Issue, No. 33/2026

Abstract This systematic review, conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, examines how instructional leadership practices influence teachers’ decisions to engage in professional development across diverse educational contexts during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. To identify relevant studies, we searched the Web of Science, Scopus, Sage, and Springer databases. We included only peer-reviewed scientific articles published in English between 2020 and 2024. Of the total of 1497 records identified, 24 met the eligibility criteria. Effective instructional leadership practices, supported by educational policies, contribute to improving teaching and increasing teachers’ engagement, self-confidence, self-efficacy, and well-being. The study highlights teachers’ professional development as a continuous approach that requires permanent support from school principals. Instructional leadership plays a strategic role in creating an organizational culture oriented towards collaboration, learning and innovation. >> Read the article

Abstract Neuroeducation integrates findings from cognitive neuroscience and psychology to inform effective teaching practices, offering a valuable framework for biology education. Contemporary research demonstrates that learning is not purely cognitive but is strongly influenced by emotions, motivation, and attentional processes. Emotional engagement, mediated by the limbic system, modulates memory consolidation, attention, and cognitive resource allocation, enhancing retention of complex biological concepts. Intrinsic motivation further supports persistence, metacognitive strategies, and active exploration, particularly in abstract or counterintuitive topics such as genetics, cellular processes, and ecological systems. Biology instruction can leverage these principles through narrative-based teaching, problem-solving tasks, inquiry-oriented activities, and real-life contextualization that connects scientific content to students’ experiences. However, translating neuroscience findings into classroom practice faces challenges, including methodological limitations, differences in levels of analysis, and the persistence of neuromyths. Teacher training, ethical considerations, and evidence-based curricular design are essential to ensure responsible application. Integrating neuroeducational principles promotes multisystemic learning, fostering attention, memory, emotional engagement, and curiosity-driven exploration. By aligning teaching strategies with the brain’s natural learning mechanisms, neuroeducation enhances conceptual understanding, engagement, and positive attitudes toward science. It provides educators with a scientifically grounded guide for designing biology lessons that are both effective and meaningful. >> Read the article

Abstract Gratitude is one of the most studied aspects within the field of positive psychology in recent years and the interest in exploring gratitude and its effects on well-being has increased considerably. The period of emerging adulthood, a transitional phase characterized by numerous changes and challenges, poses risks to maintaining well-being, which justifies the importance of researching protective factors such as gratitude. This paper analyzes the relationship between gratitude and well-being among emerging adults, through a systematic review, using the PRISMA methodology, a standardized and rigorous protocol for study selection and 17 relevant studies were included in the analysis. The results clearly indicate a positive and significant relationship between gratitude and well-being, with gratitude having a positive impact on several dimensions of well-being: hedonic and eudaimonic, subjective (life satisfaction, positive and negative affect), and psychological and social well-being. This association is supported by several mediators identified in the literature, with time perspectives being among the most important. The literature reviews align with Fredrickson’s Broaden-and-Build Theory, which posits that positive emotions, such as gratitude, contribute to the development of psychological and social resources. This is a significant contribution to the field of positive psychology with an updated and comprehensive synthesis of existing work on gratitude among young adults. This research can be a theoretical framework for future enquiries aimed at developing gratitude-based interventions for students, a group prone to high levels of stress as well as research targeting the entire stage of emerging adulthood, beyond the academic context. >> Read the article

Abstract This paper examines a student-centered assessment model implemented within the “School of Personal Fulfillment” pilot program, carried out in Romanian upper secondary education. The program integrates co-participation, vocational counseling, and educational self-regulation as core principles for designing assessment practices that respond to students’ individual learning profiles and career interests. The study adopts a longitudinal case-study approach over two academic years, combining psychopedagogical investigation, differentiated assessment methods, coordinated planning of assessment activities, and beneficiary satisfaction questionnaires administered to students, parents, and teachers. Initial assessment and the use of the Holland interest inventory supported early vocational orientation and informed the design of individualized learning pathways. Findings indicate that involving students in the selection of assessment methods enhances autonomy, engagement, and responsibility for learning, while reducing assessment-related stress and improving overall well-being. Coordinated assessment planning across disciplines contributed to transparency and prevented student overload. The coexistence of initial, formative, and summative assessment throughout the school year enabled continuous feedback and adaptive instructional practices. The results suggest that student-centered assessment, when systematically integrated into curriculum design and supported through institutional collaboration, represents a viable and sustainable approach for promoting academic development, learner well-being, and career readiness in upper secondary education. >> Read the article

