Zbornik radova Pedagoškog fakulteta, Užice

TEACHING FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE: DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE AND RECOGNITION JUSTICE PERSPECTIVE

Milica Marković, Milan Stančić — Tue, 06 May 2025 09:38:54 +0200

This paper aimed to analyse what teaching for social justice would look like from the perspective of distributive justice and recognition justice. Therefore, first, we present the core ideas of the two views on social justice, and then we consider their implications for the goals, contents, and methods of teaching. The analysis showed that teaching based on distributive justice would tend to maintain the established hierarchical relationships in society so that differences in the origin of students would not be respected in teaching, nor would interaction between students and critical thinking be encouraged, which would make it impossible to strengthen the individual capacities of students. The core task of such oriented teaching would be the compensation of resources for underprivileged students. Teaching based on the values of recognition justice would strive for the development of the student's identity and the recognition of the individual values and culture of each student. Such teaching would be interactive, aimed at critical reflection and examination of the causes of the position in which the students find themselves, while the main goal of education would be individual emancipation. The conception of teaching is never politically neutral and depends on the goal of society - to maintain cultural hegemony or to recognize and nurture the values of different social groups. Depending on that goal, teaching will be directed towards values of distributive or recognition justice.

ORGANIZATIONAL SCHOOL CLIMATE IN URBAN AND CITY HIGH SCHOOLS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF TEACHERS

Boris Kordić, Violeta Tadic — Tue, 06 May 2025 09:40:40 +0200

A positive organizational school climate is recognized as a significant factor in teacher well-being and student learning outcomes. This research examined the quality of the organizational school climate in urban and city high schools in the Republic of Serbia. A sample of 149 teachers from nine high schools completed a self-report questionnaire (77.9% male, and 22.1% female). Measures included the Organizational School Climate Scale - factors: School management and interactions (α=.96), and School commitment (α=.90). The results showed that the quality of the organizational school climate was high: School management and interactions (M = 4.30); School commitment (M = 4.44). Also, differences in the evaluation of the organizational school climate concerning the schools' locations were confirmed. Regarding the subscale School management and interactions, the results favored city schools outside Belgrade t(147) = -3.64, p <.01, as well as regarding the subscale School commitment, where the commitment of teachers was more pronounced in city schools outside Belgrade t(147) = -4.75, p < .01. The findings of this research have the potential to encourage reflection on the importance of promoting positive interactions among school members so that the school can achieve its mission and vision of positive education and upbringing of children.

BYSTANDER BEHAVIORS IN BULLYING INCIDENTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY IN BELGRADE SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Adrijana — Tue, 06 May 2025 09:41:53 +0200

This paper presents the results of a cross-sectional study on bystander behaviors in bullying incidents conducted in the 2020/2021 school year based on a survey of 1,526 students in grades 2^nd to 4^th at 19 secondary schools in Belgrade. The study examined the types of bystander behaviors, their distribution within the bystander population and the association with bystanders’ sex and grade. The results show that slightly more than one-third of students noticed bullying incidents in their school, with approximately equal numbers of bystanders exhibiting passive and defending behaviors. Each group of bystanders included slightly less than half of the total number of bystanders. Within these groups, an uneven distribution of specific reactions was found. Almost 90% of bystanders who exhibited passive behavior did nothing because they felt it was none of their business. Of the bystanders who exhibited defending behavior, only about 40% reported the incident to a teacher or someone else, while the remaining 60% tried to help in other ways. Bystander behaviors were associated with bystanders’ sex—boys were more likely to exhibit passive and pro-bully behaviors, while girls were more likely to exhibit defending behavior, especially reporting the incident to a teacher. The study found no association between bystander behaviors and bystanders’ grade.

HISTORICAL – PEDAGOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY ACROSS THE WORLD AND IN SERBIA

Aleksandra A. Đurić-Zdravković — Tue, 06 May 2025 09:44:54 +0200

The perspectives on the conceptualization of intellectual disability throughout history have been highly variable. There was a long period of complete neglect of this condition, with the expansion of its study only beginning in recent history. Dealing with the first recorded structured concept of intellectual disability is associated with the name of the French psychiatrist Jean Itard and his extensive work with the "Wild Boy" Victor. Itard's legacy was dutifully carried forward by Édouard Séguin, who successfully navigated the challenging circumstances imposed by educational authorities. Despite numerous distractions imposed by the state, Séguin managed to create the first written literature that more precisely defined intellectual disability. He developed a stimulating program for individuals with intellectual disabilities and actively participated in the creation of international associations dedicated to intellectual and developmental disorders, which continue to address these issues today. Teodor Janković Mirijevski was the first Serbian pedagogue whose school reform legally enabled students categorized as "weaker learners" to participate in school activities on an equal basis with other students. Although in Serbia, historically, work on the conceptualization of intellectual disability was not so expansive, this reform was highly innovative, particularly considering the absence of similar ideas in neighboring countries. In conclusion, various historical conceptualizations have led to a shift away from an approach based solely on deficits in functioning. Today, the favored approach is based on strengths, grounded in unequivocal research evidence.

