plagiarism. the indicators of plagiarism are: prevention and detection. methods the research method used was the questionnaire-based survey, which is a complex sociological research technique. with the help of the questionnaire, as an investigative tool, questions and problems are asked which determine different answers from the investigated persons. tools the instrument used was the questionnaire following the values promoted. the questionnaire has 17 items. population the target population of this research is represented by students from state and private education. from this population, 58 students were chosen as the following sample: • 48 girls and 10 boys • 37 students in private education and 21 students in state education • 54 students in undergraduate studies, 1 student in master's degrees and 3 students in doctoral studies • 19 students year i, 18 students year ii, 21 students year iii • 33 students aged 18-25, 10 students aged 26-33, 12 students aged 34-41, 2 students aged 42-50 and 1 student over 50 years • 23 married students, 1 divorced student, 21 single students and 13 students with a friend. 3. results the results obtained were the following: 30 1. choose the most important value for you from the ones listed below: tolerance, honesty, responsibility, loyalty. the students' answers were as follows: a. 25 students chose honesty b. 21 students have chosen responsibility c. 9 students chose loyalty d. 3 students chose tolerance 2. where do you draw your most inspiration when making a theme or a report? scientific articles, books, various web pages, others related to the same topic. the students' answers were as follows: a. 25 students chose books b. 23 students have chosen various web pages c. 9 students have chosen scientific articles d. 1 student chose broad topics related to the same topic 3. how often do you copy on exams? the students' answers were: a. 42 students said i did not copy b. 9 students said very little c. 7 students said to a small extent 4. what is plagiarism? the students' answers were: a. 40 students said it was learned from someone else and presented as a personal creation b. 11 students reported theft c. 6 students said copying d. 1 student said i do not know 5. i was informed and prepared for the correct academic writing and on issues of plagiarism prevention. the students' answers were: a. 23 students responded largely b. 10 students answered very highly c. 7 students responded to a small extent 31 d. 6 students answered very little e. 12 students answered no 6. more information and information is needed on the prevention of plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty for university staff and students. the students' answers were: a. 25 students said largely b. 12 students said i don't know c. 9 students said to a small extent d. 3 students said very little e. 3 students said no 7. more training is needed on issues of prevention and avoidance of plagiarism and unethical conduct in the university. the students' answers were: a. 25 students said largely b. 12 students said i don't know c. 10 students said to a small extent d. 5 students said very highly e. 3 students said no f. 3 students said very little 8. i know what digital means exist at the university for plagiarism prevention and detection. the students' answers were: a. 34 students answered do not know b. 12 students responded to a small extent c. 8 students responded to a small extent d. 2 students answered very little e. 2 students answered very highly 4. discussions the results show that: 32 • 43.1% of the students surveyed chose honesty as the most important value between tolerance, honesty, responsibility and loyalty. • 43.1% of the students surveyed chose the books as the main place of inspiration for a topic or a report. • 72.4% of the students surveyed said they did not copy for exams. • 69% of the students surveyed said that plagiarism was one that was learned from someone else and presented with personal creation. • 39.7% of the students surveyed said they were informed and prepared for the correct academic writing and on topics of plagiarism prevention. • 43.1% of the students surveyed said that more information and information is needed on the prevention of plagiarism and other forms of academic honesty for university staff and students. • 58.6% of students said they do not know what digital means exist in universities for the prevention and detection of plagiarism. these results show the fact that students know that plagiarism is: “the presentation in a written work or oral communication, including in electronic format of texts, expressions, ideas, demonstrations, data, hypotheses, theories, results, or scientific methods, extracted from written works, including in electronic format, by other authors, without mentioning this and without reference to the original sources” (stefan, 2018, p. 156). another important thing to note is the fact that among the students questioned, half of them do not know about the existence of digital means of plagiarism detection and they devise more information and training regarding the prevention of plagiarism and other reforms of academic dishonesty. 33 5. conclusions this study wanted to analyze the value system adopted by students in the academic environment. it should consist of the following values (stefan, 2018, p. 109): 1. "honesty represents a foundation of teaching, learning, research and other types of activities. in any educational institution it is imperative to sanction: fraud, theft, fraud and other indecent behaviors that may endanger the rights of others and / or the common good. in the race for knowledge, students must be honest with themselves and others, whether they are in classrooms, laboratories, in the library or in the gym. 2. confidence students respond to honesty with confidence. confidence is promoted by schools and universities that set clear rules for conducting homework or assessing students. 3. fairness. a correct assessment is essential in the educational process. for students, certain behaviors of fairness are important, such as: predictability, clear expectations and sanctioning of dishonesty. 4. respect. the students show respect by coming to the university, reaching the class hours, being attentive, participating in the debates, respecting the deadlines and performing at their level of performance. teachers show respect by listening to students' ideas, giving honest feedback after evaluating their activity, valuing their aspirations and ideals 5. responsibility. both students and teachers should have an exponential behavior. regardless of the circumstances, members of an educational community should not tolerate or ignore dishonest behavior by others”. mihai eminescu said: “no man strengthens himself by signing a gymnastics treaty, but by exercising; no man is taught to judge, citing judgments written ready by others, but judging alone and giving himself the nature of things ”(excerpted from the report 34 prepared by mihai eminescu, school reviewer, to the alphabet of ion creangă, 1876). references delors, j. (2000). inner treasure: report to unesco of the international commission for education in the 21st century. iasi: polirom. killinger, b. (2007). integrity doing the right thing for the right reason. mcqueen's university press p. 158 mazilu, d. (1999). general theory of law. bucharest: all beck publishing house, p. 6 ștefan, e. e. (2018). ethics and academic integrity. bucharest: pro universitaria, p. 94 the center for academic integrity is a consortium formed in 1997, from 200 colleges and universities in the usa. https://dexonline.ro/definiție/integritate tables, figures and appendices table 1 distribution of students by faculty faculty frequency percent valid percent cumulative percent valid medicină dentară 4 6.9 6.9 6.9 f. de psihologie și științele educației 3 5.2 5.2 12.1 medicină și farmacie 1 1.7 1.7 13.8 35 litere și științe 7 12.1 12.1 25.9 informatică managerială 1 1.7 1.7 27.6 matematică și informatică 1 1.7 1.7 29.3 automatică și calculatoare 1 1.7 1.7 31.0 politehnică 1 1.7 1.7 32.8 transporturi 1 1.7 1.7 34.5 teologie și științe sociale 35 60.3 60.3 94.8 inginerie mecanică și mecatronică 1 1.7 1.7 96.6 sociologie și asistență socială 1 1.7 1.7 98.3 psihologie și științele educației 1 1.7 1.7 100.0 total 58 100.0 100.0 table 2 distribution of students by specialty specialty frequency percent valid percent cumulative percent valid stomatologie 1 1.7 1.7 1.7 36 științe ale educației 3 5.2 5.2 6.9 medicină generală 1 1.7 1.7 8.6 pedagogia învățământul ui primar și preșcolar 35 60.3 60.3 69.0 tehnică dentară 3 5.2 5.2 74.1 informatică economică 1 1.7 1.7 75.9 limbi străine 1 1.7 1.7 77.6 matematică 1 1.7 1.7 79.3 calculatoare 1 1.7 1.7 81.0 inginerie medicală 1 1.7 1.7 82.8 autovehicule rutiere 1 1.7 1.7 84.5 asistență socială 4 6.9 6.9 91.4 optometrie 1 1.7 1.7 93.1 teologie adventistă pastorală 4 6.9 6.9 100.0 total 58 100.0 100.0 journal of educational studies volume 4, number 1, 2022, pp. 109–131 109 beginner teachers: initial training versus class reality denisa eliza rotaru1 abstract being educated has nothing to do with how many schools you have attended or how many books you have learned by heart. but it has to do with curiosity about what is around you and a desire to help others. once you have discovered the secret you want to share with the world and you begin to master it, you are on the right path. all you have to do is study and experiment as much as you can, to be sure that education suits you. as a student, you have to be duty oriented and learn as much as you can about anything that might help you in the future. and as a teacher, you need to find the best solutions so that you can answer any unspoken needs of your students or even yourself. this research analyses the relation between the proper training that teachers have during their initial training and the needs and expectations from the classroom. it is a mainly quantity study, but from time to time there are even some quality characteristics that are there only to emphasize the general perspective. the obtained results can provide a solid base for further studies in this area of expertise. keywords education, teacher, initial training, need, expectation, relationship introduction education is a complex process that has its own weak and strength points. every academic character that takes part in this movement has its own part in the holistic development of human as a living being. the two most important assets of education, that 1 denisa eliza rotaru, international christian academy of bucharest, romania, denyro96@gmail.com. 110 influences almost everything around them are the teachers and the students. they are the one that turn the face of education into a dynamic component of society and through them, a brighter tomorrow can occur. but for this to happen, the common factor must be analyzed with reality and study what documents have to say about each one of these two variants. review of literature we propose to have a look over the regular student situation in the romanian educational system. who he really is? what are his needs and expectations? in other words, what is his role in the academic field? and finally what should his relationship with his colleagues and other teachers be? in some studies, the students are like “a real partner of the teacher […] he is the major actor of active learning, where all students look for information themselves, they intercept them, then they work together” (ciot, 2012, p. 206). also, his personality and way of acting, if they are studied in detail, can give us stable raw models that can promote the individuality of this concept (mih, 2010). to better understand a student, there should be bigger attention to the relationship he has with the other component, the teacher. this relationship should be used in such a way that it can provide the best interpersonal, emotional, and ethical resources. and for doing that, all the component elements of this type of agreement should be fully understood and sensed. according to an article written specifically for this topic, this situation can be fully recognized and sustained (frymier bainbridge & houser, 2000). if this relationship is adequate, and the latter respect his needs and identity, then the true development of the student will take place (enăchescu, 2008). a human being has all sorts of needs that need to be accomplished, like security, property, happiness, and self-validation, and one of them is believed to be the need to be educated (voiculescu, 2008). if for some reason these needs are being neglected, the 111 integration and the desire to go to the next level are being blocked. thus, that person will miss his goals, and the perspective of a greater achievement will fade away until all the needs are satisfied. this idea is being studied in some articles that present the relationship between a child's desires and his needs’ level of satisfaction (bohn, drysdale, & mcbeath, 2018; elliot, lauchlan, & resing, 2017; luftenegger, milatz, & schober, 2015). for this to work out, there is a piece of the puzzle that is the most important asset: a safe and healthy relationship among students and teachers. it is a very delicate matter because there are preconceptions and expectations on both sides. even though there have been numerous studies on this account, some of the most encountered refer to the first impression that students have when they first enter academic environment. every student feels this meeting in a different way and has different ways of reacting to it. also, the teacher has its own way of expressing its thoughts about this. the article that was published in 2004, states these facts clearly (brouwers, evers, & tomic, 2004). however, the teacher’s desire to enter a career of teaching and remain in the profession should be taken into consideration. the motivation for the present and future career is what gives the teachers the passion to give everything they got into educating the younger generation. there is also a saying about the motivation behind becoming a teacher in the first place. you only do this because deep down inside you there is an unanswered question about how to educate in a better way. the more you dive in into becoming yourself a tool of teaching for the young generation, the more you may be able to find solutions for your own issues. by solving it out into the open, you can cure what lays deep inside. also, the students don’t have to be left outside. their desire to continue their studies more and more thoroughly gives them the energy they need to keep the connection between educative finalities together. something that can help in this manner could be 112 found in the articles written by many known authors (allen, boyle, & roffey, 2019; hobson, malderez, tacey, & tomlinson, 2008). in order for all of the above to accomplish, the initial formation of the teachers has to be exemplary and set a pattern for future generations. this preparatory education should be continuous and always evolve so that all the methods and instrument that don’t work out to be improved. in such a manner a mentoring service should be right at hand. there are some main areas covered by the latest research (hamzah, manzor, & vikaroman, 2017; hobson & malderez, 2013; lawry, 2017) referring to specific experiences (joseph, 2011; lampertová & wiegerová, 2012; white, 2011), tools used (hobson & malderez, 2013; joseph, 2011; lampertová & wiegerová, 2012; marsh & mitchell, 2014; white, 2011), initial training (lawry, 2017; spătărelu, 2019a), and characteristics of the teachers (spătărelu, 2019a). next, there is an emphasize on the results that sustain the belief about this matter, that there should be a balance in the theoretical formation of the beginner teachers before they encounter the students and their experiences. methodology the next part of this article presents the results from a mainly quantitative research on this topic conducted on the field involving both teachers and students. the next sections of the methodology show relevant parts that can better describe the outcome. purpose of the study the aim of this study is to find out why there is a gap between the theoretical side of the teachers’ professional training and the practical side where they run activities most of the time. in other words, why there is no complementary or balance between these 113 two actions? and what are the perspectives that should be taken into consideration regarding this situation? based on this goal, the following objectives have been formulated: 1. identifying the teachers’ perceptions about the existing relationship between the needs of being theoretical and practical educated. 2. investigating the teachers and students’ perspectives about their needs and expectations. hypotheses 1. the teachers do develop the required competences to carry on specific educational activities if they attend the initial training classes. 2. there are significant differences among teachers and students’ perceptions regarding the student’s needs and expectations. research questions this study sought to answer the following questions: 1. what are some suggestions given by the teachers who attended the training classes to improve their influence in the future? 2. what is the opinion of some students about the school environment? variables in this case there is a possibility of working with two kinds of variables, that will help form a better picture about the whole process. on a careful look, all of these can be a real help for studying the reality behind each subject. independent variables: 1. attending to initial training classes. 114 2. needs and expectations of the student. dependent variables: 1. teachers and students’ perceptions. 2. teacher’s required competences for educational activities. methods the study is based more on quantitative responses, the tool used is a questionnaire. it is a mirror effect, having questions both for the teachers and students to see the whole picture of the process. the questions that will be discussed next are the ones that made a point in our topic. at some point there is an open question about some changes that need to be done, and here is the place where the participants have suggestions about a better development in the future. all the figures and charts are in the appendix section of this article. population there were 118 teachers and students questioned, of different gender, coming from different cultural backgrounds, each having different ages, different initial training levels, and attending different academic levels as can be seen in figure 1, figure 2, figure 3, figure 4, figure 5, and figure 6. each characteristic has a role in the study of each variable present in this research. limits as the population sample is vast and diverse, there are some limits of this research that need to be taken into consideration. most of the questionnaires were taken online without interfering one with another. thus, the population sample can choose whether to answer honestly or not, so at one point the results may not be genuine 100%. still, their sincerity and integrity are assumed true. 115 results from the quantitative methodology as it was said before the tool is being formulated in a mirror effect so the received answers can be better analyzed. the answers to each item show the inner response of the subjects to the main topic: review of the education. in other words, the interest in on finding out what is the teachers’ and the students’ opinion regarding the same topic. opinion about teachers one of the items referred to the general view the students have on the teacher. the results (figure 7) revealed that a very big percentage of the students (almost 80 %) had a very good impression about their teacher, whereas 20% of them refrained from having an opinion in this matter. this result also indicates that, with some exceptions, there is an active relation among teachers and students that can affect education, in future. teachers’ view about a child educational need for another item the teachers were asked to make a hierarchy of the most common needs for a child that first enters an education institution with the purpose of learning (figure 8). first place were the cognitive ones, then the emotional ones and the ones regarding empathy and relations with the teacher. the other needs had good percentages but what can observe here is that a child needs more to feel safe and secure, and connect with the authority, then a big volume of knowledge. the emotional side is more developed and influences the people in ways no one can’t even begin to understand. students’ view about a child educational need when being asked the same thing, the students put on the first place the emotional needs, then the cognitive ones and socialization (figure 9). this does nothing more than points out what have 116 been discovered an item before. it may seem that teachers are keen on the cognitive side, and the students are keen on the emotional one, but in fact what all the children want is to feel like they belong somewhere. empathy really helps here, because to make a child enjoy your subject and wanting to study for it, you must first understand him and try to be in his shoes. then when this need is accomplished and satisfied, education can play its role, academically speaking. teachers’ view about a child educational expectation when it comes to the expectations that a child might have when he enters an educational system (figure 10), almost 80 % of the teachers thought they wanted to be encouraged and nearly half of them to be appreciated for all their efforts. this clearly states the fact that they are in need of guidance, and they expect that school should provide it. students’ view about a child educational expectation when the same question has been asked to the students (figure 11), 85 % of them said the same thing, that they would like to be encouraged by their peers or grown-ups, to be understood and influenced in a good way. there is an observation that needs to be made here. giving the fact that these answers came from both participants, there is a question the raises. is the education nowadays listening to these opinions? does it feel like there is a change that needs to be done? or is knowledge more important than that? teachers’ teaching skill level when it comes to the act of teaching and the methods used here, or how prepared we feel before doing it (figure 12), it looks like there is a general fear among the teachers. no one knows exactly if it’s due to a poor training, or with being shy, but the 117 beginner teachers face with a lot of stress and challenges through the first 2-3 years of teaching. this can be a clue to what is happening nowadays in the schools, where some teachers are not the best guiding tutor for students because they are often afraid, or unable to make right decision. mentoring, or more likely, lack of it, can have an important part in this manner. if the beginner teachers are considered some ducklings that need to be trained and guided, and there are efforts being used as resources for this, there might be some nice results in the end. but the teachers are not the only one to be blamed for the current situation. still, this is a manner that is no longer discussed as it should among scientists today. mentoring seems to become an unsolving issue in the modern world and more and more in the educational field. it seems like guiding and helping the development of others is more a burden rather than a blessing. and for this, beginning teachers have to suffer a lot. however, some clues can help both sides to know more about this piece of art, mentoring. this information and more can be found also in an article written as a response to the question everyone has about what stays behind mentoring or how can it be brought into daylight (ashby, hobson, malderez, & tomlinson, 2009). students’ learning skill level the students seem very positive when it comes to telling whether their teachers look prepared for teaching or not (figure 13). almost 90% said they cannot wait to go to school and see what the teacher had prepared for them. they didn’t notice any lack of confidence or stress-related factors when it comes to their everyday teacher. still, there is a small number of students observant and discovered that teachers are not as prepared as they should be, so their interest and enthusiasm are not that big. however, there are good expectations about this, despite reality. 118 teachers’ expectations about teaching when being asked, what their goals and desires at the beginning of their professional careers were, the teachers responses showed there are some accomplished expectations, some daydream desires, and something that is not that easy to gain (figure 14). a big number of them dreamed about a stress-free profession, with many chances of learning themselves and become better with each occasion, but in the end, they looked a little disappointed to find out that reality can be worse. this item demonstrates that there is a big difference in the way a teacher, and more often a beginner teacher thinks, teaching can be. yes, you can have long terms satisfactions, but in the end what matter is that you are really prepared for what you are doing. theory that what is learned in school can be helpful sometimes, but it does not mirror the actual reality that a teacher is facing every day. there is a saying, that training for a teacher is like a cover or a summary, that gives them a little clue about what education really is. the rest is more up to us than to the system. students’ expectations about teaching/school school seemed for most children a place where they can make a lot of friends first, and then deal with the academic information. then another significant percentage, thought they will learn a lot of interesting things without too much effort needed (figure 15). in other words, playing is what they really need for the future, maybe a little serious sometimes, but that’s it. it may look like a fairy tale for them and is the actual true because so far this is what school has been promoted for them as. however, reality is much worse in some cases, and unless you are prepared for it, it is going to be a hard transition in the reality. 119 results from the qualitative methodology observing the things mentioned, the teachers were asked in an informal way what they think should change in the present education system for all the issues to be solved, maybe not entirely but in a significant percentage. and in other words what is their opinion about these changes. several suggested there should be a more visible connection between theory and the practical side of training. it would help them more to see the actual needs in a class, then to study about what other people suggested in some contexts, even if that could help them somehow. a practical solution for this would be to have a bigger practical period where they can learn such things as interacting personally with the kids. they even said maybe a separate year just for that. there are some of their actual responses: i think there should be more hours granted for the practical area. the ones that i’ve done were very short. it was like a snack. and they went on so fast, that i didn’t have time to get used to them. it has gone too far with the teacher’s cognitive development, with his theoretical knowledges, […] because i think that even the teachers from the college didn’t start with the little kids. they are talking, but they don’t know how it is to be in a class with 38 kids, or to have 30 children in grade viii. one soul among 30. so, there are things that we face every day. and i think you can learn the real pedagogy, amid the events. also, they should focus on the relations with the children and not only on the cognitive side of education. as i seed previously, the students need to feel loved and understood, before becoming academic evolved. the students also had a word to say in this manner. when they were asked to identify some things, they need to change in their teachers, they suggested that cognitive information can be 120 attended by games instead of boring meaningless endless sentences. homework should not be necessary once they understood the mechanism behind every topic. there are also the perfectionist ones that like education the way it is now, without any changes. however, one of the things that draw my attention was the importance they give for the relation during school time among themselves and the teacher. it is more important for them than any perfect score they will have on any subject. here are some responses to support the ideas above mentioned: it would be interesting to deal with the subjects by playing. to have less tests and homework and to have more interactive activities. less writing and more observing. a thing that i would change, not only for my teachers, but for most of them, is a better relationship he should have with the students (during classes). not to be that kind of a teacher that writes down the whole class and we as little robots copy everything on our notebooks. if the teacher came up with some ideas about his class, where the kids should not get bored, to make the class more interesting, it would be better for everyone, and the students would be more attentive. i wish for intelligence to be more valued than memory. the teachers should develop a system of thinking, of approaching a problem or an extreme situation. they should not ask: what did i said last time? from the ideas mentioned, it looks like the educational system has very good intentions, but there are some areas where improvements need to be done. but for that to happen, everything should start from somewhere. the change should not be made by the masses but by individuals. education can improve through little wise steps. 121 discussions even though education, as a process, is meant to change and transform the lives of many human beings, we must prepare the best way for it to grow. this study was borne out of a desire and curiosity to find out what is the best way to enable the proper education in our lives. education like any other language or science has a beginning. this happens during the initial training classes. here future teachers learn what education is, and what are some strategies to understand it and perform it better. of course, it is not easy, since they need to be up for the challenge. in some cases, out of hundreds of applicants, only a few manage to get to an end. after the end of these so-called theoretical classes, come the practical areas. here is where the apprentices must surpass their masters. here is the place where all the knowledge comes together to inform and form future generations. some call this period, the life’s exam, where they truly find out if they understood the complexity of the educational process. usually, here is where the chain breaks because many no-ticed there is a discontinuity from theory to practice. that’s the goal of this study, to gather as much information and solution, to get this issue to the next level: what could be the true meaning of education? the subjects that were part of this study, answered about the present influence of education in their lives, and about some regrets or wishes regarding this kind of experience. they were divided into students and actual teachers and the main stress of this research was about how well the initial training meets the needs and expectations of both children and teachers. before going any further, there is a concept that needs a deeper insight. initial training, as it is known by most people, is a very important step toward becoming a real educator. if it is done correctly, as a candidate you can find and truly understand what stays behind education and what could be the real reason for embracing it. more insights 122 about this manner can be found in a trustworthy piece of art, a book (antoniou, creemers, & kyriakides, 2013) which deals directly with this topic. another significant part of the study explored the first encounter of both categories with the educational field, which were their fears, their desires, their curiosities, and how well were they met. because each one of them came from different environments and cultures, some answers were rather different, according to their experiences. still, the main idea remained the same, all their fears and uncertainties have the same solutions. in the latter part of the study, there are some solutions to be revealed to the initial problem of the broken link in the training chain. both categories had to come up with a plan to changing something about the current educational system. of course, there were many opinions, as previously stated, but the common thought referred to the change should be regarded as a perspective of education. it must be made for human development and not just for the growth of the ego. also, for these results to be taken into consideration, there should be an investment in our teachers. they can transform us only with our help. if they are being taken care of and all their cognitive, relational, and ethical needs are being accomplished, they can be the light that makes us shine for others. these ideas could also be found in two other studies on the same topic which had similar results (ingersoll & strong, 2011; kunc & kyriacou, 2007). the fact that the same issue is stated in more than one study, emphasizes the fact that education can be understood and protected. the only variable is a big if coming from our desire for good and prosperity. education is a very sensitive topic and at the same time, a very strong one. the people that are involved in this team competition sometimes must blend in so much that they may forget about themselves. knowing who you are is one thing. but knowing who you are forming and inspiring is a completely different task (spătărelu, 2019). someone said once said that a teacher “takes a 123 hand, opens a mind and touches a heart” and in doing so, he discovers himself. conclusions education is considered one of the great gifts people ever received. it can use be used either for prosperity and evolution, or it can be ruined for us and the people around us. education is like a chain that keeps us together. and after all, is up to us if we take care of it or break it. of course, it is a process that needs actions and reactions from both sides. both students and the teachers have a very important and significant role to play in this, and if it is done as it should, the results can become perfect. this also involves a relationship, that connects the two sides to reach finalities. both teams share needs and expectations. both need to feel understood and encouraged so that they can move forward. and for them to gain such support, there should be some prepared spaces where they can experience this or at least learn about it. training schools for beginner teachers resemble this kind of preparation, but there are still things to be fixed, understood, and accomplished. there is a long road to perfection. but the little steps are what it takes for us to get there. instead of having comments and murmuring all the time, maybe one of us should stand up and begin walking. education is an active process, not a static one because it is formed out of people, not institutions. when the difference is clearly understood, the results can become a great difference in perspective and behaviors. references allen, k. a., boyle, c., & roffey, s. (2019, june). school belonging. why are our students longing to belong to school? educational & child psychology, 36(2), 6–8. 124 antoniou, p., creemers, b., & kyriakides, l. (2013). teacher professional development for improving quality of teaching. springer. ashby, p., hobson, a. j., malderez, a., & tomlinson, p. d. (2009, january). mentoring beginning teachers: what we know and what we don't. teaching and teacher education, 25(1), 207–216. bohn, n., drysdale, m. t., & mcbeath, m. (2018). work-integrated learning and the importance of peer support and sense of belonging. education + training, 60(1), 39–53. brouwers, a., evers, w. j., & tomic, w. (2004, may 1). burnout among teachers: students' and teachers' perceptions compared. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034304043670 ciot, m. g. (2012). educație și societate [education and society]. erikon. elliot, j., lauchlan, f., & resing, w. (2017, march). guest editorial: bridging the gap between psychological assessment and educational instruction. educational & child psychology, 34(1), 6–8. enăchescu, e. (2008). repere psihologice în cunoașterea și descoperirea elevului. aramis. frymier bainbridge, a., & houser, m. l. (2000). the teacher-student relationship as an interpersonal relationship. communication education, 49(3), 207–219. hamzah, m. i., mansor, a. n., & vikaraman, s. s. (2017). mentoring and coaching practices for beginner teachers. a need for mentor coaching skills training and principal's support. creative education, 8(1), 156– 169. hobson, a. j., & malderez, a. (2013). judgementoring and other treats to realizing the potentioal of school-based mentoring în teacher education. international journal of mentoring and couching in education, 2(2), 89–108. hobson, a. j., malderez, a., tacey, l., & tomlinson, p. d. (2008, june). beginner teachers' experiences of initial teacher preparation, induction and early professional development. https://www. researchgate.net/publication/242617862_beginner_teachers%27_ex periences_of_initial_teacher_preparation_induction_and_early_prof essional_development_a_review_of_literature. ingersoll, r. m., & strong, m. (2011, june 1). the impact of induction and mentoring programs for beginning teachers: a critical review of the research. review of educational research, 81(2), 201–233. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654311403323 125 joseph, d. (2011). early career teaching: learning to be a teacher and staying in the job. australian journal of teacher education, 36(9), 75–87. kunc, r., & kyriacou, c. (2007, november). beginning teachers' expectations of teaching. teaching and teacher education, 23(8), 1246–1257. lampertová, a., & wiegerová, a. (2012). a teacher's diary as a reasearch instrument to determine the integration process of a beginner teacher into daily life at a primary school. https://conference.pixel online.net/conferences/edu_future2012/common/download/paper_ pdf/352-itl53-fp-wiegerova-foe2012.pdf lawry, r. (2017). the effect of mentor teachers on initial teacher training and emergence as a beginner teacher. journal of initial teacher inguiry, 3, 82-85. https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10092/14636/ lawry%20journal%20of%20initial%20teacher%20inquiry_2017_published-21.pdf?sequence=3 luftenegger, m., milatz, a., & schober, b. (2015, december 23). teachers' relationship closeness with students as a resource for teacher welbeing: a response surface analytical approach. frontiers in psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01949 marsh, b., & mitchell, n. (2014). the role of video in teacher professional development. teacher development, 18(3), 403–417. mih, v. (2010). psihologie educațională [educational psychology]. ascr. spătărelu, e. (2019). begginer teacher and early education. journal of education studies, 1(2), 5–24. spătărelu, e. (2019a). student satisfaction, teaching practicum and academic achievement. journal of education studies, 1(1), 26–46. voiculescu, f. (2008). educația în economia de piață [education in the market economy]. institutul european. white, e. (2011). working towards explicit modelling: experiences of a new teacher educator. professional development in education, 37(4), 483–497. rt.office.com/en-us/article/apa-mla-chicago-%e2%80%93-automatically-format-bibliographies-405c207c-7070-42fa-91e7-eaf064b14d 126 figures figure 1 teacher population sample-gender figure 2 student population sample-gender 127 figure 3 teacher population sample-initial training figure 4 teacher population sample-academic level activity figure 5 student population sample-age (academic level) 128 figure 6 student population sample-cultural background figure 7 teacher general overview figure 8 teachers’ view-needs 129 figure 9 students’ view-needs figure 10 teachers’ view-expectations figure 11 students’ view-expectations 130 figure 12 teachers’ teaching skill level figure 13 students’ view-teachers’ teaching skill level figure 14 teachers’ expectations about teaching 131 figure 15 students’ expectations about teaching/school journal of educational studies volume 4, number 2, 2022, pp. 33–49 33 the existence spatial reasoning of preservice teacher in primary mathematics learning lingga nico pradana1 abstract spatial reasoning is an ability related to the representation and use of objects and their relationships in the 2d and 3d worlds. this research examines the spatial reasoning’ of pre-service teacher primary education and its use in their course. the subject involved 120 pre-service teachers (60 second years students; 60 third years students; 37 males; 83 females) in the primary education department of universitas pgri madiun. the measurement uses a spatial reasoning test based on three constructs: spatial visualization, mental rotation, and spatial orientation (20 items spatial visualization; 20 items spatial orientation; 20 items mental rotation). the test was used to choose subjects with high spatial ability in every three aspects. then, the selected subject was observed to view the use of spatial reasoning ability. this research results in spatial reasoning ability used to explain objects, draw objects, and the relations between objects in the classroom. that is the possible way to improve student achievement through spatial reasoning ability used by teachers. keywords primary mathematics learning, spatial visualization, mental rotation, spatial orientation introduction in preparing students to master a variety of disciplines, pre-service teachers must have spatial literacy skills and the ability to teach these skills to their students (moore-russo, viglietti, chiu, & 1lingga nico pradana, universitas pgri madiun, jawa timur, indonesia, nicopgsd@unipma.ac.id. 34 bateman, 2013). spatial literacy is a person’s perception and understanding of spatial objects and their relationships (lange, 2003). to be spatially literate, one must be able to imagine spatial objects, reasoning about the nature and relationships between spatial objects, and send and receive communications about spatial objects (moore-russo et al., 2013). spatial literacy consists of three domains involve visualization, spatial reasoning, and communication (moore-russo et al., 2013). the domain of spatial literacy that has been proven to improve student mathematics performance in elementary schools is spatial reasoning. spatial reasoning is an ability related to representation, the use of objects and their relationships in a two-dimensional and three-dimensional world (linn & petersen, 1985; williams, gero, lee, & paretti, 2010). based on this definition, the spatial reasoning scope is the use of two-dimensional and threedimensional objects (grossner, 2017; pittalis & christou, 2010). spatial reasoning has three aspects. these three aspects are spatial visualization, mental rotation, and spatial orientation (linn & petersen, 1985; lowrie & jorgensen, 2017; ramful, lowrie, & logan, 2017; williams et al., 2010). spatial visualization is the ability to describe situations when components move and are compared to each other based on information (linn & petersen, 1985; lowrie, logan, & ramful, 2017). mental rotation is the ability to rotate twoor three-dimensional objects and imagine their position after playback (lowrie et al., 2017; nctm, 2006). furthermore, spatial orientation is the ability to enter certain spatial situations and imagine how the stimulus arrangement will emerge from another perspective (lowrie et al., 2017; nctm, 2006). these three aspects are the criteria for one’s spatial reasoning ability. research on spatial reasoning in the field of mathematics education states that training in the ability of spatial reasoning makes improvements in students’ mathematical performance in primary schools (cheng & mix, 2014; lowrie, 2016; lowrie et al., 2017). a teacher who has good spatial reasoning ability can improve 35 teacher ability in the stem field (mulligan, woolcott, mitchelmore, & davis, 2017). furthermore, spatial reasoning is also a predictor of one’s success in the stem field (newcombe, 2013; williams, 2003). based on previous research, spatial reasoning is a matter that must be considered in primary school learning mathematics. research on spatial reasoning is much to suggest that spatial reasoning can improve student math performance in elementary schools. however, the results of the study were obtained by training conducted outside of mathematics learning. mathematical performance increases with increasing spatial reasoning ability (cheng & mix, 2014; lowrie, 2016; lowrie et al., 2017; pradana, sholikhah, maharani, & kholid, 2020; ramful, ho, & lowrie, 2015). this implies that mathematical performance indirectly increases due to spatial reasoning training. in these studies, the teacher directly taught spatial reasoning to students by ignoring the curriculum (cheng & mix, 2014; lowrie, 2016; lowrie et al., 2017; sholikhah & pradana, 2018). then it raises a question of whether spatial reasoning that encompasses these three aspects exists and can be taught through mathematics learning in accordance with the curriculum, especially in the curriculum in indonesia. when a pre-service teacher has a good spatial reasoning ability, whether the ability is used in learning mathematics, the question becomes important considering that spatial reasoning is a predictor of one’s success in the field of mathematics (newcombe, 2013; pradana & sholikhah, 2019; wiker, schwerha, & jaraiedi, 2009). questions based on previous research are questions relating to the existence of spatial reasoning in mathematics learning. are these aspects of spatial reasoning ability can be used to perform mathematics learning in accordance with the curriculum in indonesia? the importance of this is revealed to confirm that spatial reasoning exists and can be adapted to mathematics learning in accordance with the curriculum in indonesia. given that spatial reasoning can improve students’ mathematical performance 36 (cheng & mix, 2014; lowrie, 2016; lowrie & jorgensen, 2017; lowrie et al., 2017), then it can be predicted that pre-service teachers who use the ability of spatial reasoning will be able to make learning effective and improve student math performance. based on the value of the previous research, this study aims to examine the spatial reasoning’ of pre-service teachers in primary education and its use in their courses. methodology participants the subjects of the study were pre-service elementary school teachers in universitas pgri madiun, madiun, east java, indonesia. 120 pre-service elementary school teachers who are second and third-years students (60 second year students; 60 third year students; 37 males; 83 female). the pre-service elementary school teachers are a collage-student who has taken the course of geometry and learning mathematics in elementary school. materials the instrument used in this study is spatial reasoning test based on three constructs: spatial visualization, mental rotation, and spatial orientation. the test measures every aspect of spatial reasoning by criteria on table 1. test construct in multiple choice as 60 items (20 items spatial visualization; 20s item spatial orientation; 20 items mental rotation), in figure 1. assessment of spatial reasoning test the score of each item is one point for correct answer and zero point for incorrect answer. if any item not answered by participant, the score is zero point. the total maximum score of this test is 60 points. the result of the test categorized as following: 41–60 (high ability); 21–40 (average ability); 0–20 (low ability). 37 procedure this study begins by providing a spatial reasoning test on the subject. the tests are conducted simultaneously on the same day. the tests were conducted in 6 classes with each class containing 20 subjects. after the tests are given the subject is classified based on spatial reasoning ability (high; average; low). the classification is also specific to each aspect of spatial reasoning. table 1 the criteria of spatial reasoning spatial reasoning aspect criteria spatial visualization visualizing the outcome of folding/unfolding a particular configuration constructing a solid from a given net and vice versa matching pieces and parts finding the symmetry in an object reflecting an object spatial orientation determining the position of an object relative to that of the observer reading maps from different perspectives mental rotation determining the outcome of a rotation of a 2d and 3d object differentiating between reflection and rotation 38 figure 1 sample item: (1) spatial visualization test; (2) mental rotation test; (3) spatial orientation test (1) spatial visualization test (2) mental rotation test which one the left view of this figure! (3) spatial orientation test based on the classification, subjects were chosen with high criteria on spatial reasoning as well as on each of the three aspects. the main reason chosen subject with high criterion is that the subject potentially uses the ability of spatial reasoning in teaching elementary school mathematics. after the subject is selected, the subject is facilitated to do the classroom learning. subject teach mathematics in the field of geometry. during the learning, subjects were observed with the aim of whether the subject showed symptomatic use of spatial reasoning in learning. the observation criteria are based on the three aspects of spatial reasoning (spatial visualization, spatial orientation, and mental rotation). to strengthen research data after learning, subjects interviewed to 39 be able to know and confirm the actions of the subject at the time of learning is a symptom of the existence of spatial reasoning. data analysis we analyzed the spatial reasoning test result in three categories (high, average, and low). the data from observation analyze by describing spatial reasoning categories in terms of spatial visualization, spatial orientation, and mental rotation. results the results of spatial reasoning tests conducted based on aspects of spatial reasoning are spatial visualization, mental rotation, and spatial orientation, presented in table 2. table 2 the criteria of spatial reasoning classification interval score number of participants total 2nd year 3rd year high ability 41–60 6 7 13 average ability 21–40 34 39 73 low ability 0–20 20 14 30 figure 2 mean value of spatial reasoning in each aspect 13.5 10.92 8.83 0 5 10 15 spatial visualizat ion mental rotation spatial orient ati on mean 40 figure 3 mean value of spatial reasoning student based on year figure 4 high ability student score based on these results, the aspect of spatial visualization is the aspect that has the highest value compared to the other two aspects. the aspect of spatial orientation is the least value aspect. then if the results are compared by grade, then the second-year participant excels at the spatial visualization aspect. on the other hand, third-year participants excel at aspects of mental rotation and spatial orientation. 14 9.33 7.83 13 12.5 9.83 0 5 10 15 spatial visualizat ion mental rotation spatial orient ati on second year third year 0 5 10 15 20 25 spatial visualization mental rotation spatial orientation s1 s2 s3 s4 s5 s6 s7 s8 s9 s10 s11 s12 s13 41 the result of spatial reasoning ability classification found that 13 participants have high spatial reasoning ability. then if reclassified based on the value on each aspect then obtained as in the following figure 3. based on figure 4, subjects with the highest scores on spatial visualization are s2 and s13. the highest score in mental rotation is s5. then on the spatial orientation is s3. the four subjects were selected and facilitated to conduct learning in primary school. at the time of learning, the four subjects were observed to see whether the spatial reasoning they used was used in the lesson. observations are based on three aspects of spatial reasoning. learning is doing in grade v on mathematics subject with material of cube and cuboid. the observations made on subjects based on the spatial visualization aspect indicate many learning activities that reflect spatial reasoning. aspects of spatial visualization are widely used in drawing and showing the properties of cubes and cuboid. in this case the subject describes the cube on the board. cube drawings made on the blackboard are ribs drawn with dashed lines. after being confirmed by interview, the subject stated that the ribs were not visible from the front. therefore, it needs to be drawn with dashed lines. this suggests that spatial visualization ability is used in explaining it. then still on the aspect of spatial visualization, in the explanation of the cube net, the subject explains the process of opening the cube into a variety of nets. the explanation made by the subject shows the existence of the construction process from waking the room into webs and vice versa. the most important part of what the subject explains to the student is the explanation of the various forms of cube nets. furthermore, the observations on the mental rotation aspect showed quite unique symptoms. drawing up solids ie cubes and cuboid, the subject describes it in various positions. usually in drawing cuboid, both the pictures contained in the book and the 42 usual draw by the teacher in general is always horizontal. in this case, the subject draws up the space in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal position. it shows that however the position of the waking space, the concept will not change. the images presented by the subject are drawn clearly and very well. the subject's creativity is really shown in this case. in the aspect of spatial orientation, the results obtained cannot be separated from the mental rotation and spatial visualization aspects. when describing the properties of the cube through the created image, the subject explains that the six sides of the cube are square even in the drawings made on the board all the sides are not square. this shows that the subject views the cube not from what is seen in the picture but looks at the cube side from the front, back, left, right, up, and down. this has been confirmed during interviews that show the subject views the image from a variety of perspectives. the same thing is done when explaining the cuboid. uniquely, the learning instrument created and given to students to provide a question that corresponds to the aspect of spatial orientation. based on findings on learning by subjects with high spatial reasoning abilities, the phenomenon of using spatial reasoning exists in learning. spatial reasoning is mostly used when explaining the concept of using spatial objects. therefore, the existence of spatial reasoning in learning can be shown. discussions this study aims to show the existence of the spatial reasoning of preservice elementary school teachers in learning mathematics. the existence of spatial reasoning in learning is very important as a form of spatial reasoning connection with mathematics (joh, 2016; mulligan et al., 2017). by showing the existence of spatial reasoning in learning, the findings in this study can serve as the basis for the integration of spatial reasoning in learning. 43 the form of existence of spatial reasoning in mathematics learning is the process of preservice teachers in explaining the concept of mathematics. while explanations are used every day in the mathematics classroom (levenson, tsamir, & tirosh, 2010). the explanations made by preservice teachers in the classroom proved to be charged with spatial reasoning. furthermore, explanations in the classroom contain spatial visualization, mental rotation, and spatial orientation. explaining is an activity in which teachers communicate subject-matter content to students (charalambous, hill, & ball, 2011; stein & kucan, 2010; subramaniam & esprivalo harrell, 2013). the explanation can be a description of concepts and procedures (stein & kucan, 2010). with an explanation of charged spatial reasoning, it will provide the potential for improving students’ mathematical performance and spatial reasoning abilities. the results of this study show the various activities undertaken by teachers in learning mathematics. these activities are activities that show the use of spatial reasoning in learning. activities that correspond to spatial reasoning on spatial visualization aspects allow teachers to be able to give an image of an object about a particular situation. this corresponds to the training undertaken by lowrie et al., (2017). the difference is that lowrie designed his training outside of mathematics learning and did not pay attention to the curriculum. the next difference is that lowrie directly develops the students’ spatial reasoning. furthermore, this study shows that without intervention, teachers can teach spatial reasoning through the content provided by the curriculum. this is very likely to be done in the 2013 curriculum in indonesia. on the other hand, this study complements research based on spatial reasoning interventions. spatial reasoning is intervened through an activity such as arranging blocks and viewing perspectives (casey et al., 2008; kurtulus & yolcu, 2013; peng & sollervall, 2014; pradana, sa’dijah, sulandra, sudirman, & sholikhah, 2020), using cabri 3d software (basham & 44 kotrlik, 2008; güven & kosa, 2008; hartatiana, darhim, & nurlaelah, 2017) or origami instruction (akayuure, asiedu-addo, & alebna, 2016). this means that spatial reasoning can be integrated not only through intervention but also through the content available in the mathematics curriculum. spatial reasoning is very potential to improve students’ mathematical performance (cheng & mix, 2014; hawes, moss, caswell, & poliszczuk, 2015; lowrie et al., 2017; newcombe, 2013; rabab’h & veloo, 2015). based on this situation, if spatial reasoning can be routinely used by teachers in learning, then the potential that the learning is done can make students’ math performance better. besides, the mathematical performance of the students’ own spatial reasoning abilities will also develop. with the development of students’ spatial reasoning, then teachers can help students have the potential to succeed in both mathematics and stem (gilligan, flouri, & farran, 2017; hawes et al., 2015; newcombe, 2013). this study also provides an overview of a cycle of spatial reasoning abilities. it has the potential to make students’ mathematical skills and spatial reasoning better. when the student graduates and then becomes a teacher, with his spatial reasoning ability will do the same to his or her students someday. this cycle is something that theoretically needs to be developed further. research to develop and improve spatial reasoning has been widely practiced (francis, khan, & davis, 2016; hallowell, okamoto, romo, & la joy, 2015; lowrie et al., 2017; stevenson & gernsbacher, 2013), but still have not seen from the teacher’s perspective which then leads to the cycle. this study shows that spatial reasoning is used in learning that is compatible with the mathematics curriculum. therefore, the potential to lead to a cycle of spatial reasoning is likely to be enormous. conclusions the results of this study indicate the existence of spatial reasoning in mathematics learning by pre-service teachers. this is 45 demonstrated by using spatial reasoning by pre-service teachers with high spatial reasoning. the three aspects of spatial reasoning are spatial visualization, mental rotation, and spatial orientation, which can be integrated through learning mathematics. spatial reasoning activities in the classroom are more likely to occur when the pre-service teacher explains. the explanation made by the pre-service teacher is an explanation of the concept of mathematics. thus, mathematical content is very much in line with spatial reasoning, especially in geometry. then, it becomes the basis for cultivating spatial reasoning in mathematics learning. this research has also connected with previous research in which mathematical performance can be enhanced by training spatial reasoning. integrating spatial reasoning in learning can make students successful in many fields, especially in the field of stem. further research can develop a learning model based on spatial reasoning in learning. in addition, the field of mathematics under study can be developed in other mathematical fields, such as algebra. references akayuure, p., asiedu-addo, k. s., & alebna, v. 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(2015). visual and analytical strategies in spatial visualization: perspectives from bilateral symmetry and reflection. mathematics education research journal, 27(4), 443–470. doi.org/10.1007/s13394-015-0144-0 ramful, a., lowrie, t., & logan, t. (2017). measurement of spatial ability: construction and validation of the spatial reasoning instrument for middle school students. journal of psychoeducational assessment, 35(7), 709–727. doi.org/10.1177/0734282916659207 sholikhah, o. h., & pradana, l. n. (2018). virtual mathematics kits (vmk): mempromosikan media digital dalam literasi matematika. profesi pendidikan dasar, 5(2), 147. doi.org/10.23917/ppd.v1i2.6717 stein, m. kay, & kucan, l. (2010). instructional explanations in the disciplines. new york: springer. doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0594-9 stevenson, j. l., & gernsbacher, m. a. (2013). abstract spatial reasoning as an autistic strength. plos one, 8(3). doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0059329 subramaniam, k., & esprivalo harrell, p. (2013). framing prospective elementary teachers’ conceptions of dissolving as a ladder of explanations. journal of science teacher education, 24(7), 1177–1199. doi.org/10.1007/s10972-013-9356-x wiker, s. f., schwerha, d. j., & jaraiedi, m. (2009). auditory and visual distractor decrement in older worker manual assembly task learning: impact of spatial reasoning, field independence, and level of education. human factors and ergonomics in manufacturing, 19(4), 300–317. doi.org/10.1002/hfm 49 williams, c., gero, j., lee, y., & paretti, m. (2010). exploring spatial reasoning ability and design cognition in undergraduate engineering students. proceedings of the asme design engineering technical conference, 6, 669–676. doi.org/10.1115/detc2010-28925 williams, n. (2003). picture this increasing math and science learning by improving spatial thinking. current biology: cb, 13(10), r377. doi.org/10.1037/a0016127. rt.office.com/en-us/article/apa-mla-chicago-%e2%80%93-automatically-format-bibliographies-405c207c-7070-42fa-91e7-eaf064 19 cristina simona albu montemorelos university simcrisalbu@gmail.com adaption of the beginner teachers in primary and pre-school education keywords: beginner teacher, primary education, preschool education abstract this research's main objective was to identify the main difficulties encountered by beginning teachers in the first five years of their careers, for which we have used quantitative research with a questionnaire-based survey. the population involved in the research consisted of 62 people, being represented by the adventus university graduates, and the statistical tests applied were independent samples t-test and bivariate correlations. the results obtained from the research, after applying the ttest, show that there are no statistical differences determined by the teaching degree, no statistical differences given by the place of activity, nor differences generated by the specifics of the institution. there were statistical differences between male participants, who tend to approach activities more confidently and make better use of activity management than female participants. other statistical differences were recorded between teachers working in state 20 institutions, tending to consider that the management of activities is less important and teachers working in private institutions, where greater importance is given to the management of activities. there were also statistical differences between teachers employed for a certain period, who tend to believe that the tenure exam is a challenging test and teachers who are employed for an indefinite period. 1. introduction like any other beginning of the road, the start of a career is shy and often challenging. for efficient development of activities in the teaching career, the existence of a genuine partnership between child-family-teachers and the obstacles that appear early is required time and support for remediation. some authors call these early-career obstacles "challenges" and "difficulties" (çelik̇ și kahraman, 2021; gholam, 2018; kiru, 2020; spătărelu, 2019), problems (sanchez et al., 2018), and others recall the" praxis shock" (çelik̇ și kahraman, 2021). when theoretical notions find a practical application and working with children is challenging at the beginning of the activity, specific skills and teachers' availability are required. these obstacles, challenges, problems, or difficulties seem insurmountable in the early years, so that some novice teachers are thinking of giving up this career (spătărelu, 2019), and in some cases, there is a dropout in the first five years (joseph, 2011). however, some authors claim that novice teachers encountered fewer obstacles when they started working (akdağ, and haserb, 2016), and after a year of teaching, with the formation of experience, they developed new strategies and applied them to understand the children and improve their methods (akdağ, and haser, 2016). 21 aydin (2018) states that, as progress and development in the professional area occur, teachers go through the 3-8 stages of their professional career, each with a particular specificity. depending on the stage in which each teacher is, training courses can be organized, courses that take into account this specific. according to the author above, this path goes from a previous stage to survival and initiation, skills development, enthusiasm and growth, frustration, career stability, a downward slope of the career, and the end of the career. 2. literature review some researchers establish the causes of these shortcomings, regardless of their name, encountered by beginning teachers as belonging to the personal or professional field (sanchez et al., 2018), and others mention as the discrepancy between theory and practice; school environment and context; the interaction between teacher and context (çelik and kahraman, 2021). among the professional difficulties, along with the high workload (sandy et al., 2017; sanchez et al., 2018), along with other institutional responsibilities (sanchez et al., 2018), the mandatory requirements for accreditation (sandy et al., 2018). 2017) and time management (sandy et al., 2017), lack of experience is one of the difficulties encountered in the first year of teaching (akdağ, and haser, 2016; spătărelu, 2019), but despite obstacles, challenges and experience insufficient, teachers transmit their values to the children they come in contact with (spătărelu, 2019). research has shown that debutants teachers learn from these obstacles and use their knowledge during practice and develop their strategies (çakmak et al., 2019). 22 another cause is the discrepancy between theoretical and practical training (barbosa and barboza, 2019), but novice teachers use the skills and knowledge gained during practice, as well as their strategies for finding solutions to "challenging experiences" (çakmak et al., 2019) along with the daily challenges of teachers, there are "parental pressures" (spătărelu, 2019), their distrust in the fact that their children's teacher is a beginner, poor communication, insufficient parental participation in school activities (sanchez et al., 2018). also, difficult positive communication and lack of dialogue to solve problems are among the difficulties experienced in the early years by beginners’ teachers (sanchez et al., 2018). some researchers say that those novice teachers are concerned with legislation and documents (akdag, 2014), but also planning activities, especially for children with different abilities, is one of the difficulties (gholam, 2018), as well as the differentiated approach of children with sen (sanchez et al., 2018). classroom management with routines, rules, procedures (gholam, 2018) pose a significant challenge due to the diversity and complexity of classroom events (wolff et al., 2020), and lack of experience means that there is no course management (akdağ, and haser, 2016). causes of student indiscipline are also mentioned (çakmak et al., 2019; sanchez et al., 2018) and the existence of noise that distracts the children and the teacher (çakmak et al., 2019). some teachers mention that planning is necessary (barbosa and barboza, 2019). there are three ways to solve the teacher fear regarding direct interaction with children: building trust on both sides, involving children in decisions, and being aware of the rules that offer freedom in their environment. these lead to a peaceful atmosphere (akdağ, and haser, 2016), and the perception of the teachers is that they "try to make an interesting, attractive and 23 motivating class" that takes into account the needs of students (barbosa and barboza, 2019). another category of challenges is represented, as some authors say, by outdated textbooks (sanchez et al., 2018), lack of technology in schools (sanchez et al., 2018), the need to rethink traditional methods (barbosa and barboza, 2019), curriculum development (gholam, 2018), confrontation with ethical and legal issues (sanchez et al., 2018). fear of interacting with colleagues causes difficulties when the debutant teacher wants to apply in practice from his knowledge obtained in college and does not find understanding from experienced colleagues (barbosa and barboza, 2019). to build their "professional identity" (çelik and kahraman, 2021; joseph, 2011), to meet the needs of teachers who are at the beginning of their career, to be their "support and help" (spătărelu, 2019), it appears the need to have mentors (joseph, 2011), and the support given to the debutants teachers provides "empowerment" in the professional aspect (akdag, 2014). a particular category of difficulties is determined by personal causes such as insecurity, fear (sanchez et al., 2018), discouragement from colleagues (barbosa and barboza, 2019), worry (barbosa and barboza, 2019), helplessness, exhaustion, and often panic (çakmak et al., 2019). however, after a while, some beginners realized no need to worry about difficult situations (çakmak et al., 2019). mentoring programs have been designed and introduced in several countries to meet the needs of the beginning teachers (çobanoğlu and ayvaz-tuncel, 2018; hobson and malderez, 2013; sandy et al., 2017; spătărelu, 2020). a "teacher initiation" program has been implemented in turkey since 2016 to "training, supporting and protecting the debutants teachers". after completing this 6-month program, 24 debutants teachers in the first year of teaching can gain practical experience and benefit from a mentor's assistance. this program includes internal activities: planning, preparation of documents, monitoring, as well as external activities: cultural visits, visits to schools, institutions, reading books to gain "additional practical experiences", requires to be found in the teaching of novice teachers ( çobanoğlu and ayvaz-tuncel, 2018). another researcher states that the support program for debutants teachers aims, and the initiation and mentoring for the debutants is the guidance of those who will mentor, more precisely administrators and inspectors (akdag, 2014). the research aimed at mentoring, in addition to the benefits resulting from this activity, a "judicial" mentoring is identified, which harms the personal and professional well-being of novice teachers (hobson and malderez, 2013). the imprint of the first years' experience can be defined for the teachers' whole career (spătărelu, 2019). other authors support the same idea, çelik and kahraman (2021), to which is added to develop their professional skills, depending on the novice teachers' activity's efficiency. in a research conducted in israel, to reduce the "shock of reality" at the beginning of the professional career, the ministry of education initiated a 1-year program, with the conditions of obtaining a "permanent teaching license". the final year students start teaching and go through the introductory program at the same time. the program includes mentoring with a colleague, a regular course offered by university teacher training departments (nasser-abu and fresko, 2010). also, in the absence of continuing education programs, pedagogical practice will register various problems (barbosa and barboza, 2019), and obstacles an insufficient "informed consensus" 25 on the purposes of mentoring in the training of the debutant’s teachers (hobson and malderez, 2013). in research conducted in england, hobson and malderez (2013) identified difficulties at the micro, medium, and macro-level in terms of mentoring. at the micro-level, the difficulties are related to the two people involved in the mentoring process, the mentor himself, the strategies approached, and the mentored person through the lack of openness to the process. at the intermediate level, the difficulties consist of choosing mentors and the role of acceptance and conscious assumption of it and not under responsibilities included in other responsibilities, and those at the macro level are related to decision-makers. at the beginning of the teaching career, the tenure exam is a "challenge" for a tenured teacher position (kiru, 2020). however, even though it is considered an obstacle, researchers state that the profession is starting to be attractive on the labour market (kiru, 2020), seen by the attendance in large numbers and the marks obtained at the tenure exams of those who want to work in the educational field. for early education, obstacles consist in planning, given the difficulty of carrying out mathematical activities, lack of experience, ignorance of children's particularities, difficulty in adaptation, lack of resources, difficulties in implementation: distraction, differentiated learning, difficulties related to the inability to achieve some tasks with mathematical content and assessment of mathematical activities (güven and gök-çolak, 2019). another difficulty is classroom management in early education, before and after starting the activities (akdağ and haser, 2016). 26 to overcome these obstacles inherent at the beginning of the career, researchers offer several solutions, some of which we will mention. one of them is the correlation between theory and practice, as well as the existence of a set of knowledge called "knowledge reservoir" (macenhan et al., 2016). on a personal level, the existence of a reflective journal, the focus on pedagogical practice and psychological methods of approach can help overcome the difficulties of the first years of a teaching career (spătărelu, 2020), "critical reflection", in addition to pedagogical practice, "emancipates" teaching (macenhan et al., 2016). at the level of working with children, one solution is discipline or instructions (çakmak et al., 2019). from the perspective of mentoring, mentors must receive appropriate training to ensure that the mentee has the optimal climate for carrying out the activity (spătărelu, 2020). among the benefits of working with a mentor are: developing self-awareness, developing training strategies, achieving effective management and student-teacher solid relationships (gholam, 2018), and support and encouragement for children and new colleagues (sandy et al., 2017). some authors say that in case of difficulties, the novice teachers "seek help from colleagues, administration, and parents", but they do not read books on these topics (çakmak et al., 2019), and this type of support, mentors, and colleagues "had the greatest impact on the assimilation of new teachers" as well as on their socialization (nasser-abu and fresko, 2010). another solution is the collaboration between the institution's management and the employees to obtain a "welcoming" climate (sandy et al., 2017). the existence of a positive model of more experienced colleagues can be a good start at the beginning of a career, but an 27 inappropriate example should not be a reason for a "bad example" through carelessness and disrespect (white, 2015, pg. 9). 3. research methodology research objectives this research has the following objectives: 1. identify the main difficulties encountered by the beginner teachers at the beginning of the career; 2. development of an instrument for measuring adaptive capacity in the first years of teaching career. research hypotheses 1. there are statistically significant differences between teachers employed in state institutions and teachers employed in private institutions in terms of level of adaptation to difficulties of beginner teacher. 2. there are statistically significant differences between teachers working in urban areas and teachers working in rural areas in terms of level of adaptation to difficulties of beginner teacher. 3. there are statistically significant differences between teachers working in primary education and teachers working in pre-school education in terms of level of adaptation to difficulties of beginner teacher. 4. there are statistically significant differences in terms of level of adaptation to difficulties of beginner teacher between teacher with different teaching degree. 5. there are statistically significant differences in terms of level of adaptation to difficulties of beginner teacher between genders. 28 6. there are statistically significant differences in terms of level of adaptation to difficulties of beginner teacher between different job obtained types. 7. there are statistically significant differences in terms of level of adaptation to difficulties of beginner teacher between teacher with different ages. research variables the personal and socio-professional variables discussed are the age of the participants, the employing institution, the level of education offered by the institution where the activity takes place, the environment in which the teachers are working, seniority, didactic degree obtained, type of job obtained and difficulties encountered by the beginner teachers. the dependent variable is the level of adaptation to difficulties of beginner teacher in primary and preschool education. research methods and tools the quantitative research was used to identify the debutants teachers' main difficulties within the first five years after the beginning of the career. through the statistical tools it uses, this research offers an objective image of the phenomenon studied with the help of numbers. the method used descriptive methods, cross-sectional survey and some elements of correlational research for investigate the group of novice teachers. the questionnaire conducted for this research is called "questionnaire for debutants teachers in primary and pre-school education" and is aimed at the school year 20202021. it was an online tool, and it was sent to debutants teachers who have started their careers in the last 5 years in primary and pre-school education. the questionnaire consisted of 29 closedended items, extracted from the variables and hypotheses 29 mentioned in the research, and included the possibility of completion with the respondents' options. the population the population involved in the research regarding the difficulties encountered by the novice teachers in the first five years of their careers is represented by adventus university graduates. this research involved 62 people (60 women and 2 men) aged between 19 and 54, represent an convenient sample. the responding teachers are employed in primary and pre-school education and work in different environments, both urban and rural, in private and public education units, and the career experience varies between 0-5 years. some participants' teaching degree is the tenure exam, and the other participants are debutants teachers. some participants have the position obtained for an unlimited period, while others have the position obtained for a limited period. 4. research results the following statistical tests were applied to determine the results: independent samples t-test and bivariate correlations. in the first test, results were obtained depending on the gender variables, place of activity, institution-specific typology, type of institution, type of job obtained, a teaching degree, and for the second test, results were obtained depending on the age variable. teaching degree when applying the t-test, no statistical differences (p ˃ 0.05) were noticed between the participants represented by the 30 beginner teachers and those who obtained the final teaching degree in any of the questionnaire items. there are no differences of opinion between the two categories regarding the difficulties encountered at the beginning of the teaching career; in the early years, teachers having the same opinions. teachers in both categories probably did not have enough time to change their minds. this test should be repeated in other contexts, on another sample, to see if the data is maintained. participant’s gender statistically significant differences were obtained (t = 3,01; df = 59; p = 0,004), between the opinions of men and women present in the research on the management of activities carried out with children. the average score obtained by male participants (m = 6; sd = 0,00) was significantly higher than the average score of the female participants (m = 5,47; sd = 1,37). the results obtained in this item indicate men's tendency to manifest a way of working that denotes more safety and an increased tendency to capitalize on the management of activities. being representative research for the graduates of adventus university, it is recommended to apply this test to a population from other universities' graduates. place of activity following the t-test application, there were no statistically significant differences (p ˃ 0,05) between participants working in urban areas and those working in rural areas regarding accommodation at work. the results obtained in this item indicate the probability that the difficulties related to the first years of the teaching career are not related to where the teachers carry out their activity. 31 the specifics of the institution there are no statistically significant differences (p ˃0,05) between participants working in pre-school institutions and those working in primary education institutions. the results obtained in this item indicate the probability that teachers' difficulties at the beginning of their teaching career are not generated by the institution's specifics where they work. the institution types statistically significant differences were obtained (t = -2,55; df = 60; p = 0,013) between teachers employed in public institutions and those employed in private institutions, in terms of activity management. the average score obtained by participants working in public institutions (m = 5,06; sd = 1,53) was lower than the one of participants working in private institutions (m = 5,90; sd = 1,01). teachers working in public institutions tend to consider that activities' management is less critical than teachers working in private institutions. teachers who work in private institutions probably consider that the education system in their institutions needs more attention regarding the management of activities. to establish the degree of collaboration between teachers employed in the same public institution compared to teachers employed in the same private institution, another research is needed to provide additional information. the job obtained type statistically significant differences were obtained (t = 3,03; df = 60; p = 0,004) between participants working for a specified period and participants working for an unestablished time, in terms of opinion about the difficulty of the securitization exam. the average 32 score obtained by participants working for a specified period (m = 5,81; sd = 1,47) was significantly higher than the participants working for an undetermined period (m = 4,55; sd = 1,79). the results obtained in this item indicate the probability that those teachers who work for a certain period believe that the tenure exam is a difficult test. this result is predictable, as it is typical for those employed for a particular time and have obtained results below the level expected at the tenure exam to consider that this is a difficult obstacle to pass. the participants' age the bivariate correlations test was used to observe the correlation between age and research variables, which showed a negative correlation (r = -341; p = 0,007) between the participant's age and perception that the task of completing documents is difficult (table 1). the lower the age was, the greater the perception of difficult completion of documents was identified. the lack of experience and the exercise of completing the documents in the first years of the career determined the younger teachers to perceive this task as difficult. a negative correlation was observed (r = -275; p = 0,030) between the participant's age and the perception that the lack of effective initial pedagogical practice leads to difficulties in the teaching process (table 1). as age decreases, so do the perception that the lack of effective initial pedagogical practice leads to difficulties in the teaching process. in the absence of concrete situations in the teaching process, the lack of effective initial pedagogical practice generates difficulties for the youngest teachers in the teaching process. there was also a negative correlation (r = -271; p = 0.033) between the participant's age and the perception that of all the activities carried out in classes/groups, the mathematical activities 33 have a high degree of difficulty (table 1). the lower the age, the greater the perception that all the activities carried out in classes/groups, the mathematical activities have a high degree of difficulty. probably, the lack of effective initial pedagogical practice and the theoretical and practical lack of mathematical notions determine the perception of younger teachers that mathematical activity is more difficult. there is also a negative correlation (r = -262; p = 0,039) between the participant's age and the fact that they encountered personal difficulties at the beginning of their career (table 1). the lower the age was, the higher the participants' perception that they encountered personal difficulties at the beginning of their career was identified. perhaps, the younger the teachers are, the more difficulties encountered at the beginning of their careers are related to personal aspects, which interfere with the professional difficulties. the research results did not confirm the hypothesis that there are statistically significant differences between teachers working in urban areas and teachers working in rural areas in terms of difficulties encountered in the first years of teaching. the hypothesis was not confirmed that there are statistically significant differences between teachers working in primary education and teachers working in pre-school in terms of difficulties encountered in the early years of teaching. 5. conclusions following the interpretation of the results obtained after applying statistical evidence, the following conclusions were outlined. male teachers tend to approach activities more confidently and make better use of activity management than female teachers. 34 teachers working in public tend to consider that activities' management is less critical than teachers working in private institutions; the second group attaches greater importance to activity management. teachers who are employed for a certain period tend to believe that the tenure exam is a challenging test (they probably got results below the level expected at the tenure exam), more than those who are employed for an unlimited time. the teaching degree does not influence novice teachers' opinions regarding the difficulties encountered at the beginning of the teaching career. both the beginning teachers and those who obtained the final didactic degree had the same opinions about the obstacles encountered, probably due to insufficient time to change their minds. the teachers' workplace does not influence the accommodation at work, both for the urban area and for those from the rural area. the institution's specifics in which the debutants teachers are employed do not induce differences between pre-school education participants and those in primary education. the age variable made negative correlations with several items included in the research, showing that the perception of some items' difficulty also increases to the extent that it is smaller. thus, for a younger age, the task of completing documents is difficult (probably due to lack of experience and exercise), the lack of effective initial pedagogical practice leads to difficulties in the teaching process (in the absence of concrete teaching situations). also, of all the activities carried out in classes/groups, the mathematical activities have a high degree of difficulty (probably due to the lack of effective initial pedagogical practice and the theoretical and practical lack of mathematical notions), and there are more personal difficulties at the beginning of the career 35 (probably several aspects of personal life interfere with professional difficulties). 36 references aydin, i̇. 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(2015). căminul advent. viață și sănătate. wolff, c. e., jarodzka, h., boshuizen, h. p. a. (2020). classroom management scripts: a theoretical model contrasting expert and novice teachers' knowledge and awareness of classroom events. educational psychology review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-020-09542-0 https://doi.org/10.18662/rrem/82 https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2016.1274268 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-020-09542-0 39 tables, figures ang appendices dependent variable (partial values) age filling out documents pearson correlation sig.(2-tailed) n -0,341a 0,007 62 lack of practice pearson correlation sig.(2-tailed) n -0,275a 0,030 62 mathematical activities pearson correlation sig.(2-tailed) n -0,271a 0,033 62 personal difficulties pearson correlation sig.(2-tailed) n -0,262a 0,39 62 table 1correlations 37 eleonora mihaela popa public school, pantelimon nora_popa35@yahoo.com the influence of family climate on the attitude toward school of high school students keywords family climate; surveillance; acceptance; autonomy; conflict; attitude toward school _______________________________________________ abstract in recent years, not only researchers, but also the large public have focused on topics such as family, family relationships, family climate, education in the family and the psychological and social impact of family relationships on children, at various levels of their development. following a series of studies, it has been found that the basis of healthy behaviour and a positive attitude toward life is laid during the first years one spends in the family. at the same time, some experts argue that at the moment children reach adolescence, family members must renegotiate their roles. in this light, the close relationship between parents and children becomes highly important to building one’s individuality. of great importance in developing a child’s identity is his/her perception on 38 his/her family climate and on his/her parents’ educational style. these factors affect everyone’s capacity for self-regulation and selfcontrol. _______________________________________________ 1. review of literature many researchers have studied the problem of the family climate, as well as the students' attitude towards the school. "the scale of educational attitudes" (sea) is a tool for evaluating the opinion of students in school. the different attitude will place students in four categories: disinterested students, interested in having a job, interested in studying and interested in having a profession. those in the first category do not admit the importance of education and therefore do not do their homework, are not interested in anything related to school, are unruly and find school boring. their motivation is extrinsic. those in the second category recognize that it is good to study, to obtain a diploma, but only for the reason of being able to practice a profession, not because they are interested in education. they are performance oriented, have learning skills, but consider many of the school subjects uninteresting. their motivation is both intrinsic but also extrinsic. the third category is the students who like to learn, are interested in many fields of knowledge, do their homework conscientiously and recognize the importance of education and studies. their motivation is intrinsic. the fourth category consists of students who have high levels of motivation and orientation of learning and have set high goals from a professional and academic point of view that they want to achieve. the structural analysis conducted by abu-hilal (2000) shows that the attitude towards school influences achievements, but only indirectly. the aspiration level has a significant direct effect on achievements. 39 holfve-sabel (2006) concludes from his study that the attitude of the students towards school is better than 35 years ago. if in the past the emphasis was put only on theoretical knowledge, at present the emphasis is on the interactional aspects of learning, and children are more interested. the studies conducted by mombourquette (2007) revealed that the school performance of the students was positively correlated with the involvement of parents in the school life of the students. parents need to set expectations for their children, expectations that they can meet. children should not be prevented from taking decisions, taking responsibility, but should be encouraged in these directions. parents need to help their teenage children understand their personality and possibilities, go beyond their limits by, expanding their horizons. being a parent is not just about giving life to a child, but also being willing to offer love, help, encouragement, comfort and support; it means understanding the difference between the child's wishes and his real needs; it means giving time, interaction and support; above all, the availability of understanding, listening and being close. arsene and constantin (2013) define two golden rules of education: the first rule to love the child unconditionally; the second rule to show the child love through deeds. the two researchers identify the following family values: compassion and tolerance, courage, moral integrity, dignity, honesty, friendship, kindness, perseverance, self-discipline, responsibility, patience, promptness, cleanliness, religious belief. parents have the utmost influence on children, determining their behavior and actions in different situations, which is why the model they offer to children is very important. parents need to be genuine, to be a visible match between what they claim to be and what they practice. the authors argue that parents need to be honest with their children, to acknowledge their feelings and limitations. 40 children depend on their parents from birth until late, when they can handle it on their own. the strong bond between the mother and her child develops as an attachment that can be extended throughout life. the feeling of safety, comfort, well-being develops in the child's positive attitudes towards life, towards those around him, so that he becomes more resistant to the factors that generate stress, can manage his emotions much easier and will have a correct image with about oneself and others. effective communication between parents and the child will help the child feel understood, protected and have a sense of belonging. siegel and hartzell (2017) propose three stages of attachment development: alignment, balance and coherence. they suggest that, first of all, it is necessary to give / align the parents' spiritual state with that of the child, after which the child obtains a state of bodily, emotional and mental balance, that will help him to feel integrated and connected. thus the relationship becomes coherent. although most parents love their children, there are times when they behave inappropriately, because, within the parent-child relationship, the unresolved traumas from the parents' childhood can be triggered. in these situations, parents may be dominated by anger, fear, sadness or frustration, and their response to the child's behavior will be inappropriate. parental frustration can cause disorientation, insecurity, and frustration in the child. these behaviors will lead to unhappiness and exhaustion on both sides, and the relationship will become increasingly difficult. often the unresolved traumas and problems are transmitted from one generation to another. the only solution proposed by siegel and hartzell (2017) is acceptance, understanding and solving of past problems. only in this way, the relationship between parents and children will be a healthy one and will produce positive results in each one's life. the attitude of children towards school can be influenced by several factors. one of these, which has a great weight, is the family 41 climate. the warmer the family climate and, the more open it is to the needs of the children, the better the children's attitudes towards the new ones, the challenges and the school will be. defining the keywords the family climate is defined by matheis and adams (2004) as the relationship established between expressivity, cohesion, and conflict within the family. expressiveness refers to the ability of family members to feel free to discuss their feelings openly, cohesion is represented by the factors that make it possible for family members to feel united, and conflict relates to how family members interact at times, of anger and aggression. abu-hilal (2000) defines the attitude towards school as constituting solid and well-organized structures of social beliefs that predispose the individual to think, feel, perceive and behave selectively towards the references or cognitive targets of the attitudes. family climate ionescu and negreanu (2006) define the family as a social group whose members are linked by age, marriage or adoption and who live together, cooperate in economic relations and care for children. the family is the most important environment for socialization and a source of influence for the moral development of adolescents. the family is also the gateway to the outside world, where young people will demonstrate and exercise value judgments developed in the home (white and matawie, 2004). the family is a topic of great interest for researchers from a practical-applicative point of view because it provides information on data, mechanisms and causal determinations due to the small number of members, of the family microcosm (iluț, 2007). several studies on parental roles concluded that the family environment has a major influence on the development of the child. although the mother's iq, language, and behavior are 42 considered to be the defining factors in the development of the child's personality and intelligence, the father's role is also becoming increasingly important and it is considered that no differences should be made regarding the role and influence of each child. on the child (vrasmas, 2008, pg. 39). a study by hofer et al. (2006) showed the beneficial influence of a positive family climate on the development of children's identity. the more the self-image of children grows, the more interest in school be noticed on their part. four parenting styles have been identified: the authoritarian style parents who often restrict and demand obedience rather than listening to children, and who do not on meet the children's needs; permissive style parents who set some restrictions, rules or limits on the behavior of their children; authoritative style parents who are flexible and open to the needs of their children, but also impose reasonable standards of leadership; the negligent style parents who set no boundaries and demand little performance from their children (baumrind, 1971). several questionnaires and tests were developed for the assessment of the family climate. these include the test of selfconscious affect and the family closeness questionnaire (walter and bumaford, 2006). svedin, back and söderback (2002) propose the use of the family climate test questionnaire to assess the family climate. the questionnaire has 85 characteristics, of which the family members choose 15 which they think can be applied. this test is homogeneous due to the four factors of analysis: proximity it includes 18 characteristics, among which harmony, safety and warmth; distance with 11 features, including cold and distance; spontaneity includes six terms that describe the spontaneity and richness of expressing emotions; and chaos it includes six characteristics that describe confusion, anxiety and instability. yip (1998) identifies two types of families: one-parent and twoparent families. one-parent families include families with divorced 43 parents and families with a widowed parent. parents are believed to have difficulty maintaining boundaries for their children. children from such families have reported behavioral problems and other dysfunctions in family and school life. gennetian's (2005) research has shown that the experience of a child without the presence of both biological parents influences the children's future well-being. mixed families, consisting of a natural parent and a step-parent, have several short-term mismatches and connections. hofferth and anderson (2003) conclude that differences between fathers can be verified, in the sense that biology explains the lack of involvement of nonbiological fathers. the different types of family structures experienced during childhood have varied effects on socio-economic achievement and social mobility and are correlated with the dimensions of the parent-child relationship, such as parental values, control and support offered to children. children who do not spend most of their childhood with both biological parents will have lower socioeconomic achievements than the others. the depth of the link between socio-economic origins and destination depends on the family structure (biblarz, raftery and bucur, 1997). the study by ang and goh (2006) reveals that the authoritarian parenting style may have a different cultural significance for asians. to highlight the effects of parenting on children's school attitudes, mchale, rao, and krasnow (2000) demonstrated that students whose mothers reported more frequent and active efforts to promote family integrity were listed as having higher academic skills. than their colleagues. children whose mothers had more conflicts with their husbands were described as students who raise problems and who are more anxious than their peers. children who raise problems have also been associated with mothers whose activities are suppressed by their spouses. 44 kurdek, fine and sinclair, cited by yip (1998), developed a questionnaire to identify the family climate. they identified four types of family climate, described by the following keywords: supervision, acceptance, autonomy and conflict. the first type represents the families that permanently supervise and supervise the activities of the children. the second type is the families where the parents accept and support the children whenever possible. the third type is the families in which parents give their children a high degree of autonomy and confidence. the last type is the families in which conflicts frequently occur. the effects of particular parenting practices on children's relationships with their friends may differ by age and gender (engels et al., 2002). from here it can be assumed that the family climate influences the way children interact with playmates and schoolmates, and the quality of these relationships could play an important role in their interest in school. attitude towards school attitude is the foreshadowing of behavior, a latent psychic variable that determines behavior. it does not represent a momentary disposition, but a stable propensity, a unifying principle of acts of conduct and prefigures the general way of reacting to people, ideas, situations, values (pîrșan, 2011). children's attitudes are very important and affect their psychological status, such as feelings, self-esteem, stable behavior, and educational performance (sa'di, 2001). the attitude towards the school consists of the self-reported interest of the students and of the pleasure towards school and towards courses. studies have shown that young people are more interested in learning. the cognitive attitude of the children towards school demonstrates statistically significant associations with the achievement. students' interest in courses is related to the use of self-regulation strategies and motivation. the attitude of the students in the courses is influenced by the interest towards 45 the course and the perception of the relevance of its future usefulness. negative attitudes toward school can influence school performance (mccoach, 2002). self-confidence is a very important trait, which can determine the response to certain life situations. the child should be encouraged to accept himself as he is, even if he sometimes perceives himself as different from the others. often parents make the mistake of forcing their children to achieve what they, in their turn, have not succeeded. this behavior makes the child an insecure person, who does not know exactly what he wants. even if the child's wishes are different from the parent's, the parent should encourage him or her to carry out the plans he or she proposes. (arsene and constantin, 2013, pg.82-90) it is often said that young students need a special physical and emotional atmosphere. in other words, they need educational facilities, such as audio-visual materials, playgrounds, specially decorated rooms, sports halls, exhibitions and materials for learning tasks and activities. if primary schools provided children with these basic conditions for learning, they might be more attracted to school (sa'di, 2001). most of the time children are influenced by the mood and emotions of the adults. in the classroom, the teacher may be stressed by the disturbing attitudes of certain children. if there are already a few children in the classroom like this, the stress increases; the teacher feels more and more upset, and therefore changes their attitude towards them. on the other hand, the other children feel this attitude of the teacher and transfer it to the turbulent children, behaving negatively way towards them. jennings (2017) argues that sometimes children with behavioural problems become victims of colleagues' prejudices. from the perspective of disturbing children, the problem becomes more serious: they do not understand why everyone rejects them and therefore their behaviour becomes increasingly aggressive. they conclude that they don't like school with everything going on there. 46 research has shown that these children have poorer school outcomes than the other children. (dwyer, osher and warger, 1998, cited in the book above) murphy, ambusaidi and beggs (2006) argue that there are differences in school attitudes of students depending on the geographical location, for example ireland and oman. thus, young irish children prefer all the subjects of learning, while those in oman only half of them. if the irish girls have a more positive attitude, there are slight differences between boys and girls in oman. both irish and oman students prefer experiments and practical work and are more optimistic as they gain experience. several tools have been developed for assessing children's attitudes towards school. the student attitudes toward school safety measures (satssm) was developed as a new tool to accurately assess the attitude of high school students toward school. this instrument has 30 items, operationalized on a likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). satssm can also be adapted for use in middle school and can provide important information about students' attitudes toward research, meditation, and supervision (young et al., 2002). mccoach (2002) developed the "school attitude assessment survey revised" to determine students' attitudes toward school. the questionnaire has 35 items, on a likert scale from 1 to 7, where 1 means "strongly disagree", and 7 represents "strongly agree". the results of the tool highlight the students' self-perception from the academic point of view, the attitude of the students towards the school itself, towards the teachers, the importance given to the goals, the motivation and the self-regulation. to examine the factors associated with the school-related feelings of kindergarten and first-grade children, researchers valeski and stipek (2001) proposed an instrument called feelings about school (fas). it measures children's perceptions of academic competence, their feelings about the teacher and their general attitude toward school. fas has 12 items, operationalized on a 47 likert scale from 1 (not good) to 5 (very good). in general, in kindergarten and the first year of school, the attitude of the children is positive, and their feelings about their relationship with teachers are more positive in the first class, compared to kindergarten. children's perception of their competence is a predictor of their attitude to school. 2. methodology objectives of research this study aimed to study how family climate influences children’s attitude toward school. given the fact that there are different types of families, it can be assumed that each one of them influences in a different way children’s attitude towards school. therefore, the purpose of this research was to identify the type of family climate that positively influences children’s attitudes towards school. this research also aims to highlight the fact that a family climate favourable to the harmonious development of children leads to a positive attitude towards the educational-educational activities and towards life. children living in such families are more open, sociable, more interested in new life, easily face life's challenges, have more self-confidence, are more optimistic and find the necessary emotional, spiritual, and physical support in the family. and intellectual. the representative population taken into the study is made up of students from high school. the population is represented by students from a high school in bucharest. questions of the research there are four independent variables for each of the five hypotheses formulated: the family climate of supervision, the family climate of acceptance, the family climate of trust and the family climate of conflict and a dependent variable, namely: 48 academic self-perception, for the first hypothesis; attitude towards teachers, for the second hypothesis; the attitude towards the school, for the third hypothesis; the value given to the targets, for the fourth hypothesis and the motivation / self-regulation, for the fifth hypothesis. the interest of the specialists regarding the influence of the family environment on the behavioral aspects of the students is increasing. some studies that show that students' attitudes towards school can depend on several factors. following the problem mentioned above, the following hypotheses will be formulated: h1: the family climate of supervision, the family climate of acceptance, the family climate of trust and the family climate of conflict significantly influence the academic self-perception of the high school students. h2: the family climate of supervision, the family climate of acceptance, the family climate of trust and the family climate of conflict significantly influence the attitude towards teachers and courses of the high school students. h3: the family climate of supervision, the family climate of acceptance, the family climate of trust and the family climate of conflict significantly influence the attitude towards the school of the high school students. h4: the family climate of supervision, the family climate of acceptance, the family climate of trust and the family climate of conflict significantly influence the value given to the targets by the high school students. h5: the family climate of supervision, the family climate of acceptance, the family climate of trust and the family climate of conflict significantly influence the capacity of self-regulation and the motivation of the high school students. 49 methodological indications the present research was a quantitative, cross-sectional study. to ascertain the relationship between the family climate and the attitude towards the school of the children, the tools described below were used. both questionnaires were initially rated on a likert scale from 1 to 7. to determine the family climate was used the "family climate inventory", developed by kurdek, fine and sinclair and adapted for the romanian language. the questionnaire determines four types of family climate, in which the children have: supervision, acceptance, autonomy and conflict. each category corresponds to six items, on a likert scale from 1 to 6, defined as follows: 1 strongly disagree, 2 disagree, 3 partially disagree, 4 partially agree, 5 agree, 6 strongly agree. questions 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21 highlights how subjects perceive the level of control and monitoring they have in the family. a high score indicates a high degree of supervision that the family exercises over the subjects. questions 2, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22 highlight the subjects' perception of the level of warmth and support they receive from the family. a high score indicates a high degree of acceptance from the family. questions 3, 7, 11, 15, 19, 23 assess how subjects perceive the extent to which they were allowed to make decisions and were encouraged to trust their family. a high score shows a high level of family trust. questions 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 highlights how subjects perceive the level of conflict and disorder in their families. achieving a high score shows a high level of family conflict. to determine the attitude towards school was used "school attitude assessment survey revised", elaborated and validated by mccoach (2002), adapted for the romanian language. this questionnaire consists of 35 items, on a likert scale from 1 to 6, as follows: 1 strongly disagree, 2 disagree, 3 slightly disagree, 4 easily agree, 5 agree, 6 strongly disagree agreement. 50 the questionnaires used are "family climat inventory", for the identification of the family climate and "school attitude assessment survey revised", for the identification of the students’s attitude towards school. after administering the two tests, the results were correlated and analyzed in the spss data operating system. 3. research results the statistical analysis showed that, in general, the predominant family climate is the one of acceptance, and in the families with girls the climate of supervision predominates, whereas in the families with boys the climate of trust predominates. on the other hand, the scores of the family climate increase as students move to a higher class. from the perspective of the family status, the variation of the scores of the family climate is not significant for the trusted family climate and the family climate of conflict. in contrast, the family climate of supervision is most commonly encountered in single-parent families, that is, where the parents are either separated, divorced or deceased. on the other hand, in the two-parent families a climate of acceptance prevails. singleparent families predominantly exhibit a surveillance climate. most families are those in which there is a climate of acceptance (74.8%), distributed relatively evenly between the families of boys and girls. the second place is the family climate of supervision (9.7%), present more in the families of girls than of boys. in the third place is the climate of confidence (5.9%), which is more common in families with boys than in girls with girls. only two families reported a conflict climate, and these are boys and represent 0.8%. it can be concluded that the most common family climate is that of acceptance. the statistical analyses carried out in this study showed that the attitude towards the school of the high school students varies according to the demographic factors: gender and family status. so, girls generally have a better attitude towards school than boys. 51 analyzing the results obtained from the correlation of the four types of family climate with the five aspects of the attitude of the students towards the school, these being the main variables of the study, it was found that all the five hypotheses of the research were accepted, so the family climate of supervision, the family climate of acceptance, the family climate of trust and the family climate of conflict significantly influence the five aspects of the attitude towards the school: academic self-perception, attitude towards teachers, attitude towards school, the value given to the targets and the degree of motivation / self-regulation. 4. conclusions 1. the family climate of trust significantly influences the academic self-perception of high school students. 2. the family climate of supervision and the family climate of conflict significantly influence the attitude towards teachers and courses of high school students. 3. the family climate of supervision significantly influences the attitude towards the school of high school students. 4. the family climate of supervision and the family climate of acceptance significantly influence the value given to the targets by high school students. 5. the family climate of supervision and the family climate of acceptance significantly influence the motivation and selfregulation of the high school students. reference abu-hilal, m. m. 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(2002). development of the student attitudes toward school safety measures (satssm) instrument. journal of school health, 72(3), 107-114. doi:10.1111/j.1746-1561.2002.tb06526.x 85 bunduc (checheriţă) ada tamara student at the master program pre-primary education development policies and strategies bunduc.ada@gmail.com the present research aims to see to what extent the impact of grandparents on grandchildren influences their creativity. moreover, we try to see if there are major differences between the permanent or sporadic relationships between grandparents and grandchildren. emotional intelligence is a powerful "weapon" in the modern age to educate children, and that's why we wanted to see if it is overwhelmed by the excessive presence of grandparents in the life of grandchildren or by their lack of presence in their lives. for this we have researched many other documents on this topic and we applied a test to grandchildren interpreting results according to some variables. the overall results look gratifying. we also analyze results which directly a ect the two mental processes that we have in mind: creativity and emotional intelligence. ff the impact of grandparents grandchildren relationships on creativity and emotional intelligence keywords intelligence, creativity, emotional intelligence, grandchildren, grandparents abstract 86 1. review of literature there are many researches based on the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren. looking at the whole, this relationship is a special and useful one. but there are some issues that cast doubt on the permanent relationships between them. we try to find arguments to affirm or refute whether the permanent relationships between grandparents and grandchildren are beneficial. do they influence emotional intelligence or creativity? do some of the grandparents' family environment permanently care? a descriptive study of 17 grandparents who cared for their grandchildren over a long period (about one to nine years), even if they lived in their own home, the grandparents said that their lives had changed orb & davey, 2005). general feelings are those of continuous stress, energy consumption, the constant need for support from others, and financial difficulties. in view of these frustrations, grandparents see it as a means of educating by punishment beating. forthun & ferrer-chancy & falcone (2013) provide material that provides grandparents' information on grandchildren's discipline. grandparents are generally tempted to apply a beating because of disobedience. any punishment, ranging from bickering to threatening, does not help grandchildren to understand the wrong behavior, they say. grandparents should turn to natural and logical consequences. even if grandparents care for grandchildren are objective: abandonment, death or divorce, they do not provide a friendlier environment for the grandchildren concerned (orb & davey, 2005). they tended to be more common and grandparents were to be taught more and more children to grow (pinson-millburn & fabian & schlossberg & pyle, 1996) and this proved to be true. there are no significant differences between maternal grandparents and paternal grandparents in their involvement on grandchildren (smorti & tschiesner & farneti, 2012), no matter the age. in the same research there are significant 87 differences in the way activities are carried out. grandmothers engaged more in linguistic activities and grandfathers in more physical and sports activities. in compressing three british studies, whing chan & boliver (2013) shows that there is a significant association between the social classes of grandparents and their grandchildren. another area where grandparents leave a strong impression is the spiritual realm (allen & oschwald, 2008) where, through prayer, the relationship with divinity and example gives their grandchildren a christian perspective. deprez (2017) points to several roles of grandparents to strengthen the relationship with grandchildren: prayer, stories and narrate, and most importantly, the unique and individual role of grandparents. their involvement outside the family life of children. in various researches we have tried to observe whether grandparents have an equally strong influence and courage on creativity or emotional intelligence. one of the tests commonly used in measuring creativity is the torrence test. golu f. (2009) describes the creative thinking test, torrance as a figurative one that can be applied between ages 6-18. it is based on the concepts of creative thinking that the examiner needs to master: the originality, fluidity, flexibility and elaboration. there may be many variables that show significant differences in their application. the most common are gender differentiation. these have been sustained since the 1990s. advanced research in this area has supported the existence of gender differences at cognitive level (gurian 2001). early, a synthesis of all case studies where maccoby & jacklin (1947) found three cognitive abilities with significant differences between male and female genes: verbal abilities, mathematical and visual-space abilities. there are also many researchers who focus on the links between creativity and student activity. the test mentioned above was used in one of the researches alongside the "test of early 88 mathematics ability" on a sample of 80 children aged six years in the city of ankara. research (baran & erdogan & çakmak, 2011) sought to validate the relationship between creativity and mathematical ability that turned out to be null. on the other hand, children's creativity scores differ significantly in sex. the same test (torrance) was applied to a sample of 60 children aged between five and seven years in the city of bucharest, but there are no statistically significant differences depending on the sex of preschoolers (personal research in paper license, 2016). there were differences in the scores obtained according to the occupation of the parents and the type of family from which the children who were subjected to the test. there is a cultural difference in these two examples. a nationwide study in the republic of korea (kyung-hwa, 2005) with a sample of approximately 1,000 children aged four to five years is conducting a research where the correlation between creative thinking and personality is observed. kyunk demonstrates that, depending on the sex of students, there are significant differences in language and arts at the level of creative thinking. girls get a better percentage than boys from a statistical point of view. however, there are no significant differences in achieving the creative personality results. however, there have been significant differences in age; both in creative thinking and in personality. chan (2005) publishes a study of a sample of over 200 talented pupils between fifth and high school (divided into two categories around 9 years and around 18), where it compares creativity, perception of family and emotional intelligence through anonymous questionnaires. significant differences were observed in their perception of the family. students in the low age category feel more support from the family than other students. emotional intelligence, on the other hand, achieved similar results in both age groups. this, in turn, plays a very important role in personal development and academic growth. later, at the age of 89 adolescence, it is demonstrated that women dominate to a greater extent emotion than men (fid a& ghaffar & zaman & satti, 2018). research has dismantled over the limit that there are close ties between grandparents and grandchildren. these can be useful or can destroy both groups of people both grandparents and grandchildren. 2. methodology this research is descriptive, combining both qualitative and quantitative elements. the qualitative elements will have the role of directing and directing the meaning of the quantitative elements. during the process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting data, both analysis and evaluation criticisms will be presented. objectives this research aims to observe how big the influence of grandparents at grandchildren on cognitive thinking is. 1. observing the grandchild-grandparent relationship and her influence on creativity. 2. studying the grandparent grandchild relationship and her influence on emotional intelligence. hypotheses 1. there are statistically significant differences in the scores obtained in the creativity test, depending on the sex of preschoolers. 2. there are statistically significant differences in the scores obtained in the creativity test based on the number of brothers. 3. there are statistically significant differences in the scores obtained in the creativity test by type of family. 90 4. there are statistically significant differences in the scores obtained in the creativity test based on the presence of grandparents. variables the gender, the number of brothers, the type of family and the presence of grandparents are the variables that are considered in this research in obtaining the scores for the creativity test. methods we applied the torrance creativity test. it is based on the concepts of creative thinking that must be very well mastered by the examiner with the following notions: 1. originality indicates the integration of various elements into the "same perceptual field", the ability to produce ideas with meanings different from those in the usual sense; 2. fluidity the ease and speed of association between images, the ability to produce many words and ideas; 3. flexibility reorganizing ideas based on emerging situations, the ability to produce different categories of ideas, changing one category with another using images or words, the ability to use different strategies; 4. development concrete realization of the innovative, original idea, the ability to combine and transform the data. the torrance test, in his figural activity, comprises four activities: task i eight figures are represented, and the child's task is to imagine as many things as the figures can represent. task ii there is a list of pairs of words for which there are as many as possible resemblances. the children also received pictures suggestive of those pairs. task iii interpretations and meanings for schematic drawings. 