Abstract: After new math curriculum for the middle school (5th – 8th grades) came into force, in 2017, it was found that significant differences between the formal curriculum, thought by school curriculum designers, and the curriculum interpreted by teachers and applied in class, may appear, even when teachers have participated in curricular training courses. These differences can be determined by factors such as teaching habits, class level, manual used, or even the national exams at the end of the 8th grade. Starting from the general idea that it is necessary for teachers to decode correctly and to accept the new vision of constructing mathematical knowledge using the curriculum, this paper details the new aspects of the middle school mathematics. Their presentation is reported for each section of the program, insisting on the differences from the previous version. The article could be useful to providers of didactic training programs for middle school mathematics teachers, as well as to teachers who wish to design and develop various didactic resources for mathematics, in accordance to the new curriculum.

Keywords: Didactics of mathematics, math curriculum for middle school

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Abstract: For thirty years, learning is an intense concept studied by organizations, the specialists thinking that “the time of strategic planning is rapidly changing into the era of organizational learning” (Schon, 1994), as man is considered not only a resource for the school organization, but a valuable source in heart of the strategic development process of the organization. Relatively recent research (Senge, 1991; Schon, 1994) shows that innovation is becoming easier and more sustainable in “learning organizations”. Our article aims to feed the theoretical reflection on the school as a “learning organization”, on its ambivalence and paradoxes, and to make further clarification about its management directions. We base our analysis on the principles of postmodernism in education, on an interpretative posture, humanistic essence, building a transversal and multi-level “reading grid” of the school organization focused on such a learning approach. The concept has much to offer to the reforming and restructuring thinking about the organization. Although the theoretical analysis exerts a great attraction, the learning organization remains a philosophy rather than a program. This raises many questions. Let’s not forget that the school is (still) quite strong perceived as the place “of teaching”, of transmitting knowledge. But the learner, the learning organization, are built on something else.

Keywords: empowerment, organizaţie care învaţă, postmodernism, practică reflexivă

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Abstract: Even if we have educational software, digital resources, online applications, or a virtual learning platform, learning activities planning is not easier or less accurate. Learning and assessment need to be designed even more closely and better tied to learning objectives, to avoid distractors, to fit on the time available, to maximize the potential of digital support to increase the participation of all students, to complement classroom learning with learning activities at home (flipped classroom). In the context of the “conventional” instructional design, centreed on the calibration of the finalities and methods based on content, theme, audience and available resources, the article presents several models of organising learning originally built to support the design of digital educational games (Quinn, 2005), which can be used to understand how we can transform a didactic activity into an attractive education situation, similar to ludic activities, especially when we can integrate new technologies. We present a selection of three models – mini-scenarios, chained scenarios, conditional scenarios  – progressively ordered according to their ability to increase engagement and attractiveness of learning activities.

Keywords : Digital educational resources, instructional design, online applications

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Abstract: The article covers modern educational reforms in Turkish vocational education and their impact on the quality of vocational education as well as vocational education development. The key factors, which predetermine educational reforms, were considered and their results were analysed. The advantages and disadvantages of such changes were justified. It was concluded Turkish experience in this field could be rather useful for foreign countries, which are on the way of enhancing the quality of their national vocational education.

Keywords : educational reforms, Turkey, vocational education

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Abstract:We live in a society where aggressiveness and violence already tend to become a major social problem. Aggressiveness is present in all environments, conditioned by many cultural, environmental and social factors that sometimes influence how it will be expressed and often involve high social costs. In recent years, there has been a sharp rise in aggression and violence in the school environment, which raises concern and the necessity to find effective solutions to combat them. In fact, the problem of school violence was debated at the Utrecht European Commission Conference in 1997, ensuring a safe school environment becoming a major objective for most of the participating countries. The purpose of this article is to highlight the relationship between aggressiveness and emotional intelligence in students, as well as the very important role that emotional skills development programmes have in preventing and combating this phenomenon. Aggressiveness and violence in the school environment requires a frontal approach through the use of effective classroom educational strategies that actively involve students and teachers. Such strategies could be represented by the implementation of socio-emotional development programmes to help students develop emotional skills such as: effective identification and management of negative emotions and stress, empathy, compassion and altruism, cooperation with colleagues and work in team, assertive communication and, last but not least, conflict management skills. When pupils are armed with such skills, they increase school performance, empathy and the quality of social interactions, while reducing the frequency of school discipline issues as well as aggressive manifestations.

Keywords : Aggressiveness, emotion, emotional intelligence, school environment, socio-emotional development, violence

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Abstract: ”Miracle” (Niemi et al., 2012), “mystery”, “excellence”, “performance”, “worldleading”, etc. are some keywords used to describe the educational system in Finland. The article analyses the main cornerstones of Finnish educational policy. Several aspects are identified and decrypted, for instance: historical and cultural framework; equality and equity for lifelong learning; culture of trust at all levels; educational performance and research-based education and quality of teacher training. The present study wants to help readers to better understand the Finnish education system and to appreciate its good pedagogical practices which could be adapted to improve the education policies.