IMPROVING FACTUAL, CONCEPTUAL AND PROCEDURAL KNOWLEDGE OF STUDENTS IN THEIR MOTHER TONGUE USING COOPERATIVE LEARNING STRATEGIES

Marina Semiz, Radovan Antonijević, Mirjana Čutović — Tue, 06 May 2025 09:55:02 +0200

A successful application of cooperative learning in mother tongue teaching from the point of view of improving the quality of students' knowledge, requires great didactic and methodical expertise of teachers in group forming, cooperative task structuring, basic principles of cooperative learning, etc. The theoretical starting point of this work is represented by the theory of social interdependence, Slavin`s integrative model and revised Bloom's taxonomy of knowledge. In this paper we will present the results of the ex-post-facto research conducted to examine whether and to what extent the application of cooperative learning can improve the quality of factual, conceptual and procedural knowledge of students in their mother tongue. On a systematic sample of students of the fourth grade of primary schools from 14 districts in Serbia (n=720), two knowledge tests were applied for the initial and final measurement. The results of the research showed that various practices of the application of strategies of cooperative learning in the current teaching of the mother tongue contribute to the adoption and sustainability of students' knowledge, mostly factual, and then conceptual and procedural.

CHALLENGES OF MODERN UNIVERSITIES AND REDEFINING EDUCATIONAL PARADIGMS IN THE AGE OF GLOBALIZATION

Nevena Krasulja, Milica Vasiljevic Blagojevic, Ivana Radojević — Tue, 06 May 2025 10:05:38 +0200

The subject of this review is to study the current state of modern universities, and show the challenges facing universities in today's society, emphasizing the need to redefine educational paradigms due to the impact of globalization and neoliberalism.

The work aims to identify problems in the university system and provide solutions so that the focus is again directed towards essential knowledge.

The methodological approach of this paper is reflected in the analysis of professional literature, research of case studies and analysis of university policies.

The research results are identification of key challenges facing universities today, as well as confirmation of the negative effects of the "publish or perish" policy in academic circles.

The conclusion that emerges from all of the above is that implementing slow education can allow universities to return to their essence as centers of knowledge and deep educational values. These proposals aim to make the renewal of the education system more sustainable and directed towards long-term benefits for students and society as a whole.

University Students’ Attitudes about Online Mathematics Teaching During Pandemic

Aleksandra Mihajlović, Vladimir Ristić, Emina Kopas-Vukašinović — Tue, 06 May 2025 10:09:42 +0200

COVID-19 pandemic forced universities all over the world to shift from face-to-face to online education. Teaching and learning mathematics online brings many challenges for teachers due to its heavily symbolic and diagrammatic nature. The aim of the study was to determine whether it is possible to achieve good quality of university students' work and effectiveness of teaching by organizing online mathematics classes at non-mathematical faculties in Republic of Serbia. The research was conducted with undergraduate students (N=224) of seven faculties/departments of three state and one private university during the year 2022. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used for data analysis. The research results point to the conclusion that undergraduate students from our sample generally did not express positive attitudes towards online mathematics classes. Also, their attitudes were determined by the educational-scientific fields of study programs they studied, as well as by their self-assessment of mathematical knowledge. Such results can be a significant starting point for a new research on the quality and effectiveness of teaching, which should include university teachers who organized online mathematics classes.

Parental counseling from the perspective of school pedagogues

Slađana Zuković, Senka Slijepčević, Jovana Turudić — Tue, 06 May 2025 10:13:01 +0200

This paper highlights the challenges of school pedagogues related to parental counseling. Counseling is a priority professional domain of school pedagogues work and has a significant role in ensuring adequate conditions for quality socio-emotional and academic development of students. Therefore, this study examined practical experiences of school pedagogues in parental counseling. For research purposes, a semi-structured interview was used on a sample of 81 pedagogues in elementary schools in the Republic of Serbia (territory of AP Vojvodina). The obtained results were analyzed through qualitative thematic analysis. The research results show that the interviewed pedagogues regularly perform counseling with parents. However, they often face the parental resistance and reluctance to accept advices and fulfill established agreements. Primary reasons for engaging in parental counseling are difficulties in learning and lack of school progress, behavioral issues, and problems in family system. Besides, pedagogues recognize the necessity for further empowerment of competencies in counseling with parents, particularly emphasizing the importance of external support that helps them overcome stress and prevent professional burnout. It is concluded that empowering the counselor role of pedagogue in their work with parents requires professional, continuous and systemic support. This support is essential for creating optimal conditions that could facilitate the effective implementation of quality parental counseling practices.