91 task v in the first part of the sample, the child will list all the round objects he thinks of and in the second part all the objects that produce noise. for each party he has 3 minutes of thinking. this test allows the metering of certain creative features that can provide us with information about creative potential. a second method used in conducting research is the questionnaire survey. this plays a rather important role given the collected data underlying evidence for children later. with this method, parents’ and grandparents' involvement in the child's life will be assessed, the date on parental occupation and their monthly income, the type of family they are born and the number of brothers. tests statistic we applied test t for a sample or one-sample t test in our research to track the comparison of two independent samples. check it out if there is a significant difference between the average value per sample and specified a priori by the researcher. and we applied anova one-way to represent the testing of the differences between the media of three or more independent groups. population the batch on which we applied the creativity test consists of 61 children aged between seven and ten years old from the town of pantelimon, romania. 3. results in this study conducted with children in primary classes, a significant difference was found on the creativity scores regarding the presence of grandparents, we will come back with details, and no significant gender differences. 92 based on the results obtained, it was found that there are no statistically significant differences depending on the gender variable in terms of creativity [f (1,60) = 0,059, p > 0,05] (table 1). depending on the type of family, significant scores were recorded in the total scores of items two and five and the total final scores. based on the results obtained, it was found that there are statistically significant differences according to the type of family variable in terms of creativity [ f (1,60) = 4,453, p < 0,05] (table 2). to verify the maintenance of the three types of families if there are significant differences we applied the bonferroni post hoc t. the results revealed the existence of significant differences between the type of married families and the type of families living in concubinage bonferroni = 12,111, p < 0,05, r = 0,33 (table 3). the differences on brethren appear in two of the items of the proposed test for research. based on the results obtained, it was found that there are statistically differences according to the brethren variable in terms of creativity [ (1,60) = 3,709, p < 0,05 (table 4). to verify the maintenance of the three types of category of brethren if there are significant differences, we applied the bonferroni post hoc t. the results revealed the existence of significant differences between child alone in family and child with one brother in family bonferroni = 0,667 p < 0,05, r = 0,03 (table 5). and not in the last round, as i have already mentioned, we have returned to the influence of grandparents in the cognitive thinking of children. in this case, almost all the items have p < 0,05 and curiously even p < 0,01. based on the results obtained, we have statistically significant differences to the influence of grandparents (table 6). to the variable "grandparents" most items that have p </= 0.05 shows a percentage p < 0,01 and the rest p < 0,05. 93 to verify the maintenance of the three types of categories of grandparents if there are significant differences, we applied the bonferroni post hoc t (table 7). the results revealed the existence of significant differences between the grandparents who only spend time on holidays and grandparents who spent time every day, bonferroni t = 5,58 ( = 20,333/ 3,638), p = 0,000 and also between grandparents who spend time every day with their grandchildren and grandparents who don’t spend never time with them, bonferroni t = 3,37 ( = 30,333/ 6,019), p = 0,008. 4. discussion we have noticed through the interpretation of the results that there are significant differences depending on some of the variables we have considered. the null hypothesis in this case depends on the type of preschool children where there were no statistically significant differences. in contrast, in the case of the others, there are statistically significant differences from which we deduce that the creative potential is influenced by certain factors. the results obtained by type of family clearly show that the pupil is more creative when he comes from a normal family with married parents. the significant difference in this case occurs between married parents and partners who live in concubinage. studies show that long-term instability created in the family generates negative effects on children. marriage itself makes partners aware of their matrimony, the responsibility they have in society, and the mutual respect they have. if parents are married, the pregnancy are planned at 75% compared to cohabiting partners where the percentage is below 50% (family alliance, 2010). it is now understood the strong impact that the child feels from all the many factors present in a family where the parents cohabit. 94 we still wondered if the number of brethren influenced in some way creativity. well, the results show that a single pupil at parents is less creative than a pupil who has a brother or a sister. we can certainly remember the mistakes we made with our younger brothers or older brothers or cousins if we were alone with our parents. cognitive intelligence is practiced, creativity is stimulated, and mind trained when children spend time together. in today's reality, sad in patches, many parents do not have enough time for their child. they suppose that the excess work it suits is for the good of the children, but they do not notice how the time runs through their fingers and lose the essence and the joy of a parent-child relationship. in such cases, the presence of a brother or sister helps enormously to balance the emotional intelligence, cognitive thinking. the interest of the work is found in the last variable that we will discuss, however, the main link in the present research. also because of lack of time, because this is the number one contemporary enemy, many children are raised by grandparents, even living with them. even though it is not so, more and more grandparents take over the primary functions of parents and assimilate them. this research shows that this category of grandparents negatively affects children's creativity. besides being indirectly affected by this situation, studies show that grandparents' families are severely affected. nobody disputes the importance of grandparents in the lives of grandchildren, but as a result of research we find that ideal for grandchildren is time spent on holidays. time spent together with grandparents affects them cognitively much worse than if they did not spend time with them. so, the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren influences their creativity to a great extent. the generations are different, the needs are different, and the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren, a special relationship at the base, becomes a drudgery. 95 5. conclusion creativity is an important value in student development. it must be stimulated and exploited to the maximum. there are numerous researches that address stimulating methods to develop creativity. a lot of research that emphasizes the practical side. we have tried to see if there are factors in the family environment that put a barrier to the development of creativity or on the contrary it helps to develop it. there are many minor aspects at first appearance and do not give us concrete reasons to worry, but in the long run they can be decisive. if we are referring to education, to shaping personality and values, it is said that the most important years of life are the first seven. creativity is also stimulated or not during this time, involuntarily. emotional intelligence on the other hand is well anchored in the child's genetics. this is cultivated "by the way adults around the child know to adequately stimulate the child's emotional, communication and social skills development," says psychologist bologan (2018). the results of our research show that the number of brothers has a positive impact on cognitive thinking. at least one brother elevates significantly creative results in completing the torrance test by students. in such cases, we speak less of selfishness and indulgence. the familiar environment is balanced, and emotional intelligence is educated in a healthy way. recent studies indicate more and more cases where parents find technology the best way to keep children busy when they do not have time for them. this is a solution: brothers can discover the world together, play and explore the environment. creativity is no longer blocked by a screen where the images move fast and remains captive for tens of minutes but is well anchored in reality. to the question "how can emotional intelligence be educated?" the answer is a short and concrete answer: the family. 96 within the family, parents need to express their emotional states that they feel. it is very important for children that what parents verbalize to be true. an affirmation of discordance with real feelings leads the child in error and can generate frustration (goleman, 2001). therefore, a relationship between honest partners is often completed by marriage. as we have also pointed out our research results according to family type, concubinage decreases the creative potential, as expected. very few times feelings and emotions are authentic in the case of cohabiting partners. a transparent and trustworthy relationship comes to be formalized. in conclusion i would like to focus on grandparents and their relationship with their grandchildren. the relationship between them is a special one and it really matters, but it must be treated with great responsibility. grandparents share their part in the family life of children and need some boundaries. for the child's emotional intelligence not to be contradicted and the education in this sense to be correctly perceived by the child, grandparents should keep their place in the relationship with them, namely in holidays, when children spend time to relax. this would not be possible if grandparents were permanently present in children's lives. mentalities are different and inevitably there are contradictions between what is good or not. as we are created, equal in the eyes of the creator, there are no significant differences between the pupils' genre. they can grow harmoniously, be creative, and excel in a loving family where sincere feelings predominate, and parents place their children's first education without placing them in grandparents' families in "lack of time". 97 reference: golu, f. 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(2011). a study on the relationship between six-year-old children’s creativity and mathematical ability, international education studies. 4(1), 105-111. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ej1066375.pdf chan, d.w. (2005). self-perceived creativity, family hardiness, and emotional intelligence of chinese gifted students in hong kong. the journal of secondary gifted education. xvi(2/3), 4756. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ej698315.pdf fida, a., ghaffar, a, zaman, a., satti, a.n. (2018). gender comparison of emotional intelligence of university students. the journal of education and education development. 5(1), 172-187. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ej1180616.pdf forthun, l., ferrer-chancy, m., falcone, a. (l.r. 2013). grandparents raising grandchildren: guidance and discipline. 98 university of florida, ifas extension. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/fy/fy42900.pdf smorti, m., tschiesner, r., farneti, a. 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(2008). the spiritual influence of grandparents. the society of professors in christian education (spce). https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/073989131701400110 deprez, m., d., (2017). the role of grandparents in shaping faith formation of grandchildren: a case study. christian education study. 3(14), 109-127. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/07398913170140 0110 http://www.alianta-familiilor.ro/ https://www.reginamaria.ro/ 99 table 1 anova total results by gender * p>0,05. table 2 anova results by type of family anova sum of squares df mean square f sig. p2.tot between groups 220,387 2 110,194 4,593 ,014 within groups 1391,613 58 23,993 total 1612,000 60 p5.tot between groups 69,272 2 34,636 3,454 ,038 within groups 581,581 58 10,027 total 650,852 60 total between groups 1416,018 2 708,009 4,453 ,016 within groups 9222,540 58 159,009 total 10638,557 60 * p<0,05. total between groups 10,179 1 10,179 ,057 ,813 within groups 10628,378 59 180,142 total 10638,557 60 100 table 3 bonferroni post hoc t – type of family total married divorced 9,159 5,123 ,237 concubinage 12,111* 4,604 ,033 * p <0,05. table 4 anova results by brethren p1.it6 between groups 4,201 2 2,100 3,709 ,031 within groups 32,848 58 ,566 total 37,049 60 p1.it8 between groups 2,701 2 1,350 3,324 ,043 within groups 23,562 58 ,406 total 26,262 60 * p <0,05. table 5 bonferroni post hoc t –brethren p1.it6 single 1 brother ,667* ,257 ,036 ,03 2 brothers ,727 ,321 ,082 -,06 1 brother single -,667* ,257 ,036 -1,30 2 brothers ,061 ,257 1,000 -,57 2 brothers single -,727 ,321 ,082 -1,52 1 brother -,061 ,257 1,000 -,69 * p <0,05. 101 table 6 anova results by grandparents anova sum of squares df mean square f sig. p1.it 1 between groups 9,451 3 3,150 3,765 ,016 within groups 47,696 57 ,837 total 57,148 60 p1.it 2 between groups 7,318 3 2,439 5,859 ,001 within groups 23,731 57 ,416 total 31,049 60 p1.it 3 between groups 6,860 3 2,287 4,463 ,007 within groups 29,205 57 ,512 total 36,066 60 p1.it 5 between groups 7,722 3 2,574 3,930 ,013 within groups 37,328 57 ,655 total 45,049 60 p1.it 6 between groups 5,144 3 1,715 3,064 ,035 102 within groups 31,905 57 ,560 total 37,049 60 p1.it 8 between groups 3,384 3 1,128 2,810 ,047 within groups 22,878 57 ,401 total 26,262 60 p1.t ot between groups 321,959 3 107,320 3,940 ,013 within groups 1552,729 57 27,241 total 1874,689 60 p2.it 1 between groups 12,084 3 4,028 8,881 ,000 within groups 25,851 57 ,454 total 37,934 60 p2.it 2 between groups 13,542 3 4,514 11,35 8 ,000 within groups 22,655 57 ,397 total 36,197 60 p2.it 3 between groups 12,752 3 4,251 10,96 2 ,000 within groups 22,101 57 ,388 total 34,852 60 p2.it 4 between groups 7,521 3 2,507 8,813 ,000 103 within groups 16,216 57 ,284 total 23,738 60 p2.it 5 between groups 7,571 3 2,524 7,834 ,000 within groups 18,363 57 ,322 total 25,934 60 p2.it 6 between groups 8,498 3 2,833 7,894 ,000 within groups 20,453 57 ,359 total 28,951 60 p2.it 7 between groups 15,135 3 5,045 13,82 6 ,000 within groups 20,799 57 ,365 total 35,934 60 p2.it 8 between groups 12,478 3 4,159 11,01 6 ,000 within groups 21,522 57 ,378 total 34,000 60 p2.t ot p5.it. 1 between groups 690,707 3 230,236 14,24 5 ,000 within groups 921,293 57 16,163 total 1612,000 60 between groups 66,883 3 22,294 11,68 1 ,000 104 p5.it 2 p5.t ot tot al within groups 108,789 57 1,909 total 175,672 60 between groups 42,045 3 14,015 3,709 ,017 within groups 215,365 57 3,778 total 257,410 60 between groups 213,803 3 71,268 9,295 ,000 within groups 437,049 57 7,668 total 650,852 60 between groups 4444,101 3 1481,367 13,63 1 ,000 within groups 6194,456 57 108,675 total 10638,55 7 60 * p <0,05. ** p < 0,01 105 table 7 bonferroni post hoc t –grandparents total holidays frequently 14105 3,146 ,000 5,50 22,71 permanent 20.333 3,638 ,000 10,39 30,28 never .000 5,599 1,000 -15,30 15,30 frequently holidays -14,105 3,146 ,000 -22,71 -5,50 permanent 6,228 3,844 ,664 -4,28 16,74 never -14,105 5,735 ,102 -29,78 1,57 permanent holidays -20,333 3,638 ,000 -30,28 -10,39 frequently -6,228 3,844 ,664 -16,74 4,28 never -20.333 6,019 ,008 -36,79 -3,88 never holidays -000 5,599 1,000 -15,30 15,30 frequently 14,104 5,735 ,102 -1,57 29,78 permanent 20.333 6,019 ,008 3,88 36,79 * p <0,05. ** p < 0,01 26 eliza spătărelu adventus university eliza.spatarelu@uadventus.ro student satisfaction, teaching practicum and academic achievement keywords student satisfaction, academic achievement, teaching practicum _______________________________________________ abstract this research analyses the satisfaction of adventus university students, taking into account several classes of dependent variables linked to the academic results and how pedagogical practice is executed. significant statistical differences have been identified for gender, year of graduation and place of pedagogical practice regarding different types of academic results. several qualitative elements were added to the quantitative analysis to complement the scoreboard and the information obtained. the results obtained provide a solid basis for further research in this area, especially for identifying all factors directly related to the satisfaction of students enrolled at adventus university, at the study program pedagogy of primary and preschool education. _______________________________________________ 1. review of literature it has been noticed a permanent pursuit of improving the quality 27 of the services given by the national educational system. there are serious questions regarding the training quality of the new graduates, and regarding their ability of rapid adaptation to a didactic profession. colleges and universities, as guiding institutions, are making their mark on the direction of the progress of the national educational system, through the new graduates that they are sending in the labour market. the graduates would either bring with them an increase in the quality or would concur to its defacement. on the other hand, every educational system has certain mechanisms of protection against the infusion of large quantities of incongruous elements. if the student’s training was found as poor and lacking, the integration into the labour market would be delayed by the low grades got in the main exams that give the access to a didactic profession. if their training was covering their immediate needs, then their abortion in the system would be fast and their accommodation, accelerated. searching for the actual level of quality in the educational services provided by a certain program or specialization is an essential stage towards the ongoing strategies of quality improvement. the more accurate of reality is being portrayed, the better the adjustments are made in order fill their immediate needs. a study in poland (sojkin, bartkowiak and skuza, 2012) on choices and student satisfaction reveals that the two variables interact in the context of other extremely important variables: the age and the type of students. older students who work while studying perceive tertiary studies as important help in advancing in their future career and clarifying essential changes to clarify their professional identity. women who continue their studies tend to seriously consider the prospect of family and lifestyle in making decisions, while men are more pragmatic and career-oriented. 28 brown and mazzarol (2009) are conducting a study in australian universities to observe the importance of the institution’s image for student satisfaction and his loyalty to the institution he is enrolled in. their findings indicate that student loyalty is strongly correlated with student satisfaction, which in turn is determined by the public image of the university. the institutional impact of the faculty’s image is of major importance in this equation. in 2018, research was conducted in thirteen riau universities to observe the influence of the quality of educational services on student satisfaction and loyalty. the results indicated a positive influence of students’ satisfaction on their loyalty, but no remarkable influences of the quality of services offered on students' loyalty were revealed (chandra, ng, chandra & priyono, 1018). o'donovan's research (2017) in the uk focuses on how the student's beliefs about knowing and knowledge influences his satisfaction with the evaluation. the student's outlook on evaluation and feed-back was analysed on the basis of a thematic analysis of student responses, considering the two main categories of beliefs: absolute / dualist vs. contextual / pluralist. it is desired to highlight the implications these two visions have on students' satisfaction with the evaluation in the context of increasing the guidelines of universities towards marketing strategy development strategies. the results demonstrate that students' perspective on satisfaction, assessment and feedback is strongly intertwined with their views on knowledge and teaching. students with absolute / dualist beliefs consider clear and unambiguous assessments, with well-established criteria as acceptable. only students who have contextual / pluralist beliefs are satisfied with evaluations that tend to overcome the practice of establishing rigid criteria, demonstrating theories, or establishing measurable facts. sockalingam (2012) proposes an assessment of student satisfaction using a mission-oriented approach. it is based on the idea that satisfaction with academic services must be measured 29 using the declared mission of the university and its vision and not a set of identical standards for all institutions. since the vision and mission of each institution are unique, the student satisfaction assessment tools must be customized for each university. in 2008, lim, kim, chen and ryder conducted an empirical investigation into students' academic outcomes and their satisfaction in different learning contexts. the results of this investigation indicate that students who were part of online learning groups and those who were part of combined learning groups had statistically significant higher levels than those in the traditional learning group. a welldesigned online course is very important for increasing the level of student satisfaction. furthermore, it contributes to student retention, an indicator used to measure the effectiveness of a faculty (howell & buck, 2012). identifying the differences between caucasian and noncaucasian students in terms of perception of faculty diversity and satisfaction with this diversity was the subject of a us study in universities where caucasian students predominate. their perception, in contrast to that of non-caucasian students, is that faculty respects diversity among students. the latter believe that diversity contributes to improving their educational experiences, but, in contrast to the former, it does not consider welcoming the fact that the department is run by the caucasians (lee, 2010). in regards to teaching practicum martinez, miralles & cabezas (2019), argues the need to establish hybrid spaces in which the relationship between theory and practice can be improved. initial teacher training is necessary to integrate these spaces through effective reflection and dialogue among all participants in the training. 30 2. methodology objectives for this research there have been established the following objectives: the evaluation of the institution’s capability of training qualified personnel for an easy\fast integration into the labour market. the identification of the students’ level of satisfaction regarding the educational services provided by the pursued study programme. the analysis of the suggestions given by the fresh outs in order to improve the quality of education provided by adventus university. hypotheses of quantitative research: there are significant statistically differences between the academic achievement, results for teacher tenure exam and the students’ level of satisfaction, depending on the year of the graduation. there are significant differences statistically between the grades achieved at the finals, results for teacher tenure exam and the students’ level of satisfaction, depending on the graduates’ gender. there are significant differences between the grades achieved at the finals, results for teacher tenure exam and the students’ level of satisfaction, depending on the place of conducting the pedagogical teachings. the level of prediction held by graduation grades on the results of teacher tenure exam is extremely high. hypotheses of the qualitative research: what is the graduates’ perception regarding different specific aspects related to the quality of the educational act? 31 what are the suggestions given by the graduates in order of improving the quality of the services provided by adventus university? variables taking into consideration the context previously depicted, this research tries to capture/investigate the impact that institution has on the education labour market, by assessing the capacity of providing high-quality human resources and the general improvement of the quality in romanian education system. besides this crucial aspect depicted by influence at the level of an educational system, we will also take into consideration the influence at the individual level, accounted for by focussing on the recipient and on the educational institution’s capacity of meeting the expectations and the needs of the primary recipients: students and graduates. the level of satisfaction points to the student’s perception over the institution’s ability of providing high quality education. the graduates’ level of satisfaction may be considered as a good quality subjective variable, considering the reality of every participant in the research as differently perceived at the root of this. every record is influenced by the individual’s personality, expectations, ideals, life experience and capacity of analysing the reality in a proper way. the subjective elements of this variable are in perfect balance with the objective elements of the graduates’ insertion in the labour market variable. the first one provides information concerning the internal reasons that motivates an individual’s choices, whereas the second one provides information concerning the labour market and the graduate’s ability of fast integration. this information is highly relevant in the context of the necessity of establishing good connections between the needs the job market and the provider of educational services institution’s 32 capability to train good quality human resource able of fast integration. in order to define the integration into the labour market variable, a number of indicators have been taken into account: the grade obtained at teacher tenure exam (exam that allows the graduate the access on the labour market) and gpa\average grade of the graduation (which allows the graduate to enter to teacher tenure exam). the graduate’s level of satisfaction regarding the received educational services will be assessed both by quantitative (giving a grade that would be taken as the level of satisfaction) and qualitative means (provision of suggestions, opinions, additional info). methods and tools the evaluation of the quality of educational services provided by adventus university (teacher programme) through discovering the level of satisfaction felt by the university’s graduates from the last two years, and their insertion grade on the labour market. the method used for investigation the students’ group was questionnaire-based inquiry. the questionnaire was submitted online and has been composed of early mentioned variables and hypotheses and includes both close-ended questions, which will be used for the quantitative research and open-ended questions, which will be analysed in the qualitative research. the questionnaire was developed in google docs and was sent via internet to every graduate from the last two years and about one third didn’t fill in the questionnaire. population around 40% of the subjects of research graduated in 2017, 20% less than those who graduated in 2016. their age range between 21 and 46 years-old, with two well represented age groups: 22-25 33 years old and 40-45 years old. if the representation in the first and the most studency-specific age group is taken as normaly, the representation from the second age group can be interpreted considering its associated phenomena: vocational retraining, further learning, late qualifications etc. although for centuries males were usually associated with teaching professions, at this moment, the majority of teaching jobs are occupied by women, especially in the pre-primary and primary education. less than 6% of the last two years’ graduates are men. around 80% of the last two years’ graduates have already been integrated in the labour market, in the field they were trained for, 14% of them are currently working in other fields, and about 5% of the graduates haven’t found a job yet. the graduates that are working in an area other than the studied ones have pointed the upcoming reasons: not taking part in the teacher tenure exam, continuing the school education, and others. the graduates that don’t currently have a job pointed one single reason: maternity leave. approximately 57% of the graduates are currently working in primary education. because of its non-mandatory value, the preprimary education provides less employment compared to the primary education. another plausible theory might be the threeyear arrangement of pre-primary education system, meanwhile the primary education system is a five-year plan. the lowest gpa, according to the info shared by the subjects, was 7. approximately 40% of the graduates have a gpa between 9 and 10. only 20% reported a lower gpa than 8. regarding the grades obtained at teacher tenure exam, things are slightly different. since this difficult exam embodies a national competition for the jobs available in the educational system, the grades are acquired as a result of a much thorough examination, compared to the final exams. only one individual reported a grade lower than 5, the lowest grade that allows the graduate to have a job in the 34 educational system for a certain period of time. there is also a maximal grade and two intervals where majority of grades are concentrated: around grade 6 and grade 9. every graduate student was asked to pick a figure between 1 and 7 reflecting the level of their satisfaction concerning the educational services provided by adventus university (ua), the majority give a maximal grade. around 15% of the last two years’ graduates have already got their masters’ degree. another 17% are enrolled in a master’s program. less than 20% haven’t made a decision regarding further studies yet, and the rest, around 50%, are hoping to enrol in a master’s degree in the not-too-distant future. the majority of graduates have stated an attendance of 20 courses per semester, the main reason of non-attendance being their busy work schedule. so, for this reason, more than half of the graduates did their pedagogical practicum on their own. 3. results influence of the year of graduation these are the results from the student’s t-test for independent samples: • there are found significant differences for the graduation grade according to year of graduation: t(29) = 2,78, p = 0,01. the grades acquired by the 2016’s graduates were significantly higher (m = 8,92, md = 0,75) than grades acquired by 2017’s graduates (m = 8,17). • there’s significant differences on the grade obtained at teacher tenure exam, according to the year of graduation: t(17) = 2,19, p = 0,04. the grades obtained by 2016’s graduates were significantly higher (m = 8,19, md = 1,60) than 2017’s graduates’ grades (m = 6,59). 35 • there are no significant differences in the graduates’ level of satisfaction on the ua’s educational services depending on year of graduation: t(30) = 0,51, p = 0,51. the level of satisfaction stated by 2016’s graduates wasn’t significantly higher (m = 6,15, md = 0,23) than the 2017’s graduates (m = 5,92). gender’s influence these are the results from student’s t-test application on independent samples: • there are significant differences on the graduation’s grade depending on graduates’ gender: t(29) = 6,28, p < 0,01. the grades got by males were significantly higher (m = 9,57, md = 1,06) than females’ grades (m = 8,51). • there are no significant differences on the grade taken at teacher tenure exam: t(17) = 0,57, p = 0,58. grades got by males weren’t significantly higher (m = 8,50, md = 1,04) than females’ grades (m = 7,46). • there are no significant differences on the level of satisfaction depending on the graduates’ gender: t(30) = 0,51, p = 0,58. the level of satisfaction stated by males wasn’t significantly higher (m = 6,50, md = 0,62) than the level of satisfaction stated by females (m = 6,03). the pedagogical practice place’s influence these are the results found after applying student’s t-test on independent samples: • there are no significant differences regarding the pedagogical practice depending on graduation’s grade: t(28) = -1,51, p = 0,14. the grades acquired by the graduates who did the practice on their own weren’t significantly different (m = 8,43, md = -0,45) from the grades acquired by graduates who did their practice in an 36 organized group (m = 8,89). • there are significant differences at teacher tenure exam grade depending on where the pedagogical practice took place: t(17) = -2,76, p = 0,01. grades acquired by graduates who did pedagogical practice on their own were significantly lower (m = 6,70, md = -1,94) than the grades acquired by graduates who did their practice in an organized group (m = 8,64). • there are no significant differences of the level of satisfaction depending on where the pedagogical practice took place: t(29) = 1,13, p = 0,27. the level of satisfaction stated by those who did the practice on their own wasn’t significantly different (m = 6,31, md = 0,51) from those who did practice in an organized group (m = 5,80). graduation’s gpa and teacher tenure exam’s grade in order to verify the grade of prediction held by the teacher tenure exam, was used linear regression. the results were statistically significant, f(1, 16) = 25,48, p < 0,01. teacher tenure exam grade = 6,72 + 1,66 x graduation grade the value of the adjusted r2 is 0,61, which means that 61% of the grade variation can be explained by the graduation grade. the size of the effect has been calculated by this formula: 𝑑 = 𝑟 √1 − 𝑟! the obtained value was d = 1,24. in cohen’s interpretation, this value shows a very strong and sizeable effect. 37 the influence of attendance in order to verify whether there are statistically significant differences regarding attendance at courses, we used the anova one way statistical test. based on the results obtained, it can be stated that the reported differences are not large enough to be statistically significant: f(3,15) = 3,15, p = 0,06. teachers and preferred subjects the graduates were asked to indicate the names of the teachers whose contribution they consider important to their professional training. each mentioned professor received a number of nominations. there is a group of 5 professors with multiple nominations and a group of 3 professors with only one nomination. another concern of the study was the discovery of areas where graduates believe that they should have made more effort, but they only became aware of it after graduation. the champions are the three most important disciplines in the field: curriculum theory, training theory and assessment theory. the foundations of pedagogy, age psychology and didactics are also mentioned. it is noted that although graduates have indicated some disciplines that they think they have not been sufficiently prepared for, when it comes to disciplines where they have not received enough help, the information provided changes. different subjects are indicated in this area. this time, the main focus on the didactics the challenges of the first year of teaching graduates have identified the most important challenges they faced in the first year of teaching. their knowledge is important for preparing strategies to prepare young graduates to cope with the problems often faced by debutants in the teaching profession. problems indicated by graduates: 38 • lack of a mentor or guide who can be consulted when needed; • mentally sustained effort; • the large number of children in a class; • maintaining classroom discipline; • slowly collaboration with parents; • addressing children with special problems; • inappropriate parenting attitude towards school and learning; • lack of patience (on the part of the teacher); • the large volume of school documents; • teaching materials preparation; • finding attractive teaching methods; • class management; • the inconsistency between theory and practice; • designing activities, • class organization; • unrealistic expectations of parents; • relations with colleagues; • translating the curriculum into daily lessons; • differentiated teaching in numerous classes; • applying the theory learned during the years of study; • making didactic projects; • time management; • making activity projects integrated in one day. after identifying the challenges of the first years, graduates were asked to indicate what they think are the most appropriate student learning situations that can help them succeed in the early years of work. the subjects indicated the following: • applying different theories and methods to classroom practice; 39 • participation in several demonstrative lessons; • class management; • knowledge of the program and its application; • more practice; • leading the students, disciplining the class; • work with children with special needs; • methods of communication with parents in different conflict situations; • differentiated teaching; • ability to understand students' psychology; • pragmatism in teaching the content; • design skills; • evaluation skills; • capacity to coordinate a team; • time management; • communication skills; • better knowledge of specialized theory; • designing an integrated project. as can be seen from the indications offered by the graduates investigated, they do not refer strictly to the competences they wanted to form, some refer to activities that they wanted repeat more frequently during their studies. the main cause of criticism in the absence of the necessary skills for the first years of teaching was indicated as insufficient pedagogical practice. the initiative to supplement pedagogical practice in 2016 was a very welcome measure in this context. even if the benefits will only be felt in 2019, attending to more hours of pedagogical practice will result in a reduction in the severity of problems occurring in the first year of teaching. at this point there is a concordance between qualitative and quantitative research. graduates who reported having completed their pedagogical practice on their own received lower grades in 40 the teacher tenure exam than those who reported that they did so under the direct supervision of the practice coordinator. it is known that students who do the pedagogical practice on their own tend to give much less attention to accomplishing all the required tasks. this category of students later regrets this attitude and admit that if they were more focused on pedagogical practice, they would have had a smoother debut in the teaching profession. useful practices for the initial preparation of future teachers the graduates offered several examples of practices that they consider useful for their professional training. these are centralized in the following, with the exact preservation of the form in which they were offered: • more practical homework, portfolios instead of exams focusing information dumping. • teachers should also have practical and demonstrative parts in their courses, as much as the content presented allows. • better didactic training of the students, methods of teaching, offering of more opportunities for involvement in assistance and teaching, clear feedback after each hour of assistance and teaching the teacher who assists and is assisted by the student to provide guidance; classroom management techniques; planning exercises. • didactics courses for geography, history, plastic and musical education should be moved to another year, not to the terminal. • making students aware of the fundamental subjects for their initial instruction and necessary training for teacher tenure exam or final exam. • put more emphasis on the practical side of pedagogy. 41 • afternoon classes. • it would be better to do several more hours of practice and assistance because they are necessary to acquire practical knowledge. • less disciplines outside of pedagogy. • more emphasis should be put on practical things, namely more emphasis on didactics and working methods for a classroom where children who have different learning difficulties (adhd, dyslexic, disabilities, etc.) are integrated. • more examples of practical activities supported by teachers and more practical homework. more pedagogical practice. • make more pedagogical practicum, but ensure that it has taken place in real terms. • the evaluation should be more rigorous. • greater consistency from teachers in applying the regulation regarding presence. • more emphasis should be placed on pedagogical practicum hours. • put more emphasis on the idea of management within a class / group. • put more emphasis on romanian language, grammar, training theory and pedagogical practice; taught by teachers in their own respective field of study. involvement for students' pedagogical practice. put more emphasis on practice and less on theory. the theory is forgot, not practice. • more focus on: integration of faith in teaching, education and christian values, the philosophy of christian education. 42 4. discussions and conclusions graduates from 2016 and 2017 from the primary and preschool education pedagogy specialization, adventus university, present several important features that provide valuable insights into the quality of education services provided by the ua: 1. graduates have a very high degree of integration into the labour market (less than 7% do not have a job due to being in the maternity leave period). 2. a large percentage of graduates have finalised, are in the process of finalizing or are planning to start a master’s program as soon as possible (only 20% have not yet considered the possibility of attending a master’s program). 3. most graduates indicate very high or high levels of satisfaction with ua's educational services (more than 80% of graduates show high and very high grades). 4. graduation marks are correlated with teacher tenure exam results, with a very predictable value (d = 1.24), indicating a strong relationship between the ua education direction and expectations at the level of the education system, assessed through official examinations (teacher tenure exam). 5. the need for greater concentration on pedagogical practicum (both quantitative and qualitative research) has been highlighted. that supports the decision taken in 2016 to supplement the hours for this subject. 6. suggestions, information and shared ideas indicate a high degree of responsibility, involvement, and ability to evaluate and analyse lucidly, extremely valuable features for promising professional development. 7. it is necessary to repeat the research on an annual basis, in order to check whether there is a tendency of regress concerning the marks for graduation and teacher tenure 43 exam results, identified in the quantitative research phase. 8. it is recommended to compose specific strategies to encourage students to perform pedagogical practice under institutional supervision. quantitative research reveals very clearly that graduates who have done pedagogical practice on their own have received lower grades, thus diminishing their chances of obtaining long-term jobs in primary or preschool education. 9. the formulation of future institutional development strategies should take into account suggestions and centralized information in qualitative research. the retrospective analysis carried out by graduates includes a rich formative load and a huge inspirational potential. references brown, r.m. & mazzarol, t. w. (2009). the importance of institutional image to student satisfaction and loyalty within higher education. higher education, 58(1), 81-95. chandra, t., ng, m., chandra. s. & priyono (2018). the effect of service quality on student satisfaction and student loyalty: an empirical study. journal of social studies education research, 9(3), 109-131. howell, g. f. buck j. m. (2012). the adult student and course satisfaction: what matter most? innovative higher education, 37(3), 215-226. lee, j. a. (2010). students perceptions of and satisfaction with faculty diversity. college student journal, 44(2), 400-412. lim, j., mim, m. chen, s.s. & ryder, s. (2008). an empirical investigation of student achievement and satisfaction in different learning environments. journal of instruction psychology, 35(2), 113-119. 44 odovan, b. (2017). how student beliefs about knowledge and knowing influence their satisfaction with assessment and feedback. higher education, 74(4), 617-1633. martinez, m. j. i., miralles, m. m. & cabezas, i. l. (2019). repensando la formacion teorica a traves del practicum: experiencias de una docente novel. contextos educativos, 23(1), 49-64. sockalingam, n. evaluation of student satisfaction using a missionoriented approach. studies in learning, evaluation innovation and development, 9(1), 168-188. sojkin, b., bartkowiak, p. & skuza, a. (2012). determinants of higher education choices and student satisfaction: the case of poland. higher education, 63(5), 565-581. 45 tables, figures and appendices operating the variables and hypotheses variables typ e scale values operation alisation statistic probation graduation year vi nominal 2016 2017 1 2 student’s t-test graduation grade vd interval 1-10 1-10 graduation year vi nominal 2016 2017 1 2 student’s t-test teacher tenure exam results vd interval 1-10 1-10 graduation year vi nominal 2016 2017 1 2 student’s t-test level of satisfaction vd interval 1-7 1-7 gender vi nominal b f 1 2 student’s t-test graduation grade vd interval 1-10 1-10 gender vi nominal b f 1 2 student’s t-test teacher tenure exam results vd interval 1-10 1-10 gender vi nominal b f 1 2 student’s t-test level of satisfaction vd interval 1-7 1-7 the place of pedagogical practicum vi nominal on their own 1 2 student’s t-test graduation grade vd interval 1-10 1-10 the place of pedagogical practicum vi nominal on their own 1 2 student’s t-test teacher vd interval 1-10 1-10 46 tenure exam results the place of pedagogical practicum vi nominal on their own 1 2 student’s t-test level of satisfaction vd interval 1-7 1-7 graduation grade vi interval 1-10 1-10 linear regression teacher tenure exam results vd interval 1-10 1-10 the class attendance vi nominal daily 5/week 5/month 20/sem 10/sem at the exam 1 2 3 4 5 6 anova one way teacher tenure exam results vd interval 1-10 1-10 5 mihai covaci hyperion university mihaicovaci@gmail.com personal values and university management keywords: organization, personal values, regression ________________________________________________ abstract personal and organizational values can create the difference between an organization excellence and one in which disorganization dominates. the current research topic is in the direction of studying the way in which organizations survive in an unfavourable context through the personal and organizational values they adopt. in a synthetic expression, the organizational culture is reduced to the adopted values, ways of doing things and the atmosphere promoted among the people within the organization. but often organizational values are made up of the sum of individual values. the organization chosen as a case study is a private university type. for this study, a personal values questionnaire was applied to 30 persons most representative for organizational management. the following values were questioned: order, learning, power, people, network, safety, personal, success and survival. _________________________________________________ mailto:mihaicovaci@gmail.com 6 1. review of literature all systems move in the direction of increasing disorganization (attard, 2002, p. 1). some open systems generate disorganization which is subsequently exported outside the system. this aspect leads to the growth of its own organization, with the cost of increasing the disorder in the environment (scarlat & mitruț). such systems are present in an appreciable number within the biological environment which, by developing such a mechanism, manages to maintain or even increase their degree of organization by transmitting in excess (therefore to other systems) the excess of disorganization (scarlat & mitruț). the management systems can be subjected to the same dissipative structure of disorganization as the systems that present dynamic self-organization. open systems generate disorganization but it is a disorganization that is dissipated, or exported outside the system. such behavior is commonly encountered in living organisms that take energy and matter from the environment in the form of light and food and then give it up as residual products that have a greater disruption than initially received (scarlat & mitruț). or, as lotka believes, each species can be regarded as another type of transformer for capturing and using available energy. each transformer or body is equipped with a series of devices that it uses to retrieve energy from its surroundings (lotka, 1925, p. 325). with all these known variables, the export of disorganization does not explain why and how the self-organization takes place (scarlat & mitruț). in addition, the paradigm of the axiological organization was proposed by p. iluț in the context in which the problem of the values-attitudes-behaviors-situation relation, whereby he asserts that individuals and groups are differentiated also by the resistance of the individual and group axiological structures against the tendencies of disorganization of the environment social (iluț, 2013, p. 5). for the social life, the law or the principle of the organization that postulates the degradation of the systems, their travelling 7 towards the maximum disorder is very important. through information theory, the organizing principle was launched, that is, the phenomenon against degradation (iluț, 2013, p. 5). organizing through values can be understood as an organizational ability to: survive; regenerate or recover; to prevent disparity; to understand in time the situations that could lead to the first three issues mentioned. some organizations may rely only on one of the mentioned aspects, in response / reaction to external factors and may have different intensities. the balance of the social macro-system implies a legality that includes the organization as an area of resistance or counter-action. thus, organizational culture can be considered as a set of cognitions shared by the members of a social unit (o'reilly iii, chatman, & caldwell, 1991, p. 491); a system of shared values and beliefs that produce behavioral norms and establish a way of organizing life (koberg & chusmir, 1987, p. 397); the corporate culture is defined as constituting the main beliefs and values expressed by the management team and which provides the members of the organization with a reference frame for action (goll & zeitz, 1991, p. 191); for newcomers, the organizational culture is reflected in concrete aspects such as norms and behavioral models and subsequently, they are internalized in the form of culture-based assumptions and in time, concrete experiences and interpretations, constitute the basis for deeper unconscious processes (gundry & rousseau, 1994, p. 1064). to the details mentioned, some authors also added those aspects that “feel” in the organization (warrick, 2005, p. 296). organizational culture consists of two broad categories of factors: visible (started from explicit premises) and less visible, or as an extension of the visible ones (started from implicit premises). visible factors are translated into: behavioral protocols, clothing and language rules, promoted principles and values, assumed identities, etc. invisible factors often start from the aspects that must be visible and extend to personal or extra-organizational life. 8 here visible factors can be re-included, along with aspects of attitude, reporting, the whole spectrum of social thinking and interpretation, and thus organizational culture is an expressive and non-expressible (externally conditioned) value and moral product. the sum of the beliefs and values adopted within an organization together with the sum of the premises of the respective organization. 2. methodology objectives the research objective was to highlight the personal and organizational values that can contribute to better organizational stability. hypotheses the following hypotheses have been proposed and assumed: 1. we admit the existence of statistically significant differences between the eight types of personal values from the perspective of the seven independent variables; 2. we assume that the variables level of education, seniority, age and position cannot be a good predictor for the eight types of personal values specific to the organizational culture. variables the independent variables were: seniority in the organization (with response variants up to 10 years, 11-15 years and over 16 years); the nature of the job occupied, having as variants a superior manager (rector, vice-rector, etc, middle level manager (dean, deputy dean), front line manager (chair, etc.), others ...; age (with variants of answer 24-40 years, 41-50 years and 51-65 years); gender; level of completed studies (with variants of doctoral, postdoctoral and other answers); completed studies (with mathematical and natural science answer variants, engineering 9 sciences, social sciences and humanities and arts) and consider that i have innate managerial qualities or have become manager through training and experience. methods for the research in question, a private university from bucharest was chosen considering from an external perspective that it is a higher education institution with multiple personal values. a priori arguments or factors can be used to demonstrate this. finally, the data obtained were processed in spss v. 25 for parametric and nonparametric analysis as well as for regression analysis. tools a questionnaire was used to identify the hidden set of eight personal values: orientation of subjects towards order, learning, power, people, network, safety, personal success and orientation to survival. the questionnaire contains 96 statements (12 statements for each of the eight values mentioned) to which the subjects could respond by marking an x next to the statement they agreed with. for each value 12 statements are assigned and therefore 12 possibilities to mark with x (stoicescu, păcurari, & călineci, pp. 36-40). population the research was carried out within a single institution of higher education in bucharest in the form of an institutional case study. within the research were involved a number of 30 people who are part of the hierarchical structures of the institution: rector, the president of the senate, rectors, deans, deans, heads of department, the economic director, the director of human resources or other persons in key positions. or with administrative responsibility within the institution. 10 3. results and discussions parametric and nonparametric data analysis according to the average of the answers, the classification of the eight values was as follows: order; learning; power; people; network; safety; personal; success and survival (see figure 1). thus, for the order value the scores obtained vary between 0 and 10 points, the average level being 5.2 points and the standard deviation of 0.44. the distribution in the s-w normality test is not significant compared to a normal distribution (p = 0.815). the quartile variation is asymmetrically negative, the median level (of the scores) being 5 points. according to the values, the 50% quarters of the central subjects have scores between 3.75 and 7 points. for the learning value, the scores obtained range from 0 to 10 points, the average level being 4.03 points and the standard deviation 0.48. the distribution in the s-w normality test is not significant compared to a normal distribution (p = 0.248). the quartile variation is asymmetrically positive with a median score of 4 points. according to the values of the quarters 50% of the central subjects with the scores between 1.75 and 6 points. for the power value the scores obtained range from 0 to 8 points, the average level being 3.4 points and the standard deviation of 0.39. the distribution in the s-w normality test is significant compared to the normal distribution (p = 0.005). the quartile variation is asymmetrically positive with a median score of 3 points. the values of the quartiles indicating that 50% of the central subjects had scores between 2 and 6 points. for the value of people, the scores obtained range from 0 to 8 points, the average level being 2.93 points and the standard deviation of 0.37. the distribution in the s-w normality test was significantly different from a normal distribution (p = 0.001). the quartile variation was asymmetrically positive and the median level of the scores was two points. according to the quarters, 50% of the central subjects have scores between 1.75 and 3.25 points. for the network value the scores 11 obtained vary between 0 and 8 points, the average level being 3 points and the standard deviation of 0.39. the distribution in the s-w normality test is different from a normal distribution (p = 0.044). the quartile variation is asymmetrically positive, the median level being 3 points. according to the quartile values, 50% of the central subjects had scores between 1 and 4.25 points. for the safety value the scores obtained range from 0 to 6 points and the average level is 2.17 points with a standard deviation of 0.37 points. in the s-w normality test, the distribution was significantly different from a normal distribution (p = 0.001). the quartile variation is asymmetrically positive, the median level of the scores being one point. according to the quarters, 50% of the central subjects have scores between 1 and 4 points. for the personal success value, the scores obtained range from 0 to 9 points with the average level of 3.17 points and a standard deviation of 0.4 points. the distribution in the s-w normality test is not significant compared to a normal distribution (p = 0.078). the quartile variation is asymmetrically positive with the median level of 3point scores. according to the values of the quarters 50% of the subjects having scores between 1 and 5 points. for survival value the scores obtained range from 0 to 7 points with the average level of 2.87 points and the standard deviation of 0.32 points. the distribution in the s-w normality test is not significant compared to a normal distribution (p = 0.088). the quartile variation is asymmetrically positive with the median level of 3-point scores. according to the values, 50% of the subjects (central) had scores between 1 and 4 points. in the quintessence, the s-w test for the eight types of personal values obtained statistical significance of the normality distributions for the following values: orientation of subjects towards power (p = 0.005); orientation of subjects towards people (p = 0.001); orientation of the subjects towards the network (p = 0.044); 12 orientation of subjects towards safety (p = 0.001). subsequent testing with the mann-whitney test for independent samples revealed that in the orientation of the subjects to the network there is a statistically significant difference between types of managers (self-consideration of their own managerial qualities). thus, those who chose in response i have innate managerial qualities had an average of lower ranks (8.93) compared to those who opted for i became manager through training and experience (17.5). therefore, we can deduce that the second group of subjects is much better oriented towards the network value compared to the first group. the kruskal-wallis nonparametric test comparing the ranks of more than two independent samples (or to determine the statistical significance of the differences between the distributions of the analyzed variables) was used to establish (in) the existence of differences and their significance. kruskal-wallis analysis revealed statistically significant differences in subjects’ orientation to the network (df = 2, p = 0.035). from the average ranks it was found that the difference is between people aged 41-50 years (19.22) and people aged 24-40 years (10.17). we conclude that people between the ages of 41-50 are significantly better oriented towards the network value as compared to people between the ages of 24-40. from the perspective of the value of learning, the jonckheereterpstra test for comparing the levels of ranks, highlighted statistical significance (jt = -2,146, p = 0,032) for the group with studies completed at the doctoral level (18.42) and the group with other types of studies (11). therefore, the persons who have completed the doctoral studies are significantly better oriented towards the value of learning compared to the persons who have completed other types of studies. the same test, for the value of power, showed statistical significance (j-t = -1,987, p = 0.047) for the group with studies completed at the doctoral level (17.83) and the group with other types of studies (7.83). as with the previous 13 situation, the persons who have completed the doctoral studies are significantly better oriented towards the value of power compared to the persons who have completed other types of studies. regression analysis and existing correlations order based on the correlative analysis indicating a directly linear and statistically significant relationship between the personal value scores “order” and seniority (r = 0.044; p = 0.409), job (r = -0.089; p = 0.321), age (r = 0.152; p = 0.211) and study level (r = 0.207; p = 0.136) independent variables were introduced into a multiple linear regression model. the introduction of the variables in the model was of the backward type, stepwise regression with ante-degree selection. model 1, which contains all four variables, has an explanatory capacity of 9.8% of the experimental distribution of the order value scores (r square = 0.098) and increases the explanatory capacity to 9.8% (r square change = 0.098) and statistically insignificant p (f change) = 0.614. model 2, obtained by removing the age variable, has an explanatory capacity of 9.8% (r square = 0.098) and an explanatory capacity of 0% (r square change = 0.000) and without statistical significance for p (f change) = 0.974. model 3, obtained by removing variables age and age, has an explanatory capacity of 8.7% (r square = 0.087) and a reduction of explanatory capacity of -1.1% (r square change = -0.011). not statistically significant for p (f change) = 0.576. model 4, obtained by removing the variables age, seniority and position and reducing the explanatory capacity by -4.4% (r square change = -0.044). not statistically significant for p (f change) = 0.267. based on the regression equation determined for models 1 and 2, the highest explanations of the variation of the score obtained for the personal value of the order r2 = 0.098 (9.8%) are obtained. 14 subsequently, the overall correlation between predictors and criterion was evaluated. the main problem we have to answer is whether the predictor variables significantly correlate with the criterion variable. for this, the anova table was inspected. the lack of statistical significance obtained from the anova analysis for all models indicates that the observed data do not allow the identification of valid models. it is observed that the r2 modifications for the models obtained by eliminating the independent variables are statistically insignificant (sig. f change). in turn, the significance of the individual regression coefficients must be analysed to see if they truly describe a relationship between the predictor variables and the criterion. the null hypothesis in this case is that, the regression coefficients are equal to 0, the alternative hypothesis stating that they are different from 0. the test result is displayed in the columns of the coefficients table as a test t. the values of t (t = coefficient b / standard error b) expresses the significance of the difference between the respective coefficients and 0. for all four models, the coefficients have statistically insignificant values (sig. is greater than 0.05), which allows us to conclude that all four coefficients are not statistically significant to differ of 0 and consequently the predictor variables are not important enough to estimate the criterion variable. the lack of statistical significance for the f test can be accounted for by the small number of subjects. regression equation: model 1. order score = 3.067 + 0.33 * seniority-0.6 * post-0.03 * age + 1.33 * education level. model 2. order score = 3.015 + 0.33 * seniority-0.61 * post + 1.35 * education level. model 3. order score = 3.912-0.58 * post + 1.25 * education level. model 4. order score = 3.407 + 0.82 * education level. 15 it is observed that the r2 modifications for the models obtained by eliminating the independent variables are statistically insignificant (sig. f change). learn based on the correlative analysis indicating a directly linear and statistically significant relationship between the personal value scores “learning” and seniority (r = -0.004; p = 0.491), post (r = 0.101; p = 0.297), age (r = 0.003; p = 0.495) and level of studies (r = 0.168; p = 0.187) were introduced independent variables into a multiple linear regression model. model 1, which contains all four variables, has an explanatory capacity of 10.1% of the experimental distribution of learning value scores (r square = 0.101) and increases the explanatory capacity to 10.1% (r square change = 0.101) and statistically insignificant p (f change) = 0.596. model 2, obtained by removing the old variable, has an explanatory capacity of 10.1% (r square = 0.101) and a reduction of the explanatory capacity of -0.1% (r square change = 0.001) and without statistical significance for p (f change) = 0.890. model 3, obtained by removing the age and age variables, has an explanatory capacity of 6.9% (r square = 0.069) and a reduction of the explanatory capacity of -3.1% (r square change = -0.031). not statistically significant for p (f change) = 0.350. model 4, obtained by removing the variables age, age and position and has an explanatory capacity of 2.8% (r square = 0.028) and a reduction of explanatory capacity of -4.1% (r square change = -0.041). not statistically significant for p (f change) = 0.285. based on the regression equation determined for models 1 and 2, the highest explanations of the variation of the score obtained for the personal learning value r2 = 0.101 (10.1%) are obtained. the lack of statistical significance obtained from the anova analysis for all models indicates that the observed data do not allow the identification of a valid model. in the table coefficients for all models’ coefficients have statistically insignificant values. 16 regression equation: model 1. learning score = 0.979 + 0.091 * seniority-0.97 * post + 0.8 * age + 1.68 * education level. model 2. learning score = 1.193-0.93 * post + 0.82 * age + 1.66 * education level. model 3. learning score = 2.980-0.62 * post + 1.18 * education level. model 4. learning score = 2.444 + 0.72 * education level. the lack of significance was also present in the r2 modifications for the models obtained by eliminating the independent variables. power based on the correlative analysis indicating a directly linear and statistically significant relationship between the scores of personal values “power” and seniority (r = -0.004; p = 0.419), post (r = 0.017; p = 0.465), age (r = 0.158; p = 0.202) and study level (r = 0.177; p = 0.175) independent variables were introduced into a multiple linear regression model. model 1, which contains all four variables, has an explanatory capacity of 14.2% of the experimental distribution of power value scores (r square = 0.142) and increases the explanatory capacity to 14.2% (r square change = 0.142) and statistically insignificant p (f change) = 0.410. model 2, obtained by removing the old variable, has an explanatory capacity of 14.2% (r square = 0.142) and an explanatory capacity of 0% (r square change = 0.000) and without statistical significance for p (f change) = 0.991. model 3, obtained by removing the old and post variables, has an explanatory capacity of 7.6% (r square = 0.076) and a reduction of the explanatory capacity of -6.5% (r square change = -0.065). not statistically significant for p (f change) = 0.171. model 4, obtained by removing the age, post and age variables has an explanatory capacity of 3.1% (r square = 0.031) and a reduction of the explanatory capacity of -4.5% (r square change = -0.045). not statistically significant for p (f change) = 0.260. based on the 17 regression equation determined for models 1 and 2, the highest explanations of the variation of the score obtained for the personal power value r2 = 0.142 (14.2%) are obtained. the lack of statistical significance obtained from the anova analysis for all models indicates that the observed data do not allow the identification of a valid model. in the table coefficients for all models’ coefficients have statistically insignificant values. regression equation: model 1. power score = -0.271 + 0.01 * seniority-0.73 * post + 1.17 * age + 1.5 * education level. model 2. power score = -0.257-0.73 * post + 1.17 * age + 1.5 * education level. model 3. power score = 0.334 + 0.68 * age + 0.81 * education level. model 4. power score = 2.056 + 0.61 * education level. the lack of significance was also present in the r2 modifications for the models obtained by eliminating the independent variables. people based on the correlative analysis indicating a directly linear and statistically significant relationship between the scores of personal values “people” and seniority (r = -0.097; p = 0.306), post (r = 0.209; p = 0.134), age (r = 0.156; p = 0.205) and level of studies (r = 0.150; p = 0.214) were introduced independent variables into a multiple linear regression model. model 1, which contains all four variables, has an explanatory capacity of 12.6% of the experimental distribution of “people” value scores (r square = 0.126) and increases the explanatory capacity to 12.6% (r square change = 0.126) and statistically insignificant p (f change) = 0.480. model 2, obtained by removing the old variable, has an explanatory capacity of 12.4% (r square = 0.124) and a reduction of the explanatory capacity of -0.2% (r square change = -0.002) and without statistical significance for p (f change) = 0.814. model 3, obtained by removing the age and age 18 variables, has an explanatory capacity of 12.2% (r square = 0.122) and a reduction of the explanatory capacity of -0.2% (r square change = -0.002). not statistically significant for p (f change) = 0.803. model 4, obtained by removing the variables old, age and level of studies, has an explanatory capacity of 4.4% (r square = 0.044) and a reduction of the explanatory capacity of -7.8% (r square change = -0.078). not statistically significant for p (f change) = 0.134. based on the regression equation determined for model 1, the highest explanation of the variation of the score obtained for the “people” value r2 = 0.126 (12.6%) is obtained. the lack of statistical significance obtained from the anova analysis for all models indicates that the observed data do not allow the identification of a valid model. in the table coefficients for all models’ coefficients have statistically insignificant values. regression equation: model 1. score “people” = 2.396-0.12 * seniority – 0.8 * post + 0.19 * age + 1.12 * education level. model 2. score “people” = 2.12-0.81 * post + 0.17 * age + 1.17 * education level. model 3. score “people” = 2.48-0.74 * post + 1.05 * education level. model 4. score “people” = 4.02-0.44 * post. the lack of significance was also present in the r2 modifications for the models obtained by eliminating the independent variables. network based on the correlative analysis indicating a directly linear and statistically significant relationship between the personal “network” value scores and seniority (r = 0.166; p = 0.190), post (r = -0.117; p = 0.269), age (r = 0.096; p = 0.308) level studies (r = 0.133; p = 0.241), the independent variables were introduced in a multiple linear regression model. model 1, which contains all four variables, has an explanatory capacity of 10.6% of the experimental distribution of “network” 19 value scores (r square = 0.106) and increases the explanatory capacity to 10.6% (r square change = 0.106) and statistically insignificant p (f change) = 0.575. model 2, obtained by removing the age variable, has an explanatory capacity of 10.5% (r square = 0.105) and an explanatory capacity of 0% (r square change = 0.000) and without statistical significance for p (f change) = 0.914. model 3, obtained by removing variables age and seniority, has an explanatory capacity of 5.9% (r square = 0.059) and a reduction of explanatory capacity of -4.7% (r square change = -0.047). not statistically significant for p (f change) = 0.256. model 4, obtained by removing the variables age, seniority and position has an explanatory capacity of 1.8% (r square = 0.018) and a reduction of explanatory capacity of -4.1% (r square change = -0.041). not statistically significant for p (f change) = 0.289. based on the regression equation determined for model 1, the highest explanation of the variation of the score obtained for the “network” value r2 = 0.106 (10.6%) is obtained. the lack of statistical significance obtained from the anova analysis for all models indicates that the observed data do not allow the identification of a valid model. in the table coefficients for all models’ coefficients have statistically insignificant values. regression equation: model 1. score “network” = 0.644 + 0.59 * age-0.58 * post + 0.078 * age + 1.06 * education level. model 2. score “network” = 0.795 + 0.6 * seniority-0.55 * post + 1.01 * education level. model 3. score “network” = 2,413-0.5 * post + 0.83 * education level. model 4. score “network” = 1,981 + 0.46 * education level. the lack of significance was also present in the r2 modifications for the models obtained by eliminating the independent variables. 20 safety based on the correlative analysis indicating a directly proportional linear relationship and statistically significant between the personal value scores “safety” and seniority (r = 0.029; p = 0.440), post (r = -0.009; p = 0.482), age (r = -0.184; p = 0.165) and level of studies (r = 0.196; p = 0.150) were introduced independent variables into a multiple linear regression model. model 1, which contains all four variables, has an explanatory capacity of 6.1% of the experimental distribution of “safety” value scores (r square = 0.061) and increases the explanatory capacity to 6.1% (r square change = 0.061) and statistically insignificant p (f change) = 0.805. model 2, obtained by removing the old variable, has an explanatory capacity of 6% (r square = 0.060) and a reduction of explanatory capacity of -0.1% (r square change = 0.001) and without statistical significance for p (f change) = 0.875. model 3 obtained by removing the old and post variables has an explanatory capacity of 5.7% (r square = 0.057) and a reduction of the explanatory capacity of -0.2% (r square change = -0.002). not statistically significant for p (f change) = 0.795. model 4, obtained by removing the age, post and age variables has an explanatory capacity of 3.8% (r square = 0.038) and a reduction of the explanatory capacity of -1.9% (r square change = -0.019). not statistically significant for p (f change) = 0.471. based on the regression equation determined for model 1, the highest explanation of the variation of the obtained score for the safety value r2 = 0.061 (6.1%) is obtained. the lack of statistical significance obtained from the anova analysis for all models indicates that the observed data do not allow the identification of a valid model. in the table coefficients for all models’ coefficients have statistically insignificant values. regression equation: model 1. “safety” score = 1.497 + 0.08 * seniority-0.14 * post0.34 * age + 0.67 * education level. 21 model 2. “safety” score = 1.688-0.14 * post-0.33 * age + 0.65 * education level. model 3. “safety” score = 1,799-0.42 * age + 0.52 * education level model 4. “safety” score = 0.741 + 0.65 * education level. the lack of significance was also present in the r2 modifications for the models obtained by eliminating the independent variables. success based on the correlative analysis indicating a directly linear and statistically significant relationship between the scores of personal values “success” and seniority (r = 0.152; p = 0.211), post (r = 0.008; p = 0.483), age (r = 0.122; p = 0.261) and study level (r = 0.153; p = 0.210) independent variables were introduced into a multiple linear regression model. model 1, which contains all four variables, has an explanatory capacity of 7.4% of the experimental distribution of “success” value scores (r square = 0.074) and increases the explanatory capacity to 7.4% (r square change = 0.074) and statistically insignificant p (f change) = 0.737. model 2, obtained by removing the variable post has an explanatory capacity of 7% (r square = 0.070) and a reduction of the explanatory capacity of -0.3% (r square change = -0,003) and without statistical significance for p (f change) = 0.763. model 3, obtained by removing the variables post and age has an explanatory capacity of 5.7% (r square = 0.057) and a reduction of the explanatory capacity of -1.3% (r square change = -0.013). not statistically significant for p (f change) = 0.550. model 4, obtained by removing the variables post, age and seniority has an explanatory capacity of 2.3% (r square = 0.023) and a reduction of explanatory capacity of -3.4% (r square change = -0.034). not statistically significant for p (f change) = 0.333. based on the regression equation determined for model 1, the highest explanation of the variation of the score obtained for the “success” value r2 = 0.074 (7.4%) is obtained. 22 the lack of statistical significance obtained from the anova analysis for all models indicates that the observed data do not allow the identification of a valid model. in the table coefficients for all models’ coefficients have statistically insignificant values. regression equation: model 1. “success” score = 1.153 + 0.59 * age-0.18 * post-0.27 * age + 0.75 * education level. model 2. “success” score = 1.305 + 0.58 * seniority-0.39 * age + 0.58 * education level. model 3. “success” score = 0.467 + 0.53 * seniority + 0.68 * education level. model 4. “success” score = 1.944 + 0.56 * level of education. the lack of significance was also present in the r2 modifications for the models obtained by eliminating the independent variables. survival based on the correlative analysis indicating a directly linear and statistically significant relationship between the scores of personal “survival” and seniority (r = 0.255; p = 0.087), post (r = -0.143; p = 0.226), age (r = 0.103; p = 0.294) and level of studies (r = 0.156; p = 0.205) were introduced as independent variables in a multiple linear regression model. model 1, which contains all four variables, has an explanatory capacity of 18.4% of the experimental distribution of “survival” scores (r square = 0.184) and increases the explanatory capacity to 18.4% (r square change = 0.184) and statistically insignificant p (f change) = 0.261. model 2, obtained by removing the age variable, has an explanatory capacity of 18.3% (r square = 0.183) and a reduction of explanatory capacity of -0.1% (r square change = 0.001) and without statistical significance for p (f change). = 0.865. model 3, obtained by removing the age and position variables having an explanatory capacity of 10.8% (r square = 0.108) and a reduction of the explanatory capacity of -7.5% (r square change = 0.075). not statistically significant for p (f change) = 0.135. model 23 4, obtained by removing the variables age, position and level of studies and has an explanatory capacity of 6.5% (r square = 0.065) and a reduction of the explanatory capacity of -4.3% (r square change = 0.043). not statistically significant for p (f change) = 0.264. based on the regression equation determined for model 1, the highest explanation of the variation of the score obtained for the “survival” value r2 = 0.184 (18.4%) is obtained. the lack of statistical significance obtained from the anova analysis for all models indicates that the observed data do not allow the identification of a valid model. in the table coefficients for all models’ coefficients have statistically insignificant values. regression equation: model 1. “survival” score = 0.191 + 0.7 * seniority-0.59 * post + 0.1 * age + 1.08 * education level. model 2. “survival” score = 0.377 + 0.71 * seniority-0.55 * post + 1.03 * education level. model 3. “survival” score = 0.069 + 0.65 * seniority + 0.6 * education level. model 4. “survival” score = 1,590 + 0.56 * old. the lack of significance was also present in the r2 modifications for the models obtained by eliminating the independent variables. 4. conclusions hypothesis 1 was confirmed by the fact that the mann-whitney test revealed that in the orientation of the subjects to the network there is a statistically significant difference between types of managers (those who chose in response i have innate managerial qualities had an average of lower ranks compared to those who opted for i became a manager through training and experience). the kruskal-wallis test revealed statistically significant differences in the orientation of the subjects to the network (persons aged 4150 years had a higher average rank compared to persons aged 2440). the jonckheere-terpstra test from the perspective of the 24 value of learning highlighted statistical significance for the group with studies completed at the doctoral level (which had a higher average) and the group with other types of studies. the same test, for the value of power, revealed statistical significance for the group with studies completed at the doctoral level (with a higher average) and the group with other types of studies. the second hypothesis was validated. no value generated a statistically significant model in relation to the four independent variables. references attard, p. (2002). thermodynamics and statistical mechanics: equilibrium by entropy maximisation. academic press. goll, i., & zeitz, g. (1991). conceptualizing and measuring corporate ideology. organization studies, 191-207. gundry, l. k., & rousseau, d. m. (1994). critical incidents in communicating culture to newcomers: the meaning is the message. human relations, 1063-1088. iluț, p. (2013). în căutare de principii. epistemologie și metodologie socială aplicată. iași: polirom. koberg, c. s., & chusmir, l. h. (1987). organizational culture relationships with creativity and other job-related variables. journal of business research, 397-409. lotka, a. j. (1925). elements of physical biology. baltimore: williams & wilkins company. o'reilly iii, c. a., chatman, j., & caldwell, d. (1991). people and organizational culture: a profile comparaison approach to assessing person-organization fit. academy of management journal, 487-516. scarlat, e., & mitruț, d. (n.d.). curs bazele ciberneticii economice. retrieved from http://www.asecib.ase.ro/bcib/bcib.html stoicescu, d., păcurari, ş. o., & călineci, m. c. (n.d.). valori comportamentale şi reducerea violenţei în şcoală. retrieved 03 25 06, 2017, from http://www.scoaladanielacuciuc.com/mentori/2013/programe /violenta%20in%20scoala.pdf warrick, d. (2005). launch: assessment and action planning. in w. j. rothwell, & r. sullivan, practicing organization development: a guide for consultants (2nd edition ed., pp. 271-312). pfeiffer. 26 tables, figures and appendices fig. 1. distribution of personal values 2,17 2,87 2,93 3,00 3,17 3,40 4,03 5,20 0,00 2,00 4,00 6,00 safety survival people network personal success power learning order journal of educational studies volume 4, number 1, 2022, pp. 5–30 5 the role of feedback in the learning process of students evelyn r. obo1 abstract feedback is described as valuable and significant comments, suggestions, or criticisms on a performance or tasks of a person or a student to better improve future performances or tasks. everybody benefits from feedback. every student in class hopes to better his/her performance and feedback matters a lot to them. hence, students all over the world complain about not receiving the appropriate feedback. this thought prompted the researcher to inquire about the role of feedback in the learning process of students. anchored on thorndike’s principle of learning which espouses pleasant learning, the study supports the role of feedback in the learning process of students. the study hopes to intensify the role of feedback in the learning process and to remind educators that there is a strong need for students to receive timely and appropriate feedback for learning to be fluid. using phenomenology, the study found out that positive, immediate, sincere, and kind feedback make students learn and get the needed competencies that help them succeed. keywords role of feedback, learning process, phenomenology, filipino students introduction feedback plays an important role in the learning process of students. feedback is either verbal, written, or gestural reply of a teacher to a student’s performance, task, or behavior (university of south carolina, n.d.). the purpose of feedback is to improve the 1 evelyn r. obo, phd, de la salle university-dasmariñas, philippines, erobo@dlsud.edu.ph. 6 student’s performance and allow learning to take place. hence, it is surprising to know that students in many parts of the globe desire to receive feedback because they do not get it, they get it very late, or they are dissatisfied with the feedback they receive (albashir, kabir, & rahman, 2016; birtill, 2022). being a teacher in the philippines for more than two decades, the very same complaints of not being able to receive the feedback on time and feedback dissatisfaction are also often reported during oral evaluation and informal talks with students. the study of tampal, betasolo, cumpa, segundo, apalisok, and ablen (2019) found out that students’ academic performance and behavior are affected by feedback. feedback, therefore, is a serious issue that must be given premium in any academic institution. literatures provide a number of studies conducted on the giving of feedback. the studies of simon (2013) and stenger (2014) both affirm that giving of immediate feedback helps improve students’ performance. most literatures available basically focus on the effectiveness of giving of prompt feedback and on giving of written feedback or simply giving feedback. studies discussed the importance of giving feedback in general sense to improve the students’ general academic performance. hence, an important aspect of discussing the role of feedback in the learning process of students is scarcely addressed (alam & uddin, 2013; al-enzy & jesudas, 2016; defranzo, 2022; matthew, 2020; tampal, betasolo, cumpa, segundo, apalisok, & ablen, 2019). past and recent studies conducted explain the importance of feedback but the question on why until this time students still clamor for appropriate and timely feedback is a challenge that should be resolved. according to one filipino senior high school teacher interviewed, the large number of students in one class leave teachers with no choice but to give written feedback after every performance and/or a general verbal feedback when time would still permit them to do so. in some situations, though, feedback would be given in the succeeding meeting, believing that 7 what matters most is that feedback is given. however, stenger (2014) explained that feedback is more effective when given immediately. the dissatisfaction of students in the feedback that they receive and the plight of the teachers inside the classroom are valid claims. hence, this study intends to reiterate and intensify the role of feedback in the students’ learning process and to remind educators that no matter how challenging, appropriate feedback needs to be delivered. in addition, this study hopes to raise awareness among educators and students that feedback needs to be comprehensible. the meaning of the feedback that the educators want to give is the same as how the students interpret it for learning to take place (al-bashir, kabir, & rahman, 2016). review of literature facts about feedback feedback considerably helps in improving students’ performance and other learning tasks. it is a traditional method yet its effect on students’ learning cannot be denied (al-enzy & jesudas, 2016; defranzo, 2022; matthew, 2020). they need to know to what extent they have succeeded in reaching out to the audience. an affirmative feedback feeds the learning process. the theory espoused by chickering and gamson (1987) on the seven principles of good teaching practice included the giving of prompt feedback to students. students need frequent opportunities to perform and receive suggestions for improvement (vancouver island university, 2018). later, chickering and gamson (1999) revised this principle and added assessment to it. students need chances to reflect on what they have learned, what they still need to know, and how to assess themselves (vancouver island university, 2018). productive feedback motivates students. learners are motivated to perform well if feedback is given positively. implementing 8 a new feedback strategy and making students understand the meaning of the feedback is very important to better students’ skills (al-enzy & jesudas, 2016). wong and waring (2009) averred that positive feedback is very important. teachers should remember that feedback should include sincere and specific praises. it is also affirming for students if the teacher would ask the opinions of their peers and certainly engage the students in proper self-reflection. strategies in giving feedback al-enzy and jesudas (2016), matthew (2020), simons (2013), stenger (2014), and wong and waring (2009) explain some useful strategies and tips for the giving of feedback to be effective: 1. the feedback should be very specific which refers to supplying the learners with specific information about what they are doing right or wrong. the teacher should take the time to provide learners with information on what exactly they did well, and what may still need improvement. the praises must be given sincerely and very kindly. 2. the feedback should be given at once which affirms the findings of numerous studies indicating that feedback is most effective when it is given immediately, rather than a few days, weeks, or months down the line. studies found that participants who were given immediate feedback performed well in the succeeding performances than those who had received delayed feedbacks. 3. the feedback should address the learner's improvement toward a goal which means that effective feedback is most often based on the specific goals that the students hope to achieve. when giving feedback, the teachers should make it clear to students how information they receive will help them progress toward a final goal. the feedback should aid the learning process of the students. 9 4. the feedback should be presented carefully which means that the way feedback is presented can impact how it is received. this means that even the most well-meaning feedback can come in the wrong way, thus reducing the learner's motivation. it must be noted that feedback should be given positively. 5. the teacher should also ask the opinions of the class as this creates a sense of affirmation on the part of the students and could motivate them to maintain their good performance or to improve it. allowing students to evaluate the performance of their peers help them to be critical as well. 6. the students should be engaged in the process of giving feedback for recognizing the importance of involving the learners in the process of evaluating their performance. pennebaker, chung, frazee, lavergne, and beaver (2014) assert that when students have access to this information, they develop an awareness of learning and can recognize mistakes and develop strategies for tackling weaknesses. the engagement in the process allows students to engage in self-reflection. deci (2013) identified circumstances when feedback is ineffective: (a) when the learner feels strictly observed, this gives a feeling of so much tension and nervousness. learners become so conscious which may lead to disengaging from learning; (b) when learners interpret feedback as an attempt to control them, this makes them feel controlled rather than guided thus resulting in non-improvement; (c) when learners feel that there is competition, feedback from peers may be good but learners should be guided properly for them not to feel that there is competition among them. this feeling of competition could also disengage the learners. to avoid these situations, previous studies recommend that the learners must fully understand the purpose of any monitoring 10 and how the feedback is purposed to help them compete against their individual outcomes and not against each other. in the study of eraut (2006), it was explained that the feedback that students previously received plays an important role in shaping their learning process. the study of al-bashir et al. (2016) affirms that learners should understand what a good performance is, be provided with quality information about their learning, be asked if feedback is clear and comprehensible, and be oriented about reflective learning. it is also important that learners should feel the motivation and the sincerity in the feedback given (al-enzy & jesudas, 2016; deci, 2013; wong & waring, 2009). thorndike and the law of effect pennebaker et al. (2014, as cited in stenger, 2014), explains that the role of feedback has always been central. when learning new skills, anyone needs feedback for him/her to know if what s/he is doing is right. feedback is defined as information about a person’s performance of a task, or a product used as basis for improvement. it could be from teacher, peer, or others (hattie, 1999). leibold and shwarz (2015) say that “learners may also trade feedback with each other about coursework” (p. 35). oxford learning institute (n.d.) of the university of oxford explains that, in order “for feedback to be helpful, it needs to be given in a concerned and supportive way and to include both positive and negative observations” (p. 1). the feedback to be given must be specific and clear and suggestions for improvements must be identified. the students should be encouraged to assess and reflect on their performance as well. the teachers should also be aware that the immediate response of anyone to negative feedback may be defensive, thus, it must be addressed in the most concerned and cordial manner (oxford learning institute, n.d.). one of the popular figures who contributed the most to the belief that giving of feedback almost always improves performance is thorndike. thorndike (1913) provided the initial theoretical 11 arguments for the effectiveness of feedback with his law of effect. this theoretical perspective equated positive feedback with reinforcement and negative feedback with punishment. kluger and denisi (1996) mentioned that positive and negative feedback have good effects on learning. considerable number of studies were conducted on giving feedback and its importance however, it remains a fact as well that until now prompt and proper feedback is the call of most students in elementary, high school and college. delay in the delivery of proper feedback happens because there is also an unsolved problem of teachers having too many students in class. students demand timely and appropriate feedback and teachers cannot deliver due to too large number of students in class. these contradicting issues should not deter the fluidity of the learning process thus, the desire to emphasize and rediscover the role of feedback in the learning process of students prompted the researcher to conduct this study. the findings of this study apart from being contributory to the existing literatures intend to emphasize that there is a need for educators to review and rediscover the very important role of feedback in the learning process of students. as mentors, classroom teachers have the crucial role of providing guidance to their students. it is the mentors’ obligation to help the students identify and learn the skills and knowledge needed to improve their ability to express himself/herself. feedback allows the teacher to acknowledge their students’ strengths and to motivate them to work on his/her areas of weaknesses. educators should keep in mind that their students want and need their feedback to move forward. it is the teacher’s creativity on how feedback could be promptly delivered amid the big number of students in class (al-enzy & jesudas, 2016; defranzo, 2022; simon, 2013). 12 methodology purpose of the study the main purpose of this study was to determine the role of feedback in the learning process of students. research questions this study sought to answer the following questions: 1. what are the positive and negative effects of feedback to students’ learning ability? 2. how does feedback affect the students’ ability to grasp the needed competencies? 3. what kind of feedback would help students improve? 4. what is the role of feedback in the students’ learning process? methods the study uses a qualitative approach and phenomenological design. according to creswell (1994), a qualitative study is “defined as an inquiry process of understanding a social or human problem, based on building a complex, holistic picture, formed with words, detailed views of informants, and which is conducted in a natural setting”. phenomenology, on the other hand describes a common experience of individuals regarding a phenomenon (creswell, 2013). in this study, the experiences of getting feedback high school, senior high school, and college students from different academic institutions in the province of cavite were documented through focus group discussion, in-depth interviews, and the written narratives of the student participants. these were done to develop a composite description of the essence of the experience common to all the participants. moreover, the study sought to find out the role of feedback in the learning process of students. 13 the data were analyzed following the steps discussed by creswell (2013) reflecting mostly of moustakas (1994) ways of analyses. it began from horizontalization where the transcripts of interviews, the written narratives of students, and the journal entries of the researcher with highlighted significant statements were used to understand the experiences of the participants. the textural descriptions were drawn based on the common, dominant, and recurring responses of the participants during the interviews and those found in their written narratives. then, the structural descriptions were analyzed based on the social, emotional, and cultural connections of the participants using the journal entries of the researcher and the notes found in the transcripts of interviews and in the written narratives. all these were considered to create a composite textural and structural descriptions. from these textural and structural synthesis, the researcher derived the comprehensive meaning of the experiences of the participants also known as the essence of the phenomenon. the lived experiences of the participants on how feedback affected them positively and negatively and how practice aided them in improving their public speaking ability were explained through the themes and subthemes derived from their experiences. thorndike’s canonical study in 1913 is still applicable until this time amidst the many educational reforms. the giving of feedback to students makes them aware of their flaws and could improve themselves if guided properly. literature was also carefully studied to establish the link between the findings of the study, the findings of other studies conducted, and the canonical study of thorndike in 1913 on giving of feedback. tools the primary tools of the study were the researcher and the set of semi-structured interview questions. bahrami, soleimani, yaghoobzadeh, and ranjbar (2016) explain that the researcher portrays an important role in qualitative research. the researcher 14 as an instrument works hard to understand and analyze the phenomenon under study. according to merriam (1988) the researcher is the primary instrument of any study. the success of any research depends on the researcher as he/she can process the given data. dejonckheere and vaughn (2018) state that semi-structured questions are the most frequent data source in qualitative research. the semi-structured interviews are powerful data source to get the thoughts and experiences of the participants (dejonckheere & vaughn, 2018). in this study, the semi-structured questions were based on the problem questions and were validated by two seasoned teacher-researcher from the province of cavite (see appendix b). the semi-structured questions guided the researcher to get thick description of the phenomenon. other tools used were the narratives of the participants who were interviewed. participants of the study there were 30 student-participants in this study who are high school, senior high school, and college students from public and private academic institutions in the province of cavite. the study employed fishbowl sampling. there were ten high school studentparticipants (five from private and five from public high school); there were ten senior high school student-participants (five from private and five from public senior high school); and there were ten college students (five from private and five from state colleges and universities). twelve student-participants were interviewed and were asked to write a narrative expressing their thoughts and realizations about the study. the rest of the participants were part of the focus group discussions. the participants were all officially enrolled in the academic year 2019-2020. ethical considerations the following ethical issues were addressed: 15 1. permission was obtained from the heads of the different academic institutions and request letters were given to the participants through email and other social media platforms (see appendix a). 2. the participants were asked to voluntarily participate in the study and the informed consent form were sent to each of them as well with written permission from their parents as they are still minors. it was explained to them in the letter that their participation was voluntary and that they could withdraw at any time during the duration of the study without fear of penalty or prejudice. 3. the participants’ identity was treated with strict confidentiality. each one of them was assigned a pseudonym, and any information about them was not included in the reporting of the data. all interviews and fgds were carried out in the place and time convenient to the participants. 4. only the researcher has access to the data. all the data are in composite form. hence, no participant would be identified. the data gathered shall be for the sole purpose of the study. 5. all participants were guaranteed of their safety. all the information which was disclosed by the participants would not be used against them. 6. the safety of the researcher while the study was going on and during the gathering of data was considered and ensured. results the following are the themes and subthemes that emerged which answered the research questions of this study: sop 1. what are the positive and negative effects of feedback to students’ learning ability? positive feedback has three subthemes namely: feedback helps; feedback reminds; and feedback builds self-confidence. 16 negative feedback has two subthemes namely: feedback demoralizes and discourages self-esteem and feedback causes fear and disrupts learning. sop 2. how does feedback affect the students’ ability to grasp the needed competencies? there are two themes that emerged: feedback could either make or break the students and non-understanding of feedback affects learning. sop 3. what kind of feedback would help students improve? there are three themes that emerged: feedback should be kind; feedback should be sincere; and feedback should build self-confidence. sop 4. what is the role of feedback in the students’ learning process? there are three themes that emerged: to improve students’ performance and nurture students learning; to make feedback direct and comprehensible to students; and to make students feel empowered and not defeated. discussions the subsequent discussion presents the themes that emerged from the study: positive feedback with three subthemes; negative feedback with two subthemes; feedback could either make or break the students; non-understanding of feedback affects learning; feedback should be kind; feedback should be sincere; feedback should build self-confidence; to improve students’ performance and nurture students learning; to make feedback direct and comprehensible to students and to make students feel empowered and not defeated. 17 sop 1. what are the positive and negative effects of feedback to students’ learning ability? positive effects of feedback. giving feedback aids the learning process of students. thus, productive feedback motivates learners to perform well. positive feedback affirms the students and builds their confidence (al-enzy & jesudas, 2016; university of south carolina, n.d.; waring & wong, 2009). feedback helps. twenty-four out of 30 participants said that immediate feedback allows them to correct their mistakes in their minds right away. it helps them avoid committing their previous mistakes. this view is reflected in the following answers of students during the interview and fgd and some were from their written narrative. feedback when given at once helps us avoid the previous mistakes. feedback even if it is negative or positive helps us a lot as i believe that bitter truth is better than sweet lies. the feedback given if positive makes us happy and when it is negative makes us pause and think at how we could improve our next performance. feedback reminds. students during the interview said that outright feedback makes them remember and avoid their mistakes. when the feedback is given at once, you never forget. once the feedback is given after the activity, i will not forget it. feedback builds self-confidence. student participants from both public and private schools said that feedback builds self-confidence. they are inspired by the thought that their performance and abilities were observed and appreciated by the teacher. these positive feelings boost their self-confidence. the participants said, i feel so proud of myself because the teacher said that i pronounce the words well and my voice is loud enough. 18 i was overwhelmed and happy and i want to perform again because i am inspired because i know i am good. i am very happy. even the simple facial expression (was) seen by the teacher, and she said it was good. i felt inspired and proud of myself. i was afraid to talk before because i think i am not that good but now i feel good about myself. negative effects of feedback. negative feedback makes students disengage. they lose their motivation to learn and would just want to stop. once this happens, learning and improvement would be difficult to reach (deci, 2013). feedback demoralizes and discourages self-esteem. students assert that negative feedback affects them negatively. they are demoralized and discouraged. the feeling of wanting to cry and the feeling of being humiliated were the worst feelings for them. the participants said, i feel like ... like ... i want to cry. i want to go home because i feel ... very shy. i really felt sad after the negative feedback. i cried in the comfort room. i feel like so small. it was humiliating like no appreciation at all. it was a very sad experience. i felt like i did not do anything at all. it was bad, a very bad experience i will not forget. i felt so low and useless. i was so ashamed of myself. feedback causes fear and stops learning. students said that negative feedback made them feel that they do not want to try again as they felt that the succeeding performance would be another failure. the feedback caused fear and destroyed the students’ self-confidence. the participants said, i felt so broken. it was not fair. i knew i did my best just that i was nervous, and i was scolded. i was explaining my side, but i am not given the chance. i do not want to try again. 19 i want to cry at that time but at least i still managed to go out of the room and go to the comfort room to cry really hard. i was disappointed of what i did, and i feel so shy of my classmates. maybe if i have a choice, i won’t perform next time. i felt like i want to drop the subject. i am afraid ... just afraid like fear, like that. sop 2. how does feedback affect the students’ ability to grasp the needed competencies? feedback could either make or break the students. the success and improvement of students’ skills are affected by feedback. both negative and positive feedback affect students’ performance. negative feedback can break the students’ self-confidence and self-esteem making them to disengage and quit learning during the learning process. in contrast, positive feedback on the other hand can build the students’ confidence and inspiring them to go and try harder until they could perfect the craft (al-enzy & jesudas, 2016; simon, 2013; stenger, 2014; wong & waring, 2009). the good feedback makes me … the positive feedback makes me feel good about myself. it makes me feel better. the negative feedback makes me sick and feel bad about myself. positive feedback inspires me and boost my confidence while the negative feedback makes me feel so low of myself that i do not want to perform at all. well, positive feedback makes me feel confident to speak at the front. it feels good when you hear good things about your performance. negative feedback makes me feel bad and like i said, when i hear negative feedback, i like to drop the course already. non-comprehension of feedback has consequences in learning and motivation. it should be noted that students should be able to understand the feedback given to them. it should be clear enough so that they know how to improve their performance. 20 comprehension of feedback is vital for students’ learning. kuivamaki (2015) and bloxham and campbell (2010) averred that second language learners are always thinking in two languages; this explains the fact that filipino students are thinking in filipino before they translate their thinking to english. this affects their comprehension of any feedback given them. thus, this translates to the fact that some students may not be able to clearly comprehend the feedback given them. this non-comprehension may result to possible unimproved succeeding performance/s. at times, i do not understand the feedback because ah ... uhm ... the ... the words are difficult to understand and ... and ... i am shy to ask the teacher to explain. and ... and i receive negative feedback again and again. sop 3. what kind of feedback would help students improve? feedback should be kind. all the 30 student-respondents said that the feedback should be given by the teachers in the kindest way for them to appreciate. feedback should be sincere. twenty-three out of thirty students expressed great happiness when positive feedback is given sincerely. feedback should build self-confidence. twenty student participants said that feedback builds their self-confidence when given positively. feedback should be given sincerely for it creates great impact upon the learners. kind ways of giving feedback inspire students and build them up. they are motivated to do well, and positivism sets in. the mood in the classroom is affected as well. students are optimistic and are not afraid to commit mistakes, the ambiance is light, and the learning is fluid (al-enzy & jesudas, 2016; simons, 2013; stenger, 2014; wong & waring, 2009). the participants said, 21 when the feedback is so true that even our classmates will say the same thing, it makes us happy. we will perform better next time. when the teacher gives kind feedback whether negative or positive, it inspires us to do better and perform better. i become more confident because the teacher saw the effort i put on the performance. and ah ... the classroom is better and happy. i want kind feedback. it feels good when you are not scolded. i learn better when feedback is kind. i like sincere feedback, not the fake one. i mean, ah ... the feedback that is deserving of my tasks or performance, like that. it makes me feel good. i am inspired to do better in the next presentation because i got good feedback that made me feel encouraged. sop 4. what is the role of feedback in the students’ learning process? to improve students’ performance and to nurture students learning. the student-respondents emphasized the important role of feedback in their learning process. they improve and better their tasks when given prompt and appropriate feedback. to make feedback direct and comprehensible to students. all the 30 student-respondents expressed that feedback should be clear and easily understood. the rubrics or criteria in rating them must be thoroughly explained. to make students feel empowered and not defeated. all the respondents believes that the major role of feedback in the learning process is to empower them and not to make them feel defeated. feedback brings forth new information specifically related to the task or process of learning that bridges the gap between what is understood and what is planned to be understood. feedback 22 plays an important role in the process of effective learning. it guides the students as they progress in the learning process (bloxham & campbell, 2010; gibbs & simpson, 2004; matthew, 2020). the students said, feedback really helps us improve and learn. if feedback is direct and easily understood, i can easily think of ways on how i could improve my work. feedback should not squash the students and make them feel defeated. the feedback should encourage and allow students to feel empowered. conclusions studies conducted explain that feedback could help improve students’ performance, likewise the findings of this study support that feedback plays an important role in the learning process of students. thorndike’s law of effect is evident in this study that when students receive positive, timely feedback, learning takes place. according to thorndike positive feedback strengthens learning and could yield a habitual situation. it means that if students are given the opportunity to understand the feedback and they are guided well, learning becomes fluid. this study identified the positive and negative effects of feedback, explained how feedback affected the students, enumerated how feedback should be given from the perspective of students, and pointed out the role of feedback in the students’ learning process. but what was striking was the truth revealed by a participant that feedback at times could be incomprehensible. the feedback could not be understood at once which poses a cognitive challenge to students. the participants being filipinos are thinking in their native tongue even if they are in their classes which are carried out in english. feedback is given in english, and it takes time for students to translate it to filipino before comprehension takes place. 23 high school, senior high school, college/university students regardless of whether they are in private, or government institution clearly articulated that the feedback they receive affect their learning process. the challenge now is for teachers to go the extra mile to make sure that students clearly understood the feedback given. it is also in the comprehension of feedback that learning would effectively take place. the role of the teacher inside and outside the classroom and the role of the students to exert extra effort to improve themselves are both urgent. teachers should realize that students have a great capacity to improve themselves if proper feedback coupled with respect, love and care would be given. immediate feedback must be delivered to help students correct their mistakes at once. students of the present generation are open and willing to accept their mistakes and they can correct themselves at once as well. they are learners with potential amount of confidence that needs to be tapped and nurtured. the teachers’ role is not simply to teach but to encourage and inspire. teachers are not mere mentors, but they must be the students’ parents in school capable of bringing out the best in each of them. references alam, q., & uddin, a. 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(2013). enhancing the english oral communication skills of the 1st year students of the bachelor’s degree program “communication and public relations”. procedia–social and behavioral sciences, 116, 2481–2484. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.596 stenger, m. (2014). research-based tips for providing students with meaningful feedback. http://www.edutopia.org/ tampal, s. k., betasolo, j. a., cumpa, j. q., segundo, j. m., apalisok, a. d., & ablen, a. s. (2019). teachers’ feedback: implications to academic performance and behavior of grade 8 students at north fairview high. ascendens asia singapore – bestlink college of the philippines journal 26 of multidisciplinary research, 1(1). https://ojs.aaresearchindex.com/index.php/aasgbcpjmra/article/view/1071 thorndike, e. (1913). mental work and fatigue and individual differences and their causes. teachers college, columbia university. https://archive.org/details/educationalpsyc10thorgoog/page/n9 university of south carolina (n.d.). importance of providing meaningful student feedback. https://sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/cte/ teaching_resources/grading_assessment_toolbox/providing_meaningful_student_feedback/index.php vancouver island university (2018). excerpts from aahe bulletin of chickering and gamson 1987 seven principles of good practice. https://ciel.viu. ca/teaching-learning-pedagogy/designing-your wong, j., & waring, h. (2009). ”very good” as a teacher. elt journal, 63(3), 195–203. doi:10.1093/elt/ccn042rt.office.co/en-us/article/apa-mlachicago-%e2%80%93-automatically-format-bibliographies-405c207c7070-42fa-91e7-eaf064b14d 27 appendices appendix a letters seeking permission dear sir/madam: greetings in st. la salle! i am evelyn r. obo, a faculty of de la salle university-dasmarinas. i am currently doing research related to giving of feedback to students and i would like to ask your permission if i could conduct my data gathering in your school. my data gathering includes interviews and focus group discussions with your (high school, senior high school, college/university) students. there are six academic institutions from the province of cavite, philippines who will be participating in this study. there will be ten high school student-participants (five from private and five from public high school); there are ten senior high school student-participants (five from private and five from public senior high school); and there are ten college students (five from private and five from state colleges and universities). your school is chosen through fishbowl draw. i sincerely hope that you could accommodate me on this. this is a great endeavor that will help me in my progress as an educator. be assured that you will be provided with a copy of the finished research. attached to this is the questionnaire i intend to use during the interview and focus group discussion with the students. thank you in advance. i shall be willing to come at any time to personally discuss this with you. i am giving my phone numbers and email addresses for our easy communication. smart number : 09202905568 globe number : 09168872333 email adds : erobo@dlsud.edu.ph god bless and more power. respectfully, evelyn r. obo 28 letter to parents dear sir/madam: greetings in st. la salle! i am evelyn r. obo, a faculty of de la salle university-dasmarinas. i am currently doing research related to giving of feedback to students and i would like to ask your permission if you could allow your son/daughter to be part of the study. be assured that all data coming from your child shall be treated in strict confidentiality. your child’s identity shall not be disclosed, and you can terminate the participation of your child anytime during the data gathering without prejudice to him/her. thank you very much. god bless and more power. respectfully, evelyn r. obo 29 appendix b certificate of validation october 10, 2017 this is to certify that the research questionnaire prepared by evelyn obo for her research titled, the role of feedback in the learning process of students, has been validated by the undersigned. glo c. mendoza ernani l. elep validator validator 30 appendix c interview question guide interview questions 1. what are your experiences in receiving positive feedback? 2. what are your experiences in receiving negative feedback? 3. how does feedback, whether positive and negative, affect your learning? 4. how do you think should feedback be given? 5. what is the role of feedback in the students’ learning process? 107 eliza mihaela spătărelu adventus university eliza.spatarelu@uadventus.ro beginner teachers in the recent research: a review of literature keywords beginner teacher, induction programs, initial training, tenure exam, teacher mentoring _______________________________________________ abstract this article aims to analyse recent research dealing with beginning teachers. for this purpose, 26 articles were selected. these articles investigate the issue of mentoring, specific experiences, the induction process and initial teacher training. each of them was analysed in turn, trying to highlight the common elements and the original elements. tables was used to summarize very clearly the basic structural elements or to highlight certain developments in the analysis of the identified phenomena. following the synthesis of the most important information, it could be seen that most countries use a form of testing of those who start teaching. the results obtained at these tenure exams vary depending on the level of education, environment of residence and area of origin. these examinations are followed by the adaptation period when professional identity is established and many beginning teachers face important challenges. 108 many countries have mentoring programs that help teachers in the accommodation process. mentors need to be trained in order to provide a comfortable working space for beginners. mentoring is useful for preventing beginner teacher turnover, increasing job satisfaction and improving students' learning outcomes. _______________________________________________ 1. introduction the issue of beginning teachers is important in the context of the concern for training a generation of quality teachers. the challenges of the first years of teaching leave their mark on the entire teaching career. in the first years of teaching, support, help, understanding and advice are needed. sometimes the difficulties encountered can be so strong that the teacher is forced to abandon this profession. the main purpose of this article is the analysis of research in recent years that deals with the subject of young teachers. for this, 26 articles of various types were selected. the examination will include both analytical and synthetic elements to create the most complete image possible. the main areas covered by the latest research in the field are: mentoring (hobson, & malderez, 2013; mcintyre, & hobson, 2016; smit, & du toit, 2016; lavry, 2017; vikaraman, mansor, & hamzah, 2017), specific experiences (lepage, courey, fearn, & cook, 2010; white, 2011; joseph, 2011; wiegerova, & lampertova, 2012), induction process (hobson, ashby, mcintyre, & malderez, 2010; spătărelu, 2015a; spătărelu, 2015b; rahmat, 2016; spătărelu, 2019a; kiru, 2020), tools used (joseph, 2011; white, 2011; wiegerova, & lampertova, 2012; hobson, & malderez, 2013; marsh, & mitchell 2014), intial training (lavry, 2017; amorim, & silva fernandes, 2018, spătărelu, 2019a), recommendations (le page, courey, fearn, & benson, 2010; spătărelu, 2019a), tenure 109 exam (spătărelu 2015b, spătărelu 2019a, kiru 2020), international comparisons (hobson, ashby, mcintyre, malderez, 2010; spătărelu, 2015a; spătărelu 2020), national or zonal analyses (o’brien, 2009; joseph, 2011; spătărelu 2015b; kiru, 2020), characteristics of the teachers (duta, tomoaica, panisoara, 2015; spătărelu, 2019a). each theme will be analysed in turn, trying to highlight the common elements and the original elements. tables will be used to summarize very clearly the basic structural elements or to highlight certain developments in the analysis of the identified phenomena. the articles will be analysed in order of their relevance and visibility. 2. mentoring and beginner teachers one of the most common citations in this field is the article written by hobson and malderez (2013). the purpose of their research is to identify the causes that prevent the mentoring activity from achieving its objectives. as a research method is used the interview is applied to beginning teachers in primary and secondary education. the results indicate that mentoring in england has some problems in the area of the relationship between mentor and beginner, against the background of a certain national legislative context. as a general idea, it is necessary to reach a consensus on the meaning and purpose of the mentor and to provide appropriate training for this role. as an original element, the article identifies the practice of criticism or judgment as an obstacle in making the connection between mentor and beginner. the second article under consideration maintains the focus on identity, but this time the identity of the mentor is not discussed but of the novice teacher. mcintyre and hobson (2016) aim to examine the impact of mentoring and other teacher support programs. structured interviews and case studies are used as 110 methods. the subjects were primary and secondary school teachers. the results show that external mentors encourage the development of identity in three specific aspects: the one related to the performing school culture, the one related to the community of practice and the one related to the development as a specialist in a certain field. the idea of the importance of external mentors in the context of the theory of the third space is emphasized. the theory of the third space refers to the community space where someone spends his time when he is not at home or at work. the third space has the greatest impact on the formation of professional identity. older articles (watkins, & whalley, 1993) try to address much more practical issues such as providing practical advice on the main problems and solving them. thus, the main deficiencies related to the specifics of the school, communication problems, challenges and conflicts, issues of resources, management of learning experiences, multiple mentors and the school's ability to learn from experience are discussed. articles of this type do not focus on research but on offering advice and recommendations for visible improvements in practice in the area of mentoring. vikaraman, mansor, and hamzad (2017) distinguish between mentoring and coaching. the first involves providing professional help, the second focuses on career development assistance. beginner teachers need assistance both in terms of professional development and in terms of personal development. the implications of the research lead to the idea that the mentor must also have the training of a coach, who also deals with personal balance, self-control and the influences and perceptions of each individual. based on the answers provided by a questionnaire applied to a group of novice teachers, it was established, among other things, that mentors need to be trained in order to provide a comfortable working space for beginners and that mentors need to emotionally support teachers. 111 smit and du toit (2016) investigate the development of beginning teachers under the supervision of peer mentors. the investigative action will be in the form of action research which includes: context viewing, planning, observation, reflection, planning, action, observation, reflection, etc. reflection actions are interpreted according to the profile of each mentor. it is recommended to use psychological tools to know the thinking style of each person involved to facilitate learning in general and mentoring in particular. lawry (2017) is of the opinion that there is controversy regarding the nature of mentoring. there are several different types of mentoring goals that can have various implications for pedagogical processes. research shows that mentoring is useful for preventing beginner teacher turnover, increasing job satisfaction and improving students' learning outcomes. but more needs to be done to investigate how beginners can be helped in the learning process. 