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A schema social circle of Indonesian students in higher education
143–158Views:119Social circle is one of the issues that we must address. It emerged as a significant social phenomenon because members joined based on their shared interests, rather than proximity or assigned ranks. It changes based on individual needs and the environment. This research aimed to expand the Indonesian community that studies abroad socially, specifically within their social circle. It is also a goal to explore students' social circle strategies as they learn within Hungary's higher education system. Quantitative pilot research was employed in this study. Convenience sampling was used. A questionnaire was administered to Indonesian students to collect data from 22 per cent (N=47) of Indonesians who studied in Hungary. The Indonesian student was the one who held a Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship. All of them come from different educational backgrounds and programs. The results revealed that most of respondents are members of home country student associations. Among various social background variables, educational attainment emerged as the sole significant determinant of multi-organizational membership. Other result is among the identified clusters, there is one that represents new types of motivations including relationship-building motivations, among Indonesian students. These findings highlight the pivotal role of informal, peer-driven networks in the social integration of Indonesian students, superseding formal university-led initiatives. Universities should implement policies that actively promote student satisfaction by facilitating access to identity-affirming and interest-based student organisations, while ensuring the affordability of participation through low-cost or subsidised social programs to guarantee inclusivity and accessibility for all students.
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Opportunities and Barriers in the Partnership Between Foster Families and Schools
Views:238The primary socialisation area is the family, and the secondary socialisation area is educational institutions. From the point of view of educational sociology, the meeting between the family and the school institution represents the intersection of these socialisation areas (Kozma, 2001; cited in Bacskai, 2020). This issue and its methodological development is something that Joyce Epstein has been working since the 1980s (Epstein, 1986; Epstein, 1987). According to Pusztai (2020a), parenting can be understood as a multifaceted concept, typically referring to the mutual relationship between parent and child. Researchers have focused on this parenting resource mainly from the perspective of the child's progress at school and learning at home, with the parent acting as an external supporter of the work in school. In this research we focus on the specific characteristics of the cooperation between foster parents and schools, and examine the characteristics of foster parent involvement, along with the supporting and detrimental factors of the partnership between foster parents and teachers at the intersection of child protection and public education. Recently, the number of research studies on foster care has increased (Erdei, 2019; Rácz, 2021), but the relationship between foster parents and teachers is still a little-researched area in Hungary. The novelty of our qualitative research lies in the fact that we are dealing with a special, rarely studied group of parents in Hajdú-Bihar County in terms of family-school relations. The second phase of the analysis has us exploring the narratives of teachers. Our basic research questions are: (1) How can the relationship between foster families and school be characterized? (2) What are the forms of contact and cooperation between foster families and teachers? (3) What factors support or hinder the development of partnerships between foster families and teachers? The focus group data collection was based on semi-structured interview schedules. The research participants were foster parents (N=15) and teachers (N=10). The interviews were coded and analysed using Atlas.ti software. The results show that, overall, there is regular, daily, mainly personal contact between foster parents and teachers. The teacher's tolerant attitude, taking into account the specific educational situation, appeared as a supportive factor. However, there were also a number of cases reported by foster parents where they had been received negatively by teachers. In order to facilitate collaboration between the two parties, teachers would like to receive training (foster families, foster-parent-school collaboration) and would find it useful to have ongoing supervision.
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Introductory Survey on Challenges Encountered by University Teachers in Online Teaching of STEM Subjects During COVID-19 Lockdown
22-32Views:5732020 will be remembered for COVID-19, a pandemic that forced the world to lock down and urged most educational providers to promptly implement e-learning solutions. In this paper, we point out some challenges faced by university teachers who had almost no earlier practice in online teaching. Nine lecturers working in different universities from Brazil, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, India, Macedonia, and Slovakia – all teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects – were interviewed to share their online teaching experiences during the COVID-19 lockdown. The aim of this introductory small-scale research paper is to provide a basis for future research regarding the influences that the COVID-19 situation has had on educational processes, as well as to assist educational providers in foreseeing and eliminating the possible problems of lecturers when establishing an online educational environment. Some conclusions are formulated from the interview survey, and possibilities for further research are described.
