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Transformation of Slovakian Youth Religiosity
27-37Views:313Some sociologists of religion think that countries in Central and Eastern Europe are expected quick and rapid secularization. Therefore it is interesting to continuously search out, how the religiosity of Slovakian youth is transformed against the background of continual social and culture changes. The main goal of the presented paper, based especially on its own empirical researches of 2006 and 2016, is a description related to the transformation of youth’s religiosity in Slovakia (an example of Spiš Diocese). The presented work is situated in the area of religion sociology and shows also the typology transformation of the sought out youth’s religiosity that is very useful. Empirical analyses are based on, linked to or compared with main models of changes in religiosity in the contemporary world.
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Non-completed Studies: What Factors Affect Academic Success or Failure?
79-89Views:452The 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 quantitative study of teacher trainees' experiences of board game pedagogy
129–142Views:18Nowadays, educating the young generation is a challenge for educators, as traditional teaching methods are no longer sufficient (Khalaf & Zin, 2018), so teaching methods that build not only on the cognitive but also on the social and emotional dimensions of learning must be used (Illeris, 2010; Lim et al, 2019.) Board game pedagogy is proving to be a useful method for solving the problems of 21st century education: board games can be used to introduce new topics or to teach specific parts of the curriculum (Damsa & Fromann, 2016; Antonaci et al, 2015). In our quantitative, pilot study (n=103), we seek to answer the question of the extent to which teacher trainees are familiarised with board game pedagogy during their training, and to assess the frequency of didactic methods and working methods used by university teachers. Of the students surveyed, only 54 had heard of board game pedagogy, a large proportion of them consider it to be a motivating and effective teaching tool and would like it to be part of their training. Regarding the variety of working methods and forms of work of university teachers, the more traditional methods of lecture and explanation, as well as individual and frontal forms of work, predominate. Despite these limitations, we have data that could serve as a basis for future research and could also contribute to the development of teacher education.
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An International Comparison of Educational Systems: the Columbian, Iraqi and Kurdish cases
110-120Views:645As developing countries aim to improve their education to address the challenges of globalisation's economic and social demands, comparative education can provide references for reforms and changes. Through studying the educational systems of other countries, we can discover which reforms are possible and desirable. This article attempts to demonstrate some specific aspects of the educational systems of Columbia, Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan and to compare them. It shows the decentralisation process and challenges of the systems. It also reveals the structure of education of the three systems and their differences related to duration and organisation of primary and secondary schools. Following that, the curriculum provision and their orientations are explained. Finally, the article also tries to find the differences in teacher training in terms of duration and training types, occurring before / during service. The obtained results show that the decentralisation process and its challenges are very similar in these educational systems while there are differences in the duration, structure, and curriculum subjects.
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Physical Activity and Workplace Stress: Influences on Health Perception Among Academics in Central and Eastern Europe
1-13Views:317Several studies have drawn attention to the unhealthy lifestyles of academic staff (lack of physical activity, unhealthy diet, high levels of stress, etc.). However, few studies have addressed the physical activity (PA) of academics, the problem of inactivity as compared to the average population or university students. Our study aims to determine the role of PA and participation in university sports, as well as other health behaviours and sources and resources of stress at work, on the self-assessed health (SAH) status of academics in five Central and Eastern European countries (Hungary, Ukraine, Slovakia, Serbia and Romania). To answer our research question, we used the database of our international survey (CEETHE 2023, N=821). According to our results, SAH is mainly and positively influenced by PA and health-conscious eating, as well as work engagement, and negatively correlated with age, burnout, work-life conflicts and workplace bullying as work stressors. Based on our findings, workplace interventions including sports and time management programmes are recommended for universities, and a safe working environment is essential to improve academics' subjective health status.
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Religious Socialisation of Children and Youth in Eastern Orthodox Christian Church as Educational and Pastoral Challenge of Sharing of Cultural Practices
1-16Views:481As a result of three decades of social-cultural transformation, Bulgarian literature and practice of religious education though still rare is increasing and improving. As the Church recovers, local parishes, monasteries, and convents become visibly re-socialised and motivated again to provide more adequate pastoral care for all ages. This study explores the importance of informal improvisation and innovation as an approach, in the best interest of children and youth, at a time when an effective, regulated mass public religious education system in Bulgaria is not likely to appear soon. At the same time, revitalised eparchial, parish, convent, and monastery centres start meeting actual needs of renewed church ethos, and begin to provide opportunities for religious socialisation of children and youth that is more functional. Based on direct and indirect experience, on observation, and on partial access to limited local empirical data (that is historically and/or anthropologically only partially explored and categorised), this paper contributes to the analysis of the following unresolved issue: how to direct research toward and keep account of well-known educational and pastoral practices, whether traditional or contemporary, that aid the effective and sustainable religious socialisation of children and youth.