3. beginner teachers’ experiences white (2011) presents the ways in which, as an educator of beginning teachers, she managed to develop an effective modelling system in such a way that students reflect on what they have learned. among the methods she uses are: identifying and analysing good models offered by professional practice, promoting metacognitive processes, developing the ability to reflect, monitoring the responses of students to monitoring, listening to students' experiences with their own teaching and using various teaching methods. lepage et al. (2010) present evidence of experiences and knowledge that helps teacher educators develop the skills and dispositions they need for effective teaching by identifying and analysing the signature pedagogies involved in inclusive education. 112 joseph (2011) uses narrative reflections to draw attention to the problems young teachers face and how they try to stay true to their chosen profession. the adaptation process is the process by which professional identity is established. wiegerova and lampertova (2012) use teacher diaries as research tools to study the process of integrating novice teachers into teaching activities in primary education. due to their importance, journals should become mandatory in the process of adapting to the formation of reflection skills. they have the opportunity to see and understand inner experiences and the school environment. moreover, they could become important research tools. in earlier research, buchner (1997) shows that despite the fact that vocational training programs have tried to improve over time, novice teachers continue to experience the same problems when they start working. this shows that training programs alone cannot solve this problem and that other methods must be used. the causes of the shock at the beginning could be: personality or attitude problems, problems induced by the school climate, problems related to teaching and the relationship with the class of students, problems related to the multitude of documents to be written and problems related to relationships with persons in the institution or administration. among the solutions listed include: extending the period of pedagogical practice, reviewing courses to provide the necessary experience, introducing a period of internship, organizing special induction programs. later, ashby, hobson, tracey, malderez, tomlinson, roper, chambers, and healy (2008) compile a comprehensive review of all teachers' experiences during initial training. detailed information on recruitment, motivation, preconceptions, expectations, needs, experiences initials, the choice of the first position, the experiences of the first year, the experiences of the following years, and the abandonment of the beginning teachers. 113 4. weaknesses of induction programs the induction of the teaching staff is influenced both by the economic factors (spătărelu, 2015a; spătărelu, 2020) and by the specific programs initiated by the educational institutions or by the education systems. international comparisons show that most countries use a form of testing of those who start teaching (hobson et al., 2010). in romania, for example, each graduate must take a tenure exam. teachers can only have a permanent position if they manage to get a very good grade and only if there are vacancies available. others, with lower grades, can get a job for a short time and have to take the tenure exam until they receive a grade that allows them access to a permanent job. those with very low grades do not receive the right to practice (spătărelu, 2015b; spătărelu 2019a). in scotland, for example, the novice teacher is provided with a oneyear probationary position, but not full-time, providing time for professional development and access to an experienced teacher for professional support (obrien, 2009). research in preschool education has shown that there are no correlations between the induction program and children's performance (rahmat, 2016), young teachers have more optimistic expectations about educational policies (spătărelu, 2019b) and their experience on the integration of values morale in teaching is limited (spătărelu 2019c). through interviews, amorim and silva fernandes (2018) analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the teacher training program and how it can support teacher integration. beginner teachers recognize that initial training is the most important to learn teaching, but also signal certain weaknesses in the system such as the devaluation of pedagogical practice that should be introduced in theoretical training. the need for a more important 114 focus on pedagogical practice was also underlined by the research conducted by spătărelu (2019a). 5. specific instruments for induction programs regarding the methods and tools used in investigating the topics related to beginning teachers, the following were identified: the use of video materials (marsh, & mitchel, 2014), modeling and reflective dialogue (white, 2011), narrative reflection (joseph, 2011), interviews (hobson, & malderez, 2013), action research (smit, du toit, 2016), international comparisons (hobson et al., 2010), quantitative research (duta, tomoaica, & panisoara, 2014, spătărelu, 2020; kiru, 2020), review of literature (ashby et al., 2008; de oliveira padura, & franca-carvalho, 2019) 6. conclusions following the synthesis of the most important information, it could be seen that most countries use a form of testing of those who start teaching. the results obtained at these tenure exams vary depending on the level of education, environment of residence and area of origin. these examinations are followed by the adaptation period when professional identity is established and many beginning teachers face important challenges. many countries have mentoring programs that help teachers in the accommodation process. mentors need to be trained in order to provide a comfortable working space for beginners. mentoring is useful for preventing beginner teacher turnover, increasing job satisfaction and improving students' learning outcomes. some studies discuss the idea of equipping mentors with qualities of coaches to improve the relationship between them and beginning teachers and even the use of mentors from outside. 115 in addition to these ideas, it has been proposed to use reflective journals, and the use of psychological tools for analysing thinking styles. the need for a stronger focus on pedagogical practice and the development of special strategies for teachers teaching in areas with specific needs was emphasized. references amorim, a. d. d., & silva fernandes, m. j. d. (2018). initial training, pedagogical practice, beginner teacher and the process of becoming a teacher. revista praxis educacional, 85-110. ashby, p., hobson, a. j., tracey, l., malderez, a., tomlinson, p. d., roper, t., ... & healy, j. (2008). beginner teachers’ experiences of initial teacher preparation, induction and early professional development: a review of literature. london: dcsf. buchner, j. (1997). surviving the first year: a collaborative approach for a beginner teacher support system. south african journal of higher education, 11(1), 85-92. duta, n., tomoaica, e., & panisoara, g. (2015). desirable characteristics defining to describe an effective teacher. procedia-social and behavioral sciences, 197, 1223-1229. hobson, a. j., ashby, p., mcintyre, j., & malderez, a. (2010). international approaches to teacher selection and recruitment. oecd education working papers, no. 47, oecd publishing. hobson, a. j., & malderez, a. (2013). judgementoring and other threats to realizing the potential of school‐based mentoring in teacher education. international journal of mentoring and coaching in education, 2(2), 89-108. de oliveira pádua, c. a. l., & frança-carvalho, a. d. (2019). the beginner teacher and school culture 116 learning. international journal of advanced engineering research and science, 6(10). joseph, d. (2011). early career teaching: learning to be a teacher and staying in the job. australian journal of teacher education, 36(9), 75-87. kiru, r. (2020). beginner teachers and the challenges of the tenure exams: a longitudinal zonal analysis of official data from pre-secondary education. ijrdo journal of educational research, 5(3), 39-48. lawry, r. (2017). the effect of mentor teachers on initial teacher training and emergence as a beginner teacher. journal of initial teacher inguiry, 3, 82-85. lepage, p., courey, s., fearn, e. j., benson, v., cook, e., hartmann, l., & nielsen, s. (2010). curriculum recommendations for inclusive teacher education. international journal of whole schooling, 6(2), 19-45. marsh, b., & mitchell, n. (2014). the role of video in teacher professional development. teacher development, 18(3), 403-417. mcintyre, j., & hobson, a. j. (2016). supporting beginner teacher identity development: external mentors and the third space. research papers in education, 31(2), 133-158. o'brien, j. (2009). teacher induction: does scotland's approach stand comparison? research in comparative and international education, 4(1), 42-52. rahmat, f. (2016, january). correlation between the induction program and the performance of early childhood beginner teacher. in proceeding of international conference on teacher training and education, 1(1), 874-879. smit, t., & du toit, p. h. (2016). transforming beginner teacher mentoring interventions for social reform. south african journal of education, 36(3). 117 spatarelu, e. m. (2015a). youth insertion on labour market. procedia economics and finance, 32, 1020-1026. spătărelu, e. m. (2015b). graduates’ insertions on pre-secondary education labour market. education plus, 12(1), 253-274. spătărelu, e. (2019a). student satisfaction, teaching practicum and academic achievement. journal of education studies (jes), 1(1), 26-46. spătărelu, e. m. (2019b). beginner teacher and early education. journal of education studies, 1 (2), 5-24. spătărelu, e. m. (2019c). the value of early education from the perspective of a beginner teacher. journal of education studies, 1 (2), 55-73. spătărelu, e. m. (2020). beginner teachers in primary education: comparisons among european countries. journal of education studies, 2 (1), 27-47. vikaraman, s. s., mansor, a. n., & hamzah, m. i. m. (2017). mentoring and coaching practices for beginner teachers— a need for mentor coaching skills training and principal’s support. creative education, 8(1), 156-169. watkins, c., & whalley, c. (1993). mentoring beginner teachers— issues for schools to anticipate and manage. school organization, 13(2), 129-138. wiegerová, a., & lampertová, a. (2012). a teacher’s diary as a research instrument to determine the integration process of a beginner teacher into daily life at a primary school. the future of education. white, e. (2011). working towards explicit modelling: experiences of a new teacher educator. professional development in education, 37(4), 483-497. 118 tables, figures and appendices table 1. centralization of essential information y e a r author title journal method and instruments results and conclusions 2 0 1 0 hobson et al. international approaches to teacher selection and recruitment. oecd education working papers international comparisons international comparisons show that most countries use a form of testing of those who start teaching 2 0 1 0 lepage et al. curriculum recommend ations for inclusive teacher education internation al journal of whole schooling analysis of official documents analysing the signature pedagogies involved in inclusive education 2 0 1 1 white working towards explicit modelling: experiences of a new teacher educator profession al developme nt in education reflective methods developing an effective modelling system in such a way that students reflect on what they have learned 2 0 1 1 joseph early career teaching: learning to be a teacher and staying in the job australian journal of teacher education narrative reflections the adaptation process is the process by which professional identity is established 119 2 0 1 2 wieger ova and lamper tova a teacher’s diary as a research instrument to determine the integration process of a beginner teacher into daily life at a primary school. the future of education. teacher’s diary analyses diaries should become mandatory in the process of adapting to the formation of reflection skills 2 0 1 3 hobson and malder ez judge mentoring and other threats to realizing the potential of school‐ based mentoring in teacher education internation al journal of mentoring and coaching in education interviews relationship between mentor and beginner needs to be improved 2 0 1 5 spătăre lu graduates’ insertions on presecondary education labour market. plus education quantitative analysis the results obtained at the tenure exam vary depending on the level of education, environment of residence and area of origin. 120 2 0 1 6 mcintr e and hobson supporting beginner teacher identity developmen t: external mentors and the third space research papers in education structured interviews and case studies the idea of the importance of external mentors in the context of the theory of the third space is emphasized 2 0 1 6 smit and du toit transformin g beginner teacher mentoring intervention s for social reform south african journal of education action research it is recommended to use psychological tools to know the thinking style of each person involved to facilitate learning in general and mentoring in particular 2 0 1 7 vikara man, mansor , and hamza d mentoring and coaching practices for beginner teachers—a need for mentor coaching skills training and principal’s support creative education questionnair e mentors need to be trained in order to provide a comfortable working space for beginners 121 2 0 1 7 lawry the effect of mentor teachers on initial teacher training and emergence as a beginner teacher. journal of initial teacher inquiry literature review mentoring is useful for preventing beginner teacher turnover, increasing job satisfaction and improving students' learning outcomes 2 0 1 9 spătăre lu student satisfaction, teaching practicum and academic achievemen t journal of education studies quantitative analysis the need for greater concentration on pedagogical practicum 2 0 2 0 kiru beginner teachers and the challenges of the tenure exams: a longitudinal zonal analysis of official data from presecondary education. ijrdo journal of educationa l research quantitative analysis the needs for specific educational programs for initial training of the teachers who teach in specific aria 122 2 0 2 0 spătăre lu beginner teachers in primary education: comparisons among european countries journal of education studies quantitative analysis there is a need for educational and social policies that encourage young people to choose and to remain in the teaching profession. 53 roxana nicoleta curea alexandu ioan cuza university curea_roxana@yahoo.com motivation, professional dropout and retention strategies in preuniversity education keywords motivation, professional dropout, retention strategies abstract the study of educational systems and processes cannot but take into account the reality of professional dropout, so present in the contemporary school. the need to study the field of professional abandonment and retention strategies is a requirement to improve the quality of the educational act and educational policies. the study is based on the systemic evaluation of areas of interest motivation, professional abandonment, motivation and retention, causes and ways to improve this state of affairs. we propose a systematic documentation on a complex and hyper-studied field and a critical and personal report extensive bibliography, a clear argumentation of the problem to be studied but also a personalization, its own variant of analysis. 54 1. review of literature motivation is the process that leads, guides and maintains behaviors, from the elementary (eg eating) to the most complex, determining the person's preference for certain actions or behaviors. from a psychological point of view, motivation represents the internal state of necessity of the organism that orients and directs the behavior in the direction of satisfaction and, therefore, of its elimination. the 2000s saw one of the most important contributions to motivational psychology, the self-determination metatheory (sdt, so and ryan, 2000; ryan and so, 2000) and which remains, and currently, the most widely used framework for self-determination psychological needs in an organizational context. according to this theory, there are three types of needs that any person must meet (autonomy, competence and relationships) in order to achieve optimal results in all areas of life, including the workplace. thus, growth trends and fundamental psychological needs are considered important to explain motivation and well-being. according to this theory, any of these fundamental needs presupposes a tension, which, once satisfied, determines the well-being. although there were opposing views see brickman and miller (2001), yiengar and lepper (1999) or markus and kitazama (2003), who considered that theories of self-determination were valid only in western culture (according to vansteenkiste et al., 2005), further research has established the universality and generality of these needs (sheldon, 2001). the theory of self-determination advances, like many other models, a distinction between extrinsic motivation (determined by instrumental motives other than the pleasure of the activity itself) and intrinsic (determined by the state of well-being felt during actions). the theoretical and applied 55 novelty is that each motivational form is placed on a frame of a motivational continuum, malleable and transformable. the modification of the motivational structure takes place naturally, through the processes of internalization, ie the regulation of behaviors that first depended on external reward and which, under the influence of some factors, turned into intrinsically motivated behaviors. the taxonomy of motivational types, arranged on a continuum according to the degree of self-determination, begins with amotivation and ends with intrinsic, highly autonomous motivation. between the two extremes are extrinsic motivation, introjection regulation (when the motivational source that was previously external was partially internalized) and identification regulation., (internalized form of extrinsic motivation, behavior is already accepted and considered important for oneself, 2005) the form with the highest level of autonomy of intrinsic motivation is the integrated regulation, which occurs when the identified regulations are assimilated to the self. usually, intrinsic motivation and regulation by identification are predictors of successive behaviors, and motivation and external regulation of negative results (ntoumanis, 2005). important correlational and experimental studies (vansteenkiste et al., 2005) have shown the advantages of autonomous behaviors compared to controlled ones: a higher level of well-being, satisfaction in life, positive emotions, satisfaction. if the school environment manages to meet the three needs considered essential (competence, autonomy and relationships), manages not to create conflicting states that generate vulnerabilities between basic needs, the result will be a high level of well-being. ta has clear advantages, proving its usefulness in clarifying the dynamics of motivational 56 orientation, each motivational form being mobile and can be placed on a continuum of self-determination. thus, the presence or absence of institutional conditions that determine the satisfaction to a satisfactory extent of these basic needs predict the emergence of intrinsic motivation (deci & ryan, 2000, pp. 229-230), and lack of well-being will determine an extrinsic motivation. (chen et al., 2019). as a general rule, the more the institutional environment supports the needs for autonomy, competence and relationships, the stronger the intrinsic motivation, to the detriment of the extrinsic one. (vallerand & reid, 1984; williams & so, 1996) (characterized by the feeling of freedom of choice, of spontaneous involvement due to the interest and satisfaction of the action itself) is increasingly restricted by institutional pressures, most often uninteresting, which could lead to decreased autonomy, externally regulated behaviors, to behaviors achieved as a result of external taxes, generating low performance. although, according to ta, extrinsic motivations can be generated for different reasons, the school is put in a position to identify and propose to teachers activities that they perform not as a result of external pressures, but autonomously and with a sense of psychological freedom. the high level of internalization of motivations correlates positively with the level of employment in tasks, increasing the capacity for effort, behavioral effectiveness, increasing well-being. thus, the optimal level of challenges, effective feedback, lack of institutional constraints, decision-making autonomy, could facilitate the formation of intrinsic motivation. noninternalized but only imposed goals, deadlines, conflicting relationships within institutions are dimensions of the formation of an extrinsic motivation, with uninvolved and nonautonomous individuals and low results. self-determination is 57 a predictor of effort and positive outcomes in school work (ntoumanis, 2005), and autonomous behaviors are proven advantageous (in correlational and behavioral studies), involving a high level of well-being (vansteenkiste et al., 2005). motivation and professional abandonment the investment in the future cannot be seen without a massive investment in education. in this context, investing in teachers, in their initial training but also in strategies to reduce professional abandonment seem to be successive dimensions of national development policies. professional abandonment can have special effects for the individual, but it also has special repercussions on the development of society and the economy. the initial training of a teacher, the continuous training, presuppose a remarkable investment, and the exit from the system presents clear social and economic disadvantages, in the short and long term. multidimensionalism and the acute dimension of this phenomenon are recognized in the official educational policy documents of political and educational courts, there are extensive materials that study the causes, triggers, consequences, but also solutions for improvement. professional abandonment is the result of a combination of personal, socio-economic, educational, institutional factors that have as an initial result the initial demotivation and reach the actual abandonment of the system. according to unesco (2009), by 2015 there is a shortage of teachers in half of the world's countries. a natural measure to overcome this deficit could be to increase the share of recruiting new teachers in the system. the efforts of many countries to implement strategies that involve material incentives, subsidies, bonuses, increased salaries are well known (oecd, 2005). programs such as america teachfirst, 58 which is also being used in the uk and the netherlands, are also examples of the globalization of education systems' efforts to meet their staffing needs. if the figures indicating dropout rates do not coincide (not even in the same geographical area), most research results consider that the most affected by this phenomenon are young teachers, in the first 5 years of career, the teaching profession being compared, plastic but negative, with a “revolving door” (cooper & alvarado, 2006, p. 5). regardless of the percentage, leaving the system involves significant economic costs, in the us alone official reports put forward the amount of $ 2 billion allocated to replace teachers who leave the system (alliance for excellent education, 2005, according to harfitt, 2014). however, some studies on the phenomenon of professional dropout indicate that many graduates either fail to teach for even an hour (luekens, lyter, & fox, 2004, lindqvist, ulla karin nord € anger, 2016), or leave the system after a few ani (cooper & alvarado, 2006; ingersoll, 2003). in the face of these records, it is confirmed the need for a differentiated approach, an effective strategy to keep teachers in the system. an alternative solution to reduce professional dropout is the strategies for retaining and supporting teachers in the system. the metaphor used is that of the bucket losing water due to holes, and refilling it is not an effective strategy until the holes are covered (ingersoll, 2007, p. 6). professional abandonment within educational systems, studied by well-known authors, reveals high rates compared to occupations with similar status (ingersoll, 2003), but also significant social costs. an unstable faculty can cause institutional and organizational disruption, dramatically affect the quality of school outcomes and have serious financial consequences $ 2.2 billion is estimated in 2001 as a financial 59 effort by the us government to replace teachers who dropped out of the profession. (borman and dowling, 2008). longitudinal research indicates a u-shaped distribution of professional dropouts, the proportion of teachers who drop out of the system often appearing to be correlated with seniority, (ingersoll, 2001). thus, young teachers are more involved in this phenomenon, in the 1-5 career years (ingersoll, 2003, cooper & alvarado, 2006, hammerness, 2008) but also the elderly (retirement is excluded). many teachers decide to leave the profession because they simply do not master it (fontaine, kane, duquette and savoie-zajc, 2012, according to per lindqvist, 2016), thus raising the issue of teacher quality. who drop out often have a negative image of the profession before entering than those who remain (wilhelm, dewhurst, savellis and parker, 2000), but also that the new generations of teachers have other conceptions about career, are no longer dependent on the traditional conception, approach the trajectories nonlinear and mobile professionals and have different career goals than previous generations (johnson et al., 2005), especially since “teaching attributes are transferable and highly valued by employers in other professions” (buchanan, 2009, p 35). much of the research on teacher dropout provides statistical explanations (for example, in the us only 40% of graduates still practice, 5 years after graduation), much less are studies that analyze typical patterns of development and individual variations that may lead to the decision. the results of some american studies (borman and dowling, 2008; ingersoll, 2001; luekens et al., 2004) indicate that teachers susceptible to professional abandonment are women, married, working in special education, mathematics and science. there are also studies that discuss financial causes (johnson, berg, & donaldson, 2005; kyriacou, kunc, stephens, & hultgren, 2003). 60 other factors that could underlie the dropout decision are considered organizational characteristics, student discipline issues, overload with uninteresting and bureaucratic tasks (borman & dowling, 2008; kyriacou et al., 2003). some of these motivations also appeared in personal research, conducted for the dissertation. we have drawn a coherent picture of the possible reasons invoked by the respondents as decisive for the decision to leave the system, which includes bureaucracy, strained relations with students and their parents, stress due to external pressures and coercive controls, unmotivated and unbalanced salary. of other budgetary categories, lack of appreciation from the company, poor management, material conditions, endowment, personal causes. there are studies that suggest that individual expectations prior to professional activity and unfulfilled (for various reasons) in school contexts, have a negative impact on professional satisfaction, and may influence dropout. causes identified in the literature and suggestions for solutions the professional abandonment of teachers has often been studied as an association between individual factors (burnout, endurance, demographic characteristics and family characteristics) closely correlated with institutional ones, management support, salary, professional development, relationships with colleagues, student problems (clandinin et al., 2014). thus, the idea that professional abandonment is a unique decision is overcome, but rather a sum of processes, individual and institutional, that take place over time. in this process, in the sense of assimilating objectives and values. the advantage of this type of approach is that the results of the analysis can be followed by practical suggestions for 61 solving the problems that lead to the decision to leave; thus, the idea of complex knowledge of teachers is initiated, even in a narrative way, so that the reason for abandonment can be discovered, which, for many hours, is at the border between internal and organizational motivations. canadian authors (fantilinni et al., 2009) identify a wide range of causal issues ranging from the behavior of educators to their parents to lack of administrative support, salary issues, institutional policies and relationship systems, including mentoring. the picture of the causal dimensions of the phenomenon is completed by the poor quality of the school organization, lack of autonomy or opportunities to participate in decision making, difficulties in adapting to teaching requirements, difficulties in managing institutional relations, unhealthy school culture, lack of collegiality and support. for beginning teachers, low involvement / behavioral problems of students in the classroom, poor working conditions, lack of teaching resources, no professional learning opportunities, high workload and social isolation (buchanan, prescott, schuck, aubusson and burke, 2013). also, there is evidence that good teaching performance, quality of learning are factors that minimize the risk of dropping out (krieg, 2006). last but not least, the emphasis is on documentation, external bureaucracy and organization, instead of the quality time spent with students. tense working relationships, reduced collegiality, reduced support and access to the expertise and information resources of colleagues can influence decisions to leave the system or, on the contrary, can stimulate staying in the system. the big difference between the theory studied in faculties and the reality in school is one of the causes frequently supported by education theorists, lack of training in managing concrete problems of student groups, as 62 well as student discipline problems or failure to support teachers' decisions by managers. additional work and outside their area of expertise, are issues frequently mentioned as triggers for abandonment decisions. among the most frequently cited causes, stress occupies a special place, the teaching profession being considered, according to studies, one of the most stressful (johnson et al., 2005; newberry & allsop, 2017). globally, teachers report high levels of stress (johnson & birkeland, 2003; kyriacou, 2003; skaalvik and skaalvik, 2015). the high level of stress experienced by teachers has direct consequences on intention (jones and youngs, 2012; klassen and chiu, 2011), but also on the decision to leave the profession (newberry & allsop, 2017). in romania, studies of teaching professional stress analysis were made in the universities of cluj horia pitariu (2007), nicolae jurcău (2003) and mircea miclea (2010), in bucharest-mielu zlate (2010) and iași (gianina masari, daniela muntele, versavia curelaru). the in-depth study of the dedicated articles provides a slightly non-unitary picture of the relationship between the variables occupational stress, attrition and professional abandonment and, moreover, in most cases, the research was conducted from the perspective of intention to abandon and not of the effective decision. an exhaustive analysis of the phenomenon of professional abandonment would contain a map of concepts and psycho-pedagogical variables that could positively correlate with the intention but also with the dropout decision. the identified solutions are related to the collaborative organizational culture, training programs for school managers, the importance and effectiveness of mentoring and induction programs. 63 high quality education, high-performance initial training, reduced workload, organization of networks for beginning teachers-but also registration and monitoring of the phenomenon are also dimensions of solving this phenomenon, identifiable in the literature (den brok et al., 2017) the conclusions from the analyzed studies also suggest that a successive strategy to recover this phenomenon is to increase the share of qualified teachers with good teaching skills, engaged in mentoring and induction programs. the dedicated literature identifies other strategies to reduce professional dropout: capitalizing on the resources of professional associations, emphasis and funding for professional development, support for new teachers, substantial links between schools, universities and school authorities (manuel, 2003, buchanon, 2013). assisting, monitoring, mentoring teachers, good knowledge and correct appreciation of their motivational structure, optimal and timely intervention in difficult situations "could lift the morale of the profession, and induce the most disillusioned to remain" (cockburn 1999, p. 235, apud buchanon, 2013). also, the creation of special programs, support and practical learning, correct management of difficulties, "which will prepare the teacher from the beginning for the complications of classroom life" (bean, & stevens, 2002; cavanagh & prescott, 2008; ensor, 2001, in buchanon, 2013). the oecd recommends long-term partnerships between different professional organizations, the promotion of positive experiences, participation in mentoring and induction programs, the establishment of collegiate learning environments and information transfer facilitators, reduced extradidactic tasks, prospects for advancement, increased autonomy and flexibility (pages 205-206). 64 we propose, in accordance with the studied literature, the creation, within the university pedagogical modules, of learning opportunities, of some alternative programs that will develop, besides the formal competences and psychological capacities of resistance to stress, of reflection, of receptivity and of understanding. objective problems, relationship management––all with a special role in minimizing the risk of professional abandonment. also, a good monitoring of the phenomenon could be extremely valuable in the perspective of identifying the most appropriate measures to stop the phenomenon. creating a database accessible to all institutions and accessible by interested bodies (decision makers, researchers) with up-todate information, can be a method of constant and quality supervision and facilitation of ameliorating actions. the organization of an official, supportive social network for teachers at risk of professional abandonment could be a reliable and flexible solution for its members, due to the advantages of interconnection, awareness of the existence of common difficulties and identification of concerted solutions. supporting teachers at risk of professional abandonment, ensuring their access to the programs of this body, the possibility of objective assessment of this risk, made by specialists in the field, with standardized tools, positive use of experience, can be as many advantages of setting up and operating a such an official body. thus, it will be possible to offer a significant percentage of teachers access to professional support adapted to the problems, it will be possible to stimulate the effective support of these teachers and to identify strategies to encourage school authorities to use institutional policies and resources to reduce them. this phenomenon. 65 encouraging social collaboration, the opportunity offered to specialists to work together, to solve and disseminate positive experiences, facilitating specialized research in the field, will significantly reduce the percentage of losses and can be considered one of the main objectives of the romanian education system. 2. synthetic view of the results in the literature a review of the studies cited above, in order to extract the factors that determine the professional abandonment of teachers, revealed the reasons most often invoked to justify this choice. for a simplified overview of the results of studies undertaken on all geographical coordinates, we present a list of factors associated with professional abandonment. synthesis of the factors that determine professional abandonment, in the consulted literature (table 1). motivation and retention until the beginning of the 2000s, the educational policy was oriented towards filling the gaps generated by the exit from the system of a very large number of teachers. the strategy was aimed at improving the scholarship system and offering financial advantages, creating alternative routes to enter the system. due to the multitude of research published in this field after 2000, which focused on diagnosing the problem and providing solutions to the full range of problems, educational policies have adopted a direction of coherence (much hampered by institutional decentralization), trying to connect in a program congruent the three dimensions, recruitment, training and maintenance in the system. the holistic vision, the integration in a continuum of the recruitment, training and retention of teachers must be 66 achieved in a framework of coherent educational policies and connected to the aims of national education. many documents (according to cooper et al., 2006) outlined: the congruence between teacher training and the needs of future teachers (identified and "stored" in a database, in an accessible network), the generalization and efficiency of curricula. mentoring and induction, improving the quality of working conditions, increasing the size of professional development, improving the level of pay––all listed as coherent measures, based on an integrated data collection system that reaches the decision makers. once recruited into the system, teachers must be retained and supported. according to the results of specialized studies, intrinsic motivation ensures the orientation towards the profession, but in terms of retention, the strategy of keeping teachers in the system can be superiorly influenced by extrinsic motivations (cooper, 2006). teacher retention in the system can be analyzed from two perspectives: first, it is important to emphasize that teacher stability is a condition for increasing learning quality, that learning outcomes and student performance are directly influenced by those of teachers, but also coherence and teacher continuity. secondly, leaving the system at different times is a costly endeavor for society. the inefficiency of the costs included in the schooling support, the need for new fiscal contributions for the training of new teachers, other costs of induction, mentoring, guidance and improvement are dimensions whose solution can influence the quality of education in general. recent studies have reported the importance of working conditions (which also include supporting school management, the quality of mentoring and induction programs) in terms of teacher retention in the system. it is obvious that one of the reasons why teachers leave the system is the poor quality of 67 working conditions (borman and dowling, 2008; boyd et al., 2011; ladd, 2009, 2011; loeb et al., 2005, apud geiger, 2018) . thus, it has been shown that teachers who have assessed their working conditions as satisfactory (geiger, 2018) have presented fewer risks of professional dropout. such data are important for school administrations, for institutional management, for decision makers who, through measures to improve this dimension, they can contribute to reducing the phenomenon of professional abandonment. other studies (johnson & birkeland, 2003; nagy & wang, 2007; demn, 2005, apud geiger, 2018) highlight the importance of support for teachers by the administration, but also the quality of positive relationships between faculty members and mentoring programs. there are many voices that align the retention dimension with the recruitment dimension, both being considered in a relationship of continuity, suggesting that the qualitative recruitment of teachers (either on academic routes or through standardized screening-evaluating qualities such as commitment and perseverance, leadership) will improve retention and, therefore, learning performance, but not enough (wronowski, m., 2017). we believe that qualitative approaches, narrative methods based on observations, on the analysis of the meanings attributed by people to different phenomena can contribute to a better understanding of the phenomenon and to the identification of the most appropriate methods of teacher retention. among the factors that decisively influence the retention rate, according to wronowski's triadic model, is a specific set of personality traits (conscientiousness and emotional stability two of the 5 personality dimensions, according to the big fives theory are positively associated with job retention (barrick & 68 mount, 1996; hough, eaton, dunnette, kamp and mccloy, 1990, apud bastian et al., 2017), advanced relational skills and shared and assumed organizational culture. the importance of cultivating a good relationship with education appears frequently in the analyzed studies (murray, 2009; murray and malgren, apud wronowski, 2017), the emphasis being on the ability to cultivate relationships of involvement, motivation and academic support of students. institutional ethos involves the institution's commitment to collaborative cultural values, lifelong learning, school development, institutional policies that allow and encourage autonomy personal and decision-making of teachers, school development. the decrease of the share of continuous changes (both curricular and educational policy), the management that supports the quality of the instructiveeducational activity and the teacher, their autonomy in decisions are components that influence the favorability of the educational culture to reduce drop-out. continuous development, improvement are dimensions that are considered extremely important, but must include areas of learning representative of the professional interests of teachers. another important dimension of retention improvement strategies can be analyzed at the level of organizational management. thus, taking into account several models, transformational management is the one that provides support to teachers in their instructive-educational approach, more than other types of lead. "this leadership model inspires followers, who are dedicated to a common vision and goals within a department or organization, show creativity in solving problems, and through coaching and mentoring, through support and challenges, they are develop their own leadership skills.” (bass and riggio, 2006, transformational leadership, 2nd edition, new jersey: lawrence erlbaum associates, 2006 p. 69 4). school managers must be supported (including through training) in addresses this kind of management, which facilitates collaboration, productive discussions, developing teacher autonomy and is useful in keeping teachers in systems that can have positive results in terms of keeping teachers in the system. regarding the retention of teachers in the system, a relevant analysis cannot fail to take into account a multidimensionality of points of view: thus, the question of the quality of teachers, their qualification. leaving the system is all the more costly as the more prepared and qualified human resource is lost. on the other hand, there are authors (haberman, 2012, apud wronowski, 2017) who claim that students who obtained the highest marks in the entrance exams are twice as likely to give up as those with notemics, and secondly that they do not have the level of maturity necessary for success as a teacher. demographic characteristics are also taken into account (gender, ethnicity, age all used as potential predictors of professional dropout, but also the reduction of dropout through remuneration strategies advantageous for teachers, especially considering the opportunities offered by alternative jobs. (dolton and van der klaauw, 1995, 1999; murnane & olsen, 1989, 1990, apud borman, 2018). an advantageous economic strategy with positive effects in achieving the desideratum of keeping teachers in the system could be the intelligent policy (private or state) to finance research to study this field. the creation of a support network, the consultation and financial support of scientists studying this issue, the creation of the most effective models of induction and mentoring programs, can be successful strategies, adapted to their development needs, on subdomains that reach exactly the key points of their training could be beneficial. the payment of teachers who theoretically and practically carry out the 70 induction and mentoring programs, the continuous monitoring and evaluation of the programs will be a long-term investment, advantageous for the entire education system. funding a nationally collected database with annual reports (including longitudinal studies to capture the nuanced trajectories of teachers' careers) made by teams of professionals, published and provided for analysis to the line ministry could be a first step in maintaining the "health" of the education system. 3. conclusions by carefully analyzing the dedicated literature, overcoming the differences in approach and educational culture, we can draw some conclusions and offer some explanations. thus, we see the need for deep and holistic investigation of the whole process the student goes through to become a teacher, knowledge and theorizing of career development phases and challenges that could influence decisions to stay or leave the system, building a virtual space, of a community in which each teacher can share or benefit from the professional experience of other teachers in order to build a real image, a realistic professional identity. longitudinal studies, narrative surveys can clarify many of the "unknowns" and could come to the aid of teachers in a situation of abandonment, but also of the system affected by this reality. identifying how to increase the attractiveness of the profession and minimize the risks of professional abandonment, changing the attitude of the community towards the professional body are important elements in the strategy of developing a healthy educational system. 71 the impact of professional guidance, materialized in mentoring programs is extremely effective in developing qualities essential to the proper conduct of school activities, such as confidence in one's abilities, competence and personal efficiency, a sense of security and belonging. cooperation between pre-university and university education, internships could be another way to reduce the gap between expectations and reality, between training and actual practice. also, programs for the development of collaboration skills, for the strengthening of interpersonal relationships, which stimulate the cultivation of collegiality, as a significant factor for long-term success in the profession, are becoming necessary. the explanations converge around the central idea of overworked and stressful profession, full of pressures, evolving, against the background of excessive demands and the limits of their management capacities, towards abandonment. a series of structural changes, noticeable at the level of social approach (such as the contradictory image of the role of the modern teacher, society's attitude towards teachers, the deterioration of the traditional image of the teacher) led to an exacerbation of pressure on this professional category. responsibilities, rapid and unsystematic curricular changes, unassumed reform are examples of stressors that facilitate professional abandonment. the false image that students form of the profession, unrealistic expectations, unrealized individual expectations in concrete school contexts also have a negative impact on job satisfaction and can influence dropout decisions. insufficient practical training, the marked differences between the school reality and the previous unrealistic image of the profession, correlated with the level of maturity and the lack of managerial 72 / collegiate help also determine difficulties in adapting to the profession, sometimes insurmountable. the difference in vision between traditional culture in schools (focused on inflexible, well-known and perpetuated structures) and modern culture, which implies acceptance of continuous change, diversity, complexity and mobility can be an explanatory factor of dropout. in most cases and in the most frequent cases, professional abandonment is considered as a detrimental dimension from an economic, social and psychological point of view. there are few studies that consider that, according to economic theories, healthy and productive organizations tend to keep their employees efficient, those who leave the system being those who do not meet the standards of quality and efficiency, the decision to abandon being, in this case, potentially beneficial. the study of the reported percentages, the economic data presented by the official reports and the extremely large share of empirical studies showing professional abandonment in terms of loss are sufficient data to consider that theoretical and practical initiatives are absolutely necessary that can contribute to improving this fact. it remains to evaluate the situation in romania, to see to what extent the data from the western space are similar or different from the national ones. the researched data from the romanian space indicate a state of concern of researchers regarding the temptation to drop out of work and the critical need for interventions and initiatives aligned with educational reforms and policies to minimize this phenomenon. 73 references bass, b. m. & riggio, r. e. 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(2000). teacher stress? an analysis of why teachers leave and why they stay. teachers and teaching: theory and practice, 6(3), 291e304. wronowski, m., 2017. filling the void: a grounded theory approacht addressing teacher recruitment and retention in urban schools. education and urban society, 50(6), 548–574. doi:10.1177/0013124517713608 79 tables, figures ang appendices table 1. synthetic view of the results in the literature identified causes author / year of publication individual factors, emotional consumption, stress, burnout clandini, 2014, hong, 2010, smith, 2014, buchanan, 2013 skaalvik and skaalvik, 2011, mccarthy et al., 2015, goddard and goddard 2006; korthagen 2004; maslach 2003; maslach and leader 2008 (by gallant, 2014), newberry, m., & allsop, y. (2017), wronowski, m., 2017, poor management, lack of support strategies, lack of teacher support clandini, 2014c, fontilinni et al., 2009, smith, 2014, buchanan et al., 2013, (borman & dowling, 2008; kyriacou et al., 2003, buchanan, 2010; gonzalez, brown, and slate, 2008apud hamsen, 2018, gallant 2014, wronowski, m., 2017 low salary clandini, 2014, fontilinni et al, 2009, buchanan et al, 2013, johnson, berg and donaldson, 2005; kyriacou, kunc, stephens, & hultgren, 2003, johnson and kardos (2008), in newberry, m., & allsop, y. (2017), (european union, 2013; ingersoll, 2001, 2004; mertler, 2016; wynn, carboni , & patall, 2007apud geiger, 2018), (auguste, kihn, & miller, 2010; dolton and van der klaauw, 1999; hargreaves et al., 2007; smethen, 2007bapud geiger, 2018) 80 professional development clandini, 2014, buchanan et al, 2013, gonzalez, brown, and slate, 2008 (in harmsen, 2018), harmsen, 2018, gallant, 2014 difficult relationships with colleagues clandini, 2014, buchanan și colab,2013, smith, 2014, dyson, albon&hutchinson, 2007, blase, 2009, newberry, m.,& allsop, y. (2017) behavior of children and parents clandini, 2014, fontilinni et al, 2009, hong, 2010, smith, 2014, buchanan et al, 2013, borman & dowling, 2008; kyriacou et al., 2003; gonzalez, brown and slate, 2008 (according to harmsen, 2018), harmsen, 2018, newberry and allsop (2017), ewing and manuel 2005, (smith & ingersoll, 2004), newberry, m., & allsop, y. (2017) administrative policies fontilinni et al, 2009, hong, 2010, ewing and manuel 2005, wronowski, m., 2017 poor school organization buchanan et al, 2013, smith, 2014, harmsen, 2018 school culture (hinders development) buchanan et al, 2013, smith, 2014, schuck, brady and griffin (2005), gallant, 2014, stokking (2003) lack of opportunities to participate in decision making, low autonomy buchanan et al, 2013, smith, 2014, van droogenbroeck & spruyt, 2016 (with newberry, m., & allsop, y. (2017), wronowski, m., 2017 difficulties in adapting to buchanan et al., 2013 81 teaching requirements lack of teaching resources buchanan et al, 2013, newberry, m., & allsop, y. (2017) high workload buchanan et al., 2013, hong 2010, smith, 2014, johnson et al., 2005, espinoza, 2015, newberry and allsop (2017), allen j. (2019), elfers, plecki & knapp, 2006; european union , 2013; hakanen, bakker and schaufeli, 2006; ingersoll, 2012 in geiger, 2018) physical, social, emotional isolation buchanan et al., 2013, gallant, 2014 excessive bureaucracy smith, 2014, johnson et al., 2005, espinoza, 2015 the difference between the theory studied in college and school practice buchanan et al., 2013, stokking (2003), (goldhaber & cowan, 2014; goldhaber, krieg and theobald, 2016; ronfeldt, 2012, apud geiger, 2018) frequent curriculum changes espinoza, 2015, newberry, m., & allsop, y. (2017) journal of educational studies volume 4, number 2, 2022, pp. 73–93 73 digital natives, digital immigrants, and total engagement: bridging the gap tembinkosi sibanda1 abstract the goal of every organization is to take advantage of the innovations that come with the technology change to ensure maximum performance. therefore, hiring personnel who are well-informed and equipped with 21st-century skills is vital. however, total engagement remains a dilemma in most organizations. studies have been done on promoting total engagement. nevertheless, not much has been covered on bridging the gap between the technology-oriented employees—digital natives, and the pre-technology supervisors—digital immigrants. this paper discusses ways to help bring the digital natives and the digital immigrants to an understanding toward ensuring maximum engagement for effectiveness and efficiency in learning institutions. a systematic review was employed, and the analysis and synthesis of the literature indicated the need for considering the digital natives’ characteristics as crucial to total engagement in the 21st-century workforce toward effective teaching and learning because it is their needs that determine the needs of the prevalent digital culture. keywords total engagement, digital natives, digital immigrants, digital culture introduction according to joyner, rouse, and glatthorn (2013), there are three ways of organizing a literature review in a study, chronological, opposing camps, or conceptual analysis. the nature of this 1tembinkosi sibanda, phd, solusi university, bulawayo, zimbabwe, tembinkosi.sibanda@solusi.ac.zw. 74 study determined the adoption of two of the suggested ways, conceptual analysis, and opposing camps. the conceptual organization guided the identification of major concepts in related literature: digital natives, digital immigrants, and total engagement. the opposing camps organization helped organize, analyze, and synthesize studies on the two opposing groups of people that are the key features in the phenomenon of this study, the digital natives, and the digital immigrants. the literature review section begins with a general discussion in the form of a conceptual analysis. then, key concepts and how they relate to each other are introduced and defined. in the rest of the literature review sections, opposing camps analysis was employed in analyzing and synthesizing the literature on challenges of total engagement, bridging the gap, and the characteristics of the digital natives compared to the characteristics of the digital immigrants. review of literature rationale total engagement is key to maximizing production and retaining customers (schullery, 2013). it is, therefore, one of the managerial roles to foster and monitor engagement toward meeting the organizational goals (dessler, 2013; wiseto, hubeis, & sukandar, 2016). thus, it is imperative to cogitate the differences in the mind-sets of the digital natives and the digital immigrants (hannay & fretwell, 2010; schullery, 2013; strycharczyk & elvin, 2014), and how the gap can be bridged to ensure successful total engagement without causing any conflicts (colbert, yee, & george, 2016). to understand the two different age-era groups, it is important to recognize their respective characteristics (hannay & fretwell, 2010; kivunja, 2014; schullery, 2013). knowing how each group thinks and perceives matters can help address the problem. an understanding of who the digital natives are, and their characteristics leads to the question: do they think and operate in the 75 same way with the digital immigrants? the current workforce is gradually getting entirely occupied with digital natives (schullery, 2013; strycharczyk & elvin, 2014). the digital immigrants are slowly phasing out with the passage of time (hannay & fretwell, 2010). however, in some organizations the digital immigrants are in the top positions, leading the digital natives who are in lower positions (hannay & fretwell, 2010; strycharczyk & elvin, 2014). in schools or learning institutions, from elementary level to tertiary education, the teaching and non-teaching staff is a mixture of digital natives and digital immigrants, whereas the students’ body in all levels of education is composed of digital natives, and of course some digital immigrants at tertiary level. the challenge is that with this assortment of these groups with different cultures, whose mindset is totally different, total engagement is compromised. the digital immigrant teacher (with a pre-technology culture) teaching a grade one class of digital natives must make sure that there is total engagement in the class. on the other hand, the digital immigrant head of the school supervising either a digital native teacher or a digital immigrant teacher also needs to ensure total engagement. sometimes it is the other way round both the school head and the students’ body are digital natives; but amongst the teaching and non-teaching staff there are digital immigrants. thus, the supervisor and the students are operating within the same mindset and the digital immigrant staff is operating within a different mindset. the two different cultures conflict each other in many ways, making it difficult for people defined with these different cultures to work together, totally engaged toward meeting the organizational goals. there is a huge gap between their mindsets. hence, the need to bridge the gap between the two groups to ensure success in performance. a good repertoire of studies has been done on the characteristics of digital natives (firat, 2013; kivunja, 2014) and the 76 definitions of digital natives and digital immigrants (firat, 2013; gallardo-echenique, marques-molias, bullen, & strijbos, 2015; kivunja, 2014; schullery, 2013; strycharczyk & elvin, 2014; thomas & willis, 2013). total engagement has also received a great attention in research (dessler, 2013; strycharczyk & elvin, 2014; wiseto, et al., 2016). however, little, or close to none has been done on the working relationships between digital natives and digital immigrants with a special concern to employees and students’ engagement in a school setting. this study addressed the definitions and characteristics of both digital natives and digital immigrants and tried to provide ways of closing the gap of relationships as a means of ensuring digital natives and digital immigrants’ total engagement under the supervision of either the digital immigrants or the digital natives, respectively. thus, ensuring effectiveness and efficiency in learning institutions toward the desired goals. definitions digital natives, digital immigrants, and total engagement defined in the organizational context helps explain the current situation at workplaces, which includes learning institutions. the definitions of the three bring to light why it is critical to consider them if organizational goals are to be achieved. the three terms are inevitable and key to organizational success in the 21st century. digital natives. digital is defined as computerized technology (digital, 1978b). another dictionary definition says digital is the use of a system where information is recorded and electronically transferred (digital, 1978a). native is defined as an association to or of indigenous origin or growth (digital, 1978a). according to the two dictionary definitions, digital native has much to do with originating and growing in or association to electronic systems. consequently, digital natives are people who have used digital equipment since they were young (digital, 1978a). they learn the language of technology naturally; it is native to them. kivunja 77 (2014) asserts that digital natives are a product of a new culture that emerged with the deep penetration of young people in digital technology. he further states that they are, therefore, native speakers of the digital language. this definition describes the young teachers and support staff that just attained their professional qualifications and the entire student body that they deal with in schools, from elementary to first degree levels. a question then arises; how then do these digital natives fair in a workplace in the presence of digital immigrants? the other question that arises is: what can be done to ensure coherence between the two groups toward achieving desired results in schools? digital immigrants. kivunja (2014) says digital immigrants are people born before the aggressive concentration of the digital technology and are therefore in the process of learning the new language—digital language. therefore, since the digital era defines a certain new culture (firat, 2013), the digital immigrants are also defined by their own culture, which they adopted as they were growing up and learning to work (schullery, 2013). they are fluent in pre-digital skills as much as the digital natives have the skills for digital fluency (colbert, et al., 2016; kivunja, 2014). these are teachers and support staff who embrace traditional methods of teaching and operations; and they find it difficult to adopt the new strategies that embrace technology. yet on the other hand the students that are digital natives learn better through current technology strategies. the digital immigrants—mostly in the management posts (strycharczyk & elvin, 2014), are supposed to supervise the digital natives and ensure total employee and learner engagement. however, the digital immigrants are in the process of adopting the digital culture and learning the digital language (gallardo-echenique, et al., 2015), whilst the digital natives are getting more and more engaged in the aggressive digital technology, which is developing with every day. one wonders how best they can strike a balance 78 and keep the boat floating—maintaining total engagement, both on the side of the teacher and the side of the learner. total engagement. dessler (2013) refers to engagement as being involved psychologically and being fully connected with much commitment toward getting the job done. it has much to do with being motivated to contribute to the achievement of the organizational goals by giving all it takes for the employee as an individual to get their job done. therefore, total engagement is all about having a bound sense to the organization (wiseto, et al., 2016). it entails being loyal to the organization requirements and having the zeal to do the best and engage the most toward meeting the organizational goals. the organizational goal for learning institutions is to achieve the desired results for the students. hence, the definition above means the desired results can only be attained through total engagement of the crucial stakeholders: school administration, the teacher, the support staff, and the student. importance of engagement. from a business perspective, engaged employees boost customer satisfaction. every business's success is determined by the satisfaction of customers, which guarantees return business (schullery, 2013). if employees are totally engaged, they unanimously push toward organizational success. with a bound sense to the organization, they all target meeting the organizational goals, which entail quality services, leading to customer satisfaction, which ensures increased sales and higher profits (schullery, 2013). as a result, the company realizes higher shareholder returns. thus, engaged employees are more goal-oriented than salary/benefit-oriented; they are loyal to the organization and do all it takes to succeed (schullery, 2013). they have neither time nor duty limits, doing all to position everything in place. in a school setting, the client is the student. the satisfaction of the students determines the success of the school. when the students are satisfied and happy with the services, they will comply with the codes of conduct that are set for the smooth running of the school toward achieving desired results by totally engaging 79 themselves in all school operations as presented to them. however, the provision of quality and efficient services takes total engagement of the school administration, the teachers, and the support staff. that can only be achieved when these three groups (formed of both digital natives and digital immigrants) are working in harmony to meet the needs of the digital native students. fostering engagement. since the success of the organization highly depends on all parties’ total engagement, it is therefore, the duty of every manager or head of department to make sure all the personnel and students in their department are fully engaged. dessler (2013) suggests that it is crucial to make sure all the employees understand how their department contributes to the company’s success. when they realize the importance of their department, they will also realize the importance of their individual efforts, and hence, develop a sense of achievement by being part of the success of the company (schullery, 2013). wiseto, et al. (2016) emphasize that the employees need to have self-initiative. they need to find ways of engaging their talents for the success of the organization. thus, the management has a duty to induce such behavior from the employees as a way of ensuring total engagement. the traditional team players, the digital immigrants come with some skills that are still useful in the technology era. their experience is also vital in the successful operations in a school setting. the digital natives also come with their technology skills that are also vital for survival in the technology era, which is determined by a technology culture. it is a management duty to identify these skills from each team player (teachers, support staff, students) in their departments to make sure that each team player whether digital immigrant or digital native is placed at the right place and provided with the needed resources for total engagement. ensuring balance is key to success and harmonious performance. there is, therefore, a need for the provision of a harmonious environment for digital natives and digital immigrants. 80 total engagement challenges in the 21st century according to research, only about 21% of the global workforce is engaged (dessler, 2013). dessler (2013) further asserts that if the company is to have 83% chance performing above its median, there must be high levels of engagement; lowest levels of engagement result to 17% chance of performing above the company median. hence, high level of engagement is a desire for every company, yet the research statistics indicate a very low level of engagement globally. it is noteworthy that the current global workforce is a combination of digital natives and digital immigrants (hannay & fretwell, 2010; schullery, 2013; strycharczyk & elvin, 2014). in some cases—that emphasize experience, the digital immigrants are in the leadership positions leading the digital natives (strycharczyk & elvin, 2014), yet in other cases—that emphasize qualification and skill, it is vice versa; digital natives are leading the digital immigrants. in school settings it is a common norm that school presidents, associate presidents and even a significant percentage of the teaching and non-teaching staff are digital immigrants versus a good percentage of teaching and non-teaching staff and the entire student body that are digital natives. it is, therefore, imperative to assert that the difference in cultures between the two differently oriented subsets of the work-force swimming in the same pool must be one of the major reasons behind the lack of employee engagement at workplace (hannay & fretwell, 2010; schullery, 2013; strycharczyk & elvin, 2014). that same difference determined by the pre-technology era culture and the digital culture affects the teacher–student relationship in a school setting. it may also affect the teaching effectiveness of a digital immigrant teacher. the mindset of the digital immigrant teacher is totally different from the mindset of the digital immigrant student. hence, the teacher’s engagement may be affected by frustration and on the other hand the students may 81 also disengage themselves from their schoolwork if they are not happy with the teacher that does not meet their needs. lack of total engagement compromises production quantity. when teachers and non-teaching staff are not totally engaged, it becomes difficult to achieve the goals of a learning institution. that means the students are not fully attended to, and their needs are not met, which leads to a lack of engagement on the part of the students; hence, they cannot perform well in school. when on the other hand, school students are not totally usually engaged in indiscipline results. young people always find something to occupy themselves. their culture, the digital culture, drives them to keep busy. hence, if they are not totally engaged in their schoolwork, they find other ways of keeping themselves busy. unfortunately, in most cases, they get into what always leads them to indisciplinary cases; as a result, their school performance is affected, or they even drop out of school. the difference between the digital immigrants’ culture and the digital natives’ culture is inevitable, yet it affects performance in organizations, leading to failure or challenges in achieving organizational goals. consequently, to defeat the challenges, there is a need to find ways of bridging the gap between the two different age-era groups to reach a consensus and achieve high engagement. bridging the gap the sudden shift to the online era brings about a lot of changes that organizations need to keep in pace with, to succeed. however, most organizations whilst doing well in the updating of electronic equipment, still lag in the management of human capital. the change in technology brings about irrelevance of some orthodox skills (kivunja, 2014), yet organizations still hold on to the bearers of such skills as their stronghold, when they have become irrelevant. thus, the digital immigrants without upgrading and adopting the digital culture become irrelevant, though considered 82 experienced and loyal. the digital natives are relevant though their loyalty and experience is still questionable in most cases. fullan (2014) introduces the concept of right drivers and wrong drivers. according to fullan (2014), these drivers are policies and strategies that are employed to initiate successful reform in education systems. this reformation is what is needed as we transit toward bridging the gap between the digital immigrants and the digital natives to ensure total engagement that enforces the achievement of organizational goals. fullan (2014) states that education systems that are doing well in this transformation are those that adopt the right drivers; and those that are still struggling are those that are rigid to adopt the right drivers, hence, they are stuck with the wrong drivers. he further asserts that the right drivers emphasize “intrinsic motivation, instructional improvement, teamwork, and ‘allness’” (p. 3) as crucial elements of educational systems reformation. thus, the right drivers work directly toward changing the culture (fullan, 2014). in presenting the drivers, fullan (2014) begins with the aspect of accountability versus capacity building. accountability is the wrong driver, and capacity building is the right driver. accountability focuses on setting standards that need to be met; and designing instruments that will be used for assessment to ensure that everyone is meeting the standards. punishment and rewards are then enforced accordingly. however, these standards and forms of assessment are demotivators to teachers, non-teaching staff, and students. besides, their preparation and implementation take a lot of time, distract work time; and are also significantly costly financially. capacity building entails equipping the personnel with the right skills that they need to perform effectively (fullan, 2014). it embraces providing opportunities for further studies and skills development that help the individuals to stay abreast in the dynamic digital era. twenty-first century teachers need to be equipped with the 21st century teaching strategies and skills (fullan, 2014; trilling & fadel, 2009) that help them to be relevant to 83 the 21st century learners, who are digital natives. the support staff like the information technology (it) staff, the library staff, and all other departments also need the 21st century skills to work well with the 21st century students and give them the best service. the digital language must be learnt by everyone living in the digital era, especially those serving at institutions that are saturated with digital natives. hence, there is a need for workshops, seminars, and any other form of learning that can be used to furnish the personnel with the desired skills. well-equipped personnel is motivated to work, love, and enjoy their work. hence, efficiency and effectiveness can be realized. intrinsic motivation is guaranteed when the workers know what they are doing, and they realize the fruits of their labor; thus, accountability results. on the other hand, when students are providing with enough facilities for learning, they tend to enjoy their schoolwork. thus, when the teachers and non-teaching staff are well equipped, they will provide the best service to the students and good learning out comes will be achieved. personnel that is abreast with the 21st century skills are creative and innovative (trilling & fadel, 2009). such teachers, working together with non-teaching staff will provide an ideal environment for the digital natives; and when they are happy, they will be ready to learn. when students are enjoying learning they become motivated; and consequently, accountability is assured. once capacity building is opted for instead of accountability, then accountability is be guaranteed. pursuing accountability and putting in place measures that ensure accountability leads to demotivation, no accountability, and failure as the result. however, pursuing capacity building and ensuring everything is put in place toward the training of personnel and provision of the right equipment leads to motivation, accountability, and success. thus, when the right drivers are employed what is sought for but never achieved when choosing to use the wrong drivers is ensured (fullan, 2014). 84 what leads to failure in many organizations, especially learning institutions is the lack of foresight to develop and nurture capacity building. this observation by fullan (2014) is even more relevant now when technology is more complex. since technology is here to stay and keeps advancing every day, there is a need to come to terms with the fact that the digital immigrants are the ones to adjust and adopt the new digital culture and learn to work with, under, and through the digital natives, who are the natives of the digital era and the culture (strycharczyk & elvin, 2014). instead of investing in accountability measures that frustrate and demotivate the digital natives, at the same time being a contrast and irrelevant to the digital era, investment must be focused in equipping the digital immigrants with skills that will help them cope with the digital culture. capacity building fosters intrinsic motivation. when people are motivated, they get engaged willingly, without any measures set to ensure that everyone is at the right place at the right time; hence, motivation is an important step toward accountability, which in turn leads to the accomplishment of organizational goals, good performance and achievement by students. on the other hand, if the wrong driver (accountability) is used, people (teachers, non-teaching staff, and students) become demotivated, thus, inefficiency and ineffectiveness are manifested. in fear of punishment, they opt for dishonest ways, manufacturing results that are not true, when work and learning did not take place in the way it was supposed to. when that happens the goal of education that has much to do with character building is not achieved. the aspect of character building as an important facet of education is compromised. students that are produced from such systems may not perform well at their workplaces, they may have learnt or adopted wrong values form their leaders while they were at school. hence, the effects are seen in the collapse of economies. a poor education system has a negative economic impact. 85 both digital immigrants and digital natives need to work together and be committed in total engagement; but only that can be possible if the gap between the two groups is grouped. since the digital culture and the digital language are dominating the digital era (strycharczyk & elvin, 2014); and the digital natives are quickly flooding the workplaces whilst at the same time the digital immigrants are phasing out, the best ways toward bridging the gap are those that accommodate the digital natives. the first step toward accommodating them is learning about them, getting to understand them. kivunja (2014) states that the only way of understanding something new and be able to work with it is to understand its characteristics first. hence, the only way to understand the digital natives and be able to work with them and ensure they are totally engaged, is to understand how they think, how they want things done, and their general nature (schullery, 2013; wiseto, et al., 2016). when their characteristics are understood, effort must be put to meet their needs (strycharczyk & elvin, 2014). when their needs are met, they will become loyal to their employers and develop a bound sense to their organizations—total engagement (hannay & fretwell, 2010; schullery, 2013). characteristics of the digital natives digital natives are used to a lot of social media, they are so connected and, hence, they are natural collaborators (colbert, et al., 2016; gallardo-echenique, et al., 2015; schullery, 2013; strycharczyk & elvin, 2014). even at work they want to share their ideas within and without the organization. whereas digital immigrants believe in competition (hannay & fretwell, 2010), they also believe that company privacy is key to competitive advantage. digital immigrants therefore need to realize that collaboration is a digital value, derived from the digital culture that they need to adopt if they are to stand the digital age market competition by keeping the digital natives engaged. 86 according to fullan (2014)’s right and wrong drivers, groups achieve better than individuals. he states this set of drivers as group quality versus individual quality. group quality is the right driver, and individual quality is the wrong driver. fullan (2014) suggests that if success is to be achieved in 21st-century schools, teachers must work in groups and achieve as a group. team teaching or co-teaching needs to be embraced by both teachers and students. students also need to engage in study groups to attain higher achievements. joyce and showers (2002), in their training model, assert that study groups are key to success in training teachers for any innovation. whenever there is a new skill or strategy that teachers need to master, according to joyce and showers (2002), mastery is at its best only when teachers have helped each other by working together toward achieving the skill or strategy. consequently, fullan (2014) and joyce and showers (2002) agree that collaboration is one of the key characteristics in the 21st century digital culture. since colbert et al. (2016), gallardoechenique et al. (2015), schullery (2013), and strycharczyk and elvin (2014) have also identified collaboration as one of the digital natives’ characteristics, it goes without saying that what has been suggested by fullan (2014) and joyce and showers (2002) needs to put into consideration for best achievements in schools. teachers must share their skills and strategies within their schools and other schools and districts instead of competing. by so doing, they will appreciate and adopt the culture of collaboration. when they have adopted that culture, they will, in turn, enforce it in their teaching practice through strategies like cooperative learning; thus, the needs of the digital natives will be met. teachers must achieve as a team, and students also must achieve as a group. collaboration comes with fun. digital natives love fun, compared to digital immigrants who live for work and no leisure (hannay & fretwell, 2010). if workplaces are to be conducive for the digital natives, the digital immigrants must understand that fun is part of life to the digital natives, hence, fun and work cannot be 87 separated (schullery, 2013). where there is no fun less engagement result. there is a need for teachers to bring fun into the classroom. when capacity building is ensured, teachers will understand that collaboration is key in the digital era, and when collaboration is embraces and enforced teaching strategies will bring a lot of fun into the classroom. policy makers need to adjust the curriculum so that it is flexible enough to accommodate fun, then the digital natives will be fully engaged in their learning. critical thinking forms the mind-set of the digital natives. they do not accept and adopt just as given (strycharczyk & elvin, 2014), they can analyze and criticize openly. when their opinions are respected or given a chance to be tested, they enjoy the sense of achievement and fill accepted (hannay & fretwell, 2010; wiseto, et al., 2016). they will then want to achieve more for the good of the organization, hence, they will be engaged. gone are the days when the teacher was referred to as all knowing. now knowledge is everywhere, hence, teachers need to embrace teaching strategies that promote independent learning. the teacher is now viewed as a fellow leaner in the classroom (trilling & fadel, 2009). learners must be allowed room to share what they discovered on their own. when they are denied that opportunity, learning becomes boring to them, and they disengage themselves. research and presentations must be promoted. critical thinking comes with innovation. digital natives are exposed to a lot of information (strycharczyk & elvin, 2014). thus, they quickly learn new ways of doing things or even inventing new things (strycharczyk & elvin, 2014). being allowed that opportunity to exercise their maximum innovative potential makes them enjoy work and find it fun. when they think work is fun they stay at work. they become motivated and they feel wanted, hence, they become loyal to the organization and give all their time and skill to working toward the organizational goals (wiseto, at al., 2016). participation is also part of their nature. when their innovation is accepted and put into use, they feel as effective 88 participators in the success of the organization. in learning institutions policy makers and implementers must enforce a curriculum that allows for innovation. students must be engaged in projects that bring solutions to the problems in the community or society. when they see that their projects are appreciated and accepted, they will be motivated to learn, and hence, become engaged. teachers and learning institutions must provide guidance in such projects (trilling and fadel, 2009). as much as they are always ready to learn, they only want to learn what they must learn. they have no time for learning stuff they feel they do not need there and there. digital immigrants also need to accept that digital natives are well-informed, they learn a lot from the net (strycharczyk & elvin, 2014). their attention span is limited. they also learn fast. hence, they do not want to be bored with what they already know or with what they can learn on their own from the net. when their characteristics are identified, they need to be embraced. when they are embraced by the 21st century systems, digital natives will be totally engaged. on the other hand, the systems need to make sure that the right drivers are adopted instead of the wrong drivers. when that is done, total engagement by both the digital natives and the digital immigrants will be ensured; and thus, the gap between the two groups will be bridged and totally engagement by teachers (either digital natives or digital immigrants) and students that are digital natives will be certain. methodology the literature review integrative methodology was adopted. in integrative approach to literature review different perspectives related to the phenomenon are combined toward established a theoretical model (snyder, 2019). scholarly books and journal articles related to the phenomenon in question were surveyed, analyzed, and synthesized. the analysis and synthesis of related literature resulted in the findings presented in this article as a 89 contribution to the board of knowledge in addressing the 21st century challenges. general literature review can be defined as a “systematic way of collecting and synthesizing previous research” (snyder, 2019:333). according to snyder (2019). literature review is a building block for all informed research studies because all research studies are built on or related to knowledge that is already existing. employing literature review as a methodology allows for a more effective exhaustion of the flooded literature in any given field (snyder, 2019). therefore, literature review methodology in research provides a firm foundation in the process of advancing knowledge in any field. it also facilitates the development of a theory that can be adopted and implemented for better practices. in this study a wide pool of recent literature was reviewed. because of the nature of the phenomenon in question, only recent studies were reviewed to promote relevance in findings. literature review methodology allows for a vigorous review of literature, thus, the analysis and synthesis of literature in this study provided findings that make up a theory that can be adopted by 21st century learning institutions as a way of closing the gap between the digital natives and the digital immigrants. ethical considerations the work that contributed to the results of this study was credited to the original authors through in-text citations and a provision of a reference list. this paper represents the original work of the author, it is not a copy of any work published before, neither does the author consider publishing it through any other platform. results serrat (2017) defines culture as the “totality of a society’ distinctive ideas, beliefs, values, and knowledge” (p. 31). as noted in earlier sections, the digital natives are a product of a new culture, the digital culture. culture is a manifestation of how humans make 90 sense of their environment (serrat, 2017). therefore, since the digital culture is the prevailing culture in the 21st century organizations, it means that the digital natives are the ones determining the prevailing environment in organizations. consequently, the characteristics of the digital natives suggest the values of the digital culture and digital language. the digital immigrants must, therefore, adopt these values if they are to work well with the digital natives (hannay & fretwell, 2010; strycharczyk & elvin, 2014; wiseto, et al., 2016); since the digital natives are the product of the digital culture, which is here to stay. by so doing the workplace, including learning institutions will be characterized with high level of employee engagement; and the students, who are digital natives will be totally engaged in their schoolwork and positive outcomes will be realized. serrat (2017) asserts that culture has a significant contribution in the development of organizations where different groups are working together in harmony. this assertion agrees with schullery’s (2013) assertion that total engagement is key to maximizing production. when the gap between the digital natives and the digital immigrants is bridged, the two groups will work together in harmony; and total engagement will be assured; and that promotes development toward attaining desired outcomes. as highlighted in the literature review, both groups need each other for improved practices. the cultural theory that pays attention to common needs in a society affirms the importance of focusing on the organization as a whole; but at the same time not ignoring the parts that make up the whole (serrat, 2017). thus, focusing on the characteristics of both groups and their relationship with the environment that is determined by the digital culture may assist in coming up with strategies that may lead to the implementation of better practices toward fostering total engagement. by so doing, proper contextualization will be ensured, and positive results will be yielded. 91 the cultural theory also affirms that the survival of organizations depends on the fact that they are comprised of social beings with unique ideas that, when pooled together, provide an informed whole (serrat, 2017). the digital natives and digital immigrants with vast differences in their mindsets can successfully work together, but only when best practices that bridge the gap between them are implemented. therefore, open-minded leadership will recognize the characteristics of the two groups, understands them, and put in place best practices to bridge the gap between them; then, total engagement will be ensured. conclusions it is imperative to note that the key to total engagement in the 21st century systems is meeting the needs of the digital natives (strycharczyk & elvin, 2014), because they determine the needs of the digital culture. administrators must promote a well-balanced working environment conducive for the satisfaction of the digital natives and when they are satisfied, they will become self-motivated and engagement will be maximized; characterized with employee retention, good attendance, psychological involvement, and commitment to work (dessler, 2013; schullery, 2013). they will also develop a spirit of accountability and loyalty to their organizations (wiseto, et al., 2016). when they are dissatisfied, there will be less engagement characterized with poor attendance to duties, high and voluntary turnover, psychological withdrawal, and no commitment to work— eventually they leave in search for satisfaction (schullery, 2013), in case of learners in learning institutions they may even drop out of school. digital immigrants must make sure they treat the adoption to the digital culture as a matter of urgency. adoption of digital culture and digital language entails upgrading themselves with the digital skills. 92 references colbert, a., yee, n., & george, g. (2016). the digital workforce and the workforce of the future. academy of management journal, 59(3), 731– 739. https://aom.org/uploadedfiles/publications/amj/june_2016_ fte.pdf dessler, g. (2013). human resource management (13th ed.). upper saddle river: pearson. digital (1978a). in longman. https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/digital digital (1978b). in merriam-webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/digital firat, m. (2013). multitasking or continuous partial attention: a critical bottleneck for digital natives. turkish online journal of distance education, 14(1), 266–272. fullan, m. (2014). the principal three keys to maximizing impact. san francisco: jossey-bass. gallardo-echenique, e. e., marqués-molías, l., bullen, m., & strijbos, j. (2015). let’s talk about digital learners in the digital era. international review of research in open and distributed learning, 16(3), 156–187. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ej1067883.pdf hannay, m. & fretwell, c. (2010). the higher education workplace: meeting the needs of multiple generations. research in higher education journal. https://www.aabri.com/manuscripts/10709.pdf joyce, b., & showers, b. (2002). student achievement through staff development (3rd ed.). alexandria: association for supervision & curriculum development. joyner, r. l., rouse, w. a., & glatthorn, a. a. (2013). writing a winning thesis or dissertation: a step-by-step guide (3rd ed.). thousand oaks: sage. kivunja, c. (2014). theoretical perspectives of how digital natives learn. international journal of higher education, 3(1), 94–109. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v3n1p94 schullery, n. m. (2013). workplace engagement and generational differences in values. business communication quarterly, 76(2), 252–265. https://doi.org/10.1177/1080569913476543 serrat, o. (2017). knowledge solutions. tools, methods, and approaches to drive organizational performance. singapore: springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0983-9 93 snyder, h. (2019). literature review as a research methodology: an overview and guidelines. journal of business research, 104(2019), 333–339. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ej1092110.pdf strycharczyk, d. & elvin, c. (2014). developing resilient organizations: how to create an adaptive, high-performance, and engaged organization. london: kogan page. thomas, k. m. & willis, d. (2013). instructional podcasting with undergraduate digital natives. the journal of effective teaching, 13(1), 33–43. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext /ej1092110.pdf trilling, b., & fadel, c. (2009). 21st century skills: learning for life in our times. san francisco: jossey-bass. wiseto, a., hubeis, a. v., & sukandar, d. (2016). analysis of employee engagement to improve the performance of retail group pt bank mandiri. journal of education and practice,7(24), 122–127. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ej1112898.pdf rt.office.com/enus/article/apa-mla-chicago-%e2%80%93-automatically-format-bibliographies-405c207c-7070-42fa-91e7-eaf064b14d 62 eleonora mihaela popa public school, pantelimon nora_popa35@yahoo.com learning styles and selfregulation in high school students keywords learning style, self-regulation, behavior, individual differences _______________________________________________ abstract the issue raised by this research is to identify the predominant learning style and the need to know the relationship between the predominant learning style and self-regulation in high school students. there was no significant relationship between the active learning style and the self-regulation ability of high school students. significant relationships have been identified between reflexive learning styles, theoretically and pragmatically, and the ability of high school students to self-regulate. preferences for a learning style and self-regulation vary with age, class, gender and preferred subject matter. there was no significant relationship between the predominant learning style and the self-regulation ability of high school students. the existence of a direct relationship between reflexive, theoretical and pragmatic learning 63 styles and self-regulation seems to indicate that these styles are preferred to the active style of self-regulation. _______________________________________________ 1. review of literature a modern educational trend is the substitution of traditional classroom learning with active forms of learning based on personal learning styles that make this process more efficient and lead to higher academic results (fallan, 2006). everyone has a unique learning style, personal qualities that influence the ability to acquire information, interact with others and participate in the learning experience (al-balhan, 2007; mupinga, nora and yaw, 2006). learning styles are the result of preferences for a particular way of learning, context of the learning environment, areas of learning growth and the general way of doing it (rassool and rawaf, 2007). to have a theoretical basis for these researches, it is imperative to define commonly used terms. therefore, learning styles and self-regulation will be further defined. in the theory of experiential learning, learning is defined as the process through which knowledge is created through transformation into experience. knowledge derives from the combination of accumulation and transformation of experience (kolb, 1984). the concept of learning style describes the individual differences in learning, based on the natural, usual, preferred way of absorbing, processing and retaining new information and skills. the learning style can considerably influence the learner's response to different learning outcomes (wu and alrabah, 2009). hereditary dowry, our life experiences and the demands of the environment lead us to develop a preferred way of choosing between four learning modes: active, reflexive, theoretical and pragmatic. the main features of learning styles are: active style 64 animating, improviser, discoverer, imprudent, spontaneous; reflexive style weighted, conscientious, receptive, analytical, exhaustive; theoretical style methodical, logical, objective, critical, structured; pragmatic style experimentalist, practical, direct, efficient, realistic (nevot, 2008). often, the term "learning styles" is associated with "cognitive styles", "thinking styles" or "learning modalities" (rassool and rawaf, 2007). learning styles have been found to be closely related to academic performance (al-balhan, 2007). the preference for a particular learning style varies with gender (lincoln and rademacher, 2006), age, experience and maturity (long and coldren, 2006; palloff and pratt, 2003; sheridan and steele-dadzie, 2005), depending on the style of thinking, the structure of the intellect (sheridan and steele-dadzie, 2005), depending on the discipline (dinakar, adams, brimer and silva, 2005) and the teacher's teaching style can sharpen, improve the learning style (long and coldren , 2006). style, ability and learning speed differ from person to person. a study by şirin and güzel (2006) revealed that students had different information processing systems and learning styles. study results indicate that learning styles differ depending on high school subjects and testing modes at admission to the university. in general, teachers teach in the style that is in accord with their preferences and which they consider effective for themselves (healey, kneale and bradbeer, 2005). students whose style of learning is compatible with the teaching style of teachers tend to retain information longer, apply it more effectively, and have a positive post-course attitude towards learning subjects (dinakar et al., 2005). children suffer deeply when their natural way of thinking, acquiring and processing information, creating and expressing is criticized, ridiculed or ignored (al-balhan, 2007). for example, a good knowledge of student learning styles and adaptation of 65 learning methods significantly increase their mathematical performances (al-balhan, 2007). chiou and yang found, following a 2006 study, that teachers can influence students' learning style and occupational stereotypes. that's why the model that each teacher presents are very important, because it can affect the school results. felder and silverman (1988, quoted by graf, kinshuk and liu, 2009) developed a questionnaire model for identifying learning styles, combining with kolb's model (1984). by combining these models, the felder-silverman learning style model (fslsm) describes the learning styles in detail, characterizing each subject according to four dimensions: active / reflexive, sensory / intuitive, visual / verbal and sequential / global (graf, kinshuk and liu, 2009). according to fslsm, students who have an active learning style learn better by working actively with learning materials, applying and probing. they prefer to work in a group where they can discuss the material they have learned. reflexive people prefer to think, reflect on the material to learn, and work alone. students with a sensory learning style prefer to learn concrete facts using their sensory experience and are considered realistic and sensitive. intuitive learners prefer abstract themes, theories, principles, these students being considered more innovative and creative. the visual / verbal dimension targets pupils who best remember what they saw (diagrams, maps) or those who learn better from textual representations, whether they are written or spoken. in the sequential / global dimension, students are characterized according to their understanding: graded or holistic (graf, kinshuk and liu, 2009). several studies have been carried out resulting in different outcomes. the predominant learning styles of students involved in normal or intensive programs were different but not significant; those with a normal program were divergent, those with intensive program were convergent, but their learning styles were balanced 66 (suliman, 2006). students with learning disabilities prefer to use more gradual processes, including memories and exercises, towards students without disabilities. in addition, students with learning disabilities reported a greater need for self-regulatory strategies than their colleagues without disabilities, including learning process control, self-orientation, planning, monitoring, and continuous assessment of learning processes and results. disabled students have stated the need to regulate the learning process (heiman, 2006). lister has discovered that specific learning styles differentiate pupils into three categories: students who need help, regular students and higher-school students, and that there are differences between the characteristics of the learning style of the students who need help from ordinary students (lister, 2005). for example, brand (1999) and brand, dunn and greb (2002) have found that students with attention deficit disorder were less persistent in learning. fine (2002) found that pupils with special education had low persistence, low motivation and low responsibility towards students considered normal. nevot (2008) identifies for each learning style active, reflexive, theoretical and pragmatic the main bottlenecks that students can encounter and suggests some solutions that teachers can address to improve or improve these sensitive issues. the most common bottlenecks that can hinder the development of active learning are: fear of failure or fear of mistakes, anxiety, the sense of obligation to do what they do not want, lack of self-confidence, thinking too carefully about certain things. the proposed solutions include new activities, things that have not been done, at least occasionally; activating curiosity; practicing problem solving in groups; changes in activities during classes; discussions; communication of ideas; solving exercises using repetitive techniques; allowing mistakes; stimulating critical thinking (nevot, 2008). 67 regarding of reflexive style, the main bottlenecks are due to the lack of time for planning and thinking, the obligation to change activity quickly, the impatience, the lack of control and the lack of orientation on the finality, the students paying more attention to the work themselves than to obtaining the result. teachers can improve these aspects by carefully writing, drawing to the blackboard to perform certain tasks, developing protocols, collecting information through observation, oral communication, investigating, adding new information, giving time for creative thinking, providing thought patterns, introducing a reflection phase in each action, awakening the joy of knowing, activating and maintaining the interest, oral presentation of the teacher (nevot, 2008). students with a predominantly theoretical learning style may face the following bottlenecks: the impetus to remain with the first impressions, the preference for intuition and subjectivity, the lack of coordination of structured and organized approaches, the excessive dependence on others (teachers or colleagues), the preference for spontaneity and risk, the inability to convert thoughts into action, and the inability to complete and perform the work. the suggestions offered refer to the careful reading of theories, problems; analyzing complex situations; anticipating obstacles and finding solutions to overcome them; summarizing theories; formulating the conclusions; practicing the formulation of questions; perseverance; storage practice and automation; application of concepts (nevot, 2008). the pragmatic learning style can raise certain issues for students, such as: exaggerated thinking about useful things, lack of vision of the usefulness of the lessons learned, not finalizing topics, distraction of attention and lack of concentration. possible suggestions for remedying these problems are self-correction and self-evaluation, soliciting help from experienced people, 68 experiments and observations, studying the techniques used by others, role-plays, exercises and the use of images (nevot, 2008). the term self-regulation refers to the processes by which people control their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. when people manage to self-regulate, they effectively manage their perceptions of themselves as well as social relationships. they behave in ways that are consistent with their goals and standards of behavior. instead, when people fail to fight self-regulation, they lose control over personal and social experience. successful self-regulation is essential for adapting to all areas of life (hoyle, 2006). self-regulation is the ability of the self to change behavior. this increases the flexibility and adaptability of the human being's behavior, allowing people to adapt their actions according to social and situational requirements. it is an important basis for the popular conception of free will and socially desirable behavior. it provides benefits to both the individual and society, and good selfcontrol contributes to positive results, including good school and work outcomes, popularity, mental health, and interpersonal relationships (baumeister and vohs, 2007). from a theoretical perspective, self-regulation is a proactive approach to the process by which individuals constantly organize and manage their thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and the environment in order to achieve their goals (boekaerts and corno, 2005). self-regulation operates through three areas of psychological functioning that are essential in the learning process: cognitive (eg learning strategies), motivational (eg self-efficacy) and metacognitive (eg self-monitoring and self-reflection) (trautwein and köller, 2003). research conducted by stoeger and ziegler (2008) demonstrated that primary classes can successfully implement self-regulation, and homework helps learners learn how to manage their time, develop their self-efficacy and selfreflection of performance. 69 self-regulation refers to the human ability to change the response to different challenges. this is the process by which people try to gain control over the initial response to certain stimuli. adjustment means change, especially changing behavior to bring it into line with certain standards, ideals or goals. changing behavior is based on following rules or pursuing ideals or targets. to change a response, we do not necessarily overwrite it, although self-constraint is a form of self-regulation, but it is also amplifying or prolonging a response. however, the most common form of regulation is the over-writing or suppression of the response (baumeister and vohs, 2007). according to baumeister and vohs (2007), self-regulation involves four stages: standards, monitoring, self-regulation power and motivation. first, self-regulation implies the adoption of standards that will open the way. monitoring is intended to regulate behavior by standards. the power of self-regulation or the power of will helps to fulfill ideals. even if the standards are very clear, monitoring is effective, and the person's resources are abundant, however, the person may not succeed in self-regulation and the goal cannot be achieved. the role of motivation is particularly important because it helps the subject respond to various situations. self-adjusting behaviors are gradually developing over time, always practicing. some experimental studies demonstrate that students can be trained to develop self-regulation skills while doing homework. it is important for students to continue these selfregulation activities to become aware of the relationship between homework’s and certain processes such as goal setting, selfreflection, time management, or delay of satisfaction (ramdass and zimmerman, 2011). those who learn should be involved in self-regulation, as there is evidence to support a clear understanding of the role of this factor improves the results of the activities. for students, the effort 70 allocated over a long period of time request for alternative and attractive activities. students need to use self-regulation to stay interested (bembenutti, 2009). theoreticians in the field claim that students who successfully regulate their learning are actively engaged in the process of acquiring knowledge and can adapt their behavior to achieve their goals. specialists assert that the effectiveness of the self-regulation process varies according to the school context, personal effort and performance (housand and reis, 2008). studies conducted by housand and reis (2008) highlight the fact that the personal processes, the environment and the individual behavior of both teachers and pupils are factors that facilitate students' use of self-regulation strategies for reading. establishing and pursuing goals is particularly important at the gymnasium level. it has been noticed that students who have selfregulation skills learn about intrinsic value and feel more confident in achieving goals than students who lack self-regulation skills. students who set high targets often choose the tasks that challenge them, regardless of their level of ability. they demonstrate a high level of perseverance when faced with difficult tasks and frequently use effective learning strategies (cooper, horn and strahan, 2005). when students adjust themselves, they analyze the activities in terms of the goals they have proposed, and then develop a strategy on how to complete the task by choosing the most effective methods. practice and consolidation are the key to success. once students recognize the impact on their learning methods, they begin to be more accountable to their learning (zimmerman et al., 1996, cited by cooper, horn and strahan, 2005). essential for successful goal setting by students is the realism of goals. students who have realistic goals can monitor their progress. they are usually interested in the topics presented in the classroom, ask questions and advance ideas for discussion. when 71 doing their homework or tasks, self-regulating students clarify their difficult things, ask questions, and are deeply interested, make predictions, find basic ideas, summarize what they have read and correlate with other previous knowledge and experiences zimmerman et al., 1996, quoted by cooper, horn and strahan, 2005). teachers can help students acquire self-regulation skills by structuring courses and practicing educational methods to help them self-regulate. this will increase student confidence and selfregulation ability (cooper, horn and strahan, 2005). 2. methodology this research has used tools whose results are numerical data expressing the quantity. it is a quantitative and transversal study. the subjects were examined at one point, the instruments being applied in one step. two tools for data collection have been applied: cuestionario honey alonso de estilos de aprendizaje (chara) and, respectively, the self-regulation questionnaire (srq), developed by miller and brown. after the two questionnaires were handled, the data were analyzed with the statistical product package for social science, version 10.0 for windows, after which the results were analyzed to see whether there was a supposed correlation at the beginning, according to which there are different levels of selfdepending on the learning style, and there is a learning style that correlates with a higher level of self-regulation. in order to establish the correlation between the two variables, the statistical significance of the correlation coefficient r by pearson was applied. in order to obtain the statistical results, descriptive analyzes, frequency, comparisons, validation and reliability of instruments were performed, the alpha de cronbach coefficient was determined (see table 1), correlation analyzes 72 were performed to compare the scores obtained at self-tuning with each of the four learning styles, and anova was run to see if there is a statistically significant relationship between predominant learning and self-regulation (see table 2). objectives the specific objectives of this research were: 1. determining the predominant learning style of high school students. 2. analyzing students' learning styles in relation to their selfregulation capability. 3. identifying possible relationships between learning styles, self-regulation, gender, age, class, and preferred subject. hypotheses according to research problem announce above we have the following hypotheses: h1: there is a relationship between the score obtained in the active learning style and the self-regulation ability. h2: there is a relationship between the reflexive learning style score and the self-regulation ability. h3: there is a relationship between the score obtained in the theoretical learning style and the self-regulation capacity. h4: there is a relationship between the pragmatic learning style and the self-regulation ability. h5: there are differences in self-regulation capacity depending on the student's predominant learning style. variables research explores the two main variables: the predominant learning style, as an independent variable, and self-regulation, as a dependent variable. in addition, demographic variables: gender, class, age, favorite subject will be subject to additional analysis. 73 methods to identify the four learning styles, we used the honey-alonso learning styles learning questionnaire, which has 80 items. summing up the scores and comparing them, learning styles have been identified: active, reflexive, theoretical, pragmatic. selfregulation questionnaire, developed by miller and brown, was used to evaluate self-regulation. it provided values between 63 and 252. higher than 191 scores indicate a high self-regulation capacity, with a moderate self-regulation capacity between 171 and 190, and scores lower than 170 indicate a capacity for low selfregulation. population the population consisted of 237 students from grades ix to xii from a high school in bucharest. the choice of high school was random. students have been selected so that there is a uniform distribution of them across classes. 3. results a total of 237 students, of which 99 boys, representing 42%, and 138 girls, representing 58%, participated in this study. the age of the students participating in the research varies between 15 and 19 years. after analyzing the data, it was found that students have some preferred subjects. of the total of 237 pupils, 24 of them, representing 10.1% of the total, have no preference. in descending order, preferences were as follows: biology (13.9%), geography (12.7%), history (9.7%), english (8%), mathematics (3%), music (3%), religion (3%), french (2.5%), sports (6.3%), informatics (2.5%), physics (2.1%), psychology (2.1%), drawing (1.3%) and philosophy (1.3%). the data analysis shows that the predominant learning style is the reflexive (79 students, representing 33.3%), then the active style (57 students, representing 24.1%), followed by the pragmatic style (36 students, 74 representing 15.2% ) and finally the theoretical style (31 students, representing 13.1%). without predominant learning style was 34 students (14.3%). based on the frequency analysis, it was found that 57.8% of students had moderate self-regulation, 25.7% had a low level of self-regulation, and 16.5% had a high level. the level of self-regulation varies depending on age, sex, class, and favorite subject. based on descriptive statistical analysis, the lowest score obtained for the self-regulation variable was 135 and the highest 212, where the lowest was 63 and the maximum was 252. of the 79 predominantly reflexive students, 50 are girls and 29 boys; of the 57 predominantly active students, 34 girls and 23 boys; of the 36 students with predominantly pragmatic style, 15 girls and 21 boys; of the 31 students with predominantly theoretical style, 19 are girls and 12 boys; out of a total of 34 students without a predominant learning style, 20 are girls and 14 boys. the pragmatic learning style predominates the boys, compared to the other styles, where the girls predominate. the distribution of learning styles by age is relatively uniform in 15-year-old students, with those aged between 16 and 18 years predominating in active and reflexive style, and 19-year-old predominate reflexive learning style. the active, reflexive and pragmatic learning style is more common in the 11th grade and the more theoretical style in the 12th grade. the active, reflexive and pragmatic learning styles are the least among the 9th graders, and the theoretical style is less common in grades x and xi. the active learning style is associated with the preference for geography, history and sport; the reflexive learning style is associated with biology, english, geography and history; the theoretical learning style is associated with preference for biology; and the pragmatic learning style is easily associated with the 75 preference for geography and biology. it can be noticed, for example, that preference for biology or geography is associated with several learning styles, so we cannot conclude that a learning style leads to one preferred subject. students' ability to self-adjust varies by class, age, gender, and preferred subject matter. it is noted that self-regulation is high and medium in the xi grade, and low in grades x and xii. it can be concluded that self-regulation varies according to the class in which the student is. more boys than girls have a high self-regulation capacity and more girls than boys have a moderate and low self-adjusting ability. this leads us to the conclusion that the level of self-regulation varies by gender. generally, regardless of the preference for a particular subject, most students had moderate self-regulation. however, there have been issues that have been associated with a low level of selfregulation: french, drawing, religion and physics. these materials, from different curricular areas, we cannot conclude that preference for them would predispose students to lower selfregulation capacity. also, students who preferred informatics did not experience low levels of self-regulation. from the correlation between the predominant learning style and the level of self-regulation, all learning styles are strongly associated with an average level of self-regulation, with slight tendencies to high or low levels. thus, active and theoretical learning styles tend towards a low level of self-regulation, while in the reflexive and pragmatic learning styles there is no obvious difference between the high or low levels of self-regulation. 4. discussions based on statistical analyzes, it was found that between active style and self-regulation there is no statistically significant 76 relationship, but the reflective, theoretical and pragmatic styles exhibit associations with self-regulation. the research by tapias et al. (2011) confirmed that most respondents had a reflexive learning style, with girls being the majority. in some countries, in the active and theoretical style, the boys were the majority, and the pragmatic style, the girls; in other countries, boys predominated in all styles. in the present research, reflexive style occupies the first place in the ranking, with more girls than boys, and the other results are different. it can be concluded that the preference for a particular learning style is not determined by the gender of the respondents, however the reflexive style is widespread. on the other hand, the application in several countries of the honey-alonso learning style learning questionnaire has demonstrated the reliability and validity of the tool. ergür (2000) and güven (2003, quoted in şirin and güzel, 2006) confirmed that learning styles differ depending on high school subjects and admission scores. and in the present study, the predominant learning style had some fluctuations, depending on the preference of high school students for certain school subjects. self-regulation, as a set of cognitive, metacognitive, motivational, and behavioral strategies, must be seen in the context of certain goals, in this case self-regulation of education. unfortunately, many students do not understand that their main purpose in school is learning. it seems that self-regulation of achievements is more common than self-regulation of learning (kaplan, 2008). for this reason, there may be no significant relationship between learning styles and self-regulation. 5. conclusions based on the results of the study, we have formulated the following conclusions: 77 1. there is no statistically significant relationship between the active learning style and the self-regulation ability of high school students. 2. there are statistically significant relationships between reflexive, theoretical and pragmatic learning styles, and the ability of high school students to self-regulate. 3. students' preference for a particular learning style varies by age, class, gender and preferred subject. 4. the ability of self-regulating students varies by gender, age, class, and subject matter. 5. there is no statistically significant relationship between the predominant learning style and the self-regulation ability of high school students. it is very important for teachers to know the predominant learning styles of their students to adapt their teaching-learning methods accordingly to improve the quality of learning. the instructional-educational process involves several types of activities, which can specifically address different learning styles. the most important quality of a good teacher is the ability to put himself in the student's place (nevot, 2008). mooij (2008) places the process of self-regulation at the center of a triangle of selecting learning tasks (by others, by the learner for others), guided learning (guided by others, directed by the learner, and directing others) and evaluation (by others, selfevaluation and evaluation of others). the four elements influence each other. the role of the teacher in this case is to select learning tasks, to lead learning, and to use assessment methods according to the pupils' learning styles to get the best results. finally, it is recommended that teachers be made aware of the fact that they can improve the specific learning bottlenecks, improve the self-regulation ability of students, and help them learn better if they adapt their teaching methods to their learning styles. teachers can also be made aware that they can positively influence 78 students' preference for certain subjects by adopting creative teaching methods and specific to the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual needs of students. references al-balhan, e. m. 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(2tailed) , ,887 ,378 ,000 ,691 n 237 237 237 237 237 the reflexive learning style correlati on pearson ,009 1,000 ,708 ,445 ,439 sig. (2tailed) ,887 , ,000 ,000 ,000 n 237 237 237 237 237 the theoreti cal correlati on pearson -,058 ,708 1,000 ,448 ,415 84 learning style sig. (2tailed) ,378 ,000 , ,000 ,000 n 237 237 237 237 237 the pragmat ic learning style correlati on pearson ,562 ,445 ,448 1,000 ,256 sig. (2tailed) ,000 ,000 ,000 , ,000 n 237 237 237 237 237 selfregulati on correlati on pearson ,026 ,439 ,415 ,256 1,000 sig. (2tailed) ,691 ,000 ,000 ,000 , n 237 237 237 237 237 ** the correlation is significant at the level 0.01 (2-tailed). 71 limits of using ict in teaching and learning keywords teaching-learning, advantages/disadvantages/limits of using ict, tci, sct, gadgets. _______________________________________________ abstract the importance of using ict in teaching and learning is undoubtedly undisputable these days, in the world of hi-technology era. on the one hand, the focus lays on the innovative techniques that teachers should master while doing their job, and on the other hand, the efficiency of transmitting the information and enriching the students’ capacity of knowing and understanding new ideas and concepts, while helping them still count on their critical thinking. thus, it is important to know which are the benefits and disadvantages of using ict so that we can establish its limits in the teaching-learning process. in order to keep a balance in this process, the present research focusses on four types of limits: temporal, relational, physical, and spatial. _______________________________________________ florina-graţiela șchiopu montemorelos university, mexico gratiela282000@yahoo.com 72 1. introduction the modern world that we face nowadays is the world of technology and gadgets a different world than the one that used to be in the not so far away past so that one can easily notice that every field of our life is flooded by this change, both in the social, cultural and political field, and in the field of academic activities. facing this perspective, the teachers of this technological era, have only two choices: to keep on doing things as they used to do, and consequently, they cannot wait for different or better results both from the teaching and from the learning point of view or making an effort and updating themselves together with this new trend, thus really having different results, and also in a shorter period. in this respect, the idea of using ict in learning and teaching has lately become so important that it has brought about some researchers who want to come to a correct conclusion concerning the amount of quality and also quantity of ict used in teaching techniques and the results of using it, or on the contrary, as it has already been stated above, the lack of using it, which consequently would lead to a different perspective, both for teachers and students. thus, concerning the key competences for long life learning programs, among the eight accepted competences it was included the digital one, ict. moreover, knowing that the latest equipment is part of the technology world, which is seen as the world of quick information in every aspect of life, and global connectivity for almost all occupations and ages, and also rapid and more fruitful learning most of the teachers, not only beginners, but also teachers who have been teaching for many years, started connecting themselves to this new and indispensable means of teaching, in order to answer the new needs and requirements of today’s world, even if not all teachers feel comfortable with this new trend. thus, being one of the most important changes in education lately, this usage 73 of ict, still in the beginning in some places, is developing very fast these days influencing the young generation and not only. even though some researchers have even expressed some doubts regarding the effectiveness of ict usage in class (kleiman, 2004; kozma, 1994), there are even more people that agree with the fact that it can, and should be used effectively as an important tool for learning and also as an instrument of teaching (bruce and levin, 2001). fransson et. comp (2018) also speak about these things in terms of the explicit theme in ict to which we add value for learning and teaching, which leads us to effectiveness, while speaking about the other obvious dimension ineffectivenessas the idea of less good teaching. undoubtedly, the students will appreciate each teacher differently, and consequently, the use of ict will be discussed in a different manner, from teacher to teacher, no matter if we speak about the usage of the same method. thus, it is necessary to speak at this point about the shift from the traditional image of the teacher-centred instruction (tci) to the one of the student-centred learning (scl) which nowadays is very much in use, even if for sure it is impossible to be done accordingly in all situations. researchers’ results indicate the fact that professional development in general has an impact on teachers’ beliefs and practices (muainga et all, 2019), something that indeed, cannot be denied. it is shown in this study that teachers who train thoroughly, and use ict in their teaching, really believe that ict contributes to changes in students’ learning outcomes and in the quality of educational process. in fact, this belief is proved to be right, and the result is beneficial on both sides, while, at the same time, these competences are used for learning and teaching purposes, or for entertainment, under the condition of using them properly. this is why we need to establish some limits that can offer us a protection for staying healthy, both from the mental and from the physical point of view. 74 the matter in discussing of this paper research is this: should we establish some limits in using technology in this teaching-learning process? for this, we have to identify the real value of ict, but at the same time, we should also have the courage to mention the possible flaws that may appear. 