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Third Culture Kids: Growing Among Worlds by David C. Pollock & Ruth E. Van Reken
161-163Views:1038Bibliography of the reviewed book: Pollock, D., & Reken, R. (Revised Edition 2009). Third Culture Kids: Growing Among Worlds. Nicholas Brealey Publishing.
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Supporting Background, Caring Practices and Perceptions of Care in Narratives of Parents of Children Living With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Views:244This study explores the childrearing practices of parents raising children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), using D. H. Morgan’s family practices framework (Morgan, 1996, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2011), the concepts of care capital and Bowlby’s thoughts on caringscapes (Bowlby, 2012, 2017, 2019). It also addresses questions of care and autonomy within the context of disability. The author’s dual role as both researcher and parent plays a significant part in the research process. Using Grounded Theory methodology, the study involved 19 interviews with Hungarian parents of children with ASD. The findings reveal that parenting practices are shaped by the lack of formal care. Deficiencies in institutional support shift additional care responsibilities to the primary sphere of care (Lynch, 2007), intensifying parental care burdens. Parents are forced to stretch already limited resources, which can restrict both their own and their child’s experience of autonomy. Furthermore, the availability of formal care alone does not ensure a sense of agency or control for parents. Some parents with greater resources extend their roles beyond individual caregiving. They challenge dominant perceptions of autism and strive to reshape local caringscapes, effectively “rewriting” societal understandings of otherness and disability.
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Student employment and work values across borders - Comparative study of students from two Carpathian Basin universities
143-153Views:139This study examines the correlations between student employment and work values among full-time students at the University of Szeged (SZTE) in Hungary and Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania (Sapientia, Romania) in Romania. The research aims to explore whether the propensity for employment and attitudes toward work are primarily shaped by individual value orientations or by structural factors, such as family background and the institutional academic milieu. The empirical basis of the study is a database (N=2078) compiled from two questionnaire-based surveys conducted in 2024. The analysis employs descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and a binary logistic regression model. Findings indicate that the proportion of working students is significantly higher at Sapientia (56.5%) than at the University of Szeged (29.0%). Regarding work values, work-life balance and a positive workplace atmosphere are of paramount importance to students. Based on the regression model, the intention to work is positively influenced by higher paternal educational attainment, as well as by 'stability and work-oriented' and 'socially responsible' value orientations; conversely, gender and socio-economic status did not prove to be significant predictors. The study’s primary conclusion is that student employment today is no longer merely a consequence of financial necessity but a complex phenomenon determined by local factors and value systems. Our research highlights that the act of seeking employment is shaped by complex explanatory variables that should not be reduced solely to social background.
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Different Forms of Civil Activity and Employment in Hungary and Abroad, and the Development of Student Drop-out
41-54Views:632Young people involved in higher education have created a specific culture, to which, in addition to their studies, social and cultural activities associated with university life are also related (Kozma, 2006). Among these activities, student employment and participation in civic organizations should be highlighted. Voluntary and paid work among higher education students is increasing. These activities have several advantages in terms of future benefits; however, the attracting role of the labour market is one possible reason for dropout. In our current research, we emphasize the role of employment and civil activity in the development of student dropout. Masevičiūtė et al. (2018) found that a quarter of students stopped studying for work-related reasons. In addition, a negative perception of the marketability of the course they are on may lead to the interruption of university studies. In our study, we analysed the extent to which students are willing to interrupt their higher education studies in exchange for voluntary work. In our current research, we examined how often and for what reasons students who dropped out did paid work and volunteering during their studies.
