Revista de Științe ale Educației

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  A Smart-Merging Facilitation Model (SMFM) of meaningful learning for life and work in the digital era
Irina Maslo

Abstract
In the context of the smart specialization of national economies and the creation of smart societies in the digital age, general, vocational, adult, and higher education reforms have a decisive horizontal effect on the transition to smart education. A smart pedagogical approach that has evolved in recent years is frequently seen as merely focused on using new technologies in changing learning environments, nor on implementing the new smart educational philosophy on smart human learning for smart economies and societies of the digital era. Principally, new pedagogical approaches that “will undergo drastic changes and create new pathways for learners of all ages” (Scott, 2015, p. 16) are necessary. To supply this demand, pedagogy has to address meaningful learning, bringing it to life and work. Therefore, the question is “What does smart pedagogy imply in the digital age?” An exploratory research design of this paper simply ascertains the research question, leaving room for further research. To discuss this question, the concept of smart pedagogy has been argued in this paper. The evidence on the efficiency of smart learning facilitation has been explored through the learning analytics and students self-evaluation statements in the framework of the 2015-2020 case study of the master s degree programme “Educational Treatment of Diversity” of the University of Latvia, as one of the best practice cases on preparing teachers for diversity in initial teacher education. (European Commission, 2017). The theoretically-founded and empirically-based authored smart learning facilitation model has been discussed and conclusions drafted for an international audience.

Keywords: smart pedagogy; meaningful learning; facilitation model; learning analytics; objective hermeneutic analysis

  The Role of Movement and Sensorial Stimuli for Therapy and education. A comparative study
Karin Gnaoré

Abstract
The following article looks at the role movement and sensorial stimuli do play in the educational approaches of Dr. Maria Montessori and Dr. Emmi Pikler as well as the Sensorial Integration and Psychomotor Therapy. The author of this paper has been studying, applying, and teaching all four approaches for many years and used her expertise in all four approaches to look at whether independent scientific research proves the effectiveness of movement and sensorial stimuli for reaching therapeutical as well as educational goals and to also provide scientific evidence for the fact that all four approaches focus on the role of these two factors, which means that this is a comparative study utilizing existing research papers. The methods of applying movement and sensorial stimuli in the four approaches mentioned above are being compared and linked to recent scientific findings concerning the role of movement and sensorial stimuli for the efficacy of education and therapy. This article compares the four approaches based on scientific research on the various methods as well as independent research which looks and the impact of movement and sensorial stimuli as well as a method of application and its effectiveness. It has been found that sensorial stimulation and movement are closely connected and that these play a major role in all four approaches although the methods of application are quite different. One example might be that the Montessori method purposefully teaches specific movements in specific ways while only Sensory integration therapy also utilizes passive movement as a sensorial stimulation. All four approaches rely on the self-motivation of the child and do not apply any kind of pressure.

Keywords: Movement, Montessori, Pikler, Psychomotor therapy, Sensory Integration

  An Exploratory Factor Analysis and Reliability Analysis of the Perceived Severity and Response to Bullies and Victims of Bullying Questionnaire
Tudorita Grădinariu, Gabriela Monica Assante

Abstract
This study aimed to test the reliability of the Perceived Severity and Response to Bullies and Victims of Bullying Questionnaire (PSRBVBQ) for middle school teachers (N=322 teachers), using exploratory factor analysis and reliability analysis. PSRBVBQ assesses teachers’ responses to bullying using situational scenarios. It includes two vignettes for each type of bullying (physical, verbal and relational) to analyze the perceived severity, likelihood of responding to the bully, likelihood of responding to the victim. Exploratory factor analysis indicated a three-factor solution: perceived severity (α =.73), the likelihood of responding to the bully (α = .84), the likelihood of responding to the victim (α = .89). These results indicate a good internal consistency of the items in each scale, especially for the likelihood of responding to the victim and for the likelihood of responding to the bully scales. The results show that the PSRBVBQ has good psychometric properties and can be successfully used in research regarding Romanian teachers’ perceptions and their response to bullying. Also, more than one-third of teachers perceive verbal aggression as serious, while much less perceive relational aggression as very serious. At the same time, we found that the perceived severity predicts the probability of the teacher"s reaction to the incidents of aggression.