2. benefits of using ict in teaching ict does not only bring its contribution in order to determine the objectives of learning and teaching in teachers’ case, but it also enhances their independence in technology usage, even though not everything that is on internet can be seen as useful or reliable, given the fact that everybody can upload whatever one wants on it. even though, ict develops teaching methods that give courage to teachers to interact and connect with different and multiple learning websites all over the world. in this respect, a lot of teachers can be assisted in providing effective feedback by using these innovative methods. as a result, for example, after the lesson was taught, and the homework sent, the students can receive back their work checked rigorously, thus being a great help for the class interaction afterwards, a lot of time being saved, when the work has been checked in advance, so that a lot of other interesting things can be discussed in class. in this respect, it is the students’ creativity the one which has to be developed by the teacher, who has an important role in shaping a healthy vision about world and life. he is also the one that can come up with an interesting or, on the contrary, a boring perspective in teaching, and moreover, when we speak about technology, as we know that everything can be both a blessing or a curse, it depends on the teacher, in his class, to help the students understand how to properly use this innovative instrument, so that it can be a real gain in all aspects of life, especially if we consider ict as a source that prepares the learners for the real world outside their class. some researchers such as bruce and levin (2001) 75 indicate that technology can be useful in classroom environment by encouraging students to communicate, as a result of models received through different methods and techniques of usage of ict. in their comparative study zare-ee and shekarey (2010), focus on five roles, which are really relevant and which show us the importance that technology can play in education, as they had already been mentioned two decades before by bransford, brown, and cooking (2000), and they can be rendered in the following ideas: the real-world experiences are brought about as they are, into the classroom, then, scaffolding is provided so that it permits those that learn to take place in a complexity of situations. there is an increasing number of opportunities for students to get personalized and sophisticated results as feedback, there is also the interest to form groups of situations where teachers, students, parents, or other interested groups can interact, and last, but not least, there is a great range of opportunities for teachers to increase their knowledge and skills. when we speak about the technology which is used in the teaching learning process, we usually mean any new electronic media devices, including computers, video, iphones, ipads, etc. considering these five roles mentioned above, zare-ee and sherkarey (2010) spoke about some relevant qualities, that can be considered indeed very important in this field of ict usage in teaching, which can be rendered in the following statements: this means of teaching provides rich banks of resources and information, it offers to teachers and learners a good way of progress and up-dating, it offers multi-media capabilities, can pave the way for individualised learning, facilitates distance learning, makes individualised feedback easier, encourages communication, and can be used very interactively. this also offers to learners and teachers’ chances for numberless situations in which they can repeat, and it can be used whenever and wherever learners and teachers wish, and last but not least, it can be motivating and can 76 offer high face-validity. considering so many advantages, one can say that the use of ict can, for sure, be an important, effective and indispensable tool in teaching, but we also have to pay attention to some real disadvantages that should not be totally ignored, so that having a comprehensive image we can establish certain limits. 3. disadvantages of using ict in teaching we can speak about some changes that are found in education as a consequence of ict usage as being both gradual and constructive but also revolutionary and kind of destructive if not used properly (tajabady and ranjar, 2016). a second idea can be connected to the fact that ict usage in teaching can only be seen as positive only when we speak about adequate training for its use. but who can say if this training is assimilated and respected as it is, thus having good results only, especially when we think about some situations in which students can be disturbed in no time from the things they are learning about, and they can even search sites that should not be visited, while pretending they do what is required by the teacher. at the same time the students could tend to neglect learning sources other than computer or internet, which can lead to limitations in the students’ critical thinking. among the disadvantages of using ict we can mention the fact that the staff in a school for example, may become so reliant on ict that they cannot work if the computer fails, or that the training can be so expensive when the systems are updated. here are some disadvantages of using ict in any teaching setting, disadvantages that can be considered important, both from the teacher and from the students’ point of view (zare-ee and sherkarey, 2010): when learning how to use ict properly, the teacher is required to allocate both time and energy, and we should be aware of the fact that the ‘new stuff’ factor present in using ict can become in the end a distraction from real learning goals and have negative effects while the process as it is, of 77 teaching and learning, could thus be touched in a negative way by the so-called computerized classroom syndrome. we do not go too deep in the matter if we dare to say that ict is able to involve the learners too much in individualized learning and thus, create isolation. some other changes that the usage of ict can bring are those connected to the teacher’s role, changes that sometimes could not be optimistic in any way, and it is known that computers can crash from time to time, which really happens, from different reasons, and this can be really annoying, because while having technical problems, if not solved quickly we lose time and show our incapacity to be able to face any difficult situation, which is not easily tolerated. this list of disadvantages can give us a different perspective of seeing things, and once we know the limits, we should always be ready to teach with the help of technology unless we count on it as being the ultimate best tool in teaching. considering the lists of good points and bad points of ict usage, we can be sure that the one who uses the computers and ict in general in such a manner that it can become something desirable in class, is the qualified teacher. this is why this perspective is waited for, and not something that students and teachers alike want to get rid of. some researchers believe that it is crucial for this generation of teachers to train for this purpose so that when problems of any kind occur with the computer, the teacher is able to solve it so that the teaching process should not suffer any alteration. this being said, there was a good number of teachers who did their best and spent some time to learn how to properly use computers and ict in terms of learning and teaching also. thus, in doing so, they showed that they saw it as a representative goal of the today’s development and reform which forces all the teachers, from now on to be responsible also in this field of communication technology. a study that included a presentation about technologies, multimedia and interactive whiteboards, emphasizes that ict is 78 just a tool, and not the secret to good teaching. moreover, it has the potential to enrich the experience of the one who learns, as well as the teacher’s (jarvis, 2015). thus, it is very important for teachers to make sure they can work properly on different devices and use ict in the teaching technique they use, as long as they use it in their learning, too, this being a very important part of today’s educational reform and development. in fact nowadays, especially in developed countries where technology has an important place, we can’t teach any object properly, without the use of technology, at least for one reason: these kids already use ict in their games, while searching for information, in communicating to one another, and the process of teaching cannot be left behind without losing the contact between the teacher and his students, which will give birth to a gap, and speaking about this gap, the teacher should provide the tools to overcome it, and the proper usage of ict is the solution. 4. limits of using ict in teaching alkahatni (2017), speaks in his study about two significant shortcomings encountered in using ict in teaching: one is the lack of proper training on the teachers’ side, and the other one could be the lack of equipment. as a consequence, the result of this study shows a shortage of a minimal understanding considering students and teachers’ way of using the equipment, a lack of mastery of ict teaching techniques, and a lack of teacher training to cover the gap. we should also mention here the lack of using the electronic equipment at their best, and problems we face when it is about repairing them. here we can also mention complicated systems or slow hard work which can cause stress, or a lot of distractions and incorrect information, which leads to a real discomfort. planning and implementation should also involve managers, directors and teachers and this can help to improve problem solving and even 79 prevent ict problems before they occur, and for this, the teacher should be well equipped with a lot of skill and information. thus, the basic components of new ict are rapid feedback and instant connectivity in teaching, and the purpose of the use of these methods is to gain maximum output of the students, to identify the value of ict and to examine if the use of ict is helpful in teaching no matter the amount of time consumed, or else, wasted in some cases, when some students become interested in learning only when using the computer in accomplishing their tasks, otherwise losing their interest of any other type of teaching which leads to the situation in which they can become too dependent on the all possible devices which help them to do their homework, and prevents them from counting on the knowledge they have gathered during all the school years. this ultimately leads to a signal that has negative aspects towards the growth of education and humanity in the modern world, the modern students could become weaker in sustaining their own point of view, if not backed up by internet resources. as a result of the different opinions concerning the advantages and disadvantages of using ict in teaching and learning, we can say that it is difficult to clearly establish a limit, for each of the situations mentioned above and, on the account of all that has been written so far, we will try to draw out some axiomatical aspects in using ict, seen in the following four directions. temporal limits even if we have lately faced a large amount of using ict in the educational sphere and notice the increasing of the motivation of learning for students, especially because of the quantity of time that people, and first of all, the students, dedicate to using certain technologies such as mobile phones, social media, videogames, while in class, the whiteboard also, and the internet in general and this being done outside of the school environment, we should notice the flaws here, too. 80 spending a lot of time being taught or learning through ict, the students could be affected when we consider their physical and psychical health. another flaw connected to time would be the fact that students can get the information much faster through the help of ict, instead of studying a book, and get out the information by working harder. in this respect, faster does not mean better only because we can get information from the best experts on internet, because one thing is to get the information and quite another thing is to really use it properly. maybe one of the greatest responsibilities that teachers and parents have in this respect is that of helping the students to establish the order of priorities that help them to be efficient in real life. thus, organizing the personal time in connection to the responsibilities for personal development, family, school and society requires strict discipline and planning. this is why, there must be a strict program from the school, when we speak about teaching through ict for young learners, so that they should not become addicted, which will finally be the case if things are not controlled. on the other side, with older students, parents, teachers and the students themselves should cooperate in order to find the best amount of time spent for this purpose. otherwise, too much can mean being destructive, and can definitely separate the students from the real-life expectations. relational limits in the context of using ict in teaching, when thinking about the amount of time spent, we should remember keeping the relation among the participants involved in this process: teacher-students, students-students, or even parents-students-teachers, which will ultimately lead us to the relational feature. in their study, zare-ee and shekary (2010) bring into discussion another study which speaks about a sensible position expressed in an educational supplement, and which said that, as a result of a research into the matter, which lasted twenty years, it was specifically shown that 81 ict really has an impact on learners, under some conditions, but this definitely cannot replace the teacher, at least not these years, which is quite encouraging for the moment being. in this respect it is already known the fact that the teacher has a key role in managing and integrating ict, together with another knowledge, and this role the teacher will always like to have. as a result of too much time spent in such environment as ict teaching, students can become isolated from society, which is neither desirable, nor accepted, and sometimes, the students’ minds are more likely to wander from their set task, because of too much exposure at ict. also, the idea of using ict may be not so easy for those students that are weaker in some points, for those that find it difficult to work independently and may need support from the teacher or need to be backed up by their fellow students in the tasks they have to perform for the class. even if, under some circumstances, the teacher should teach through the help of ict from the distance, for example, we still speak about the human element, the relation between the teacher and his students being still important. thus, while facing some situations when teaching from the distance through ict is needed, it is still the teacher who leads the meeting, choosing the topics and leading the discussion, the teacher still having the role to moderate the class, to supervise the tasks given, in order not to become a chaos. so, doing this, the students are connected together with the teacher and the other students, while the teacher presents the lesson and invites the students to express their opinion, to participate in debates, to be part of this process. a feature of this relational limit is the authoritative one, and we can speak here about the modelling factor which resides in the fact that the influence of the teacher should never be totally replaced by the usage of the computer, or of ict in general. in establishing relational limits, we should consider the interaction with the teacher and with the other students so that the aspects concerning the elements of communication, consisting 82 of body language, verbal language and eye contact, to be the foundation in transmitting the information. research revealed the fact that teaching through the interactive method is one of the best ways for students to get knowledge, and this can be done through the help of the teacher, whose abilities are meant to focus on the needs of each student, sometimes. physical limits first of all, we should be conscious that a computer will never be able to fully replace the teacher, because the physical presence offers more than the logical, rational information, it offers a modus vivendi. lopez and fernandez show in their study the fact that the use of ict influences skills such as attention, perception and memory (lopez and fernandez, 2019). their investigation was meant to enhance the influence of ict on the learning of second languages – concretely, on learning english, to test whether there is a relation between neurophysiological maturity, learning second languages and finally to discover the role played by attention in learning second languages and to investigate whether learning second languages through ict influences students’ motivation. this study shows that the motivation to learn was found to be greater in students learning via ict and that students with more advanced neurophysiological development and who score higher attention find it easier to learn a foreign language, in this case, english. scherer (2017) says that there are a lot of adolescents who seem to be confident in connection to the use of information and communication technology (ict), and they are also sure that this helps, and will help them to learn and achieve, which is true, but, on the other side recent research shows that some teenagers are reporting physical discomfort using ict such as sore eyes, thus, we can speak about a great negative physical side-effect (vision problems), and pain in neck and shoulders. considering the fact that in the future students will use ict much more, we could state that these health problems will increase. as a result, the emotional 83 balance and the physical capacity must be regarded with a lot of attention and consideration in using ict. spatial limits the management of an ict classroom is clearly always different from other classrooms. in order for the students to gain maximum output teachers have to use different methods which are both interesting and innovative in nature. for example, in a study, ali (2015) says that similarly english language teaching arena is also deeply affected by the use of technology in language classrooms as this helps the teachers to introduce innovative methods and techniques to learn the english language which has a global acceptance and considered as lingua franca of the world. in a study led by linqiong lu, the author speaks about our era facing a high popularity of a great number of open online courses in most places, a new era in teaching students of every age, as a result of the fast development of new technology and media. using technology to facilitate teaching and learning has become a common consideration of educational institutions worldwide. in this respect, in china for example, the microlecture proved to be the entry point into mooc era. in 2010, the chinese state council promulgated the educational reform and development schema (2010-2020), to promote the use of digital resources in foreign language education and learning (lu, linqiong, 2018). even though, one thing is to use the computer, and quite another one is to use the phone, or one thing is to use the smart board and another one is to use a laptop. the possibility of participating in activities, all together, using the smart board is quite different than using a simple laptop, which is still done in many places. as a result, it does matter the management of the class and the distance between these devices and the students, both for efficiency and for their health. 84 these four types of limits function as a whole and anytime the use of ict leads to the loss of balance among these, both the teacher and the student should sense it and start acting. 5. conclusions in this study, we firstly brought into discussion an important matter, that of using, ict in learning and teaching, pointing to some benefits and disadvantages, and then tried to draw up some guiding principles which the teachers, and respectively, the students should consider. while there still may be some teachers who are not so keen on using ict, we have to admit that in this era of connectivity it is almost impossible to deny the value and importance of technology. we find technology everywhere, and nowadays we find technology in all houses, poor or rich, used by intellectuals or people working in different fields. in fact, technology makes our life much easier, and we practically could no longer do a lot of the modern world stuff without it, and when it comes to teaching, ict opened a way with unthinkable results. for a long time the teacher used to be regarded as a source of wisdom and knowledge (and how proud were the teachers in this period), but nowadays, with so much information that students can get from the internet, teachers cannot compete with it, especially that they can have it so fast from the best experts in the world, without waiting for the next day to meet and ask the teacher about some questions for which they have no answer. when speaking about disadvantages of using ict, we should be aware that not all teachers are keen on ict, but they are forced to use it, and in some situations the students tend to have some presentation which are rather superficial, and copy resources from the internet, and in most of the cases they may have less opportunities to use oral skills and handwriting. 85 for an efficient use of ict, we suggested in this paper four directory lines which define a certain balance in the teachinglearning process: the temporal, the relational, the physical, and the spatial limits. thus, for each of these we have come to the following conclusions: the temporal limit points to the fact that the information can be obtained much faster nowadays through the help of ict, rather than studying lots of booksalthough we should keep reading real books, not only e-books, and getting the information through a hard and permanent work, or asking the teacher and receiving the information through his help. the relational limit brings into discussion the human element, the relation between the teacher and his students. even in some situations when teaching from the distance is needed, the teacher needs to be the one who should lead the meeting. the students being connected together with the teacher and other students, the teacher still has to be one that has the modelling role that brings together the old and the new, the ict and the benefit of real books, close to i-books, as it has already been stated above. the physical limits focus on the idea that, even if a lot of adolescents feel confident about using ict, believing that it can help them to learn and achieve information, still there arises the health problem of many adolescents who report physical discomfort using ict, such as sore eyes, and pain in the shoulders, to mention just a few of the problems of this kind. we should consider the fact that the health problems will increase as a result of too much usage of ict. the spatial limits point to the use of comparison of using the computer, or the phone, or on the contrary to use the smart board in comparison with a laptop. the possibility of participating in activities, all together, using the smart board is quite different than using a simple laptop, which is still done in many places. as a result, it does matter the management of the class and the distance between these devices and the students, both for efficiency and 86 for their health. at this point we should keep in mind the blessed usage of books, the position needed for the health of the body, the side from where the light should come, things that are no more important in ict usage, but still so good for all of us. thus, while some teachers will force things in technology so much, another option will be the need to use the classical method too, besides this technology, meaning that none of them could be used alone, or separately. the teacher has to use both methods in a correct manner, both modern and classic, he needs to be creative, and this technology has to be used at the right moment and with measure, neither too much, nor too little. references ali, m.m. (2015). integration of ict in elt class rooms: teachers’ perspective. putaj humanities & social sciences, 22(2), 2946. retrieved from: https://search. ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&authtype=cookie.i p.cpid&custid=4921769&db=a9h&an=137259513&site=e host-live. alkahtani, a. (2017). the challenges facing the integration of ict in teaching in saudi secondary schools. international journal of education and development using information and communication technology, 13(1), 32-51. retrieved from https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&aut htype=cookie,ip,cpid&custid=s4921769&db=eric&an=ej1 142266&site=ehost-live brandsford, j.d., brown, a.l., & cocking, r.r. (2000). how people learn: brain, mind, experience, and school. washington, dc: national academy press. fransson, g., lindberg, o. j., & olofsson, a.d. (2018). from a student perspective, what constitutes a good (or less good) use of ict in teaching? education and information 87 technologies, 23(5), 2155-2177. retrieved from https://search.ebscohost.com/login .aspx?direct=true&authtype=cookie,ip,cpid&custid=s4921 769&db=eric&an=ej1189129&site=ehost-live http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10639-018-9708-4 izguierdo j, de-la-cruz-villegas, v., aquino-zuniga, s.-p., sandovalcaraveo. m.-c., & garcia-martinez., v. (2017). teachers’ use of ict sin public language education: evidence from second language secondary-school classrooms. comunicar, 25(50), 33-41. https://doi.org/10.3916/c502017-03 jarvis, matt.(2015). brilliant ideas for using ict in the classroom. abingdon, routledge, (ebook). kleiman, g.m. (2004) myths and realities about technology in k-12 schools: five years later. contemporary issues in technology and teacher education, 4(2), 248-253. kozma, r.b. (1994). will media influence learning? reframing the debate. educational technology. research and development, 42(2), 7-19. lopez, m.r., fernandez, m.l., &martinez, m.c.p. (2019). neurophysiological maturity and the use of ict in teaching english. elctronic journal of research in educational psychology, 17(47), 27-54. lu, linqiong (2018), teacher, teaching and technology: the changed and unchanged school of english and education, guangdong university of foreign studies, guangzhou, guangdong, china. doi:10.5539/ies.v11n8p39 url: https://doi.org/10.5539/ ies.v11n8p39 muianga, x. j., barbutiu, s. m., hansson, h., & mutimucuio, i. v. (2019). teachers' perspectives on professional development in the use of scl approaches and ict: a quantitative case study of eduardo mondlane university, mozambique. international journal of education and development using information and communication https://search.ebscohost.com/login%20.aspx?direct=true&authtype=cookie,ip,cpid&custid=s4921769&db=eric&an=ej1189129&site=ehost-live https://search.ebscohost.com/login%20.aspx?direct=true&authtype=cookie,ip,cpid&custid=s4921769&db=eric&an=ej1189129&site=ehost-live https://search.ebscohost.com/login%20.aspx?direct=true&authtype=cookie,ip,cpid&custid=s4921769&db=eric&an=ej1189129&site=ehost-live http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10639-018-9708-4 https://doi.org/10.3916/c50-2017-03 https://doi.org/10.3916/c50-2017-03 https://doi.org/10.5539/%20ies.v11n8p39 88 technology, 15 (2), 79–97. retrieved from https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&authtype=cookie,ip,cpid&custid=s4921769& db=eric&an=ej1220750&site=ehost-live scherer, r., & hatlevik, o. e. (2017). “sore eyes and distracted” or “excited and confident”? – the role of perceived negative consequences of using ict for perceived usefulness and self-efficacy. computers &education, 115, 188-200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2017.08.003 zare-ee, a., & shekary, a. (2010). comparative study of the use of ict in english teaching-learning process. turkish online journal of distance education, 11(2), 13-22. retrieved from https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&aut htype= cookie,ip,cpid&custid=s4921769&db=eric&an=ej1042440 7site=ehost-live. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2017.08.003 https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&authtype=%20cookie,ip https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&authtype=%20cookie,ip https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&authtype=%20cookie,ip 23 gianina-estera petre adventus university, gianina.petre@uadventus.ro maria-magdalena puiu adventus university working cooperatively in communication and language class keywords interactive teaching strategies, improving teaching practices, communication skills, action research, case study. abstract implementing interactive teaching strategies in primary school can challenge teachers with little or no training in cooperative learning. the purpose of the study was to implement interactive teaching strategies in the language and communication class and identify the learning outcomes. further, it aimed to develop a model to improve teaching practices in primary school for language and communication class, fourth grade. the theoretical framework that guided the study is the structure-process-outcome theory (johnson & johnson, 2018). the study used a qualitative methodology. the research design was a case study and action research, as the aim was to improve teaching practices and outcomes by 24 implementing interactive teaching strategies. the participants were four primary school teachers, the teacher-researcher, and fourth-grade pupils. the class comprised 16 pupils who benefitted from the implementation process of new teaching strategies. data collection methods included qualitative questionnaires, observation, interviews, and pupils’ five-minute essays. the results emphasized the desire of teachers to improve teaching and learning by receiving training, the teacher-researcher and fourth-grade pupils enjoying unexpected positive results after implementing interactive strategies. the recommendations include increasing teachers’ interest and motivation for teaching improvements and providing practical training in applying modern teaching strategies for better learning outcomes. it is also recommended to use more interactive teaching strategies in other subject matters and add art and technology when giving assignments. 1. review of literature adult: but how do you imagine the school of the future looks like? the child: let there be better teachers and no benches. let us all sit on a mat and learn easier. let us think and tell us the solution only after we have time to think, not from the start. maybe a child knows the answer at first. and there is something else more important. i would like the teacher to ask each of us what we do and what we do not know. and to teach us exactly the things we do not know, not the things we know. talk to each of us (grigoroiu, 2018). modern generations of students are different from those from ten years ago in terms of mentality, aspirations, values, socioeconomic status, access to technology, and others. a 25 reform in romanian education is needed because we, as teachers, have limited ourselves, and we are afraid maybe to make a change that will benefit our students. therefore, we decided to explore more on this topic, analyze the practices, and look for effective educational interventions in times of change. primary education is the first stage of compulsory education and includes a balanced cognitive, emotional, and psychomotor development adapted to the needs of each child. pupils go through a period of accommodation at the beginning of primary school, in the preparatory class. in the fourth grade, they already have the competencies necessary to adapt to diverse situations. pupils are trained based on a school curriculum, specific competencies are central in teaching and learning, and an emphasis falls on continuous assessment for improvement (www.edu.ro/invatamant-primar). primary school students have some characteristics and needs. psychologically, pupils go through the development of memory, perception, speech, or thinking levels. these aspects vary from a child to another. therefore, for that reason, each student is unique and requires a particular type of teacherstudent interaction (landmarks for projecting, updating, and evaluating the national curriculum). of course, a specialized approach requires the special training of educators (voinea, 2019). from a socio-emotional perspective, the pupils’ development is influenced by families, environment, health, living conditions, religion, political context, ethnicity, or economic status. in such a diverse environment, each student needs the approach of holistic education, employed through the best methods and strategies (cazan & stan, 2018; patrut, 2017), aiming to prepare them for society (constantinescu, 2015). 26 in primary education, the competencies are the final aims. at the elementary level, declarative and procedural knowledge allow pupils to solve simple operations in known contexts for them. most of these operations are concrete operations. for applying the acquired competencies outside of a known context, the pupils need additional support (landmarks for projecting, updating, and evaluating the national curriculum). language and communication through language, the child acquires knowledge about the semantic structure of words, about the role they play in expressing thoughts. through language, children plan activities and the order of the actions they must perform (crețu, 2008). therefore, developing communication skills through diverse teaching methods is a valuable aspect of formal education (ahsanah, 2015). there are language disorders, either due to the wrong takeover of the word form (pronunciation), or some neuro-physiological problems (dyslexia, dysgraphia), disorders that suffer interventions and improvements through educational and medical therapy (creţu, 2006; ghergut, 2016). the schools’ goal is to help pupils achieve their highest potential in knowledge, develop skills, and acquire positive attitudes for a harmonious development (petre, 2020b). communication is a complex skill that includes receiving and delivering oral and written messages (crețu, 2008; molan, 2016). in certain positive situations, when communication and integration of students are effective, it avoids blockages and facilitates acceptance (gherguț & frumos, 2019). specifically planned and created conditions are necessary for such positive results. one is the communication initiative which consists in having the courage to express personal thoughts and opinions (badea, 2012). in addition, taking responsibility for expressing 27 feelings and desires and not hiding them because of fear due to possible negative repercussions would help (pânișoară, 2015). formal education aims to develop such communicational competencies (presadă & badea, 2014), preparing students to accomplish their roles. to encourage the pupil-teacher communication it is necessary to listen to what the student wants to say and facilitate the individual free expression. further, teachers must create a dynamic learning environment (ionescu, 2017), adjusted to the students’ developmental stage (stan, 2014). thus, it is expected from the adult to adopt a non-superior attitude. there is no room for addressing pupils with superiority. expressions such as you are small, you know nothing; draw as i tell you! should be avoided. communication must be a process that assures an interchange of information between teacher and students, respectfully and ensuring constructive feedback (cucoș, 2014). even nonverbal messages can discourage pupils; condescending to them or showing a superior or ironic smile (graur, 2001), teachers often lose from their attention these aspects of nonverbal language (cucoș, 2014). for efficient communication, it is better to treat the pupils from an equal position as friends while convincing them to respect the set limits and hierarchy (pânișoară, 2015). in communicating with children, adults must pay attention to their needs. a visual contact, a posture that indicates listening and that they have nothing to be afraid of what they say, feel and want, are necessary, the communication partners being in an equal position (neacșu, 2015). in other words, to strengthen the feeling that adults respect their individuality and personal traits. 28 traditional and modern education in a traditional society, the expected values in schools are discipline and obedience. teachers have an advantageous position in schools, unlike students who are often considered passive objects in the educational process (colibaba, dinu, colibaba, & cîrșmari, 2014; cucoș, 2014). in the traditional school, learning is mainly explanatory, reproductive, or receptive. the main activity is passing knowledge, with an emphasis on the teacher and teaching (blândul, 2014; mehrotra, 2017). the training is limited to presenting conclusions and answers previously formulated, which the students must receive, memorize, and reproduce when asked. the students’ ability to think critically, act freely, and be motivated for learning is not a central concern (cerghit, 2008; chervase, 2016). traditional education preserves a format used by generations. students are not actively involved, and the teacher is the sage on the stage. learning occurs mechanically through memorization and the reproduction of knowledge (cucoș, 2014). in this type of education, the teacher presents the content, imposes distinct points of view, manifests authority while students listen, work individually, memorize, and reproduce from memory the lesson (cerghit, 2006). modern education is known as organizing teaching activities in groups, each member of the group having a role and a specific task to perform (johnson & johnson, 2018). the teacher is the one who facilitates access to learning, representing an educational partner (oprea, 2007) for better outcomes (caine, caine, mcclintic, & klimek, 2016). he is not anymore the sage on the stage but the guide on the side (petre, 2020a). interactive teaching strategies are on the list of modern teaching methods. they promote active learning, involving collaboration between students who, organized in small 29 groups, work together to achieve predetermined goals (chervase, 2016; popa, bochis, laurian-fitzgerald, & fitzgerald, 2018). the teacher emphasizes not the role of disseminator of informational messages but the organizer, facilitator, and mediator of learning activities (gorghiu, drăghicescu, cristea, petrescu, & gorghiu, 2015; joița, 2006), manifesting enthusiasm in teaching (beadle, 2019). 2. methodology the present study used a qualitative methodology. the research design was a case study with an action research component. this section presents the purpose of the study, research questions, research gap, research design, data collection methods, and research participants. purpose of the study the purpose of the study was to explore the teaching methods used in the selected school for primary school pupils. the study aimed to implement new interactive teaching strategies in the language and communication class and identify the results of this process. moreover, through the study, the researchers developed a model to improve teaching practices in primary school for language and communication class, fourth grade. the theoretical framework that guided the study is the structure-process-outcome theory (johnson & johnson, 2018), stating that, by structuring the teaching process, positive learning outcomes appear. research questions the following research questions guided the study: 1. what are the teaching methods used in the selected primary school? 30 2. what does the implementation of interactive methods in the selected classroom look like? 3. what are the recommendations to improve the interactive teaching in the language and communication subject matter in primary school? research gap teachers are interested in implementing new interactive strategies in their teaching. however, in academic training, not much is done in training teachers to use modern teaching methods (european commission, 2019). therefore, teachers may take a personal initiative in improving their teaching knowledge and skills regarding interactive teaching strategies. research design as merriam (1988) states, a case study “is an examination of a specific phenomenon such as a program, an event, a person, a process, an institution, or a social group” (p. 9). it is a research design used when the inquiry has limited space, participants, and data to collect (merriam & tisdell, 2016). it is the option when researchers aim to understand participants’ experiences. the goal of the present case study was to understand these experiences regarding modern teaching methods implemented in the selected class. therefore, the case is the process of interactive teaching strategies implementation. action research is a research design used by researcherpractitioners to improve their practices, having the decision power in their context (sagor, 2011). it is a cyclical process, in this study using the three steps model developed for education: (a) planning, (b) performing, (c) perfecting (petre, 2020c). the present study aimed to implement interactive teaching strategies in the fourth grade in the language and 31 communication class. further, it explored the improvement of interaction among pupils and the recommendation for better teaching and learning. data collection methods the data collection methods used in this study were: qualitative questionnaires, observations, interviews, and pupils’ five-minute essays. the qualitative questionnaire was distributed online via google forms to the primary school teachers from the selected school. the questionnaire had three main sections. in the first section, we collected information about participants’ teaching experiences. the second section focused on the teaching methods used by primary school teachers. in the last part, we looked for the teaching methods the participants recommended for using or would like to use. the questionnaire items had open responses format (yin, 2014). observations helped identify pupils’ reactions and responses to the interactive teaching strategies. their behavior and involvement during activities guided teachers’ next steps in teaching. the aim was to identify the information tiring to discover through other data collection methods, thus enriching the findings (yin, 2016). the interview was the third data collection method in the present study. it helped the teacher-practitioner give reflective responses on personal teaching practices (brinkmann & kvale, 2015). the teacher responded in a written form, providing narrative thoughts on the interactive teaching strategies implementation. a five-minute essays document was the last data collection method. it consisted of pupils responding to the question, what did you learn and like in the class? 32 research participants the participants in this study represent three groups: primary school teachers, teacher-researcher, and fourth grade pupils. each group had a specific role in research. we create below the profile of each group of participants. primary school teachers represent the group of four primary school teachers from the selected school. in a primary school, we have five grades: the preparatory grade and grade 1 to 4. four of them responded to the qualitative questionnaire, data necessary in the preliminary phase of research. through their responses, we created a picture of the teaching methods used in the selected school for primary education. the teacher-researcher represents another category of participants. it is one primary school teacher interested in implementing interactive teaching strategies in her class. at the same time, the teacher is one of the two researchers involved in the study. that can lead to achieving the aim of the study, which is to provide a tested example of how to implement interactive teaching strategies in the language and communication subject matter for fourth grade. fourth grade pupils represent the last group of participants, those who benefited from modern teaching strategies implementation. the class consisted of 16 pupils having as a teacher the practitioner-researcher. there were eight girls and eight boys. 3. results to create an image of the findings of this study, we present the emerging themes based on the research questions. research question 1, what are the teaching methods used in the selected primary school? displayed a list from known and practiced to unknown and desired teaching methods. 33 theme 1: between known and unknown the responses collected through questionnaires showed that the teachers from the selected institution listed conversation, explanation, stellar explosion, mind maps, the cube, and problem-solving as primary teaching methods applied in the classroom. additionally, teachers use observation, brainstorming, thinking hats, and exercises. from a provided list of modern strategies, the participants indicated taba, feeling strategy, graffiti, and concept attainment as unknown teaching methods. the jigsaw strategy, which was part of the list, was not mentioned as unknown. however, it was neither in the list of applied teaching strategies. teachers were asked to provide examples of the teaching strategies they consider effective in engaging pupils in learning. they mentioned conversation, explanation, exercise, brainstorming, the stellar explosion, the cube, active and participative strategies, and combining traditional with modern methods according to the feedback received from pupils. regarding the teaching strategies the participants would add to their repertoire, they mentioned the desire to apply new teaching strategies they do not know, hands-on methods, and strategies for teaching specific concepts. they said, “new teaching methods are welcomed, but we need special training for learning how to apply them in class” (teachers’ questionnaire). for research question 2, what does the implementation of interactive methods in the selected classroom look like? the results arose from the teacher interview, observations, and pupils' journals in the form of a five-minute essay. the emerged themes showed that the teacher accepted the challenge to implement interactive teaching strategies in her class and the results were beyond her expectations, increasing the feeling of togetherness. 34 theme 2: challenges accepted implementing new teaching interactive strategies in classrooms is not facile. for most educators, this is a challenge if they have no training. however, when teachers benefit from proper training, the desire to transfer the new teaching strategies from training to the classroom increases. they accept the challenge as happened with the teacher-researcher of the present study. i chose to implement interactive teaching methods in my class because i noticed a capping of teachers on traditional methods and short-term results. i aimed to observe the reactions and outcomes when teaching in another way. i chose to implement the random call cards, think-pair-share, kwl, and jigsaw strategies. i noticed that students' attention was awake throughout the classes (especially for romanian language and literature). their level of involvement increased, the results being as desired. we also used feedback at the end of each class, with students receiving a five-minute essay in which they had to write down what they liked and what they learned new that day. (interview, maria) the pupils’ reactions were encouraging for the teacher. “they liked the new strategies implemented in class. at first, they were excited and a little awkward, but over time adjusted and began to participate with pleasure” (observation). these reactions, observed by the teacher, were confirmed by the pupils in their five-minute essays. they noticed and appreciated the influence of the use of the call cards: “there is silence in the class, and everyone has the patience to be called by the teacher. i liked that because generally, i dislike noise” (fiveminute essay, a.). their attention was awake during the entire lesson because they knew that after exploring a content, the 35 teacher addresses questions to evaluate their understanding and learning: today at the romanian language class, we discussed the informative text, and i really liked it. i learned a lot of information about bees, honey, and beekeeping. i liked that we were all mindful and that it was quiet when the teacher used the cards with our names. (five-minute essay, b.) theme 3: beyond expectations the outcomes of implementing interactive teaching strategies went beyond the expectations of the teacher. the learners were actively involved in each lesson, and their motivation increased. “implementing the five-minute essay, i noticed some of the students felt much more involved than usual” (observation). moreover, the inclusion of pupils from ethnic groups was successfully done in the classroom. by implementing the mentioned teaching strategies, i can say that i received satisfaction. having a class in which half of the students were from the roma ethnic group, they were not eager to learn something new or participate actively. there was a great change when i started using the above interactive strategies and organizing the pupils by groups. learners who did not answer or did not work on homework became active, which helped them a lot and helps them even now. in the past, at the end of the school year, only 12 have been promoted out of 16. after implementing interactive strategies, we also motivated the four pupils to be active and hardworking. as a result, 15 out of 16 pupils were promoted. they became more conscientious, serious, and very excited that we could teach the lessons differently. (interview, maria) 36 the atmosphere in the classroom was “calm, everyone knew what to do, and the instructive-educational approach took place according to the requirements” (observation). the response of the pupils was positive, the excitement and motivation for activities increasing. “i liked it very much! i would like all classes to be like the romanian language class. i learned a lot and worked harder than usual” (five-minute essay, c.). each interactive strategy implemented in the classroom had specific outcomes. pupils’ attention was awake, and order was a normal state in the class. the teacher noticed and noted that outcome in observations. “when the atmosphere became too noisy in the other classes, the pupils requested the use of the random call cards technique” (observation). they were aware of the benefits of the call cards. they requested using the cards in other classes, and not only for the romanian language. while using the above strategies, my class was calm, attentive, and ready to respond to given tasks at any time. through the random call cards, i kept them focused. they could not wait to use the cards. when the noise was loud, some students asked to work as we do it in romanian language class. (interview, maria) the kwl and jigsaw strategies improved communication and active listening skills in the classroom. as an outcome, the class was better organized and managed, were developed pupils’ leadership skills, shy learners found the courage to speak in front of their classmates. what wrote a student on the five-minute essay captivated teacher attention: "i like that now the teacher has time to listen to us, even the shy ones who express themselves with difficulties" (observation). another student emphasized the satisfaction of being a leader in the 37 group: “i liked that today, i was the leader of my group. i organized them and helped my weaker colleagues learn” (fiveminute essay, s.). as already highlighted, by using these interactive teaching strategies, the content was integrated and extended, learning taking place on a long-term basis, as a learner wrote, and the teacher-researcher observed: today, we used a method with a table called: i know, i want to know, i learned. it was great to see how many things i knew, but also how much we found out. (fiveminute essay, p.) the other day, i met my former students, and they told me that they fondly remember those activities we had last year. (observation) theme 4: togetherness the interactive teaching strategies applied in this study helped pupils develop the feeling of togetherness. they worked in groups, had specific roles and responsibilities. it was a new experience for both pupils and the teacher. the students learned to cooperate, respect, and support each other, learn from others, wait for their turn, and always have a good response to colleagues and the teacher. the teacherresearcher was open to sharing her new experience: personally, it seemed easy to me because the students were young and did not know in detail the strategies used. so, they did not observe my clumsiness at the beginning of the implementation. we learned from each other and at the same time with each other. it was challenging to adapt what i usually have used in the class to different interactive strategies. i think that insufficient training is a threat because here, we still focus on traditional methods. (interview, maria) 38 mutual support helped build a sense of togetherness in the class. the pupils were responsible for their learning but also for group learning. “students with leadership skills knew how to guide their colleagues in their work tasks” (observation). that was great support for the teacher and the learners who needed some help. some learning tasks were for the entire group, meaning that each pupil had to know the response. so, the goal was for each member of the group to know the proper answer. as such, the leader of each group assured that all members accomplished the task. in presenting the group work, the pupils have learned to wait their turn and “always be prepared to respond” (observation). that way of working in groups was attractive and constructive. i liked the class because we worked in groups. i am a shy person, but i was able to participate with my answers. (five-minute essay, ș.) we worked in another way today. not just the teacher spoke but us. and i liked when she used the cards. (fiveminute essay, a.) teachers must be interested in improving their classroom practices. research question 3, what are the recommendations to improve the interactive teaching in the language and communication subject matter in primary school? it looked for these possible improvements. two directions appeared under this question: the academic training and the personal initiative for the development of teachers. theme 5: practical training higher education programs for initial teacher education can provide more practical training for future teachers. the teacher-researcher benefitted from the training model of joyce and showers (joyce & showers, 2002), a model applied in two 39 courses. however, it was enough to motivate her to transfer the interactive teaching strategies from the academic program to her classroom. she recognized the importance of practicing these new strategies during the undergraduate program after being prepared to use them with pupils. as maria mentioned, “the transfer of interactive strategies in primary education can be motivated during the academic training. when presenting them theoretically but not putting them into practice, fewer results appear” (maria, interview). that observation, from maria’s experience, is proved by the training model. teachers have their role in implementing new and modern strategies. of course, the decision to transfer the learned teaching strategies to the classroom is in the hands of teachers. when the academic training is effective, that transfer becomes a reality. they must be motivated to improve teaching and learning practices in their classrooms, knowing that positive results will appear for pupils and the teacher. personal interest and search for better practices would help teachers. their teaching interactive methods list is improved “if teachers' curiosity to apply new strategies would be a reality in the classrooms. we need to focus more on modern methods and encourage their use in teaching” said maria, when sharing her new teaching experience. she decided that on future occasions, “i will use interactive strategies from the beginning of the school year to get students used to this teaching style. using them systematically, we will see great results because students will find new ways to learn” (interview, maria). 4. discussions the purpose of this study was to explore the teaching methods used in the selected primary school. it aimed to 40 implement interactive teaching strategies in the language and communication class for the fourth grade. further, the researchers developed a model to improve teaching practices in primary school for fourth grade in the language and communication class. teachers from the primary school level did not apply interactive teaching strategies such as taba, graffiti, feeling strategy, concept attainment, jigsaw. however, they considered these strategies useful for pupils. for implementing new and modern teaching methods, teachers need training as it is challenging to apply the theory into practice without exercising. that was what the participants mentioned. these findings are supported by other studies on the topic (barkley & major, 2018; joyce & showers, 2002; price & nelson, 2019), showing the importance of proper training for teachers when implementing new interactive teaching strategies. besides good academic training, teachers must be motivated to improve their teaching practices and curious to look for better strategies to teach. when pupils’ reactions to new and interactive teaching strategies are positive, teachers feel encouraged to continue this improvement even if challenges appear. students like interaction and good organization. they are attentive when actively involved during the class (tudor, 2016). as a result, long-term learning occurs at a declarative and procedural level of knowledge (harmon, marzano, marx, & schmidt, 2015). furthermore, interaction and working by groups support inclusion and collaboration (ghergut, 2016), positive emotions are activated (karacop & diken, 2017), and a constructive learning environment atmosphere is created (johnson & johnson, 2018). in such an environment, learners feel accepted and encouraged to help rather than compete (popa et al., 2018), as they have roles and responsibilities (strebe, 2018). the learners noticed that when 41 they were the leaders of the group, they were able to help the pupils who did not understand the lesson, to develop social skills (miller, 2017), interpersonal skills (sharan, 2015), and a self-discovery (voinea, 2019) of their leadership skills (petre, 2020a). when learners work together in groups to achieve a common goal, they learn to listen actively, respect others, wait for their turn, develop a sense of togetherness and responsibility for personal and colleagues’ learning (sahadeoturner, marzano, bryant, & harmon, 2015). during learning, teachers provide expert feedback for mastery learning (petre, 2020b) and receive feedback to know how learning occurs (marzano, 2017). the five-minute essay is an effective technique in obtaining feedback from learners who reflect on what they have learned. through practice, future teachers can develop teaching skills during academic training. the teacherresearcher of this study had micro-teaching during the academic preparation. that class requirement motivated her to transfer to her class the interactive teaching strategies. systematic practice supervised by teachers with constructive feedback provides support and increases interest in teaching (joyce, weil, & calhoun, 2015; price & nelson, 2019). we present now the model implemented in fourth grade. the implementation process was during may-june, in the second semester of the 2020-2021 school year. it was conducted only in the communication and language class, scheduled for 6 hours per week. the teacher organized the learners into groups of four, the pupils having different roles in their groups. further, the teacher implemented different interactive strategies according to the proposed goals and objectives of each class. group roles. the roles pupils had in their groups were four: (a) presenter (leader), who had the role of representing 42 the group and presenting in class the group response to specific tasks; (b) secretary had the responsibility of taking notes during group work; (c) social person, responsible giving to each member the chance to contribute in solving the group task, and also taking care of the group members return in class after each brake; (d) material person who managed on taking from and giving back to the teacher the materials necessary or resulted from an activity (green & henriquez-green, 2008). kwl (i know, i want to know, i learned) is a strategy proposed by donna ogle in 1986. teachers can apply it at the beginning of a new learning unit or a new subject. the purpose is to identify what knowledge students have about the topic. it promotes discussion and invites to address questions. kwl can be applied to any subject teachers explore with students. the procedure for this strategy is as follows (petre, 2017). teacher: draws a three columns table on the board and writes the theme on the top. asks the students to say what they know about the proposed topic; writes students' ideas (whether they are correct or not) in column k (i know). invites students to ask questions about what they would like to know about the proposed topic and writes these questions in column w (i want to know). presents the material to be learned (ppt, textbook, video, etc.), or the students read (watch) the material proposed by the teacher. asks the students to check if the ideas written in column k are correct and answer the questions in column w through what they listened/read/watched. in column l (i learned) will be written the answers to the questions from column w. in this column will be noted other ideas learned during the lesson. 43 mention that the questions in column w that remained unanswered can be considered homework for students for the next class. jigsaw is a strategy developed by aronson elliot and his students in 1978 (aronson, 2002). it is a cooperative learning strategy for helping learners explore a new topic; they learn how to present what they have learned to their classmates. jigsaw has the following steps (aronson, 2002; petre, 2017): a. before class. the teacher prepares the jigsaw materials (chooses the text to be taught; prints it before coming to class; divides and cuts the learning material into as many parts as there are students in each group. the number of students in each group should be four. the teacher presents the strategy and provides the necessary instructions to carry out the activity. b. during the class, the stages are as follows: stage 1. initial group teacher forms the groups (each group has several students equal to the parts of the material to be explored and learned, the jigsaw set). each group receives a jigsaw set. each student in the group receives a part of the learning material and reads it carefully, highlighting the main ideas. stage 2. expert group teacher asks students who have the same part of the jigsaw set to form expert groups (ex. students who have part 1 in the jigsaw set, make the expert group number 1; students who have the second part of the jigsaw set, form the expert group number 2, etc.). experts from the newly formed groups discuss their part becoming experts in that section of the lesson. experts return to their base groups. stage 3. initial group second phase 44 each member presents what they learned in the group of experts. each member of the group must know the content. stage 4. verification of learning teacher asks questions to check the learning of the material by the students. clarify, if necessary, possible misunderstandings. think-pair-share is a structure used to create answers developed both individually and by peers. a structure is an “organized and planned process to create interaction between students, with instructive purpose but not having a specific content” (green & henriquez-green, 2008, p. 1.12). step 1 teacher addresses the question. step 2 students think about the answer for a given time, announced. step 3 students form pairs and share the answer to the question (the class is organized in groups of 4 students). step 4 students share the answer with the whole class (using the random call cards technique). random call cards is a teaching technique used to keep learners' attention awake. it helps randomly select the names of the students who must respond to the addressed question. it has several steps (petre, 2017): step 1 the teacher prepares cards with the students' names. step 2 draw a card at random, mentioning the name of the student who will answer. step 3 after answering, the card is inserted back into the card pack. the process continues as necessary. 45 5. conclusions for many primary school teachers, implementing interactive teaching strategies is a challenge. in the academic training, the future teachers do not have enough practice to apply modern teaching strategies in their classrooms, as their training is conducted more often at a theoretical level. the present study showed that when teachers are well trained during the academic program and their interest in implementing new teaching strategies in their classes is real, improvements occur. pupils are interested in participating in the class, and they develop personal and interpersonal skills. they are motivated to learn and support colleagues’ learning, manifesting a sense of inclusion. in such an interactive learning environment, teachers manage the class easier as pupils know well and practice their roles and responsibilities. the shortlist of interactive teaching strategies applied in the present study and the implementation of the model in one class represents a limitation of the study. for further studies is recommended to add other interactive strategies and apply the model to more subject matters. we also recommend adding art and technology when giving assignments as five-minute essays. pupils may record their responses audio or video, thus developing technological and communication skills. they may also draw the response developing their artistic abilities. good learning results appear when teachers go in their practices beyond traditional teaching, adjusting, and improving their teaching skills with a repertoire of interactive teaching methods. pupils will reward this effort with their enthusiasm in attending the class and experiencing positive learning outcomes. 46 references ahsanah, f. 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(2016). qualitative research from start to finish (2nd ed.). new york, ny: the guilford press. 5 mihai covaci hyperion university mihaicovaci@gmail.com the vark model investigated at the students from pppe keywords vark, learning style, non-parametric _______________________________________________ abstract learning style can often be the „shadow witness” of students' academic performance. understanding and knowing this aspect may facilitate the process of academic transformation, and in some cases may suggest better methods of teaching and reporting to students. the study was conducted at adventus university at the pedagogy of primary and preschool education in the period 27.0207.03.2019. in addition to the indirect goal, it resides another one to highlight the levels of use of the four learning styles in the vark model as well as the multimodal strategies applied by students. also, there were differences in the different groups of both learning styles and multimodal strategies. the obtained results were compared with other specific research. _______________________________________________ 6 1. review of literature the perspectives on education are changing and expanding daily and tend towards to an augmented environment where processes such as access to information, the views of others on the same topic, the relevance of new methods in current contexts, the diversification of techniques, etc. are facilitated. this extension implies in different ways both teachers and students in their implicit relationship with various current educational forms. in this education type, students can use more effectively their natural inclinations (called or converted into styles) to make learning more effective, can analyze information without being uninfluenced by the aspects in a class, can develop their educogenous personality traits, and indirectly can cause teachers to adapt classical methods to new realities. enunciations such as „learning style”, „cognitive style” and „style of information processing” are used by various researchers as having the same meaning, and in some cases are used in a rather inconsistent and confusing way (brown e. et al. a., 2005, p. 81). taking into account that learning styles operate in various contexts (brown e. et al., 2005, p. 81), the way of approaching the material and the pedagogical act will be identical or similar regardless of the existing educational form. „learning styles called cognitive styles are those cognitive, affective and generally psychic features that indicate how people learn, perceive, interact and respond to the learning environment. it represents all the cognitive characteristics that have a determining role in the learning process.” (élthes, 2013, pp. 76-77). transdisciplinary research focuses on analyzing the opportunities offered by contemporary learning from the perspective of students' learning styles (covaci, 2016). how can be defined the learning style? dunn and others thought that „learning style is a biological and developmental set imposed by personal characteristics that make the same teaching method 7 effective for some people and inefficient for others” (dunn r., beaudry js, klavas a., 1989, p. 50). the learning style is a construct that, along with learning preferences and cognitive styles, can be included in the umbrella term „personal style” (sadler-smith e., 1996, p. 29). in the opinion of professor elena cocorada, „learning styles describe how people like to learn” (cocoradă, 2010, p. 184). after vermunt „learning style is an overriding concept whereby the cognitive and affective processes of the subject, metacognitive regulation of learning, conceptions of learning, and learning orientation are united” (vermunt & vermetten, 2004, p. 362). personal style is an important psychological feature in the learning process through which it is possible to verify, discover and use appropriate features to improve learning. „canfield and lafferty discuss the conditions, content, ways and expectations; dunns enumerates stimulus and elements; gregor emphasizes distinct behaviors and dualities; hunt refers to the conceptual level; kolb brings attention to hereditary luggage, past experience, and the environment; schmeck opposes the profound and superficial processing of information” (dunn r. et al., 1981, p. 372). the learning style results from many directions of influence; there are correlations between the learning style and the hemisphericity (scutelnic, 2010, p. 83) and, as e. losîi also pointed out, „according to the most hereditary cerebral hemisphere, there are two cognitive styles: global style (right-hand dominance) and analytical or sequential (left-hand dominance) style” (losîi, 2014, p. 68). the learning style is further defined by pritchard as (pritchard, 2009, p. 41): 1. a certain way in which and by which an individual learns; 2. a way of learning, an individual preference or the best way to think, process, and demonstrate that information has been assimilated and so has been learning; 3. an individual's preferred means of acquiring knowledge and skills; 8 4. common habits, strategies or mental behaviors of learning as a particular way of thinking about the educational process the person has. it is recommended that teachers assess students 'learning styles and adapt their methods according to students' favorite styles and to the context of the group of students (pritchard, 2009, pp. 3233). thus, the means of contemporary education allows students to use various components of their own learning style. however, at least three aspects cannot be denied, namely: 1. one of the most influential and promising tendencies in various types of learning is the tendency of „virtualization” which is in fact a „natural tendency of the evolution and organization of the real world” (cucos, 2006, p. 15); 2. „educational practice indicates an increase of learning motivation under the use of new technologies, as well as a massive demand for computer-assisted education, grafted on a growing need to keep up with the rapid changes in the skills profile demanded by the labor market . in this context, a solid theoretical foundation is needed in order to improve current education programs and to develop others in greeting the new challenges of knowledge-based society and contemporary didactic practice” (istrate & vlada, 2011, p. 38); 3. „the learning outcomes depend on the conditions in which students’ study,” estimated bates and sangra (bates a. w. (t.), sangra a., 2011, p. 147). as a criterion for learning performance evaluation, learning styles are one of the key factors in learning (mogonea, 2010, p. 124). the personalized learning style represent the personal characteristic that dictates the cognitive strategies adopted and produces the development of a model for addressing the learning tasks and subsequent manuscript adjustment. test cases of the observed situations among the students were quite extensive. the 9 first category of students, and the most numerous, prefer graphic illustrations (silveira rm et al., 2015, p. 2) (simonds & brock, 2014, p. 1) either when they receive some explanations, or when they themselves explains certain concepts or abstractions and implicitly retains what they see best. other students prefer audio material and understand the information best when they hear it, others prefer kinesthetic rehearsal, and they can well remember the operations they have once performed or that they have practiced and applied in practice (capita, 2011, p. 44). the formation of „cognitive schemes” (piaget, 1969, p. 8) can be complemented or improved by using the means of current education type and using the various techniques taken from educational software: concept maps, memory maps, knowledge grammar etc. (railean, p. 112). research suggests that more features influence the student's learning strategy: attitudes, motivation, culture, beliefs, age, learning style, tolerance of ambiguity, and „each feature develops in its own way, with unequal accumulations of time units. for example, the intelligence curve anticipates the following growth rate: about 50% in the range 4-4 / 5 years; about 30% between 4/5 and 8/9 and about 20% between 8/9 and 17/18 years.” (neacşu, 2015, p. 61). an individual's learning style will affect how information is processed and thought during learning, and these will have a significant effect on the effectiveness and efficiency of learning (bencheva, 2010, p. 1). research unwounded by hall and villareal (hall & villareal, 2015, p. 73) emphasized that in describing the most useful activities carried out in contemporary education, students tended to refer to these activities from the perspective of their own learning preferences: „i'm a visual / tactile student ... you have to show me.” video technology was preferred because „it's the way i've learned the best. video shows help me understand better because i have the visual learning style.” the study also revealed that students wanted to engage in clear, well-organized activities 10 that matched their learning preferences (eg auditory, visual, kinesthetic) (hall & villareal, 2015, p. 73). the results of other researches reveal that students use learning strategies based on different learning styles with ultimate results irrespective of the means used (shih c. et al., 1998, p. 364). keirsey and bates have made a classification of four main learning styles: feeling / perception (sp), feeling / appreciation (sa), intuition / thinking (ig) and intuition / feeling. people with sp style need physical involvement or „tactile” approach in the learning process. he or she learns from media presentations and likes entertainment. people with sa style needs a structured presentation and are based on clear instructions. they do not feel the need for small groups to discuss or have activities. they prefer instructions designed by the teacher. people with ig style like sharing ideas and like to develop their own ideas. students belonging to this group tend to independence with a predilection for the applied sciences. they feel comfortable with a logical, didactic presentation of the material, and are the followers of selfdenial. people with is style prefer to learn through group / team work and discussion and like to receive feedback (keirsey d., bates m., 1984, pp. 121-128). james and gardner (1995) suggested that for students who have a more independent style, learning will be more effective. people with is style have the desire to communicate in a personal way with others. they are conversational amateurs with personal feedback, like interaction and engagement in groups. they learn from the discussion method, learn effectively in small groups as well as from courses where the tutor answers questions and accepts the ideas of class members (james & gardner, 1995, pp. 28-29), (neuhauser c., 2002, p. 102). using a customized, individualized learning rhythm is one of the forms of adapting to the multiple individual differences found in a typical group of learners.” (rosca et al., 2002, p. 9). according to some studies, about 60-65% of the 11 population learns by visual style (deza & deza, 2009, p. 526), about 23-30% are auditory impaired (deza & (silverman, p. 9), approximately 5% tactile (deza & deza, 2009, p. 526) and about 45% use both visual and auditory (silverman, p. 9). also, from the perspective of how to receive information, there is an implicit link between the learning styles or personalized styles and the way that student learns. students with the predominantly visual style will mostly search for pictures, video files, animations, and implicitly will accuse their absence. students with predominantly auditory style will want to listen to recordings with pleasant, rhythmic, melodious voice, and especially „empathetic” after their expression. students with kinesthetic style will want to see the new practical implications of the things they learn, and therefore will want to test and practice what is proposed for learning, and „combining the influence of goals with knowledge of performance can substantially enhance motivation „(bandura, 1997, p. 128) in any form of education chosen. there is, of course, the danger of labeling students from their own colleagues and from teachers. once the tag is placed, it also begins reporting or selfreporting according to the labeled style: „i have discovered that i have a kinesthetic style to learn rather than auditory. so what's the point of reading a book or listening to someone?” (coffield f. et al., 2004, p. 137). 2. methodology objectives the aim of the research was to investigate the vark model at the students of the pedagogy of primary and preschool education. the research has been undertaken over all three years of study. hypotheses the following assumptions have been proposed and assumed: 12 1. assume that students use the four styles of learning in an equal way; 2. we estimate that in the learning strategies most students are multimodal; 3. we admit that the distribution of students on the four styles is random; 4. we assume that there are differences in the use of vark styles between the group already holding a license and the group that does not hold; 5. we assume that there are differences between the three studies of the predominant use of the four learning styles. variables the independent variables were: the place of origin, the year of study, the possession of a license regardless of the field and age. methods the method consisted in the online application of the vark questionnaire with the 16 items and the subsequent processing of the data obtained with non-parametric tests. the vark model. within this model, four learning styles have been proposed taking into account the receptors involved mainly: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and written reading. the main hypothesis of this model is that the material to go in for teaching must be thought and drafted in such a way as to address as many sensory ways of perceiving information. thus, the authors of this model (fleming and mills) identified four main learning styles: visually having preferences for graphical exposures, tables, schemes as verbal representations instead of the multitude of words; auditory style is characterized by preference for hearing information in the form of lectures, audio recordings, conversations or exchange of views; reading and writing style characterizes people who prefer information in written form 13 (books, textbooks, articles) and for good reception they use notes or minutes in various forms; kinesthetic prefer examples of taught materials to see connections with practical reality and have a predilection for experiments (prithishkumar & michael, 2014, p. 184), (fleming, suggestions vack). tools vark questionnaire this questionnaire model targets the perceptual / sensory level, was developed by neil d. fleming and colleen mills in 1992 and is also known under the acronym vark (visual, auditory, read / write, kinesthetic) or vack (visual, auditory, reading / writing, kinesthetic). the authors (fleming & mills, 1992), (fleming, 2012, pp. 1-10) identify 4 learning styles based on the following types of sensory preferences: visual, auditory, reading-writing and kinesthetic. a fifth mode, multimodal, is based on the combination of at least two preferences. multimodal style characterizes 50-70% of the population (bernat, 2003, p. 218). according to the same author, the owners of this learning style can easily adapt to the learning preferences of a wide range of subjects, but they have difficulties when it comes to personal information assimilation. they need to present the information as complexly as possible. the questionnaire (http://vark-learn.com/), (bernat, 2003, pp. 217 222), (vark-learn.com) consists of 16 questions with four variants of answer for each question. each answer to each question corresponds to one of the four styles mentioned. then the score is made and the style that has the highest score is the preferred way of learning. the higher is the total, the stronger is the preference for that learning mode. if scores are relatively equal to two or more sections / styles, then it means that the subject has several learning ways. if the scores are relatively equal to all four sections, it shows that the subject learns multimodal with preferences to the first two ways that have a higher score. 14 students often have a mixture of learning styles. however, when they understand their preferred learning style, they can choose the types of learning that help them the most. in addition, they are more aware of their own chances of being active in the learning process. by providing multi-sensory experiences, tutors can help students better remember the concepts learned and thus improve their learning (konttinen & moilanen, 2015, p. 31). finally, the data obtained was processed in spss. population there was a total of 44 students from all three years of study. the exact distribution per year was as follows: 6 students in year 1, 21 students in year 2 and 16 students in the year 3. as a medium of origin, there were 18 urban (41.9%) and 25 rural (58.1%). there were 25 (58.1%) of students with no license title and 17 with license title (39.5%) (one person did not answer this question) in terms of holding a license (regardless of domain). in age categories, the situation was the following: 19-22 years (32.6%) 14 students; 23-30 years (18.6%) 8 students; 31-40 years (25.6%) 11 students and over 41 years (23.3%) 10 students. 3. results students often have a mixture of learning styles. however, when they understand their preferred learning style, they can choose the types of learning that help them the most. in addition, they are more aware of their own chances of being active in the learning process. by providing multi-sensory experiences, tutors can help students better remember the concepts learned and thus improve their learning (konttinen & moilanen, 2015, p. 31). the distribution of media in the vark questionnaire creates a slight depreciation of the visual style (with an average of 4.40) compared to auditory style (6.53), reading-writing (6.86) and kinesthetic (6.81). figure 2.5 summarizes the results of the media 15 for the four styles obtained from the spss histogram and at the same time the students' preferences for the auditory, read-write and kinesthetic styles are visible. distributions related to learning strategies take into account the fact that between the first two scores the difference is less than or equal to two points (bernat, 2003, p. 222). the strategies related to this point indicate that 17 (39.5%) students are unimodal, 9 (20.9%) are bimodal, 13 (30.2%) are trimodal and 4 (9.3%) are quadrimodal (figure 2). these results are similar to those obtained in other universities (prithishkumar & michael, 2014), (moayyeri h., 2015), where the predominance of students using multimodal strategies amounts to 87%. the descriptive analysis revealed that auditory's first-grade scores varied between 2 and 13 points with an average of 6.53 points and a median score of 6 points. kinesthetic style varies between 1 and 13 scores with an average of 6.81 and a median score of 7 points. in the read / write style, scores range from 1 to 13 with an average of 6.86 points and a median score of 6 points. for the visual style, students achieved scores ranging from 0 to 13 with an average of 4.40 and the median was situated to 4 points (figure 1). the runs test, which divides the records into two categories with values greater than the dichotomizing point and with values lower than the dichotomizing point applied to the mean and median, had the following median values: visual (z = -1.088), auditory (z = -1.541), read / write (z = .135) and kinesthetic (z = 137). for average, the values were: visual (z = 988), auditory (z = 771), read / write (z = 614) and kinesthetic (z = 137). consequently, we accept the h1 hypothesis stating that the values within the variables are random. as ordinal variables, kendall's tau-b correlation coefficient was calculated, where negative values meant an inversely proportional relationship between the variable levels and the presence of 16 positive values indicated a directly proportional relationship. visual style correlates positively with the read / write style (tau-b = 0.285, p = 0.013) and the kinesthetic style (tau-b = 0.318, p = 0.006). but in both cases, the intensities of these correlations are weak. in the same correlation test, the auditory style correlates positively with the read / write style (tau-b = 0.451, p = 0.001) and the kinesthetic style (tau-b = 0.234, p = 0.046). in the first case the correlation is of medium intensity and in the second case the intensity is weak. the non-parametric chi-square test, which highlights how a certain statistical distribution is consistent with a normal distribution or the consistency of an empirical model with a theoretically equiprobable model, revealed that 3 styles show statistically significant differences. visual style χ2 = 28.047, df = 12, p = 0.005; auditory style χ2 = 31.442, df = 10, p = 0.001; kinesthetic style χ2 = 21.209, df = 10, p = 0.020. student distribution based on learning strategies (unimodal, bimodal, trimodal and quadrimodal) showed significant statistical trends too (χ2 = 8.628, df = 3, p = 0.035). these points mean that students do not have an equidistant distribution to the styles mentioned or modal strategies. to continue with group analysis, nonparametric tests were still preferred due to the lower number of participants per group. the u mann-whitney test for two independent groups reported on the background did not return any statistical significance for the four styles and the four strategies. hence, the ranks of the two groups of students are roughly equal and the fact that students from urban and rural areas are quite homogeneous. from the perspective of having a license already (regardless of domain), the same test revealed that there is a statistically significant difference in visual style (u = -2.315, p = 0.021). the group that already owns a license has an average rank of 16.24 and the group that does not hold any license has an average rank of 25.08. the conclusion 17 would be that the unlicensed group is more likely to use this learning style. the kruskal-wallis h test for independent groups in three years of study revealed the presence of statistical significance in the auditory style (χ2 = 8.122, p = 0.017) between the 1st grade (9.92) and the 2nd grade (26.1). thus, we can state with 95% confidence that the students of the second year use the learning style assimilated by auditory more than the students of the first year. in the read / write style, the test revealed a value close to the statistical significance (χ2 = 5.946, p = 0.051) between the 1st rank (13.17) and the 2nd year average (26.24). thus, we can assert with a 94% confidence that the students of the 2nd year use the read / write learning style more than the students of first year. the same age-related test did not reveal any statistically significant differences. there was only one case close to statistical significance, namely the visual style (χ2 = 7.159, p = 0.067) between the average age ranges of the age group 31-40 years (15.86) and the average of the ranks of the group over 41 years (29). 4. discussions researchers klement, dostal, and marešová (klement, dostál, & marešová, 2013) in the study titled elements on materials used in e-learning with applicability to learning styles, conducted on a batch of 354 students at the psychology specialty of the faculty of education from palacký university olomouc highlighted that 11% of subjects prefer visual learning, 12.7% auditory, 25.4% written / read and 50.8% kinesthetic. a study by jessica utts (utts, 2008) at ohio state university, for various specializations in the social sphere, concluded that 42% of students prefer visual learning, 6% auditory style, 44% written / read style and 8% kinesthetic style. visual learning and reading / writing styles are preferred by students because they are more active and more sensitive than 18 other subjects. the same repetitive procedure for teachers and management has shown that they learn intuitively and reflectively, so that auditory and written / read styles have higher percentages only in the student’s cases. in a study by hessam moayyeri (moayyeri h., 2015, p. 137), on a batch of 360 iranian students from various specialties in the social sphere, it evidenced that 80% prefer the style of writing / read. similarly, to students from the social specialization responded subjects from other fields, such as persian literature, foreign languages, etc. all interviewees focused on memorizing and comprehending texts in knowledge accumulation. a study by aylin tekiner (tekiner, 2005, pp. 79-86) at the technical university of the middle east in turkey highlights the importance of the correlation between vark learning types and gardner type intelligence. the results of the study showed that the preferred learning style was kinesthetic with 27.9% and an average score of 38.27, followed by tactile (written / read) by 18.2% and an average score of 36.86, visual with 16.9% and an average score of 35.69 and auditory by 11% and an average score of 35.98. individual learning is preferred, with a value of 18.8% and an average score of 35.67, while group learning has only 7.1% and an average score of 30.74. a study conducted by horton et al. a group of 141 students from psychology highlighted that the students in this study were multimodal with a small gender difference (female students had a slightly higher percentage of read / write learning) (horton, wiederman, & amp; saint, 2012). similar results have been obtained by current research. 5. conclusions auditory, read-write and kinesthetic styles are predominant to students and roughly equal proportions. visual style obtained an 19 average of two-thirds after the first three styles. in learning strategies 17 (39.5) students are unimodal and 27 (60.5) are multimodal. the runs test did not reveal the presence of any statistical significance. in the kendall's tau-b correlation test, the visual style correlates positively with the read / write style and the kinesthetic style. auditory style correlates positively with the read / write style and kinesthetic style. in three cases the correlation is of poor intensity and in one of the cases the correlation was of medium intensity. the non-parametric chi-square test revealed that 3 styles show statistically significant differences: visual, auditory and kinesthetic. student distribution based on learning strategies also showed significant statistical trends. the u mann-whitney test revealed that there is a statistically significant difference in visual style between the group that already holds a license and the group that does not have any license. the kruskal-wallis h test revealed the presence of statistical significance in the auditory style between the 1st grade and the 2nd grade. the age groups did not reveal statistically significant differences. references bandura, a. 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(2004). patterns in student learning: relationships between learning strategies, 24 conceptions of learning, and learning orientations. educational psychology review, 16(4), 359-384. doi:1040726x/04/1200-0359/0 25 tables, figures and appendices fig. 1. media distribution vark questionnaire fig. 2. distribution related to learning strategies vark model 17 39.5% 9 20.9% 13 30.2% 4 9.3% 0 5 10 15 20 unimodal bimodal trimodal quadrimodal vark multimodal strategies journal of educational studies volume 4, number 2, 2022, pp. 5–32 5 an appreciative inquiry of teacher’s perspectives on synchronous learning and myanmar education during the covid-19 pandemic irene thang1, brian mahaso2 abstract this study examined the use of appreciative inquiry to guide the development of online synchronous learning resources for teachers in myanmar. through the four appreciative inquiry processes: discover, dream, design, and delivery, teachers in this study reflected on their own teaching experiences and provided valuable recommendations for other teachers. the appreciative inquiry, a qualitative research approach, was applied to identify and understand the best features and practices in asynchronous learning at faith-based institutions. the constructivist theory is employed to understand the experiences of teachers practicing online synchronous learning and construct new knowledge upon the foundation of prior knowledge about asynchronous learning. this study aims to appreciate the best practices of online synchronous learning and to design an ideal online synchronous learning in faith-based institutions in myanmar. the data collection methods were interviews and observations. the data analysis process was done by thematic analysis from braun and clarke (2006). this study was conducted at two faith-based institutions: high school (3 participants) and college (6 participants). the findings of this study were disseminated to research participants, school administrators, and teachers practicing online synchronous learning. keywords appreciate inquiry, constructivist, synchronous learning, faith-based institution 1irene thang, phd, myanmar union adventist seminary, myaungmya, myanmar, irenethang13@gmail.com; 2brian mahaso, phd, solusi university, bulawayo, zimbabwe, mahasob@aiias.edu. 6 introduction myanmar has been facing a covid-19 pandemic since march 2020. since march 2020, face-to-face classroom learning in myanmar has shifted to online synchronous learning (osl). covid-19 caused a quick transition from face-to-face classroom instruction to online learning in myanmar and worldwide (day & verbiest, 2021). internet users are increasing daily, and internet usage has reached 65 percent of the population (myanmar times magazine, 2020). nevertheless, teachers from myanmar interested in technology must gain teaching experience in online education. the covid-19 pandemic and the political issues in myanmar have affected the country’s educational system (myanmar ministry of education, 2021; san, 2021). many teachers are still discovering how to launch widespread online teaching and learning. some teachers need training for osl because they have never utilized it (mon, 2020; myanmar ministry of education, 2021). however, starting online teaching and learning in myanmar is challenging and threatened by the following three reasons: limited internet connection, the covid-19 pandemic, and political issues (marnn et al., 2021; mon, 2020; myanmar ministry of education, 2021; san, 2021). to construct the ideal online synchronous learning environment in myanmar’s faith-based institutions, this study attempts to comprehend the best practices of online synchronous learning. the constructivist theory is applied to comprehend teachers’ experiences using online synchronous learning and to build new knowledge based on existing knowledge about asynchronous learning. in this study, we focused on creating the effective cycle of an ideal online synchronous learning. review of literature online synchronous learning is becoming important for education in the technology age (chen & jang, 2010). however, this 7 synchronous learning is new in myanmar, so many teachers need to become more familiar with this learning (mon, 2020; myanmar ministry of education, 2021). moreover, teachers can face some issues with technology and internet connection. another issue is learning tools for osl (white et al., 2010). despite of challenges, there are some benefits to both teachers and students during the covid-19 pandemic through osl. this literature review reviewed osl tools, benefits, and challenges. online synchronous learning tools for online synchronous learning, both teachers and students need to access the following tools: the form of the text chat (johnson, 2008; lidstone & shield, 2010; oztok, zingaro, brett, & hewitt, 2012; szeto, 2015), video-conferencing (cunningham, 2014; okita, 2013; spann, 2012; wang, 2006), zoom (moser & smith, 2015), google forms such as google classroom, google hangouts, and google meet (roseth et al., 2013). these tools can be used on computers, laptops, tablet pcs, and smartphones (cain & henriksen, 2013; cunningham, 2014). the purposes of using all these learning tools are to promote students’ learning in practical ways (bower et al., 2014; moser & smith, 2015), communicate with students and teachers (wang & huang, 2018), make synchronous learning successful and capture teachers and students’ faceto-face discussion (bower et al., 2014; park & bonk, 2007). learning tools or platforms for osl should have reliability and functionality (stewart, harlow, & debacco, 2011; white et al., 2010). teachers should master in using all these tools and train students on how to use them. through synchronous technologies, teachers and students can meet face-to-face for lesson discussion from different locations. however, failing or breaking during video-conferencing and audio transmission can be uncomfortable for students and can become a hindrance to the success of osl activities (okita, 2013; pope, 2010; white et al., 2010). when 8 teachers use osl tools effectively, both teachers and students receive benefits from synchronous learning. the benefits of online synchronous learning during the covid 19 pandemic, online synchronous and asynchronous learning become widespread around the world. students can continue their study from where they are and access educational information without spending much time (moser & smith, 2015). the osl program can provide students to learn the way they learn in the classroom (cunningham, 2014; moser & smith, 2015; norberg, 2012), enable working students to continue their study (pope, 2010), offer them more inclusive learning experiences (cunningham, 2014), allow them for asking questions and discussion (white et al., 2010), and provide them opportunities for sharing knowledge with each other, supporting each other, and networking (bower et al., 2014; park & bonk, 2007; rogers, 2003). students can ask the teacher questions and receive the feedback from the teacher in real time. they feel that teachers care of them and develop a stronger connection with their teachers as well as their friends, so they stay engaged with class activities (francescucci & rohani, 2019; yamagata-lynch, 2014). online synchronous learning has the possibility to expand the accessibility and flexibility of classes information and lesson units if the online synchronous classes are designed well (zydneya, warnera, & angeloneb, 2020). in the findings of papadima-sophocleous and loizides (2016), students felt that tutorials in videoconferencing helped them construct knowledge, experiences, and skills for their class lessons. moreover, they felt comfort and reassurance because the lessons were uploaded in google platforms, so they were able to access the lessons 24/7. they received an opportunity to share their knowledge related to their lessons, their understanding of the lessons, and how they accomplished their assigned tasks. the online synchronous learning allowed both teachers and students observe the awareness and 9 interaction with each other and clarify misinterpretation or misconceptions that students may have in the lessons uploaded. although the synchronous learning has benefits for both teachers and students, there are some challenges occurred during synchronous teaching and learning. the challenges of online synchronous learning despite the benefits of online synchronous learning, teachers and students face some problems and challenges in the synchronous learning. before commencing teaching with online synchronous approach, teachers should consider their students’ technical skills and familiarity with the online platforms for communication and learning (white et al., 2010). less technical skills and unfamiliarity with the online platforms for communication and learning can cause challenges to both teachers and students (cunningham, 2014; szeto, 2015). most students from remote area have experienced uncomfortable learning situations because of the technical capability of the software (bower et al., 2014; gillet-swan, 2017; salmon, 2014). engaging students in learning is a challenge to teachers because students have some personal issues that can hinder to focus on the lesson or to attend live tutorials (stoessel et al., 2015). although teachers provide a variety of lesson activities, if they feel that lesson activities make no sense for them, they will not engage in synchronous learning (lidstone & shield, 2010; quevillon, 2021). a group working in synchronous learning is also a challenge for students when they are not physically present together in the same classroom (quevillon, 2021). students with inflexible schedule may not be able to collaborate in a group work (lin & gao, 2020; olson & mccracken, 2015). some students may not have enough time to reflect on the comments that they were supposed to make responses on time (falloon, 2011). for teachers, they feel that adopting tools for synchronous learning consume their time, teaching and learning will not be 10 effective (roughton et al., 2011). in the osl program, communication is not as immediate, so teachers may delay in answering students’ questions, some students, therefore, feel vulnerable while waiting for teachers to respond. in this situation, students cannot receive the immediate feedback, so they may do their assignments the way they understand (francescucci & rohani, 2019). in the findings of lin and gao (2020), the following challenges were happening during online synchronous learning: 1. students could not follow the lesson explanation because the teacher explained it too fast. 2. students faced difficulty to learn in their own pace. 3. some students forgot to turn off their microphone so the distraction made the lesson explanation unclear. 4. some students missed a live lesson explanation and delayed submitting their assignments due to the slow internet speed. 5. some students are not familiar with learning management systems. 6. students were exhausted due to a long time using the electronic device for learning. methodology the research perspective of this study is qualitative, which is a method used to study the natural social life in a systematic manner (merriam, 2009; saldana, 2011). creswell and creswell (2017) explain that qualitative research is an exploration and understanding of human’s reaction to a social problem. it enables researchers to conduct in-depth studies about their topics (yin, 2014). the study’s epistemological underpinning was philosophical hermeneutics, which is the practice of comprehending and interpreting human realities or experiences (bulhof, 1980). epistemology is the study of knowledge and how people come to know or comprehend the truth (knight, 2016). 11 objectives the objectives of this study are to appreciate best practices of online synchronous learning and to design an ideal online synchronous learning in faith-based institutions in myanmar. since this study is qualitative research, we hope that the results of the study may be applied in any other schools, which launch online synchronous learning because of the covid-19 pandemic. research questions to create an ideal online synchronous learning, we developed three research questions: 1. what best features and practices in the online synchronous learning at faith-based institutions can be appreciated? 2. what best features and practices can be envisioned in the online synchronous learning to create an “ideal online synchronous learning” at faith-based institutions? 3. how can we seek commitment to implement the “ideal” online synchronous learning in faith-based institutions? we prepared semi-structured interviews to provide clarification on the interview questions. each participant received the informed consent form before the interviews and observations take place. the interview process took 15-20 minutes, and the observations took 10-15 minutes for a month. after collecting the information, we proceeded data analysis process. methods the research type of this study is appreciative inquiry (ai), which “is based on the simple assumption that every organization has something that works well, and those strengths can be the starting point for creating positive change” (cooperrider, whitney, & stavros, 2008, p. 3). the main function of ai is to make a positive change for organizations, departments, or teams. it has 12 four phases in its cycle: discovery, dream, design, and destiny (see figure 1). discovery. the discovery phase is to recognize and appreciate the best practices of what is. in this phase, people share their stories about their accomplishments and achievements, which are positive and strengths. during this phase of the inquiry, researchers emphasize on the best practices or facilities that organizations, teams, or schools have at the present time and appreciate them. in this way, the positive core of the main subject is reached and providing positive visions for further development (cooperrider et al., 2008; whitney, trosten-bloom, & vianello, 2019). dream. the second phase of ai is a dream, which helps organizations, teams, or schools envision a brighter and better future. in this phase, people are more motivated to move forward because their achievements and best practices are appreciated, and they are encouraged to work alongside to imagine what result they will obtain if they continue working on their visions for the future. in this phase, people imagine their dreams and ambitions which are significant and beyond their current limits to develop their organization (cooperrider et al., 2008; whitney et al., 2019). design. in the design phase, the focus is creating an ‘ideal’ organization to achieve the dreams and ambitions that the organization envisions. based on the best features and practices that the organization has, an ‘ideal’ organization is designed as new products in action. there are four steps in this design phase: selecting elements, identifying internal and external relationships, identifying themes, and writing stimulating propositions (cooperrider et al., 2008). destiny. it is the final phase of the 4-d cycles of ai, and it presents the conclusion of the discovery, dream, and design phases and the beginning of new products or ideas as an appreciative learning culture. this phase is to bring the dream comes true by implementing the ideal design for the organization. people are 13 encouraged to accomplish new levels of activity which is the ‘ideal’ design of the organization (cooperrider et al., 2008). tools for data collection, we utilized the following instruments: observations and interviews to explore the best features and practices of online synchronous learning at two faith-based institutions. there are 9 participants included in this study. all of them participated willingly to share their experiences of osl and to provide the dreams and ambitions to create an ‘ideal’ design for synchronous learning based on their present best practices. teachers who have been experiencing osl were interviewed. population this study was carried out at two faith-based institutions in myanmar: high school and college levels. the focus of this study is to appreciate the best features and practices of online synchronous learning. the high school level has 35 faculty, and the college level has 40 faculty. all of them are practicing online synchronous learning since 2020 due to covid-19. we selected three participants from high school level and six participants from college level. the participants are currently using osl for teaching. ethical considerations in this study, we followed several ethical consideration guidelines, which enable us to think the ethical challenges in research and plan to eliminate them. all participants in this study received the informed consent form to understand about the study and to decide whether they are willing to participate in the study. they were informed that they can withdraw from the study any time without harm and danger. we explained them the purpose of the study, the procedure of data collection, the purpose of the research findings, how the data would be used, and how and where 14 the data would be kept. the research participants understood their names would not be mentioned, but pseudonym names would be used in the study to protect their identity. the findings of the study were shared with participants, school administrators, and teachers who are teaching online synchronous learning. results in this section, we presented the findings of the study by using the cycle of appreciative inquiry: discovery, dream, design, and destiny. we answered the following research questions: 1. what best features and practices in the online synchronous learning at faith-based institutions can be appreciated? 2. what best features and practices can be envisioned in the online synchronous learning to create an “ideal online synchronous learning” at faith-based institutions? 3. how can we seek commitment to implement the “ideal” online synchronous learning in faith-based institutions? in the discovery phase, three themes emerged; in the dream phase, two themes emerged; an ideal model of osl was created in the design phase; and the implementation of the ideal model of osl was presented in the destiny phase. discovery in the discovery phase, we asked participants the best practices of online synchronous learning that they have experienced. all the participants shared their stories about their accomplishments and achievement that are positive and strengths. we, as researchers, emphasize on the best practices that schools have at the present time and appreciate them. there are three themes emerged in this discovery phase: practical online platforms for learning, the benefits of online synchronous learning platforms, and students’ performance. 15 practical online platforms for learning. since the pandemic happening in myanmar, most of the private schools were trying to initiate osl. among private schools, faith-based schools were able to launch osl for high school and college levels. for online learning in myanmar, teachers utilized online platforms that are available and practical for both teachers and learners. teachers from where we collected data used the following online platforms for their teaching and learning processes: facebook, messenger, gmail, google meet, zooms, whatsapp, google classroom, and youtube channel. participants in this study explained that they applied online platforms that were available and familiar with them. the reason is that the schools could not purchase online platform for ownership. based on the interviews, most of the participants received online teaching training before they launch online classes. bawa (2016) indicated that providing good training programs for online learning is needed for teachers before launching the programs. the school should spend more money, time, and effort on online learning training for empowering teachers to design online courses using various online platforms. participants h. and i. commented that online synchronous learning was new for every teacher in their school. although teachers needed online teaching training before they launched online classes, they did not receive the training from the experts; they were assisting each other (san, 2021; soe, 2021; white et al., 2010). teaching materials such as laptops, computers, and internet connection were not enough for online teaching and learning. participant a. described, “when i heard to start an online learning, the first thing that came to my mind was where to get online teaching and learning training” (vol. 1, p. 1). participants b., d., and e. mentioned that teaching online classes were beyond their imagination because they did not have laptops for online teaching. what they needed was online teaching materials, including laptops and the internet connection as well as training. participant g. 16 also said, “i thought about technology. i need to learn how to teach through online. if not, my teaching may not be affective for students” (vol. 7, p. 1). bower et al. (2014) and moser and smith (2015) discussed about the use of technology and tools for online learning. they explained that instructors and students should fathom how to access tools for online classes. the online learning tools should have reliability and be usable (stewart et al., 2011; white et al., 2010). participants a., c., d., f., and g. mentioned that they used g-mail and facebook messenger for online learning. as time goes by, they learned other useful online platforms such as google meet, google classroom, and zoom. nevertheless, participants b. and e. explained that they were old and slow to learn technology, so they only use g-mail for uploading teaching and learning materials and submitting assignments. for live lesson explanation, they used the facebook messenger room. the benefits of online synchronous learning platforms. participants shared the benefits of online synchronous learning platforms that they have been using for online classes. according to their experiences, some online platforms require payment, and some have limited numbers to use them. in this case, they looked for free and available online platforms for all. facebook messenger allows only 8 people for live chat but google meet and zoom accept more people for live presentation and discussion. however, zoom is free for 45 minutes, and if it is used for more than 45 minutes, it requires payment. google meet is the most useful platform for live lesson presentation. online classes are effective when they are designed well for flexibility and accessibility of each class and operating different online platforms assist students fathom the lessons (papadimasophocleous & loizides, 2016; zydneya, warnera, & angeloneb, 2020). we listed the advantages of using online platforms that participants used for online classes. google classroom was 17 accessible from all devices so students were able to use it without any problems. participants used it for: 1. uploading the lesson materials including videos that are needed for my classes. 2. preparing class quizzes and assignments. 3. setting up due dates for each class activity. 4. submitting class activities. 5. grading students’ assignments. 6. providing the feedback to each student on their assignments. facebook messenger and whatsapp assist teachers for communicating, sending important messages, and reminding students what they need to do. participant d. commented, “facebook messenger is helpful for me because it helps me post my teaching materials, and i can use it for live lesson explanation. i can communicate well with my students” (vol. 4, p. 2). zoom and google meet are helpful for live presentation and discussion (cunningham, 2014; moser & smith, 2015; roseth et al., 2013). 5 out of 9 participants remarked that zoom helps them to group students for group activities, and cooperative learning can be applied through online classes. when they practiced cooperative learning, students attentively listen to the live lesson explanations. students are motivated to learn because they need to take their assigned responsibilities. participant i. said, “i can use google classroom and google meet effectively. i use messenger for conversations, sending link, or important information to students” (vol. 9, p. 1). participant f. also shared his experiences, i use the platforms that are easy and effective for both teachers and students. i use obs for video recordings, facebook messenger for contacting my students because it is available and easy. google classroom is for submitting students’ assignments and uploading course materials. (vol. 6, p. 2) 18 after teaching online classes for a semester, he learned a new platform, which is the youtube channel for uploading the video. participants g., h., and i. requested students to turn on their cameras during the live lesson presentation. the rest of the participants requested students to turn on their cameras only in the discussion time. they are constantly learning about online synchronous teaching and learning for the improvement of online classes. participant e. explained, “google classroom is powerful for uploading class materials and submitting assignments. i can also give them the feedback and grade them. google meet is very effective for live lesson presentation. i can share my powerpoint lessons and explain them” (vol. 2, p. 3). for designing online classes effective and interesting, teachers should develop teaching strategies such as creating a due date to submit students’ assignments, providing feedback, and uploading activities with a clear explanation, including rubric (bawa, 2016; jaggars, 2014; weber & farmer, 2012). all participants are constantly learning and updating their online teaching processes to be effective. students performance. due to the economy in myanmar, most students could not purchase laptops, computer, or digital phone for online learning during this pandemic period. as a result, student enrollment is 40 % less than the normal enrollment before the pandemic. however, students who are enrolling for online classes perform effectively in their class activities. most participants in this study said that they are satisfied with students’ performances, although classes are through online. some participants mentioned that they doubted whether students completed their assignments by themselves. participant i. talked about the students’ participations in online classes by explaining, for me, my classes have a lot of practical projects. in fact-to-face classroom teaching, i can monitor them closely, they also can come to me. through this synchronous learning, both teachers and students have a few challenges. i do not know that whether 19 they are doing their projects by themselves, or someone is helping them. (vol. 9, p. 3) participants expounded that some of their students could not submit their assigned projects on time because of slow internet speed. sometimes, distractions such as unclear voice and unable to turn on the camera due to slow internet speed can happen during live lesson presentations. students enjoyed attending class meeting more than listening to the lesson videos. participant b. shared the feedback from her students, attending class is good for them through google meet. they understand the lesson very well when they attend class meeting. some students said that they don’t listen to the lesson video from google classroom, but they like attending class and listen to my presentation. i showed them how to solve the problems. i always have class activities that can help their understanding. through activities, they can remember and do their assignments. i am teaching business classes, so i showed them how to solve the angry customers. (vol. 2, p. 3) participant d. shared her students’ performances, “i use my time to teach them through messenger room for live lesson explanation; i encourage my students to do their best. i am satisfied with their performances in my class. i can see that they always try their best” (vol. 4, p. 3). participant g. also shared his students’ performances, “i am satisfied with my students’ performance in this online synchronous learning. i can see that they pay attention in every class meeting because these generations are interested in technology. they want to use gadgets all the time” (vol. 7, p. 3). according to bower et al. (2014) and francescucci and rohani (2019), when teachers explain the lessons and contact with students through video conferencing, students develop a healthy and fresh connection with their teachers and friends. all the participants mentioned that students are well instructed on using online platforms for online classes, and they were fast learners because they were interested in using their gadgets. 