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The impact of preparatory classes on future student performance: Competency assessment experiences of Hungarian students in Covasna County
37–47Views:93This study examines the impact of the introduction of the preparatory class (reception class) in Romania as an early educational intervention within the framework of school readiness and educational inequality theories. The analysis focuses on Hungarian-speaking students in Covasna County, specifically on the first cohort of fourth-grade students who had previously attended this educational stage. The research is based on a quantitative, full-sample design, including all 1,054 fourth-grade students enrolled in Hungarian-language education. The dataset combines questionnaire data with results from the 2016–2017 national competence assessments, providing a comprehensive overview of academic performance in reading, mathematics, and natural sciences. The study investigates the relationship between participation in the preparatory year, socio-economic background, and academic achievement. The findings reveal a statistically significant association between parental educational attainment, labour market status and student performance. The results indicate that students from families with higher levels of education and more stable employment are significantly more likely to achieve above-average results. This suggests that while the institutional framework is inclusive, family background remains a decisive factor in how effectively children can capitalize on this preparatory period. Furthermore, participation is clearly associated with higher academic outcomes: students who completed the preparatory year are significantly more likely to achieve better results across all three assessed competence domains compared to those who did not. Overall, the preparatory class contributes to reducing the risk of school failure, supporting a smoother transition from preschool to primary education, and lowering early school leaving risks. It provides an extended preparatory period that helps children adapt more effectively to a performance-oriented learning environment. The study highlights the effectiveness of this universal reform while noting that, despite its mandatory nature, it cannot entirely neutralize the reproduction of social inequalities. In conclusion, the preparatory class represents a significant educational policy reform that improves student outcomes and promotes equity, particularly in minority-language and socio-economically disadvantaged contexts.
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Teachers’ Practices in Fostering Children’s Critical Thinking at Pre-Primary Level in Kongwa District
1-9Views:382Critical thinking skills is one of the most important 21st century skills and one of the most vital indicators of the quality of education children are receiving. In enhancing these important skills, it is very important to unfold teachers’ practices in fostering children’s critical thinking skills. Therefore, this study investigated teachers’ practices in fostering children’s critical thinking skills in pre-primary level in the Kongwa District of the Dodoma Region, Tanzania. The study employed a qualitative research approach with a phenomenography research design. The total sample of the study was 35 respondents, selected through the criterion purposive sampling technique. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and classroom observation. Data analyses were done through the thematic analysis framework of Braun and Clarke (2021). The findings revealed that teachers’ practices which include teachers’ preparations, the use of instructional strategies, social activities, teaching and learning materials, and creating classroom learning environment helps children to think critically. The study recommends the quality assurers should maintain monitoring and supervision of teachers’ classroom practices in promoting the critical thinking skills of children.
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From Ukraine to Hungary: A Specific Case of Student Mobility
101-103Views:257Bibliography of the reviewed book: Pallay, K. (2024). Mobility, career development, integration. Mobility, career development, integration. Students of the Balassi Institute in Transcarpathia]. University of Debrecen Centre for Higher Education Research and Development (CHERD).
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Reading Assessment for Diagnosing Acquired Reading Disorders in Adults: Theoretical and Practical Aspects of its Development
70-83Views:313The study of reading processes is of particular importance in the assessment of cognitive-linguistic functions in both atypical development and acquired disorders of the adult developmental skills system. A comprehensive assessment of cognitive processes allows the selection of the appropriate therapeutic techniques, which in turn contributes to the best possible quality of life following rehabilitation. A common leading symptom of cognitive dysfunction in adult acquired neurological impairment is a deficit in reading. Our aim was to develop a reading assessment procedure based on national and international theoretical and empirical research to allow a complex assessment of reading processes. In order to investigate the reliability of the test and to develop an assessment system for it, a large-scale survey was organised. During the analyses, an evaluation system was developed which would allow us to objectively describe not only the fact of impairment but also its extent. Based on our results, the design of the Adult Acquired Reading Assessment and the comprehensive assessment system associated to it have resulted in a complex test procedure that is not only well applicable in clinical diagnostics but also in exploratory empirical work.