Abstract Educational robots represent one of the most innovative developments in modern education, offering new opportunities for interactive, creative, and experiential learning. By combining programming, collaboration, and problem-solving, educational robotics helps students develop computational thinking, critical reasoning, and digital competence from an early age. In the context of 21st-century education, their integration into the instructional process supports a shift from traditional teaching toward active, student-centered learning. This study explores preservice teachers’ perceptions of using educational robots in the teaching–learning–assessment process. Using a quantitative research design based on a structured questionnaire, the study examined participants’ views on the pedagogical potential of educational robotics. The results reveal that future teachers perceive robots as effective tools that enhance engagement, creativity, and collaboration, while promoting competence-based and formative approaches to learning. Participants also demonstrated a strong sense of methodological preparedness and openness toward technological innovation in education. Overall, the findings emphasize that educational robotics serves not merely as a technological aid, but as a catalyst for pedagogical transformation. Integrating robotics into teacher education can help prepare future educators to design interactive, inclusive, and innovative learning experiences aligned with the needs of contemporary education. >> Read the article

Abstract The present study investigated parental mentalization and examined its main psychological predictors in parents of typically and atypically developing children. Using a cross-sectional, correlational design, we focused on identifying individual difference variables that account for variability in parental mentalization. A total of 182 parents participated in the study and completed a battery of self-report measures, including the Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ), the Perceived Competence Scale (PCS), and the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (PRFQ), which was used as an index of parental mentalization. In addition, parents were asked to describe their child, and their use of mental descriptors (e.g., references to thoughts, feelings, and intentions) was coded as an observable indicator of mentalizing about the child. Group comparisons showed that parents of typically developing children used significantly more mental descriptors when characterizing their child than did parents of atypically developing children, suggesting lower levels of spontaneous mentalization in the latter group. Regression analyses further indicated that perceived competence and the degree of external control in self-regulation emerged as significant predictors of parental mentalization across both groups. Specifically, higher perceived competence and lower reliance on external control were associated with higher levels of parental mentalization. These findings highlight the role of self-regulatory processes and perceived competence in shaping how parents think about and make sense of their children’s internal states, with potential implications for interventions targeting parental reflective functioning in both typical and atypical developmental contexts. >> Read the article

Abstract The paper investigates performance and organizational behavior within contemporary educational institutions from both theoretical and applied perspectives. Building on classical conceptions of performance as process and outcome, it analyzes the factors that determine efficiency and effectiveness at individual and organizational levels: institutional culture, professional motivation, leadership, and communication. The quantitative research was conducted on a sample of 50 teachers working in pre-university education, using a 15-item Likert-scale questionnaire. The results indicate a predominantly positive perception of organizational culture, highlighting that intrinsic motivation, constructive feedback, and democratic leadership are essential predictors of educational performance. The findings emphasize the importance of creating an institutional climate based on cooperation, trust, and continuous professional development, as well as strengthening managerial competencies toward participative leadership. The study proposes an integrated analytical framework for educational performance, combining theoretical insight with practical applicability, and offers valuable guidance for managers, teachers, and researchers in the field of educational sciences. >> Read the article

Abstract The article investigates the philosophical foundations of health education through the triad body–mind–curriculum and proposes an applied framework for the Romanian context. Drawing on local cultural resources (the ethic of measure, personalism, the prophylactic tradition) and international landmarks, we argue that health is not a fixed state but a process that interweaves biological, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions. Methodologically, the study is conceptual–analytical, with a case study of Romania, and integrates perspectives from the philosophy of education, bioethics and the salutogenic model. The conceptual results indicate four normative axes for curriculum design: the dignity of the person, community responsibility for the common good, practical wisdom, and prudence as avoidance of extremes and moralising. These axes lead to a transversal, experiential architecture. >> Read the article

Abstract Educational materials are indispensable for literacy development, cognitive engagement, and knowledge acquisition in education, especially at primary and secondary levels. While readability research covers many contexts (designing textbooks for different domains), this field is particularly underexplored in Romania. Studies on linguistic overload in Romanian textbooks suggest that modern materials frequently exceed students’ cognitive capacities, and reveal a correlation between increased linguistic complexity and declining student performance. The transition from a single-textbook system to a multi-textbook model in post-communist Romania offers more diverse resources, but increased lexical/syntactic complexity, potentially obstructing student engagement. We propose a comparative-analysis framework for evaluating literature textbooks, using corpus-based approaches. We compare Romanian textbooks used in high schools from two periods: ROTEX-OLD (pre-1989, communist state-approved textbooks), and ROTEX-NEW (2014-2024, diversified textbooks currently in use). Findings indicate an increase in linguistic complexity (i.e. low readability) in contemporary textbooks. Corpus analyses reveal that modern textbooks often exceed grade-appropriate readability levels, increasing cognitive strain. Sentiment analysis highlights a shift in emotional tone, with ROTEX-OLD textbooks characterized by patriotic and propagandistic themes, while ROTEX-NEW materials incorporate a more pessimistic perspective. This shift is correlated with linguistic features. The study advocates for linguistics-supported textbook readability assessments to balance linguistic complexity and pedagogical accessibility. >> Read the article