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Pedagogical modernization or political assimilation? The 1879 elementary education act in the mirror of parliamentary debates and Néptanítók Lapja
13-19Views:155Act XVIII of 1879, which mandated the teaching of the Hungarian language in all elementary schools across Hungary, represented a decisive turning point in the educational structure of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. Drawing upon the theoretical frameworks of Ernest Gellner (1983) and Eugen Weber (1976), this research focuses on how state-driven linguistic homogenization emerged simultaneously as a professional necessity and a tool of nation-building. Our study presents the content of the act and the pro et contra arguments within the parliamentary debates surrounding its adoption. Furthermore, it highlights the core concepts and elements of the official pedagogical discourse following the legislation through a qualitative thematic analysis of the 1879 issues of Néptanítók Lapja (People’s Teachers’ Gazette), a government-sponsored weekly professional journal. Our findings reveal an inherent contradiction in the official rhetoric: while the journal promoted innovative, communication-centered “natural methods” in language instruction, these pedagogical advancements primarily served to consolidate political loyalty and erode minority national identities. The analysis identifies three main discourse types: the professionalization of the “Magyarization” process, the ideological construction of the Hungarian language as a “civilizational” prerequisite for social mobility, and the practical challenges faced by rural educators working in multilingual environments. By placing the Hungarian case within a broader European comparative perspective, the study contributes to the understanding of how 19th-century school systems functioned as arenas for national identity construction in multiethnic regions.
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Sociology of Education – Theories, Communities, Contexts
107-109Views:352Bibliography of the reviewed book: Pusztai, G. (Eds.), (2023). Sociology of Education – Theories, communities,
contexts. Debrecen University Press. -
International Academic Mobility as a Capacity Building Factor in Higher Education
82-91Views:376International academic mobility means the teaching or research activity of higher educational instructors or researchers, which spans a couple of days or a few months, during which individual professional growth, the establishment of international cooperation and networks, personal relations and friendships may develop. It is also considered to be a fundamental necessity for building capacity and an outstanding supremacy, even if a country’s academic resources are modest. Thus it is crucial to gain information about its current and actual state, quality, standards, struggles and the direction it is heading towards. As a part of a bigger research study, we wanted to know how international academic mobility, used for capacity building, changes over time, and whether country-specific features and patterns could be traced. In this present study we made an attempt to uncover the international activity based on the academic mobility of the full-time instructors at two Hungarian higher educational institutions. One of them is a large university that plays a leading role in internationalization. The other is a dynamically developing regional knowledge center. We examined the instructors of two faculties from the first, and everybody from the regional knowledge center, since it is smaller in size. Altogether 210 instructors responded to our 60 questions in the survey. The surveys were processed in the SPSS statistical analysis program. Concerning the examined discussions, categories and proposed topics, our research was built upon two previously carried out investigations – a Hungarian and a Norwegian one. We found that in Hungary in the given time period (2012-2014), the instructors with the strongest international activity were: 1. the men; 2. those who held higher academic positions; 3. those who were married or were in a relationship; and 4. who were from the field of social science.
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Pathway to academic well-being: The role of institutional social capital in the well-being of academics in five Central and Eastern European countries
85-98Views:205This study examined the relationship between institutional social capital and the emotional well-being of academics in Central and Eastern European higher education systems. Building on Pusztai’s conceptual framework, this study distinguishes between intragenerational social capital, referring to collegial cooperation and communicative exchange, and intergenerational social capital, referring to informal interaction with students beyond formal teaching. The analysis draws on survey data collected in 2023 from academics in five countries (Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Serbia, and Ukraine) (N ≈ 800). Institutional social capital is operationalised through indicators capturing the frequency and diversity of interactions, while emotional well-being is measured using Warr’s Affective Well-being Scale. The results show that intragenerational social capital is a significant positive predictor of well-being, whereas intergenerational social capital has no independent effect. The findings suggest that collegial relational embeddedness constitutes a relevant, albeit limited, resource for emotional well-being in academic work.