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Dropped-out Students and the Decision to Drop-out in Hungary
31-40Views:1221The interpretation of the phenomenon of student dropout, which represents a waste of a relatively large proportion of human and material capital in the social, individual and institutional domain, is impossible without examining dropout students. In this study, we analysed the DEPART 2018 database, which contains data from 605 Hungarian dropout students. We tried to identify higher education dropout scenarios and pointed out that higher educational dropout is a complex phenomenon. Based on the students' reports on their interpretation and evaluation of their dropouts, four student clusters were created. We compared the groups with their socio-cultural background and their decision to drop out from higher education, and their assessment of that decision. The most important result of the study is that it identifies a new group in addition to the international dropout types, and provides a detailed picture that calls our attention to the diversity of dropout groups, thereby moving beyond the over-generalised image of the dropout student.
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Correlation Between Educational Performance, Family Background and Settlement Type in Covasna County, Romania
62-69Views:420In social sciences, a more sophisticated way of examining students' school performance, based on the combination of school and family factors, is becoming increasingly popular. Important indicators of schools operating in a given territorial and societal context can be obtained both at student and institutional levels if territorial characteristics are included. In our research we examine the correlation between family background and performance, and investigate the settlement type where the proportion of students from low SES schools is the highest. At the same time we are also curious whether there is a greater chance of resilience in smaller communities. Our results show that the majority of students from low SES schools study in small settlements, but resilience is clearly not more typical in smaller communities.
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The Mentoring’s Role among Alumni Students of István Wáli Roma College for Advanced Studies of the Reformed Church
36-52Views:429Colleges for Advanced Studies (CASs) are the oldest institutionalized talent development initiatives of higher education in Hungary (since 1895). The Act CCIV of 2011 on National Higher Education initiated the creation of a national network of denominational Roma CASs. In a CAS, students live in a dormitory, build a strong community, get scholarships and support from tutors and mentors. Important elements of Roma CASs are the following: religious education, social responsibility for society, and Roma identity empowerment (Godó et al., 2019; Kardos, 2013; Charta, 2011). In this study, we examined alumni (ex-university students) of a Roma CAS in Debrecen. Among other things, we were interested in how they relate to the mentoring process, how they feel about it, and how mentoring is perceived in their own lives. We are also interested in what types of mentors are mentioned and whether there is any form of mentoring in their current activities. Method of our research: qualitative interview analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2018 with 17 alumni selected by snowball method. According to our results, the former students named 2 types of mentors who were next to them: layman and professional mentors, or they themselves can be typed as mentors on the basis of the following: layman mentors (layman persons involved in mentoring activities) and professional mentors. We consider it important to emphasize the role of the pastor in a Reformed institution, who has also been promoted to the professional mentoring category. In addition, our goal is to investigate the characteristics of networking patterns that emerge around specialist college students.
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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:139Act 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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Migrating From Face-To-Face to Online Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Experiences of Psychology Students at a Private Higher Education Institution in Gauteng
11-21Views:758Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an accelerated migration from face-to-face to online learning. This article aims to explore and describe how psychology students experienced the migration from face-to-face to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. It entailed a qualitative research design with an exploratory and descriptive approach. The participants were 28 purposively sampled psychology students from a Private Higher Education Institution in Gauteng. An online survey method was employed to gather the needed information which was then subjected to a thematic analysis. It emerged that the challenges experienced by students were internet connectivity issues, insufficient computer literacy, reduced class time, anxiety, physical impact, and communication issues. Moreover, some benefits related to flexibility, the convenience of online studies and safety from infection with COVID-19 were identified. It was also noted that having certain attributes such as independence, time management skills, having support and being tech savvy improved the online learning process. Some opportunities for Higher Education Institutions to improve the experiences of students included creativity in module delivery as well as providing guidelines on how to use these online platforms.