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Interrelations between Sport and Leisure Activities among High School Students
41-52Views:392Research 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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An Analytical Review of Cross Cultural Child-Rearing and Care Practices: A Special Reference to India
7-18Views:905Child-rearing is an individualist, social and cultural process. This paper proposes that Child-Rearing has invariable characteristics and huge diversity. It has been considered that cultural perspective may contribute to the understanding of such multiple forms of child-rearing. The present paper provides an analytical account of dominant factors of child-rearing and caring. The factors selection is done by reviewing the articles which have either more than 50 Google scholar citations or are indexed in top-class journals. It also aims to ascertain whether or not Indian child-rearing intrinsically has something different in its practices and which child-rearing patterns are global and common among all the countries. This article took majorly dominating factors in the area of child-rearing and provided a qualitative comparative account of India especially in relation to the world. Some factors are individualistic as parental attitude and the parent-child relationship. But the study found that corporal punishments, socialization and cultural factors have a strong impact on child-rearing. Altogether these factors affect the cognitive skills of children. The study will give a critical overview of child-rearing patterns in India and across the globe, which would be helpful for policymakers to create new policies and act accordingly.
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Myth or Reality? Mobility Trends among Recent Graduates of Different Fields of Study
43-57Views:290The paper focuses on the intergenerational mobility processes in Hungarian higher education over the past decade. Its purpose is to explore these processes and to analyse the differences between the fields of study. The second-generation mobility theories, which serve to be the theoretical background of this paper, focus on the differences between income, education, occupational groups and social classes in connection with status attainment and mobility. Among the mobility theories relating to higher education, theories analyzing inequalities are studied, to discover whether they are found in Hungarian higher education („Maximally Maintained Inequality”, MMI and the theory of „Effectively Maintained Inequality”, EMI). The analysis also covers the „dynastic effects” related to mobility, whether they strengthen or weaken intergenerational processes. The database of the analysis is the Graduate Career Tracking System 2010-2021.
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At the Crossroad of Cultures: Education and Identity of Hungarian Deaf Learners in Romania
68-78Views:333Deaf people living in ethnic-national minority situation form a social group whose members have multiple cultural backgrounds. Starting from interpretations which are viewing the deaf child as a member of a distinct cultural and linguistic minority, I studied the education of Hungarian deaf pupils in Romania graduating from the Hungarian Special School in Cluj/Kolozsvár/Klausenburg, with particular regard to the relationship between formal and informal language use in school, communication culture and identity. Methodologically the research is based on life path interviews with Hungarian Deaf Special School graduates, family case studies of two or three generation deaf families and structured interviews with experienced educators. The research results reveal that the educational practice of the concerned educational institution strengthens the pupils' identity awareness and sense of belonging to the Hungarian nation in two distinct, still interconnected ways: on the one hand, through oral language acquisition, nursing the oral Hungarian language skills, and on the other hand through cultivating the Hungarian Sign Language embedded in the deaf culture within the learner community. Nowadays, the conditions and modalities of exercising this role are changing in several respects. The positive educational effects achieved so far can be reinforced and strengthened by educational policies based on the recognition and cultivation of cultural diversity, in all its complex and multifaceted manifestations, including the peculiar needs of ethnic minority deaf learners.
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Evaluating the impact of a retail management programme on graduates’ industry readiness at a selected South African university
101–114Views:27This study explored the effectiveness of a Retail Management Programme in preparing students for employment in the retail industry. In South Africa, there is growing concern about the disconnect between university education and the labour market's expectations. The primary aim of this study was to assess whether the programme provides students with the relevant skills and knowledge necessary for the workplace. A quantitative research method was employed, and data was collected through questionnaires completed by 40 retail management students. The responses were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings indicate that most students felt well-prepared for customer service, digital work tools, and retail operations. However, some students expressed uncertainty about their readiness, particularly in areas such as data analysis and decision-making. Students were primarily motivated to enroll in the programme to acquire transferable skills and enhance their employment prospects. They also valued training that mirrored real work environments. The study recommends incorporating more input from industry professionals, utilising greater practical learning methods, and placing a stronger emphasis on soft skills, including communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. Additionally, curriculum updates and improvements to career support services are suggested to facilitate a smoother transition for students into the job market.