20 some students made excuses while live presentation was going on by informing the teachers that their phones were not working properly, or the connection was slow, or they could not hear what the teachers said. dream in the dream phase, participants shared their expectations on online learning for a better improvement. they were constantly updating online platform for the development of teaching and learning processes. in this phase, two themes were emerged: improvements from schools and improvements from teachers. improvements from schools. participants agreed with launching online synchronous learning during the pandemic time because they commented that if students could not continue their study during this pandemic, they would not know what to do because no jobs are available. however, participants provided some recommendations that the school could accomplish by providing the necessary equipment for online synchronous learning such as computer, laptops, and a wi-fi connection. some research studies show that the achievements of teachers and students in teaching and learning are related to the leadership of school administrators (day, gu, & sammons, 2016; louis, dretzke, & wahlstrom, 2010). park, lee, and cooc (2018) agreed with day et al. (2016) and louis et al. (2010) on the impact of school administrators in online teaching and learning as well as students’ achievements. four out of nine participants mentioned that the school administrators should observe online teaching and plan a training for teachers if needed. participant b. said, “i want to remind school administrations to follow up the teaching process of each teacher. if they set up rules and regulations for this online synchronous learning, all teachers should follow them. they should check whether teachers follow the rules” (vol. 2, p. 4). participant e. agreed with participant b. on what the school administrators should do by saying, “the administrators need to observe 21 teachers’ teaching process to see whether teachers use online platforms effectively and successfully. if there is any problem in online teaching, then the administrators should solve the problem” (vol. 5, p. 4). participant g. continued, what i wanted the school to do is that to group the slow learner in technology and give a close training on using online platforms. if it is possible, one by one tutoring will be effective for those who are slow in learning. observation is needed for teaching and learning. (vol. 7, p. 5) participant f. explained what he wanted the school administrators prepare as follows: if we continue teaching through the osl program, the school should provide all the devices that are needed for online classes for teachers. then, if we plan to use the cloud, the school needs to buy storage for cloud. for instance, 6 teachers per one storage cloud. it will be good if the school can buy more storages. i want microsoft team platform for online teaching. if we can use a microsoft team platform with license, it will be very good. teachers can communicate with students, post course materials, and everything there. i believe that it will be effective for teaching and learning. (vol. 6, p. 4) participants discussed about how they commenced online teaching. although they received online teaching training, some teachers faced problems with technology. for this reason, the school administrators should organize a meeting once a month to allow teachers to share their online teaching experiences with each other. zincirli (2021) indicated that the school administrators have obligations in planning and launching online teaching, observing teachers’ teaching process, and providing the necessary training for teachers. participant h. commended, “besides online teaching training, if it is possible, i want the school administrators to provide internet access in my house because i want to be available anytime when my students need clarification on my lessons” (vol. 8, p. 4). in the findings of zincirli’s (2021) study, the research 22 participants mentioned that school administrators need to improve the internet infrastructure for making online teaching and learning more efficient. school administrators generate competencies and characteristics to meet the needs of online teaching. improvements from teachers. for better online classes, teachers need to constantly learn and update online teaching materials for classes. they should prepare the class lessons using powerpoints and videos to make online classes effective and interesting. all participants agreed to prepare the class lessons in effective ways. participant b. mentioned, “in my opinion, when teachers prepare the class lessons, they should use powerpoints and videos to make the lesson understandable. using pictures and samples is also effective for students learning” (vol. 2, p. 5). participant c. also explained what he has been doing, for me, i need to update all my lectures every semester. i am doing it now. i am updating my class based on the up-to-date information, the real situation. we should not use the same materials all the time. the world is changing. we need to check the real world and update our class materials. i know we need to spend more time to do that. (vol. 3, p. 5) participant h. shared his experiences, i am teaching and learning at the same time. i constantly inquire more about how to make my online teaching to be active. i am learning how to use teaching structures, strategies, and methods in effective ways. i am continuously looking for useful tools for online synchronous learning. i realize that some teachers do not know how to share a powerpoint lesson in zoom. (vol. 8, p. 6) several studies show that teachers experienced some challenges in online teaching such as the lack of knowledge in using hardware and software (bakioğlu & çevik, 2021), internet connection during the live presentation (lin & gao, 2020), and limited internet access for both teachers and students (çakın & külekçi akyavuz, 2020). although challenges appeared, participants 5 out 23 of 9 explained that the class live meeting is needed besides sending class lessons to students. some students can learn when teachers explain the class lessons directly to them. the research studies from bawa (2016) and wong (2017) indicated that having a video conferencing with zoom or google meet with students fosters more comfortable social interaction between students and teachers; moreover, students can grasp the ideas of the lesson units. participants in this study revealed that if there is no class meeting, some students may not be able to complete their assignments. they ensured that students understood the lesson and completed all assignments without difficulties. participants experienced that some students copied from others and submitted their assignments. they thought that it happened because students did not understand the class well, so they copied from others instead of asking teachers. participant a. explained, when i checked my students’ papers, i found out that some students had the same answers. so, i messaged them and asked them who was the original, then i excused the original person. i spent time to explain those who did not understand the lessons and assignments. i allowed them to do it again. i want them to understand and apply them in their real life. (vol. 1, p. 6) teachers help each other in online teaching. they try their best for this online synchronous learning during this pandemic period. they continue learning and seeking for improvements for online classes. participant i said, we have crisis in everything this time, so i allow my students to submit their assignments in an essay way, for example, they write down on the paper and take a picture of it, then submit it to me. not all students have laptops. teachers need to make them feel comfortable with online learning. (vol. 9, p. 6) teachers should plan for continuous learning to improve their teaching and participate in designing and implementing the osl 24 program. school administrators need to cooperate with teachers for enhancing the quality of online teaching (cisneros-cohernour, 2021; sterrett, 2015; wong, 2017). design after sharing the participants’ dreams for online teaching, participants designed an ideal online synchronous learning as a new model in action. in this design phase, we selected themes, identified internal and external relationships of the selected themes, and wrote stimulating propositions. the following items were selected for the ideal online synchronous learning: 1. finding best practices a. online learning platforms b. benefits of online learning c. students’ performance 2. seeking improvements from schools a. observations b. training for online learning c. internet speed 3. seeking improvements from teachers a. continuous learning b. sharing experiences c. assisting each other based on the above items, we designed the ideal osl and displayed it to participants. we obtained the feedback from the participants and finalized the ideal osl (see figure 2). destiny the destiny phase is the conclusion of the discovery, dream, and design phases. in this phase, we designed a new ideal model of online synchronous learning and encouraged teachers and administrators to implement it. we provided that the cycle of an ideal online synchronous learning to the selected participants and asked them how they can accomplish it. all participants 25 mentioned that they will follow each step of the cycle of an ideal online synchronous learning. participant c. commented, “i am glad that now we have the cycle of an ideal online synchronous learning. school administrators and teachers must work together to implement it. we need to agree with each other, discuss, and make decisions for a better improvement” (vol. 3, p. 6). participant f. added, “to improve online synchronous learning and accomplish the ideal plan, the administrators and teachers need to know how to accomplish each part of the ideal plan and act it out” (vol. 6, p. 6). participants agreed that working cooperatively is crucial for implementing the ideal osl. participant h. recommended, because of our country situation now and the pandemic, we will continue teaching through online, so we need to look for a better improvement in teaching and learning. for this reason, we must understand and implement the ideal online synchronous learning. in order to implement it, we need to have the same vision and goal for making online learning effective and successful. (vol. 8, p. 6) participant i. suggested, “we have staff worship through zoom, so anything that is important can be reported to the school administration. the administrators are the main assets to implement the ideal plan” (vol. 9, p. 6). all the participants realized that both school administrators and teachers must cooperate in implementing the ideal plan for online synchronous learning. conclusions online synchronous learning is a substitution for face-to-face learning in myanmar during covid -19 pandemic. although teachers and students needed to become more familiar with this learning process, they learned rapidly and made it into practice. the osl program has been practiced since 2020 in myanmar. the participants in this study appreciated what they had been practicing 26 for online learning. they keep learning new platforms that will be available and useful for online learning for teachers and students. based on the collected data, participants shared their experiences and dreams about online teaching and the ideal model for designing better learning online. since this study employed an appreciative inquiry, participants have positive visions to improve their learning. they are enthusiastic about designing the ideal model for osl and implementing the model that they designed. we have learned that appreciative inquiry motivates people to move forward, see better results, and simultaneously empower themselves and others. after analyzing the data, we designed the ideal model for a better osl. we displayed it to all participants and allowed them if they wanted to correct or add more information. the ideal model includes six steps (see figure 2). it shows school administrators and teachers what they should do to implement the ideal model for improvement in online learning. finally, we shared the model with school administrators and teachers who have been practicing online learning and are interested in it. we recommend that school administrators carefully examine this study’s findings and the ideal online synchronous learning cycle. they should encourage teachers to put the study’s findings into practice. school administrators provide training online synchronous learning to teachers. additionally, administrators and teachers at the school should keep track of any changes that result from using the cycle of an ideal online synchronous learning. references bakioğlu, b., & çevik, m. 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(2020). learning through experience: using design-based research to redesign protocols for blended synchronous learning environments. computer & education, 143, 1– 14. doi: 10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103678t.office.com/en-us/article/apa-mla-chicd 32 appendices figure 1 the appreciative inquiry model figure 2 the cycle of an ideal online synchronous learning 36 iulia gabriela alexandru alexandu ioan cuza university simple_iulia@yahoo.com applications of creative evaluation in primary education keywords evaluation, creativity, creative evaluation _______________________________________________ abstract creative evaluation is part of what defines a modern class, updated to the social realities. this article aims to provide teachers with creative assessment tools. to practice creative assessment, it is necessary to transform the professional culture, to understand and to practice around creativity and innovation in a significant way. this means more than offering traditional lessons in which pupils are largely placed in the role of information consumers; it means equipping educators and pupils with a creative disposition to be able to answer the problems of the contemporary world. _______________________________________________ 1. introduction creative evaluation is part of what defines a modern class, anchored in the social realities. it provides crucial information about what pupils understand and learn. creative assessment can 37 help pupils increase their performance, constantly improve, excel and become creative. but pupils are rarely able to express their thoughts spontaneously, and most of the time their seemingly irrelevant questions are not welcome. in education reports, creativity involves adaptability and flexibility of thinking, traits considered critical for pupils (carnegie forum on education and the economy, 1986). research also suggests that from the questions asked by teachers in the classroom, less than 10% solicits/requires pupils to think creatively (cliatt, shaw, & sherwood, 1980). creative assessment generates intrinsic motivation, diminishes the pressure exerted by the teacher's personality and determines even the most reluctant pupils to participate in building their own knowledge. the use of creativity in the assessment process encourages the creation of a pleasant, relaxed learning climate, while ensuring interdisciplinary openings. starting from the idea that education has to stay with its face to the future and has to take into account the rapid changes in the society, this article aims to provide teachers with tools for creative assessment helping them to put passion into what they do and to eliminate the routine from their work. according to pink (2006), creativity is the process in which changing routine and making new connections are essential. evaluation is transformed by creativity and innovation. 2. evaluation as a part of a bigger process there is a close interdependence between teaching, learning and evaluation. the training process is effective only if the three processes form an organic unit. in the teaching-learningassessment process, however, assessment has often been neglected, forgetting too easily “the fact that the training process depends largely on how the assessment is designed” (stoica, 2003, 13-14). 38 evaluation is "the process of determining the value of things" (scriven, 1993, p. 1), an attempt to judge the value or quality of something (coldeway, 1988). moreover, "evaluation is a process that provides evidence of issues such as reliability, effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, efficiency, safety, ease of use and probity. evaluation provides evidence and evaluative statements about the value and development of people, programs, projects, services, and organizations” (stufflebeam & shinkfield, 2007). for the teacher, the evaluation is like a mirror in which he can look at the following relationships: proposed objectives achieved objectives, inputs (quality of the training process) outputs (pupils’ results), his own level of training – the level of pedagogical requirement. for the primary school pupil, assessment is perceived differently than in the adult world. piaget (quoted by gullo, 2004, 35) describes school-age children as having an exaggerated sense of their own efficiency and performance, due to the egocentric nature of the child in the preoperational stage. at this age, children tend to focus and pay more attention to what is striking and out of the ordinary. therefore, when they receive feedback, they focus only on what is positive, thus gaining a false sense of competence. they also use the feedback received for behaviour to assess their competence in terms of cognitive and academic performance (apple & king, quoted by gullo, 2004, 35). 3. creativity analysed in contemporary society, the development of creativity concept is overwhelmingly popular. this seems to reflect both an awareness of the importance of creativity and a recognition of the positive effects that creativity education can have on pupils as artisans of knowledge. the multitude of meanings given to creativity over time is explicable if we consider the fact that each author emphasizes a certain dimension of it: general ability, personal trait or complex cognitive process. 39 among those who conceived creativity as a general ability in various fundamental areas of learning, we can mention guilford (1967), as well as feldhusen and treffinger (1986). according to hui and lau (2010), a general ability is a fundamental learning ability for acquiring, constructing and applying knowledge in solving new problems (221). in recent years, more emphasis has been placed on creativity as a “universal skill” (siraj-blatchford, 2007, 7), along with the idea that everyone has creative potential (runco, 2003). analysed in this way, creativity can become an everyday event, visible in a wide range of everyday life contexts. mackinnon (1962) defined creativity as a personal trait that includes: dedication to a goal, motivation, openness, and tolerance for what seems ambiguous. bontaş (1994, 292) considers creativity a complex and fundamental capacity of the personality which, relying on previous data or products, in combination with investigations and new data, produces something new, original, and valuable. on the other hand, weisberg (1986) and boden (1992) considered creativity as a cognitive process that includes: divergent thinking, general knowledge, as well as specific knowledge and skills. similarly, simonton (2000) affirms that creativity is a mental process involving the generation of new ideas or connections between existing ideas or concepts. very interesting in this respect is krathwohl’ vision (2002) who, revising bloom's original taxonomy on cognitive processes, includes creativity and places it above evaluation, considering it as a greater ability to think (see figure 1). analysing creativity, kaufman and beghetto (2009, 6) have identified a developmental model of creativity with four levels. bigc level of creativity refers to the work of an elite that transformed the world through its inventions (e.g., van gogh, edison, etc.). proc level of creativity involves more time (at least 10 years) and more effort for development (for example, a physicist who teaches at the university, but who also undertakes academic research). little-c 40 level of creativity means acting with flexibility, intelligence and novelty in everyday life (for example, a person who can solve a complex problem at work). mini-c level of creativity happens when a person demonstrates flexibility, intelligence and novelty in thinking (for example, when a pupil finds several different ways to solve a math problem). considering these forms of creativity, we notice that teachers can direct their efforts to develop the mini-c and little-c levels. thus, a school-age pupil can work at the little-c level if he or she engages, for example, in taking creative photos of the class activity that can be used on a school website. 4. the teacher as a creative person in the evaluation process when we consider the study of creative evaluation, a problem that arises is the definition of the creative personality. creativity is an essential part of the teaching-learningassessment process, being fundamental for teachers who want to improve their professional practice. teachers must be animated by a strong receptivity to everything that is new and important both in their area and in pedagogy. in practice, teachers need to make a continuous effort towards self-improvement, coping with the tasks that education and the new generations of pupils raise. since 1957, guilford stated that creativity must meet the following four fundamental criteria: originality, relevance, fluency, and flexibility. for more than half a century, authors such as rhodes (1961) and torrance (1963) have emphasized the importance and urgency of teachers to be creative. torrance (quoted by lowenfeld & brittain, 1987) lists some specific types of behaviour as indicators of creativity: the ability to occupy your time without being stimulated by another person, overcoming given tasks, asking questions (more than simple why or how), different ways of doing things, not being afraid to try something new. the teacher should be the principal mediator between creativity and what is assessed in the classroom because he is the essential 41 element for the school to achieve its goal of making pupils more creative. in the scientific literature, the features of creative personality include: strong motivation, the ability to work hard and be absorbed by work, attraction and orientation to completely new issues and problems, which involves taking the risk to solve them creatively, a great intellectual curiosity, emotional sensitivity. also, a creative work style is characterized by: total dedication, desire to do things well, open thinking, ability to concentrate for long periods of time, ability to abandon unproductive ideas and temporarily put aside more difficult problems (csikszentmihalyi, 1996; beetlestone, 1998; cummings and blatherwick, 2017). to test the importance of creativity in the teaching-learningassessment process, henriksen and mishra (2013) interviewed a group of highly creative teachers and found that they had the following common didactic traits and behaviours: connecting their interests with teaching, connecting lessons with the real world, cultivating a creative mentality, evaluating collaboration and taking intellectual risks. 5. applications of creative evaluation in past years, the entire western world, and not only, has put evaluation to the forefront of educational practice (volante, 2005). the information gathered from standardized national assessments is used to measure not only pupil’s learning but also to assess the effectiveness of teachers and schools. this culture of assessment has become so controversial that the learning which is not directly assessed and quantified is considered redundant. in other words, what is not evaluated is not learned. therefore, one of the concerns of contemporary teachers is whether this culture of evaluation does not destroy the creativity of pupils and teachers. trying to answer this question, beghetto (2005) states that it depends on the assessment practices used 42 because certain assessment practices do have a strong influence on motivational beliefs that can, in turn, undermine pupils' creativity. for creativity to flourish even in the evaluation process, it is necessary for both teachers and pupils to be actively involved. the characteristics of creative behaviour in different situations lead to this fundamental condition: involvement. from an early age, pupils should be given as many opportunities as possible to get involved in various ways, in order to make creative connections between past and present experiences. assessment can be fun and effective when teacher gets creative even for a simple feedback. in order for assessment not to kill teacher or pupil creativity, it is necessary to meet certain conditions. first, teacher must provide a personal answer to the following question: "what does the creative approach to assessment mean to me?" one of the easiest ways to be creative in assessment is to turn traditional methods into something more fun and engaging. this method can require pupils to evaluate their own learning experience, can turn a test into a game, or can lead to the use of interactive digital tools to conduct interviews, projects, portfolios. furthermore, the teacher can move from the standard and rigid format by encouraging pupils to create an artistic response, using this as a stimulus to explore new experiences. connecting creative evaluation to various art forms is essential. torrance (1963) considered excessive reliance on memorybased educational strategies as an obstacle to creativity development. he stressed the importance of shifting from traditional education to creative curricula through appropriate educational strategies. traditional methods emphasize the direct transmission of knowledge, which limits pupils' involvement in innovation, discovery and cognitive development. on the other hand, approaches such as problem solving and question orientation provide opportunities for exploring and discovering 43 complexities, involving pupils in the learning process and improving internal motivation. table 1 presents the fundamental elements of evaluation that change, when a creative approach is involved. secondly, creative evaluation is a great way to overcome some of the challenges that evaluation work poses. assessment can easily be seen only as a complement to the teaching process, often done at the end of a learning unit or just to meet certain standard requirements. third, creative approaches should not be used just for their sake or for the sake of novelty; they must be combined with other approaches. at the same time, when using creative assessment tools, the teacher must take into account the assessment plan and the proposed objectives, the pupils to whom they are addressed, as well as the climate of the classroom. with these fundamental conditions in mind, an alphabet of creative assessment (table 2, adapted from angelo and cross, 1993; breben and colleagues, 2002; ivanovici and frent, 2009) containing applications for romanian primary education will be presented below. the fundamental centre of transforming educational culture to embrace creativity and innovation in evaluation is the transformation of professional culture (kelly, 2012). this requires teachers to adopt a change that leads to understanding and practice around creativity and innovation. this means more than offering traditional lessons in which pupils are largely placed in the role of consumers of information. a fundamental educational challenge is not so much obtaining and accessing information, but rather endowing 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(1986). creativity: genius and other myths. new york: w. h. freeman. 47 tables, figures and appendices table 1 – fundamental elements in changing assessment to become creative (adapted from hosseini, 2011, 1811) traditional evaluation creative evaluation starting the evaluation process by focusing on the objectives evaluating because you have to, because it is mandatory to have grades increasing competition and individualism strictly respecting what was already planned testing performance by using proven approaches directly providing the knowledge, skills, etc. which will be evaluated giving priority to content above understanding emphasizing acceptance of ideas and materials raising authentic questions in teaching-learning-evaluation process providing motivation for involvement-based assessment and questioning promoting evaluation through cooperation organizing the evaluation flexibly according to the needs and interests of the pupils testing for the evidence that pupils understood involving pupils in creating or investigating knowledge, skills, etc. to be evaluated giving priority to the learningevaluation process per se encouraging critical review of ideas and materials table 2. creative evaluation alphabet approaches to creative evaluation through: applications ah! you received an e-mail teacher prepares several envelopes on which are written questions from certain topics that have been taught; the answers are inside. the envelopes are then "sent" to the classroom. each pupil writes the answer on a piece of paper and checks the correctness by reading the "official mathematics, 4th grade:” elements of geometry” possible questions: what are the elements of a triangle? how many angles / sides / vertices does a triangle have? measure the length of the sides of the triangle below. 48 answer" before placing his answer in the envelope. after several series of “mails” and a class discussion on the subject, the envelopes are deposited in the teacher's mailbox. brainstorming – the pupils are coordinated by the teacher who fulfils the role of animator and mediator. pupils issue as many solutions as possible, ideas, on how to solve a problem, hoping that, by combining them, an optimal solution will be obtained. the interest is to give free rein to the imagination, to the unusual and original ideas, to the unconventional opinions, provoking a chain reaction, constructive, to create "ideas on ideas". personal development, 1st grade:” time management” you are invited to two birthday parties of two friends. the parties take place on the same day, at the same time, in different places. what possibilities do you have? cube the following six words are written on the six sides of a cardboard cube: describe (1), compare (2), associate (3), analyse (4), apply (5), and argue (6). one of the pupils is invited to roll the cube. for each face of the cube the teacher has prepared certain tasks. pupils solve the task individually in a given time, after which they present, in turns, the formulated answer. all pupils analyse the answer, make comments, and request the reformulation of the question to make sure that the task is solved correctly. the comments that take place lead to the selection or reformulation of the correct answer by combining individual ideas. sciences, 3rd grade:” water” 1. say what you know about water. 2. compare water with air. 3. say how you feel when you drink water? 4. tell how water circulates in nature? 5. how much water should you drink in a day? 6. is it okay to drink water? why? 49 debriefing a question is launched for debate. the class is divided into two groups: pros and cons, each team having to look for arguments. both groups present their arguments. variants: reversal of roles, expressing one's personal position after being part of a certain group (for or against), etc. communication into romanian, 2nd grade:” spring”, after i. al. brătescu-voinești was the quail’ decision correct, leaving the injured baby behind? empathy: the thought experiment pupils are asked to imagine themselves in a certain situation. they are asked questions about the situation. civics, 4th grade:” children rights” think that you are in a situation where a certain right has been taken away from you. how would you feel? (pupils should first mention the right they were deprived of and then show empathy and recount the feelings they are going through.) frisco is based on the roles played by children according to their preferences and the abilities that the role imposes. a problem or a situation is identified by the teacher or by the pupils to be analysed and resolved. the roles are distributed: c = conservative; e = exuberant; p = pessimistic; o = optimistic. various accessories can be used to give credibility to the played character (for example, the optimistic, being a cheerful character, wears a red hat). all pupils participate in the debate. by interpreting roles, children support communication into romanian, 2nd grade:” the little match girl”, by h. c. andersen find another ending to the story. pupils have different roles: conservative, exuberant, pessimistic, optimistic, etc. 50 their views according to the type of person they represent. guess! represent didactic procedures for stimulating creativity, in which an object, a being, a phenomenon is presented in metaphorical form, requiring its identification through logical associations communication into romanian, 2nd grade:” final revision” formulate a riddle about a character encountered in the studied literary texts. hints and kinaesthesia notions will be written on large sheets of paper that will be arranged on the floor according to a certain logic scheme. the assessed pupil will step on them in the order indicated by the arrows and explain the information he/she is stepping on. verbalization supports kinaesthetic learning. other ways of visualizing the relationships between learning contents can be imagined. geography, 4th grade:” romania setting, neighbours, boundaries” the following words can be written on the sheets of paper on the floor: europe, ukraine & hungary, beba veche & halmeu. ideas from a text a) identify the main idea of the lesson. why is it important? b) explain the main idea using an analogy. c) what is the main idea of the author / text? bring pros and cons. history, 4th grade:” what is history?” follow the three steps: a), b), c). journal like a chameleon the pupils must present the same event/fact from different history, 4th grade:” dacians and romans. the 51 perspectives (the pupil is sad, happy, outraged, satisfied, etc.). foundation of the romanian people” know-want-learn the teacher draws a table with the following columns: i know / i want to know / i learned. pupils make a list of everything they know about the topic to be discussed. write down on the board the notions or aspects that everyone agrees with in the left column. pupils ask questions about things they are not sure about. after pupils become familiar with the new knowledge, the teacher returns to the questions they asked and passed in the column "i want to know". questions that have been answered are entered in the "i learned" column. for unanswered questions, the teacher discusses where pupils might look for information. finally, the pupils summarize what they have reviewed. mathematics, 2nd grade:” problems solved by graphics” k: mary and dan have 38 years. mary has with 4 years more than dan. w: how old is mary? how old is dan? l: 38-4=34 (we make equal parts.) 34:2=17 (how old is dan?) 17+4=21 (how old is mary?) lottery at the beginning of the break, each pupil writes a note with the main idea of the lesson taught that day. the teacher gathers the tickets into a box. next class, the teacher draws lots and the pupil to whom the ticket belongs provides more details on the subject. personal development, preparatory grade:” who am i?” at the end of the lesson, each pupil draws the main idea on a paper and, when leaving the classroom, puts it in the teacher’s box. next time, the drawings on the papers are discussed. my opinion pupils are asked to make an opinion chart: romanian, 3rd grade:” the written story of a text. the legend of the snowdrop” 52 a) in the left column list opinions about the content of the text. b) in the right column, support opinions. name it to a friend pupils are asked to write about the assessed topic as if explaining that to a friend. sciences, 4th grade:” life cycles in the living world” in a letter to your best friend, explain the life cycles in the living world. only five words what five words would you use to describe ______? explain and justify the choice. history, 4th grade:” figures from the history of the romanian people. michael the brave” philips 6/6 the name comes from the fact that the optimal number of members in philips is 6 in a group, and the discussion is limited to 6 minutes. groups of 6 are formed (4 members; 1 secretary; 1 group leader). the secretary of each group records the ideas of his/her group’ colleagues. the leader guides the debate within the group and presents the conclusions. the topic to be debated by each group is handled to the group leader. each member proposes an answer and, at the end, the most important ideas are retained. the leaders of each group present or write the ideas they have reached. the collective discussion is followed by the collective decision regarding the final solution, based on the hierarchy of variants on the board. the teacher draws the conclusions. personal development, preparatory grade:” my school. routines and work tasks. rules in school” task: draw the 5 most important rules that any pupil should follow. 53 quiz – pupils are asked to: a) write ten questions on the topic / text in the order of the action. b) choose two of the questions in point a) and answer on half of a page. c) describe in 100-150 words what you think was the purpose of the author / learning of this lesson. civics, 4th grade:” romania – e.u. member” resume three times to answer a question / problem, pupils write three different summaries: the first of 10-15 words; the second of 30–50 words; the third of 75–100 words. pupils can work in groups or individually and use a word counter. sciences, 2nd grade:” landforms” shift partners the class is organized in two concentric circles; the pupils being divided into pairs. the children in the inner circle remain standing still. when a new assessment task is given, the pairs always change until they reach the initial partner the initial pair. at the end, the ideas are analysed. geography, 4th grade:” the map” twitter define.................... in less than 140 characters. civics, 4th grade:” responsibility – lack of responsibility” define responsibility in less than 140 characters. up to one minute in one minute, describe the most significant thing you have learned. communication into romanian, 1st grade:” sentence” 54 vote for a quote! a list of proverbs or quotations related to the taught topic is proposed. each pupil will choose a proverb or quote that expresses an idea they agree with or one that they would choose as a motto or that expresses an important personality trait. the choices made will be argued. civics, 4th grade:” generosity” ” you are good for nothing, if you are good only to yourself.” (voltaire) ” if i'm glad i'm learning something new, it's to share it with others.” (seneca) ” be altruistic, respect others selfishness!” (s. j. lec) xerocopy list the most interesting, the most controversial or the most resonant / interesting ideas you found in your readings. include a short argument (100 words) for your choice. history, 4th grade:” historical figures" reading from “historical stories” by dumitru almaș zone for creativity a) list 10 keywords from the studied text. b) compose a poem using the words from point a). c) write a summary of the text based on these words. romanian, 3rd grade:” at the medeleni”, after ionel teodoreanu figure 1. krathwohl’ s taxonomy (2002) create evaluate analyze apply understand remember journal of educational studies volume 4, number 1, 2022, pp. 5–30 5 the role of feedback in the learning process of students evelyn r. obo1 abstract feedback is described as valuable and significant comments, suggestions, or criticisms on a performance or tasks of a person or a student to better improve future performances or tasks. everybody benefits from feedback. every student in class hopes to better his/her performance and feedback matters a lot to them. hence, students all over the world complain about not receiving the appropriate feedback. this thought prompted the researcher to inquire about the role of feedback in the learning process of students. anchored on thorndike’s principle of learning which espouses pleasant learning, the study supports the role of feedback in the learning process of students. the study hopes to intensify the role of feedback in the learning process and to remind educators that there is a strong need for students to receive timely and appropriate feedback for learning to be fluid. using phenomenology, the study found out that positive, immediate, sincere, and kind feedback make students learn and get the needed competencies that help them succeed. keywords role of feedback, learning process, phenomenology, filipino students introduction feedback plays an important role in the learning process of students. feedback is either verbal, written, or gestural reply of a teacher to a student’s performance, task, or behavior (university of south carolina, n.d.). the purpose of feedback is to improve the 1 evelyn r. obo, phd, de la salle university-dasmariñas, philippines, erobo@dlsud.edu.ph. 6 student’s performance and allow learning to take place. hence, it is surprising to know that students in many parts of the globe desire to receive feedback because they do not get it, they get it very late, or they are dissatisfied with the feedback they receive (albashir, kabir, & rahman, 2016; birtill, 2022). being a teacher in the philippines for more than two decades, the very same complaints of not being able to receive the feedback on time and feedback dissatisfaction are also often reported during oral evaluation and informal talks with students. the study of tampal, betasolo, cumpa, segundo, apalisok, and ablen (2019) found out that students’ academic performance and behavior are affected by feedback. feedback, therefore, is a serious issue that must be given premium in any academic institution. literatures provide a number of studies conducted on the giving of feedback. the studies of simon (2013) and stenger (2014) both affirm that giving of immediate feedback helps improve students’ performance. most literatures available basically focus on the effectiveness of giving of prompt feedback and on giving of written feedback or simply giving feedback. studies discussed the importance of giving feedback in general sense to improve the students’ general academic performance. hence, an important aspect of discussing the role of feedback in the learning process of students is scarcely addressed (alam & uddin, 2013; al-enzy & jesudas, 2016; defranzo, 2022; matthew, 2020; tampal, betasolo, cumpa, segundo, apalisok, & ablen, 2019). past and recent studies conducted explain the importance of feedback but the question on why until this time students still clamor for appropriate and timely feedback is a challenge that should be resolved. according to one filipino senior high school teacher interviewed, the large number of students in one class leave teachers with no choice but to give written feedback after every performance and/or a general verbal feedback when time would still permit them to do so. in some situations, though, feedback would be given in the succeeding meeting, believing that 7 what matters most is that feedback is given. however, stenger (2014) explained that feedback is more effective when given immediately. the dissatisfaction of students in the feedback that they receive and the plight of the teachers inside the classroom are valid claims. hence, this study intends to reiterate and intensify the role of feedback in the students’ learning process and to remind educators that no matter how challenging, appropriate feedback needs to be delivered. in addition, this study hopes to raise awareness among educators and students that feedback needs to be comprehensible. the meaning of the feedback that the educators want to give is the same as how the students interpret it for learning to take place (al-bashir, kabir, & rahman, 2016). review of literature facts about feedback feedback considerably helps in improving students’ performance and other learning tasks. it is a traditional method yet its effect on students’ learning cannot be denied (al-enzy & jesudas, 2016; defranzo, 2022; matthew, 2020). they need to know to what extent they have succeeded in reaching out to the audience. an affirmative feedback feeds the learning process. the theory espoused by chickering and gamson (1987) on the seven principles of good teaching practice included the giving of prompt feedback to students. students need frequent opportunities to perform and receive suggestions for improvement (vancouver island university, 2018). later, chickering and gamson (1999) revised this principle and added assessment to it. students need chances to reflect on what they have learned, what they still need to know, and how to assess themselves (vancouver island university, 2018). productive feedback motivates students. learners are motivated to perform well if feedback is given positively. implementing 8 a new feedback strategy and making students understand the meaning of the feedback is very important to better students’ skills (al-enzy & jesudas, 2016). wong and waring (2009) averred that positive feedback is very important. teachers should remember that feedback should include sincere and specific praises. it is also affirming for students if the teacher would ask the opinions of their peers and certainly engage the students in proper self-reflection. strategies in giving feedback al-enzy and jesudas (2016), matthew (2020), simons (2013), stenger (2014), and wong and waring (2009) explain some useful strategies and tips for the giving of feedback to be effective: 1. the feedback should be very specific which refers to supplying the learners with specific information about what they are doing right or wrong. the teacher should take the time to provide learners with information on what exactly they did well, and what may still need improvement. the praises must be given sincerely and very kindly. 2. the feedback should be given at once which affirms the findings of numerous studies indicating that feedback is most effective when it is given immediately, rather than a few days, weeks, or months down the line. studies found that participants who were given immediate feedback performed well in the succeeding performances than those who had received delayed feedbacks. 3. the feedback should address the learner's improvement toward a goal which means that effective feedback is most often based on the specific goals that the students hope to achieve. when giving feedback, the teachers should make it clear to students how information they receive will help them progress toward a final goal. the feedback should aid the learning process of the students. 9 4. the feedback should be presented carefully which means that the way feedback is presented can impact how it is received. this means that even the most well-meaning feedback can come in the wrong way, thus reducing the learner's motivation. it must be noted that feedback should be given positively. 5. the teacher should also ask the opinions of the class as this creates a sense of affirmation on the part of the students and could motivate them to maintain their good performance or to improve it. allowing students to evaluate the performance of their peers help them to be critical as well. 6. the students should be engaged in the process of giving feedback for recognizing the importance of involving the learners in the process of evaluating their performance. pennebaker, chung, frazee, lavergne, and beaver (2014) assert that when students have access to this information, they develop an awareness of learning and can recognize mistakes and develop strategies for tackling weaknesses. the engagement in the process allows students to engage in self-reflection. deci (2013) identified circumstances when feedback is ineffective: (a) when the learner feels strictly observed, this gives a feeling of so much tension and nervousness. learners become so conscious which may lead to disengaging from learning; (b) when learners interpret feedback as an attempt to control them, this makes them feel controlled rather than guided thus resulting in non-improvement; (c) when learners feel that there is competition, feedback from peers may be good but learners should be guided properly for them not to feel that there is competition among them. this feeling of competition could also disengage the learners. to avoid these situations, previous studies recommend that the learners must fully understand the purpose of any monitoring 10 and how the feedback is purposed to help them compete against their individual outcomes and not against each other. in the study of eraut (2006), it was explained that the feedback that students previously received plays an important role in shaping their learning process. the study of al-bashir et al. (2016) affirms that learners should understand what a good performance is, be provided with quality information about their learning, be asked if feedback is clear and comprehensible, and be oriented about reflective learning. it is also important that learners should feel the motivation and the sincerity in the feedback given (al-enzy & jesudas, 2016; deci, 2013; wong & waring, 2009). thorndike and the law of effect pennebaker et al. (2014, as cited in stenger, 2014), explains that the role of feedback has always been central. when learning new skills, anyone needs feedback for him/her to know if what s/he is doing is right. feedback is defined as information about a person’s performance of a task, or a product used as basis for improvement. it could be from teacher, peer, or others (hattie, 1999). leibold and shwarz (2015) say that “learners may also trade feedback with each other about coursework” (p. 35). oxford learning institute (n.d.) of the university of oxford explains that, in order “for feedback to be helpful, it needs to be given in a concerned and supportive way and to include both positive and negative observations” (p. 1). the feedback to be given must be specific and clear and suggestions for improvements must be identified. the students should be encouraged to assess and reflect on their performance as well. the teachers should also be aware that the immediate response of anyone to negative feedback may be defensive, thus, it must be addressed in the most concerned and cordial manner (oxford learning institute, n.d.). one of the popular figures who contributed the most to the belief that giving of feedback almost always improves performance is thorndike. thorndike (1913) provided the initial theoretical 11 arguments for the effectiveness of feedback with his law of effect. this theoretical perspective equated positive feedback with reinforcement and negative feedback with punishment. kluger and denisi (1996) mentioned that positive and negative feedback have good effects on learning. considerable number of studies were conducted on giving feedback and its importance however, it remains a fact as well that until now prompt and proper feedback is the call of most students in elementary, high school and college. delay in the delivery of proper feedback happens because there is also an unsolved problem of teachers having too many students in class. students demand timely and appropriate feedback and teachers cannot deliver due to too large number of students in class. these contradicting issues should not deter the fluidity of the learning process thus, the desire to emphasize and rediscover the role of feedback in the learning process of students prompted the researcher to conduct this study. the findings of this study apart from being contributory to the existing literatures intend to emphasize that there is a need for educators to review and rediscover the very important role of feedback in the learning process of students. as mentors, classroom teachers have the crucial role of providing guidance to their students. it is the mentors’ obligation to help the students identify and learn the skills and knowledge needed to improve their ability to express himself/herself. feedback allows the teacher to acknowledge their students’ strengths and to motivate them to work on his/her areas of weaknesses. educators should keep in mind that their students want and need their feedback to move forward. it is the teacher’s creativity on how feedback could be promptly delivered amid the big number of students in class (al-enzy & jesudas, 2016; defranzo, 2022; simon, 2013). 12 methodology purpose of the study the main purpose of this study was to determine the role of feedback in the learning process of students. research questions this study sought to answer the following questions: 1. what are the positive and negative effects of feedback to students’ learning ability? 2. how does feedback affect the students’ ability to grasp the needed competencies? 3. what kind of feedback would help students improve? 4. what is the role of feedback in the students’ learning process? methods the study uses a qualitative approach and phenomenological design. according to creswell (1994), a qualitative study is “defined as an inquiry process of understanding a social or human problem, based on building a complex, holistic picture, formed with words, detailed views of informants, and which is conducted in a natural setting”. phenomenology, on the other hand describes a common experience of individuals regarding a phenomenon (creswell, 2013). in this study, the experiences of getting feedback high school, senior high school, and college students from different academic institutions in the province of cavite were documented through focus group discussion, in-depth interviews, and the written narratives of the student participants. these were done to develop a composite description of the essence of the experience common to all the participants. moreover, the study sought to find out the role of feedback in the learning process of students. 13 the data were analyzed following the steps discussed by creswell (2013) reflecting mostly of moustakas (1994) ways of analyses. it began from horizontalization where the transcripts of interviews, the written narratives of students, and the journal entries of the researcher with highlighted significant statements were used to understand the experiences of the participants. the textural descriptions were drawn based on the common, dominant, and recurring responses of the participants during the interviews and those found in their written narratives. then, the structural descriptions were analyzed based on the social, emotional, and cultural connections of the participants using the journal entries of the researcher and the notes found in the transcripts of interviews and in the written narratives. all these were considered to create a composite textural and structural descriptions. from these textural and structural synthesis, the researcher derived the comprehensive meaning of the experiences of the participants also known as the essence of the phenomenon. the lived experiences of the participants on how feedback affected them positively and negatively and how practice aided them in improving their public speaking ability were explained through the themes and subthemes derived from their experiences. thorndike’s canonical study in 1913 is still applicable until this time amidst the many educational reforms. the giving of feedback to students makes them aware of their flaws and could improve themselves if guided properly. literature was also carefully studied to establish the link between the findings of the study, the findings of other studies conducted, and the canonical study of thorndike in 1913 on giving of feedback. tools the primary tools of the study were the researcher and the set of semi-structured interview questions. bahrami, soleimani, yaghoobzadeh, and ranjbar (2016) explain that the researcher portrays an important role in qualitative research. the researcher 14 as an instrument works hard to understand and analyze the phenomenon under study. according to merriam (1988) the researcher is the primary instrument of any study. the success of any research depends on the researcher as he/she can process the given data. dejonckheere and vaughn (2018) state that semi-structured questions are the most frequent data source in qualitative research. the semi-structured interviews are powerful data source to get the thoughts and experiences of the participants (dejonckheere & vaughn, 2018). in this study, the semi-structured questions were based on the problem questions and were validated by two seasoned teacher-researcher from the province of cavite (see appendix b). the semi-structured questions guided the researcher to get thick description of the phenomenon. other tools used were the narratives of the participants who were interviewed. participants of the study there were 30 student-participants in this study who are high school, senior high school, and college students from public and private academic institutions in the province of cavite. the study employed fishbowl sampling. there were ten high school studentparticipants (five from private and five from public high school); there were ten senior high school student-participants (five from private and five from public senior high school); and there were ten college students (five from private and five from state colleges and universities). twelve student-participants were interviewed and were asked to write a narrative expressing their thoughts and realizations about the study. the rest of the participants were part of the focus group discussions. the participants were all officially enrolled in the academic year 2019-2020. ethical considerations the following ethical issues were addressed: 15 1. permission was obtained from the heads of the different academic institutions and request letters were given to the participants through email and other social media platforms (see appendix a). 2. the participants were asked to voluntarily participate in the study and the informed consent form were sent to each of them as well with written permission from their parents as they are still minors. it was explained to them in the letter that their participation was voluntary and that they could withdraw at any time during the duration of the study without fear of penalty or prejudice. 3. the participants’ identity was treated with strict confidentiality. each one of them was assigned a pseudonym, and any information about them was not included in the reporting of the data. all interviews and fgds were carried out in the place and time convenient to the participants. 4. only the researcher has access to the data. all the data are in composite form. hence, no participant would be identified. the data gathered shall be for the sole purpose of the study. 5. all participants were guaranteed of their safety. all the information which was disclosed by the participants would not be used against them. 6. the safety of the researcher while the study was going on and during the gathering of data was considered and ensured. results the following are the themes and subthemes that emerged which answered the research questions of this study: sop 1. what are the positive and negative effects of feedback to students’ learning ability? positive feedback has three subthemes namely: feedback helps; feedback reminds; and feedback builds self-confidence. 16 negative feedback has two subthemes namely: feedback demoralizes and discourages self-esteem and feedback causes fear and disrupts learning. sop 2. how does feedback affect the students’ ability to grasp the needed competencies? there are two themes that emerged: feedback could either make or break the students and non-understanding of feedback affects learning. sop 3. what kind of feedback would help students improve? there are three themes that emerged: feedback should be kind; feedback should be sincere; and feedback should build self-confidence. sop 4. what is the role of feedback in the students’ learning process? there are three themes that emerged: to improve students’ performance and nurture students learning; to make feedback direct and comprehensible to students; and to make students feel empowered and not defeated. discussions the subsequent discussion presents the themes that emerged from the study: positive feedback with three subthemes; negative feedback with two subthemes; feedback could either make or break the students; non-understanding of feedback affects learning; feedback should be kind; feedback should be sincere; feedback should build self-confidence; to improve students’ performance and nurture students learning; to make feedback direct and comprehensible to students and to make students feel empowered and not defeated. 17 sop 1. what are the positive and negative effects of feedback to students’ learning ability? positive effects of feedback. giving feedback aids the learning process of students. thus, productive feedback motivates learners to perform well. positive feedback affirms the students and builds their confidence (al-enzy & jesudas, 2016; university of south carolina, n.d.; waring & wong, 2009). feedback helps. twenty-four out of 30 participants said that immediate feedback allows them to correct their mistakes in their minds right away. it helps them avoid committing their previous mistakes. this view is reflected in the following answers of students during the interview and fgd and some were from their written narrative. feedback when given at once helps us avoid the previous mistakes. feedback even if it is negative or positive helps us a lot as i believe that bitter truth is better than sweet lies. the feedback given if positive makes us happy and when it is negative makes us pause and think at how we could improve our next performance. feedback reminds. students during the interview said that outright feedback makes them remember and avoid their mistakes. when the feedback is given at once, you never forget. once the feedback is given after the activity, i will not forget it. feedback builds self-confidence. student participants from both public and private schools said that feedback builds self-confidence. they are inspired by the thought that their performance and abilities were observed and appreciated by the teacher. these positive feelings boost their self-confidence. the participants said, i feel so proud of myself because the teacher said that i pronounce the words well and my voice is loud enough. 18 i was overwhelmed and happy and i want to perform again because i am inspired because i know i am good. i am very happy. even the simple facial expression (was) seen by the teacher, and she said it was good. i felt inspired and proud of myself. i was afraid to talk before because i think i am not that good but now i feel good about myself. negative effects of feedback. negative feedback makes students disengage. they lose their motivation to learn and would just want to stop. once this happens, learning and improvement would be difficult to reach (deci, 2013). feedback demoralizes and discourages self-esteem. students assert that negative feedback affects them negatively. they are demoralized and discouraged. the feeling of wanting to cry and the feeling of being humiliated were the worst feelings for them. the participants said, i feel like ... like ... i want to cry. i want to go home because i feel ... very shy. i really felt sad after the negative feedback. i cried in the comfort room. i feel like so small. it was humiliating like no appreciation at all. it was a very sad experience. i felt like i did not do anything at all. it was bad, a very bad experience i will not forget. i felt so low and useless. i was so ashamed of myself. feedback causes fear and stops learning. students said that negative feedback made them feel that they do not want to try again as they felt that the succeeding performance would be another failure. the feedback caused fear and destroyed the students’ self-confidence. the participants said, i felt so broken. it was not fair. i knew i did my best just that i was nervous, and i was scolded. i was explaining my side, but i am not given the chance. i do not want to try again. 19 i want to cry at that time but at least i still managed to go out of the room and go to the comfort room to cry really hard. i was disappointed of what i did, and i feel so shy of my classmates. maybe if i have a choice, i won’t perform next time. i felt like i want to drop the subject. i am afraid ... just afraid like fear, like that. sop 2. how does feedback affect the students’ ability to grasp the needed competencies? feedback could either make or break the students. the success and improvement of students’ skills are affected by feedback. both negative and positive feedback affect students’ performance. negative feedback can break the students’ self-confidence and self-esteem making them to disengage and quit learning during the learning process. in contrast, positive feedback on the other hand can build the students’ confidence and inspiring them to go and try harder until they could perfect the craft (al-enzy & jesudas, 2016; simon, 2013; stenger, 2014; wong & waring, 2009). the good feedback makes me … the positive feedback makes me feel good about myself. it makes me feel better. the negative feedback makes me sick and feel bad about myself. positive feedback inspires me and boost my confidence while the negative feedback makes me feel so low of myself that i do not want to perform at all. well, positive feedback makes me feel confident to speak at the front. it feels good when you hear good things about your performance. negative feedback makes me feel bad and like i said, when i hear negative feedback, i like to drop the course already. non-comprehension of feedback has consequences in learning and motivation. it should be noted that students should be able to understand the feedback given to them. it should be clear enough so that they know how to improve their performance. 20 comprehension of feedback is vital for students’ learning. kuivamaki (2015) and bloxham and campbell (2010) averred that second language learners are always thinking in two languages; this explains the fact that filipino students are thinking in filipino before they translate their thinking to english. this affects their comprehension of any feedback given them. thus, this translates to the fact that some students may not be able to clearly comprehend the feedback given them. this non-comprehension may result to possible unimproved succeeding performance/s. at times, i do not understand the feedback because ah ... uhm ... the ... the words are difficult to understand and ... and ... i am shy to ask the teacher to explain. and ... and i receive negative feedback again and again. sop 3. what kind of feedback would help students improve? feedback should be kind. all the 30 student-respondents said that the feedback should be given by the teachers in the kindest way for them to appreciate. feedback should be sincere. twenty-three out of thirty students expressed great happiness when positive feedback is given sincerely. feedback should build self-confidence. twenty student participants said that feedback builds their self-confidence when given positively. feedback should be given sincerely for it creates great impact upon the learners. kind ways of giving feedback inspire students and build them up. they are motivated to do well, and positivism sets in. the mood in the classroom is affected as well. students are optimistic and are not afraid to commit mistakes, the ambiance is light, and the learning is fluid (al-enzy & jesudas, 2016; simons, 2013; stenger, 2014; wong & waring, 2009). the participants said, 21 when the feedback is so true that even our classmates will say the same thing, it makes us happy. we will perform better next time. when the teacher gives kind feedback whether negative or positive, it inspires us to do better and perform better. i become more confident because the teacher saw the effort i put on the performance. and ah ... the classroom is better and happy. i want kind feedback. it feels good when you are not scolded. i learn better when feedback is kind. i like sincere feedback, not the fake one. i mean, ah ... the feedback that is deserving of my tasks or performance, like that. it makes me feel good. i am inspired to do better in the next presentation because i got good feedback that made me feel encouraged. sop 4. what is the role of feedback in the students’ learning process? to improve students’ performance and to nurture students learning. the student-respondents emphasized the important role of feedback in their learning process. they improve and better their tasks when given prompt and appropriate feedback. to make feedback direct and comprehensible to students. all the 30 student-respondents expressed that feedback should be clear and easily understood. the rubrics or criteria in rating them must be thoroughly explained. to make students feel empowered and not defeated. all the respondents believes that the major role of feedback in the learning process is to empower them and not to make them feel defeated. feedback brings forth new information specifically related to the task or process of learning that bridges the gap between what is understood and what is planned to be understood. feedback 22 plays an important role in the process of effective learning. it guides the students as they progress in the learning process (bloxham & campbell, 2010; gibbs & simpson, 2004; matthew, 2020). the students said, feedback really helps us improve and learn. if feedback is direct and easily understood, i can easily think of ways on how i could improve my work. feedback should not squash the students and make them feel defeated. the feedback should encourage and allow students to feel empowered. conclusions studies conducted explain that feedback could help improve students’ performance, likewise the findings of this study support that feedback plays an important role in the learning process of students. thorndike’s law of effect is evident in this study that when students receive positive, timely feedback, learning takes place. according to thorndike positive feedback strengthens learning and could yield a habitual situation. it means that if students are given the opportunity to understand the feedback and they are guided well, learning becomes fluid. this study identified the positive and negative effects of feedback, explained how feedback affected the students, enumerated how feedback should be given from the perspective of students, and pointed out the role of feedback in the students’ learning process. but what was striking was the truth revealed by a participant that feedback at times could be incomprehensible. the feedback could not be understood at once which poses a cognitive challenge to students. the participants being filipinos are thinking in their native tongue even if they are in their classes which are carried out in english. feedback is given in english, and it takes time for students to translate it to filipino before comprehension takes place. 23 high school, senior high school, college/university students regardless of whether they are in private, or government institution clearly articulated that the feedback they receive affect their learning process. the challenge now is for teachers to go the extra mile to make sure that students clearly understood the feedback given. it is also in the comprehension of feedback that learning would effectively take place. the role of the teacher inside and outside the classroom and the role of the students to exert extra effort to improve themselves are both urgent. teachers should realize that students have a great capacity to improve themselves if proper feedback coupled with respect, love and care would be given. immediate feedback must be delivered to help students correct their mistakes at once. students of the present generation are open and willing to accept their mistakes and they can correct themselves at once as well. they are learners with potential amount of confidence that needs to be tapped and nurtured. the teachers’ role is not simply to teach but to encourage and inspire. teachers are not mere mentors, but they must be the students’ parents in school capable of bringing out the best in each of them. references alam, q., & uddin, a. (2013). improving oral communication skills of pakistani public school’s students. international journal of english language teaching, 1(2), 17–36. http://www.eajournals.org/wp-content/uploads/improving-english-oral-communication-skills-of-pakistanipublic-schools-students.pdf al-bashir, m., kabir, r., & rahman, i. (2016). the value and effectiveness of feedback in improving students’ learning and professionalizing teaching in higher education. journal of education and practice, 7(16), 38– 41. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ej1105282.pdf al-enzy, m., & jesudas, r. (2016). productive oral feedback: a successful tool in english language teaching. ira international journal of education and multidisciplinary studies, 4(2), 317–322. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.21013/jemsv4.n2.p10 24 bahrami, n., soleimani, m., yaghoobzadeh, a., & ranjbar, h. 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(2015). the art of giving online feedback. the journal of effective teaching, 15(1), 34–46. https://files.eric.ed.gov/ fulltext/ej1060438.pdf matthew, b. p. (2020). the role of feedback in classroom instruction. researchgate.net/publication/341001451_the_role_of_feedback_ in_classroom_instruction. merriam, s. (1988). case study research in education: a qualitative approach. jossey-bass. moustakas, c. (1994). phenomenological research methods. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.4135/9781412995658 oxford learning institute (n.d.). guidelines for giving and receiving feedback. https://www.learning.ox.ac.uk/media/global/wwwadminoxacuk/localsites/oxfordlearninginstitute/documents/overview/rsv/guidelines_for_giving_and_receiving_feedback.pdf pennebaker, j., chung, c., frazee, j., lavergne, g., & beaver, d. (2014). when small words foretell academic success: the case of college admissions essays. plos one, 9(12). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0115844 simon, s. (2013). enhancing the english oral communication skills of the 1st year students of the bachelor’s degree program “communication and public relations”. procedia–social and behavioral sciences, 116, 2481–2484. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.596 stenger, m. (2014). research-based tips for providing students with meaningful feedback. http://www.edutopia.org/ tampal, s. k., betasolo, j. a., cumpa, j. q., segundo, j. m., apalisok, a. d., & ablen, a. s. (2019). teachers’ feedback: implications to academic performance and behavior of grade 8 students at north fairview high. ascendens asia singapore – bestlink college of the philippines journal 26 of multidisciplinary research, 1(1). https://ojs.aaresearchindex.com/index.php/aasgbcpjmra/article/view/1071 thorndike, e. (1913). mental work and fatigue and individual differences and their causes. teachers college, columbia university. https://archive.org/details/educationalpsyc10thorgoog/page/n9 university of south carolina (n.d.). importance of providing meaningful student feedback. https://sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/cte/ teaching_resources/grading_assessment_toolbox/providing_meaningful_student_feedback/index.php vancouver island university (2018). excerpts from aahe bulletin of chickering and gamson 1987 seven principles of good practice. https://ciel.viu. ca/teaching-learning-pedagogy/designing-your wong, j., & waring, h. (2009). ”very good” as a teacher. elt journal, 63(3), 195–203. doi:10.1093/elt/ccn042rt.office.co/en-us/article/apa-mlachicago-%e2%80%93-automatically-format-bibliographies-405c207c7070-42fa-91e7-eaf064b14d 27 appendices appendix a letters seeking permission dear sir/madam: greetings in st. la salle! i am evelyn r. obo, a faculty of de la salle university-dasmarinas. i am currently doing research related to giving of feedback to students and i would like to ask your permission if i could conduct my data gathering in your school. my data gathering includes interviews and focus group discussions with your (high school, senior high school, college/university) students. there are six academic institutions from the province of cavite, philippines who will be participating in this study. there will be ten high school student-participants (five from private and five from public high school); there are ten senior high school student-participants (five from private and five from public senior high school); and there are ten college students (five from private and five from state colleges and universities). your school is chosen through fishbowl draw. i sincerely hope that you could accommodate me on this. this is a great endeavor that will help me in my progress as an educator. be assured that you will be provided with a copy of the finished research. attached to this is the questionnaire i intend to use during the interview and focus group discussion with the students. thank you in advance. i shall be willing to come at any time to personally discuss this with you. i am giving my phone numbers and email addresses for our easy communication. smart number : 09202905568 globe number : 09168872333 email adds : erobo@dlsud.edu.ph god bless and more power. respectfully, evelyn r. obo 28 letter to parents dear sir/madam: greetings in st. la salle! i am evelyn r. obo, a faculty of de la salle university-dasmarinas. i am currently doing research related to giving of feedback to students and i would like to ask your permission if you could allow your son/daughter to be part of the study. be assured that all data coming from your child shall be treated in strict confidentiality. your child’s identity shall not be disclosed, and you can terminate the participation of your child anytime during the data gathering without prejudice to him/her. thank you very much. god bless and more power. respectfully, evelyn r. obo 29 appendix b certificate of validation october 10, 2017 this is to certify that the research questionnaire prepared by evelyn obo for her research titled, the role of feedback in the learning process of students, has been validated by the undersigned. glo c. mendoza ernani l. elep validator validator 30 appendix c interview question guide interview questions 1. what are your experiences in receiving positive feedback? 2. what are your experiences in receiving negative feedback? 3. how does feedback, whether positive and negative, affect your learning? 4. how do you think should feedback be given? 5. what is the role of feedback in the students’ learning process? 74 laura maftei adventus university laura.maftei@uadventus.ro language development in early education keywords: preschool, language development, kindergarten, early education _______________________________________________ abstract this article aims to review some of the literature from the past 5 years on the development of language in pre-schoolers. language is one of the fundamental acquisitions that the child makes in the preschool stage. the emotional and cognitive universe of the child is managed through language. since language is one of the essential parameters of the early development of the child, the development of receptive language and expressive language is essential in the first two years of life. children take their first critical steps toward learning to read and write very early in life. children do not learn to read and write automatically, but careful planning and instruction are essential. the factors that influence the development of language in pre-schoolers are manifold. among them, the capacity for emotional self-regulation is associated with high school and social successes. the parent-child interaction can help to acquire a rich linguistic background. playing with adults has a decisive role in children's language development. factors such as the quality of night sleep or the physical and mental well-being of 75 the mother are correlated with a faster acquisition of language skills. book reading, storytelling, and picture books are tools and methods that educators and parents can successfully use in developing preschool language. _______________________________________________ 1. introduction this article discusses the broad topic of language development in early education. the question that this review attempts to answer is under what parameters is language developing in children entering the preschool stage. thus, the objective of the paper is to review a part of the literature of the last 5 years that talks about the factors that influence the development of language in pre-schoolers, with the intention to: • to review the articles published around this topic • present an overview of the cognitive and language development • to identify the essential factors that influence the development of language in pre-schoolers • to present a summary of the empirical research around this topic. to achieve this goal, we accessed google scholar and the ebsco database and entered the following terms: language, development, preschool. the search was limited to date from january 2015 to october 2019. from the total of the articles found, we selected 20 articles on which we decided to focus. the criteria for selecting these articles offered by the databases were: a) to fall within the mentioned period (last five years) b) to match our theme (language development in preschool children) 76 c) to highlight, through empirical research, the factors that influence the development of language and cognition in pre-schoolers. we have grouped the selected articles into several categories: 1. articles that address the link between language development in pre-schoolers and their behaviour. 2. articles that take into account the development of children's language surprised in the family environment rather than in the school environment (influence of mother's well-being, child-parent interaction, reading books, the role of toys in language development, children's sleep and language development, etc.). here, however, i have included a few articles on the development of the language of children under 3 years of age, although they are in the pre-preschool stage. 3. articles referring to the development of children's language in the formal educational environment (kindergartens) 2. the development of language and behaviour in children preschool children and language the years from birth to 5 years old are decisive for the development of the foundations of thought, behaviour and emotional well-being (bakken, brown & downing, 2017). in this essential period, the child develops from the linguistic, cognitive, social, emotional and regulatory skills point of view, which will determine his efficiency in many areas, in adult life (bakken, brown & downing, 2017). “early childhood is a critical period of rapid brain growth and heightened neuroplasticity” because during this period children acquire the most effective language (roberts et al., 2019). lately, there have been profound changes in early education, child development, psychology, language arts, literacy education, etc. although society is experiencing rapid transformations from 77 many points of view, it is essential that disciplines such as child development, psychology, educational psychology, etc. to keep up with these modern changes so fast (saracho, 2017). in child development, preschool is the period between 3 and 6 years. this is one of the stages of intense psychic development in the life of the human being. the dominant activity of the preschool stage remains the game, but it begins to correlate with educational tasks. language is one of the fundamental acquisitions the child makes at this stage. communication is the ability to talk to other people, to understand what they want to convey, to understand the experiences they share, is a social activity based on interaction; it involves sharing experiences, feelings, and activities and is decisive for a healthy life and quality of life (brodin & renblad, 2019). communication is indispensable "for the development of the cognitive functions, processes and human competences, being a kind of fusion of the social and the individual in human existence" (olărescu & ponomari, 2017). the emotional and cognitive universe of the child is managed through language. from the educational program, communication refers to speech and language (brodin & renblad, 2019). language is the main function through which the person realizes the communication. in the uk curriculum, oracy names speaking and listening skills, while literacy is the ability to read and write. on the other hand, language comprises receptive activities (listening & reading) and expressive activities (speaking & writing) (brodin & renblad, 2019). thus, since language is one of the essential parameters of the early development of the child, the development of receptive language and expressive language is essential in the first two years of life (göker, eser & yilmaz, 2019). the history of theories and fundamental scientific discoveries in the field of child development is diverse and complex. over time, reforms in early education have determined several directions of research and we mention only a few: 1. theories of development 78 associated with language, literacy, and cognition; 2. children in early childhood settings; 3. the nature of language training and literacy (saracho, 2017). the biggest changes have occurred in the area of language and literacy. in the following, we will consider an aspect related to the age at which the child should begin formal reading instruction. initially, traditional conceptions (1930-1940) regarding child development argued that children under 6 should not begin formal reading instruction. therefore, preschool educators did not work with any print material in the classroom, because it was considered that they should not put pressure on the children or frustrate them because they are not yet ready to read (saracho, 2017). only after the age of 6 and a half, the first preparations were made for children's literacy. but through the 1960s, it was found that little ones were ready to read earlier and that their previous theories were wrong. as olivia n. saracho shows in the study literacy and language: new developments in research, theory, and practice (2017) citing clay, no result ”suggests that contact with printed language forms should be withheld from a five-year-old child on the ground that he is immature” (clay, 1975, p. 24 next to saracho, 2017). later, towards the 1990s, there were continued studies on the age at which children can learn to write and read; thus, the concept of “emergent literacy”, proposed by clay in the 1960s, was taken into consideration. from that moment on, the curricula provided that preschool children were to be prepared, through language education activities, to acquire the skills to read and to write. subsequently, the concept of emergent literacy was replaced by that of training for reading. family and early education teachers were trained to contribute to finding strategies and activities that involve playing, writing, reading stories, and preparing children for formal literacy. children should be encouraged and motivated to read and write for enjoyment, information, and communication. saracho (2017) emphasizes: “teaching practices must be appropriate, effective, and focus on the young children's 79 developmental attributes, culture, language, and specific learning needs. they need to learn through different, research-based teaching techniques that will support young children's language and literacy development.” following the research conducted by naeyc (national association of education of young children) & ira (international reading association, now the international literacy association, lra), the following findings have been imposed: • “children take their first critical steps toward learning to read and write very early in life. • children do not become literate automatically; careful planning and instruction are essential. • ongoing assessment of children’s knowledge and skills helps teachers plan effective instruction. • no one teaching method or approach is likely to be effective for all children, at all times. • as children move from preschool into kindergarten and the primary grades, instruction focused on phonemic awareness, letter recognition, segmenting words into sounds, and decoding printed text will support later reading competence. • children who are learning english as a second language will become literate more easily if they have a strong foundation in their home language” (naeyc & ira, 2009 apud saracho, 2017). the link between self-regulation and language in preschool children preschool children who receive a quality early education have benefits such as more appropriate behaviours, better social interactions and emotional maturity (bakken, brown & downing, 2017). 80 an important indicator of the assessment of psychic and cognitive development in preschool children is self-regulation. this is an umbrella term that specialists in child psychology use to designate the control and coordination by children of their own socio-emotional and physiological aspects, as well as their cognitive abilities (skibbe, montroy, bowles & morrison, 2018). self-regulation begins to develop from birth and can be observed in children until entering preschool. as children move from home to preschool, it is advantageous for their integration and development to increase their levels of self-regulation (these are skills that can be observed and measured), to cope with learning tasks (puranok, boss & wanless, 2018; bohlmann, maier & palacios, 2015). children who have high levels of self-regulation in certain stages of childhood are more likely to succeed socially and academically throughout their lives, both as children and as adults. behavioral self-regulation is based on the ability of children to adjust their attention, working memory, and inhibitory control, to manage their behavior (skibbe, montroy, bowles & morrison, 2018). self-regulation of emotions not only determines the building of favorable social relationships but is also a forecaster of early literacy (sharkins, leger & ernest, 2017). the authors mentioned, lori e. skibbe, janelle j. montroy, ryan p., and frederick j. morrison, in their recent study (2018) entitled self-regulation and the development of literacy and language achievement from preschool through second-grade addresses this issue of preschool self-regulation, noting that there is older research that shows that higher levels of behavioral self-regulation have been associated with higher levels of literacy achievement in preschool and elementary school. how could we explain this? for example, the attention, which is involved in the self-regulation mechanism, helps the child to follow the didactic instructions. conversely, according to the studies, the children who have low levels of self-regulation present problematic behaviors and 81 difficulties with social relationships, which can have repercussions in the strategies of language development. but the study takes into account a broader perspective, showing how trajectories of self-regulation development (early, intermediate, late) can predict the way literacy and language skills develop from preschool through second grade. to carry out this study, 351 children were studied, who were evaluated twice a year for up to four years to check on indicators of decoding, reading comprehension, phonological awareness, and vocabulary. the results showed that children who had earlier self-regulation skills had higher language and literacy skills throughout preschool to second grades. specifically, previous self-regulation trajectories were „associated with both higher levels and earlier development of both decoding and reading comprehension, but not faster development”. children with early self-regulating trajectories had higher levels of vocabulary than children with intermediate trajectories; however, this result did not differ from the rate or timing of vocabulary development. the findings of the study entitled self-regulation and the development of literacy and language achievement from preschool through second grade (skibbe et al., 2018) shows that kindergarten mechanisms for early self-regulation of children should be encouraged, as they are a forecaster of learning activities of language education and, implicitly, of language development (in addition to the implicit emotional, educational and social benefits). educators could thus work with children who have poor behavioural or school outcomes through the use of small therapeutic playgroups. another observation is worth noting: activities that have more interruptions (greater transitions between activities) decrease the ability of children to achieve selfregulation, while children in better-organized classes have better results. thus, the encouragement of children's behavioural selfregulation depends on educators. the researchers, according to the authors of the article, should consider not only the matter of 82 the level of preparation of children for school but also that of the preparation of teachers to deal with self-regulation abilities that children have when they get to school. we mention two more studies on the same subject; in the relationship between self-regulation and early writing: domainspecific or task-dependent? (cynthia s. puranik, emily boss, shannon wanless, 2018), starting from the finding that research claims that self-regulation plays an important role in early academic skills, such as math and reading, but less so in writing, the authors have proposed to investigate the connection between self-regulation and writing in preschool children. following the experiments, the results recorded a significant link between selfregulation and early writing, with the mention that there are differences in degrees of the writing aspects to which they refer. thus, the relationship between self-regulation and early writing depends on the specific type of task used to measure a certain ability. in another recent study, examining the effects of poverty, maternal depression, and children's self-regulation abilities on the development of language and cognition in early childhood: an early head start perspective (2017), authors sharkins, leger and ernest draw an alarm signal: cognition and socio-emotional development also influence language development. socioemotional development contributes directly and significantly to the development of children's language and indirectly to the development of their cognition. educators working with young children have the task of helping them to control their emotions. from birth to 3 years of age, emotional self-regulation is an essential component of behaviour. it is up to parents and educators to teach children what emotions are; they must be identified and differentiated so that later they can manage them properly (not to take the toys of their colleagues, not to answer before being asked, etc.). therefore, studies converge in this 83 direction: as children grow, their capacity for emotional selfregulation is associated with high school and social successes. 3. development of children's language in the family environment, through non-formal education the child is a social being and needs the help of the adult to fulfill his/her needs. the interactions are decisive for the child, right from birth (brodin & renblad, 2019). the lack of communication with the adult negatively influences the rhythm and level of his psychic development. specialists such as john bowlby, rene spitz, anna freud have emphasized the importance of the mother's relationship with my child so that he or she will have a normal cognitive-linguistic development (olărescu & ponomari, 2017). the role of the parent-child interaction in the development of the child's language the parent-child interaction is decisive for the development of language in the first years of life. (christakis et al., 2019). by interacting with adults, children come into contact with a larger linguistic background and thus learn new words, enhancing their language skills. the role of the adult is to facilitate and expand the use of new words that contribute to language development. (wasik & jacobi-vessels, 2016). only the fact that there are people around the family does not guarantee positive interactions and stimulation of children's language (eun chang, 2017), but there is a need for increased attention to the child's needs to develop their language. the communication experiences in the environment in which a child is raised are decisive: a family in which few words are spoken and they are spoken incorrectly, without an elaborate vocabulary, will be a poor environment for the child, for speech acquisition. it is estimated that there is a gap of 32 million words heard up to the age of four, between a child raised in a language-rich environment and another child in a language-deficient environment. these gaps 84 are even more visible at the time of formal training for reading acquisition (whorrall & cabell, 2015). unfortunately, an obstacle to a deep connection between parent and child is represented by the technological means that parents use, which take up a long time. these devices are used to the detriment of the interaction with their children (and this is not related to the socio-economic status of the parent), and the adverse effects are also seen in the children's language (christakis et al., 2019). most children acquire communication skills (pointing, gesturing) and language skills (saying words, following directions) through interaction with their parents and caregivers. however, not everyone succeeds, due to genetic, environmental, neurological factors, etc., and in this case, we are talking about language impairment, that is, as the authors of this article mention, „persistent difficulty in the acquisition or use of written or spoken language that is substantially below age expectations” (roberts et al., 2019). in the article assessment of a parent-child interaction for language development in children (2019), authors dimitri a. christakis, sarah j. lowry, georgia goldberg, heather violette, and michelle m. garrison begin a study to see if they can determine whether the use of technology by parents, which leads to a decrease in parent-child interaction and, implicitly, to neglect of language development, could be oriented towards increasing parent-child interaction, with the corresponding effects. therefore, the study was applied to infants between the ages of 2 and 18 months, aiming at enriching the linguistic means. the findings of the study underlined that the smartphone applications included in the intervention could enrich the linguistic environment of children from early childhood. (christakis et al., 2019). in the association of parent training with child language development study. a systematic review and meta-analysis (2019), the connection between parent training and language 85 development in young children, who have a certain risk for language impairment is addressed. thus, training parents to implement strategies to help children in language development is vital, as 2 out of 5 children under 5 years have language learning difficulties. (roberts et al., 2019). the conclusions of the mentioned researchers show that there is a positive association between parent training and child language and communication skills. therefore, parent training should play an essential role in the intervention and preventive programs, to enhance communication and language outcomes in children at risk of language delay. the role of games in the development of language in children even in children who do not have a language delay, the importance of the contribution of adults to language development, especially vocabulary, is essential. one way in which the contribution of adults in developing children's language can be exploited is to play with their children (wasik & jacobi-vessels, 2016). the game is a very important activity for the development of young children. through playing games, they explore the world, develop knowledge and accumulate experiences. during the game, they use their imagination and creativity, having to solve problems. the game occupies most of their activities and the game can be „a critical social activity with children playing together and learning how to get along with other children and learning about sharing and negotiating social contracts" (wasik & jacobi-vessels, 2016). in their study, word play: scaffolding language development through child-directed play (2016), barbara a. wasik and jill l. jacobi-vessels discuss strategies that adults can use while playing with children, so to contribute to the formation of the language of the little ones during play, but in a game run by the children themselves. there are different types of games; the most widespread distinction is that between free play (the child plays alone or with other children, without the intervention of any adult) and scaffold 86 play (led by children but under the supervision of an adult) (wasik & jacobi-vessels, 2016). the scaffold play allows adults to increase the linguistic development of children through play activity. scaffold play is also different from the structured game (which is a specific activity, such as a puzzle, playing a board game, etc.). while the play has specific rules and objectives, in scaffold play the adult has specific learning objectives, which he tries to meet with the child, but the child is actively involved, leading the game. by asking questions, adults can create opportunities for children to talk about their actions and ideas during the game, but without interfering with the organization of their game. both free play and scaffold play are suitable activities for children's development (wasik & jacobi-vessels, 2016). the benefits of free play are manifold, contributing to children's learning, self-regulation, and motivation. but playing with adults around him is especially useful for the development of the child and especially the language. adults can thus use „research-based strategies such as asking questions that invite extended responses and inquiry, provide meaningful feedback and effectively use wait time” (wasik & jacobi-vessels, 2016). they create the opportunity for solid interaction between children and adults, by asking questions, answering them, etc. barbara a. wasik and jill l. jacobi-vessels state that some studies say that when children play alone or with their children, they are limited to activities and concepts they already know, which are familiar to them; in contrast, adults who engage in children's play can encourage them to form a richer language, but without the adult taking over the game, instead of the child. there is a distinction between the role of adults in children's play and the impact that adults can have on children's identity and motivation for learning (wasik & jacobi-vessels, 2016). playing with toys also creates contexts that are appropriate for language learning. studies show that a child who manipulates (= handles, touches) toys of different shapes, sizes and colors is 87 required to find and use the appropriate terms, which can be a language challenge for him (verdine et al., 2019). when toys have only one form, children useless language. also, verdine et al. (2019) note that parents tend to use more spatial language with boys than with girls. in their study, effects of geometric toy design on parent-child interactions and spatial language (2019), verdine et al. they presented an experiment involving 60 parents with 3-year-olds, while the little ones played with toys of various geometric shapes. it has been observed how the language varies according to the geometric shapes of the toys. also, the study aimed to differentiate between the effects of tangible toys and those presented on a tablet, with a touch screen. the results led to the following conclusions: although the children could hear more names due to the application, they still used more general words and a richer spatial language for toys with different geometric shapes, which they touched. therefore, the design of toys (shape, size, color) influences the spatial language used by children. instead, applications and other electronic devices for children discourage parent-child dialogue. toys and materials that can be touched and held by children require the use of a richer spatial language and, therefore, a more consistent dialogue between the child and the parent; toys of different shapes, colors and sizes can encourage the comparison of toys and the discovery of their features. this explains why many children do not understand the differences and traits of geometric shapes only when they are learning them at school, probably because they do not encounter toys and objects of various shapes (verdine et al., 2019). the role of sleep in the development of language in preschool children studies say that speech delay is estimated to be between 1 and 32% in children aged 3-16, due to biological and environmental causes (alvarez, saez & borges, 2016). the first years of life contain 88 substantial changes in the development of the human brain. the acquisition and development of language in the preschool phase also depend, (besides factors such as parent-child interaction, handling of toys of various shapes and colours, playing with adults, etc., see above), and the duration and quality of sleep (alvarez, saez & borges, 2016). human beings are sensitive to the duration of the sleep interval because adequate night sleep is necessary for humans to be efficient in the daytime range. even more, children, because they are subject to growth processes, need a wellorganized and quality night sleep. studies show that the development of language is particularly vulnerable to the organization of the sleep-wake state: firstly, insufficient sleep can hinder the process of memory involved in early language learning; secondly, sleep, through its complex role for the human body, can influence the organization of vital systems, such as those involved in learning (alvarez, saez & borges, 2016). therefore, the proper functioning of the sleep-wake cycles determines the efficiency of the regulation of attention and language processes during social interaction, which allows it to acquire a complex language. since the 1980s, sleep disorders have greatly increased in children and adolescents due to the rapid development of technological means. this fact has an impact on learning skills and memory, especially in children. in the study influencia de los habitos de sueno en el desarrollo del lenguaje en preescolares (2016), ileana valdivia alvarez, zenaida maria saez, and gisela abadal identified the risk factors associated with sleep-related habits, which may determine the primary language delay at preschool. the experiment from the base of the study consisted of the participation of 73 children between the ages of 2 and 5, who asked for specialized help to remedy the language delay; this study group was compared with a control group made up of healthy children. the period of the experiment was 2010-2014. the results of the experiment led to the following conclusions: the respective children recorded a small 89 number of hours asleep at night, frequent night awakening, less team play habits, used to watch tv before falling asleep, there were many electronic devices in the child's room, frequent nocturnal enuresis, and feelings of fear. in conclusion, the risk factors for language delay in children are a period of nocturnal sleep less than 10 hours, more than 2 hours of frequent night awakening, the habit of watching tv before sleep, the presence of tv in the child's room, as well as the habit of the child to move to the parents' bed at night (alvarez, saez & borges, 2016). given this situation, which is not to be overlooked, it is the parents' responsibility to establish and strengthen healthy sleep habits. otherwise, the repercussions can be encountered at the level of psycho-somatic, cognitive-linguistic development, etc., stopping the development of the memory processes involved in early language learning. the medical recommendations establish a number of 10.5 -18 hours of sleep in new-borns and 12-14 hours in children up to 3 years (alvarez, saez & borges, 2016) „the connection between the brain and sleep is vital, as the wake-sleep states have a great influence on the central nervous system: insufficient sleep consolidation in the first two years of life can be a risk factor in language learning, through genetic and environmental influences. it is necessary to establish adequate sleep habits, routines that facilitate the sleep-wake transition, according to the american association of pediatrics (aap), which proposes to regulate activities that are performed in the hours provided for sleep, for a healthy sleep and the development of children in the preschool stage” (our translation) (alvarez, saez & borges, 2016). the role of reading, storytelling and picture books in the development of pre-school language as we have seen so far, the factors involved in the development of language in children are multiple. another factor that the studies took into consideration and subjected to research is reading, 90 respectively picture books for children. studies such as parents' early book reading to children: relation to children's later language and literacy outcomes controlling for other parent language input (demir-lira, applebaum, goldin-meadow & levine, 2018) show that parent-child book reading interactions lead to positive results of subsequent literacy: ”the quantity of parent book reading predicts important child language and literacy outcomes, controlling for parent language input outside the book reading context, the child's contribution to book reading interactions, overall child talk, and parent socioeconomic background.” also, the present study has shown that parents use, during book reading, a more complex and syntactically diverse vocabulary than parent's language outside of the book reading context (demir-lira, applebaum, goldin-meadow & levine, 2018). in the article review shared picture book reading interventions for child language development: a systematic review and metaanalysis (2019), researchers nicholas dowdall, lynne murray, leila hartford, g.j. melendez torres, frances gardner, and peter j. cooper follow the impact of dialogic book-sharing interventions on the language development of young children. children's picture books help children with language development. books with pictures, in that they represent the essential features of an object or action repeatedly, facilitate the acquisition of the represented notions. the acquisition is also encouraged by the fact that, unlike the occasional presentation of phenomena in real life (actions, emotions, etc.), these images can be reviewed by the child whenever he wishes. images also provide the opportunity for more complex conceptual elaboration, such as reflecting on the meaning of actions and their causes, and the intentions and perspectives of the characters (murray, 2014 apud dowdall et al., 2019). other studies have shown that, compared to other activities, such as games or mealtime, presenting books allows mothers to sort objects more frequently, which again helps children. 91 despite the benefits of picture books, there are certain impediments to using this educational medium: access to such books and material is sometimes expensive, and this is not to be neglected, as long as studies show that reading frequency in picture books is a strong predictor of language development. another disadvantage is that parents do not always use the best techniques to encourage the development of language in children, in the book-sharing context (dowdall et al., 2019). therefore, some aspects condition the benefits of such means (children's picture books): the quality of the interaction, asking open-ended questions, providing encouragement and praise for child participation. “finally, interactive book-sharing facilitates caregiver engagement in a talk, where the discussion extends beyond the content or pictures in the book to concepts that are novel and unfamiliar to the child.” in conclusion, the research result shows that “shared reading interventions targeted at parents have a small positive effect on both the expressive and receptive language of children” (dowdall et al., 2019). taking note that speech and communication are considered as basic benchmarks in the development of the preschool child, here are the objectives pursued by the teachers in the development of the language in preschoolers, as they are formulated, for example, in swedish education (brodin & renblad, 2019). o “to be able to differentiate shades of meaning in concepts o to develop the ability to listen, reflect and express their views o to develop their use of spoken language, vocabulary and concepts, ask questions, and argue and communicate with others, o to develop an interest in written language, understand symbols, pictures, texts, and different media 92 o to develop their creative abilities” (lpfö, 1998/rev. 2010 apud brodin & renblad, 2019). in the preschool stage, many children have language and speech disorders, needing support. that is why, in the study improvement of preschool children's speech and language skills (2019), authors jane brodin & karin renblad aim to find out whether and how reading aloud and storytelling can contribute to developing of communication skills in preschoolers when many researchers claim that these are very effective tools for developing language in children. thus, researchers (ziolkowski & goldstein, 2008, coauthor of brodin & renblad, 2019) show that those children who are late in language development can recover the literacy deficit if they receive help. also, children whose parents encourage children's reading activities gain greater phonological sensitivity and develop their vocabulary faster than children with whom there is no interest and support in language development. reading aloud is a benchmark for the development of language in children is a critical factor in reading and subsequent academic achievement (lennox, 2013 beside brodin & renblad, 2019). pedagogical competence is very important, as well as the ability to select books or the quality of the interactions that concern the books. the role of the teacher is thus important for literacy learning. the findings of this study confirm that reading aloud and storytelling can indeed be effective ways to stimulate communication in children. but the role of the teacher is essential: he must know how to select materials and books and how to carry out reading activities for children. furthermore, reading aloud must be followed by other activities, such as discussion of what is read, content and images, etc. otherwise, children's vocabulary will not necessarily improve (brodin & renblad, 2019). 93 the mental and emotional health of the mother and the development of the child's language when we talk about the process of education or about developing a child's ability, the factors that contribute to the increase, improvement or stagnation of the process are numerous. the child does not grow up alone, however keen he may be for one skill or another. he needs interaction with adults and those of his age. within the non-formal education, within the family, the child's relationship with his parents or caregivers plays a fundamental role in all his growth and successes, for any acquired or increased ability, as well as for the possible delays in his development. the attitude and behavior of the caregiver are essential for the harmonious development of the child. some unfavorable conditions for its development, such as maternal depression or emotional neglect, negatively affect the child's emotional selfregulation and control of his/her dispositions (sharkins, leger & ernest, 2017). the researches carried out around the relationship between the maternal factor and the development of language in the young child are numerous; thus, in a recent article, the relationship between preschool children's language development and their mother's depression and anxiety symptoms: a crosssectional study (2019), researchers zeynep göker, havva eser and arzu yilmaz, hypothesizing that mothers of 12-75 months old children that were late in language development have more symptoms of depression and anxiety than mothers of children with normal language development, shows that the mother's depression symptoms hurt their children's development. in such situations, the recommendation is that the mothers of children with language delay should undergo a psychiatric evaluation to detect any symptoms of depression. fortunately, according to the same study, it was shown that the mother's anxiety symptoms did not affect the development of children's language (göker, eser & yilmaz, 2019). 94 sometimes, the mother needs help from family, friends, and community to manage the stress caused by the role of mother (especially if the mother also has a job), to increase her competence in raising the child and to give the child an environment more favorable to his/her development. social assistance is defined as “the social resources that a person perceives to be available or that is provided to them by nonprofessionals in the context of both formal support groups and informal helping relationships. social support, which can take a range of forms: instrumental, emotional, informational, companionate and esteem support, can be formal (professional) or informal (family)” (eun chang, 2017). when parents are supported and have consistent emotional and psychological resources, 'they are more likely to be stimulating in their parenting, which may, in turn, predict better language development for the child' (eun chang, 2017). pathways from mothers 'early social support to children's language development at age 3 is the title of a study by young eun chang in 2015 and published in 2017, on the relationships between mothers' early social support, maternal psychological well-being, the home learning environment and children's language skills at age of 3, in korean families. following this study, the findings show that "social support cannot only positive effects on the home learning environment, but can also indirectly enhance the home environment through its positive effect on maternal psychological well-being. the findings also empirically confirm the social support framework proposed by other researchers, who suggested there would be multiple pathways from the mother's social support to children's development” (eun chang, 2017). however, a strong link between social support and the language competence (receptive and expressive) of the child has not been confirmed, despite previous studies. this study, conducted with children between the ages of 1 and 3, confirms only a weak link between social support and expressive vocabulary, but no significant connection with receptive 95 language skills. on the other hand, we should note two aspects, as mentioned limits of the study: social assistance granted to mothers is a contextual factor and it is not obligatory to be constant throughout this period; and this study only takes into account the experiment done with the help of korean mothers (eun chang, 2017). regarding the family environment and its influence on children's language development, it has been found that factors associated with poverty, including family income and parental education level, can adversely affect children's language and cognitive development; instead, it has an impact on the results of the children throughout their school life. also, environmental factors such as the social-emotional well-being of the mother and children influence the early development of the child (sharkins, leger & ernest, 2017). research shows that those children who are economically disadvantaged have deficiencies in their ability to read because they have limited access to home educational resources such as books, educational games, toys, or outdoor educational experiences, such as visits to zoos or museums, etc. (bakken, brown & downing, 2017). in these cases, limiting access to literature determines the limitations of other types. however, although the economic shortcomings of the family may impact on early childhood development through appropriate interventions (see the opportunity project (top) early learning centers, ”a charitable project in a midwestern us state that only operates through public / private partnerships”, bakken, brown & downing, 2017) can help poor families by providing preschoolers with learning opportunities; the researches carried out regarding the above-mentioned project showed that it had long-term benefits: after 5 years, the children who benefited from this program had educational, social and emotional success (bakken, brown & downing, 2017). studies of this kind show that the earlier the mind, the health and the emotions of the children intervene, the greater the long-term benefits; and the gain is very valuable: appropriate 96 behaviours, establishing effective relationships, positive social interaction, emotional maturity (bakken, brown & downing, 2017). 4. development of children's language in the formal educational environment (kindergartens) in the formal educational environment, the educator has an overwhelming role in the learning experiences of the preschoolers. for example, according to empirical research, teachers' years of experience are related to children's english writing skills, because teacher preparation has a positive effect on children's outcomes while learning english and one more language (ramirez, ferron & lopez, 2018). other studies point out that „candidates who dared to opt for primary education seem to be better prepared than the candidates who have opted for preschool education” (spătărelu, 2015) and therefore need to invest more in teaching staff (spătărelu, 2017). being an educator of preschoolers is a huge challenge because the stakes are enormous. a study conducted in romania shows the main dilemmas of youth who finish college and are preparing to enter primary and pre-school education as teachers or educators (spătărelu, 2019). studies show that children with lower levels of language development tend to stay the same even when they grow older. for example, melby-lervag et al. (2012) shows that children with poorer vocabulary at 4 years old are registered with lower levels of language proficiency and at the age of 5, 6 and 7 years and that they also have a higher risk of having difficulty (melby-lervag et al., 2012 apud, 2018). encouraging the development of preschoolers' oral language is crucial for the subsequent acquisition of the ability to read. educators should be careful not to miss out on opportunities to engage children in different types of conversations through which they learn to express themselves (rich vocabulary, closed and open questions, the use of cognitively stimulating discussion topics). educators can consider not only the formal activities of language development (conversation, 97 memorizing, storytelling) but also the informal ones, which children choose and lead. thus, an article signed by the authors j. whorrall and s.q. cabell and titled supporting children's oral language development in the preschool classroom (2015) argues that, during children's activities in the various centers of interest, the educator can build dialogues with the little ones, asking questions and waiting for answers. with such prerequisites, reading will be learned faster. the educator can use any seemingly insignificant opportunity to develop the child's language, by interacting with each child individually; during mealtime, during the preparation for sleep or during unstructured activities, the child may be asked about what he likes, what he senses, what he feels. he may be asked to tell or describe something. any other moments at kindergarten can become occasions of non-formal conversation between the child and the educator. unfortunately, there are often obstacles such as too many children one group or in one class of students and, as the studies show, the teacher is prevented from giving each child an active role in the teaching process (spătărelu, 2017). we note, briefly, some useful observations in improving the educator's contribution to the development of preschooler's language: • the elaborated vocabulary also supports the development of the language. the educator can carefully introduce a new word, explaining it by synonyms or antonyms; but the educator must make sure it has been understood by the children. • both the number of words known by children how children know these new words is important; the brain organizes words into an interconnected cognitive network. • children should have control over the topics in the conversation; in this way, there is a certain diversity and 98 lexical complexity, through wider statements and more varied words. • repeating words in different contexts favors the development of language. • cognitive stimulating conversations cause the child to use explanations, expositions, sharing ideas and opinions (whorrall & cabell, 2015). improving the odds: identifying language activities that support the language development of preschoolers with poorer vocabulary skills, by aste m. hagen is another study published in 2018, which attempts to determine which language activities involve preschoolers in norway. specifically, this study aims to analyze educators' practices regarding preschoolers' language and to find out what kind of preschoolers' language education activities are a predictor of language comprehension. therefore, following the 71 interviews, 6 categories of language activities were identified: a) daily reading of a book by the teacher (here, the time has varied). b) stimulating language in everyday situations (unstructured play, meals, dressing, etc.) some preschoolers said that it is more important for them to do so than during structured and teacherled activities. one educator said that „we don't have any structured language activities; we believe it is more important to stimulate language all the time, every day.” c) small playgroup with adult support. one educator said that „most language stimulation happens during play”. d) regular use of language games. e) vocabulary training. f) school preparation groups. the educators pursued teaching social skills, pre-mathematical skills, phonological skills, and language comprehension. also, extracurricular activities were 99 taken into consideration: visits to the library, to the theater, etc. (hagen, 2018). the results showed that after one year, preschoolers who were read to daily had a better understanding of the language than those who were not read to daily. daily reading is an independent predictor of preschool children's language comprehension because it offers preschoolers the opportunity to be exposed to rich language and to encounter words with contextual meaning in stories. some studies mentioned by the author of the study in question state that both the quality of a book and how the book is read influences language and literacy more than book reading per se, although this study did not take into account the quality of the books read. in conclusion, the study finds the empiric importance of daily reading in kindergarten, to develop the language skills of preschoolers. of the 71 classrooms taken into account for the investigation, only 20 implemented this activity daily. the author of this study states that, despite the challenging task of pursuing several aspects of children's development simultaneously, the categorical recommendation is for preschoolers to be exposed to reading activity daily for at least 10-20 minutes (hagen, 2018). 5. conclusions both parents and educators and, in general, all the people involved in the development of the child should attach major importance to the development of the child's language in the preschool stage. stimulating language in everyday situations, at home and in kindergarten, in familiar or new contexts, informal or non-formal learning situations lays the foundations for subsequent reading and writing skills. the development of language in the preschool stage is a predictive factor for later school skills. 100 reference bakken, l., brown, n., & downing, b. 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(2008). effects of an embedded phonological awareness intervention during repeated book reading on preschool children with language delays. journal of early intervention, 31(1), 67-90. journal of educational studies volume 5, number 1, 2023, pp. 101–131 101 the curriculum in a christian school: what makes it christ-centered ebenezer danquah1 abstract the demand for christ-like character that transforms society has made christian education more relevant in the 21st century. moral decadence is rife, giving rise to the call for religion in the curriculum (donovan, 2017). a christ-centered curriculum is inevitable if students are to develop faith and the character of christ through the integration of content and pedagogy. however, there is little information available concerning what makes the curriculum christ-centered (dernlan, 2013). the purpose of the study was to explore what makes the curriculum christ-centered in a christian school. the developmental faith theory by fowler (1981) and corroborated by love and talbolt (2000). it states that students are influenced by the academic environment where the curriculum serves as a pillar to the foundation of faith. this case study used data gathered through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, observation, and document analysis. the study was conducted at an international christian high school in southeast asia. a total of 13 individual participants and 2 groups participated in this study. the data analysis was done by identifying patterns and themes, noting links and differences to the forming of concepts explaining the case study. the findings indicated that a curriculum based on christ makes it christ-centered. the character of the curriculum designers is molded by christ who has a vision of building good student character. christ-centered curriculum content has a connection with christ and is founded on faith. teachers who teach such a curriculum must show good character and help high school students to develop faith. keywords curriculum, christ-centered, christian school, case study, high school students, integrating content and pedagogy, faith 1 ebenezer danquah, phd, valley view university, accra, ghana, edanquah@vvu.edu.gh 102 introduction one of the main aims of teaching is to boost the understanding and learning of students. integrating the content and pedagogy of a christ-centered curriculum in the classroom can help students learn, understand the biblical worldview, and develop faith in christ (manning, 2012; smith, 2018). a christ-centered curriculum is based on a biblical worldview of christ (scifo, 2018). the biblical worldview of christ means that the contents of the whole curriculum should be based on and explained using the bible (flynt, flor, & overstreet, 2017; garcia-huidobro, 2017; scifo, 2018). a christ-centered curriculum is, therefore, made up of a series of materials based on a biblical worldview of christ, required for a christian school to lay the foundation of learning (boeve, 2012; harris, 2004; scifo, 2018). there is a general call for society to revert to values that lead to the development of civic virtues such as faithfulness and service for the good of society and care for others (barb, 2017; hartley, 2004; kaźmierczak, 2017). the call is epitomized in a statement by donovan (2017) who remarked, “indeed, the court itself has suggested that there might be room for religion in the curriculum” (p. 210). he was discussing how religion could be re-introduced in the curriculum of public schools after it was outlawed some years back in the united states by the courts. private christian institutions have religion in their curriculum and can lead the call to christlikeness. but there is still a need for christian schools to strengthen their role in helping students in their faith development (hartley, 2004). a well-thought-out plan of christian education can work better through a christ-centered curriculum (hoffman, 2018). many christian schools have a well-thought-out mission statement, but an impeccable mission statement alone cannot develop faith in students (fuller & johnson, 2014). christian 103 schools must engage in thorough planning of their curriculum and pedagogy to reach their goals. anything less than that is putting into jeopardy the aim of establishing the school (dernlan, 2013). the problem is that a christ-centered curriculum has not been well-defined in many christian institutions leading to its misapplication in such institutions. there is also little information available concerning what makes the curriculum christ-centered (dernlan, 2013). this has led to the use of any curriculum in many christian institutions, whether christ-centered or not. the purpose of the study is to explore what actually makes the curriculum christ-centered in a christian school. high school students, in their adolescence age, are more inclined to build their faith as depicted by the developmental faith theory by fowler (1981) and corroborated by love and talbolt (2000). during the adolescence stage, most high school students are greatly influenced by the academic environment where the teacher plays a vital role as a spiritual guide and the curriculum as a pillar to the foundation of faith (banez, 2016; christie & christian, 2012). fowler (1981) proposed that faith development evolves in stages in the lives of humans. stage three of fowler’s (1981) theory states that personal belief, identity, and faith development, are influenced by relationships formed with either peers or teachers who are outside the family. this makes a christ-centered curriculum a pillar in christian education. review of literature an important part of research is reviewing related literature to the current study. this gives a supportive base and builds on existing knowledge. this section deals with the literature related to this study. 