Keywords:Culture of equity and trust, education policy, Finland

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Abstract: This study explores the typology of rural education policy measures proposed in the Education Strategies developed between 2002 and 2017. We analyzed twelve strategies, according to an analysis framework that includes the objectives and the instruments proposed for use in relation to problems identified in rural areas. Subsequently, the identified objectives were organized thematically so as to highlight a map of intervention areas in the rural area. Instruments were classified using the Vedung (1998) typology: regulatory, economic and information tools. The intervention areas identified under the objectives were: school responsibility and partnership/lifelong learning, improved school infrastructure, quality of educational provision and equal opportunities for access and participation. Each field corresponds to certain types of instruments, the use of which varies according to the directions of action as well as the period. For example, in the area of school responsibility and partnership or infrastructure, regulatory or economic instruments are used in particular. The patterns identified in the policy tool proposals as well as highlighting rural intervention areas in the education strategies analyzed are a new way to conceptualize the evolution of rural public education policies. An in-depth understanding of strategic planning and proposals for the use of certain policy instruments in rural areas could contribute to the development and delivery more appropriate policies, for the targeted population.

Keywords : educational policy, policy paradigm, policy instruments, rural education, social learning

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Abstract:The purpose of the analysis was determined by the need to identify the stage of structural reform in the field of initial and continuing psycho-pedagogical education of teachers in higher education, including the trainers of trainers, meaning those teachers who have attributions in the formation of future academic staff or staff didactic education in pre-university education through co-financed projects from the Operational Program – Human Resources Development (POSDRU) 2007 – 2013. Such a structural reform is intended to be continued through the Operational Program Human Capital (POCU) and becomes increasingly necessary in the context in which a prerequisite for the efficiency of the Romanian education and training system is represented by the quality of investment in the human resource involved in the education of current and future generations of students for all education levels.

Keywords : Continuous training, teachers’ initial training, POCU interventions, POSDRU projects

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Abstract: Consilierul de carieră contribuie la conturarea încrederii în sine a beneficiarului, în vederea realizării unei opţiuni adecvate. Putem considera consilierea o acţiune complexă, cu beneficii multiple asupra consiliatului, dar şi pentru viitorul angajator. Pentru elev ne referim la identificarea aşteptărilor şi efectuarea unei alegeri, în vederea obţinerii de satisfacţii în plan personal şi profesional. Din perspectiva angajatorului, acesta doreşte un candidat încrezător în capacităţile sale, bine pregătit şi potrivit organizaţiei. Pe baza modelului constructivist, consilierii pot înţelege modul în care elevii se implică în acest proces, devenind astfel parteneri. Un principiu de bază al constructivismului este cel referitor la valorizarea opiniei celui implicat în proces, respectiv a elevului. Obiectivul principal al studiului are în vedere o descriere a percepţiilor elevilor, prin prisma a două dimensiuni, legate de alegerea pentru viitoarea carieră: importanţa activităţilor specifice consilierii constructiviste în carieră şi rolul stimei de sine. Comparativ a fost identificată şi percepţia consilierilor asupra organizării activităţilor de consiliere, conform modelului constructivist. Analiza comparativă a rezultatelor a evidenţiat similarităţi de opinie la nivelul celor două grupuri de respondenţi, asupra valorii modelului de consiliere constructivist. Acestea, ne determină să considerăm că există deschidere spre modul de organizare şi proiectare a activităţilor de consiliere în manieră constructivistă.

Keywords : Career counseling, career counselor, constructivism, perception, selfesteem, student.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Abstract: This paper offers a brief analysis of the status of development of activities that aim to integrate arts, culture and heritage into K-12 education. The analysis is based on exploratory research and follows the evolution of these practices, having a 2009 Eurydice study as reference. The study was focused on beneficiaries (pupils and parents), teachers and school principals, as well as artists and cultural organisations. At national level, changes such as the introduction of a key competence based curriculum and the “Şcoala altfel” Programme (“A Different Kind of School”) are positive factors in the development of educational activities dedicated to the arts, culture and heritage. What we found is that the practices and experiences produced during the analysed period reveal: an increase in the number of activities, while organizing them from the perspective of equal access to all pupils; the opening towards new artistic fields, but without significant changes in the use of new technologies. The benefits of arts, culture and heritage activities are not well exploited from the point of view of integrating them as learning opportunities in regular school activities and evaluating outcomes (often limited to evaluation of the degree of satisfaction). During the past few years schools and cultural operators have been more open to collaboration / partnership, but there is no national programme that would ensure convergent and continuous activities. We have found no significant changes in the way the issue of cultural heritage is addressed.

Keywords : Benefits for learning, education through arts and heritage, feedback quality, schools attractiveness.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Abstract: The training program “Process Consultation – an Intervention Model” is conceptually covered by the existing management and quality assurance system in Romania, starting from the premise that any activity carried out in school should have as aim to improve quality, reflected in pupils through good and very good results, “wellbeing” and the progress they have made. The purpose of this program was to give access to certain information necessary in day to day activity and also to bring consciousness to those involved in managerial tasks in school. 100 school principals from Vrancea County were trainees in the consultation process with a long term aim: improving the quality of learning and teaching in school.

Keywords : Management, process consultation, quality, school principal, training

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Abstract: There are more than two decades since the Romanian schools have autonomy on optional school subjects. The way these optional subjects are proposed today reflects the schools’ experience, accumulated during this period, regarding their elaboration and approval. There are several studies highlighting how these optional subjects are evaluated by students and teachers; this paper aims to complete the picture and to emphasize the perceptions of the parents having children in gymnasium, regarding the optional school subjects, as components of the curriculum at the school’s decision. The parents’ opinions become important from the perspective of their involvement in the formal education of their children.

Keywords : Curriculum at the school’s decision, optional school subjects, parents’ perceptions, school autonomy

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.