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Interrelations between Sport and Leisure Activities among High School Students
41-52Views:416Research on the education, upbringing and habits of high school students is extremely varied and diversified across all areas of education. In our case, we would like to investigate students’ sporting and leisure habits, as several studies have found possible breakpoints in students’ lifestyles during this period, which is particularly true for sporting habits. Our research focuses on the leisure habits of students learning in Nyíregyháza and Debrecen. We were looking for answers to the following questions: What is the most common form of leisure time activity among the students investigated? and, what social and sport-related variables are associated with differences in leisure time use? We conducted a questionnaire survey in secondary schools in the two cities (N=450) to answer our questions. The analyses showed that screentime activities continue to play a dominant role in the leisure time of the age group studied, followed only by activities that can be linked to active leisure.
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Use of Electronic Resources in Teaching Religion in Higher Education: Best Practices from the SULSIT, Bulgaria
56-60Views:362This paper describes actually methodical attempts to use library electronic resources in academic education. Some opportunities for improving the teaching of religious cultural heritage and for diversify the methods of assessment of students in Bulgarian universities are commented. The text describes the personal experience of the authors with students of 3rd-4th grades from the State University of Library Studies and IT (SULSIT), Bulgaria. Among the “best practices” are tasks of performing on-line survey of digital resources of periodicals from the digital resources of the “St. St. Cyril and Methodius” National Library, of making content analysis of the database on a particular subject, of preparing bibliographic descriptions of the new discovered resources, of writing historical analyses, of generating thematic bibliographies on topics related to religion, using the resources of the electronic catalogs of regional public libraries in the country.
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Spirituality and Concept of ’Child’ in Kokas Pedagogy for Children with Special Educational Needs
11-16Views:600Klára Kokas was a music teacher and music psychologist (1929-2010). Her method is based on music, motion and manual arts, therefore it can be defined as a form of reform pedagogy, otherwise it is called complex art pedagogy. The main elements and characteristics of Klára Kokas’s pedagogy were revolutionary new ideas in the fields of personality development, and music education – compared to the practices of reform pedagogy trends in the 20th century Europe and the United States (Pukánszky-Németh, 1996). The main elements of this concept are music, dance improvisation, motion, imaginative stories, visual arts, painting and drawing. However, its most important component is the very specific and intimate relation, which connected her to children. This distinctive feature of the Kokas-method is hard to teach. Klára Kokas approached to people with problems, suffering and disabilities, especially to marginalized and disadvantaged children with utmost empathy. She struggled to develop the social-cognition skills and affectionate behavior of the handicapped children through her own invented musical method.Her writings reflected her relationship with God, namely the presence of Him which can be felt behind the scenes. His name was mostly unspoken, yet when she named Him, it was to reveal that God was always in her mind, like in her words and musical activities too.The goal of this paper is to search and frame that text corpus, which can outline the spirituality of Klára Kokas with the aim of drawing up her relationship with God and children – according to her publications, writings, essays, books, short-film compilations, movie archives and interviews (Kokas, 1992; 1999; 2002; 2007; 2012; 2013). The contours of her spirituality from her teachings, manuscripts and publications couldn’t be attributed to any religious denomination. Also, to be presented are her notions about youth and teenage spirit and a unique relation with the world, her own students, the talents, the music and the holiness: the spirituality of Klára Kokas. The importance of beliefs and moral convictions in the art of education will be outlined.A single paragraph of about 150-200 words maximum. For research articles, abstracts should give a complete overview of the work. We encourage authors to use the following style of abstracts: background, methods, results and conclusion. The abstract should give an objective representation of the article.
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“Narrating” Bodies. Physical “Reflexive” Activities between Gender Images and Socio-pedagogical Processes - Research on the Yoga’s Representations
21-27Views:306This article intends to offer a reflection on how reflexive physical activities can support a socio-pedagogical approach to educating about gender diversity through media communication. We use the term “reflexive” to refer to all those activities aimed at enhancing the person and his relationships, self-realization, selfknowledge, and self-improvement: in other terms, a circuit of bodily experiences that determine bodily knowledge as a social construction (as described by Connel, 2005). These activities focus mainly on ethical purposes, rather than on performative ones. An example of such disciplines can be considered the practice of yoga which is a currently growing phenomenon both in Europe and in the United States. Yoga is practiced today in the USA by 35.2 million adults, by over 2.5 million people in Italy, and is garnering scientific interest in its contributions to balanced, healthy growth of children and adults. The World Health Organization, in its global action plan on physical activity 2018-2030: More Active People for a Healthier World, calls it a means to improve health. The diffusion of these disciplines responds to a personal and social search for meaning that weighs especially heavily on highly secularized Western culture. This diffusion also portrays a media phenomenon, whose images and messages validate and reinforce capitalist ethics. From this point of view, the “mediated” representation of sports bodies appears to apply to the world of consumers. The images of women practicing yoga, oriented toward alternative values rather than beauty and sexuality, are above all confirmed by the purchase of goods and services that are not related to outward personal appearance. Using the results of an analysis carried out in 2021 of two main international yoga magazines, we are going to discuss the role of yoga as a “reflexive” physical activity and its pedagogical potential oriented to the body as a “primary place of experience”, not just a consumer item, but also a tool for education about gender diversity.