104 what makes a curriculum christ-centered curriculum can be described in many ways. english (2010) describes the curriculum as “the content of schooling in all its forms” (p. 4). the curriculum is the total learning opportunities and student experiences that happen in an educational environment (hall & smyth, 2016; hollingsworth, 2017). it is the lessons of academic content espoused in an educational institution or in a particular course or program (beck, 2018). whiles young (2013) says curriculum gives knowledge, brings about development, and gives meaning and hope to humanity, pinar (2011) sees curriculum differently and describes it as what can be recollected in the past, what the present holds, and what the future will be for humans. curriculum can be said to be a plan for learning in schools or all other activities in a school where students learn. a curriculum serves as a source of knowledge obtained from, and about the past, so that future generations can develop the knowledge gained and improve upon it (maudlin, 2014; young, 2013). the curriculum is very important for the running of any academic institution. it determines the success or otherwise of students in their learning. through the curriculum, students are able to cultivate knowledge that makes them useful to their communities, thereby achieving the goal of education. in view of this, a curriculum must have a series of materials with good guidelines as teaching aids (barn & mahdany, 2017; beck, 2018; guzman, 2015; maudlin, 2014; pinar, 2011; young, 2013). for such a curriculum to become christ-centered, it must be based on a biblical worldview of christ. the biblical worldview of christ means that the contents of the whole curriculum should be based on, and explained using the teachings of the bible about christ (flynt et al., 2017; garcia-huidobro, 2017; scifo, 2018). schultz and swezey (2013) on the other hand describe a christ-centered curriculum as measured “by a lifestyle of character, leadership, service, stewardship, and 105 worship” (p. 228). in their view, a christ-centered curriculum affects every aspect of a student’s life and can help them to develop faith. van der walt (2012) gives a different meaning of what constitutes a christ-centered curriculum. he says that a christcentered curriculum is a stewardship. according to him, a stewardship christ-centered curriculum should teach students to care for their neighbors instead of focusing on the academic score they will receive in school. van der walt (2012) is of the opinion that the greatest achievement of student learning is acquiring knowledge to live a life of value centered on finding their purpose, to which they have been called to lead. according to knight (2016), a christ-centered curriculum goes beyond just having a religion class separately from other classes. a christ-centered curriculum requires that all subjects should be taught in the light of an existing god who has revealed himself to humans through jesus christ. christ is integrated into every aspect of the school curriculum, presenting him as the center of all knowledge. christ must permeate the entirety of the curricula (boeve, 2012; flynt et al., 2017; garcia-huidobro, 2017). finally, when a curriculum is made christ-centered, it ultimately encourages students to build a relationship with god that prepares them for service to humans on this earth and in the future world expected to be established by christ (white, 1952). different descriptions by various authors on what makes a curriculum christ-centered have been espoused, but the idea of white (1948) in proper education aligns with this study on what a christ-centered curriculum means. she explained that the curriculum should be centered on christ. when the curriculum is based on christ, students will be balanced in their training of head, heart, and hand (anderson, 1975; greenleaf, 2005; white, 1948). the purpose of education will then be fulfilled as students defend the teachings of the bible about christ. 106 christ-centered curriculum and integration of faith and learning a christ-centered curriculum and integration of faith and learning are all geared towards impacting learners in their worldview of faith (beardsley-hardy, 2017; daniels & gustafson, 2016; knight, 2017; white, 1952). the end product of the two seeks to transform the lives of students and draw them closer to christ (daniels & gustafson, 2016; guptill, 2004; larson & larson, 1992; wilkerson, 2015). a christ-centered curriculum and integration of faith and learning are important and needed in the classroom to aid teachers in positively impacting the faith of students (schultz & swezey, 2013). christ-centered curriculum as already stated, what makes a curriculum christ-centered; the curriculum must have series of materials with good guidelines as a teaching aid (barn & mahdany, 2017; beck, 2018; guzman, 2015; maudlin, 2014; pinar, 2011; young, 2013). the materials must be based on a biblical worldview of christ. the contents of the materials that form the curriculum should be based on and explained using the teachings of the bible (flynt et al., 2017; garcia-huidobro, 2017). a christcentered curriculum is, therefore, made up of a series of materials based on a biblical worldview of christ, required for a christian school to lay the foundation of learning (boeve, 2012; harris, 2004; scifo, 2018). the learning is expected to result in faith development in students in the school (schultz & swezey, 2013). as students develop in faith, they are prepared and enabled to experience the christian faith and develop the character of christ (semenye, 2013). integration of faith and learning the term integration of faith and learning (ifl) has been widely used by protestants and catholics to describe christian 107 education (beck, 2008). the emergence of ifl was in response to the lack of biblical truth in the curriculum of christian schools in the united states, after the second world war (badley, 1994; beck, 2008; clark, johnson, & sloat, 1991). ifl was meant to address the shortcoming in christian education (badley, 1994; beck, 2008; clark et al., 1991; glanzer, 2008; jacobsen, jacobsen, & sawatsky, 2004; marsden, 1994; ponyatovska, 2015; ribera, 2012; thomas, 2011). the term ifl was coined by gaebelein (1968) to describe christian education (badley, 2009). various definitions of ifl and what it involves have been given by christian educators from different groups of denominations (akers & moon, 1980; gaebelein, 1968; glanzer, 2008; korniejczuk, 1994; nwosu, 1999; ribera, 2012). but ifl for this study is based on rasi’s (2000) definition from the sda perspective. he says that ifl is a “deliberate and systematic process of approaching the entire educational enterprises, both curricular and co-curricular from a biblical christian perspective” (rasi, 2000, p. 40). this definition makes it clear that ifl transcends classroom activities. the learning and training of students in all school activities are connected to christ so that whatever contents are learned becomes an integral part of the student’s life-long experience of faith. faith and learning are naturally intertwined (badley, 1994; white, 1952). in making ifl practical, taylor (2005) mentions four instructional strategies, which can be employed by teachers for effective learning of students. the first strategy is contextual, which has three methods, (a) tactical, (b) ornamental, and (c) environmental. tactically, ifl takes place when the policy, philosophy, and academic programs of a christian school are formulated biblically (taylor, 2005). when school classrooms, bulletin boards, and pavements are all well decorated with biblical quotations and pictures, the ornamental strategies are fully utilized to portray christ (taylor, 2005). 108 environmental strategies happen when the relationship between teachers and students is cordial, healthy, and peaceful. the peaceful atmosphere becomes conducive to faith development (taylor, 2005; wilkerson, 2015). the second strategy listed by taylor (2005) is illustrative, which involves (a) analogous, (b) narrative, and (c) exemplary. analogous is when ifl practitioners use spiritual and professional linkage in their teaching just like jesus who used parables when he taught. when biblical stories are told to relate to what is being studied inside or outside the classroom, the narrative strategy has been used (roller, 2013). the exemplary strategy happens when the ifl teacher is a good model for the students just like jesus was a model to his followers (taylor, 2005; wilkerson, 2015). the teacher’s attitude and behavior are closely watched by students who tend to imitate him or her. the teacher’s good example for the students can shape their lives for the future. the conceptual strategy, which is the third on the list, has (a) textual, (b) thematic, and (c) valuative strategies. the textual strategy involves using bible passages to illustrate an important point in the contents being taught. the thematic strategy is when students can critically think and form worldviews that are christ-centered about the subject being discussed (roller, 2013; taylor; 2005). in the valuative strategy, topics that are controversial, such as abortion or euthanasia could be researched by students from different angles, and the reason behind each angle is discussed in terms of biblical principles. their ethical reasoning will help them to develop a biblical position (taylor, 2005). the last strategy, which is experiential includes (a) personal, (b) inter-relational, and (c) declarative. when students are encouraged to have a personal relationship with god through chapel services, counseling sessions, and personal time with god, a personal strategy has been employed (roller, 2013; taylor, 2005; wilkerson, 2015). through inter 109 relationships with others, students can collaborate in their learning to become effective. finally, the declarative strategy happens when students can witness to others what they have been able to learn in school. when students are convinced about a subject discussed, they become excited to share their new knowledge with others (wilkerson, 2015). summary of christ-centered curriculum and integration of faith and learning given what has been discussed in this section concerning christ-centered curriculum and ifl, it is explicit that both are the same. a christ-centered curriculum is made up of a series of materials based on christ, required for a christian school to lay the foundation of learning (scifo, 2018). on the other hand, ifl builds on the foundation established in the christcentered curriculum to include instructional strategies needed to impart knowledge in curricular and co-curricular activities from a biblical point of view (rasi, 2000). methodology a well-planned methodology ensures that an organized approach is followed in the course of conducting a study since specific content is outlined by the researcher (wa-mbaleka, 2018). the content outlined for this study includes the following components: (a) research design, (b) research context, (c) sample and sampling procedure, (d) description of the participants, (e) data collection methods, (f) data collection procedures, (g) data analysis, (h) trustworthiness, and (i) ethical considerations. the aim of this study is to explore what makes a curriculum a christ-centered one. the methodology that was used for this study was qualitative. qualitative research today presents researchers with an alternative to the traditional form of research, which is quantitative (creswell, 2008). the design for this study was a case 110 study. case study research is the study of cases within a reallife bounded system over time through comprehensive data collection using different sources of information (creswell, 2013). research context this study was done at a high school in southeast asia. the study explored what makes the curriculum christ-centered. given the ethical considerations behind this study, the high school was not mentioned. the boundary of this case study was an international christian high school. sample and sampling procedure the main participants of this study were made up of 4 renowned educators who are curriculum specialists and have been using a christ-centered curriculum for many years in teaching and mentoring teachers. they were interviewed about their experiences in developing a christ-centered curriculum. similarly, 4 teachers from the selected high school who have been trained and using christ-centered curriculum and have the knowledge of the content of an academic subject including the skill to teach to the understanding of students, were interviewed and observed during teaching for a month. the selected teachers, with at least a first degree in education, were all christians dedicated to the training of adolescents to know christ. to ensure that what they do enhances faith formation or otherwise, 4 high school students from grades 11 and 12 were interviewed and 2 focus group discussions, made up of 6 high school students in each group of the selected high school teachers were also conducted. the teachers and students used in this study come from the same high school. their school is established and managed by the educational institution where all the mentors work. finally, the curriculum administrator of 111 the selected high school was interviewed to ascertain how a christ-centered curriculum is put together. purposive sampling was used to select participants from the different categories. purposeful sampling in case study research helps the researcher to select and learn from the most promising participants on the phenomenon under study. this is because they have knowledge of the phenomenon and could answer questions satisfactorily (merriam, 2009). for this purpose, the criteria for selecting mentors as participants of this study was by their experience of using a christ-centered curriculum and mentoring teachers for 10 years or more. in addition, teachers who had 5 years of teaching experience and students in grades 11 and 12 were selected to take part in this study. data collection methods data collection methods in qualitative case studies are multiple. the data collection methods include interviews, observation, document and record analysis, and physical artifacts (creswell, 2013). to test the acceptability of the interview protocol and guide, a pilot test was conducted with three participants who were not part of this study but with interest in a christ-centered curriculum. the pilot test helped me know where to probe for more clarification during the interview with participants of this study. trustworthiness trustworthiness indicates how a researcher is able to convince readers that the findings of the study are credible. trustworthiness, therefore, deals with the validity and reliability of the research undertaken to prove to the reader that the data analyzed has credibility (lincoln & guba, 2000). the study underwent five attributes of credibility, transferability, 112 dependability, consistency, and confirmability to ensure its trustworthiness. data analysis qualitative case study research gathers a large amount of raw data. it is, therefore, important to keep the data in a planned and timely manner. creswell (2013) maintains that doing a case study analysis comprises giving a comprehensive description of the case and its setting. he emphasized that if the description follows a pattern of events, the multiple data sources can be analyzed to show how the case developed. all the data were coded, and preliminary meaning was generated. the data analysis was done by identifying patterns and themes, noting links and differences to the forming of concepts explaining the case study (stake, 2010). results a christ-centered curriculum, as the name depicts, must have christ at its center. the participants of this study, however, expressed diverse views on — what makes curriculum christ-centered. in their responses, they explained that a christ-centered curriculum is about the bible, christ, the teacher’s character, and faith. the theme that emerged was christ in all spheres. the theme emanating from the data was christ in all spheres. the participants were of the view that aside from the curriculum, every possible avenue should be centered on christ so that the development of faith in high school students could become possible. this theme is supported by the theory of the theological-psychological approach (loder, 1998). the theory states that adolescents develop faith and their identity at that level of age; hence, a curriculum with christ at its center will help high school students who are mostly adolescents to establish a good spiritual foundation. to buttress the point 113 that christ should be showcased in all spheres, participants said a christ-centered curriculum is made possible through, (a) christ as the center of the curriculum, (b) character building, (c) character of the curriculum designer, (d) connection of the curriculum content with christ, (e) foundation of faith, and (f) teacher’s character. the above categories according to participants ensure that christ permeates every aspect of the class. christ as the center of the curriculum referencing christ plays an important role in a christ-centered curriculum. biblical references to christ are needed if the curriculum is to be centered on christ (vanden, 2016). this fact was emphasized by mentor 1. according to mentor 1, christ being at the center of the curriculum ensures that a teacher incorporates christ in all avenues in class. biblical relationships in the content, the way it points christ throughout is a very deliberate way of including integration in the written work, in the course outline, the objectives, the lesson plans, if it’s an online class throughout the lecture that you write, throughout the places that you can incorporate biblical ideas of christ and belief systems into the written curriculum. (folder 1, idi-m1, p. 1) on his part, the curriculum administrator stated that the goodness of jesus should pervade every aspect of the curriculum including the whole school. when jesus is magnified in all aspects of a school, there is christ-centeredness (gabriel, woolford-hunt, & hooley, 2016). jesus should pervade every aspect of the school. jesus and his teachings are talked about and practiced in every classroom, in every lesson, in every aspect of the school, especially in the high school. (folder 2, idi-ca, p. 1) to prove that a christ-centered curriculum has christ as its center, the curriculum administrator produced a science textbook, which had many bible quotations referencing christ. 114 the themes in the textbook were linked with bible themes to provide a biblical explanation of the lessons in the textbook. a bible quotation in the science textbook provided by the curriculum administrator to support lessons on creation read, the bible says in isa 43:1 that god has redeemed us and calls us by name. (folder 5, dag, ca, p.19, 1st para.) throughout the science textbook provided by the curriculum administrator, bible text references were provided to explain the biblical worldview of the themes of the curriculum. teacher 4 was emphatic on how the bible was used in his class. he stated that biblical principles guided every lesson he taught in class because it will be of benefit to the students in the future. when i teach the class, i make sure that there is truly a biblical principle in every lesson i teach. if students should ask the question, why do i include some biblical principles in the bible, even though i don’t teach bible subjects, i explain to them that what they learn is not temporary but it’s for the future. (folder 2, idi-t4, p. 19) in my observation notes on how teacher 4 taught in class, i recorded that he was, always making reference to the bible and christ, and instilling values in the lives of the students. (folder 5, og-t4, p. 18) this statement buttressed the point teacher 4 made, that when he teaches, he made sure that the principles of the bible are included in his lessons (manning, 2012). confirming that biblical values were made part of their lessons in class, some student participants of this study mentioned that when a christ-centered curriculum is being taught in class, they see it as god’s character being reflected. christian education is like an education that reflects god’s character or the teaching of the bible, an education that 115 reflects god’s character and teaching of christ-like character. (folder 3, idi-fgd, s1, g12, p. 17) it sounds good and cool to see that someone is able to put together the bible and what we have learned in class. (folder 3, idi-s1, g11, p.1) supporting the assertion that when the bible is at the center of the curriculum with an emphasis on christ, it becomes christ-centered, cafferky (2017) made it clear that “through its grand themes, the bible presents a foundation for learning in all disciples” (p. 1). gettys and plemons (2017) emphasized that it is important for a christian institution to have an established biblical worldview in all courses to introduce students to christ. character building a christ-centered curriculum should be able to help build the character of students (almerico, 2014). the participants intimated that character building is the purpose of a christian institution and this is what makes the curriculum christ-centered. the participants, stating the importance of character building through a christ-centered curriculum, said that teaching students to be of the right behavior in and out of the classroom should not be neglected. obtaining good grades is important, but helping students exhibit good behavior should be cherished by teachers. for me, it is when you are being taught more about your behavior instead of your performance in class such as grades. mostly, it is about grades, but in a christian environment, you will be taught more about on your behavior, how you behave, outside or inside school. (folder 3, idi-fgd, g12, s2, p. 17) according to mentor 1, instilling good morals in high school students is the prime purpose of christian education. to her, christian institutions should not exist if they fail to 116 achieve their prime purpose, which is instilling good morals in students. the main purpose of our classes is character building, content is just a tool, so if we are not looking at the prime purpose, which is instilling good morals in students, we are just doing what the world does and nothing more than that we don’t need to exist as an institution. (folder 1, idi-m1, p.1) in the science class of teacher 2, the students did an experiment called cup and string telephone. after the experiment, the students were asked to write a reflection journal on what they learned in class by responding to the question, how will you connect the experiment with your relationship with jesus? the journal of two students read, if you go closer to god, you will hear him clearly, but if you go further away from him, you will not hear him. (folder 5, dag-t2, p. 9) the string is like a connection with god, if satan holds the middle of the string, we will no longer be connected with god. we need to always pray to be connected with god. (folder 5, dag-t2, p. 9) the values shared in the class indicated the building of character at that stage of student development. that made the curriculum christ-centered. in describing the importance of character building in students, almerico (2014) declared that “it is a deliberate effort to develop noble character and cultivate core virtues that are worthy for the individual and society as a whole” (p. 2). character building is necessary for people to be responsible citizens, and also the foundation of people who are confident and reliable (almerico, 2014; cafferky). characterbuilding themes should be incorporated into the curriculum, not only in christian institutions but in public schools as well (cafferky, 2017). 117 the character of the curriculum designers one of the intriguing categories that emerged was the character of the designer of the curriculum. participants argued that a christ-centered curriculum cannot materialize if the authors of the curriculum are not themselves in tune with christ. the curriculum designers must be christ-centered persons to be able to author a christ-centered curriculum. without the designers being christ-centered persons, the impact of christ will not be felt in the curriculum (boeve, 2012). the participants expressed that curriculum designers must be biblically based and must put christ above everything. the person cannot make a good christ-centered curriculum. it will be something written on paper, which does not have value, so the values of the person, if not christ-centered or biblically-based, then whatever he said is superficial and does have not much value. therefore, for any christ-centered curriculum, one must be a christ-centered person, one who puts christ above everything and one who has learned from the life of jesus christ. that person only can make a good christ-centered curriculum. the person preparing the curriculum must have christian values. you cannot ask anybody to make a christ-centered curriculum, it doesn’t work without christian values. (folder 1, idi-m2, p. 6) mentor 2 emphasized that christian values in curriculum designers will reflect in their work. if there are truly christian values in a person, they will automatically be translated because once you have those values internalized, and you have become a christ-centered person, that will show in all walks of your life. and so when you sit to make a curriculum, it will automatically be seen that it is there in the curriculum. (folder 1, idi-m2, p. 6) the curriculum administrator also stressed the importance of the link between the designers of the curriculum and the curriculum itself. the designers must have a dynamic and close 118 relationship with god, which will have an impact on the curriculum. in this way, the curriculum could be referred to as a christ-centered curriculum. a curriculum becomes christ-centered when the creators have a dynamic and close relationship with christ. (folder 2, idi-ca, p. 1) touching on the importance of being a christ-centered person to be able to create a christ-centered curriculum, raveloharimisy (2017) was of the opinion that designers of a christ-centered curriculum must themselves be christians first. designers of the curriculum must not only be a christian in name but a christian with a relationship with christ. when christ does not dwell in a human being, no one will see christ in him. christ is seen in the curriculum when he resides in its creators. connection of curriculum content with christ some participants were of the view that connecting the curriculum to christ makes it christ-centered. when christ is not connected to the curriculum, its essence is lost. all efforts should, therefore, be geared toward making christ part of the curriculum by pointing to the teachings of jesus (knight, 2016). for my curriculum to be christ-centered, it should always point to the teachings of jesus. i don’t talk about jesus at the end, no, jesus should be part of the discussion, he should be there. in my head, the picture should be there from the beginning because the essence of what was going to be discussed is not in the right place when we don’t start with christ. (folder 2, idi-t3, p. 15) teacher 2 stated that the presence of god is felt when teaching a christ-centered curriculum and this encourages him to connect the curriculum to christ. 119 it is not difficult for me to connect my curriculum to a christ-centered lesson because, i think every time you look at your lesson, every time you see your students, you will always see that god is good and he is there whenever we have classes. (folder 2, idi-t2, p. 11) relating how a teacher taught a christ-centered curriculum in class, a student said the teacher would always make an effort to connect the lesson to christ or the bible. he tries to relate everything back to christ or the bible. (folder 3, idi-s3, g12, p. 6) in my observation of teacher 3 in his business communication class, he asked students at the end of the lesson to make connections of what they learned to christ. he had earlier stated that he teaches by always pointing to jesus. i noted the following, the teacher made connections with christ at the end of the lesson. students were asked to link what they learned to the values of christ. (folder 5, og-t3, p. 13) my observation statement above supported the teacher’s statement that he always points to christ in his class lessons. according to knight (2016), a christ-centered curriculum goes beyond just having a religion class separately from other classes. a christ-centered curriculum requires that all subjects should be taught in the light of an existing god who has revealed himself to humans through jesus christ, his son. christ is integrated into every aspect of the school curricula, presenting him as the center of all knowledge. connecting the curriculum to christ makes it christ-centered. christ is made the focus of what is being learned. the virtues he portrayed are learned and cherished by students. when a curriculum is connected to christ, students are empowered to link their lives to what they learned from christ (jones et al., 2017). 120 foundation of faith faith development in students is crucial at their adolescent age (hartley, 2004). this is why some participants of this study reiterated that the curriculum should address faith at the high school level. the participants held the view that when matters of faith are addressed in the curriculum by pointing to the faith of christ, it sets a good foundation to build faith. according to teacher 3, matters of faith can be addressed through object lessons. the student should feel in the lesson that there is something that is significant, so in my lesson, i put an object lesson pertaining to faith. (folder 2, idi-t3, p. 15) the curriculum administrator inferred that strategies that promote faith and christ should be explicitly or implicitly connected to the curriculum. as the curriculum is being crafted, the base or the foundation should be faith. points in the curriculum that could be explicitly or implicitly connected to faith or faith lessons should be identified. strategies that promote faith and christ should be matched to these points. (folder 2, idi-ca, p. 1) a student confirmed how a curriculum connected to faith builds a good foundation in christ. according to the student, faith is developed when they are guided and encouraged to pray. it helps a lot in my faith because teachers, before the lesson always ask us to pray, or give advice on how god will help. (folder 3, idi-s3, g12, p. 6) discussing the importance of establishing faith in the curriculum, taylor (2017) made it clear that it helps students to “develop faith in him and his plan for their lives” (p. 5). gettys and plemons (2017) established that the foundation of faith in curriculum can potentially help students to come to terms with a biblical worldview of christ. the faithbased 121 curriculum also helps students to be guided by the bible as they make critical decisions in their lives. teacher’s character the teacher’s character came up many times as participants of the study were convinced that teachers play an important role in the faith development of students. although a direct question was not asked pertaining to a teacher’s character and how it is linked to a christ-centered curriculum, participants mentioned it as being one of the central points of making curriculum christ-centered. in describing how a teacher’s character makes the curriculum christ-centered, the mentors said teachers’ attitudes are crucial in and out of the classroom. their positive attitudes can inspire and be a blessing to students. now if the curriculum is looked at as an experience or outcome, then we have as the teacher teaches, the written plan is still implemented, that’s good, but there are instances when your body language, and your words spoken can edify or bless the students. (folder 1, idi-m1, p. 1) teachers could become good role models to students by exhibiting understanding, having the willingness to help students in difficult situations, and showing unconditional love to them. as students see teachers portraying such characters, they are encouraged to emulate them because teachers’ actions match their words. teachers with such positive attitudes show christlikeness (adamiak, 2018). the life of the teacher, how you treat your students, how you interact with your colleagues, everything is being watched by the student. going a second mile, understanding the problems of your students, your willingness to forgive, your willingness to take time to understand the difficulties of children. your willingness to provide for those who need extra help and those who may be challenged one way or the 122 other, once you take care of those needs and when they see these things in you, your helping nature, they will know that the faith is practiced in your life. and so it will become a challenge for them to emulate your life because it shows christ-likeness. and that is the integration of faith. (folder 1, idi-m2, p.8) mentor 3 explained that high school age is critical because students tend to pick up things quickly. according to him, students can decipher whether a teacher is being a hypocrite or not. it’s evident that your character, what you do, what you say, and whether those things match is important to young people, particularly you talking about high school academy age. they pick up those things quickly, especially because they know what hypocrisy means and they know when they see somebody doing things differently and they reading their bibles when they go to church when they see somebody do things differently than what they have said than what they have been taught. so yes, the character is important; if it isn’t important then i don’t know what else is. what you do, what you say is tremendously important to them. (folder 1, idim3, p. 15) teachers supported the idea that their characters could play a major role in making curriculum christ-centered. they, therefore, want students to see christ in them and be good role models to them (celic et al., 2016). as a teacher, as an english teacher, even before i teach the lesson, i want my students to see christ in me. for me, i think showing true example is even more effective than teaching the lesson itself. (folder 2, idi-t2, p. 11) teacher 3 was of the opinion that modeling goes far than teaching reputation because students tend to behave like their teachers. 123 the students also see how you model in the classroom. modeling is very important. in fact, i have been here for some time now and i found out that my modeling goes far than my teaching reputation. students come to me and say, teacher, what you did for me when i was having this challenge really helped me to find myself. so as a christian teacher, i must model, modeling is very important. (folder, 2, idi-t3, p.16) students confirmed what teachers’ characters meant to them. they said teachers’ characters and lives they live meant more to them than the subjects they teach. this is a form of a hidden curriculum because; teachers affect the learning and belief systems of students. it is a demanded norm expected by social beliefs of the students. for me basically, it’s not really on the subjects they’re teaching, but on their character and how they portray their lives the lives. (folder 3, idi-s2, g11, p. 4) the way the teacher teaches is very humbling and the attitude is very christlike. (folder 3, idi-s4, g12, p. 10) it is important for christian teachers to have the spirit of god to be good examples for students. having the spirit of god is essential since character formation hinges on divine values (taylor, 2016). teachers in the classroom represent christ as an example for their students. raveloharimisy (2017) pointed out that “students have high expectations for teachers to live up to their faith because they learn better with what they see than what is told to them” (p. 4). teachers in the discharge of their duties must make sure that their characters are in tune with their behavior in class. christ being showcased in all spheres was visible in the school where this study was conducted. i observed four teachers in four different classrooms. in each of the classrooms, they had different christian materials depicted on the wall. in one classroom, the 10 commandments of the bible and pictures of 124 jesus were displayed on the wall (folder 5, og, p. 6). inspirational messages from the bible like grow in christ and trust in the lord always were also displayed in the classrooms (folder 5, og, p. 6). another classroom had a place created as a prayer corner where students could go to have their devotion (folder 5, og, p. 6). christ was displayed in all avenues in class. theoretical implications christ being in the center of the curriculum and in every sphere of the school, is based on the theory of theological-psychological approach to curriculum (loder, 1998). the theory explained that adolescents develop faith (theological) and their identity (psychological) at that level of age; hence, a curriculum with christ at its center will help high school students who are mostly adolescents to establish a good spiritual foundation. the theory further intimates that adolescents are in their age of disequilibrium, which is a good period to search for god. as adolescents self-examine themselves and reflect, it possibly opens an avenue for them to develop in faith through an opportunity of being taught with a christ-centered curriculum. practical implications christ should be the main reference point when a lesson is being taught. he should be the main yardstick to measure all the themes in the lesson being taught. the practical reality is that images of christ and inspirational bible quotations should be displayed inside and outside classrooms. conclusions a christ-centered curriculum requires that all subjects should be taught in the light of an existing god who has 125 revealed himself to humans through jesus christ. christ is integrated into every aspect of the school curriculum, presenting him as the center of all knowledge. a christ-centered curriculum has benefits for students in christian institutions. first, it offers high school students the opportunity of knowing christ. students can compare what they studied to the character of christ. this gives students an alternative to which they can compare and contrast so that they make a value choice in life. second, a christ-centered curriculum is a way of introducing high school students to christ. encountering christ at the high school level, which is normally the adolescent age, is the right stage in their lives to know about christ. at the adolescence stage, high school students are highly open and receptive to new information. recommendations 1. school administrators must organize regular workshops and seminars on christ-centered curriculum training so that teachers will be abreast with current developments in teaching and learning. 2. teachers should endeavor to practice christ-centered teaching daily in the classroom. there should be class devotion before the lesson starts. students should be encouraged to lead out in conducting class devotions. references adamiak, a. 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(2013). overcoming the crisis in curriculum theory: a knowledge-based approach. journal of curriculum studies, 45(2), 101–118. doi:10.1080/00220272.2013.764505 5 gianina-estera petre adventist international institute of advanced studies, petreg@aiias.edu using flipped classroom to facilitate cooperative learning implementation: an action research case study with photovoice keywords flipped classroom, cooperative learning, action research, case study, photovoice ____________________________________________ abstract implementing cooperative learning in the initial teacher training program may be challenging yet rewarding. using a flipped classroom to facilitate cooperative learning implementation showed positive outcomes for teachers and students. this study aimed to develop a model for cooperative learning implementation in a romanian university for two classes of pedagogy of preschool and primary school academic program. a mixed intra-paradigm research design of case study, action research, and photovoice was used to facilitate the implementation and model development. from the seven components of the colearnitt process model, in the present study is presented the flipped classroom component. data collection methods, participants, and results are presented by 6 the two cycles of action research. the study presents also the process used in developing the model, which took place in three phases planning, performing, and perfecting, during two different school years. the results showed that a flipped classroom successfully facilitates cooperative learning implementation with positive results. _______________________________________________ 1. review of literature in a changing world, education practices need improvement and a fast capacity for adjusting actions to overcome challenges and disruptions. in this era, using technology to support teaching and learning may bring unexpected results by fulfilling the needs of teachers, students, and even the needs of the educational system. by looking at the actual challenge of shifting teaching, in a short time, from the classroom to the online classroom due to the covid-19 pandemic, we can better see the importance of training students in their initial training for the teaching profession. therefore, implementing new teaching practices that fit the needs of the students and better prepare them for professional life seems to be the way for success. the initial teacher training (itt) is the time for such instruction of students in their preparation for being effective teachers. at the same time, actively involving students in the classroom through cooperative learning (cl) and interactive teaching is a challenging process due to the lack of time for in-class interaction. the use of technology may overcome this challenge. as the outcomes of such practices are rewarding, the educators should aim to get familiarized with tools such as flipped classrooms for supporting cl implementation in the itt. flipped classroom a flipped classroom is about switching class activities with homework. that means that students read at home a specific 7 material, or they watch a video about new content, getting familiarized with the content (willis, 2017). before coming to class, they complete an assignment based on that material. as a result, in-class activities can be designed for expanding the content, for digging deep into it, making it more meaningful for learners (gaikwad, 2013), for collaboratively solving problems, and allowing for practical application of the theory (reidsema, hadgraft, lidia, & hadgraft, 2017). a flipped classroom is an element important when using cl, having the potential of creating an engaging learning environment for students (bates, almekdash, & gilchrest-dunnam, 2017; kavanagh, reidsema, mccredden, & smith, 2017). it consists of having students explore the low-level content (bergmann & sams, 2014) or theoretical content before class (willis, 2017) and the difficult content in the classroom. in higher education, students are typically independent learners. therefore, by designing preclass readings and assignments, the in-class interaction is extended (shaykina & minin, 2018), and the level of knowledge increased (kavanagh et al., 2017). as a result, practical applications occur in the classroom. a flipped classroom is a significant element for a good drawing up of the pre-class activities (willis, 2017). besides all the preparation teachers do for planning activities, preparing materials, and giving feedback, flipping the classroom requires additional forethought. it may look like a challenging process (hsieh, 2017), yet rewarding. structuring the reading material by units and preparing assignments for each unit help students learn better. also, the learning management system used may impact the learning effectiveness. content organization, as well as how teachers assess pre-class assignments and how they offer expert feedback, are parts of the planning step. in such a learning environment, teachers may act according to the motto: teacher ready, materials ready, classroom-ready, that’s the remedy! 8 there is a structured way of planning for a flipped classroom by deciding on distinct learning objectives, choosing and dividing the material, and organizing class interaction (hsieh, 2017). in delivering and assessing within a flipped classroom, three aspects must be addressed: the educational platform, the content organization, and the planned assessments (zappe & litzinger, 2017). educational platform. teaching in a 21st-century class requires the use of technology both for face-to-face and for online activities (richter, hale, & archambault, 2018), especially when flipping the classroom (crawford & senecal, 2017). teachers must implement it in their teaching to effectively address students’ needs and learning styles (al-abdeli, 2017). with regards to the educational platform used when flipping the classroom, teachers need to take into account several criteria. for instance, teachers must know what the recommendations of the school are regarding the platform to use (mcgrath, groessler, fink, reidsema, & kavanagh, 2017). what do teachers consider suitable for their classes, which learning management system best fits the students’ technological skills, and which platform is user-friendly (willis, 2017) are aspects that should be also addressed. teachers may have additional criteria, according to the format of their classes. hence, it can be a back-and-forth process until the most suitable platform is found. content organization. in a flipped classroom, systematizing content is valuable. it is the art of the teacher to design learning materials and to bridge pre-class and in-class activities (crawford & senecal, 2017). an essential aspect of content organization is chunking the material to be explored (hsieh, 2017). according to marzano (2017), the length of the chunked content differs according to its difficulty and the familiarity of the student with the new topic. when the content is problematic and unknown, the designed unit is smaller and vice versa. teachers have the responsibility to decide what to include or not to include in the 9 class content. it may have an audial or visual format (hsieh, 2017), based on the students’ needs (willis, 2017). that may help students with their respective learning styles. assessment. after exploring the designed reading, audio, or video material, which may be prepared by the teacher or already made (crawford & senecal, 2017), for assessing students’ understanding, a short assignment can be prepared. that assures the teacher that before coming to class, students read or carefully watch the content. addressing appropriate questions from the explored material is a method to assess their learning and understanding (bergmann & sams, 2014). therefore, teachers must formulate questions that activate higher levels of thinking, based on blooms’ taxonomy (bloom, 1956). when teachers are focusing on the last three superior levels (analysis, synthesis, evaluation), then the lower levels (knowledge, comprehension, application) are involved. when the objectives are aligned toward analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, better outcomes result. it can be emphasized that formative evaluation has an important role when flipping the classroom (hsieh, 2017), even if the summative evaluation still has its place and part. as the content is organized in chunks of different lengths and levels of difficulty, the teacher’s feedback must come for each assignment to improve students’ learning. in the beginning, it may be challenging for teachers, but it has efficiency for students’ learning and teachers’ teaching (zappe & litzinger, 2017). teachers may also make use of online quizzes (crawford & senecal, 2017), synchronously, or asynchronously. cooperative learning cooperative learning is not just a kind of interaction. it refers to organize students in small groups and to their working “together to maximize everyone’s learning. within cl groups, students discuss the material to be learned with one another, help one another to understand it, and encourage one another to work 10 hard” (johnson & johnson, 2014, p. 481). gaikwad (1991) defined cl as organizing learning in groups of two to five students, motivating students, increasing learning outcomes, strengthening relationships among students, and improving students’ needs for belongingness. students do not focus only on their learning but also on the other colleagues learning (sharan, 2010; slavin, 2014a). cl has five core characteristics, based on its proponents, johnson and johnson (2018). positive interdependence. it focuses on group members achieving a goal, fulfilling specific tasks, and setting up the group and individual roles (johnson & johnson, 2018). within the group, there is interdependence regarding goals, roles, resources, and rewards. hence, teachers must carefully approach this characteristic looking for strategies that facilitate the contribution of each individual for the common good of the group. individual accountability. through individual accountability students work and learn in groups to become powerful as individuals (johnson, johnson, & smith, 2014). students must know that their contribution within-group affects positively or negatively the entire group. as a result, personal responsibility increases. there is shared support for increasing the level of positive interdependence among group members (kagan, 2014). however, when individual accountability is not implemented appropriately, some students can contribute less to the group goals achievement (johnson & johnson, 2018; slavin, 2014b). promotive interaction. within their respective groups, the students are arranged so that interaction can take place at any required moment. in organizing each learning activity, teachers intentionally plan for reciprocal help, assistance, encouragement, and teaching (johnson & johnson, 2018). interactive activities promote students’ face-to-face interaction and occur whenever students assist other group members in learning. it takes place also when students share resources, when they give constructive feedback, when they challenge each other for a deeper 11 understanding, or when they work to achieve group goals (johnson et al., 2014). as a result, reciprocal acceptance can take place, developing students’ ability to work efficiently in different types of groups (calloway-thomas, arasaratnam-smith, & deardorff, 2017). to promote positive interaction among participants, the teachers need to present each task and each objective. social skills. the involvement of students in active work develops their social skills. within their groups, they not only learn to communicate but also to lead, to trust each other, to manage a conflict, or to make decisions (johnson & johnson, 2018). through active participation in groups, their social skills are improved (kagan, 2014). by using class-building and group-building activities such as corners, people hunt, class bar graphs, and others, students get to know each other (kagan & kagan, 2009). that leads them to be open to collaboration within their respective groups. group processing. an intentional reflection on the group’s weaknesses and strengthens may lead to individual and group growth. students are required to identify what was useful or not within their group work (johnson & johnson, 2018). as such, they must decide what they will continue or discontinue to practice. it is a valuable reflection on how an individual’s contribution within a group leads to metacognition (marzano, 2017). by observing how students contribute to their group work, teachers may decide what structures to apply for assessing group processing. the teaching structures such as turn-to-your-neighbor and think-square/pairshare may help students reflect on what was learned and how it was learned (green & henriquez-green, 2008). additionally, teachers can opt for students’ reflective journals as well as for postteaching reflective journals after the micro-teaching sessions. in the present study, the colearnitt (cooperative learning for initial teacher training) process model was designed as a guideline for teachers in implementing cl for education students during their initial training. it started as a single class cl implementation and was developed into a training model of cl 12 implementation for two classes of the itt program. it is a response to the felt need of teachers to be trained in implementing cl and to have a guide for putting cl into practice. the components of the colearnitt process model developed based on this study are (a) training model, (b) flipped classroom, (c) classroom management, (d) dimensions of learning, (e) interactive lecturing, (f) mastery learning, and the last (g) integration of faith and learning. colearnitt is flexible regarding the chosen strategies, structures, and techniques. however, the core components need to be used for a successful implementation of cl. figure 2 presents the seven core components of cl implementation. the colearnitt process model may be implemented step-bystep, adapting its components to the course objectives and the students’ needs. its components need to be mastered by the teachers by using the model in their classrooms. the three steps of planning, performing, and perfecting (see figure 1) facilitates the implementation of cl. a flipped classroom plays a significant role as a platform for making room for more in-class interaction. this study presents the contribution of the flipped classroom in the process of cl implementation. 2. methodology this study used a qualitative research methodology with a mixed intra-paradigm research design of action research, case study, and photovoice. this section presents each step of the inquiry, in detail, for helping researchers who want to replicate it and assuring in this way the transferability of it. purpose of the study the purpose of this study was to explore the teaching practices in a romanian university and to propose a process model to improve teaching by implementing cl. further, the study aimed 13 to train the student participants in using cl in teaching. additionally, the study explored teachers’ and students’ experiences during and after the implementation of cl. furthermore, it showed how flipped classroom was organized and how facilitated the implementation of cl in the itt program. research questions the following questions guided this study: 1. what were the teaching practices in the selected university before the implementation of cooperative learning? 2. what recommendations can be made to improve the prevalent teaching methods in the selected university? 3. what does the implementation of cooperative learning methods in selected classrooms look like? 4. what are the outcomes of the cooperative learning implementation in the selected university? 5. what are the challenges and the coping strategies encountered in the implementation of cooperative learning by the selected participants? 6. what model is recommended to support the use of cooperative learning at the selected university? research gap in romania, the university teachers mainly use traditional teaching style (presadă & badea, 2014) even though modern and interactive teaching is highly recommended (voinea, 2019). thus, there is a need to improve teaching for effective learning (kitchen et al., 2017). moreover, the future teachers are not well trained for teaching interactively even if they appreciate “interactive teaching strategies, suitable personal characteristics of teachers and a good teacher-student relationship” (peculea & peculea, 2017, p. 70). therefore, university students should be trained to teach by using a diversity of interactive teaching methods. even though modern 14 teaching methods and cl are presented in published romanian education literature (dumitrana, 2008; popa & laurian, 2007), there is no process model for training future teachers to implement interactive teaching strategies and cl. research design this qualitative research study used an intra-paradigm mixed methodology of action research, case study, and photovoice. according to o’reilly and kiyimba (2015), a mixed intra-paradigm qualitative methodology refers to the use of two or more qualitative research designs in the same study. in the present study, this was the choice as the action research design offered a framework, a systematic cyclical model to implement cl in the selected university. through the case study design, the experiences of the participants were explored before, during, and after the process of the cl implementation. photovoice helped to disseminate the results of the study, informing the policymakers of the selected university how the implementation of cl took place. action research. according to sagor (2011), action research is “any investigation conducted by the person or the people empowered to take action concerning their own actions, for the purpose of improving their future actions” (p. 5). it has two types: practical action research and participatory action research (clark & creswell, 2015). regarding the practical action research, the type of ar used in this study, creswell (2012) says that “of all of the research designs, action research is the most applied, practical design” (p. 576). its main goal is change and improvement in practices, developing solutions for practical problems (clark & creswell, 2015; creswell, 2012; merriam & tisdell, 2016; thomas, 2017) and to “generate living theories about how learning has improved practice” (mcniff & whitehead, 2006, p. 13). therefore, action research helps practitioners who are interested in improving their practice. 15 case study. in this study, i used an embedded single-case research design. according to merriam (1988), a case study “is an examination of a specific phenomenon such as a program, an event, a person, a process, an institution, or a social group” (p. 9). additionally, a case study is “an in-depth description and analysis of a bounded system” (merriam, 2009, p. 40), explored “within its real-life context” (yin, 2003, p. 13). a phenomenon is a case only if it is bounded, meaning that it has limited data, participants, and time for observation (merriam & tisdell, 2016). in this study, the case is cl, and the bounded system is formed by the two classes of pedagogy of preschool and primary education (pppe) academic program explored for one semester in the second cycle, thus having limited participants, data, and time for implementation. photovoice. in addition to the case study and action research designs, the present study used the photovoice approach. it is a design used to generate change. it is a relatively new option for researchers who aim to create a proper environment for improvements in which participants share stories by using photos. wang and burris (1997), the proponents of the term “photovoice,” state that it has three goals: (a) to record and reflect the positive and the negative aspects of a community, (b) to provoke discussions on community concerns, and (c) to prepare a way for policymakers to solve community issues. it was developed based upon the empowerment education framework (freire, 1993), also used in this study, and it comes to add value to the par through its model for individual, institutional, and social change (wallerstein & bernstein, 1988). data collection methods for the first cycle, during the preliminary phase of data collection, the focus was to present the university teaching practices before cl’s implementation and ask for recommendations for improving the teaching process. data were collected through (a) fgd with four students enrolled in the class 16 involved in the study (two students from pppe and two from social work), (b) document analysis (syllabus of the class), (c) researcher’s field notes, and (d) literature. for the first cycle of action research, the final phase, the goal of data collection was to show how the implementation of cl was experienced by the participants and to propose a process model for improving teaching. therefore, for the final phase data were collected through (a) eight in-depth interviews (four students from pppe and four students from social work), (b) observations (six occasions in the selected class), and (c) document analysis (students’ reflective journals). for the second cycle, the data collection sources were multiple, and to have a visual presentation of data collection methods, it was developed a triangulation matrix (table 1). the research questions are presented here to show what data have been collected to respond to each research question. the triangulation matrix is used also to ensure the trustworthiness of the study. research participants the participants are presented by the phases of the two cycles. in the first cycle of action research, in the initial phase, from the 52 students, 12 were registered as regular students. four of them participated in a focus group discussion (fgd)—two from pppe and two from social work. in the final phase, after cl was implemented, eight students were selected for interviews, four from pppe and four from social work. for the second cycle, the study had three groups of participants: students, faculty, and specialists. for the preliminary phase, the participants were (a) 25 students and 17 faculty who responded to the online questionnaire; (b) six students who participated in phase i of photovoice (three students from pppe 2 and three students from pppe 3); (c) one teacher who accepted to have an interview in the form of written communication (she 17 mentioned in the course outline that she used cl in a class); and (d) two specialists, authors of publications about cl. for the final phase, the 49 students who enrolled in the pppe academic program were involved in the study. all of them had the opportunity to experience the implementation of cl as they were students in the two classes. however, not all were selected for data collection. the following participated during this phase: (a) two faculty teaching the pppe specialization—the teacher-researcher taught a course for pppe 2, and the second teacher taught for pppe 3, both implementing cl in the two selected classes; (b) nine students participated in fgd (six from pppe 3 and three from pppe 2); (c) six students who participated in photovoice phase ii; and (d) one specialist, author of several publications in cl, books, and articles (professor from a public university in the western part of romania). the latter accepted to respond to several questions through written communication. trustworthiness and ethical consideration the trustworthiness of this qualitative study was ensured for credibility by developing a triangulation matrix (table 1) and using a member check. transferability was assured through a detailed description so that the research can be replicated. confirmability was accomplished by linking the findings to other studies. the study was approved by the ethical research board committee of the institution of higher education where the researcher was studying and the selected participating university. the participants agreed to be part of this study and signed the informed consent form, which contained all the necessary information about this study. they received pseudonyms so that confidentiality was guaranteed. 18 3. results the findings of this study are presented also by the two cycles of action research. this modality of presentation helps the reader create a clearer image of the cl implementation process during two school years (2017/2018 and 2018/2019). it may also assist those interested in applying the study in their context, adjusting it to the specific format of their environment. first cycle in the initial phase of the first cycle of ar, the goal was to depict how students perceived teaching in the selected university. before implementing new practices, it was of value to know what the participants were experiencing regarding the actual teaching methods used at the university. the participants emphasized lecture as a dominant method of teaching and sporadic use of brainstorming, class presentations, and group portfolio. they also mentioned the importance of class relationships, as they experimented with both supportive and open relationships as well as unsupportive relationships with some professors. in their recommendations, the participants highlighted the need for different teaching methods and expressed their dream for positive relationships. they gave prominence to the use of interactive teaching, giving responsibilities to students, and improving teacher-student and student-student relationships through different interactive activities. based on the data from the initial phase of the first cycle of action research, it was developed an action plan for cl implementation. the plan was divided into three main phases: planning (pre-class activities), performing (in-class activities), and perfecting (post-class activities). as regards the planning of pre-class activities, the teacher organized the flipped classroom. in a flipped classroom, students explore the materials before coming to class. the belief is that this 19 will help them be ready to explore more deeply the topic under discussion. as a result, students had weekly reading material. for each unit, after reading the assigned material, students responded to teacher questions—an assignment based on the material they read. the teaching materials, activities, and lesson plans have been organized before class. in-class learning activities were practiced under the cl model. based on the participants’ recommendations, it was included in the performing phase several elements. first, cl was used as the class format. then, a variety of interactive strategies were chosen to assure the active participation of students, such as jigsaw, random call, think-square-share, think-pair-share, kwl, mix-and-match, corners, numbered heads together, venn diagram. the class was organized into groups wherein students had roles and responsibilities. student reflective journals were used as a post-class activity to help them reflect on their learning, to evaluate themselves, the group, and the teacher. additionally, journals facilitated a different way to communicate with the teacher by giving and receiving feedback throughout the learning process. the action plan was implemented for a period of eight weeks, april–may 2018, in the selected class. for each class session, the three main phases were used: planning, performing, and perfecting. after implementing the cl process model in the selected class, the results revealed positive academic experiences from the participant students. in the data analysis, the participants mentioned that there was effective teaching, with constructive classroom management and positive outcomes. the participants appreciated cl strategies considering them worthwhile for their learning, as they supported each other during class activities, solved problems, and worked in groups having specific roles. flipping the classroom had a positive influence by making room for class interactions and in-depth exploration of the content. weekly assignments were considered very useful for the 20 systematic development of knowledge and skills. adriana stated, “the assignments were not like those of the other courses when you should learn only for the final exam. here we had them every week. this helped me” (folder 1, idi, adriana, p. 1). andra said, “i did my assignments on time, and they had a continuity. the professional skills do not develop in one week but need time to be learned, to try to see if the idea is good and if it is working” (folder 1, idi, andra, p. 2). the student-participants acknowledged the positive outcomes of cl, such as awakening attention, improving communication, developing critical thinking, developing decisionmaking skills, assuring long-term retention, and helping them apply knowledge and skills. as the purpose of the first cycle was to develop a model to implement cl and interactive teaching in the selected university, the participants made recommendations for improving the resulted model. based on the data collected, it was developed a future action plan for implementation (see figure 1). the new proposed process model suggests extending cl to other classes, diversifying the group types and the teaching methods for better assisting students in their learning. micro-teaching sessions were recommended for successfully assuring the transfer of knowledge from the classroom to the workplace. second cycle as the plan developed at the end of the first cycle, was to gradually extend the implementation of this process model to other classes, it was important to understand how the faculty and the students from the selected university perceive teaching there and to discover their recommendations for improving the teaching methods. the initial phase of the second cycle was organized to respond to the first two research questions and to cover the planning phase of this second cycle. the traditional methods were 21 mentioned with the lecture as a dominant method but blended in some cases with active learning and activities by groups. a number of the strategies, structures, and techniques used in the first cycle were mentioned as taking place in some classes. the recommendations were related to teaching by employing different teaching methods, to help participants to be well prepared for the teaching profession. a faculty-participant mentioned that: “my class would allow students to experiment with some of the taught methods. however, the time does not allow it” (folder 2, fq). to overcome this challenge, a flipped classroom was applied in the two selected classes. the technology was recommended for enhancing students learning, as technological tools are appreciable support when using flipped classrooms. several faculty-participants suggested the use of “methods which involve a lot of technology” as well as video materials and multimedia presentations (folder 2, fq). for students, technology may serve not only for in-class activities: we can keep the laptop, and the interactive work from the class can be transferred [also] in the online environment (google classroom, youtube, skype). as students, we can give solutions to improve the old teaching methods. (folder 2, pv. i, photo #17, silence. . .) in this phase of the study, the specialists-participants call attention to the need of being aware of the strengths and weaknesses of cl. by apprehending the strengths teacher may emphasize them in the class activities, as well as knowing the weaknesses may help find solutions to overcome them. in the final phase, the process model of cl implementation was improved through a comprehensive understanding of how teaching was perceived in the selected university. as a result, the proposed process model from the first cycle was developed based on the findings of the initial phase, and it was implemented in the two selected classes. the performing step for this action research helped to answer research questions 3 to 5. after implementing 22 the cl process model in the selected classes, the participants brought to the fore the features of this implementation: effective classroom management by flipping the class, creating a positive classroom climate with students’ positive attitudes, teacher enhanced involvement when expressed positive expectations, and when intentionally planned class interactions. as the focus of this study is on the flipped classroom component from the colearnitt model, details from data are presented from this perspective. using a flipped classroom may be considered timesaving in cl; thus, overcoming the challenge of finding time for in-class interactions. as stated before, students were brought into contact with the content of a particular topic before coming to class. that means that the learning activities were organized interactively inclass to extend students' knowledge. alexia stated, besides this systematization of information, in a flipped classroom—you read, you get informed, you get familiarized with the information and the content of the next class—but more than that, in class or during the class you manage to dig deeper because it is possible. otherwise, you stay on that superficial level because you have to bring that information first to go deeper after. (folder 2, fgd ii, alexia, p. 5, ls. 199–203) flipped classroom brought responsibility. maria felt responsible for doing her assignments on time and for teaching others in the class. she learned that this is an opportunity for helping non-regular students, who took the course together with them, better understand the topic of a lesson: we were the ones who, practically the representatives, those who prepared their assignment by reading the material designated for that day, we helped them [non-regular students] understand what our lesson was all about. (folder 2, fgd i, maria, p. 3, ls. 132–134) for faculty, flipped classrooms involved more work and better organization. the reading materials and assignments for each unit were posted on the web-based chosen platform, in this case, google classroom. all tasks were designed and related to enabling students’ learning: 23 using the flipped classroom, they had to read a lecture and answer some questions and then upload that document to the platform i used. so, i had to prepare questions for each one of these lectures, and then i had to prepare, think of review questions for the class that had to be connected somehow with the assignment at home; and work with what i was planning to teach or i thought the previous class occasion. (folder 2, idi. f1, p. 5, ls. 241–245) a flipped classroom facilitated students’ academic attainment as learning is not happening only in the classroom. note that flipped classrooms contributed to the students' academic preparation, as they had pre-class activities to fulfil before coming to class. as academic preparation is essential for any teacher, in the present study, the pre-class readings were blended with in-class interaction. at the beginning of each class, the teacher evaluated the students’ understanding of the content explored by readings: “the review of the reading was realized through graffiti. it assured positive interdependence as students worked for the group goal” (folder 2, ob. r., april 17). livia appreciated reading the lecture before coming to class: “these methods helped me very much. by the fact that, for example, i went to the class knowing a small part of the lesson, with the other part being presented to us, it helped me” (folder 2, fgd ii, livia, p. 5, ls. 215–216). students emphasized this blended individual and group learning: i am thinking that individual learning and cooperative learning were very well combined. when you have learned at home, it was individual learning, and you were learning in your rhythm or like you were used to learning, and in class, you could check whether you understood. (folder 2, fgd ii, amalia, p. 5, ls. 207–210) when the content is divided into units and students explore it systematically, the learning is the responsibility of both teachers and students. teachers are responsible for planning and preparing in a sequential way the content and the manner of delivering it. students become responsible for learning on time: i had to prepare questions for each lecture so, using a flipped classroom they had to read a lecture and answer some questions, and 24 then upload that document to the platform i used. (folder 2, idi. f1, p. 5, ls. 240) the fact that the assigned material was divided for each week and it was not all received at the end, it helped us very much. it made us responsible in a way, and it made us aware, seeing the positive results made us aware that it is good to do this thing, to learn systematically and on time. (folder 2, fgd ii, georgiana, p. 5, ls. 191– 195) in their recommendations, participants mentioned some references to the role of the flipped classroom in implementing cl and interactive teaching. the flipped classroom was recommended as an effective tool teacher could use to support cl implementation in the classroom: i would encourage everybody to find ways of doing that and start with flipping the classroom to create a space during class time for discussions and meaningful group work. the best way is to experience it, to see how it works, and if it’s not possible to experience it, at least we have somebody who experienced it and he’s very motivated to explain it to you, to show you, to help you understand. (folder 2, idi, f1, p. 9, ls. 430–435) the process model, with its three phases, remained as a framework for the cl implementation (fig. 1). it provides the tool for organizing, applying, and evaluating the process of change in any classroom, regarding teaching methods. based on the findings of this study and its positive outcomes, flipped classrooms demonstrated that supports the successful implementation of cl, together with the other elements, resulted after cl implementation. therefore, the flipped classroom continues to be one of the seven components of the colearnitt process model (figure 2). 4. discussions a flipped classroom has satisfying outcomes when properly used in higher education. the findings of the present study showed that a flipped classroom facilitates class interactions as the learning 25 content is explored before the class. it is also timesaving for teachers who want to implement cl in their classes, and showed effectiveness in students’ learning, using technology as a powerful tool. cl showed positive results in both teaching and learning (tadesse & gillies, 2015). knowing this information should motivate teachers to improve teaching and student learning (willis, 2017). in choosing their teaching methods, the teachers must employ a flexible approach (ashton & stone, 2018), mostly when modern methods are implemented within traditional environments. they may combine the teaching strategies, structures, and techniques so that the learning objectives are achieved, and student learning occurs (barkley & major, 2018). saving time for in-class interaction students need to be well prepared for the teaching profession. thus, they need to be exposed to modern strategies in their training. teachers must promote practical applications of those modern strategies (peculea & peculea, 2017) to facilitate students’ teaching skills development. as displayed, the time issue can be efficiently addressed by using the flipped classroom model (shaykina & minin, 2018), leading to positive reactions from students (willis, 2017). teachers must be trained in learning what it is and how to use a flipped classroom. a flipped classroom is beneficial when using cl. in higher education, students may be considered independent learners. by inverting the class and designing pre-class readings and assignments, the in-class interactions increase, and practical applications take place (shaykina & minin, 2018). systematizing content for a flipped classroom is also valuable. it is the responsibility of the teacher to artfully design materials (ozdamli & asiksoy, 2016) and to bridge pre-class and in-class activities (crawford & senecal, 2017). as such, curriculum design is involved, with teachers deciding what to include and what not to use within 26 the class content (hsieh, 2017). there is recommended a structured way of delivering the content and assessing learning in a flipped classroom (zappe & litzinger, 2017), as the findings of this study showed. academic preparation pre-class individual readings assure the necessary time for inclass cl activities. however, as crawford and senecal (2017) stated, teachers must ensure that pre-class content is explored before students come to class. through the use of pre-class assignments (apedoe et al., 2017) and in-class reviewing activities, the teacher motivated students to complete their pre-class requirements. that is in line with what bergmann and sams (2014) recommended as a solution for assessing students. they found that using formative and summative assessments as valuable in assessing students’ mastery of the content. dividing the course material into sequential units is another method to enhance learning and teaching (hsieh, 2017). the student participants experienced positive outcomes, as well as other students who mastered content chunked in learnable sequences (marzano, 2017). technology teaching in a 21st-century class requires the use of technology both in face-to-face and in online activities (richter et al., 2018). students are actively engaged in online activities and social media in their daily practices. using technology thus matches their way of being active in the online space (herlo, 2015). based on students’ skills, technology must be used for learning purposes (tudor, 2016). usually, teachers use electronic presentations and videos to enhance students learning (siefert, kelly, yearta, & oliveira, 2019) and other technological tools to help students go deeper into a topic. this practice exerts a positive influence on teaching and learning. therefore, teachers need to be aware of the strengths and challenges of using technology in the classroom 27 (willis, 2017). the recommendation is to use technology in both online and face-to-face environments (redes, 2016) to facilitate students’ interaction in synchronous and asynchronous learning activities. 5. conclusions in a changing world, education practices also need change and improvement. therefore, implementing new teaching practices that fit the needs of the students and better prepare them for professional life seems to be the way for success. the initial teacher training is the time for such instruction of students in their preparation for being effective teachers. at the same time, actively involving students in the classroom is a challenging process yet rewarding. flipped classrooms revealed positive results when applying it to facilitate in-class interactions. this study showed how flipped classroom supported the implementation of cooperative learning and interactive teaching, preparing students for academic and professional life and familiarize them with using technology for educational and professional purposes. as the study was conducted in one university, the findings cannot be generalizable. however, the goal of qualitative research is not to generalize but to transfer the results to other environments. that is in the readers' hand, and it was assured thought the tick description of the methodology and the model developed. for further studies, the first recommendation is to apply the colearnitt model in the itt program. the second recommendation is to use a flipped classroom not only for making room for cl and in-class interaction but also for using technology to create audio/video learning materials, as well as formative/summative online quizzes and evaluating synchronous/asynchronous activities. 28 references al-abdeli, y. m. 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(2017). considerations when evaluating the classroom flip instructional technique. in l. santos green, j. r. banas, & r. a. perkins (eds.), the flipped college classroom (pp. 51–64). switzerland: springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-41855-1_4 34 tables, figures and appendices table 1. triangulation matrix for data collection initial phase rq1: what are the teaching practices in the selected university before the implementation of cooperative learning? rq2: what recommendations can be made to improve the prevalent teaching methods in the selected university? d ata source 1 d ata source 2 d ata source 3 d ata source 4 d ata source 5 data source 6 da ta source 7 r q1 d ocument analysis (syllabi) s urvey (faculty & students) phot ovoice i (students) r q2 d ocument analysis (syllabi) s urvey (faculty & students) phot ovoice i (students) lit erature on effective teaching fina l phase rq3. what does the implementation of cooperative learning methods in selected classrooms look like? rq4: what are the outcomes of the cooperative learning implementation in the selected university? rq5: what are the challenges and the coping strategies encountered in the implementation of cooperative learning by the selected participants? rq6: what model is recommended to support the use of cooperative learning at the selected university? d ata source 1 d ata source 2 d ata source 3 d ata source 4 d ata source 5 data source 6 da ta source 7 r q3 f ocusgroup interview (students) i n-depth interview (faculty) o bservation (class) d ocument analysis (srj; ptrj) phot ovoice ii (students) lit erature on cl strategies r q4 f ocusgroup interview (students) i n-depth interview (faculty) o bservation (class) d ocument analysis (srj; ptrj) phot ovoice ii (students) lit. on cl results 35 r q5 f ocusgroup interview (students) i n-depth interview (faculty) o bservation (class) d ocument analysis (srj; ptrj) phot ovoice ii (students) lit. on challenges in cl r q6 f ocusgroup interview (students) i n-depth interview (faculty) d ocument analysis (srj; ptrj) phot ovoice ii (students) lit on improving cl figure 1. the 3ps of the process of cl implementation. figure 2. the colearnitt process model journal of educational studies volume 4, number 1, 2022, pp. 53–80 53 tembinkosi sibanda1 abstract adventist education is influenced by a philosophy that presents god as the creator and sustainer of the universe. integration of faith and learning (ifl) as the basic tool for implementing a christ-centered curriculum has received a lot of attention in literature. however, regardless of the fact that there are students of different faiths in adventist schools, not much attention is paid to their perceptions of ifl. the behaviorist theories, humanistic theories, and the social and cultural theories emphasize the observance of human needs for effective learning. this case study was conducted in cavite, philippines, through interviews and observation of four non-adventist students and two teachers in an adventist academy. the results and recommendations of this study may help equip adventist teachers and administrators with effective strategies of ifl. the interviews and observations proved that there is an effective ifl in the academy. the strategies used are potent enough to positively impact the non-adventists toward adopting christian standards of living. keywords integration of faith and learning, adventist education, non-adventist students, adventist academy 1 tembinkosi sibanda, phd, solusi university, zimbabwe, tembinkosi.sibanda@solusi.ac.zw exploring lived experiences of non-adventist students in an adventist academy 54 introduction adventist institutions are meant to be evangelism centers. the purpose of adventist education is to provide a training that result in a god-fearing human being with sound morals and correct deportment that guide the mental discipline (white, 1968). the educational system of the seventh-day adventist church is founded upon a god-centered worldview. biblical principles that prove god to be real; the source of truth, the source of knowledge, the creator, and the sustainer of the universe is the basis of the adventist worldview (knight, 2006). the origin of the adventist beliefs advocates for the integration of faith and learning (ifl) in the adventist curriculum. ifl purposes at internalizing biblical values on students and a view of knowledge toward a christ-centered destiny (rasi, 2000). taylor (2001) provides effective strategies for practical implementation of ifl in the entire school. a lot of research has been done on the definition and strategies for implementing ifl. however, experiences of non-adventist students in adventist schools have received minimal to no attention. there is a high chance that nonadventists students may be actually feeling neglected and have no voice in anything related to such institutions. the results of this exploration of non-adventists experiences of ifl may guide teachers and administrators in venturing into strategies that will consider the perceptions of non-adventist students. the adventist church as a responsible authority of the schools may also lead in addressing the needs of both adventists and non-adventists. review of literature ifl comes as a direct response to ellen white’s advocacy for an education system conducted on christian principles (white, 1968). according to white (1952), adventist institutions are centers of evangelism. the duty of the school and the schoolteacher is to reach out to the non-adventists in the school. it is, therefore, 55 imperative to mention that as the schools indulge in the ifl with an intention of winning souls, experiences of non-adventists must be taken into serious consideration. the goal is to win not lose them. definition of ifl definition of ifl is key toward providing strategies and directing its implementation. grasping the correct definition of ifl may help direct implementation in schools. if adventist schools and individual christian educators can grasp the correct definition of ifl, implementation will not be a problem. according to white (1968), ifl begins with the reformation of the teacher. a reformed teacher will stick to a curriculum that witnesses christ in and outside the classroom with the intention of drawing the students to christ. ifl therefore defined from a biblical perspective will mean christian service in and outside of the classroom. rasi (1993) defines ifl as a deliberate biblical approach to the educational system. the definition clearly shows the presence of christ in the curriculum. however, the fact that rasi (1993) says it is deliberately done leaves out the aspect of the unintentional integration. according to white (1952), christian teachers must be transformed and be endowed with the holy spirit if they are to effectively present christ in their classrooms. the transformed teacher therefore integrates faith and learning intentionally and unintentionally. the teacher’s way of life; dressing, talking, eating, and all aspects of his/her life presents christ even before teaching academic subjects. rasi (1993) therefore partly addresses ifl definition by not addressing the unintentional aspects of ifl. thomas (2012) defines ifl from an evangelistic perspective. the author claims that ifl seeks to convert people to a particular faith. according to thomas (2012) ifl in adventist schools is targeted at the non-adventist students. however, white (1952) in 56 affirming ifl asserts that christian education must be redemptive, aiming at restoring the image of god in a human being. the redemptive aspect of education applies to all students, adventist, and non-adventist: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of god” (rom 3:23). thomas (2012) also defines ifl not in full but partly. the part that he addresses is however critical in ifl. adventist schools enroll both adventists and non-adventists. it is therefore the duty of the school and the teacher to make sure that the non-adventists are evangelized to through ifl. however, it is important to address their experiences of ifl in order to reach out to them successfully. both definitions although leaving out some important aspects, they are a part of the whole. the accurate and full definition can be derived from the first school—the garden of eden. the relationship between god as the teacher, his students adam and eve, and the environment of eden as the school was meant to exalt god as the creator. ifl was maintaining a good relationship between the creator and mankind (white, 1952). white (1952) mentions that even after the fall education has not changed its purpose—glorifying god the creator. therefore, ifl can be defined as a way of introducing god the creator and acknowledging his creatorship through all aspects of learning and teaching. it is of paramount importance to consider the experiences of those of different faith in ifl to avoid losing them in the process. it is, therefore, imperative to conclude by saying ifl implies to all school activities that point students to christ whether deliberately or not deliberately performed. purpose of ifl the definition of ifl zeros the purpose at presenting christ and helping the students to develop a sound relationship with god; and according to chapman et al. (2014), this relationship develops a christ-like character. white (1968) states that the purpose of christian education is to preserve the students from temptations 57 and immorality. it is imperative to state that ifl distinguishes christian education from secular education. it is meant to lead the students to christ and guide them in holding on to values and beliefs that are christ-centered; even after leaving school. thomas (2012) defines ifl from an evangelistic perspective by saying ifl purposes at directing students to christ and accepting him as their personal savior. white (1952) affirms thomas’ (2012) definition by stating that christian education must be redemptive and restore the image of god in human beings. christian institutions are therefore supposed to be evangelical centers where students are pointed to christ. it is important to state at this point that a christian school that does not reflect christ in all its endeavors has lost its identity (taylor, 2000). the reflection of christ must be seen everywhere including the teachers’ characters (white, 1968). hence, thomas (2012) further states that the passing on of the teachers’ faith to the students is the goal of ifl. teachers must be role models of faith by displaying good behavior and promoting a good conducive ifl atmosphere filled with love and care. students must enjoy good relations with loving teachers and hence, they will adopt their faith. the faith of the teachers must be seen in their works if ifl goals are to be realized. the two major goals of ifl as highlighted by thomas (2012) are evangelical purposes as a way of attracting the non-adventists to accepting adventist beliefs. it is because of this goal that non-adventist experiences must be considered in ifl. if ignored, a negative impact may result and the ifl may be a weapon to push them away instead of being a tool to bring them closer. it is of utmost importance to deliberately come up with more effective ifl strategies targeted at impacting non-adventists positively. the second goal is the revivalist goal meant to strengthen those who are already adventists. youlden (2012) suggests that peer influence can be a powerful medium of ministry. ifl therefore 58 nurtures those who are already adventists; and if well-equipped, they can be an effective instrument to reach out to the non-adventists. thomas (2012) also states that the presentation of god in ifl must give students enough evidence to acknowledge christ as their savior or to grow in him. the purpose of ifl is in double fold; targets the non-advents and at the same time aims at strengthening the adventists both for the purpose of imparting values that build a christ-like character. strategies of implementing ifl the divine purposes of ifl leaves the adventist schools and teachers with no choice but to deeply engage in ifl not only theoretically but mostly practically. rhee, bollenbough, and goetz (2015) state that ifl is more personal than theoretical. the personal experiences given in rhee et al. (2015) suggest effective strategies of ifl that address the perceptions of non-adventists successfully to the point of winning them to christ. however, the shared experiences show some mind disturbances at the point of cultural change. students of different faith experience a culture shock when they join adventist schools. rhee et al. (2015) state that christian institutions must practice ifl in a way that establishes a christian culture. if according to white (1952) students are treated with respect as the image of god, ifl should aim at addressing the lived experiences of non-adventists. role modelling is one of the culture building strategies as mentioned in rhee et al. (2015). according to white (1954), early years of the child is the crucial time in shaping the child to what he/she will be later in life. christian schools must therefore consider the fact that non-adventist students already have their own religions that have considerable diversity within them and mark the student’s identity (chapman et al., 2014). chapman et al. (2014) further state that some people are so much into their religious faith that they feel uncomfortable acting in a way that “conflicts with their religious values” (p. 4). white (1954) also counsels against 59 destroying the will of the child. each student’s view on ifl must therefore be treated with respect. however, teachers must provoke thinking and discussions that lead students to understand the truth on their own (white, 1968). when they see the truth by themselves, they will want to put it into application; hence, they accept christ and copy the modelled christ-like behavior. connecting the books and the book is another strategy that emphasizes the themes of the bible in all academic subjects (rhee et al., 2015). the subject matter must be integrated with creation, the fall, and redemption. i. smith, k. smith, and bass (2011) describe ifl as spicing academic subjects with christian ideas. rhee et al. (2015) further state that there is a need to search for effective integration theories and put them into practice. therefore, ifl needs to be sought for and implemented intentionally by coming up with appropriate effective strategies and putting them into practice; thereby pointing students to christ in all subject matter. it must also be pursued unintentionally by hiring teachers who will portray the image of christ in their way of life. smith et al. (2011) say that adventist institutions must be centers where the whole being of students are trained to meet the needs of the world now and later in their life after school. the strategies for ifl must therefore have a permanent impact on the student. as the mind is developed intellectually, spiritual growth must also be emphasized. the fruits of integration must be seen through the ripe products—the prosperous young men and women who are useful citizens (white, 1952). however, the goal of christian education can be significantly achieved by the willing engagement of non-adventist students in ifl leading to them accepting christ as their personal savior and living a changed life. that can only be achieved if ifl strategies are deliberately planned to attract a positive reception from non-adventist students. 60 theoretical framework the behaviorist's perspective is that behavior is learned. the purpose of adventist education, according to white (1952), is to shape behavior. behavior can be changed by providing a controlled environment (knight, 2006). ifl advocates for a controlled environment that effectively reflects christ in adventist institutions as a way of teaching good behavior. such an environment filled with love and care needs to accommodate those of different faiths toward the acceptance of adventist beliefs. ivan pavlov’s classical conditioning demonstrates that learning can take place subconsciously (zhang, zena, priimagi, & ikkala, 2020). a perfect ifl environment is defined by the communication of academic content based on theological foundations (nworie, 2016). consequently, the academic aspect of the school and the spiritual aspect are inseparable. therefore, non-adventist students may subconsciously be inclined to adventist teachings, when in fact the transformation must be by choice. burrhus frederic skinner’s operant conditioning asserts that human beings learn to behave in certain ways if there is a positive reinforcement or punishment (akpan, 2020). hence, non-adventist students in adventist schools may seem to be complying with adventist teachings only because of positive reinforcement or fear of punishment; and not necessarily because they are being transformed. that means they are enduring the process of ifl, not necessarily enjoying their transformation. ifl purposes for human development (wilkerson, 2015). the humanistic theories emphasize the importance of giving students a sense of control over their lives (tulasi & rao, 2021). students must not feel forced to change their faith. abraham maslow’s hierarchy of needs highlights that students learn and develop best when their safety and security are assured (tulasi & rao, 2021); and they feel well cared for. exploring lived experiences of nonadventists studying in adventist schools ensures that ifl is done in such a way that does not threaten the security and safety of 61 non-adventist students but encourages them to evaluate themselves and their beliefs toward transformation. ifl encourages respect for other people’s cultures, even though they contradict adventist beliefs. the socio-cultural learning theory stipulates that people of different cultures and social backgrounds have different ways of learning (scott, 2013). cultural sensitivity in teaching christ may help achieve the goals of ifl. when teachers are aware of the lived experiences of non-adventists in adventist schools, they will use appropriate pedagogies for effective ifl, which will reach out to non-adventist students in a positive way. adventist education must be based on a curriculum influenced by a philosophy that is centered on christ (white, 1952). it is therefore the purpose of adventist schools to change lives and influence behavior by the ifl. according to knight (2006), christ must be traced in all activities and places around adventist institutions. christian education is characterized by some process that assists teachers to help their students find god (larson & larson, 1992). the problem is that while getting fully engaged in ifl, the experiences of non-adventist students are ignored. methodology this case study used qualitative approach to allow in-depth data collection. non-adventist experiences on ifl have not been explored, hence, exploratory research was the most relevant (creswell, 2012). as a way of enhancing understanding of the contexts, a case study was used as a research design (hamilton & corbettwhittier, 2013). an academy was identified for data collection. sampling was done from this academy. purpose of the study the purpose of this study was to: 62 1. find out how teachers implemented ifl. 2. establish the effectiveness of ifl in impacting non-adventist students’ lives. 3. explore the ifl experiences of non-adventists. 4. identify better strategies of ifl that can be employed to give non-adventists a better encounter with god. research questions as a way of addressing the issue of the non-adventist students’ perceptions of ifl, this study intended to answer the following questions: 1. how do teachers implement faith and learning? 2. how effective is integration of faith and learning in impacting non-adventist students’ lives? 3. how do non-adventist students experience ifl? 4. how can ifl be improved to give non-adventist students a better encounter with god? methods purposive sampling was used as a sampling technique since the targeted group of participants was already specified by the research phenomenon. data was collected by conducting interviews with the participants and also by doing classroom observations to maximize the gathering of behavioral data. the collected data was then analyzed to draw conclusions and come up with recommendations. the flexibility of the qualitative approach helped gather a wide scope of data from the participants to inform sound conclusions and recommendations. tools the use of an exploratory case study helped gather adequate and relevant information from the exploration of the central phenomenon from a carefully selected setting. case study allowed the 63 use of interviews, observations, and documents. the use of two or more research instruments helps maximize the collection of adequate data which when triangulated will result in well reinforced and legitimate conclusions (hamilton & corbett-whittier, 2013). the triangulation table as shown in appendix c helped to consolidate the research questions with the research tools for informed findings and recommendations. conclusions were then made from the analyzed data. participants of the study according to wa-mbaleka (2016), a research study must be situated in a clear setting. this case study was carried in an adventist academy in cavite province in the philippines. the international aspect of the academy allowed for a wide range of perspectives from different nationalities. different religions represented from different countries also provided for different views of ifl resulting in data rich in variety and content. snowball sampling was also employed using two participants who helped identify other participants who were non-adventists. one student and a teacher were used to recruit other participants who were non-adventists (creswell, 2012). out of the seven non-adventist students identified at the academy, only four were engaged as participants for the study. two adventist teachers were also engaged as participants, the teachers’ perceptions helped interpret the students’ experiences. as a way of trying to enrich the collected data with variety; maximum variation sampling was employed. according to creswell (2012) maximum variation sampling involves the selection of participants with different characteristics. this study explored non-adventist views of ifl, hence, the age variety was needed for the depth of the findings; participants were picked from different grade levels. the nationality variety also contributed to the scope 64 of the findings; students from different nationalities were selected, and finally the difference in religions provided an important diversity in the findings, students of different religions were deliberately selected. data analysis data analysis began as soon as the interviews started. the simultaneous data collection and analysis helped notice the saturation point (merriam & tisdell, 2016) and hence, prevented waste of time by collecting data that would have been later discarded. the interviews were transcribed, and the triangulation of the different sources helped guide the analysis using the taba strategy. codes were highlighted as the data was being analyzed; and from the codes categories were established leading to themes that informed the discussion (creswell, 2012). the discussion of themes then led to the drawing of conclusions toward informed recommendations. the flexibility of the qualitative approach helped gather a wide scope of data from the participants to inform sound conclusions and recommendations (creswell, 2012; merriam & tisdell, 2016). the gathering of a lot of data with the use of different instruments ensured the accessing of all the required information that meaningfully addresses the research questions with the anticipation of providing solutions to the problem. a wide pool of meaningful data also guaranteed a meaningful analysis; rich in codes, categories, and themes that contributed to the construction of meaningful findings and conclusions. ethical considerations this study was done with careful examination of ethical standards. entry permission was sought for by a personal visit to the academy. salmons (2014) emphasizes verification of the participants’ age. since some of the participants were minors, parental consent was sought for. the assent forms (see appendix d) were 65 sent to the parents through the students for their approval. participants were informed about the purpose of the study as well as steps involved before signing the consent forms (see appendix d). appendix d is a combination of the assent for the parents and the consent of the students. participants participated voluntarily in this study. appendix e shows a consent form that was sent to the teachers soliciting their participation in data collection. according to hamilton & corbettwhittier (2013) it is the duty of the researcher to protect the population as a way of preserving integrity of the participants as well as for the research. therefore, privacy, anonymity, and confidentiality of the participants was observed as of prime supremacy. the interviews were conducted in places comfortable enough for both the interviewer and the interviewee for free expression of views and thoughts. creswell (2012) suggests the use of codes as an aid for observing privacy of each participant in reporting the findings, thus, pseudo names were used for reporting results. after transcribing, all the interviews were deleted, and observation check lists were destroyed. results the presentation of results followed the four different themes that were developed basing on the categories that appeared most frequently in the collected data. the four themes included: ifl strategies, experiences of non-adventists, impact of ifl on nonadventists, and recommendations for ifl. the themes were a result of an improved wide range of initial codes and categories that were developed from the raw data. theme # 1: ifl strategies the teacher participants were asked to elaborate on the strategies they use for ifl. the teachers’ responses were categorized 66 into; cooperative learning, maintenance of safe environment, ornamental strategies, modeling of good behavior, and relating topics taught to biblical texts and stories. these five categories formulated from the data were merged to form theme # 1. both teachers mentioned the employment of cooperative learning structures for the effective implementation of ifl. they both stated that cooperative learning promotes a christian spirit amongst the students. several cooperative learning structures and techniques were mentioned. however, both mentioned the effectiveness of four corners in ensuring maximum participation as all students share their reasons for the choices made. promotion of a christian environment was also mentioned by the teachers as a way of making students feel comfortable. teacher 2 in responding to strategies he uses actually said, “it’s not only teaching, it’s the environment itself.” amongst other aspects that promote a good environment is the kindness of the teachers that was mentioned by all the four student participants. student 1 stated that “the environment is clean, nice, and safe, people are kind here.” teacher 1 mentioned the use of scriptural decorations in the classroom as a way of emphasizing the biblical themes that she follows with each, and every topic she teaches. teachers also model a loving christian behavior. student 2 when asked about her teacher said, “she is nice and very good.” both teacher’s interviews and the observation highlighted a lot of integration through relating taught topics in the subject matter to biblical texts and stories. theme # 2: impact of ifl on non-adventists the interview responses had a positive reflection on impact of ifl on students. the responses were then arranged into the following categories resulting in theme # 2; joys of learning about a caring god, acceptance of god as the creator of human beings, change in behavior, making connections of spiritual aspects and 67 daily life. the students and teachers’ responses all zeroed to these categories as evidence of impact of ifl on non-adventist students. students were asked how learning about god is affecting their lives. upon responding to this question student 1 and student 2 both mentioned that the lessons about god help them face life challenges and joys knowing that god cares. student 1 actually mentioned that, “learning about god helps me to get through bad times and good times.” student 3 said, “first time i knew god i was really surprised because in my country many people say that people come from miracles and i believed that, but here they say jesus made people and i was interested in that.” he now knows there is a god who created people. student 4 actually said when he becomes a parent, he will send his children to adventist schools because he knows that if he was not in an adventist school his behavior would not be the same. teacher 1 emphasized the change of behavior in students as a good indicator of impact of ifl. both teachers confirmed that there is much impact on the students because when making connections in their lessons the teacher cannot differentiate answers for non-adventist students from those of adventist students. teacher 2 expressed a lot of joy in the way his non-adventist students make connections and how they make their personal reflections in journal feedbacks, he said, “honestly sometimes when they give their answers and i compare them with adventist students answers i cannot tell the difference.” a good indicator of the impact of ifl and the acceptance of adventist teachings. in the observation all students were happily participating. both students and teachers are showing that ifl has a positive impact on students, hence, the strategies used are effective in impacting nonadventist students. 68 theme # 3: experiences of non-adventist students theme # 3 was formulated from the following categories: safe and conducive environment, good teacher-student and studentstudent relationships, good bible teachings, and willingness to stay on. all the four student participants expressed much joy by being part of the academy. they all mentioned that it is a good place to be, and they are enjoying their stay. asked what they like most about the academy, they all said it is safe, there is no bullying, and they are happy. student 4 actually said when he joined the academy it was a trial and error after having had bad experiences from the previous school and now, he is enjoying, and he feels safe. student 3 when asked about the relations between teachers and students said, “teachers are kind and very helpful here compared to my former school.” on the same note student 4 said “teachers are really, really good and helpful, both teachers and students treat me like one of their own, they are awesome.” students were also asked what they enjoy most, and student 2 said he enjoys the teachings at the academy. student 4 also mentioned that “in other schools there is something missing in the teaching of the bible and here i am enjoying the bible teachings.” all students mentioned that they want to stay on, they are enjoying every bit of the academy life. during the observation students seemed to be enjoying the lesson, they were all attentive and participating throughout the lesson regardless of being early graders. all students indicated that they have very good experiences of ifl at the academy all four were asked if they want to stay on and they all confirmed that they want to stay on because they are happy. theme # 4: recommendations for ifl improvement the final theme constituting of recommendations and areas of improvement suggested by the participants was formulated from two categories: ifl textbooks and ifl skills training. students 69 expressed all joys. asked what they need improved, they all said all is good they are happy. however, the teachers felt they are still not yet there, there is a need for more considerations. teacher 1 said as much as most is done there is a need for more textbooks with ifl, sometimes it is not easy in some subjects like math to integrate some topics without guidance. upon responding to challenges, she faces in ifl she said, “i find some challenges especially in teaching math (laughs). because sometimes it’s hard to integrate.” teacher 2 also stated that much is done but there is a need to improve in the intentional integration for a more effective implementation. he said, “because for some of us it comes out naturally, but we need to be more intentional.” teacher 1 also mentioned that she improved her skills of implementing ifl after taking a course in ifl, hence, there is a need for teachers to take such courses for more effective and intentional ifl implementation. the responses on recommendations indicate that the academy embraces ifl a lot. the non-adventist students’ expressions of happiness in an environment bound by adventist doctrines also show that the academy is engaged in much ifl that is giving nonadventist students a better encounter with god. discussions the themes generated from the interviews and observation data can all be zeroed on one main concept—effective implementation of ifl. the goals of ifl as a guide for this study were all elaborated both in the literature review and in the data collected. the literature review did not indicate any study on the central phenomenon of this study. however, the concern was to find out how non-adventist students experience ifl. according to knight (2006), biblical perspective must be the foundation and the context of all that is done. christian schools must reflect christ and preach god the creator in all aspects. student 4 who transferred 70 from a non-adventist school acknowledged the teaching of christ in all subjects. when asked why he chose the academy, he said they agreed with his parents that other christian schools that are not adventist have little knowledge about the bible. he confirmed that at the academy god is taught in all subjects. asked how he feels learning about god in all subjects he said it is just like teaching god in different perspectives. in his final remarks he said, “so far my experience here is becoming really, really good.” taylor (2001) suggests strategies for implementing ifl in all aspects of the school. participants indicated that the school environment—which the author classifies under contextual strategies, is promoted by good relations, and they feel safe and comfortable. the teacher participants also stated the ornamental strategies, as a deliberate way of ifl with scriptural wall decorations (taylor, 2001). all the student participants also mentioned that their teachers and other students are kind and helpful. student participants are appearing to be having good experiences with ifl, thus, interrelation and personal ifl strategies classified as experiential strategies in taylor (2001) are being observed, and they are making a positive impact. teacher 2 mentioned that as an adventist and having gone through adventist systems ifl comes naturally when teaching. white (1952) encourages the engagement of teachers who are reformed in adventist schools. taylor (2001) also states the exemplary strategy as one of the illustrative strategies of ifl. hence, the engagement of teachers who are called to serve results in the effective implementation of ifl. the good behavior and acts of love come naturally from the teacher, and as a result, the students feel loved and appreciated. when they feel part of the system like most of the student participants said, they tend to comply and accept the teachings. student 2 asked about her experiences and how she feels in an adventist academy, she said, “i don’t feel like i am non-adventist.” student 4, when asked what he likes most about the school, he mentioned that he likes the teachings. 71 students tend to imitate teachers, hence, the good ifl atmosphere around the school. reviewed literature also revealed that ifl purposes at connecting the books and the book (rhee et al., 2015). subject matter in all subjects must be connected to christ. teacher 2 stated that he provokes discussions in his science classes by telling the students that the devil sometimes hijacks what is meant for the good and turns it to evil. such discussions prepare students to face the confusion of the great controversy. hence, even the non-adventists by being involved get impacted and get to learn of the truth. this study as it explored the lived experiences of non-adventist was meant to help teachers come up with more effective strategies that will give non-adventists a better encounter with god. results show that all participants were happy and positively impacted by ifl. ifl emphasizes holistic education as an important aspect of true education (white, 1952). the students are developed in all aspects of life; spiritually, mentally, socially, and physically. according to pazmino (2008), heredity has a significant influence in the makeup of a person. different people have different biblical perspectives dependent on what they inherited from their parents. students in any given school come from different backgrounds and hence, different beliefs. non-adventist students in adventist schools are no exception. ifl is meant to be structured in such a way that will address their inherited beliefs in a loving and accommodative way. pazmino (2008) says, “persons have intrinsic dignity and are worth of respect and love” (p. 224). if adventist education is to conquer the inherited beliefs of non-adventists, it is therefore of paramount importance to respect their dignity by using ifl strategies that address their perspectives respectfully. 72 pazmino (2008) provides integration developmental concept that suggests approaches to be used in dealing with the inherit-ed nature. he suggests that experiences have the power of changing the inherited nature. the same experiences will then produce tendencies that determine the behavior and the character of the person. as white (1952) states, if education is to draw students to christ, it is important to provide an environment that reflects christ. pazmino (2008) further states that experiences can direct learning, and learning leads the learner to maturity. it is important to note that a truly christian environment will provide christian experiences resulting in christian maturity. adventist schools should therefore purpose at reflecting christ in all aspects, environmentally, relationally, academically, personally, theoretically, and practically, pure ifl (taylor, 2001). by so doing the inherited beliefs can be successfully addressed. conclusions all participants expressed feelings of being content. they all struggled to state challenges they met at the academy and none of them mentioned any challenges. the terminology they used to express how happy they were, did indicate that there is indeed true and effective implementation of ifl. the responses from the interviews were covering john wesley taylor’s strategies of ifl. the contextual strategies were mentioned by students when they said the environment is friendly and safe. teacher 1 also mentioned the scriptural wall hangers. the illustrative strategies were mentioned by teacher 2, he said he teaches faith not about faith; meaning he lives what he teaches, and it comes naturally. teacher 1 said she uses biblical themes for her topics taught—conceptual strategies. the students also confirmed that god is taught in different perspectives in different subject matter. good relations amongst teachers and students confirmed experiential strategies. 73 there were no prior preparations for the class that was observed. the teacher was just invitational saying she is ready. the observation proved that ifl is a daily exercise practiced at the academy. the degree of integration explained the joy all the student participants were showing. the academy was fully engaged in the ifl, not because of the call for duty but because of personal calling to serve. hence, the results show that the planting of the seed is effectively done as mentioned by teacher 2 and the anticipated harvest is good. the fruits of integration must be seen through the ripe products—the prosperous young men and women who are useful citizens (white, 1952). the positive impact of ifl is evident. hence, true ifl will always show positive results. reference to the findings of this study may guide all christian educationists and institutions in implementing ifl in a way that meets the goals of true education. basing on the results of the study the following recommendations were made: 1. there is a need for in-house training for teachers on the implementation of ifl in the classroom. 2. adventist stakeholders need to invest in ifl materials like textbooks. further research may be done to explore: 1. the effect of ifl and its impact on racism in adventist international schools. 2. teachers’ worldviews and their impact on implementation of ifl in adventist schools. 3. teachers’ level of education and its impact on ifl implementation in adventist schools. 4. lived experiences of students of color in adventist schools. 74 references akpan, b. (2020). classical and operant conditioning—ivan pavlov; burrhus skinner. in akpan, b., kennedy, t. j. (eds.), science education in theory and practice. springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-436209_6 chapman, j. d., mcnamara, s., reiss, m. j., & waghid, y. (2014). international handbook of learning, teaching, and leading in faith-based schools. springer. creswell, j. w. (2012). educational research: planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (4th ed). pearson. hamilton, l., & corbett-whittier, c. (2013). using case study in education research. sage. knight, g. r. (2006). philosophy of education: an introduction in christian perspective (4th ed.). andrews university press. larson, r., & larson, d. (1992). project affirmation: teaching values. la sierra university press. merriam, s. b., & tisdell, e. j. (2016). qualitative research: a guide to design and implementation (4th ed.). jossey-bass. nworie, b. (2016). integrating faith and special education: a christian faith approach to special education practice. https://books.google.com.ph /books?isbn=1498238386 pazmino, r. w. (2008). foundational issues in christian education: an introduction in evangelical perspective (3rd ed.). baker academic. rasi, h. m. (1993). christ in the classroom: adventist approaches to the integration of faith and learning. institute for christian teaching educational department. rasi, h. m. (2000). worldviews, contemporary culture, and adventist thought. institute for christian teaching educational department. rhee, s. n., bollenbaugh, m., & goetz, s. (2015). essays in faith and learning: a festschrift in honor of dr. song nai rhee. wipf and stock publishers. salmons, j. (2014). qualitative online interviews: strategies, design, and skills. sage. schneider, k. j., pierson, j. f., & bugental, f. j. (2014). the handbook of humanistic, psychology: theory, research, and practice. thousand oaks. scott, s. (2013). sociocultural theory. http://www.education.com/reference/article/sociocultural-theory/ 75 smith, d. i., smith, j. k., & bass, d. (2011). teaching and christian practices: reshaping faith and learning. ecromans publishing. taylor, j. w. (2000). a biblical foundation for the integration of faith and learning. http://www.aiias.edu/ict/vol_27/27cc_395-407. pdf taylor, j. w. (2001). instructional strategies for integrating faith and learning. the journal of adventist education, 63(5), 5–8. http://circle.adventist.org/files/jae/en/jae200163050507.pdf thomas, d. (2012). defining the integration of faith and learning. catalyst, 7(1), 14–20. tulasi, l., & rao, c. s., (2021). a review of humanistic approach to student centered instruction. the review of contemporary scientific and academic studies, 1(1), 1–5. http://www.thercsas.com wa-mbaleka, s. (2016). thesis and dissertation writing: fear no more. biblios. white, e. g. (1952). education. pacific press. white, e. g. (1954). child guidance. review and heralds publishing association. white, e. g. (1968). counsels on education. pacific press. wilkerson, j. b. (2015). cultivating mathematical affections: the influence of christian faith on mathematics pedagogy. perspectives of science and christian faith, 67(2), 111–123. https://www.asa3.org/asa/pscf/ 2015/pscf6-15wilkerson.pdf youlden, b. (2012). justifiable or not? developing and preserving a christian school ethos. journal of christian education, 2(1), 24–26. http://research.avondale.