Parenting style and educational level of talented students’ parents

Marina Matejević, Marija Djordjevic — Tue, 06 May 2025 10:19:05 +0200

This research aimed to determine the parenting styles and the education level of the parents of talented students. Students of secondary art schools and art faculties, as well as those from specialized classes of grammar schools for the gifted in mathematics, physics, and informatics, completed a scale consisting of 60 statements that include different parenting styles of mothers and fathers belonging to the following categories: authoritative, permissive, warm-restrictive (patriarchal), rejecting, and neglectful style. The authoritative style was found to be the most common, but also warm-restrictive and permissive, which points to warm-directive parenting. The mothers of musically talented students and fathers of students talented in computer science have a slightly more evident warm-restrictive style compared to the other groups. Finally, the mothers of talented students have a higher level of education than their fathers, which indicates the importance of mothers’ education for talent development.

Partnership between teachers and parents to improve students english communication skills

Nenad Stevanovic, Anđelija Trajković — Tue, 06 May 2025 00:00:00 +0200

The aim of the work is to examine the opinions of teachers and parents about partnership relations in order to improve students' communication skills in English. The research was conducted using two instruments specially constructed for the purposes of the research. The sample included 64 teachers and 65 parents from the territory of the Republic of Serbia. The obtained results show positive attitudes towards the development of partnership in both groups of respondents, but also the existence of a statistically significant difference between both groups, whereby the attitudes of parents are significantly more positive. The results of the research indicate the importance of the contribution of affirming positive interpersonal attitudes, both of teachers and parents, which are important in the establishment of partnership relations towards the improvement of students' communication skills in English as a foreign language. Regarding the limitations of the research, the research was conducted on a limited sample, so caution should be exercised when generalizing the results. It should also be taken into account that the teachers and parents surveyed are from different parts of the Republic of Serbia, so it is not possible to know whether there is a certain deviation depending on the region or municipality. It is recommended to conduct the research on a more representative sample and possibly include the students' views in the survey in order to get a more complete picture.

HOW EFFICIENT IS EXEMPLARY TEACHING IN LEARNING EQUATIONS AND INEQUATIONS IN PRIMARY SCHOOL?

Nela Malinović-Jovanović, Milica Simić, Milica Ristić — Tue, 06 May 2025 10:23:39 +0200

The aim of the study was to investigate the efficiency of learning equations and inequations through the application of exemplary teaching in primary school. In terms of efficiency and achievement levels, we started from the learning outcomes on equations and inequations taught in the third and fourth grade primary school mathematics curriculum and from a taxonomic model of operationalization of the goals and objectives of mathematics teaching in the cognitive domain. According to this model, the performance of the students was examined in the following 5 main taxonomy levels: recognition, reproduction, comprehension, operationalization and creative problem solving. The results of the experimental study, which was carried out on a sample of 100 students, show that the teaching method used helps students to learn equations and inequations more successfully. The use of exemplary teaching had a positive effect on students’ performance in reproduction, comprehension, operationalization, and creative problem solving, while it had no effect on students whose knowledge was at the recognition level. The results of this study could lead to changes in the presentation of teaching content, the evaluation of the efficiency of the educational process, a more efficient individualization of the learning process, etc. In addition, the methodological contribution of this work is the creation of exemplary teaching models whose use in a classroom, thanks to analogue reasoning, allows students to find their own approach to mathematics.

Srpski

Nenad Vulović, Aleksandar Milenković, Milan Milikić — Tue, 06 May 2025 10:28:49 +0200

For decades, mathematics education researchers have been focusing on students with special abilities in mathematics and mathematical competitions, and examining the impact of various organizational forms of work, such as grouping students and enriching teaching and learning programs, on students’ success in competitions. Considering the lack of similar research in the Republic of Serbia, as well as the tradition of grouping students with special abilities in mathematics into specialized (SM) classes, this study aimed to investigate whether there is a trend in the increased participation of SM class students in national competitions and to determine whether there are differences in the achievements of students from SM and regular classes. The research sample consists of all 7^th and 8^th-grade students who participated in national competitions from 2007 to 2024. The results indicate that there is a trend of increasing the number of SM class students in national competitions, as well as a statistical difference in the achievements of students attending regular and specialized mathematics classes in favor of students grouped in homogeneous (SM) classes. Moreover, over the past 18 years, SM class students have statistically significantly outperformed their peers 11 times in 7^th and 12 times in 8^th grade. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that grouping mathematically gifted students into homogeneous, specialized classes positively affects their performance in national competitions.