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AI as a digital assistant in a multi-ethnic VET system: Evidence from the VETAssIst project in Serbia
28–36Views:102Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly framed as a lever for teaching efficiency in vocational education and training (VET), yet adoption is mediated by teachers’ linguistic and cultural contexts. This study, conducted within the VETAssIst project, compares AI‑related readiness and needs among VET teachers in Serbia across two cohorts working under the same national framework: Hungarian‑minority teachers in Vojvodina and Serbian‑majority teachers. Using a structured questionnaire, we examine perceived usefulness of AI as a ‘digital assistant’ for lesson planning, assessment, and administrative work, self‑reported digital competence, perceived institutional support, and readiness for integration. The evidence indicates broadly similar baseline competence across cohorts, strong intentions to expand classroom use, and uneven institutional backing. Recurrent requirements include VET‑specific AI tools, clearer school‑level policies, targeted professional development, and language‑accessible resources. We argue that sustainable digital transformation in multi‑ethnic VET systems depends on aligning tool ecosystems and professional learning with the linguistic diversity of the workforce, thereby preventing intra‑system digital divides.
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Hidden Curriculum in Teacher Education Programs
121-124Views:344Bibliography of the reviewed book: Mazawi, A. E., & Stack, M. (Eds.) (2020). Course Syllabi in Faculties of Education. Bodies of Knowledge and their Discontents, International and Comparative Perspectives. Sydney: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781350094253
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Family and Career. Future plans for university students. Ed. Ágnes Engler.
99-101Views:283Bibliography of the reviewed book: Engler, Á. (2018). Future plans for university students. Debrecen: Center for Higher Education Research and Development. p. 212., ISBN 978-615-80077-6-4.
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Examining challenges to Parental Involvement in Enhancing Academic Performance Among Grade 7 Learners/Students
Views:448Parental involvement is a critical determining factor of learners' academic success, particularly during transitional educational phases such as Grade 7. This study explores the factors challenging parental engagement in supporting their children's academic performance at this crucial stage in South Africa, Tshwane South District. Although extensive research has been conducted on parental involvement, there is limited studies focusing on the transitional phase of grade 7 within the South African context. Employing a qualitative approach, and purposively selected 11 participants (6 parents, 5 educators). Furthermore, data were collected through interviews, focus group discussions and document analysis. Findings indicate that socioeconomic constraints, limited parental education, communication gaps between schools and families, and parents' time constraints significantly hinder effective involvement. Additionally, cultural perceptions of parental roles in education and students' increasing need for autonomy in adolescence further complicate engagement efforts. The study also identifies systemic barriers, such as inadequate school initiatives to foster parent-teacher collaboration. Recommendations include capacity-building workshops for parents, and the development of inclusive communication strategies by schools. This paper highlights the need for a holistic, community-driven approach to overcoming barriers and fostering sustained parental involvement to enhance student achievement in Grade 7, offering insights that are particularly relevant within South African context.
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Investigation of Resilience among Teachers and in Teacher Education
24-36Views:933In recent decades, we have witnessed an increasingly widespread and complex use of the concept of resilience. The aim of the present study is to present a holistic concept of resilience that, thanks to its systems theory basis, can be applied very well in educational sciences, including research on teacher training, the institutional environment of teachers, their well-being at work, professional development, or even in the analysis of practical pedagogical situations. The dynamic interactive model of resilience (Shafi, & Templeton, 2020) allows for the examination of the resilience of learners, teachers and the institution, and even the examination of students, educators and teacher training institutions involved in teacher training. In the second part of the study, we present resilience development programs that have proven to be effective in teacher training and further training (BRiTE, ENTREE), which, with their complexity, are well suited to the dynamic interactive model of resilience discussed above.