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1158&context=teach zhang, h., zeng, h., priimagi, a., & ikkala, o. (2020). viewpoint: pavlovian materials—functional biomimetics inspired by classical conditioning. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/adma.201906619 en-us/article/apa-mla-chicago-%e2%80%93-automatically-format-bibliographies-405c207c-7070-42fa-91e7-eaf064b14d 76 appendices appendix a interview guide for students i am tembinkosi sibanda (ph.d). i will be asking questions as part of my data collection for a study entitled, “exploration of lived experiences of non-adventists in an adventist academy.” privacy and confidentiality will be observed through this interview and the entire study. i will therefore make sure your name does not appear anywhere in the study and this interview will not be discussed anywhere else except as a source of my findings that will guide the improvement of ifl strategies toward making it more inclusive to non-adventists. any questions before we start? 1. how did you decide to come to study at this academy? 2. how do you like it here at this academy? 3. what do you like most about this academy? 4. how do you feel learning about god in your classes? 5. how has learning about god affected your life? 6. anything else you want to share? 77 appendix b interview guide for teachers i am tembinkosi sibanda (phd). i will be asking questions as part of my data collection for a study entitled, “exploration of lived experiences of non-adventists in an adventist academy.” privacy and confidentiality will be observed through this interview and the entire study. i will therefore make sure your name does not appear anywhere in the study and this interview will not be discussed anywhere else except as a source of my findings that will guide the improvement of ifl strategies towards making it more inclusive to non-adventists. any questions before we start? 1. how do you integrate faith and learning in your practice? 2. what challenges do you meet in ifl? 3. what are the joys of ifl? 4. how do you cater for non-adventists in your practice? 5. how would you generally describe the impact of ifl on non-adventist students in the academy? 6. is there anything that you see needs to be changed in the implementation of ifl in the current curriculum and instructional practices? 78 appendix c triangular matrix questions interviews documents observations comments rq1 √ √ √ both teachers and student # 4 rq2 √ √ all participants rq3 √ all participants rq4 √ √ both teachers rq5 √ √ √ students only rq6 √ all participants note: the check marks tally each research question with the data collection instrument that addresses the question. 79 appendix d informed assent form for parents my name is tembinkosi sibanda. i am doing a research on the exploration of the lived experiences of non-adventist students in adventist academies in cavite province. through your permission i would like to engage your child as one of my participants in my study by interviewing him/her. i am exploring lived experiences of non-adventist students in an adventist academy. i will therefore be asking questions pertaining to their perceptions of faith and learning as part of my data collection procedures. i am soliciting voluntary participation from your child through your permission. it is estimated that participation in this study will take no more than 45mins of their time. please be advised that your child’s confidentiality will be always preserved. the names and all other confidential details will not be revealed; neither will i discuss their opinions with anyone else. if you are willing to allow your child to participate in this study after having clearly understood what is involved in the study, please indicate your response by check marking and signing below. ( ) i allow my child ________________ to be a participant in this study. signatures: parent____________ child________________ date_______________ 80 appendix e informed consent form for teachers my name is tembinkosi sibanda. i am doing a research on the exploration of lived experiences of non-adventist students in adventist academies. through your permission i would like to take your time asking questions and discussing your experiences on the integration of faith and learning. i have some questions to ask pertaining to how you implement and perceive the integration of faith and learning as far as non-adventist students are concerned as part of my data collection procedures. i am soliciting voluntary participation from you. it is estimated that participation in this study will take no more than 45mins of your time. please be advised that your confidentiality will be preserved at all times. your name and all other confidential details will not be revealed; neither will i discuss your opinions with anyone else. if you are willing to participate in this study after having clearly understood what is involved in the study, please indicate your response by check marking and signing below. ( ) i agree to be a participant in this study. signature________________ date_______________ 68 eleonora mihaela popa university of bucharest nora_popa35@yahoo.com family particularities that influence children's learning and development keywords family dimensions, family climate, human development abstract the family is the most important environment for socialization and a source of influence for children's development. parenting practices are the personal way in which parents express their values and conceptions about education. the degree of involvement of parents in their children's lives can vary depending on several factors: personal conceptions, values, aspirations, priorities, the presence of physical or psychological absence of parents in children's lives and activities, family type, family climate, parenting style, etc. each child actively contributes to their learning and development by accumulating experiences and solving specific challenges, which ensure their growth, strength, and commitment at every stage of life. 69 1. introduction the development of the human being must be seen under three essential aspects: biological, psychological, and social, between them being numerous and varied interferences. psychological development refers to the processes of physical growth, internal transformations of the body, materialized in quantitative and qualitative changes of higher nervous activities. psychic development considers the appearance and manifestation of processes, properties, states, and psychic structures. social development is demonstrated by amplifying the possibilities of relationships (correlating one's behavior with different social requirements) (crețu, 2004). the family is an open system that depends on the environment for survival and the regulation of internal and external interactions to achieve a delimited state of balance. in a family system, every action and reaction cause a change in the system as a whole (björnberg & nicholson, 2007). the development of the human being must be seen under three essential aspects: biological, psychological, and social, between them being numerous and varied interferences. psychological development refers to the processes of physical growth and maturation, internal transformations of the body, materialized in quantitative and qualitative changes of higher nervous activities. psychic development considers the appearance and manifestation of mental processes, properties, states, and structures. social development is demonstrated by amplifying the possibilities of relationships (correlating one's behavior with different social requirements) (cretu, 2004). 70 2. human personality development effective communication between parents and child will help the child feel understood, protected, and have a sense of belonging. siegel and hartzell (2017) propose three stages of attachment development: alignment, balance, and coherence. they suggest that first of all it is necessary to tune/align the state of mind of the parents with the child's state as a result of which the child obtains a state of physical, emotional, and mental balance, which will help him feel integrated and connected so that the relationship to become coherent. psychologist erik erikson (1998) issued a theory that the individual goes through eight stages in his life, marked by existential crises, progress being possible only by resolving step by step the conflicts in each stage. later, he added another to the eight stages. thus, the first stage, called "hope", framed in the period from birth to about a year and a half, is characterized by the conflict between trust and mistrust. during this period, the child must establish his basic attitude towards the world around him. if during this period the child has satisfaction, care from others, and comfort, he will be able to have a more confident attitude towards life, otherwise, he will develop distrust that will generalize towards all individuals. the second stage, called "will", between one and a half and three years is dominated by the conflict between autonomy and doubt/shame. the challenges facing the child are to take on the facts. if the child is encouraged, he will gain a sense of security and self-confidence, but if he is ridiculed for his childish decisions, he will become ashamed of his actions and lose confidence in his own decisions (erikson, 1998). the third stage, called "purpose", is based on the conflict between guilt and initiative and is between 3 and 6 years. during this period the child tests what the limits are, violating or 71 respecting the prohibitions, he will understand that not everything is possible or allowed. at this stage, an inappropriate, exaggerated educational intervention will develop the child's fear of punishment and the impression that any initiative is wrong. if instead, the parents support the child's initiatives, he will continue to explore, learn to take responsibility, and lead to the development of a sense of initiative (erikson, 1998). the fourth stage, between 6 and 12 years, called "competence", is characterized by the conflict between diligence and inferiority. the child's response to the challenges that arise during this period can be completely different: either he will develop a sense of competence, under the warm and encouraging guidance of those who represent the authority, or he will give up, deepening a sense of inferiority and inadequacy, if he is constantly subjected to comparisons with other children or other situations. this stage is decisive, from the perspective of erikson (1998), for the adolescent crisis. the fifth stage, "fidelity", is defined by the conflict between self-identity and role confusion and extends into adolescence, from 12 to 20 years. now the teenager is overwhelmed by the multitude of social roles he has to take on and tries to find satisfactory answers to take on. parents who, even at this age, sit behind the child and watch his every move do nothing but make him feel unable to make the right decision, he sometimes choosing what his parents want. thus, the young person is confused, does not know what he wants, but gives in to parental pressure (erikson, 1998). the sixth stage, 20-30 / 35 years old, “love”, is characterized by the conflict between intimacy and isolation from others. during this period, the young adult seeks deep and lasting relationships, in which to express their intimacy, through the free fusion of identities. the emotional balance is quite fragile and if the feelings are not shared, the young person can reach extreme isolation, where he can no longer be reached or hurt by anyone. the most 72 acute feeling that is felt during this period is loneliness. without proper counseling, depression, psychosomatic disorders, psychological or even suicide attempts can sometimes occur (erikson, 1998). the seventh stage, from 35 to 65 years, called "care" is characterized by the conflict between creation and stagnation. during this period, the adult wants to create, to be productive, to bring his contribution in one way or another, to orient himself towards the outside, reaching his maximum professional potential. it is the moment when the adult needs to share with someone his professional experience, to offer it as a legacy. on the other hand, there may be situations when the adult has no one to share the accumulation of knowledge or has not accumulated knowledge to share with others and stagnation occurs (erikson, 1998). the eighth stage, after 65 years, consists of the wisdom to resolve the conflict between integrity and despair/disgust in the face of the reality of life. the individual now looks back on life and tries to accept both successes and failures. if he fails to accept his failures and, especially, realizes that he no longer has the time or energy to repair certain aspects of the past, man becomes desperate, succumbs to disgust with life, and experiences a negative self-image that can no longer be corrected (erikson, 1998). the last stage, the ninth, identified after the age of 80, the beginning of the age of 90, is characterized by the fact that selfesteem and confidence weaken with the weakening of physical strength and vigor. hope and confidence, which were once firm support, are no longer as solid pillars as they once were so that during this period man can do things contrary to his behavior and natural personality. the wisest way to resolve this conflict is to know how to face despair with confidence and humility. it is very important to remember that in all these stages conflicts or tensions 73 are the sources of growth, strength, and commitment (erikson, 1998). 3. family characteristics classifications families can be classified from a sociological point of view into several categories, a first distinction being made between the family of origin and the family of procreation. the family of origin, also known as the orientation or biological family, is the family in which we are born, raised, is made up of mother, father, brothers, and sisters, and has a strong role in the protection and socialization of descendants. the procreation family also called own family or conjugal family is made up of husband and wife, as well as their sons and daughters and is the basis of the extended family, formed by the vertical union in time, of several nuclear families, forming successive generations (voinea, 2005). another criterion for classifying families is housing, hence the residency families, made up of people who live in common homes and carry out joint household activities, and interaction families, in which there are mutually helpful relationships, exchanges, and mutual visits. (voinea, 2005). depending on how authority is exercised within the family, family systems can be: a) matriarchal, in which authority is held by the oldest woman or wife; b) patriarchal, in which authority is held by the oldest man or husband; c) equality, in which power and authority are exercised equally by the husband and wife. from the point of view of the normality of family life, families can be: normal or deficient, disorganized, vulnerable (voinea, 2005). as a structure, the family can be viewed from the perspective of two criteria: quantitative (or numerical) and qualitative. from a quantitative point of view, the family can be: nuclear (consisting of three or four people, represented by their spouse and children) or 74 extended (which can reach 30-40 people, including the degrees of kinship between its members). the family can also be viewed from the perspective of generations, all its members sometimes living together, which can generate conflicts and difficulties in organization and leadership (voinea, 2005). yip (1998) identifies two types of families: single-parent and two-parent. single-parent families include families with divorced parents and families with a widowed parent. it is believed that single parents have difficulty maintaining boundaries for their children. children from such families have reported behavioral problems and other dysfunctions in family and school life. family functions family functions patterson (2002) identifies four family functions: (a) belonging and training, (b) economic support, (c) feeding, education, and socialization, (d) protecting vulnerable members. each of these functions has positive and negative implications for family members. the first function ensures the unity of the family, to which are added the children planned and wanted, but divorce can also occur. the second function ensures the necessary food and clothing, the safety of the home, but there is a risk of neglect of children. the third function ensures mutual support, love, marital satisfaction, but there may be episodes of domestic violence, child abuse. the fourth function is to ensure the care of children with special needs, but the impossibility of fulfilling it leads to sending family members with disabilities to foster care. one of the most important functions of the family is to educate and train young people for their optimal integration into life and social activity. here, within the family group, parents exert directly or indirectly, educational-formative influences on their children. the conjugal couple, through its entire system of behavioral acts, is a true social model which, being the first in the order of influences from existing social models, has a decisive 75 influence on children in forming their conception of life, behavior, and relationships concerning different social norms and values (mitrofan, 1984, p. 144). status and role every person, a member of a family has a well-defined status and role. status refers to the basic position of the person within the group and the desirable behaviors, and the role consists of all the normative behaviors associated with the statuses. the division of roles in the family is a very important component that involves a wide network of social relationships. the diversity and complexity of social relations ensure the unity and cohesion of the family (voinea, 2005). throughout life, people experience different social roles. from birth, the family and the relationships within it shape the person physically and intellectually, creating the personality of each, preparing him for life in society. often, the wrong influence of parents causes negative consequences difficult to eliminate. each parent has a unique and irreplaceable role, so the child needs both parents for harmonious development. the importance of the family lies in the influence of parents on their children. the father's influence refers to protection, guidance, and support for the outside world; child discipline; supporting the initiative, independence, and freedom (gežová, 2015). family values arsene and constantin (2013) identify the following family values: compassion and tolerance, courage, moral integrity, dignity, honesty, friendship, kindness, perseverance, selfdiscipline, responsibility, patience, promptness, cleanliness, religious faith (arsene & constantin, 2013, pp. 30 -35). 76 family dimensions björnberg and nicholson (2007) identify family dimensions according to the balance between authority and attention in the relationship between parents and children; the relationship between emotional and cognitive unity between family members; the relationship between open communication and adaptability in relationships between family members. all these aspects determine the family climate. many families fail because of the conflict between parents and children. this failure is due to the inability to achieve a common vision over the generations, with personality differences playing a major role. björnberg and nicholson (2007) argue that the relationship between parental attention and authority over children determines four characteristics of the family: indulgent (high attention and low authority), authoritarian (high attention and high authority), dictatorial (low attention and high authority) ) and careless (low attention and low authority). the family's ability to stay together despite the crises and difficulties they face is largely the product of an intellectual and emotional "glue." cohesion can also be excessive if families are too introspective, look too much inwards, depriving themselves of diversity and openness to outward perspectives. if the emotional unity is high and the cognitive one is low, the cohesion of the family can be very varied, in contrast to the situation in which they have the same ideas, conceptions (low emotional unity and high cognitive unity). other dimensions in contrast are fragmented cohesion (low emotional unity, low cognitive cohesion), compared to close cohesion when both emotional and cognitive unity is high (björnberg and nicholson, 2007). authority and cohesion are seen by björnberg and nicholson (2007) as "psychological style" and "family structure", respectively. these dimensions must be counterbalanced by methods and procedures for dealing with situations, in which people adapt, 77 communicate, make decisions, especially in unforeseen situations. thus, two sub-dimensions of this process are identified: adaptability in solving problems and open communication between family members. intersecting these dimensions, there are four ways in which families solve their problems: reactive (high adaptability, but open communication), adaptable (both adaptability and open communication have a high level), avoidant (low adaptability, but a high level of open communication) and rigid (both adaptability and open communication are low). family climate the family climate is a complex psychosocial formation, comprising the set of mental states, ways of interpersonal relationships, attitudes, level of satisfaction, which characterizes the family group for a longer period (mitrofan & mitrofan, 1991). the family climate is synonymous with the atmosphere or morale of the family group as a small social group. this climate, which can be positive or negative, is interposed as a filter between the educational influences exerted by parents and the psychobehavioral acquisitions made at the level of children's personality. the path from educational influence to behavioral acquisition is not direct, but is influenced by the family climate: for example, the same educational influences will have a different effect depending on the family climate in which they are exercised. the family climate can be analyzed according to several indicators, the most important being the following: a) the way of interpersonal reporting of parents (level of closeness and understanding, agreement or disagreement on various issues); b) the set of attitudes of the family members concerning different norms and social values; c) the degree of cohesion of the members of the family group; d) how the child is perceived and considered; e) the manner of manifestation of parental authority (unitary or differentiated); f) the degree of acceptance of various behaviors of 78 children; g) the level of satisfaction felt by the members of the family group; h) the dynamics of the appearance of some conflict and tension states; i) the manner of application of rewards and sanctions; j) the degree of openness and sincerity shown by the members of the family group (mitrofan & mitrofan, 1991). according to some studies, the positive family climate favors the fulfillment of all the functions of the conjugal couple and the family group at high-efficiency levels. the family climate determines, on the one hand, the efficiency of educational influences, but, on the other hand, it has an important role in the growth and development of the child and adolescent (mitrofan & mitrofan, 1991). parental style the four parental styles: authoritarian, dictatorial, permissive, and careless, defined by baumrind (1971) are still used by researchers to classify the type of interactions that exist between parents and children. sorkhabi (2005) states that authoritarian parenting style, as opposed to dictatorial or permissive parenting, is closely associated with academic and psychosocial self-regulation in certain cultures because authoritarian parents are better able to coordinate and integrate multiple goals more effectively that include individual social requirements or group, characteristic of the respective culture. another possible reason for the success of the authoritarian parenting style is that parents use effective means or ways to achieve goals by balancing practices, being more flexible and motivated. the authoritarian parenting style is distinguished by reciprocity, tacit understanding, and flexibility, which allow the parent to be more effective in coordinating and balancing the child's needs with those of society. dictatorial parents are inflexible, do not demonstrate reciprocity in relationships, and fail 79 to adapt social requirements and expectations to the needs, strengths, and weaknesses of the child. permissive parents, on the other hand, focus on pursuing children's goals without sufficiently coordinating them with the needs and requirements of the parent or society. therefore, when social requirements are ignored by parents or subordinated to personal, individual goals (permissive parents) or when individual concerns are ignored or subordinated to social requirements (dictating parents), such parents may experience less success in achieving a given goal (sorkhabi, 2005). 4. the parent-child relationship the influence of family parents have the greatest influence on children, determining their behavior and actions in different situations, so it is very important the model they offer children (assefa & sintayehu, 2018). parents must be authentic, there must be a visible concordance between what they say and what they practice. arsene and constantin (2013) argue that parents must be honest with their children, to recognize their feelings and limits. the feeling of security, comfort, well-being develops in the child's positive attitudes towards life, towards those around him, so that he becomes more resistant to the factors that generate stress, can more easily manage his emotions, and will have a correct image with looking at oneself and others. effective communication between parents and child will help the child feel understood, protected, and have a sense of belonging. "parents exert educational-modeling influences within the family and directly, based on a certain educational strategy using more or less systematically and organized certain educational methods and techniques" (mitrofan, 1984, p. 144). 80 parental involvement parental involvement, as described by epstein (2010), addresses the following issues: a) ensuring children's health and safety, developing parenting skills and parenting approaches that prepare children for school and maintain the child's healthy development in all grades and building positive home conditions that support school learning and behavior throughout the school year; b) regular discussion with school staff about programs, children's progress and other school-related issues; c) volunteering at school and participating in student shows, sporting events, and other activities; d) assisting students' learning by helping with homework and other curriculum-related activities at home; e) participation in school decision making. singh et al. (1995) identify four components of parental involvement in children's lives: parents 'aspirations for children's education (parents' hopes and expectations for the child's continuing education), parent-child communication about school; the structure of the home (the degree of discipline exercised by the parents) and the participation of the parents in the activities related to the school. jeynes (2007) conducted a meta-analysis examining the relationship between parental involvement and the academic achievement of middle school students and concluded that parental involvement is defined as parental involvement in their children's educational processes and experiences. also, the jeynes study uses specific variables of parental involvement, such as: a) general parental involvement (includes the general measure of parental involvement); b) specific involvement of parents (includes a specific measure of parental involvement, differentiated from other measures of parental involvement used in the study); c) parents' expectations (the degree to which a student's parents maintain high expectations regarding the student's ability to reach high levels); d) attendance and participation (if and how often 81 parents participate and participate in school activities); e) communication (the extent to which parents and their children communicate about school activities and report a high level of communication in general); f) homework (the extent to which parents check their children's homework before it is taught to the teacher); g) parenting style (the extent to which a parent demonstrates a parental supportive and supportive approach). in their review of the relationship between parental involvement and the academic outcomes of high school students, shute (2007) and her colleagues made a comprehensive description of the parental involvement variable. they grouped the specific aspects related to the involvement of parents in two main categories: home activities and school activities. the first category includes: a) parent-child discussion about school (conversations between parents and their children about school activities, programs, school plans); b) parents' aspirations and expectations (the degree to which parents assume that their children will have good results at school); c) parenting style (a complex set of behaviors and/or attitudes by which parents demonstrate and communicate the values, behaviors, and standards that their children are expected to adopt); d) reading at home (parental modeling and supporting the child's reading activity); e) checking the child's homework by the parents, family rules and supervision. the second category includes specific variables, such as parentteacher communication, parents 'participation in school activities, parents' volunteering at school. 5. the evolution of the romanian family and education throughout history stănciulescu (1998) makes an extensive history on the evolution of the family and education in the romanian society, starting with the 17th century until 1989, analyzing these themes 82 from a historical sociological perspective and bringing arguments from the literature of the time. the xvii – xviii centuries during the 17th 18th centuries, the kinship network is clearly outlined as a group and as an institution in the upper classes of the time and the existence of conscience of the conjugalparental family is quite clear. according to stahl (1959, quoted by stănciulescu, 1998), the archaic romanian village was organized according to a family principle, the state organization overlapping. the children were presented not as children, simply, but in an institutional quality: sons of master, daughters of the mistress, disciples in different stages of formation. from the description given by dimitrie cantemir in "descriptio moldaviae", we find that moldovans at that time did not like teaching, ordinary people considering that "teaching is the concern of priests" and too many spoils the mind. parental indifference concerning children's education is associated with the absence of childhood feelings. in this context, cantemir associates learning with everything that the individual can accumulate "from the outside". any trait that the individual possesses, but which has not been acquired "from without," is part of his nature. thus, “from the outside” refers to those characteristics that are not innate, but are due to the interactions and relationships of the individual with others (stănciulescu, 1998). dimitrie cantemir makes no explicit reference to the educational role of parents, although it cannot be ignored that parents have a role in the process of self-construction. from "descriptio moldaviae" we can understand two aspects: a possible evolution towards the extension of the influence of parents belonging to higher categories in self-constitution and the reconstitution of possible cultural models that could have been subject to intergenerational transmission from parents to children. 83 the progressive prolongation of parental influence can be based on the transition from the practice of early institutionalization of children to the refusal of this practice (stănciulescu, 1998). during this period, no methods of social or family protection are identified, children's access to education being fragmented, non-unitary, accessible only to a small group, from the social elite. the period between 1821 – 1918 among the intellectual elite as well as in the economically favored categories of this period, the “feeling” of the conjugalparental family and childhood is present. the unity consisting of parents and children is delimited, the child having a special family significance for his parents, this representing an extension of the parents' life, as well as an expression of love between spouses. on the other hand, the child is seen during this period as an “object of pride” and as a means by which the financial condition of the family is highlighted (stănciulescu, 1998). the influence of the family seems unlimited in the first years of life and is exercised primarily in the form of primary acquisitions, which remain imprinted forever. at school age, the family is not excluded from the child's life, especially since the parents' option for the acquisition of a type of values is involved, depending on which child can attend a certain type of school. on the other hand, the family and the school are in a relationship of continuity and complementarity. the school specializes in instructional tasks, while the family is responsible for educating children from a behavioral, social point of view: developing a sense of goodness and beauty, strengthening the will, inspiring and educating piety (stănciulescu, 1998). parents are a category with a great influence on children, because they assume a direct role, without resorting to nannies, nurses, or other intermediaries. although both parents have the responsibility to educate their children, however, at that time it 84 was considered that the mother has a more important role than the father (stănciulescu, 1998). the "feeling" of family and childhood is manifested through a complex relationship between parents and children. for parents, the presence of children gives a normal position to the conjugal couple in society and can be a means of expressing social identity. on the other hand, children have an instrumental significance, in the sense that they can help in the supervision of younger siblings and the household or can bring economic benefits by exercising certain paid activities (stănciulescu, 1998). the school-age child, for the middle or lower social categories, represents most of the time apprentice or a servant, and for the richer categories a student at the boarding school. in both cases, the child, although he is materially dependent on his family, is somehow separated from the family, because he spends most of his time away from it. going to school or apprenticeship generates the feeling of an emotional rupture for both children and parents (stănciulescu, 1998). as for the parents' educational styles, they are subordinated to a contextual, not normative, relational education: if the child behaves "normally", depending on current situations, the family does not exert any explicit reinforcing influence, but if the child's behavior is abnormal. in those situations, it is not explained to him which norm he violated, but the restoration of the previous order is sought (stănciulescu, 1998). in poor or economically middle-class families, parental love can be manifested through tender, caring forms, caresses, play, stories, or violent forms, such as beating. for wealthy families, however, the child represents continuity, he is the person to whom the family's wealth will be entrusted at some point. the love of these parents is manifested by placing the child in the center of the adult world and by careful concern for meeting his material needs, security, and education. a special category is the families that 85 aspire to the ascension of their children, who make enormous material sacrifices to send their children to schools, away from home (stănciulescu, 1998). and in this period, as in the previous one, school education is not accessible to all children, even if in 1864 alexandru ioan cuza promulgated the law of instruction, which provided for the organization of education in a unitary way, by study groups, as follows: primary education, which it lasted four years and was free and compulsory, seven-year secondary education and three-year university education. this concern for educating children is a step forward in their intellectual development. the period between 1918 – 1944 stănciulescu (1998) states that, as in the previous period, the conception regarding education is axiological-normative. education, which involves growth and schooling, is seen as a duty of parents to the child and society. the emphasis is on the politicalreformist dimension, and the legal and school systems replace religious ideology as the main instruments of legitimation and action. raising and educating children is seen as more of a legal than a moral duty. however, the religious values of the family are passed down from one generation to the next, insofar as they are practiced. in all social categories is present the "feeling of childhood", which is expressed by fragility, helplessness, and the need for protection. and in this period the conception continues that the mother has a greater contribution to the child's education, the role of the father is limited to the education exclusively of boys (stănciulescu, 1998). stănciulescu (1998) observes that during this period, actual families are identified, based on marriage, but the situations of celibacy or cohabitation are also mentioned. regarding the situation of women in that period, it can be said that, even though 86 before marriage the woman was concerned with physical appearance and ways of seduction, the birth of a child completely changes her priorities, devoting much to her upbringing and education. it. the maternal sense takes the place of frivolity. there is often confusion between care and education. it was considered that child care should begin just before birth, but education, much later after birth, when the child can understand, communicate, speak. for the consciousness of most people of that period, the meaning and content of education are largely social, and the practical-participatory forms are inseparable from the discursive-descriptive forms: the child listens/sees the demonstration made by the adult, after which, with verbal or physical support, execute in turn. for wealthier families, the schooling of children to acquire a superior social position is an expression of parental affection (stănciulescu, 1998). in 1924, the law on normal primary education was passed, which provides for the compulsory and free primary education of four years and creates the "super-primary" course for another three years, different from the four-year secondary school. the three-year course is a closed route, it does not offer children the opportunity to continue their studies with high school and later university, which the gymnasium can do (stănciulescu, 1998). the period between 1945 – 1989 the family represents, in the conception of the time, according to the socialist ideology, the code of the family and the christian morality, a set of related persons between which there are a series of mutual rights and duties, is the group formed by the marriage of two persons of the opposite sex (stănciulescu, 1998). "the family must be the first school in which children learn, along with the rules of behavior in life and society, the appreciation of work, devotion to the fatherland and people, to the party and the cause of socialism" (code of principles and norms of labor and 87 communist life, of socialist ethics and equity, 1974, p. 23, quoted in stănciulescu, 1998, p. 147). a major role in the education of children is attributed to mothers: as mothers and educators, women play an essential role in the formation and education of young offspring in the homeland. always, even in times of hardship, the woman fulfilled the noble mission of transmitting to the new generations the high virtues of our people, their advanced traditions, the ardent love for the country, the feeling of dignity, justice and truth” (ceaușescu, 1966, in ceaușescu, 1988, p. 33). the role of the mother is placed in the foreground, while the role of the father merges with the idea of family. the phrase "mother and child" is frequently encountered and the legislation that supports it is developed: the birth policy. thus, the mother becomes the main author of the child's education from birth and throughout life, dealing with all aspects: from physical care of the child to education, supervision, schooling and vocational training (stănciulescu, 1998, p. 148). in the society of that time, the family was seen only as a target of social intervention, the education of children being not only a particular problem of the family but a social obligation. there is no phrase “family education”, but “education in the family”, “domestic education”, “education for family” (stănciulescu, 1998). the family is still seen as a strong link between the community and the inexperienced individual. values such as positive attitude towards work, perseverance, honesty, solidarity and help, respect for the elderly, politeness, patriotism, obviously all placed under the umbrella of the new "scientific conception of the world" are frequently evoked. the family code adopted in 1954 creates a change regarding the family, in the sense that family law detaches itself from civil law and becomes an independent 88 branch, bringing with it new phrases: "parental protection" and "interest of the child". family and education after 1989 "educating means having great confidence in people, it means courage and confidence in the future" (alexandrescu, 2009, p. 496). education begins in the family and continues and completes in school. article 258 of the civil code (2009) states that: (1) the family shall be based on the freely consented marriage between the spouses, on their equality, as well as on the right and duty of the parents to ensure the upbringing and education of their children; (2) the family has the right to protection from society and the state; (3) the state is obliged to support, through economic and social measures, the conclusion of the marriage, as well as the development and consolidation of the family; (4) according to this code, spouses shall mean a man and a woman united by marriage. in each of the periods presented above, education had its peculiarities. until 2012, compulsory and free education in romania comprised 12 years, grouped in stages of 4 years each: primary, secondary, and high school education. currently, the educational cycles have the following structure (art. 23 national education law, 2011, amended in 2019): 1. the national pre-university education system shall comprise the following levels: a) early education (0 6 years), consisting of pre-school level (0 3 years) and preschool education (3 6 years) b) primary education, which includes the preparatory class and grades i iv; c) secondary education, which includes: (i) lower secondary or secondary education, comprising grades v to viii; (ii) upper secondary education which may be: 89 high school education, which includes high school classes ix-xii / xiii, with the following fields: theoretical, vocational, and technological; vocational education lasting at least 3 years; d) non-university tertiary education, which includes postsecondary education. (2) the high school education is organized in two successive cycles: the lower cycle of the high school, consisting of grades ix x, and the upper cycle of the high school, consisting of grades xixii / xiii. according to alexandrescu (2009), parents in contemporary society try their best to provide their children with the best conditions, making their lives as easy as possible, giving them plenty of toys, computers, and other electronic devices, without realizing that in fact, this abundance blocks their childhood. this artificial world, made up of excesses, deprives children of simple joys, of the natural activities they could have carried out: reading, studying, discovering nature, science, and culture. these can be a cause of the blockages felt by children in assimilating the knowledge that leads to the refusal to learn, the realization of superficial, insufficient learning, or the accumulation of illogical, misunderstood knowledge, which becomes practically useless. the relevance of learning is undermined. the inefficient assimilation of knowledge, the lack of understanding of the meaning lead to the birth of a bad phenomenon: functional illiteracy. functional illiteracy refers to those people who can read but do not understand what they have read, who can reproduce a text verbally or in writing, but do not understand its meaning and cannot use the information contained in the text read. they recognize letters as graphic signs, associate them with syllables and words, but do not understand their meaning or understand it only partially. science illiteracy refers to the inability to use scientific knowledge, identify questions, and draw conclusions based on 90 data, to understand and support decisions about nature and changes made by human activities (pisa, 2018). in our country, informative, formative activities are carried out, to guide parents and family relations, therapies, and social support that meet the socio-educational needs of families with children (vrăsmaș, 2008). the information activities cover, among others, education in general, children's school activity, knowledge and self-knowledge techniques, school, professional, and labor market orientation. training activities can be achieved by educating parents on the development of parental attitudes and practices, self-knowledge, parental responsibility, effective communication, negotiation of solutions, decision making, and creative resolution of intergenerational conflicts. the most well-known and effective forms of education for the family and the child in difficult situations are the information and counseling centers, the day centers, and the resource centers for parents. the information and counseling centers also aim to inform and educate parents, support them in solving concrete problems related to children's education, developing parenting practices, organizing and promoting the educational partnership in the community, in favor of the child. their main activity focuses on preventing institutionalization and resolving critical situations (vrăsmaș, 2008). along with the educators, parnts need to ask for help in understanding how to become partners in interacting with their children. in romania, various programs were carried out to support parents and educators. thus, in the period 1992-1998, with the support of unicef, an early education program petas (early education program on stimulation areas) was initiated, which also included a component of parental education and in which they were established. parent resource centers (crps). the program has been expanded nationally through the county school 91 inspectorates and with the financial help of local councils (preda, 2016). 6. conclusions children depend on their parents from birth until quite late, when they can manage on their own. the strong bond between the mother and her child develops in the form of an attachment that can last a lifetime. the feeling of security, comfort, well-being develops in the child's positive attitudes towards life, towards those around him, so that he becomes more resistant to the factors that generate stress, can more easily manage his emotions, and will have a correct image with looking at oneself and others. although most parents love their children, there are still times when they behave inappropriately, because the parent-child relationship can be triggered by unresolved traumas from the parents' childhood. in these situations, parents may be dominated by anger, fear, sadness, or frustration, and their response to the child's behavior will be inappropriate. parental frustration can lead to disorientation, insecurity, and frustration in the child. these behaviors will lead to unhappiness and exhaustion on both sides, and the relationship will become increasingly difficult. trauma and unresolved issues are often passed down from one generation to the next. the only solution, proposed by siegel and hartzell (2017) is to accept, understand, and solve 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(1998). perceived family and school climate and their relations to differentiation level and academic performance among college students. http://hub.hku.hk/handle/10722/39215 http://doi:10.1155/2011/915326 https://doi.org/10.1080/02796015.1995.12085769 https://doi.org/10.1080/01650250500172640 http://hub.hku.hk/handle/10722/39215 journal of educational studies volume 5, number 1, 2023, pp. 63–99 63 automatically-form social emotional learning for students and educators: a framework for pedagogy and classroom management gabriela alina dumitrescu1 abstract research has shown that social emotional learning (sel) enhances student-teacher relationships, enhances students’ learning and their success in school and in life, and improves teachers’ well-being and job satisfaction. this article presents a theoretical overview of the social emotional learning benefits to students and teachers using collaborative for academic, social, and emotional learning casel’s competencies as a conceptual framework. a number of practical strategies and examples based on sel competencies are presented, such as classroom strategies to build student-teacher relationships and improve students’ learning and behavior, and strategies to enhance teachers’ wellbeing and work satisfaction. it is concluded that emotions and learning are inseparable, and they play a vital role in students’ academic success. the role the teachers should be help their students understand their emotions and those of others, know how to interact with others and become more caring, responsible and empathetic citizens, and learn how to set goals and make wise decision that will affect their present and future. keywords social emotional learning, classroom management, social emotional learning classroom strategies 1gabriela alina dumitrescu, phd, gabriela@andrews.edu. 64 introduction social emotional learning (sel) has been known to make the classroom environment more conducive to children’s learning. it has also been associated with improved academic test scores, intrapersonal and interpersonal skills, effective problem-solving and decision-making skills, and fewer discipline and behavioral problems. sel teaches a variety of skills, such as empathy, self-control and a positive mindset, and it has also been found to have immediate and long-term benefits on both students and teachers. sel competencies help students and teachers cope with everyday challenges and demands, and improves learning and wellbeing. this article aims to present a theoretical overview of the conceptual framework of social emotional learning (sel) and its impact long-term benefits to academic learning and classroom management, followed by practical sel strategies for students and teachers. a brief overview of social emotional learning social and emotional skills begin developing from birth and are part of everyday life. like other skills, such as cognition or language, social and emotional skills are essential in promoting learning, achievement goals, decision making, empathy and also in regulating emotions. social emotional learning is multifaceted and impacts in a significant way not just individuals, but also schools, communities and the society at large (kamath, 2020). a critical period of children’s social-emotional development is spent at school, and how learners and teachers feel in the classroom could either enhance or interfere with the learning journey (williams et al., 2015). emotions and learning are inseparable and they influence the dynamic of the learning environment and cognitive skills such as attention, memory, executive function, decision-making, critical thinking, problem 65 solving and regulation. positive learning emotions such as interest, creativity, curiosity, passion, and engagement activate the reward system in the brain, make the learning experience desirable, and sustain focus and attention. on the other end of the spectrum, negative emotional states such as anxiety, stress, fear, worry and disengagement interfere with the learning process and kills students’ motivation and their ability to learn (desautels, 2023; immordino-yang, 2007; sprenger, 2020). this is why schools are considered “appropriate places” to teach sel (weissberg, 2019) and expected to play an important role in developing children’s social and emotional competences (european school education platform, 2022; jones & bouffard, 2012). students are social and emotional beings and cognition alone is not sufficient for success in the classroom or later on in life (goleman, 1995). social emotional skills would not only help students create a balance between their interpersonal and intrapersonal needs, but it will also help them problem-solve, address stressful situations, and become responsible and resilient adults. research suggests that students who experience positive mental health and wellbeing are more likely to engage meaningfully in academic activities and perform better academically, have higher self-esteem and greater empathy, and enjoy heathier and more positive relationships (desautels, 2023; sala et al., 2020; sprenger, 2020). sel is more relevant than ever in the aftermath of the covid-19 pandemic which significantly impacted all learners, especially those from vulnerable backgrounds, and affected their psychological well-being. social emotional learning supports long-term academic learning for all children and it is backed by evidence-based research. based on a meta-analysis (durlak et al., 2011) of 213 school-based sel programs, it was found that when compared to controls, sel participants (148,189 students) showed significantly improved social and emotional skills (23%), improved achievement test scores (11%), improvement in 66 attitudes about self, others and school (9%), improvement in school and classroom behavior (9%), and decrease in emotional distress such as anxiety and depression (10%) and in conduct problems, such as classroom misbehavior and aggression (9%). moreover, the study has found that the benefits of sel training are long term. children who received sel training in kindergarten were less likely to commit crimes, use drugs or psychiatric medications, or be on public housing lists, and were more likely to graduate from high school on time and have stable employment. other follow up studies that examined the longer-term benefits of sel programs echoed the earlier findings and pointed out that there were both immediate and long-term benefits to students’ academic, social and emotional skills (greenberg et al., 2017; jones & doolittle, 2017; osher et al., 2016; sklad et al., 2012; taylor et al., 2017; wiglesworth et al., 2016). on the other hand, students lacking competency in sel skills are more likely to struggle with organizational aspects and completion of assignments, are less actively engaged in class and social activities, and have difficulty in managing depression, anxiety, or anger (eklund et al., 2019). theoretical framework this article is based on the collaborative for academic, social, and emotional learning (casel) framework, also known as the “casel 5” or “casel wheel” (figure 1). casel is an organization based at university of illinois in chicago promoting sel in north america and internationally, and helping schools make sel programs part of p-12 education. according to casel (2023), social emotional learning is defined as “the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for 67 others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions” (casel, 2023, para 1). in other words, sel is the process that helps learners develop social and emotional skills needed to effectively recognize and manage their emotions, and respond to stressful situations without fear of being judged or punished. sel also gives students adequate tools to build healthy relationships with others, solve problems effectively, make intelligent decisions and achieve success in goal setting. the casel model identified five core comprehensive and interrelated areas of competence associated with sel, also known as the five main competencies which can be taught and implemented at different developmental stages, from childhood to adulthood, and also across diverse cultural contexts. the following is a short summary of the five competencies and key components of effective sel (casel, 2023): • self-awareness – the ability to identify and recognize one’s emotions, thoughts and values; to recognize their strengths and limitations, sense of self-efficacy and selfconfidence; and understand how their behaviors, attitude and actions are influenced in different situations. this will help students create a mindset that facilitates continuous growth. • self-management – the ability to manage and regulate one’s impulses, emotions, and behaviors in challenging situations, in order to stay motivated and achieve their goals. this is a critical component of success both in school and in life. • social awareness – the ability to understand, respect and empathize with other people’s views or perspectives who may come from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. it also involves respect for others by identifying social norms of behavior in different settings and demonstrating empathy to others. 68 • relationship skills – the ability to establish and maintain positive relationships with others through communication, active listening, cooperation and collaboration, and also negotiation during conflict situations. • responsible decision making – the ability to make wellinformed decisions, to evaluate judgments, and to make meaningful and constructive deductions and inferences across different contexts, by taking into consideration consequences, as well as ethical, moral and safety standards. the main purpose of these competencies is to facilitate both immediate benefits, such as students’ academic performance and social relationships, reduced behavioral problems and psychological distress, and also long-term benefits for young people to succeed in school, as well as later in life (elias, 2014; jones & kahn, 2017). the development of sel competencies is related to the neuropsychology concept of executive functioning (ef) that helps students build higher level cognitive and social emotional skills. executive functions are not born. they are rather learned at different developmental stages through various experiences, many times through experiences provided in school settings. if ef skills provide students with cognitive tools, sel provides them with awareness to apply cognitive processes to different situations. in other words, “sel has students ready to learn, while ef is necessary for learning to take place” (sprenger, 2023, para 1). for example, when faced with assignments, students use ef skills such as time management, task completion, structure and organization in combination with sel competencies of mental control and self-regulation when approaching challenging assignments without procrastinating and having feelings of frustration towards school. the same applies in relationship situations, when ef skills help students remember social norms of behavior in combination with sel competencies of empathy, understanding other people’s 69 views, and the capacity to make and maintain friendships (blair, 2010; liew, 2011; perry, 2020; ursache, blair, & raver, 2012). according to kamath (2020, para 1), “all aspects of schooling require social-emotional competency and a mastery of executive function,” and they are directly interconnected. in the learning context, students are making use of both, ef and its three components (working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility), and sel and its competencies (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making). when teachers integrate ef and sel into all aspects of schooling, they equip their students with cognitive and emotional skills to guide their internal feelings and external behaviors, strategies to get through personal and interpersonal challenges and difficulties in life, and impulse inhibition in order to delay gratification and work collaboratively in different social contexts in order to achieve goals (sprenger, 2023). social emotional learning and classroom management classroom management is a fundamental skill set for teachers to facilitate a positive, supportive and structured learning environment for all students and establish clear classroom expectations and procedures. classroom management ties very well into social emotional learning, as evidenced in a study conducted by jones et al. (2014) and supported by maslow’s hierarchy of needs. paraphrasing alan beck’s (1994) words, maslow should come before bloom, as sel teaches students how to deal with stress and anxiety, and only then they will be able to focus on higher-level thinking. the school classroom is a wonderful place for students to develop social and emotional skills if they are provided with a safe learning environment designed to facilitate student 70 engagement, collaboration, connection, decision making, and to help students learn to process their emotions. learning is enhanced in a classroom environment where students feel safe to take risks, acquire new skills and knowledge, and know they are valued and appreciated (evertson et al., 2003; national research council, 2000). research shows that sel should not be an add on for the teacher, but rather integrated into the classroom life, connected to academic content, and made part of the classroom routines and procedures throughout the school year (norris, 2003). dr. jacqueline a. norris (2003), assistant professor of education at the college of new york, emphasizes that a fundamental sel skill is helping students develop their ability to recognize emotions when they experience them and develop appropriate ways to deal with them. this implies that students need to have the appropriate language skills to identify their feelings, and understand that very often they may feel more than one emotion at the same time. for example, they may feel excited about going on a field trip or vacation, but upset about missing a friend’s birthday party. students also need to learn that beyond naming their emotions, they need to learn how to act and respond appropriately when feeling angry or upset. classroom activities appropriate for teaching these skills include reading and discussing stories or real-life cases where individuals have had to deal with similar emotions, and having students role play appropriate ways of handling emotions (sprenger, 2020). students could also be taught to use active listening, i-messages and other effective communication skills to learn how to express themselves, and how they are affected by other people’s words and actions. active listening could teach them how to paraphrase message received from others and check on their understanding, and imessages activities could teach them how to avoid blaming others. other activities such as pair-share, role play and other group activities can teach them skills such as, empathy, 71 decision-making, problem solving, goal setting, consequential thinking and copying strategies to deal with their emotions, conflict and challenges (norris, 2003). as teachers integrate these sel skills into the academic content, students will learn how to apply and practice these skills in academic subjects as well. for example, in language arts and history students could be asked to discuss and role play conflicts in a story or novel by getting into the skin of various characters and taking on different perspectives. this will help students have a richer and more accurate experience, and build empathy. to develop decision-making and problem-solving skills, teachers could ask students to complete a “problem solving diary” and write about the problems they were having and the alternative approaches for solving their own problems or any conflictual situations. this could even be used for disciplinary situations and for discussion consequences for students’ actions (norris, 2003; sprenger, 2020). the following is a list of practical strategies and activities developed by researchers on how to implement sel into the classroom and they can greatly benefit students of all ages. these strategies are adapted from dr. marilee sprenger’s (2020) book, “social-emotional learning and the brain: strategies to help your students thrive,” and they are based on casel’s competencies. classroom strategies to build studentteacher relationships positive and supportive student-teacher relationships have many benefits and have long-lasting implications for students’ academic and social development, and are known to contribute to higher achievement levels and improved classroom management. the following are some suggestions on how to foster positive student-teacher relationships: 72 greet students at the door greeting students at the door as they arrive for school or leave is one of the best ways to develop personal connections with them. saying their names, making eye contact, and giving them a few words of encouragement as they walk through the door, is a valuable experience. along with a verbal welcome, some students may prefer a handshake or a hug. research (cook et al., 2018) has found that greeting students every morning led to a 20% increase in achievement and 9% decrease in disruptive behaviors. use ways to show you care for the students according to sprenger (2020), students need to know that teachers truly care for them by providing structure (rules fairly applied to all and consistent expectations); offering choices (students seek autonomy and need to be involved in decisions); showing interest (learning personal information about students’ lives, asking them questions about their favorite music or their favorite sport or sports events they are involved in); being optimistic (ensure your students that you believe in them and their ability to succeed); and acknowledge their feelings (help them process their feelings and show emotional support). call students by name calling students by name is very important as it gets their attention and it tells them that they are important. this enhances the student-teacher relationships and it gives students “a feeling of belonging that can make a world of difference to your students” (sprenger, 2020, p. 26). while some students may enjoy to be called on all the time and get to answer or ask questions, others maybe more shy or reluctant to be called on as they may not know the answer or feel embarrassed. to be fair to all students, teachers can use different strategies to call on their students, such as: equity stick (write each student’s 73 name on a popsicle stick, place them in a cup and draw one name each time you ask a question) or stack the deck (write students names on an index card and pick off a card each time you call on students). nurture student–teacher relationships establishing, maintaining and restoring student-teacher relationships is very important as it increases academic engagement and it decreases disruptive behavior. strategies to establish relationships include positive greetings at the door, asking open-ended and reflective questions, and incorporating student-led activities. strategies for maintaining student-teacher relationships include regular check-ins, positive interactions, and recognition of good behavior. repairing and restoring student-teacher relationships maybe be necessary at times, and may come in different forms such as: avoid keeping track of students’ mistakes; criticize behavior, not the student; take responsibility for your part of the problem when needed; work with the students affected and make things right, then follow up (sprenger, 2020). teach empathy teachers have a great opportunity to help their students develop empathy and compassion for others, and can use strategies such as: modeling (students watch their teachers’ reactions and interactions with other students); seeking to understand (ask students: “can you help me understand how you see this?”) helps lower student’s stress and it makes it easier for them to trust and share with you; creating a kindness wall with captions like, “what kind act did you see or do today?”– students can be encouraged to show kindness by giving them the opportunity to write kind notes and place them on bulletin boards; engaging students in community service projects such as food drives, visiting nursing homes or picking up litter – this 74 gives students an opportunity to do something for others and identify with other’s needs; reading helps students relate to and empathize with characters from books and stories (sprenger, 2020). classroom strategies to teach selfawareness teachers have a great opportunity to help students become aware of their feelings. the following are strategies to help students become aware of what they are feelings, name them feeling and respond to them in a healthy way. check-ins student check-ins are a great way to get to know students better and learn about their challenges, to find out how they are feeling and make them aware of themselves. sprenger (2020) makes the following suggestions: • as they arrive in the morning, ask students to write on a sticky note the answer to the question “how are you feeling right now?” • use the colors of a stoplight to encourage students to express how they feel. they can choose the color that best describes their current emotional state. green may indicate a good emotional state and mean go right in and begin your work. students in the green zone are typically feeling happy, safe, content, focused, cooperative, ready to learn and solve problems. yellow means slow down and be careful since their brain is sending their body a warning that they may be in danger of upsetting others. students in the yellow zone may be stressed, irritable, tired, hungry, thirsty, sad, frustrated, misunderstood, ignored, or worried. red means stop and seek help. students in the red zone may feel frozen in fear or ready to run away as their hearts may be 75 pounding, muscles tightening, and breathing getting faster. their body is sending a red light warning and they need to first calm their feelings before they are ready to focus and learn. • use an emoji chart similarly to the stoplight approach by using colors (e. g. yellow for joy, red for anger, blue for sadness, green for disgust and purple for fear) to help students express and label their emotions. some teachers use a desk chart for each student, while others prefer a large wall chart where students can check and identify their feelings. • use an inventory check-in by asking students to finish a sentence of answer a question by using five or less words to describe their previous day (e. g. “the best news i’ve had in the past week is ________; “what is the main challenge you face in school/family right now?” • use remote check-ins when students are sick or don’t show up at school, by letting them know that they are missed and you are thinking about them. when students are out of school for extended periods of time, initiate a video call once a week to show them you care and find out how they are doing. placing a phone call, initiating a video call or a home visit, could be great avenues for check-ins. emotion word wall to foster emotional literacy emotion word walls (table 1) are helpful for students’ social emotional learning, but also for developing their vocabulary to describe the feelings expressed by some of the characters studied in different classes. emotion labeling plays an important role in self-regulation and responding to conflicts in a healthy manner. 76 journaling this is an appropriate activity for adolescents to develop a sense of self-awareness. students can either journal to explore and evaluate their own thoughts, emotions and behaviors, or their favorite characters from language arts, history or science. listening to the body this is a great way to help students have a good relationship with their body and learn how to self-regulate. children who learned to suppress their feelings because of being told that what they are feeling or doing is wrong, don’t trust themselves. also, children who experienced traumatic events may be disconnected from their feelings, and instead of anxiety or fear they have stomachaches muscle tightness or sweaty hands, and instead of anger or frustration they have tightness in the chest, rapid heartbeat, accelerated breathing or teeth gritting. dr. desautels (2023) suggests that teaching students to listen to their bodies, to be present with themselves and be aware of their nervous systems is vital, as “brains in pain cannot learn”. growth mindset activities the term ‘growth mindset’ has been coined by dr. carol dweck (2006). nurturing a growth mindset in students is essential to sel as it helps them see challenges and obstacles as learning opportunities and as a way to progress toward their desired goals and outcomes. teachers could use short questionnaires to help students develop their mindsets, by asking questions such as: “do you give up easily? could you change so that you give up less easily?”; “when you are faced with a difficult task, how likely are you to stick with it?”; “how confident are you that you can find ways to accomplish your goals?” teachers could also use reflective journal writing exercises or drawing and ask students to write or draw something that represents their feelings, or think of the progress 77 they made on a task or in their behavior. students could also reflect on the last time they showed empathy to a classmate, or brainstorm strategies they could use next time to solve a team problem and do things differently. these are great exercises to help students boost their self-efficacy and self-confidence, see how their emotions affect themselves and others, and foster a growth-mindset. classroom strategies to teach selfmanagement if self-awareness teaches students how to identify and become aware of their emotions, self-management teaches them how to deal with those emotions, or how to selfregulate and coregulate. the goal of any teacher should be to help their students learn how to regulate their thoughts, emotions and actions in various settings and situations by teaching them casel’s (2015) six components of self-management: impulse control, stress management, self-discipline, self-motivation, goal setting and organizational skills. here are some examples: begin and end each class with deep breathing researchers (desautels, 2023; elias, 2014) suggest breathing exercises to help students control their impulses. three deep inhales and exhales oxygenate the frontal lobe, calm the emotional brain and release anxiety and fear. breathing exercises help students regulate their feelings, calm down and transition to a state of learning readiness. there are many different breathing techniques and the following are some examples: • flower breaths: ask students to make a fist and pretend they hold a flower. ask students to smell the flower and take a deep breath in through the nose, hold the breath in, and then slowly breathe out through the mouth so they don’t disturb the flower. 78 • 4 x 4: ask students to breathe in through their nose to the count of four, hold for a count of four, exhale through their mouth to a count of four, and hold again for a count of four. • 4-7-8: ask students to close their eyes, breathe in through their nose to the count of four, hold the breath for a count of seven, then exhale through their mouth to the count of eight. this can work very well with some calming music playing as they breathe. the 90-second rule according to dr. jill bolte taylor (2000), harvard brain scientist, when we have a strong emotional response, it takes only ninety seconds for the stress chemicals produced by this response to be flushed out of our systems. to help students learn how to use the ninety second rule, a number of educators (foreman, 2019; sprenger, 2020) developed the following strategies: • n.a.b.b is a strategy developed by foreman, a primary school teacher from dublin. each letter of this acronym stands for an action which children need to carry out. n – name the emotion; a – accept the strong emotion; b – breathe by keeping attention to the breath; b – body (connect to your body as you breathe and try to feel your breath going right down to your feet) • cbs stands for count, breath and squeeze. this is a strategy created by dr. sprenger, an author and international educational consultant for social emotional learning, literacy, vocabulary and brain research. counting helps the brain calm down and allows the students to focus on something other than the trigger. breathing regulates the heart rate and chemicals that control respiration. squeezing something – a stress ball, 79 stuffed animal, the hands – and releasing is great for lessening tension and releasing anger. tone of voice students are more likely to learn self-management and selfregulation if they experience a calm environment, and if the teacher’s body language and tone of voice communicates to them that they are safe and cared for. in a video “demonstrating self-regulation with tone of voice,” linda darling-hammond (2019) emphasizes that “developing a calm, neutral, assertive voice” helps both teachers and students self-regulate, and assure students that the teacher is receptive to their needs. dr. sprenger (2020) suggests a helpful website (www.pbisworld.com/tier-1/use-calm-neural-tone/) to guide the teachers on the process of acquiring a calm, neutral tone and why, when and how to use it. calm down stations classrooms calming stations should be safe places where students can go calm down for a short amount of time using pre-taught strategies. these places or locations may include a couch, bean bag chairs, soft rugs, or even a bathtub with pillows, as well as some stress balls, playdough (kinetic sand) or pinwheels to helps students with breath regulation and stress relief. other ideas for calming could be sensory bottles filled with a combination of water, glitter, food coloring and glue, or sand timers. as the students shake the bottle and watch the glitter settle, teachers can tell students that just as the glitter settles, so does their anger (or any other emotion) as well. highschoolers and older children can benefit from strategies such as “talk it out” or “walk it out.” frey, fisher and smith (2019) suggest the tlc strategy placing a table and chair in the hallway with a sign reading “how can i help?” and staff 80 member sitting at the table for anyone who would like to take a seat and dialogue or regroup. classroom strategies to teach selfdiscipline self-discipline is the ability to do what you should do, when you should do it, regardless of the circumstances. the self-discipline child will complete or stay on task even when no one is watching, and will follow directions and turn in assignments on time not because they expect a reward or want to avoid consequences, but because they know it is the right thing to do. sprenger (2020) suggests two strategies to effectively teach students self-discipline: party-planning experience one way to help students plan ahead is to give them the opportunity to plan a party. in the process they will have to figure out what they need, how much it costs, what guests to invited and how to invite them. this can give students the necessary skills to move on to the next level of planning for a test or project. also, you can role model to them how planning ahead helps them as a classroom get things done. brain break children’s attention span is about two to three minutes per year of age, and there are four types of attention. sprenger (2020) suggests that for most students focused attention is somewhere between five and ten minutes. after this time, students may feel the need to move around or they will lose focus and disengage from learning. this is the reason why children need breaks periodically and some novelty in order to change the predictable routine and refocus. students lose focus when things become too predictable, but are able to refocus when they are exposed to novelty as the brain releases a number of 81 hormones and the reticular system gets activated. according to sprenger (2020), the following could be used as examples of brain breaks: • singing or dancing • content related movement (e. g., “stand up and talk to three classmates about something related to the civil war;” “draw waves with your hands while repeating vocabulary words;” doing a four-corner quiz by placing quiz questions in different corners of the classroom and having students go around to answer the quiz • movement for fun (e. g., have students walk around the room and touch three blue round shaped objects and three yellow square shaped objects before they sit down; doing a jumping jack when students know the answer to a question; “snowball fights” with crumbled paper; squats) • balance the book (e. g., have students walk around the room balancing a book on their head). classroom strategies to teach social awareness social awareness refers to the ability to show empathy and understand other individuals’ perspective. teachers should teach their students to recognize their own emotions and respect other people’s emotions and perspectives, and understand the social and ethical norms that guide different contexts. educators should also create opportunities for their students to learn how to listen, handle disagreements, engage in critical thinking, and how to learn from their mistakes. students with strong social awareness skills are more likely to empathize with others’ perspectives and use constructive communication to solve conflicts, and less likely to engage in disruption classroom behavior. the following are some specific strategies for helping students develop social awareness: 82 the hats we wear, the roles we play a teacher could do the following exercise to teach students about the many roles we play. she could wear several hats on her head as she enters the room, or she could place different name tags on her about her different roles (teacher, mother, wife, sister, daughter, friend, etc.). then she should allow students to ask questions and write their own labels to illustrate the roles they have. this is a great opportunity to raise social awareness and provide opportunities for students to learn from one another, and to become aware of who they are, their multiple roles and the implications of those roles in different contexts (e. g., “mark is ana’s brother and matthew’s friend, but right now he needs to wear the student hat and behave accordingly”). watching facial expressions and body language sprenger (2020) emphasizes that helping students recognize and distinguish different facial expressions and their meaning could be a great way to increase their social awareness. this could be done either in real life or through media, and the discussions could be incorporated in any content area, as follows • in history: what were napoleon’s facial expressions at waterloo? • in science: how did willis carrier look when he realized he had invented the air conditioner? how do you look when you enter into an air-conditioned room after being outside on a hot summer day? • in language arts: how did wilbur look when charlotte died in charlotte’s web? how did you look when you read about it? what were sophie’s facial expressions when she had to make a choice in the book sophie’s choice? • in math: how do you look when you have finished a problem and are done with your math homework? 83 what is your facial expression when you know you worked the problem correctly? journaling teachers should encourage students to write in their journals, things such as: what they can do to help others feel more included or like they belong; or how can they tell when one of their friends is sad or having a bad day, and what can they do to help them feel better; why is important for them to be in tune with other people’s thoughts and feelings? social media awareness our students are very active on social media these days and a significant part of their communication occurs online. students need to be aware of social media norms and how easily misunderstood and misinterpreted could be “faceless messages” that lack facial expression, tone of voice and body language. students also need to be warned of the dangers of exposing others online either through senseless messages or videos, or sharing such messages and contributing to others’ embarrassment and emotional hurt. this could cause shame and guilt, anger, and dysregulation as it last in the cyberspace for the rest of a student’s life (sprenger, 2020). listening to understand and show respect teachers could help students enhance their listening skills and respect to others through practice on how to use appropriate eye contact and facial expressions, how to regulate thoughts in order to limit distractions, and how to provide appropriate oral responses. a number of questions could be used to help students connect social awareness and listening skills. some examples are: “did i ask appropriate, respectful and relevant questions?”; “did my tone of voice and body language 84 appropriately convey how i was feeling?”; “did i respond respectfully and appropriately to some else’s feelings?” think, pair, share this is a well-known strategy used in cooperative learning that could be used successfully in teaching social awareness. according to sprenger (2020), the following prompts could be used when starting conversations that include social emotional learning strategies: • think: before initiating a conversation, be aware of you own feelings on the topic and the feelings of your conversation partner. • pair: if your discussion partner has a different view on the content of the topic, be respectful of your differences. • share: share conversation time fairly by getting equal time to share. classroom strategies for teaching relationship skills developing relationship skills could be a very complex process. according to casel (2015), establishing and maintaining healthy relationships with others from different social and cultural backgrounds, requires clear communication, good listening skills, cooperative skills, ability to negotiate conflict and resist inappropriate social pressure, and capacity to evaluate when to seek and offer help as needed. students would be more likely to handle relationships in a healthy way if they have already developed the first three sel competencies – selfawareness, self-management and social awareness. classroom activities that teachers can use to develop and enhance student relationship skills include: 85 groupwork and cooperative learning activities cooperative learning is valuable in its own right, but it is especially valuable when teaching social and emotional skills. regular group activities foster a sense of community in the classroom through connectedness among students, relationship building, cooperation and negotiation. they also provide students with opportunities to practice social and emotional competencies as they learn to support and challenge each other, articulate ideas, explain and clarify concepts to one another, solve problems and use metacognition as they reflect on their own thoughts and remain open to their peers’ ideas. one cooperative learning strategy that specifically aids in facilitating relationship building, is called jigsaw. this strategy was created by eliot aronson (1978) and his students in the seventies in austin, texas, during a time of great tension between the white, hispanic and african american students due to desegregation. this strategy gives each member of the group an important role to play and encourages listening, engagement and empathy. to implement the jigsaw in the classroom, follow the steps on dr. aronson’s website at http://www.jigsaw.org/ or on page 190 of dr. sprenger’s (2020) book socialemotional learning and the brain: strategies to help your students thrive. another strategy that fosters cooperative learning and relationships is called project-based learning (pbl), used to help students enhance listening, organizational, and conflict resolution skills while learning new concepts at a deeper level. if conflict arises, students have to use emotional management skills and find ways to work together to solve the issue. the role of the teacher is to monitor and supervise the process, and intervene only if necessary (sprenger, 2020). as relationship skills are enhanced by effective communication, students could be asked to write in their journals after a cooperative learning project, a jigsaw or a problem-based 86 learning activity, and reflect on whether the group reached its goals and how the student felt about their participation and engagement in the group project. roleplaying activities roleplaying is a great way to teach students communication skills and respectful interaction with others, as well emotional intelligence and empathy. asking them to act out the lives of others and walk a mile in someone else’s shoes is an effective way to help students learn how to empathize, solve conflicts and control impulses, and also how to see things from different perspectives. integrating roleplaying into the academic curriculum could be done through debating and taking roles in supporting an argument. roleplaying can be also used in content areas by having students do a project on a historical or science figure and writing about the person’s life, not just how they became famous. integrating sel into specific subjects could be done through card games in math lessons or a discussion between x and y, or by incorporating sel vocabulary into creative writing exercises, or by role playing an interaction between soldiers from different camps during the civil war. role-playing is considered to be an effective way to foster connection among students, teach them conflict resolution, and empathy by putting themselves in someone else’s shoes. classroom strategies for teaching responsible decision-making decision making is an important part of our lives and is based on our time, values and priorities. according to casel (2015), responsible decision-making is “the ability to make constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions based on ethical standards, safety concerns, and social norms”. responsible decision making teaches students how to identify and solve problems, analyze situations, evaluate 87 choices and consequences for themselves and others, and reflect on the outcome. the following strategies could be useful in fostering responsible decision making among students: give choice through classroom jobs teachers can create a “choice board” listing classroom jobs with a short description. these jobs could include passing and collecting papers, answering phones, reporting, etc. these may seem simple jobs, but they can teach students about shared responsibility, self-management, respect and decision making while they choose what jobs they like most, whether to fulfill their responsibility from the front of the class to the back or vice versa, or how to prioritize their jobs based on importance or preference (sprenger, 2020). debates a great way to develop decision-making skills in the classroom is through debate. there are different types of debates to take into consideration, as suggested by sprenger (2020): the four corners strategy is very effective in teaching students effective listening skills, respectful cooperation and decision making. after deciding on a topic, different options of that topic are assigned to each corner of the room. students then choose to go to the corner that best suits their personal opinion. each corner is given five minutes to discuss their position, and then each team gets a chance to present their arguments. spar debates stand for spontaneous argumentation debates based on minimal research. students are given a topic such as, “lying is sometimes justified,” “school uniforms should be required,” or “books are better than television.” students are required to work in groups for a few minutes to prepare their arguments, with half of the group to support one position and the other half to support the other position. 88 students will be “sparring” with the students sitting across from them and will be given time to make their case. at the end, take time to debrief and discuss with the students what was the most difficult part for them and what they learned from the process. magic 8-ball this problem-solving strategy has been developed by the ecological approaches of social emotional learning laboratory (easel) at harvard university to help teachers integrate sel in their classrooms. as part of the activity, the teacher gives students a discussion topic or a question such as, “if a person does x [e. g., cross the street without watching], what might happen?” students would then look inside the imaginary magic 8-balls and brainstorm ideas regarding the potential consequences of the action and responses in other situations. the teacher would then follow up and check with the students whether they saw the consequences discussed as positive, negative or neutral, and in which other situations they might need to imagine an outcome (sprenger, 2020). social emotional learning benefits for teachers social and emotional skills benefit not only the students in an academic setting, but the teachers as well. teaches who have an understanding of the social emotional competencies and incorporate them into the classroom, create better positive relationships into the classroom and enhance self-control and empathy. these teachers experience less burnout and are better equipped to deal with challenging behaviors in the classroom. also, being able to show empathy improves their sense of wellbeing not only in their professional area, but also in their personal lives (mercer et al., 2018). 89 the following suggestions of how sel can benefit teachers are based on dr. shivohn n. garcia’s (n.d.) recommendations. dr. garcia (n.d.) is an experienced educator and the senior director of the impact team at understood, a non-profit organization providing resources to educators and supporting people who learn and think differently. she emphasizes that sel benefits not just students, but educators as well, as they both need to “feel valued and safe”. her suggestions are based on the casel’s five core competencies, and stresses that it is important for teachers to develop their own social and selfawareness, self-management, relationship and decision-making skills, and make their classes a safe place where students know that they are valued and are able to manage their emotions and set positive goals even beyond the classroom. self-awareness competency for teachers practicing self-awareness can help teachers recognize and understand their emotions, strengths and challenges, have an accurate self-perception and self-confidence, and practice a growth mindset. for example, if you, as a teacher become upset about a student’s behavior, it is suggested that you pause and ask yourself, “why am i feeling so angry?” certain behaviors in the classroom might trigger an emotion in us, bring back memories, and cause us to feel or act in a certain way. being aware of our emotions and being able to identify and understand our feelings before we decide how to respond to the student is very important. dr. garcia (n.d.) suggests the following practical ways for teachers to practice self-awareness: • acknowledge your own emotions and be aware how they may influence your reactions. • name the skills you are using for “think aloud” for your students as you model them. 90 • consider students as partners in the process of developing social-emotional skills. • understand that students may learn social-emotional skills at different rates and some may take longer than others. self-management competency for teachers the concept of self-management refers to the ability to manage and regulate your emotions, thoughts and behaviors in different situations, and includes skills such as: impulse control, stress management, motivation, setting and achieving goals, and executive functioning skills (e. g., planning and organization). it is well known that teaching is a highly demanding job and teachers have to constantly use self-management skills to meet the daily demands. the following are some ways to practice self-management in the classroom setting (garcia, n.d.): • recognize that students who think and learn differently have different needs that may not have been met in the past by the school system because the curriculum was not flexible enough for their learning and thinking differences. • understand that when students are disengaged, they may have experienced inner conflict with school values that may not be historically and culturally diverse enough and representative for themselves. • model your own self-management skills to the students and explain “why” you are doing what you are doing. • use goal-setting in the classroom and encourage students to set short and long-term life goals. social awareness competency for teachers the ability to show empathy, respect diversity, and appreciate other people’s views and perspectives is known social 91 awareness. the development of social awareness is vital for teaching and the classroom environment. building and maintaining healthy relationships with students and parents requires a healthy dose of empathy and respect for all cultures, values and perspectives, as well as differences. dr. garcia (n.d.) suggests a few ideas for teachers to how they can practice social awareness in the classroom: • get to know the students and their families, and personalize your lessons based on their specific needs. • build a classroom community that values all students and is focused on the collective good. • make the classroom a safe space for all students and create opportunities for them to talk about and be open to other perspectives that can change your point of view. • make the students active participants in the learning process and ask for their feelings and perceptions on the classroom environment. decision-making competency for teachers responsible decision-making refers to be ability to understand how you and others are impacted by what you do, how you analyze and solve problems, evaluate and reflect on your actions and how you take responsibility for your decisions and their outcomes. decision-making is an important part of teaching and teacher-student interactions. teachers have to make decisions every day about time and classroom management, instruction, lesson planning and design, social interactions and self-care. at the same time, teachers play an important role in supporting students make decisions about their learning, behavior, or even their future, as some students may be the first in their families to go to college. dr. garcia (n.d.) suggests different ways to practice responsible decision-making in the classroom: 92 • understand that teachers need to support their students in learning how to become responsible decision-makers in developmentally appropriate ways. • share with your students how you make decisions and help them understand the “why” behind them. at the same time, acknowledge that their process might be different from your own. • provide students with examples and help them identify role models who have had similar experiences as your students. relationship competency for teachers relationship skills refer to the ability to build healthy relationships with others, connect, communicate and listen effectively, resist peer pressure, negotiate and resolve conflict, and receive and provide help as needed. dr. garcia (n. d.) suggests that even though human beings are wired for connection and community, relationship skills are not innate, they need to be developed. engaging with others in meaningful ways and trusting them, requires other social-emotional competencies such as self-awareness and self-management. developing trusting relationships in the classroom setting might be sometimes challenging as students may struggle at times with expressing themselves. this is the reason why dr. garcia suggests that teachers need to model social-emotional skills to their students and partner with them in the process of building their own emotional vocabulary and relationship skills. she gives some practical ideas to practice relationship skills in the classroom setting: • before responding to any behavioral issues, search for the “why” behind a student’s behavior. • point out inappropriate behaviors and provide appropriate alternative ways to respond. 93 • acknowledge that these skills may be difficult to practice at times and reassure your students of your support in the process. • guide students how to practice problem-solving and avoid conflict by using role-playing and putting themselves into other people’s shoes. • encourage students and provide them with ways to reflect on their own thinking, behaviors, and relationships. • model active listening to your students as you give them feedback. • plan classroom activities to teach your students how to build trust and a sense of belonging. conclusion social emotional learning has many benefits for both students and teachers. research shows that social and emotional factors play an important role in the teaching and learning process, and schools must be active agents in fostering students’ social emotional skills. learning is a social process and students learn better in collaboration with their teachers and in partnership with their peers. cognition alone is not enough for success in the classroom. emotions and learning are inseparable, and they can either facilitate or hinder students’ learning. educators can benefit tremendously from implementing sel into their classrooms based on casel’s competencies. sel improves academic achievement and students’ attitudes, motivation, impulse control, and commitment to schoolwork, increases appropriate social behavior, and reduces depression and stress. teachers with sel skills are better able to manage their classrooms and foster a healthy learning environment. furthermore, teachers who incorporate sel into the classroom experience higher satisfaction with their work, improved 94 sense of well-being, and higher emotional intelligence as they model the behavior they are teaching to their students. references aronson, e. 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(2020). social-emotional learning and the brain: strategies to help your students thrive. association for supervision and curriculum development. sprenger, m. (2023). how executive function links sel/academics. https://www.middleweb.com/48340/how-executive-functionlinks-sel-and-academics/ taylor, j. b. (2000). my stroke of insight. penguin books. 97 taylor, r. d., oberle, e., durlak, j. a., & weissberg, r. p. (2017). promoting positive youth development through school-based social and emotional learning interventions: a meta-analysis of followup effects. child development, 88(4), 1156–1171. doi:10.1111/cdev.12864 ursache, a., blair, c., & raver, c. c. (2012). the promotion of self-regulation as a means of enhancing school readiness and early achievement in children at risk for school failure. child development perspectives, 6(2), 122–128. weissberg, r. p. (2019). promoting the social and emotional learning of millions of school children. perspectives on psychological science, 14(1), 65–69. wiglesworth, m., lendrum, a., oldfield, j., scott, a., ten bokkel, i., tate, k., & emery, c. (2016). the impact of trial stage, developer involvement and international transferability on universal social and emotional learning programme outcomes: a metaanalysis. cambridge journal of education, 46, 347–376. williams, m. mercer, s., & ryan, s. (2015). exploring psychology in language learning and teaching. oxford university press. rt.office.com/en-us/article/apa-mla-chicago-%e2%80%93-automaticallyformat-bibliographies-405c207c-7070-42fa-91e7-eaf064b14d 98 appendices figure 1 social and emotional learning competencies note: from “how project-based learning can promote social-emotional learning skills” by teach thought staff. copyright 2023 by teachthought. https://www.teachthought.com/project-based-learning/teaching-social-emotional-learning-skills/ 99 table 1 example of an emotion word wall fear joy sadness anger happy afraid blissful anguished agitated bright alarmed calm dejected annoyed content anxious cheerful depressed appalled cheerful apprehensive content despondent cranky chirpy baffled delighted down critical delighted cautious ecstatic downcast cross glad confused elated drained defensive joyful distressed encouraged gloomy disgusted merry distrustful enthralled heartbroken enraged optimistic embarrassed excited melancholy exasperated overjoyed frightened friendly miserable frustrated pleased hesitant happy mournful furious positive horrified hopeful pessimistic hateful upbeat nervous joyful unhappy horrified paralyzed jubilant weepy hostile panicked lively irritated petrified peaceful mad scared satisfied offended terrified smiling resentful worried thrilled riled up upset vengeful note: adapted from “social emotional learning and the brain: strategies to help your students thrive” by m. sprenger, 2020 56 eleonora mihaela popa university of bucharest nora_popa35@yahoo.com aspect of school integration in student acquisitions and performance keywords learning, school integration, school performance, motivation abstract this paper aims to study the relationship between school achievement through learning, school performance, and social and school integration of students. regarding learning, characteristics and particularities of human learning, types, and styles of learning will be analysed. school performance, often associated with school success, can be influenced, augmented by certain factors, including motivation, learning style, literacy level, or even success itself. school integration will be analysed from several perspectives, given the diversity of students enrolled in the education system. each child is unique in terms of physical, mental, intellectual development, and health, therefore action plans are developed for every category of students to achieve equity and equal opportunities. 57 learning is not a specific human phenomenon but is often found in the animal world, associated with adaptation. some authors define learning as a process of adaptation of the organism to the environment but differ depending on the stage of evolution on which each living organism is (sălăvăstru, 2004). in the opinion of a. n. leontiev (as cited in sălăvăstru, 2004) learning represents “the process of acquiring the individual experience of behavior” (p.14) and contributes to the development of the human capacity to create, to evaluate, and to form himself. a. clausse (1967, as cited in sălăvăstru, 2004) defines learning as “a change in behavior, achieved by solving a problem that puts the individual in touch to the environment” (p. 14). human learning unlike animals, which learn through trial and success, humans add to this the ability to acquire a background of ideas, to recall facts, and to plan what can happen, to analyze, to conceive, and to infer (thorndike, 1977/1983). „learning is that change in human disposition or capacity that can be maintained and that cannot be attributed to the growth process. the change called learning manifests itself as a change in behavior, and its production is deduced by comparing the behavior that the individual was capable of before being put in a certain ‘learning situation’ with the behavior that shows after this treatment. the change may consist (...) in a greater capacity for a certain type of performance. (...) the change must last more than a moment; it must be capable of maintenance for some time” (gagné, 1965/1975, p.11). matei (1995) states that the child's first cognitive structures are closely related to the unconditioned and instinctual primary neuro-physiological structures. the learning process goes from indefinite to definite, from diffuse to conceptual, from perception 58 to sensation. following some experiments, matei (1995) concludes that the first perception in young schoolchildren is usually inaccurate so that the representation of the perceived object is incomplete. learning must remove this shortcoming, so this stage must be followed by an analytical phase. after analysing the object, retention and reproductive capacity increased significantly. thorndike (1977/1983) argues that in school learning based on reward or sanction in the "trial and error" process, the law of effect is not enough, and learning needs three laws to work together: the law of preparation, the law of exercise, and the law of effect itself. thus, the individual is considered intelligent insofar as he has several connections that he can transform associatively. progress in learning is largely determined by the following elements: real knowledge of students' dispositions and skills, intuition, prior knowledge, interest, willingness to participate, direct activity, sympathy for the teacher, knowledge, and method, personality, and personal example of the teacher, living conditions of students (matei, 1985). types of learning from a certain perspective, learning can be direct, intentional, when the individual wants and seeks knowledge, or indirect, spontaneous, in which the individual does not seek directly, especially to learn (sălăvăstru, 2004). palicica (2002) calls these two forms of learning systematic and spontaneous, respectively. assimilating education with learning, from the perspective of how the activity is organized, education can be formal, non-formal, or informal. formal education is synonymous with education obtained in the educational process, through schooling, based on curricula, curricula, and textbooks. therefore, it can be considered a form of intentional learning. non-formal education is often associated with extracurricular education, being complementary 59 to formal education. it can materialize in school clubs by disciplines, cultural or sports competitions, festivals, activities in collaboration with theaters, schools, museums, public libraries, or media. informal, unsystematized, non-institutionalized, nonformalized education can act in a disorganized way through the influences exerted by small or extended social groups, life experiences and has a profound influence on the learnable because this type of learning lasts throughout his life (palicica, 2002). formal learning is perceived as institutionalized training, which represents the compulsory education, variable as period depending on the school system specific to each country and which offers as finality a specific certification of the acquired skills. it is a form of intentional learning by both the learner and the teacher (rogers, 2014). on the other hand, non-formal education is often perceived as the opposite of formal education, being placed outside the educational system. non-formal education is provided by providers of educational institutions that are not recognized by the state but can be alternatives. examples of non-formal education are training programs offered by certain community institutions, such as libraries, music schools, foreign language schools, community centers that organize training courses for various skills: theater, dance, sports, painting, and others (tudor, 2013). non-formal education is intentional from the perspective of the learner (rogers, 2014). informal learning is natural, as is breathing, and results from daily activities associated with work, family, or leisure. it is not structured and is often not certified. informal learning can be both intentional, but often unintentional (rogers, 2014). it could be exemplified by individual activities, such as distance learning by purchasing books and educational materials, individual study (tudor, 2013), cooking and music culture classes, use of different devices, or programs digital (rogers, 2014). 60 a study conducted by tudor (2013) aimed to identify teachers' views on the effectiveness of non-formal education. the results of the study revealed that the way teachers manage to structure their contents and combine teaching strategies, using alternative solutions, based on the analysis of the advantages and disadvantages offered by it is efficient in teaching activities. the open attitude of the teacher, the permanent adaptability, his creativity, the increase in students 'skills and acquisitions obtained from other sources than in the formal framework are advantages and steps towards increasing the students' school performance. in the contemporary era, information and knowledge must be constantly updated due to the information explosion. the three forms of learning presented above intertwine, complement each other, and learning becomes a process that does not end with graduation but lasts a lifetime. thus, a new concept is emerging lifelong learning, which applies to all age segments. lifelong learning begins with the first years of life, through family education, and continues with the stages of school life preschool, school, vocational, high school, university, postgraduate extending to the end of life (palicica, 2002). learning styles the concept of learning style describes individual differences in learning, based on the natural, ordinary, preferred way of absorbing, processing, and retaining new information and skills. the learning style can considerably influence the learner's response to different methods of presenting the content to be learned (wu & alrabah, 2009). a modern educational trend is a replacement of traditional classroom learning with active forms of learning, based on personal learning styles, which make this process more efficient and lead to superior academic results (fallan, 2006). 61 each individual has a unique learning style, personal qualities that influence the ability to acquire information, interact with others, and participate in the learning experience (al-balhan, 2007; mupinga et al., 2006). learning styles are the result of preferences for a particular way of learning, the context of the learning environment, the areas of learning growth, and the general way of conducting each (rassool & rawaf, 2007). often, the term learning styles is associated with cognitive styles, thinking styles or ways of learning (rassool & rawaf, 2007). in general, teachers teach in a style that is in line with their preferences and that they consider effective for themselves (healey et al., 2005). students whose learning style is compatible with teachers' teaching style tend to retain information longer, apply it more effectively, and have a positive post-course attitude toward learning topics (dinakar et al., 2005). chiou and yang (2006) found in a study that teachers can influence students' learning styles and occupational stereotypes. therefore, it is especially important the model that each teacher presents because it can affect school results. both the learning style and the formative assessment strategy significantly affect the results of students learning through the computer-assisted method. the identification, classification, and definition of learning styles largely depend on the researcher's perspective. there are over 80 learning models, each classification highlighting at least two predominant styles. for example, markova (1992) identified six learning styles resulting from the combination of visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic perceptions (al-balhan, 2007). the learning style can be a combination, or a dominant of one of the three (fearing & riley, 2005). long and coldren (2006) refer to six distinct learning styles: competitive, collaborative, avoidant, participatory, dependent, and independent. kolb identified four learning styles: divergent, assimilative, convergent, and accommodative (rassool & rawaf, 2007), 62 although in 1995 he stated that we should not consider them stereotypes, and in 1999, he developed a measurement tool. for them (kolb, 1999). divergents are described as sensitive, imaginative, and people-oriented, assimilators are less focused on people but more interested in abstract ideas and concepts, convergents can solve problems and prefer technical tasks, and accommodators excel in active experimentation and concrete experiences (rassool & rawaf, 2007). honey and mumford (as cited in rassool & rawaf, 2007) developed kolb's learning styles questionnaire and, in 1986 and 1992, identified four learning styles: active, reflective, theoretical, and pragmatic. those with a predominantly active learning style are dominated by immediate experiences, reflexives observe experiences and prefer to analyze them, theorists adopt logical and rational tools for problem-solving, and pragmatists are essentially practical (rassool & rawaf, 2007). felder and silverman (1988, as cited in graf et al., 2009) developed a questionnaire model for identifying learning styles, which is combined with kolb's (1984) model. by combining these models, felder-silverman learning style model (fslsm) describes learning styles in detail, characterizing each subject according to four dimensions: active/reflective, sensory/intuitive, visual/verbal, and sequential/global (graf et al., 2009). according to the felder-silverman learning style model (fslsm), students who have an active learning style learn better if they actively work with learning materials, applying, and testing. they prefer to work in groups, where they can discuss the material learned. reflective people prefer to think, reflect on the material to be learned and work on their own. students with a sensory learning style prefer to learn concrete facts, using their sensory experience and are considered realistic and sensitive. students who learn intuitively prefer abstract subjects, theories, principles, these students being considered more innovative and creative. the visual/verbal dimension targets students who remember best what 63 they saw (diagrams, maps) or those who learn best from textual representations, regardless of whether they are written or spoken. in the sequential/global dimension, students are characterized according to their understanding: graded or holistic (graf et al., 2009). school performance „performance is a general concept that means a special, exceptional achievement, the fulfillment of a task at certain standards of correctness and completeness. (...) school performance is a type of performance, not always associated with exceptional achievements, which appears as a product of school experience and learning continued at home and sometimes in other environments with educational impact. (...) school performance (...) is determined by the performances obtained previously because the agreement with oneself and with the obtained results or the disagreement with oneself and with the results leads to the modification of the performances” (gherasim & butnaru, 2013, p.13). performance is the result of all activities and responses of the subject, the product of experience and learning under the guidance of the teacher. school performance is expressed by the performance index, respectively by grades, and has a strong motivational effect. it intensifies and supports the learning effort, stimulates the establishment of a high level of performance, and inspires satisfaction in the development of the experience. the most important factor in determining the need for performance is the performance itself. positive performances tend to increase the efficiency of learning, while failure determines its diminution (lazăr, 1975). school performance is determined by certain individual factors, effort, previous school failures, learning strategies, students' self-esteem, nature of intelligence, self-efficacy, and contextual factors (gherasim & butnaru, 2013). 64 a study by goldenberg et al. (2001) examined the reciprocal relationship between parents ’expectations and students’ school performance in a sample of latino families. the results of the study indicated that students' school performance influenced parents' expectations, but on the other hand (benner & mistry 2007), parents' expectations did not influence performance. in short, there is much empirical evidence to suggest that not only parents' expectations influence students' expectations and achievements, but also that achievement can influence parents' expectations. wigfield and eccles (2002) developed the expectancy-value theory of motivation for achievement. the theory states that adolescents' expectations and values are influenced by their social context (parents, teachers, colleagues, neighbors, and community) and previous academic achievements. once the expectations and values of the individual are established, they influence the academic performance, perseverance, and choice of the academic topic. in other words, the theory presents causal relationships between the social context (for example, parents' expectations), their expectations, and academic achievement. school success school success is often associated with school performance and unsuccess with school failure. both success and failure can be discontinuous and temporary. however, there may be situations of generalized failure, in which the student has difficulty adapting to school life in general and cannot meet the minimum conditions for promotion in most school subjects, or limited failure, in which the student encounters difficulties only in certain subjects. from another perspective, school failure can be cognitive, when the student does not achieve the pedagogical objectives proposed in certain disciplines and achieve extremely poor results, or noncognitive failure, which refers to situations in which the student 65 does not adapt from the social view of the school environment (sălăvăstru, 2004). academic results can be influenced by several factors related to two directions: social/emotional support and academic support. how students receive socio-emotional support consist of social ties, learning communities, health, and counseling, assistance and leisure services, campus facilities, mentoring, non-discrimination, capitalizing on minorities, ensuring a sense of security, cultural capital, fairness, assistance, and personal guidance. academic support can be demonstrated through counseling and assistance regarding pre-enrollment, teacher-student relationship, quality of education, academic success, providing additional instruction, flexibility, student-centered learning, differentiating learning by adapting to students' particular conditions, such as learning (zepke & leach, 2006). the results of the study by gumora and arsenio (2002) on a sample of 103 students in grades 6-8 indicated that although the regulation of students' emotions, general emotional states, and those related to school tasks was correlated, however, each of these variables had a unique significance on school performance. thus, students who had a high level of emotion regulation were better rated by teachers, and negative emotions related to school tasks were minimal. also, students who experienced a combination of both general and school-related negative emotions had a higher risk for learning difficulties. premises, causes, influences of school performance school performance is an important reference point for the achievement of the person as a whole, throughout life. studies conducted by gherasim and butnaru (2013) have shown that school results are an important predictor of future school results, in the sense that success is followed by success, and failure, by failure. school failure is often associated with dropping out of 66 school, entering the labor market at an early age, lacking an adequate professional qualification, or joining a deviant social entourage. fortier et al. (1995) proposed and tested a model of the influence of motivation on school performance, based on the theory of self-determination, developed by deci and ryan. according to this model, perceived academic competence and perceived academic self-determination influence autonomous academic motivation, which in turn leads to school performance. the research hypotheses were confirmed, in other words, it could be concluded that students who felt competent and selfdetermined in the school context, developed an autonomous motivational profile towards education, which led them to achieve school performance. berlinski et al. (2009) emphasize the importance of preschool education on school performance. they showed that, for a sample of third graders in argentina, attending at least one year of kindergarten increases average test scores by 8% and positively influences self-control, measured by behaviors such as attention, effort, participation. and involvement in class and discipline. albulescu (2020) argues that the level of reading comprehension is directly proportional to academic success, and a student who has difficulty understanding the text read will have a higher risk of dropping out of school. school motivation. the role of motivation in learning motivation is the impulse that causes a person to do a certain thing. "in the school context, motivation is nothing but the process that leads, guides and maintains a certain desirable behavior to the student status: participation in classes, involvement in learning activities in the classroom and at home, successfully solving tasks" (popenici & fartușnic, 2009, p. 11). on the other hand, school motivation is not only associated with the object of learning, but 67 also with the conditions in which learning takes place and with the mental processes of the student involved in this process. the analysis of any motivational process must start from the learning framework and the situations in which the student is placed. thus, viau (2004) suggests that school motivation is generated by the student's perceptions about himself and the learning environment, including teachers, school subjects, teaching tasks. weiner (1992), on the other hand, considers that school success or failure depends on the subjective model where students explain these phenomena, and which are related to the intensity of the emotions that accompany them. the effects of negative emotions can influence the student's attitude and confidence in himself and the school. both popenici and fartușnic (2009) and sălăvăstru (2004) conclude that the factors that can influence motivation are grouped in three directions: individual characteristics, family, and school. individual characteristics refer to those personal endowments related to the individual's perception of himself, the value of the activities he performs, his competence, or the control he has over the performance of the activity. often, the effects of negative emotions can persist either until the next learning situation or for a longer time. the family can be a motivating factor from the following perspectives: socio-material situation, emotional-emotionalintellectual support, family values. although a modest financial situation may be an obstacle to maintaining the motivation to learn, an exceptionally good financial situation does not have to be a positive guarantee in this regard. in situations where parents can support their children in doing homework, this will be an advantage in favor of stimulating and maintaining students' motivation. the family's values, interests, and attention to education and learning are also passed on to children. parents' attitude towards school is decisive for the attitude that children will have: if parents do not show respect for teachers and the 68 educational activities, children will not do it (popenici & fartușnic, 2009; sălăvăstru, 2004). regarding the school as a motivating factor, here must be considered aspects related to the competence of teachers, their professional and human training, the model offered by them, the school context, the physical environment in which the teaching activities take place, but also the students' preference for a certain school discipline, towards a certain teacher, towards a certain didactic strategy or a certain learning style (jinga & negreț, 1994; popenici & fartușnic, 2009). catching and maintaining students' attention until the end of teaching is the key to teaching success and is possible only if the students desire to participate actively, through their effort in the learning activity (jinga & negreț, 1994). learning motivation is regulated not only from the outside, by external conditions, family, school, but also from the inside, by self-motivation, and students can achieve a higher level of independence from external interventions to teachers. it is recommended that learners clarify their teachers' expectations, select those learning strategies with which they are familiar, set clear goals and precise deadlines for completing their homework, ask for feedback, to self-evaluate their partial and final results, and self-reward themselves after fulfilling some important stages (jinga & negreț, 1994; popenici & fartușnic, 2009). learning style and school performance manochehri and young (2006) argue that learning styles are significantly related to knowledge performance, namely that students with assimilative and convergent learning styles perform better in computer-assisted learning; instead, divergent, and accommodating students perform better in instructor-assisted learning. calissendorff (2006) states that younger students have a mixed learning style, obtained from the visual-auditory-kinesthetic combination. this result has been demonstrated in the case of 69 children who learn to play an instrument: they go through all the stages so that they can learn to play. a study by wang et al. (2006) found that performance is ranked according to preferred learning style, namely: assimilative, divergent, accommodative, and convergent. lister found that specific learning styles differentiate students into three categories: students in need of help, regular students, and high-achieving students and that there are differences between the characteristics of the learning style of students in need of help compared to regular students (lister, 2005). for example, brand (1999) and brand et al. (2002) found that students with attention deficit disorders were less persistent in learning. fine (2002) identified that students with special education had low persistence, low motivation, and low responsibility towards students considered normal. honigsfeld and lister (2003) found the same results. it has been found that learning styles are closely related to academic performance (al-balhan, 2007). the preference for a particular learning style varies according to gender (lincoln and rademacher, 2006), age, experience, and maturity (long & coldren, 2006; palloff & pratt, 2003; sheridan & steele-dadzie, 2005), depending on thinking style, intellect structure (sheridan & steele-dadzie, 2005), depending on the discipline (dinakar et al. 2005), and the teacher's teaching style can sharpen, improve the learning style (long & coldren, 2006). the style, ability, and speed of learning differ from person to person. a study by șirin and güzel (2006) found that students had different information processing systems and learning styles. the results of the study indicate that learning styles differ depending on the subjects of study in high school and the modes of testing at university admission. nevot (2008) identifies for each learning style – active, reflective, theoretical, and pragmatic – the main blockages that students may encounter and suggests some solutions that teachers can address to improve these sensitive issues. the most common 70 blockages that can hinder the development of an active learning style are fear of failure or fear of making mistakes, anxiety, feeling of obligation to do what they do not want, lack of self-confidence, thinking too carefully about certain things. the proposed solutions include new activities, things that have never been done before, at least occasionally, activating curiosity, practicing problem-solving in groups, changes in activities during classes, discussions, communication of ideas, solving exercises using repetitive techniques, allowing mistakes, stimulating critical thinking. concerning style, the main blockages are due to insufficient time for planning and thinking, the need to quickly change activity, impatience, lack of control, and lack of focus on finality, students paying more attention to work itself than getting results. teachers can improve these aspects by practicing writing carefully, taking out the blackboard to perform certain tasks, developing protocols, collecting information through observation, oral communication, investigation, adding new information, giving time for creative thinking, providing thought patterns, introducing a stage of reflection in each action, awakening the joy of knowing, activating, and maintaining interest, oral presentation of the teacher (nevot, 2008). students who have a predominantly theoretical learning style may face the following blockages: the urge to stay with first impressions, preference for intuition and subjectivity, dislike of structured and organized approaches, excessive dependence on others (teachers or colleagues), preference for spontaneity, and risk, inability to convert thoughts into action and inability to perform and finish the work. the suggestions offered refer to the careful reading of the theorems, of the problems, analysis of complex situations, anticipating obstacles and finding solutions to overcome them, summarizing the theories, formulating conclusions, practice formulating questions, perseverance, memorization practice, and automation, application of concepts (nevot, 2008). 