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Characteristics of Teaching Community Capital - Focus on Teachers in Reformed Public Education Institutions
48-55Views:549The issue of the effectiveness of teaching is constantly at the center of research. "Teachers count", presents the OECD report (2005), which confirms the research of the day that the work of the teacher contributes significantly to the performance of students. The question is how to capture the factors that influence school performance. The focus of the examination of the theoretical background is on the professional capital theory, with the emphasis on the examination of social / teaching capital in addition to the human capital and decision capital components. Our research is based on a secondary analysis of a questionnaire among teachers working in Calvinist institutions in 2017. The focus of our interest is on identifying the characteristics (frequency) and content (agreeing with norms) of staff capital and the need for teachers to develop collaborative networking opportunities for future professional development.
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The performance of Hungarian minority students in PISA assessments (2003–2022)
1–16Views:141The analysis tries to describe the academic competencies of Hungarian minority students in the Carpathian Basin based on international PISA assessments. To this end, the author first addressed some methodological aspects of the PISA assessments and then presented some international data. Although the school competencies of Hungarian youth in Romania, Serbia, and Slovakia, as revealed by PISA data, show a fluctuating picture over time, a few patterns clearly emerge. First, one can see that while in Transylvania it appears that Hungarian students perform better than the majority students, in Slovakia the opposite is true, and in Vojvodina the homogeneity of the school-system is evident, as there is no significant difference here between Hungarian minority and majority youth. Despite the small sample sizes, one can still gain some insight into learning in a non-native language: in Romania and Serbia, this generally results in a disadvantage, but Slovakia stands out as an exception in this regard as well: here, it appears that choosing the majority language carries neither an advantage nor a disadvantage in terms of academic competencies. When interpreting academic performance, however, it is essential to take various background factors into account, primarily family background. The analysis highlights that the index of the socio-economic background of majority and minority Hungarian youth shows significant differences. To measure the net effect of the test language a linear regression model was elaborated. Using this, the author argues that the test language exerts a significant effect in the areas of mathematics and sciences.
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Linguistic Socialization and Identity in Ethnic Hungarian Deaf Families in Romania
46-54Views:386Ethnic minority Deaf people form a social group whose members often share complex and multiple cultural backgrounds. This research explores linguistic socialization and identity development in ethnic Hungarian Deaf families living in a multi-cultural region of Romania, examining the identity related aspects of the family formation and the transmission of identity to children in ethnically homogenous (Hungarian) or heterogeneous (Hungarian-Romanian) families founded by Deaf spouses. Methodologically the research is based on survey among members of the ethnic Hungarian Deaf community in Bihor County and their ethnic Romanian spouses, career interviews with Hungarian Deaf Special School graduates and family case studies of two or three generation Deaf families. The research results reveal that the ethnic homogeneity of Deaf family partners is a key factor in handing down to children the Hungarian ethnic-national identity and the Hungarian sign language / oral language knowledge. The research findings also highlight the fact that within family interactions involving three generations where Deaf and hearing, ethnic minority and ethnic majority family members are present, specific, multifaceted communication models may prevail, and pathways and modes of identity transmission with particular characteristics may occur.
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College Begins in Kindergarten: A Path to Higher Education Through Family-School Partnerships in a K-5 School
1-12.Views:396As income inequality rises in the United States, students from low-income backgrounds and other excluded identities are likelier to remain in the lower income percentile, especially if they do not have college degrees (Kochhar & Cilluffo, 2018). Therefore, a critical approach is to focus on what happens before middle and high school, realizing that early childhood is prime for students to learn about college and their future. This study explored the practices influencing college-going aspirations for marginalized students in a K-5 school that engages teachers and families. The exploration extends the literature on how schools prepare elementary-aged students to develop college-going aspirations. The case study design collected data from observations, an administrative interview, and a document review. Findings revealed social and environmental practices influencing students and families regarding college-going attitudes and aspirations. The results have implications for curriculum and school culture to redefine the postsecondary conversation.
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Spirituality and Concept of ’Child’ in Kokas Pedagogy for Children with Special Educational Needs
11-16Views:592Klára 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.