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A dimension of well-being among talented students – An empirical study at the University of Debrecen
87–100Views:72Talent management in higher education remains a key issue, as university students are inherently talented when pursuing academic studies. Beyond this, many students engage in extracurricular activities, reflecting deeper personal motivations. This examines participants' future career orientation in a university Talent Management Program by examining their life goals. While many students lack clear aims during their studies, we hypothesize that talented students show stronger self-acceptance, autonomy, and a commitment to continuous development and growth. The Ryff-18 questionnaire assessed students’ psychological well-being across six dimensions: self-acceptance, quality of relationships, autonomy, environmental mastery, purpose in life, and personal growth. The research is part of a longitudinal study, launched in the 2016/2017 academic year and repeated in 2023/2024, allowing for generational comparison between Generation Z and Millennials. All Talent Program students were invited to participate. In 2016/2017, 359 of 489 students responded (73.41%), and in 2023/2024, 201 of 671 (16.69%). Students rated “living day by day” highly in both years, and acquiring new experiences was low. Despite this, results indicate that participants are generally goal-oriented and prioritize long-term aims over novelty-seeking. These findings highlight consistent traits among talented students across generations.
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A Test of the Effect of Denominational Schools in Romania
38-47Views:486Studies in sociology of education in recent decades have consistently found an advantage for students in denominational schools - those with religious subordination - in terms of educational performance, compared with those in secular schools. Although in Romania a large part of the students from pre-university education attend confessional schools this advantage has not been investigated for the Romanian case. Taking advantage of the increased validity of the Romanian baccalaureate exam, following the measures from 2011-2012 and the availability of the statistical data regarding the schools in Oradea (Bihor county), we checked whether the hypothesis of such an advantage is confirmed in the Romanian case. Applying bivariate analyzes by type of schools (secular vs. confessional) and by types of tracks of the net pass rates (from the total of the graduates) we find that, although the promotion rates are higher for denominational schools, the support for the hypothesis of an advantage of denominational schools is fragile as much of the difference can be attributed to the academic orientation of denominational schools and to the fact that they succeed, probably, in selecting students with better educational skills.
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The Effects of Family Background on the Processes of Foreign Language Learning in Hungary
87-97Views:512In Hungary, the academic achievement of schoolchildren is very strongly influenced by their family background, a statement often quoted in connection with PISA surveys (Róbert, 2004). Although the effects of family background have mostly been studied in connection with key competences, it is easy to see that they are also likely to influence foreign language learning, possibly to an even greater extent (Csapó, 2001). The aim of our paper is to provide an overview of theoretical and empirical findings related to the family background of Hungarian schoolchildren on different aspects of language learning: language choice, individual differences and success in language learning. We hope to provide a meta-analysis of empirical studies and their results, however it needs to be noted that their number is relatively scarce. We would also like to inspire future studies exploring similar, under-researched topics. Research into the effects of family background is imperative, as it appears to play a pivotal role in ensuring equal opportunities in language education.
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Non-completed Studies: What Factors Affect Academic Success or Failure?
79-89Views:465The ratio of early school leavers is 12.5 in Hungary, which means 22nd place within the EU28. Early school leaving is an important issue in all European countries, because those who finished their studies after primary education are more likely unemployed and it causes problems for both them and the society. Higher educational drop-out also an important issue, although for other reasons than early school leaving. It is even more difficult to find precise data on this: we don’t know what proportion of the students is affected by this in Hungary. In this study I analyze the database of the Hungarian Youth Research 2016. This survey was conducted on a representative sample of 15-29 year olds, questioning 8,000 people, therefore, early school leavers and higher educational drop-outs should be found among the interviewees. The results show that early school leavers have significantly worse status both financial and cultural. Some of those who had finished only primary school think that they have successfully completed their studies. They answered that despite 18.3 percent of them have started a vocational training, which didn’t finish. Despite the expectations, not much is known about the higher educational drop-outs. 4.5 percent of the interviewees did not answer the question of whether they had completed their studies: they are probably the drop-outs, but we can just assume that. The results show that they have better cultural status than the others.