DILEMMAS IN SOLVING ONE TYPE OF EXPONENTIAL EQUATIONS IN MATHEMATICS TEACHING

Olivera Marković, Marina Zubac — Tue, 06 May 2025 10:31:43 +0200

Аbstract: in this paper we considered the problem of solving equations of the form , ie. exponential equations in which the unknown is both in the base and the exponent. We analysed how solving these so-called power-exponential equations shown in textbooks and collections of math problems for the second grade of vocational schools and grammar schools, as well as in some collections of math problems intended for the preparation of the entrance exam at technical faculties in the Republic of Serbia. We realised that in these textbooks there are two approaches to these equations, which results in obtaining different sets of solutions. Namely, in some collections of math problems the starting point is the fact that the real solutions to an equation are all real numbers for which the given equation becomes an exact equality, including those real numbers for which the base is a negative number, while in others the possibility of a negative base is excluded due to the area ofdefinition of the function . Obtaining different sets of solutions is a problem for both students and teachers because they do not know which approach is correct and which set of solutions is correct. In the paper, we also indicated a possible solution to this problem.

Српски

Veljko Aleksić — Tue, 06 May 2025 10:34:41 +0200

The digital gaming industry has been undergoing expansion, and its further development necessitates the education and inclusion of a diverse and competent workforce, including engineers. The labor market shows a significant gender imbalance in favor of men in this field. The aim of the research is to identify the existence of stereotypical gender differences and behaviors in learning digital games programming, in order to reduce, eliminate, or reshape their effect during the educational process. The article identifies and presents a dual model of the stereotype threat and self-stereotyping, which significantly negatively affects the motivation of female students to pursue education and careers in the field of digital games programming. The research involved 44 information technology students at the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Čačak. The results confirmed the existence of gender stereotypes and highlighted the need to adapt teaching practices and activities to effectively eliminate these negative effects.

POSSIBILITIES AND LIMITATIONS OF APPLYING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS

Zsolt Namesztovszki, Dragana Glušac, Branka Arsovic, Elvira Kovacs — Wed, 07 May 2025 00:00:00 +0200

In this paper, the authors analyze the possibilities and limitations of applying artificial intelligence in the educational process. In addition to general definitions, this popular technology is briefly presented, as well as the possibilities of its application. The analysis is mainly carried out from the educational aspect, with the role of the teacher still in the center. At the same time, appropriate didactic, pedagogical and methodical possibilities were presented, with which the teacher can be innovative and even more successful, effectively applying artificial intelligence (primarily ChatGPT) in everyday educational work. Of course, the limitations arising from the application of artificial intelligence are also presented. As a final result, we get a more realistic picture of this current topic, which also shows the pedagogical aspects and does not diminish the role of the teacher.

Srpski

Goran Šekeljić, Jovan Marković — Tue, 06 May 2025 10:40:53 +0200

The aim of the study is to define the structure of motor abilities on the selected sample and compare the obtained model with the model determined by nine motor abilities. Testing was performed on a sample of 220 girls and 180 boys aged ten, using a battery of 18 motor tests. Based on the results obtained, factor analysis determined 5 vectors in the boys' group and 4 vectors in the girls' group, carrying the most information about the measured characteristics. For a certain number of variables, it was found that they do not belong to any constituted vector. The results indicate differences in the structure of the motor space between the obtained and tested model; differences in the structure of the motor space between girls and boys; and a greater number of hypothetical models that can explain the structure of the motor space in children. The research results contribute to a better understanding of structural theories in the field of motor abilities; they point out deficiencies in the scientific methodology dealing with the study of motor space and its structure; and indicate the necessity of an interdisciplinary anthropological approach to solve this problem.

Keywords: motor abilities, motor tests, factor analysis

SCHOOL SPORTS IN THE BALKAN COUNTRIES - A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Srđan Marković, Marija Grbović, Dragana Bogavac — Tue, 06 May 2025 10:44:15 +0200

School sports are part of both the educational and sports systems, and they are regulated differently in some countries. Accordingly, the aim of this paper is to make a comparative analysis of the management models of school sports in 5 Balkan countries: Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. The systems were observed based on four criteria: documents forming the basis of the school sport model, financing, the system of school sport competitions, and the branching of the system. It was established that in all models from the observed countries there are general and specific documents that are important for the functioning of school sports. Although the management structure is similar in all observed models, the control by individual sectors is carried out seriously only in Slovenia. In all models, only physical education teachers are responsible for the implementation of all programs and projects. Also, insufficient and unsystematic financing of school sports can be observed in all countries (except Slovenia), which results in problems in the implementation of school sports competitions. Based on the characteristics of the examined models of school sports, it was determined that the organization and management of school sports in Slovenia contributed to better results in terms of criteria that can be used to assess the quality of school sports.

PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS’ COMPETENCIES FOR TEACHING MUSIC CULTURE FOCUSED ON TRADITIONAL CONTENT: TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVE

Marija Ivanovic — Tue, 06 May 2025 10:47:35 +0200

One of the goals of teaching music culture is to introduce pupils to the musical heritage of their own people. In this process, the role of the teacher is very important. In order to respond to the tasks that lead to the successful implementation and outcomes of teaching process, the teacher must possess professional and general competences, because the pupil’s mastery of the material depends on teacher’s knowledge, skills to transfer knowledge and his ability to choose appropriate teaching content, methods and strategies for representing the content.

The paper presents the research conducted on the population of primary school teachers (n=641) in Serbia, which aimed to examine their opinions in relation to their competencies to teach music culture focused on traditional content. The descriptive and the method of theoretical analysis were used. The research techniques were surveying and content analysis. The results show that a large number of primary school teachers believe that they are not sufficiently qualified and that they do not have enough knowledge for teaching music culture focused on traditional content. The most of them use textbooks and additional sources to process traditional content and are aware that they need to improve their competencies. The conclusion is that traditional content should be more accessible and that initial education and professional training of primary school teachers in this area should be improved.

STANDARD ABBREVIATIONS IN STUDENT TRANSLATION FROM ENGLISH TO SERBIAN LANGUAGE

Saša Čorboloković, Valentina Gavranović — Tue, 06 May 2025 10:50:30 +0200

This paper investigates abbreviations that are commonly used in writing in the Serbian and English languages with the aim to examine how well students know and apply abbreviating rules when translating from English into Serbian. It focuses on orthographic rules pertaining to writing abbreviations, the most common mistakes, and the analysis of whether these mistakes result from different orthographic solutions in both languages, linguistic interference, or the creation of a pseudo-norm. The instrument used in this research relied on a test with 20 sentences in English that contained the keywords in their full and abbreviated form in parentheses. The aimed words were given in contextualized sentences so that the students could better understand their meaning and form. The abbreviations were classified and analyzed according to the origin and method of shortening, as defined in Pravopis srpskoga jezika. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used in the research. The analysis of the results shows that there are subtle similarities and differences between the Serbian and English languages when writing down abbreviations, and many rules that overlap. The main conclusions obtained from the analysis of students' results point to the following: students scored the highest results when applying abbreviating rules to writing general (domestic) abbreviations, especially those that have long been part of our orthographic practice, while the lowest scores can be observed when abbreviating acronyms. By comparing English and Serbian orthographic rules, the mistakes can be interpreted by the influence of the English language (punctuation, capital letters), the length of use of certain abbreviations in Serbian orthography (some newer abbreviations have not yet been established), and the absence of certain extra-linguistic knowledge. The results also show the need to pay special attention to the writing of foreign abbreviations in the Cyrillic alphabet, as well as to those abbreviations of foreign origin that are often misspelled due to the lack of proper understanding. The implication of this study relates to a need to create a teaching and learning framework that focuses on the similarities and differences between the two languages, by contrasting examples in context, so that students can better understand the nature of this orthographic aspect.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ACHIEVEMENTS OF EIGHT GRADE STUDENTS OF CIVIC EDUCATION AND STUDENTS OF RELIGIOOUS EDUCATION ON ICCS 2022 STUDY

Branislav Ranđelović, Tanja M Trbojević, Danijela P. Djukić — Tue, 06 May 2025 10:55:34 +0200

ICCS is an international survey that deals with the knowledge and attitudes of students in relation to civic responsibilities and active participation in society. It covers areas that are considered to be increasingly important in modern society: sustainable development and global citizenship education, digital citizenship education (use of ICT for participation in social and political events), migration and diversity, young people's attitudes about political systems (trust in institutions, system, media) and individual feeling of freedom and security (Randjelovic et al., 2023 and Schulz et al. ., 2023). Given the similarities covered in ICCS research and the curriculum of Civic education, the question arises as to whether the achievements of students attending Civics and those students attending Religious Education are different. If there is a difference in student achievement, it can be rightly concluded that attending Civic Education classes creates a certain positive effect on students. The main goal of this research is to examine the relationship between students' achievement on the ICCS 2022 test and whether they attend civic education or religious education.