71 the pragmatic learning style can raise certain problems for students, such as exaggerated thinking about useful things, lack of vision about the usefulness of what is learned, not completing topics, distraction, and lack of concentration. possible suggestions for remedying these problems are self-correction and selfassessment, seeking help from experienced people, experiments, and observations, studying techniques used by others, role-playing games, exercises, and using images (nevot, 2008). school performance evaluation the learning process is self-regulatory, so it requires the presence of feedback to regulate actions. this inverse connection is obtained through evaluation (palicica, 2002). assessment is a complex process of pedagogical actions through which the achievement of the proposed objectives concerning a norm is measured and evaluated based on certain criteria, a grade is assigned to the student's performance, the degree of correspondence between a set of learning information is examined. by the student and a set of criteria related to a certain objective, to decide, a judgment is issued, it is estimated to be verified, a verdict is given (manolescu & panțuru, 2008). the assessment has a pedagogical purpose, that of providing an answer regarding the students' level of knowledge. the answer given by the evaluation must be argued, to ensure a clear justification of the appreciation that the teacher makes of the students' works. sometimes, the teacher's grading can be subjective, influenced by certain disturbing effects: the "halo" effect, in which a partial impression expands and becomes general, categorizing weak or good students; the “pygmalion” effect, in which the evaluator's stereotypes generate predictions that are fulfilled so that students who are constantly disregarded and discouraged by the teacher will fail in that subject; the contrast effect, in which students' results are assessed differently if they are 72 obtained in different contexts; the inertia effect, in which the evaluator maintains a certain stereotype in the case of students with different performances (cucoș, 1996/2014; popenici & fartușnic, 2009; sălăvăstru, 2004). cucoș (1996/2014) come into notice to some undesirable symptomatic behaviors that evaluators may have and can affect the quality of evaluation: psychotic syndrome, in which teachers turn evaluation into an opportunity to display their power and personality; the symptom of exaggerated objectivity, in which teachers seek impartiality and tend to measure students' behavior more than assessed content; the symptom of the instrumentalist, in which teachers are overwhelmed by the technique of the assessment tool in the detriment of the assessment itself; the symptom of misappropriation, in which the assessment is used as a means of maintaining order or as punishment; the symptom of conformity, where the teacher considers correct in the evaluation only the information provided by him or those from sources specified by him. school integration school integration must be analyzed from several perspectives, considering the categories of students existing in the education system. every child has their rhythm of physical, mental, and intellectual development, therefore, even if they all belong to the same age group, there are physical, mental, and intellectual differences between them. some differences may consist of deficiencies, disabilities, handicaps, or, on the other hand, excellence, and giftedness. other differences can be ethnic, religious, behavioral, or related to a certain socio-economic condition. the problem that appears in this context of the heterogeneity of student groups is not the uniformity and alignment of all to the same standards, but the identification of 73 ways to capitalize on each other's skills and abilities, mitigating the negative aspects involved in the instructional-educational process. special situations to correctly understand the problem of people with special educational needs, it is necessary to define the three associated terms: deficiency, disability, handicap. deficiency is a medical issue and "refers to a deficiency established by clinical or paraclinical methods and means, functional operations or other evaluations used by medical services, a deficiency that may be sensory, mental, physical, locomotor, neuropsychic or language" (gherguț, 2013, p. 19). the deficiency consists in the temporary or permanent loss or disturbance of a physiological or anatomical structure and is presented as a state of functional abnormality, with pathological aspects, which affects the capacity and quality of the process of adaptation and school, professional or social integration of the individual (gherguț, 2013). disability or incapacity is a functional aspect and "represents a loss, a total or partial decrease of physical, locomotor, mental, sensory, neuropsychic possibilities, etc., a consequence of a deficiency that prevents the normal performance of certain activities" (gherguț, 2013, p 19). disability consists of certain changes, limitations, or disturbances of the capacity to adapt, with effects on the development of the level of personal, professional, or social autonomy (gherguț, 2013). handicap results from a deficiency or disability that limits or prevents the fulfillment of a role in a cultural, social context, being considered a social disadvantage. the disability consists in the particularities of the relationship of the disabled person and his living environment, being highlighted especially in the context of cultural, physical, or social barriers that prevent access to various activities or social services, in which other people can normally participate (gherguț, 2013). 74 in romania, children with disabilities have access to different forms of education and can be enrolled, depending on the degree of disability, in the special education system or mainstream education. children with moderate disabilities, learning difficulties and language disorders, socio-affective or behavioral disorders are integrated into mainstream schools where they can benefit from educational support services. special education is organized according to the type of disability – mental, hearing, visual, motor, and other associated disabilities. the identification of deficiency type and its degree is within the competence of the commission for child protection, an institution subordinated to the county councils. children in special education can follow the boarding school curriculum, the adapted boarding school curriculum, or the special school curriculum. also, the duration of schooling may differ. for example, for children with severe mental disabilities, the duration of schooling in primary and secondary education can be 9-10 years, which means that it is 1-2 years longer than the 8 years spent in mainstream education. during schooling, children with special educational needs have access to psycho-pedagogical rehabilitation and recovery resources – medical and social – and to other types of specific intervention services available in the community or specialized institutions, including special education (organizația pentru cooperare economică și dezvoltare, 2007). minorities a longitudinal study by moody (2001) on a group of teenagers that examines the relationship between formal integration indicated by racial heterogeneity and background integration indicated by patterns of inter-racial friendships showed that racial similarity is generally preferred in social relations. the problem of segregation of racial friendship is complex. history shows that people prefer people who are like them. while 75 similarity, balance, and status are important at the individual level in forming friendships, the structural constraints of population distribution affect people's ability to achieve individual preferences. it is known that students belonging to the roma community have a lower level of schooling and a higher dropout rate than other students. the most frequently involved factors in the phenomenon of socio-economic exclusion are poverty, unemployment/unemployment, internal and external migration, lack of personal documents, geographical location. on the other hand, the attitude of distrust, prejudice, lack of motivation, lack of models to and from the roma community have a negative influence on the school integration of roma children (arbex et al., 2013). to increase the level of schooling and to improve the quality of education for the roma population, various opportunities have been created and several intervention tools have been developed. they consider first of all the analysis of the environment from which the students come, the belonging to the school units, and the knowledge of the particularities of the local community to which the students belong. another important element in these strategies is the creation of links with those students, followed by the design and implementation of specific, personalized action plans, which include collaboration with students' families. a permanent monitoring of students' progress, counseling them and their families, can make a positive contribution to school success. the evaluation of the whole process ensures the feedback and reiteration of the strategies (arbex et al., 2013). gifted students gifted students are considered those who have high mental abilities and are associated with certain attributes: wisdom, brilliance, sharp mind, sharpness. they demonstrate attitudes, 76 dispositions, and habits that lead to objectivity, impartiality, an open mind, and practice metacognition, analyzing their thought process. gifted children are driven by a special curiosity, being eager to understand how they can make improvements, to produce useful values for society (kelemen, 2010). jarvin and subotnik (2006) suggest that gifted students in academic fields, such as the humanities, need analytical skills, creative skills, and practical intelligence. teachers, families, and communities play an important role as they provide resources, mental stimulation, places, and opportunities to promote their skills, motivation, and success. expert teachers in their field help students acquire specific techniques and knowledge and facilitate students' transition from looking at others for feedback to become self-critical. school counselors have the role of helping gifted students in academic fields to be able to manage their self-doubt and unhealthy perfectionism, to teach them techniques to reduce stress and anxiety, to support their intrinsic motivation, to train them in organizing and own time management, to facilitate their communication and social skills that will help students to interact correctly in collaborative relationships with colleagues (peterson, 2006). although the general vision converges towards the integration in mass education of all categories of students, there are still opinions that gifted students, for example, cannot develop to their full potential in such a heterogeneous group. the arguments refer to the partial or total dissatisfaction of their intellectual and emotional needs, due to the insufficiency or nonexistence of additional educational means (david, 2008). conclusions to improve the act of learning and school performance, students must acquire certain knowledge and skills to use study 77 methods. some of these tools are scientific reading or the art of reading (albulescu, 2020; sălăvăstru, 2009), taking notes (jinga & negreț, 1994; sălăvăstru, 2009), planning the study rigorously by correctly evaluating the time available, achieving a study schedule, exercising perseverance, cultivating self-confidence, creating a learning environment (jinga & negreț, 1994), ricar method: browsing (răsfoire) – questions (întrebări) – reading (citire) – memory (amintire) – recapitulation (recapitulare) (sălăvăstru, 2009). some studies have shown that many students who have learning difficulties consider school activities as negative experiences, which they cannot control (fincham et al. 1989), and learned helplessness affects learning motivation (valas, 2001). due to these difficulties in important matters, despite the effort, they attribute the failure to internal factors, which increase the degree of distrust in their strengths. studies on the relationship between assignment and school results have shown that students who made internal assignments, stable and personal, assumed their ability or effort, obtained better results than those who made external assignments, unstable and non-personal (liu et al. 2009; meyer et al., 2010). how students may attribute their failure may vary depending on the frequency of exposure to failure. thus, previous, repeated school failures can lead to the attribution of this situation to uncontrollable causes, while sporadic failures can lead to the attribution of controllable causes (au et al., 2009). objective integration is achieved when the child with disabilities is transferred from a special school to a boarding school, and the class he enters will change his educational design to integrate him into the team. school integration of students with special educational needs (sen) can be achieved if it intervenes correctly and in time in the child's life by early detection of disabilities, early diagnosis and assessment, early intervention and psychological and psycho78 pedagogical counseling, collaboration, and involvement of parents and services community (roșan, 2015). every person in one of the situations that incapacitates him in one way, or another needs to be provided with adequate living conditions, to ensure a normal physical, functional and social life, they need rehabilitation with the support of the community they belong to, need social inclusion based on positive actions and nondiscrimination, need equal opportunities for education, support services and social protection (gherguț, 2013). educational programs for gifted students must be developed in such a way as to be consistent with the specifics of their thinking. these programs should bring to their attention real problems, in which students ask clear and precise questions that lead to well thought out solutions, collect and evaluate relevant information using abstractions in their interpretation, open thinking in alternative thinking systems, recognizing assumptions, implications, and consequences, communicates effectively with others (kelemen, 2010). the education of gifted children requires a special educational program, with an adapted curriculum, accelerated academic pace, additional courses, and specially trained teachers to work with them. this type of program aims at the enormous learning potential of students, directing educational influences away from mainstream education, to stimulate them. it is created especially according to individual developmental characteristics and is found everywhere in the world (kelemen, 2010). research has shown that school performance is influenced by individual and contextual factors: implicit beliefs about intelligence, academic self-perception, style of attribution on school results, the orientation of learning goals, motivation, support received from teachers, colleagues, family (gherasim & butnaru, 2013). the school performance that a student can achieve is unique, incomparable, specific to the individual, and depends on the level 79 of school acquisitions, the style, and capacity for learning, physical, mental, and intellectual conditions, the level of socio-emotional and intellectual integration. if for some students it can be a normal result, obtained without much effort, for others it can be an excellent performance. each child is unique, must not be compared, and his level of performance can only be measured with himself. 80 references al-balhan, e. m. 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(2006). improving learner outcomes in lifelong education: formal pedagogies in non-formal learning contexts? improving learner outcomes in lifelong education, 25(5), 507-517. doi:10.1080/02601370600912089 88 florin răduț craiova university florinrdt@yahoo.com generation "z" and social networks keywords technology, social networking, generation z abstract the study presents the context generated with the development of technology and its impact on society in recent decades. the characteristics of each generation are exposed from the perspective of important events, using world-renowned names, namely: baby boomers, generation "x", generation "y", generation "z". the research analyses more broadly the “z” generation and provides information about changing the social paradigm and interpersonal relationships through the advent of the internet and later through the development of online social networks. perspectives are offered on how the last generation spent their time, during the isolation generated by the pandemic. the widespread use of social networks has influenced individuals and their lifestyles, but the younger generation is the first to be affected by new technological challenges. understanding the new social paradigm contributes to adapting the approaches to children and young people. 89 1. introduction given that we live in the development of technology and experience a new social media revolution, it is appropriate to understand the perspectives of social life of groups and society in today's context. today we discover that the human being has become a producer of information in a new space. public. life is digitizing a lot with the monopoly of the internet (taplin, 2019). in the past, virtual reality was more of a science fiction topic, but today technology is widely available worldwide. now interpersonal relationships have entered a new stage of multidimensional communication, and social interactions in the virtual world overlap. with those in the real world and even gained supremacy. the communication paradigm is changing, and individuals are becoming interested in the online environment. with the emergence of several social networks, several areas of interest among the population were covered. some are oriented towards certain fields of activity, others for the development of romantic relationships or to share common interest music, travel, gastronomy, etc. (casadei, bilotto, 2016). through the multitude of areas addressed, social networks are in a sense, agora1 from antiquity. in the 21st century it is observed that the digitalization of societies “is based on social networks, which have removed the spatial barriers that in the past did not communicate and transformed the world into a global village ... in such a society, the values and norms of conduct are less dictated by place of origin and social position”(valkenburg; piotowski, 2017, p. 284). social networks are part of the daily program, being irresistible. 1 the agora was the public square in the cities of ancient greece where the main institutions were located and where public meetings were held, according to the explanatory dictionary of the romanian language (2012). 90 individuals are free to access what they want, for the offer is indubitable: a bene placito2. by researching the impact of social networks on young people we can discover how they reinforce traditional values and practices in the new generation (spyer, 2017). the online environment offers alternatives for all ages. specifically, adults have accounts on facebook, teenagers on tik tok and instagram, and most on whatsapp. however, the young generation remains the category most exposed to the virtual environment, and the implications are long-term. every year the number of people using at least one social platform increases. a study by clement (2020) indicates that, starting with 2019, the average daily use of social networks around the world amounts to 144 minutes per day, compared to 142 minutes in the previous year. currently, the country with the highest number of social media users per day is the philippines, with online users spending an average of three hours and 53 minutes per day on social media. the ability to express yourself freely and communicate according to your own preferences, to collaborate with others by producing and exchanging texts, photos, audio and video materials, present contemporary opportunities. thus, each user transforms from consumer to content creator, in a context in which knowledge is democratized. the enormous interest in social media is indicated by the large number of active users in each country (galov, 2020). the development of technology has contributed to the facilitation of some activities, but has also influenced the behavior of users (tasențe, 2014). young people are the most exposed to the phenomenon, taking into account the current social context and multiple and very attractive technological offers. the digital 2 "a bene placito" is a latin expression meaning "as you please, as you please," according to the online version of the merriem webster dictionary. 91 impact is also related to a new family paradigm, in which parents are busy and spend very little time with the younger generation. the interaction between generations is limited to general aspects, which contributed to the rapprochement between children and technology. moreover, the lack of information from an educational perspective, on the risks taken, favoured the development of the partnership between young people and the virtual world. therefore, the study focuses on the young generation that lives, having social networks as "reliable friends". the development of social platforms has influenced several areas, including commercial. the consumer compartment has changed, and the manufacturer has generally tried to adapt to the new conditions. the young people were the first to reorient themselves towards the possibility of purchasing certain products. any social platform has a continuous flow of content, and the visual story has emerged as a strategy for attracting those from the virtual space (walter; gioglio, 2014). some studies show that the emergence of social networks has changed the perspective of individuals on life regardless of their habitat. more precisely, as there is a continuity between offline and online space, in the context of connections, there is a transition from rural to urban landscape (venkatraman, 2017). participants on social networks can get involved in discussions, sending video or audio messages, even if the recipient is in another part of the world. the eu kids online 2020 (smahel, 2020) analysis on children and the internet, conducted in 19 countries, indicates the new perspective on virtual activity. thus, most children use smartphones almost all the time, which led to an increase in internet usage time compared to a similar survey in 2010 conducted by eu kids online. although in some countries children's daily time in the online environment has doubled, they have not been informed about existing risks, such as the use of 92 personal data, fraud, exposure to harmful and violent content, but also virtual harassment. the young generation is becoming interested, regardless of the environment, rural or urban, in the quality of the signal for connecting to the internet. rene decartes's statement, "cogito ergo sum" (cogito ergo sum), comes to be updated in the form "post, so i exist". and all this at the cost of losing security, confidentiality and freedom, finally (taplin, 2019). the following decades will show the repercussions of spending time in the online environment. currently, interactions in the virtual environment are part of everyday normality, and the absence there means a lack of connection to everyday life. over time, defining the term "generation" has been a real challenge, being a fairly broad concept, and any attempt at periodization has its limits. controversies regarding the definition of the term have arisen against its use in many areas, such as to the social, political, economic to the fields of exact sciences. therefore, the bipartite vision appears on the meaning of the term generation (șerban, 2011), considering the broad meaning of the concept, applied at the level of socio-cultural layers in a certain historical period, but also the particular meaning that follows the groups of individuals who act within a society at the level of a specific field (political, artistic, literary, etc.). originally, the word generation comes from the latin generātiō, -onis, which means "reproduction". this in turn, derives etymologically from generō, -are, -avi, -atum, meaning "to give birth", "to create", " to produce". both words, however, have their origin in the greek gignomai ("to give birth"), gignosko (to know from within the known or to have knowledge), genos (small parental groups that identify themselves as units) and genesis (”birth”, “origin”) (ilie, botezatu, 2016). in romanian, the word was adopted in the french chain and, according to dex3, means first of 3 the explanatory dictionary of the romanian language, 2012, page 433 93 all, "all people in a given social community who are about the same age" defining "the period of time that separates the age of the father from that of the son”. at the beginning of the twentieth century, several researchers studied the subject by presenting certain directions of thinking to understand the concept. the frenchman françois mentré (1920), in the spirit of positivism and under the influence of the rhetoric of auguste comte4, emphasizes the idea that social generation has its origin in the idea of family generation, given that the mentality of a dominant group imprints its aspirations on a society. historical time. on the other hand, the spaniard ortega y gasset considers that generation seems to be the most useful tool for exploring the past or anticipating the future. individuals of about the same age, with intellectual training within similar parameters, experiencing certain social, cultural events, special policies are landmarks for defining a generation (jorge acevedo-guerra, 2017). the discovery of a perspective on the reality of human life over a period of time is related, according to ortega y gasset, with the implementation of a past structure in the present challenges. the german sociologist karl mannheim in his work the problem of generation, published in 1928, emphasizes the idea that the notion of generation changes its meaning over time, but also according to successive ideological changes (wolff, 1993). the affirmations are based on the positive interpretation aimed at identifying a pattern, based on which progress is made at the social level, and the romantic interpretation, ie explaining the spirit of the era, neither progressive nor unitary. environment, heredity and education are the basic pillars for defining the sociological state of a generation. 4 auguste comte (1798-1857) was a french sociologist and considered the founder of the theory of positivism a philosophical and political movement that enjoyed a very wide diffusion in the second half of the nineteenth century. 94 given the complexity of the subject, establishing an exhaustive definition of generations is not an easy task. professor julius petersen, a disciple of the germans erich schmidt and gustav roethe, considers that “a new generation emerges when the work of the previous one has its accounts clearly completed. the gaps that the previous generation's system leaves open indicate to the next generation the way forward” (petersen, 2013, p. 136). from the perspective of the french critic albert thibaudet, a generation is "a true measure of social duration", and for semantic delimitation uses two phrases: the biological generation, based on age, and the creative generation, defined by the profile of individuals who share the same vision socio-cultural mechanism (șerban, 2016). in romania, the preoccupations for this subject appear at the beginning of the ‘30s when the romanian philosophy society holds meetings on the topic “the problem of generations” in which thinkers from that time participate. the controversies and conflicts of interest were determined by the various opinions expressed on the topic under study. the sociologist mircea vulcănescu is the first to publish in 1930 a series of articles about the phenomenon of generations, and in 1934 he made the study "generation" published in the magazine "criterion". people living in a certain period of time are defined from a multiple perspective considering all areas, from biological to sociological, historical, psychological, cultural and economic (perian, 2011). the phrase “generational cohort” defines how a group of individuals are similar, not only because they were born in the same time period, but also because they experienced major events together with a major impact on society (meredith and schewe, 1994). each collective experience has contributed to the establishment of a set of values, beliefs, and lifestyles that distinguish a generation cohort from the previous one (rogler, 2002). 95 thus, a generation represents the demographic cohort from a certain period, and the name is related to the context in society. in essence, the fundamental notion of generation cohort is that individuals are formed and formed through their personal attachment to the historical and societal events that took place in their formative years (holbrook and schindler, 1994). generally, generation labels, such as baby boomers, generation "x", generation "y", generation "z" come from america, but are used in research in many countries around the world, the basis of lived experiences and events. the division into categories helps to conduct studies in various fields, but also to develop strategies that capitalize on the potential of each historical period (ting h., lim t., run e., koh h., sahdan m, 2018). periodization based on the evolution of society is related to certain events that had a major impact in that context. for example, the “baby boom” generation targets people born after world war ii, the generation being so named because of the “boom”5 in birth rates in the united states (smith, 2020). studies over time continue with the new cohort, called "x" because the lack of problems, prosperity have contributed to superficiality and loss of identity. the representatives of this period did not stand out with some major achievements. in order for there to be a certain logic, we continued with the letters of the alphabet for the following cohorts y, z. regarding social networks, the term refers to the web service designed to create virtual links between users, with social, commercial, political and educational applications. the interconnection of individuals through the congruence between the internet, the network platform and its users has contributed to the formation of a social structure used throughout the world. 5 boom means prosperity in english according to https://www.dictionarenglez.ro/englez-roman/boom, but in this context it has the meaning of demographic explosion 96 2. description of the young generation in the xxi century in the literature since 1952 in the paper the problem of generations, the german sociologist karl mannheim considers that each generation inherits a collective consciousness that occurs when individuals, from a similar age group or cohort, experience similar social and political events. to define the identity of a generation, the moment when individuals reach maturity is followed, and the rhythm and intensity of social or political events play an important role (pilcher 1994). the research of a generation considers the similarities and differences of individuals, and their relation to life, family, work, money and social interaction. in recent years, studies of generational cohorts have gone through different stages, and currently the communities of psychology and sociology explores patterns of similarity and difference between generations. people in a certain generation are those who have common habits and form a collective memory, helping them to integrate into a social paradigm (eyerman, turner 1998). an individual's life comprises four life cycles: youth, adulthood, middle age, and old age. thus, a cohort is a group that lives the same phase of life and sets its limits and ideals according to peers (strauss, howe, 1991). researchers such as tapscott, twenge, meredith, noble, miller have defined, according to age categories, people in recent decades according to the following structure: baby boomers, generation x, generation y, generation z. the main directions about generations are similar in studies. over time, small differences occur in establishing the beginning and end of a cohort (edge, 2013). what is certain is that contemporary people of a certain period have specific features, similar lifestyle and identical relationship to technology. no generation has been spared challenges, but it has also benefited from certain opportunities that have contributed to the 97 maturation of individuals. according to vincent (2005), different historical generations have had greater or lesser opportunities for economic success, social mobility, migration, personal security, marriage and family development. edmunds and turner (2005) also mention that the temporal position of a generation is important from the perspective of the opportunities and resources available. depending on the use of existing means, there have been some changes in family and social life, but also in society. . thus, the existing specific elements prepare the context for a new generational cohort. following the research conducted by the pew research center6, the generations were divided according to year of birth, family structure, life stage or historical events. each generation is influenced by the cultural environment and socio-political context that determines the formation of certain habits, and therefore values and perspectives on the world differ from generation to generation (smith & clurman, 1997). in this paper, the generational picture is presented, according to the structure of don tapscot from the book digital growths (2011). at the last cohort, more information appears, because it represents the target group of the study. characteristics of the "baby boomers" generation the “baby boomers” generation includes people born between 1945 and 1964 and are called the “cold war generation” or “generation of economic growth” (tapscott, 2011, p. 41). the name is related to the second world war, when the united states experienced prosperous times and, as a result, the birth rate increased, generating a population explosion during that period. 6 the pew research center is an objective research center that informs the public about the issues, attitudes, and trends that shape the world. the center conducts public opinion polls, demographic research, content analysis and other research in the field of data-based social sciences. 98 the advent of television, at the same time, shaped the lives of individuals, and the new information channel became a strong counter-candidate for the radio and film industry. representatives of this generation grew up during the postwar economic prosperity characterized by social and political unrest. other key events in the united states were, for example, the vietnam war, the civil rights movement, and the assassination of president kennedy and martin luther king (bradford 1993). during this period there are mass protests against the national authority and institutions caused by the failures of some political leaders and not only (kupperschmidt 2000). consumerism is on the rise, being influenced by the prioritization of work and selffulfillment, even to the detriment of time spent in the family. individuals of this generation are active, optimistic, and have been contemporaries in the united states with the human rights movement and the hippie movement. later, economic problems changed the perspective, so that people became more skeptical and selfish. in general, individualism, optimism and self-confidence define this age group. professional development and interest in the material part are constantly pursued objectives. despite their age, people want to be approached directly and seek to be useful to society (rowson, 2016). there is interest in adapting to technology, and the most used social platform is facebook (walgrove, 2015). characteristics of the “x” generation generation x represents people born between 1965 and 1979. it is also known as the "generation with the key to the neck" or "the mtv generation". during this period the birth rate decreased a lot and hence the use of the term "baby bust7". but 7 baby bust an expression that refers to the decline in population growth that followed the baby boom period; bust (lb.eng.): decline, decrease, tapscott, 2011, p. 43. 99 the expression that managed to impose itself for the name of this generation was generation x, after the title of douglas coupland's novel (tapscott, 2011, p. 43). people of this generation lived their adolescence during the expansion period of television, but kept the habit of reading newspapers and listening to the radio. in terms of technology, efficiency is recognized and social media are used. withdrawals arise when it comes to online financial transfers. it is no coincidence that generation x is described as falling between two seats, ie between the digital and analog eras (slootweg, emilie; rowson, bill, 2018). every day, people in this cohort check emails, and research shows that generation x individuals prefer to be informed when buying a service (vavre, 2015). generation "x" appreciates the opinions of other people, is loyal to a brand, and the online environment is seen as the main channel for connecting with the world. also called the "lost" generation8, being exposed to divorces and long-term kindergartens. the children did not have good relations with their parents and hence the desire not to imitate their behavior. individuals in this age group are passive, uninterested in going to the polls, characterized by skepticism and increased selfishness. often questions like, "what do i get out of this?" "why me?" (taylor; gao, 2014). in the context of societal challenges, he is particularly interested in traditional values and family security. then, the representatives of this generation try to maintain a balance between professional and personal life. they are ingenious, selfesteem and independent appreciating the moments spent with friends (harber, 2011). compared to other generations, the xs live 8 the phrase "lost generation" appears in the literature and refers to a group of american authors, including ernest hemingway, gertrude stein, f. scott fitzgerald, and ts eliot, whose works often depict the internal struggles of those who lived after the first world war. world, also called the "lost generation" 100 in more tense situations, so they seek to maintain a positive image of their own lives. representatives of this generation were more interested in completing higher education compared to the previous generation (reeves, 2006). therefore, they are more responsible, attentive to family relationships and financial management. in our country it is known as the generation of "decree"9, ie individuals born since the summer of '67, when the fertility rate in romania exploded from 1.9 to 3.7 children / woman, following the policy of banning abortions ( full, 2015). they spent their childhood during communism and in the transition years, aspects that determined their attitude of concern in capitalism towards procuring the means necessary for a decent living. the large number led to the development of competitiveness, personal resource planning, and the period lived it was characterized by a change in mentalities and habits. members of this generation have been labeled "latchkey", given their adolescence spent at home alone, because, in addition to fathers, their mothers were at work. terms such as "sandwich" or "slacker" also appear in the increase in the number of singleparent families, music videos, personal computers, have led to the development of independent and self-sufficient attitudes (berl, 2006). flexibility, freedom, informal structures, resistance to authority and the traditional hierarchy are specific elements for this. generation (edge, 2013). characteristics of the “y” generation generation y, also known as "millennials"10, is made up of people born between 1980 and 1994. childhood and adolescence 9 decrețel, decreței s. m. child born between 1968-1990, when the communist regime banned abortions and discouraged the use of contraceptives according to the explanatory dictionary of the romanian language, online version. 10 millennials "children of the end of the millennium" 101 were lived without a smartphone and social media, as the first iphone appeared in early 2007, and the social network facebook impacted the world in 2008. therefore, technology gets used daily, it becomes part of everyday life (slootweg; rowson, 2018). representatives of this generation are linked to the following key events: the fall of the world center towers, the columbine massacre, multiculturalism, globalization, the internet, non-hourly news and reality tv. they grew up in a more diverse and tolerant society, in which equality was promoted (berl 2006). there is also interest in working digitally, for personal development, for teamwork and for contacts based on social networks (espinoza, ukleja and rusch 2010). the “generation y” study, conducted in 2016, highlights the fact that individuals in this generation are immune to marketing and sales techniques because they have become accustomed to them from an early age amid the diversity of advertising campaigns and technology development. people in this cohort have a special interest in achieving specific goals and are very creative. from the perspective of education, it is one of the most educated generations, being in the attention of young parents and living in accessible social groups. the use of the internet has contributed to their flexibility in terms of communication, fashion and daily choices (sendek & hobart, 2016). regardless of the changes around them, they adapt very easily, but they have problems in the financial field. large investments are made on loans, and parents also contribute to the payment of instalments. although they are not loyal to some brands, from the perspective of the unit and have the courage to uphold their rights through public demonstrations (kubiatko, 2013). millennials were contemporaries of the development of the internet and computers, but the relationship was "love and hate" in terms of technology. they are delighted with the authenticity, appreciate the experiences in which they actively participate, from concerts, social events to sports concerns. 102 3. the profile of the “z” generation in the context of the expansion of the current social networks according to the study "innovation report by samsung" generation "z", called igeneration, centannials or "digital natives", refers to people born after 1995 to 2012. currently, 32% of the world's population is part of generation z, being thus the category with the largest representation in the world, and in romania there are approximately 2.26 million people from generation z aged between 13 and 23 years (seol, 2020, page 7). therefore, globalization and technologicalization has influenced them since they came into contact with the world, shaping their conception of life. members of generation z are true "digital natives", being small accustomed to manipulating devices, ie smartphones and tablets. they had access to the internet, watched posts on youtube and are the first to grow up with social media. members of this generation reported to the computer as boomers reported to television (tapscott, 2011). compared to previous generations, the “z” generation, although it places great emphasis on autonomy and independence, prefers to be part of certain groups on social networks (snow, 2020). to find out information, search the internet, avoiding the help of other people. individuals of this generation are multitasking, using several devices at the same time, which leads to a decrease in their degree of concentration. generation z, as a whole, is defined “by technology, fluidity, openness to the new, a new cultural imprint (uniqueness, authenticity, creativity, recognition) and paradoxes. their profile is deeply divided between vanity and community spirit; however, they are inevitably linked to striking similarities” (seol, 2020, p.8). 103 with the help of technology, individuals are informed by wikipedia11 and google12, which represent their encyclopedias. facebook, the most used by millennials and generation x, is being replaced by instagram and snapchat. whatsapp replaces email, being more direct and faster, and youtube takes the place of traditional tv. communication has priority through social media, and must be short and incisive, able to stimulate curiosity starting from a visual image. the visual is a key element in the daily activity and the self-image is directly related to the number of followers. the members of this generation accept collaboration activities and personalized content within some projects. life for this generation takes place between reality and virtual, between online and offline. despite the advantages of technology, studies indicate that the morbid and excessive relationship with the internet has negative effects on their sense of happiness and contentment. the virtual world is accessible, through portable means, and with a click the connection with friends can take place. the biggest fear is related to disconnection, which automatically means losing the ability to see the posts of others. the emergence of the "z" generation coincides with some characters who have marked history in one way or another, such as dolly the sheep, the first mammal successfully cloned from an adult cell, with michael joseph jackson jr., the first child of the late pop star michael jackson, but also with the mccaughey septuplets, the first known set in the world of surviving septuplets. for the representatives of this cohort, hong kong has always been under chinese rule, the lion king has been present on broadway, and harry potter is the star of the books read (white, 2017). 11 wikipedia is an online encyclopedia with free access, according to information from https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/wikipedia:despre_wikipedia 12 google is the most used search engine in the world according to the study presented by shaw (2020) 104 moreover, technology is a normality, ambition a virtue from a strategic point of view, passion a motivating factor, and religious interest is very low. according to white (2017), generation z is defined by five important factors as follows: (1) marked by recession growth in a post-9/11 world; (2) wi-fi enabled; (3) multiracial; (4) sexual fluid; and (5) post-christian. according to the study conducted by francis and hoefel (2018), members of generation z are interested in the truth and want to follow, as motivation, stories based on real facts. this explains why they appreciate influencers, youtubers and instagram stories. they are confident in their potential and i know that only through work can they succeed. generation z children were born in a time of economic and financial crisis and are therefore accustomed to a fast and unstable world. representatives of this generation are creative, and social media applications such as tiktok, instagram, youtube are incorporated into daily life. regular discussions address issues such as gun protection, immigration, fair and equal treatment of minorities. there is a special interest in personal branding and openness to posting privacy issues online. generation z is interested in physical health, but also sensitive to environmental issues, such as global warming and ecology. it also promotes projects to improve civil society and citizens' rights. with the help of technology, representatives of this generation believe that they can transform the way people work and live in the 21st century (hackl, 2020). next, we will present the main characteristics of generation z (figure no. 3) in order to better understand the particularities of the individuals in this cohort. looking at the specific characteristics, we find that each generation, beyond those normal differences, has contributed to the development of society from one point of view. 105 4. generation z and internet connection the analysis presented by the international agency we are social (kemp, 2020, figure no. 4) in october 2020 indicates useful data for understanding the general context. out of the total population of 7.81 billion inhabitants, 5.20 billion have a personal mobile phone, 4.6 billion have internet access, and 4.14 billion have an account on a social network. therefore, the data show that over half of the world's population uses a mobile phone. available information, fast communication, videos and many other opportunities have also contributed to the increase in the number of those connected to the internet. the new technological paradigm has also influenced the interest in social networks. communicating with friends, posting favorite images and receiving information quickly they have accelerated the process of involvement in the virtual world. the study shows that technology continues to play an increasingly important role in various aspects of daily life. based on the results, the following trends are highlighted, such as the fact that the use of social networks has increased by over 12% in the last 12 months, ie over 450 million people spent time in front of modern devices, but also the fact that the number of users on instagram is there is also a tendency to use technology in many areas of activity, and marketers face many challenges (kemp, 2020). therefore, based on the analysis, there is an average of over 14 people who started using social networks every second, which means a double percentage of the study published in early 2020. compared to the data from 2019, in terms of the digital world, kemp shows that the percentages are increasing in each area, namely: mobile phone use, internet access and connection to social networks (figure no. 5). thus, it is found that more than two thirds of the world now use a mobile phone, ie about 67%, while almost 60% of the population now uses the internet. if a few months ago, the penetration of social networks exceeded the value 106 of 50 %, according to the latest data, it has increased to almost 53%. more than 9 out of 10 internet users worldwide connect via mobile devices, and two-thirds also connect via computers. when it comes to accessing social networks, users clearly prefer mobile devices. according to research conducted by the international agency we are social (kemp, 2020), the time spent every day on the internet is 6 hours and 55 minutes, and the time on social networks is 2 hours and 29 minutes (figure no. 6). the trend is growing whether we refer to internet access, social networks or activity on online games. 5. generation z and social networks social networks have changed people's lifestyles. today they are a constantly evolving environment that contributes to the interaction between individuals. communication in various fields is directly related to technological means. every year the number of users is increasing, and the young generation is interested in daily access. social media includes any digital technology in which users connect with other users. in general, the opportunity to comment or change the content of information is a hallmark of social media (greenhow, 2017). the virtual environment is challenging because there is the possibility of uncensored expression, socializing and making new friends. in recent years, the number of people using at least one of the channels of online communication, social interaction and the propagation or search for easily accessible information (facebook, twiter, linkedin, instagram, etc.) has increased worldwide. therefore, the phenomenon of social media use takes into account the young generation, which is the most active age group on social networks. the technological revolution has influenced social rules, and information can be transmitted much faster, is accessible in 107 different parts of the world and there is the possibility of permanent updating (cismaru, 2012). according to the study conducted by kemp (2020), there are over 4 billion active users on social networks, and interest and accessibility are constantly growing (figure no.7). most people connect to the virtual environment via their mobile phone. this explains the fact that every year the number of users is higher. interest in online interactions has grown, even among adults. time spent on social networks varies by country. thus, filipinos are still the most "social" people in the world, the average internet user aged 16 to 64 spending almost 4 hours a day on social platforms. however, it is a very different picture at the other end of the scale, with internet users in japan spending an average of only 45 minutes a day on social media. international research (von abrams, 2020) indicates that romanians spend an average of seven hours a day in front of a computer, laptop or phone. interestingly, during the pandemic, there was a decrease of 20 minutes compared to last. regarding the use of smartphones, the time is about 3 and a half hours, 15 minutes less than last year. according to the study, romanians spend about 2 hours and 20 minutes every day on social networks. the increase in the number of users on social networks is directly related to the development of the internet worldwide (figure no. 8). in first place is asia (51.8%), where more than half of the population has access to an internet network, then in second place europe, but with a much lower percentage 14, 8%. the last place is occupied by oceania and australia which together have only 0, 6% of the total population. despite the various challenges of the last few years, the social network facebook is still in the top of popularity when it comes to socializing (figure no.9). trends in the number of users reported in the company's earnings announcements are related to the fact that the number of 2.5 billion (iqbal, 2020) active users has already been exceeded. 108 facebook is the largest social network in the world, originally created by mark zuckenberg as an online version of the harvard university yearbook. the name facebook comes from the words face and book, because in the yearbooks of american colleges appear photos of all students. currently this social network remains the ideal platform both to promote events, products or programs and to monitor the reactions of followers. facebook remains a global tool for interaction, useful and with “the largest entity on the internet in history” (schaefer, 2016, p. 204). however, for various reasons, marketers cannot reach all of these users using facebook advertising, and the platform's selfservice advertising tools indicate that facebook's total target audience now stands at $ 1.95 billion, or about 80 billion. percent of the total maus (figure no. 10). 6. presentation of generations from the perspective of strengths and weaknesses according to specific characteristics in the analysis presented by getsmarter13 in 2020, each generation has certain strengths, but also some weaknesses. therefore, individuals, regardless of age, must maximize the benefits of each category. communication and collaboration are important factors for activities together by young people and adults. below are the characteristics of each generation in terms of strengths and vulnerabilities. . the baby boomers generation at strong points reminds the availability for work, teamwork and the ability to be excellent mentors for the young generation. the weaknesses reveal the lack of availability for change, everything being judged from the perspective of discipline and a rigid program. competitiveness 13 getsmarter, a 2u, inc. brand, is an online learning expert with over 10 years of experience in developing high quality online short courses at the world's top universities. 109 stimulates them, motivation is maintained by gaining rewards, and in terms of technology they are not so familiar (harber, 2011). generation x is the category of professionals who, in addition to fulfilling their responsibilities at work, manage to take time for their family. then, individuals get a very high income needed to live a balanced life. if the boomer motto is "live to work!”, those of this generation choose as a motto: "work to live!" (brinckerhoff). the weak points are the most obvious attitude of satisfaction towards superiors and therefore the tendency not to react to the defect’s management of the leaders of an organization. he prefers to get things done quickly and avoids spending extra time getting the job done to the highest standards. third, millennials (generation y) are considered the most self-employed, being concerned with the ethics and social responsibility of the organization. they are accustomed to looking for the desired information and conceiving their own perspectives, avoiding the acceptance of an already established plan (brett, 2017). at the weak points, being independent as a structure, they are not interested in teamwork, they do not have a well-developed work ethic. it is the generation that is very impatient and interested in organizations that offer them the opportunity to grow hierarchically. generation z is very competent in the field of technology, able to adopt new discoveries and ambitious from a professional perspective. those of this generation are natural entrepreneurs and able to be involved in several activities at the same time. at the weak points we mention the total dependence on technology, the cynicism in everyday life and the realism that destroys the idealistic perspective (harber, 2011). 110 7. reporting to technology of each generation during the pandemic in april 2020, visual capitalist14 presented the results of a study conducted by the research company global web index (jones, 2020). the topic of the research focused on how, during the pandemic, individuals from different generational cohorts related to technology. people had to change their schedule, and many of the usual activities of a day could not be done. the time spent online has increased, and every age group has had to resort to modern devices. it is interesting that adults, with life experience on their side, have managed to adapt more easily to the new conditions caused by the pandemic compared to other generations (jones, 2020). according to statistics, we find that each generation was creative, adapted and used technological means. older people were more susceptible to complications from the virus, and younger people were more concerned that someone in the family might get sick (kendra, 2020). according to these perspectives, the interest in certain areas and the passage of time were different depending on the age of the individuals. the graphics are quite suggestive and clearly indicate what the orientation of each generation was. generation "z", more than the other categories, spent most of their time in the virtual environment. watching videos and tv shows with the help of the internet, but also online games were the favorite activities (figure no. 14). also, music was listened to and the online press was read. communication on social networks was part of the daily program, even if through social media there 14 visual capitalist is one of the fastest growing online publishers globally, focusing on topics such as markets, technology, energy and the global economy. 111 was a danger that the psychological state of individuals would suffer (liua, liub, hongfei, osburg, 2021). part of the time was used for reading, but also listening to audio materials. there was no lack of reading the written press to know the events around the world. in addition to other activities, the study indicates an interest in live events. looking at the results of the study, we better understand why among the ten important directions that shape the generation "z" (twenge, 2020), we find "no hurry" (continuation of childhood in adolescence), "internet" or "inclusion" (acceptance, equality and debates on freedom of expression). potrivit studiilor realizate, interesele au variat în funcție de vârsta indivizilor (figura nr.15). pandemia a adus multe schimbări, iar membrii familiei au stat mult timp împreună, în comparație cu alte perioade. cu toate acestea, activitățile online și nu numai, nu s-au suprapus, căci fiecare generația și-a prioritizat programul în funcție de propriul stil de viață. according to the data from the study, during the pandemic, generation z compared to other generations, watched more videos on the internet, was more active in online games, listened to more music and spent more time than usually on tv. the books were not of interest to young people during the pandemic. 8. conclusions the research reveals the differences between generations and their way of relating to life. the development of technology in the last decade has influenced individuals of every generation. age groups have their own specifics, but the major impact of the online environment is related to generation z. internet connection, fast communication and interest in multitasking are specific elements for the current generation. interactions in the virtual environment are an intrinsic part of everyday life. thus, campaigns to protect the environment and 112 help the sick are promoted more easily. also, even political parties present their doctrine online to prepare the new generation of voters. in the context of the pandemic, the representatives of generation z spent more time in front of the computer, and internet access was an alternative for school classes, but also for leisure. each generation related differently to technology during the isolation period. for example, studies show that boomers were most interested in tv shows, and z-ists were interested in watching videos or series, online games, and listening to music. the daily program was related to the active involvement in the virtual world in the context generated by the appearance of the covid -19 virus. with all the benefits of accessing the internet, spending a long time can negatively affect your values, habits and ultimately your lifestyle. through information campaigns, appropriate laws and collaboration between educational factors, the skills needed for young 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(2018) are we baby boomers, gen x and gen y? a qualitative inquiry into generation cohorts in malaysia, kasetsart journal of social sciences, volume 39, 109-115. twenge, jean m. (2020). internet generation, baroque books and arts publishing house, bucharest. valkenburg, m., piotrowski, j.t. (2018). digital generation and media addiction, niculescu publishing house, bucharest. venkatraman, s. (2017). social media in south india, ucl press, london. vincent, j. a. (2005). understanding generations: political economy and culture in an aging society, the british journal of sociology 56 (4): 579–599. von abrams, k. (2020). global media intelligence 2020: romania, october 15, 2020, https://www.emarketer.com/content/global-mediaintelligence-2020-romania, november 29, 2020; walgrove, a. (2015). how millennials, gen xers and boomers consume content differently. the content strategist, https://contently.com/ strategist / 2015/05/19 / infographichow-millennials-gen-xers-andboomers-consume-contentdifferently. vavre, a. (2015). 6 tips to increase your email marketing roi. movableink. http://www.skyword.com/contentstandard/enterprisemarketing/6-tips-to-increase-your-email-marketing-roi. walter, e., gioglio, j. (2014). the power of visual storytelling, mcgraw-hill education publishing, new york. white, j. e. (2017). meet generation z, baker books publishing, michigan. 119 wolf, k. h. (1993). from karl mannheim, routledge taylor and francis group. special internet resources dimock, m. (2019). https://www.pewresearch.org/facttank/2019/01/17/where-millennials-end-and-generation-zbegins, november 2, 2020 getsmarter, (2020). https://www.getsmarter.com/blog/careeradvice/know-your-generationals/, january 24, 2021 northeast now, guwahati (2020). https://nenow.in/topnews/whatsapp-is-the-most-used-teaching-medium-amidlockdown-survey.html, december 1, 2020 internet users distribution in the world 2020, https://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm, february 3, 2021; we are social, october 2020, https://wearesocial.com/digital2020, february 5, 2021; 120 tables, figures and appendices generation strengths weaknesses baby boomers desire to work interest in teamwork ability to mentor reduced availability for change spirit of competition the need for rewards distance from technology x desire for performance time spent with family material resources balanced life attitude of gratitude towards superiors quick completion of activities superficiality y spirit of independence concern for ethics and social responsibility in the organization creativity team work work ethic impatience z competence in the field of technology implementation of new discoveries interest in development natural entrepreneurs multitasking dependence on technology cynicism realism that destroys the idealistic perspective table no.1 presentation of the characteristics of each generation from the perspective of strengths and weaknesses source: getsmarter, 2020 121 figure no. 1. defining the generations according to the chronology of the years of birth in the period 1946 -1996 source: dimock, michael, 2019 figure no.2 the division by generations based on a symbol specific to that period; source: getsmarter, 2020 generat ion z 1995 2012 generat ion y 1981 1995 genera tion x 1965 1980 boom ers 19461964 122 figure no. 3 presentation of the main features of generation z source: forbes, future workplace . figure no. 4 digital activity globally in october, 2020; source: digital 2020, global digital yearbook, hootsuite 1.socialization 2. multitasking 3. entrepreneurship 6. digital natives 5. philanthropy 4.education 7. interaction 8. technological ability 9. low attention 10.temperance digital around the world in octomber 2020 unique mobile phone users 5,20 billion active social media users 4,14 billion internet users 4,66 billion total population 7, 81 billion 123 figure no.5 digital activity is growing globally according to comparative data october 2019 versus october 2020 source: digital 2020, global digital yearbook, hootsuite figure no.6 time spent in front of the screens of those between 16 and 64 years old; source: digital 2020, global digital yearbook, hootsuite • active social media users • internet users • unique mobile users • total population + 1,0 % (+ 81 mil.) + 2,0 % (+ 102 mil.)+ 12,3 % (+ 321 mil.) + 7,4 % (+ 321 mil.) using the internet 6 h 55 m using social media 2 h 29 m watching television 3 h 29 m listening the music streaming services 1 h 34 m using the games console 1 h 14 m 124 figure no. 7 use of social networks globally; source: digital 2020, global digital yearbook, hootsuite figure no. 8 internet users on all continents in 2020 source: internet world stats 2021 total number of active social media users 4, 14 billion anual grown + 12, 4 % (+ 453 million) percentage of total social media users 99 % total number of social media users 4, 08 billion social media penetration (users vs total population) 53 % 51,8% 14,8% 12,8% 9,5% 6,8% 3,7% 0,6% worldwide internet users asia europe africa latin america/caribbean north america 125 figure no. 9 the most used social networks worldwide (monthly / million) ; source: digital 2020, global digital yearbook, hootsuite figure no. 10 general presentation of the audience on facebook; source: digital 2020, global digital yearbook, hootsuite 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 number of people that facebook reports can be reached with adverts on facebook 1, 95 billion share of population aged 13+ that marketers can reach with adverts can facebook 32 % percentage of its ad audience that facebook reports is male 56% quarter on quarter change in facebook "s advertising reach + 1 % percentage of its ad audience that facebook reports is female 44% 126 figure no.12 media consumption in the covid era -19 by generation z source: visual capitalist, global web index, coronavirus research report april, 2020 journal of educational studies volume 5, number 1, 2023, pp. 5–44 5 assessing the impacts of paucity of field engagements in geoscience education: a case study of public universities in anambra state, nigeria izuchukwu josephmartin korie1, glory ebube nwafor2, chukwuebuka odinaka emeh3, tochukwu emmanuel onyebum4, godstime okeoma okereafor5 abstract field studies have long been recognized as effective in geoscience education, demonstrating successful and proficient learning outcomes. therefore, the significance of field engagement in geoscientific education cannot be overstated. however, its lack, due to insecurity and lack of funds, has led to several effects on the students and the quality of geoscience education. one of these impacts is the diminishing interest of students in geoscience education. hence, this study aims to investigate the relationship between the lack of field engagements and students' declining interest in the geoscience education system in public universities in anambra state, nigeria. additionally, it seeks to identify other negative consequences of the scarcity of field engagements on students and the overall quality of geoscience education in the study area. geoscience students enrolled in public universities in the study area serve as the primary case studies. data was collected using a questionnaire and analyzed through ordinal regression analysis to examine the correlation between declining interest in geoscience education and the limited availability of field engagement 1izuchukwu josephmartin korie, nnamdi azikiwe university awka, nigeria, martinsjoseph675@gmail.com; 2glory ebube nwafor, nnamdi azikiwe university awka, nigeria; 3chukwuebuka odinaka emeh, phd, nnamdi azikiwe university awka, nigeria; 4tochukwu emmanuel onyebum, nnamdi azikiwe university awka, nigeria; 5godstime okeoma okereafor, federal university of technology owerri, nigeria. 6 opportunities. the study's hypotheses suggest that the lack of field engagement significantly contributes to students' diminishing interest in geoscience education. the findings reveal insufficient funding, security concerns, and excessive student admissions as major factors hindering adequate field studies for geoscience students. as a recommendation, the study proposes the integration of practical field engagements into the geoscience education curriculum. it also advocates for collaborative partnerships between academia, industries, and non-governmental organizations (ngos) to secure student funding and internship opportunities. including dual internship terms in the geoscience department during the second and third years is suggested to sustain students' interest and enthusiasm in the geoscience education system. implementing these recommendations can positively impact students' interest, enthusiasm, and overall learning outcomes in geoscience education. keywords geoscience, quality education, field engagement, anambra state, paucity. introduction field engagement includes field trips and fieldwork, an outdoor group visit to a place of special interest (education, research, or exploration) for direct understanding, firsthand observation, and experience at such a noteworthy site (donaldson, fore, filippelli, & hess, 2020). the utilization of field engagements in teaching and learning realizes successful and proficient geoscience learning (donaldson et al. 2020). it ensures that teachers and learners meet their obligations by guaranteeing its use to encourage learning valuable concepts and enable students to make abstract thoughts more concrete (sitali-mubanga, lukonga, & denuga, 2018). furthermore, sodipo (2014) opined that students' exposure to field engagements fosters team spirit, which is crucial for a successful field investigation. however, some limitations have resulted in a declining rate of students' exposure to field engagements due to inadequate funding of university systems and insecurity (ezeani, 2018). 7 consequently, these limitations have led to the paucity or lack of field engagements in geoscience education, especially in public universities in nigeria, resulting in a high rate of graduate um-employments, declining interest in geoscience education, inability to appreciate geologic structures in textbooks and classroom, and inability to recall theory-based concepts after examinations (ogbonna & ezeji, 2020). this study investigates the association between the lack of field engagement and the decline in students’ interest in geoscience education within public universities in anambra state, nigeria. the research aims to determine whether the lack of field engagement contributes to the declining interest among students in geoscience education. furthermore, the study sampled students’ opinions in the study area. finally, it conducted statistical analysis to prove or disprove the assumptions and identified other impacts of the lack of field engagements in the study area. this study aligns with experiential and situated learning theories, emphasizing the importance of hands-on experiences and authentic contexts in the learning process. experiential learning theory, proposed by david kolb, posits that learning occurs through a cycle of concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation (kolb, 1984). field engagements provide students with concrete experiences in real-world geoscience settings, allowing them to actively engage with the subject matter and make meaningful connections. this experiential learning process helps students develop a deeper understanding of geoscience concepts and fosters the application of knowledge in practical contexts. situated learning theory, developed by jean lave and etienne wenger, emphasizes the importance of learning in authentic social and cultural contexts (lave & wenger, 1991). field engagements provide students with opportunities to engage in situated learning, where they participate in geoscience activities alongside experts and peers, thereby immersing 8 themselves in the professional practices and discourse of the discipline. by being situated in real-world geoscience environments, students develop a sense of belonging and identity as geoscientists, and their learning becomes more meaningful and applicable to real-world challenges. review of literature recently, the impacts of the paucity of field engagements have been voiced around nigerian universities; hence, there are many studies on the relevance and impacts of the paucity of field engagements in nigeria (edinyang et al., 2015b; emeke & ezeokoli, 2018; ezeani, 2018a; ezeani, 2018b; ogunode et al., 2021; sodipo, 2014). however, few are in the public universities in anambra state. in nigeria, there have been many reports that most science graduates fail to meet the expectations of employers in earth science-related industries because they cannot be readily mobilized for fieldwork (ezeani, 2018; ogunode et al., 2021). due to the country’s economic challenges, many companies do not have the financial capacity for intensive field training of entry-level graduates. for this reason, most science graduates from public universities in nigeria are regarded as unemployable (ezeani, 2018; noor, 2011). this misfortune is often attributed to the poor funding of public universities, lack of quality lecturers, reduced interest in education, and corruption in tertiary institutions (ezeani, 2018b; ogunode et al., 2021). while the problems mentioned above contribute to the degrading quality of sciences graduates from most public universities in nigeria, the lack or inadequate exposure to field engagements has been assumed to be the primary reason for the un-employability of geoscience graduates in particular (sodipo, 2014). this is because geology, as a branch of science, uses the field as its laboratory. most theoretical-based studies in geoscience, such as geologic structures and landforms, which are taught in class in their 9 abstract form, may not be clearly understood if the students are not exposed to field observations. therefore, it may be practically impossible to acquire the required industrial skills through theoretical studies alone. talking more about the impacts of a lack of field investigations, edinyang et al. (2015) observed that most graduates, though with excellent grades and good theoretical backgrounds, could not carry out basic site investigations in the field. the graduates’ inability to carry out basic site investigations was attributed to inadequate field engagement during their undergraduate studies. this observation made by edinyang et al. (2015) is a serious issue bedeviling most recent graduates in nigeria. while it has been generally assumed that the un-employability of the geoscience graduate could be attributed to the lack of or inadequate exposure to field engagements, there have been only a few works to back up this assumption. for this reason, it becomes imperative to sample the opinions of the people (postgraduates, recent graduates, and undergraduates) that are directly involved in geosciences. this will help to ascertain the factual cause and implications of inadequate field engagement in geoscience education in nigerian public universities. furthermore, the derived knowledge from the study will help the targeted audiences and the country at large to realize the implications of the lack of field engagements in the geoscience system of education. methodology the ordinal qualitative statistical analysis, which involves ranking responses, was employed to analyze the responses obtained from the participants. this approach allowed for examining the relative order and magnitude of the responses on the likert scale. additionally, nominal quantitative statistical analysis, which entails naming or classifying responses, was 10 utilized during the data analysis. this allowed for categorizing and identifying distinct response patterns within the data set. a comprehensive understanding of the participants’ perspectives and trends in their responses was achieved by employing ordinal and nominal analyses. objectives to investigate the impacts of paucity of field engagements in geoscience education, this study will carry out the following objectives: 1. investigate if the lack of field engagement contributes to the declining interests of students in the geoscience education system in the study area. 2. examine other consequences of the impacts of lack of field engagement on students and in the geoscience system of education in the study area. 3. evaluate the rate of geoscience students’ participation in field engagements. 4. evaluate the rate at which students appreciate scales of geologic structures without actually seeing them on the field. 5. investigate geoscience students’ ability to recall theorybased topics. 6. investigate students’ perception of the possible causes of lack of field engagement and how to reduce the effects. 7. discuss possible solutions to the lack of field engagements. data analysis and hypothesis the collected data were subjected to an in-depth analysis using ordinal regression analysis to examine the relationship between the dependent variable – participants’ declining interest in geoscience education amidst the scarcity of field 11 engagement opportunities. in addition, this analysis aimed to determine if a significant association existed between the dependent and independent variables. the analysis in this study focused on the participants’ interest in geoscience education in relation to the lack of field engagements in the study area. the participants’ responses were used as the dependent variable and measured using a fivepoint likert scale. the numerical values assigned to the responses were as follows: strongly agree (5), agree (4), neutral (3), disagree (2), and strongly disagree (1). this value assignment facilitated the statistical analysis of the collected data, ensuring ease of interpretation and analysis. the analysis in this study included several independent variables and their corresponding numerical ratings/values. these variables consisted of the participants' academic level (postgraduate, 400 level, 300 level, and 200 level), their ability to appreciate scales of geologic structures (rated as excellently appreciated (5), well appreciated (4), fairly appreciated (3), poorly appreciated (2), and none appreciated (1)), and the number of field exposures they had experienced (rated as 4 and above (5), 3 (4), 2 (3), 1 (2), and not even once (1)). these independent variables were selected assuming they could potentially influence the participants’ interest in geoscience education in the context of the limited field engagement in the study area. after eliminating missing values and irrelevant columns, the data were prepared in ms excel. the transformed data, cate gorized as ordinal and nominal variables, were imported into ibm spss software (version 28). to examine the significance of the relationship between the participants’ interest in geosci ence education and the lack of field engagement, an ordinal regression analysis was performed with the following test hy potheses: 12 a) null hypothesis (h0): lack of field engagement does not significantly contribute to the declining rate of students’ interest in geoscience education in the study area. b) alternative hypothesis (ha): lack of field engagement significantly contributes to the declining rate of students’ interest in geoscience education in public universities in the study area. a significance level of 0.05 was used for the statistical analysis, and the relationship between the dependent and independent variables was assessed using the goodness of fit (chisquare) test. ibm spss version 28, a widely recognized software package for statistical analysis, was utilized for these analyses. furthermore, descriptive statistics were employed to provide summary statistics of the data. measures such as the total, mean, standard deviation, minimum, and maximum were computed to summarize the data distribution. excel spreadsheets presented the results in clear and visually appealing tables and charts. notably, the current study shares similarities with the research conducted by regina et al. (2021), which investigated the factors influencing students’ academic performance at njala university, sierra leone. their study also employed a significance level of 0.05 and identified study time as one of the factors affecting students' performance. research questions this study aimed to answer the following questions: 1. how well are geoscience students exposed to field engagements? 2. are students still interested in the geoscience education system amidst insufficient field exposure? 3. is lack of adequate funding and insecurity among the significant causes of lack of field engagements? 13 4. is there a need for curriculum adjustment to accommodate multiple internships before graduation to encourage industry and field experience? 5. can virtual field engagement substitute physical field engagements? 6. what can be the available solutions to reduce the impacts? methods the target population for this research comprised geoscience students, including postgraduates, and those in the 400 level, 300 level, and 200 level of their programs, enrolled in the two public universities within the study area. through a random sampling technique, a total of 251 responses were obtained from the participants, ensuring a diverse representation across academic levels. a structured, closed-ended questionnaire (table 7) was administered to collect responses from the participants, which were measured using likert scales to assess their level of agreement. first-year students were excluded from participating in this investigation because it was assumed they had inadequate or insignificant knowledge about the field of study; hence, it could introduce bias to the derived information. the research questions in the questionnaire were divided into three sections to get the participants’ responses on the impacts, causes, and how to curb the effects of the paucity of field engagements in the study area. the responses collected were categorized on a five-point likert-scale formula: strongly agree (sa), agree (a), strongly disagree (sd), and disagree (d). however, some of the questions required a response of either yes, no, or maybe. the questionnaires, in the form of google forms, were distributed by whatsapp group chat links sourced from the departmental presidents and course representatives of the concerned universities. 14 tools this study was targeted at the universities within the study area of the authors, and samples were distributed in other to get a wide range of people that are directly involved in geosciences, such as undergraduate students (400l, 300l, and 200l), postgraduates of the two public universities in anambra state, nigeria. questionnaire: the questionnaire comprised 11 questions designed to get the students’ opinions concerning the problem in a google form format. microsoft excel: ms excel software was used to analyze the data generated from the students’ responses. spss software: the ibm spss version 28 was employed to conduct advanced statistical analyses and generate meaningful insights from the collected data. study area the study area is located in anambra state, in southeastern nigeria. this area has a population of about 5,527,809 (national bureau of statistics, 2016), distributed in numerous towns and villages. there are various primary and secondary institutions estimated to be 1,292 (world data atlas, 2021). in addition, there are about 29 tertiary institutions in the state, only two of which are public universities. one of these public universities is owned by the federal government, while the state government owns the other. the relatively high volume of educational institutions resulted in a high literacy rate within the state, estimated by the national literacy survey 2010 body to be 75.1%. in addition, females contributed 68.8% to the literacy rate, while males contributed 78.9% (national literacy survey, 2010). 15 results and discussion this section provides comprehensive interpretations and discussions of the study’s findings. the results are presented and discussed under two main categories: inferential observations and descriptive observations. the inferential observations focus on the outcomes of the ordinal regression analysis, while the descriptive observations utilize summary statistics to explore the various effects of the lack of field exposure on the participants, as indicated by their responses. to ensure a comprehensive interpretation of the observed responses, the descriptive observations are further divided into the following subsections: participants' details, impacts of the paucity of field engagements on participants in the study area, potential causes of the scarcity of field engagements in the study area, and possible strategies to address this declining trend. organizing the descriptive observations into these subsections enabled a holistic understanding of the participants’ experiences and the wider implications of the lack of field engagement. inferential observations this subsection presents the inferential observation, which entails interpreting and discussing the results obtained through the ordinal regression analysis. the primary objective of this analysis was to ascertain if there exists a significant relationship between the declining interest of participants in geoscience education and the limited availability of field engagement opportunities. by examining the relationship between the dependent and independent variables, valuable insights were gained regarding the influence of inadequate field engagements on the participants’ interests in geoscience education. the subsequent sections provide a thorough exploration of the findings and their profound implications, providing statistical evidence and interpretations to support the research hypotheses and shed light on the relationship between participants’ 16 declining interest in geoscience education and the lack of field engagements. ordinal regression analysis results and discussions table 1 presents the case processing summary of the ordinal regression analysis, providing a comprehensive overview of the individual contributions of the dependent and independent variables. the statistical significance of the model was assessed using the test result presented in table 2. at a significance level of 5%, the analysis revealed a lower significant chi-square statistic (p = .000), indicating that the final model significantly fits the baseline or intercept-only model. the inclusion of independent variables such as participants’ level, frequency of field engagement, and appreciation of geologic scales has proven to be instrumental in enhancing the baseline model. table 3 displays the results of the chi-square test of goodness of fit, which examined the relationship between the categorical independent variables and the categorical ordinal dependent variable. the null hypothesis of this test assumes no relationship between the two categorical variables, indicating that knowledge of one variable does not aid in predicting the value of the other variable. conversely, the alternative hypothesis suggests a dependence between the variables, meaning that knowledge of one variable contributes to predicting the value of the other variable. based on the output presented in table 3, the p-value for the pearson chi-square test is 0.977 (p>0.05). this indicates that the null hypothesis is rejected in favor of the alternative hypothesis for the two categorical variables. thus, significant relationships exist between the dependent variable and each of the categorical independent variables considered in the ordinal regression analysis. the pseudo-r-square, as shown in table 4, provides insight into the amount of variance explained by the independent variable. nagelkerke’s pseudo-r2 statistics were employed to 17 estimate the variance explained by the independent variables in the ordinal logistic regression model. the pseudo-r-square values (nagelkerke = 0.134 = 13%) presented in table 4 indicate that the ordinal logistic regression model, along with its independent variables, accounts for a relatively small proportion of the variation observed between the independent and dependent variables. this suggests that including additional independent variables is necessary to enhance the comprehensiveness of the analysis. therefore, future studies should consider incorporating a more comprehensive set of independent variables to further investigate the case study. table 5 presents the parameter estimates and their significance, providing insights into the impact of each independent variable on the dependent variable. the p-value, when below 0.05 (p < 0.05), leads to the rejection of the null hypothesis in favor of the alternative hypothesis. the null hypothesis assumes no contribution of each independent variable to the dependent variable, while the alternative hypothesis contradicts this assumption. table 5 shows that the levels of the participants exhibit a significant value of 0.03, falling below the 0.05 threshold. consequently, we accept the null hypothesis, leading us to conclude that the levels of the participants (postgraduates, 400 level, 300 level, and 200 level) do not significantly contribute to the declining interest in geoscience education among participants (table 5). on the contrary, the null hypothesis is rejected when evaluating the second independent variable, appreciated_scales, in relation to the dependent variable. appreciated_scales represent the extent to which participants appreciate scales of geologic structures without real-life experiences. the ordinal regression model estimates that participants who have a poor appreciation for scales of geologic structures in the classroom, indicated by appreciated_scales=2, have the highest positive estimate, suggesting a greater contribution to the declining 18 rate of interest in geoscience education compared to other response categories (table 5). with a significant value of 0.181, which exceeds the threshold of 0.05, the null hypothesis is rejected in favor of the alternative hypothesis. thus, the conclusion is that the participants' inability to appreciate scales of geologic structures in the classroom and through textbooks, without actual field experience, contributes to the declining interest rate in geoscience education among the participants. furthermore, table 5 illustrates that according to the regression model estimates, the category of participants who have not engaged in fieldwork even once (times_of_field_engagement=1) demonstrates the lowest contribution to the decline in participants' interest in geoscience education. this suggests that the not even once category has the least impact on participants’ declining interest compared to other response categories. it is important to note that the observed percentage of responses for this category is relatively low (3.8%), as shown in table 1 and could be the results of the observed outcome. however, it is significant to highlight that the p-values for all categories exceed the 0.05 threshold. these findings provide statistical evidence to reject the null hypothesis, accept the alternative hypothesis, and conclude that a lower number of field engagements significantly contributes to the decline in participants’ interest in geoscience education. in other words, as the amount of field engagement decreases, there is a corresponding increase in the drop in students’ interest in geoscience education. table 6 is the result of the test of parallel lines, which evaluates whether this assumption holds or not. it does so by examining the significance of the p-value associated with the test. if the p-value is greater than the chosen level of significance, alpha (α=0.05), it suggests that the assumption of parallel lines is valid and the relationship between the independent variables and the outcome is consistent across the categories. hence, we 19 fail to reject the null hypothesis. on the other hand, if the pvalue is less than alpha, it indicates a violation of the parallel lines’ assumption, implying that the effect of the independent variables varies across the categories of the dependent variable giving support to the alternative hypothesis. based on the findings from the test of parallel lines in the ordinal regression analysis, the obtained p-value of 0.002 indicates statistical significance at a predetermined significance level of 0.05 (table 6). consequently, we reject the null hypothesis and provide evidence to support the notion that the paucity of field engagement significantly contributes to the declining rate of students’ interest in geoscience education in public universities in anambra state, nigeria. these results suggest that students who have limited exposure to field engagements in geoscience education are more prone to experiencing a decrease in their interest in the subject. the practical experience gained through field engagement plays a pivotal role in sustaining students’ enthusiasm and interest in geoscience education. the outcomes underscore the importance of integrating field engagement opportunities into the geoscience education curriculum of public universities in anambra state, nigeria. by providing students with hands-on experiences in the field, educational institutions can potentially enhance students’ interest, engagement, and overall learning outcomes in geoscience education. it is crucial to acknowledge that the statistically significant result establishes a relationship between the lack of field engagement and the decline in interest in geoscience education. nonetheless, further research and investigation are recommended to explore additional factors that may influence students' interest and to develop comprehensive strategies for effectively addressing this issue. 20 descriptive observations in this subsection delves into the descriptive observations derived from the participants’ responses, which shed light on the multifaceted impacts of the paucity of field engagements on geoscience students. through the use of summary statistics, charts, and tables, we explore the broader effects and implications of the lack of field exposure on their educational experiences and overall interest in geoscience education. participants' details the data reveals that out of 251 total numbers of participants, 55% are from nnamdi azikiwe university (nau), whereas 45% are from chukwuemeka odumegwu ojukwu university (coou) (fig. 1). postgraduate and 400-level students comprise of 18% each of the total respondents, whereas 300 level and 200 level students comprise of 39% and 29% (fig. 2), respectively. the respondents’ ages range between 16–30, with a mean range of about 21 years (table 8a and 8b). this implies that all the participants are adults since none was below the age of 16 years, which is regarded as the minimum age of adulthood (sawyer et al., 2018). impacts of the paucity of field engagements on students from the results of the analysis, figure 3 shows that 54%, 62%, 59%, and 45 % of the postgraduate, 400-level, 300level, and 200-level students, respectively, which is more than half of the sample population, strongly agreed that the paucity of field engagement is among the major reasons for the declining rate of students’ interest in geoscience. figure 3 also presents that out of the total responses, none of the postgraduate and 400-level students and 5% and 10% of the 300-level and 200-level students, respectively, strongly disagree that geoscience students are losing interest in geoscience education due to insufficient fieldwork. the disparity of results here might result from some hierarchical experiences, as the postgraduates 21 must have had more experiences in geoscience education relative to the 200 and 300 levels with probably little appreciation of the system. for this reason, despite the relatively small turnup of postgraduates, their answers are considered more relevant than that of the other classes of the participants. this result agrees with the observation of boyle et al. (2007), who observed that the insufficient provision of firsthand experiences through field engagements had been one of the major causes of the fast-declining rate of students’ interest in geoscience. the effects have also contributed to the declining rate of geoscience graduates’ employability (bassey & atan, 2012; noor, 2011), as they fail to possess the requisite employers’ expectations. in addition to the high un-employability rate of geoscience graduates, which is a socio-economic consequence of the lack of field engagements (eneji et al., 2013), lack of field engagements through insufficient hands-on experiences has also triggered personality deprivation among geoscience students in the study area. figure 4 reveals that 70% of postgraduate, 75% of 400-level, 75% of 300-level, and 47% of 200-level students, which constitutes more than half of the sample population, feel intimidated or discouraged among their colleagues who have more field experience than them. this result, compared to the 27% of postgraduates, 10% of 400 level, 8% of 300 level, and 15% of 200 level students that responded no, can agree with the observations of boyle et al. (2007), who lamented that self-humiliation and intimidation could result into generally loss of interests in their course of study. however, this result is contrary to the observations of (behrendt & franklin, 2014), who examined the importance of science field trips as educational tools to connect students to classroom concepts. the study also showed that even the postgraduate and the 400-level students, who are thought to have familiarized themselves with the system, feel intimidated by their colleagues. 22 this could possibly be a result of their inability to contend in terms of field experience with such colleagues who do more field work, hence, triggering its associated self-humiliation. this outcome is attributed to students’ inability to appreciate scales of geologic structures in classrooms, and textbooks, without real-life experiences. figure 5 reveals that 20% of postgraduate and 400-level students altogether do not appreciate scales of geologic structures without seeing them in real life. in contrast, a higher percentage of the postgraduates, 400level, 300-level, and 200-level, respectively, fairly appreciate scales of geologic structures without seeing them. from the result also, insufficient field experiences have deprived students of the sense of visualization, promoting fictional, non-concrete knowledge of geologic structures. and this has resulted in students’ inability to appreciate the scale of geologic structures – such as landforms, faults, etc., as described in textbooks and slides. of course, this result justifies geoscience as physical science and that field engagement, which is one of its strongholds, cannot be efficiently substituted for in geoscience education (cliffe, 2017; duncan, 2012). again, from the analysis of the responses, the low self-esteem among recent graduates could result from insufficient hands-on experiences from field activities. figure 6 shows that 25% of the postgraduates and 8% of 400-level students have not been to fieldwork more than three times, whereas 2% have not been to fieldwork even once. this effect might be one of the contributing factors to the declining rate of geoscience graduates’ employability (longe, 2018). the relatively higher percentages of not even once responses, from the undergraduate students, especially in the 300 and 200 levels (fig. 6), are discouraging about the employability rate of geoscience graduates in the nearest future as these students are going to be the future graduates. the relatively higher percentage of 4 times and above responses (22%) from postgraduate students compared to other 23 classes of participants in figure 6 is perhaps possible as it is expected that an average postgraduate should be equipped with field experiences. but on a contrary note, the relatively low percentage of 4 times and above from 400 and 300 levels is imbalanced. this is one of the reasons why students poorly appreciate the scale of geologic structures and, thus, feel intimidated amidst their colleagues who do more fieldwork. in addition to the difficulty of students appreciating the scale of geologic structures in the classroom, figure 7 presents that more than half of the respondents agree that lack of field engagement has also contributed to students’ inability to recall theory-based geoscience concepts and topics after the exam. figure 7 reveals that 60% of postgraduate and 400-level students each replied yes – that they find it difficult to recollect most theoretical concepts and topics even after writing the exams. in comparison, 15% and 10% of postgraduates and 400level students, respectively, replied no to the statement. in as much as the number of responses from postgraduates and 400level students is relatively smaller than the other classes of participants, their answers are considered to have more weight as it is believed that they must have had a better understanding of the system. in this effect, the percentages of that postgraduates and 400 level students that replied yes in figure 7 pinpoint that teaching the geoscience concepts without associated field experiences is making teaching and learning aimless since most of them are hardly recalled. this effect has contributed enormously to lowering the standards of geoscience education. the high percentage of yes responses from postgraduates indicates why students pass through the system without the system going through them (samuel et al., 2012). samuel et al. (2012) were worried about the recent reports of students not passing through the system of education, which hiked the unemployability rate among recent graduates. in other words, the highest percentage of yes responses (77%) from the 300 24 level class of participants shows that the system may continue to produce half-baked geoscience graduates who neither meet employers’ expectations nor have the requisite competencies to compete in the labor market. and such results steer low graduates' employability rates, as noor (2011) submitted. figure 8 reveals future perceptions of students on the current trend of geoscience in their schools. from the figure, 5%, 15%, 20%, and 20% of postgraduate, 400 level, 300 level, and 200 level respectively responded yes; that with the current trend of geoscience education, they will practice geoscience as their future career. figure 8 also reveals that 60%, 42%, 55%, and 38% of postgraduate, 400 level, 300 level, and 200 level students responded no. a similar percentage of 35%, 40%, 24%, and 42% of postgraduate, 400 level, 300 level, and 200 level students responded maybe to the research question. the trend of maybe and no responses from the analysis of the result shows that most students in the study area are not sure about practicing geoscience as their future career. this could probably result from being tagged unemployable in the labor market due to inadequate firsthand experience in the field. the decline of students’ interest in geoscience, as observed from the trend of the responses, could also as a result of students finding teaching and learning difficult without firsthand experience from field engagements. again, this loss of interest could arise from students’ inability to appreciate scales of geologic structure in textbooks and classrooms. these trends of responses agree with (samuel et al., 2012), who lamented the increasing rate of half-baked geoscience graduates who passed through the system without the system passing through them. possible causes of the paucity of field engagements in the study area it is doubtful that the causes of the paucity of field engagements in the geoscience system of education in the study area are deliberate, as no one would attempt to bridge such an experimental platform of geoscience education. recently, the 25 major reasons behind the paucity of field engagement in the study area are lack of funding in institutions and insecurity (ezeani, 2018; ogunode et al., 2021). it is factual that the field is the geoscience's laboratory and it is requisite for geoscience cognitive learning (petcovic et at., 2014). at times, places of special intrigue are usually far off the comfort zones and thus require many preparations in terms of mobility funding, renting of equipment, and accommodation. in such cases, many necessary arrangements must be set before going to the field. in the situation of insufficient funding, it becomes one of the major causes of the lack of field engagements, especially in public universities (ogunode et al., 2021). figure 9 shows that 68%, 50%, 60%, and 48% of postgraduate, 400-level, 300level, and 200-level students, respectively, strongly agreed that lack of funding and insecurity are the major causes of the paucity of field engagement in their universities. the trend of the responses here shows that more than half of the respondents have experienced the associated effects of lack of field engagement due to the inadequate security conditions in their various areas and inadequate funding needed for satisfactory field engagements. the higher percentage of strongly agree and agree responses relative to other classes of responses from participants in figure 9 suggests that poor funding and insecurity have contributed enormously to the deteriorating quality of geoscience education in the study area. this result is in line with the finding of ogunode et al. (2021), who disclosed that the lack of adequate funding and sponsorships from the government and other ngos for public universities is responsible for the deteriorating quality of the geoscience education system in public universities in nigeria. possible ways to curb the impacts of lack of field engagements seeing insufficient funds and insecurity as the major causes of the retrograde culture in the study area, this subsection 26 discusses the possible strategies to reduce its effects on the geoscience system of education. knowing a problem is the first step to solving it. to reduce the impacts of paucity of field engagements in the geoscience education, efforts must be made to generate funds for sufficient field engagements. in the lights of funds generation, geoscience departments should collaborate with international geoscience communities to attract grants needed for field studies. figure 10 reveals participants’ responses to this fund-raising idea. it reveals that 72%, 74%, 78%, and 68% of postgraduate, 400-level, 300level, and 200-level, respectively, strongly agree that geoscience departments should collaborate with international geoscience communities for fieldwork grants and sponsorships. also, 26%, 18%, 14%, and 18% of postgraduate, 400-level, 300-level, and 200-level, respectively, agree that geoscience departments should also source funds and grants from international geoscience communities. this collaboration can complement funds allocated for field activities by the departments, thereby improving the geoscience education of these universities. in addition, field trip grants can assist the departments’ internal revenue for educative and noteworthy field experiences, thereby improving the system of geoscience education. also, ogunode et al. (2021) suggested that contributions from ngos, alumni, and private sectors are among the potential sources of funds, hence, a potential solution to insufficient field engagements. again, figure 11 presents participants’ responses on reducing the effects of this retrograde culture by checking the number of students admitted into the geoscience department. again, 34%, 54%, 45%, and 42% of postgraduate, 400-level, 300-level, and 200-level, respectively, strongly agree that the number of students admitted into the geoscience departments in the study area should be limited to a number the departments can provide for, amidst insufficient resources. these responses here, compared with a relatively lower percentage of 27 responses from disagree and strongly disagree respectively, agree with observations of akinola (1990), who opined that the higher institution education systems direly need funds to cater for both their capital and recurrent needs, and hence, the number of students admitted into the departments should be checked such that departments can cater for its students. however, the relatively low percentage of neutral responses to the statement here pinpoints that reducing the students’ admission could be detrimental to the revenue generation and smooth running of the department. still, sourcing for more research grants and other field activities will drastically increase the number of field activities in each academic session. to this effect, the ideal resolutions are to seek field study sponsorships, field trip grants, and collaborations from the government, alumni, ngos, and international geoscience communities to ameliorate field engagements. furthermore, in extreme conditions of lack of funds for field engagements, one of the remedies to reduce the effects of the lack of firsthand field engagements could be to adjust the curriculum to accommodate multiple internship programs in the third and second years to enhance more field/industry experiences. figure 12 shows the participants’ responses to the statement. here, the relatively high percentage of strongly agree responses from 45%, 54%, 45%, and 42% of postgraduate, 400-level, 300-level, and 200-level students, coupled with a similar trend from the agree response, is pinpointing that if the industry-academia relationship is strengthened through the involvement of internships, workshops, and lecture series, students will be nurtured with industry-ready skills sets that will enable them to cope in the labor market. this will be of great help in building the students’ practical skill sets as well as increase the chances of automatic employment for fresh graduates, as companies may retain some excellent interns. 28 also, in situations where funds and insecurity cannot be handled, virtual field trips (vfts), online conferences, and teaching of geoscience software can minimize the effects of the paucity of field engagements and equip fresh graduates with industry-ready skill sets. figure 13 presents a similar trend of yes and maybe responses for all respondent classes. figure 13 presents that 45%, 50%, 48%, and 52% of postgraduate, 400-level, 300-level, and 200-level students agree that virtual field engagements could be helpful in teaching and learning geoscience. however, similar responses of 45%, 54%, 45%, and 42% from maybe and the same class of respondent, respectively, is indecisive. however, geoscience is a physical science. the yes responses here could be because virtual field excursions and online workshops are cheaper and safer than actual field engagements. still, the similar responses from the maybe option could suggest that there is no exact substitute for field experience. although cheaper, virtual field engagement and workshops may still lack the solutions to insufficient field engagements. this is because the online presence may still be deficient in the true 3-dimensional nature of geologic structures (weili & thomas, 2002), hence, less effective in teaching practical skills than actual fieldwork (cliffe, 2017). conclusions and recommendations this study examined the impacts of the paucity of field engagements in geoscience education within the context of public universities in anambra state, nigeria. the findings have shed light on the significant role that field engagements play in shaping students' interest, understanding, and practical skills in geoscience education. in addition, the research highlighted the challenges faced by students due to limited exposure to field experiences, including declining interest, difficulty in appreciating geologic structures, and struggles in recalling theory-based concepts. 29 conclusions the use of field engagements in geoscience has realized successful results that have retained the quality of geoscience education. because the field is the geoscience lab., its significance in teaching and learning geoscience cannot be overemphasized. but recently, due to inadequate funding of the tertiary education system and insecurity, the quality of geoscience education has reduced drastically. this study, in its form, revealed the impacts of the paucity of field engagements on the quality of geoscience education and possible recommendations on how to curb the retrograde culture in public universities in anambra state, nigeria. achieving its specified objectives, the study found that a vast percentage of postgraduate and 400-level students have not been to the field more than three times. consequently, they have not appreciated the scales of geologic structures in textbooks and classrooms. in other words, geoscience students find it more difficult to recollect theoretical lectures than field works. but, then, what else could be the aim of geoscience education? the impacts of field engagements pose a serious issue in the study area as this study reveals the feeling of self-deprivation and low self-esteem among students who engage in fewer field experiences than their colleagues who have more field experiences, probably, due to their inability to contend in terms of field experience. this has generally triggered an overall decline in students’ interest in geoscience education and the inclusive feeling of being un-employable. the study also showed that lack of funds and insecurity have been the major drivers of the paucity of field engagements in the study area. just like ezeani (2018) opined, the implications of the lack of field engagements have been worsened by inadequate funding and insecurity. however, this study made many possible suggestions for mitigating these effects. the 30 results of this study, the majority of the responses, suggest that geoscience departments in the study area should collaborate with international geoscience bodies to attract field study grants. furthermore, to effectively manage the limited funding, geoscience departments should admit the number of students they can cater to. although doing this could be detrimental to the smooth running of the departments, sourcing for more research grants will be a better remedial substitute. also, the study suggests that amidst limited funds for field engagements, the curriculum should be adjusted to accommodate multiple internships, which can increase geoscience students’ employability by preparing them for industry sort-after skills sets and experiences. furthermore, the study suggests using virtual field trips as a cheaper method for students’ exposure to, although the effectiveness of this ideal has been controversial among the participants and even past works of literature (weili & thomas, 2002). recommendations this study recommends various ways to mitigate the impacts of the paucity of field engagements in geoscience education and enhance the quality of geoscience education in the study and nigerian public universities. the recommendations include the following: 1. the geoscience curriculum should include multiple internship opportunities for undergraduate students in nigeria to acquire enough industry sort-after skill sets. efforts should also be made to ensure that these internship programs offer maximum exposure to the interns to industry sort-after skillsets and software. 2. there should be an increment in the fund allocations designated for field studies by the school management to ameliorate field studies. where the allocations are 31 limited, geoscience departments should also source funding and sponsorship from alumni. 3. the geoscience education system could be adjusted so that research and publication will be a requisite for promotion to a higher level under the close supervision of a lecturer. this will improve students’ research experience, critical thinking, and analytical skills, which will make them industry-ready after graduation. 4. geoscience departments should collaborate and partner with international geoscience bodies to attract grants and sponsorships for field studies. where funding is not available, the curriculum could be 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(2021). https://knoema.com/atlas/nigeria/topics/education/datasetst.o appendices table 1 case processing summary of the dependent and independent variables 35 table 2 the model fitting information table 3 the chi-square goodness of fit information table 4 the chi-square goodness of fit information table 5 parameter estimates 36 table 6 test of parallel lines table 7 sample of questionnaire and survey questions survey questions expected responses section a 1. insufficient field engagements have led to an increasing decline rate of students' interest in geoscience education. sa a d sd nt 2. do you feel intimidated among colleagues who are more involved in field studies than you? y n m 3. how much do you appreciate scales of geologic structures such as faults, landforms, without actually seeing them on field? ea wa fa pa na 4. how many times have you been to the field for hands-on experiences? once twice thrice 4 times or above 5. most times you do not recall abstractbased topics after writing the exams. y n m 6. with the current trend of the geoscience education in your school, will you like to practice geoscience as your future career? y n m section b 7. lack of field funds for field engagements and insecurity are some of the causes of insufficiency of field engagements. sa a d sd nt section c 37 8. to reduce the effect of the retrograde culture, the geoscience departments should collaborate with international geoscience bodies to attract grants for field activities. sa a d sd nt 9. to reduce the effects of this retrograde culture, the number of admitted students into geoscience departments should be limited to a number the department can carter for. sa a d sd nt 10. where fieldwork funding and sponsorships are not available, the curriculum should be adjusted to accommodate dual internship programs at 300 and 200 levels to enhance field experiences. sa a d sd nt 11. virtual field trips and teaching of geoscientific software such as petrel, surfer, programming languages etc., can minimize the effects of paucity of field engagements? y n m sa = strongly agree, a = agree, d = disagree, sd = strongly disagree, nt = neutral y = yes, n = no, m = maybe ea = excellently appreciated, wa = well appreciated, fa = fairly appreciated, na = not appreciated table 8a age distribution of the respondents age class of participants pg 400l 300l 200l total below16 0 0 0 0 0 16-20 0 14 39 51 104 21-25 33 27 48 21 129 26-30 9 5 2 0 16 mean age = approx. 21 yrs. 38 table 8b summary statistics of the age distribution of participants summary statistics of age total mean max min 249 20.58 29 16 mean age = approx. 21 yrs. figure 1 percentage distribution of the respondents in the study area 45% 55% universities chukwuemeka odumegwu ojukwu university (coou) nnamdi azikiwe university (nau) 39 figure 2 percentage distribution of classes of participants figure 3 insufficient field engagement has led to decline rate of students interests in geoscience 0% 50% 100% pg 400l 300l 200l strongly agree agree disagree strongly disagree neutral 18% 18% 35% 29% responses post graduate students 400 level students 300 level students 200 level students 40 figure 4 participants feel intimidated amongst colleagues with more field experiences figure 5 appreciation of geologic scales and structures in textbooks and classroom 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% pg 400l 300l 200l yes no maybe 0% 50% 100% pg 400l 300l 200l excellently appreciated well appreciated fairly appreciated poorly appreciated 41 figure 6 participants' exposure to fieldwork figure 7 participants' ability recall theory classes after examination 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% pg 400l 300l 200l yes no maybe 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% pg 400l 300l 200l once twice thrice 4 times and above not even once 42 figure 8 students interest in geoscience admits declining quality of geoscience education figure 9 insecurity and poor funding are among the causes lack of field engagement 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% pg 400l 300l 200l yes no maybe 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% pg 400l 300l 200l strongly agree agree disagree strongly disagree neutral 43 figure 10 geoscience departments should collaborate with international bodies for fieldwork grants and funds figure 11 geoscience departments should monitor students’ admission for proper managements of allocated funds 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% pg 400l 300l 200l strongly agree agree disagree strongly disagree neutral 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% pg 400l 300l 200l strongly agree agree disagree strongly disagree neutral 44 figure 12 geoscience curriculum should be adjusted to accommodate multiple internships to enhance firsthand experience where there is limited funding figure 13 virtual field trip should be used where there is limited funding 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% pg 400l 300l 200l strongly agree agree disagree strongly disagree neutral 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% pg 400l 300l 200l yes