Keywords:bullying, perceived severity, teachers response, EFA

  School drop - out in Romania: impact assessment of preventive-curative strategies in children
Ramona Buzgar, Dana Opre, Sebastian Pintea, Adrian Opre

Abstract
Remedial activities are considered by many authors as an effective strategy for preventing and reducing school dropout. In recent years however, numerous studies showed evidence that we cannot point to one factor that influences the decision to leave school and to only one strategy to prevent or reduce it. Meanwhile the results in the field of social and emotional development emphasize the essential role of these skills in school success. This is way more and more researchers and practitioners recommend that school dropout must be looked at and addressed from a more complex perspective. In the present study we aimed to evaluate the impact of a complex intervention program, developed in order to prevent and reduce school dropout for 242 students from disadvantaged backgrounds in Vâlcea County. The children were tested at the beginning and at the end of the program using 6 scales selected from BASC and ASEBA evaluation systems. Due to the pandemic situation, the questionnaires measuring adaptability, social skills, learning abilities, affective problems, anxiety problems and ADHD problems have been completed by teachers, using google forms application. Using ANOVA with repeated measures, the data collected emphasize that the proficiency profile of primary school and secondary- school children, changes significantly between the results obtained in pre and post-test, for all variables evaluated. The data collected showed that the program increases adaptability to the school environment and learning skills, and anxiety, loneliness and inattention decrease significantly. Even though, we considered it necessary to identify demographic factors that may impact the effectiveness of such an intervention. Practical implications for similar future projects, are further discussed in the article.

Keywords:school dropout; remedial and psycho- educational intervention; social-emotional competencies

  Teachers’ adaptability to online education during COVID-19
Lorena Vulpe , Sorin Pribac

Abstract
Nowadays, the world is facing a pandemic that affects millions of people, leading to serious illness and social dysfunction. This poses a threat not only to the population, but also to the economic and social fields. The negative impact on these sectors is represented by economic instability and restrictions on social activities, in particular by the closure of schools and the launch of online courses that affect the educational environment. Therefore, the central theme of this research is the capacity and level of teachers in Romanian education to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Due to the restrictions imposed to limit the spread of coronavirus, this has brought changes to the level of the education system, being performed in an online format. The entire education system has faced difficulties such as school dropout, social inequities, lack of access to technology and the internet, lack of digital skills, transition to the online learning system, poor health conditions in school institutions, even the problem of resuming or closing the school year. Thus, in this research we analysed the level of adaptability of teachers, identifying the adaptability differences between urban and rural environments or between the levels of education at which they teach. We also identified the need to readapt the subject to be taught in the virtual environment and how much of the personal time they allocate to prepare the courses taught remotely, but above all we determined the obstacles that teachers encounter in teaching and conducting courses with students during the coronavirus period.

Keywords:COVID-19 pandemic, online education, adaptability, difficulties, school dropout

  The role of education in the social reintegration of young offenders and the influence of COVID19 pandemic period
Mihaela Tomita, Roxana Ungureanu

Abstract
The number of young people around the world, sanctioned with an educational measure depriving them of their liberty is increasing, which is also found in the statistics of educational centers in Romania. Custodial measures are those which punish juvenile offenders by depriving them of their liberty after they have been convicted of an offense. By being internment in the center, they are prevented from committing new offenses and, at least in theory, are allowed to be rehabilitated during the period of internment. In the custodial environment, education for minors and young people has been and remains different in many ways from that in the community. In this, beyond the architecture of the custodial environment, the profile of this type of criminals obviously has a significant role. In this paper, we aimed to highlight the particularities of education for minors and young people in the custody environment in general and in educational centers in Romania in particular, and how the pandemic period COVID19 influences programs in educational centers. 27 interviews were applied to professionals from two educational centers in Romania (Buziaş Educational Center and Târgu Ocna Educational Center). The interview guide for professionals and management staff totaled 22 questions. In this paper we have focused only on the questions that refer to the social reintegration of minors and young people interned in the centers. Our analysis shows us that young offenders faces several issues specific to custodial environments to which are added the restrictions imposed by the pandemic period. This restriction takes on specific forms, adapted to the custodial environment. Educators, psychologists, and schoolteachers can play an important role together with parents in social reintegration and defining and establishing their life projects.

Keywords:social reintegration, education, young offenders, COVID 19

  Research report - Alternative public policies in providing integrated specialized services for children with autism spectrum disorders and for their families
Sergiu-Lucian Raiu

Abstract
The article is a research report that briefly describes the stages of an advocacy process and the results of the project: "Increasing the involvement of NGOs and social partners in promoting alternative public policies for children with ASD”, an initiative of Help Autism Association which took place in 2019. Was used a mixed research methodology. In-depth interviews were collected from 134 specialists from institutions, NGO practitioners and parents of children with ASD. Focus-group were organized in 8 regions of Romania with participation of 139 representatives of the target group of the project. Through the method of the self-administered questionnaire, opinions from 47 specialists and 303 relatives/guardians of people with ASD were collected in order to identify the needs and to propose solutions in the field of providing integrated specialized services for people with ASD. Also 8 working meetings took place in all 8 development regions of Romania with participation of 151 specialists who were informed about the method of Assessing the Impact of Legislative Regulation and 96 representatives of the non-governmental sector were trained in the advocacy process. Following the project, a coalition of 80 non-governmental organizations was formed, reunited in the RO TSA Network. Through this project, the civil society, represented by this network of NGOs participated in the elaboration of the first National Plan on Autism in Romania.

Keywords:public policies; NGOs; advocacy; autism; integrated specialized services