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A Mobile Suitcase for Informatic Teachers Related to the “Digital” Didactic Goals of the 21st Century
63-70Views:315This study deals with the optimal equipment of a mobile case for computer science teachers, which offers the possibility to teach the skills of the curricula from primary to high school of the 21st century. First, the Single Board Computers (SBCs) in question are filtered out from previous studies and the accessory parts required are determined through a quantitative market analysis. Then, by combining the results with a qualitative analysis according to Mayring, the degree of curricular coverage of individual accessories is determined and binarized. Afterwards, the optimal equipment of the mobile case is evaluated and established based on the cost overlap by horizontal summation and vertical inclusion of the necessary accessories after recording the prices and the budget. The results were clearly presented in network diagrams and lists. This study thus provides computer science teachers and computer science professors with a budget-dependent basis for making decisions about the contents of a mobile case for computer science lessons or a computer science laboratory for learning the skills of the curricula from primary to high school of the 21st century. The study closes with a summary and an outlook.
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Competence and economy: International adult literacy assessments, knowledge capital and economic performance
39-50Views:113After reviewing the measurement of adult literacy (IALS and PIAAC), the paper examines how its outcome – referred to as knowledge capital – differs from human capital. The paper also analyses the relationship between adult literacy and economic performance, briefly highlighting the debates surrounding this issue. In addition, the article examines the relationship between knowledge capital and economic development in Hungary. Finally, the study discusses adult education as a possible policy response. The analysis points to the relatively weak performance of Hungarian adult literacy competence in international comparison. This highlights the potential importance of adult education in improving competitiveness, employability, and democratic participation.
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Students with Special Needs and Their Parents – Informal Participation of a Parent in the Education of an Adult Child
44-51Views:320The article presents the issue of participation of adult students’ parents in their academic life. There are many examples in the literature of how important is the support of students’ with disabilities parents at the universites. This determines academic success. Disability (its depth, type, cause, limitations resulting from it) is a determining factor for independence, and consequently for the parent’s participation in the student’s academic life. The parent’s attitude towards their own child’s disability is also related to the parent’s participation in the study. The main questions of presented research is: how do students, parents and university staff see the participation of parents in their adult chilredn higher education? This study was qualitative in nature and the individual in-depth interviews were conducted in the course of the study. Two female students with disabilities and their mothers, as well as a member of staff from the one of Polish university’s disability office, were invited to participate in the study. The results show that students, parents and university’s staff can present different opinions about parental suport. The fact is that parental participation cannot be permanent. Each time this type of support should be considered on an individual basis, with particular regard to the welfare of the the student. The results of the survey are relevant to the university’s process of planning support for students with disabilities so as to work with parents with the students’ consent.
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Why do individuals choose a career in music? A Systematic review of socialization-, motivation-, and identity-based factors
119-132Views:198The process of choosing a career in music is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that requires the integration of motivational, socialization-based, and identity-oriented perspectives for its comprehensive understanding. The aim of the present systematic literature review is to identify and synthesize empirical studies examining music career choice, particularly within the context of professional higher music education, in relation to identity formation, the quality of motivation, and career-orientation decisions. The review includes 20 studies published between 2003 and 2025, representing considerable methodological heterogeneity as well as broad geographical and cultural diversity. Based on the thematic analysis, four overarching thematic domains were identified: (1) socialization and environmental factors, (2) motivational structures and career intentions, (3) identity development and identity conflicts, and (4) the influence of institutional and educational contexts. The findings indicate that, in music career choice, musician identity generally takes precedence over teacher identity, while extrinsic motivational factors play a significant role in decisions to pursue music teaching careers. Furthermore, early socialization experiences—particularly the influence of parents and first instrumental teachers—have a long-term impact on career orientation. The review also highlights that higher education institutions do not always consciously exploit their potential role in shaping professional identity. Effective interventions therefore require multi-level, developmentally oriented approaches, including the provision of early teaching experiences, the strengthening of mentoring practices, and the introduction of portfolio-career perspectives.
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Educational Psychology
107-111Views:519Bibliography of the reviewed book: Santrock, J. W. (2018). Educational Psychology (6 Ed). McGraw-Hill Education.