Abstract The study investigated the challenges faced by teachers and learners in the teaching and learning of Financial Literacy within the Grade 7–9 Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) curriculum in South African schools. Introduced under the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), EMS aims to equip learners with financial management skills and prepare them for Accounting from Grade 10. Despite this, learner performance in Financial Literacy remains poor, primarily due to overcrowded classrooms, limited teaching time, and difficulties with subject-specific terminology. Guided by a constructivist paradigm, the study adopted a phenomenology design and qualitative approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with sixteen participants, including EMS teachers, heads of department, and a curriculum advisor from seven rural schools in Limpopo’s Capricorn South District. Thematic analysis of the transcribed interviews identified five key challenges: limited teacher knowledge of Financial Literacy, large class sizes, insufficient teaching time, complex terminology, and restricted access to technological resources. These factors impede learner engagement and understanding, leading to low performance and reduced interest in commercial subjects. Teachers with minimal Accounting backgrounds struggle to explain abstract concepts, while overcrowded classrooms limit differentiated instruction and learner support. Inadequate access to technology further constrains interactive and engaging learning experiences. The study concludes that effective teaching of Financial Literacy requires enhanced teacher training, increased teaching time, smaller class sizes, and improved technological support. Addressing these challenges can strengthen instructional practices, improve learner outcomes, and foster greater financial competence, thereby advancing the broader objectives of the EMS curriculum. >> Read the article

Abstract China’s transnational higher education has achieved significant growth in scale; yet its rapid expansion may conceal the deep-seated structural problems. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive quantitative analysis based on official statistical data, aiming to map the current development landscape of Chinese-Foreign Cooperation in Running Schools and identify the problems and challenges. The research has revealed four key structural imbalances: imbalanced distribution of program levels; imbalanced disciplinary distribution; dual imbalance in partner countries and foreign university levels and imbalanced geographical distribution. Drawing on resource dependence theory, our analysis demonstrates that these imbalances are the inevitable result of the asymmetric dependence relationship formed by Chinese and foreign partner universities in the process of pursuing key resources. Although this research focuses on the Chinese context, it has broader implications for transnational higher education worldwide. Five implications for policy and practice have been proposed at the end of this article. >> Read the article

Abstract The present paper investigates the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and collaborative learning (CL) among first-year English students at Khenchela University, Algeria. It combined survey data from 39 students and a group work assessment with interviews of five EFL university professors. The Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT) and the Collaborative Learning Survey (CLS) were used. Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed a strong positive relationship between EI and CL (*r* = 0.885, *p* < 0.001), with EI accounting for 78% of the variance in CL performance. This suggests that students with higher EI levels tend to excel in collaborative tasks. Teacher interviews; however, revealed several implementation challenges, including inconsistent EI assessment methods, students’ struggle with frustration and introversion during teamwork, and the lack of standardized protocols for evaluating emotional competencies. >> Read the article

Abstract This paper seeks at identifying the prospects and the issues related to the use of Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) in adult education budgeting in Nigeria. The research objectives examine how poor funding affects adult education initiatives, to review the organisational and functional difficulties which the providers encounter, and to explore possibilities of adopting CBA for funding and policy planning. This study made use of literature-based approach where secondary data from literature was used to reconsider general concerns relating to adult education in Nigeria. This research reveals the following constraints associated with the use of CBA: The data are often inaccurate; there is a skilled workforce shortage; politics and bureaucracy hinder the process; and the method is ineffective in enabling the assessment of long-term impacts. For that reason, enrolment, costs of specific programs, and their results remain obscure, undermining cost-benefit analysis. Consequently, the study underscores practices and measures that can help address these challenges, including strengthening data collection mechanisms, promoting capacity development, breaking political and cultural barriers to evidence-based policy development. The first area for the integration of CBA into the budgeting of adult education is the idea of a potential better match between resource inputs and needs, which can be improved through application of relevant technologies such as big data and GIS. Hence, engagement of the international organizations and NGOs can also offer technical assistance and capacity development programmes. CBA can also be used positively to argue for higher funding for adult education. This study recommends the enhancement of strategic partnership, data enhancement, push for policy changes to enhance the use of CBA in adult education in Nigeria. >> Read the article