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Scouts' and educational stakeholders' perceptions of integrating scouting methods into formal education
98-109Views:1095Scouting is a non-formal learning environment which implies a form of learning that is “less organised than formal learning, but still consists of planned activities and educational objectives. It is also seen as being more concerned with action, and learning by doing from experience; and more holistic, with a particular focus on developing social and emotional skills” (Bridwell et.al., 2015: 27). The Scouting Method used relies on the concept of experiential learning or learning by doing and combines it with other educational elements such as the symbolic framework, team or patrol system, gamification elements such as the badge system (Christians 2018) and active learning or personal progression so that each young person is “consciously and actively involved in his or her own development” (WOSM 1998: 47). The present paper aims to explore scouts' and educational stakeholders' (teachers and scout teachers) beliefs and opinions regarding scouting methods and the way these methods could be integrated into the formal learning environment. Qualitative and quantitative methods of analyses were used to examine and interpret the results gathered through an online questionnaire. Results show that all respondents have a positive attitude towards scouting and the methods used within their activities and they would encourage others to join the association. Even school subjects have been identified which could serve as bridging points between non-formal and formal educational situations.
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Innovation in Social Science
88-90Views:220Bibliography of the reviewed book: Márkus, E., Boros, J., & Kozma, T. (2022). Sustainability of innovation. Debrecen University Press
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International Academic Mobility as a Capacity Building Factor in Higher Education
82-91Views:344International 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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Strengthening family–school partnerships through research, training and innovation: Reflections from the MTA‑DE‑PARTNERED program
71-84Views:7This study presents the comprehensive findings of the MTA-DE-PARTNERED research and development program, which ran from 2021 to 2025, and aimed to explore and develop the theoretical, empirical, and practical dimensions of family-school partnerships. Within the framework of Epstein’s model of parental involvement, the research examined parents’ educational and learning-support activities at home, school–parent communication, volunteering, participation in decision-making, and community building. Analyses based on a review of the literature, large-scale questionnaire surveys, interviews, and case studies show that patterns of parental involvement are influenced by the child’s achievement, school type, school sector, and social background. The MTA-DE-PARTNERED program placed a strong emphasis on improving teacher training, recognizing that teachers’ preparedness and attitudes play a key role in the quality of the partnership. During the development phase, we created an evidence-based collection of best practices, a university toolkit, and an innovative educational board game based on cooperative. The board game aimed to support the positive development of asset-based attitudes among students and teachers through the simulation of various parental involvement scenarios. The results of the impact assessments suggest that the board game significantly contributes to the development of reflective thinking, a multi-perspective approach, and partnership-centered attitudes. This study shows that strengthening family-school collaboration requires systemic, research-based, and training-related innovations that will, in the long term, contribute to the improvement of student achievement and the development of pedagogical culture.
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The Use of Linguistic Features in Indonesian Students’ Texts at Hungarian Universities
131-141Views:290Students enrolled in a higher level of education may face challenges in producing assignments, including writing an essay. They need to present appropriate linguistic features in the text to demonstrate their writing quality. Comparing linguistic features during university study is one fundamental aspect of administering writing quality and showing student writing development. The topic presented in this study describes an initial statistical analysis and the frequency of linguistic features in the texts produced by Indonesian graduate students enrolled at Hungarian universities. This study proposed two research questions: 1) How frequently do pre-selected linguistic features appear in the texts of Indonesian graduate students? 2) How do these features appear in a paired T-test statistical analysis? Seven MSc and MA graduate students took part in the study to meet the goal. They are students at three different universities in Hungary, which all have a Social Science Faculty. During their second-year studies, fourteen essays with a minimum text length of 2000 words were collected. The findings revealed an increase in conjunctions, adjectives, abstract nouns, concrete nouns, noun phrases, expanded noun phrases, active verbs, verb phrases, and passive forms. Meanwhile, the frequency of linguistic features such as prepositions, definite articles, indefinite articles, noun clauses, adverbial clauses, and adjective clauses decreased. In addition, both the rise of nine linguistic features and the decrease of six features in the second semester are not statistically significant.
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The Use of Interactive Teaching Aids by Special Education Teachers in Teaching Science to Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Views:399This study explores the use of interactive teaching aids by special education teachers in teaching science to students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It identifies effective tools, challenges educators face, and strategies for optimizing their use. Research questions focus on commonly used aids and barriers to implementation, given the need for inclusive and tailored educational approaches. Existing literature underscores the benefits of interactive teaching aids for students with ASD, particularly digital tools like interactive whiteboards, tablets, and digital storytelling. These resources enhance engagement, support visual and kinesthetic learning, and improve social interaction skills. However, challenges persist, including insufficient teacher training, limited access to technology, and the need for individualized adaptations. A qualitative methodology was employed, involving semi-structured interviews with 10 special education teachers. Thematic analysis using NVivo software provided insights into teacher experiences. Findings indicate that interactive teaching aids improve engagement and comprehension but are hindered by resource constraints, technical issues, and variability in student attention. Despite widespread recognition of their benefits, research on the specific application of interactive teaching aids in ASD science education remains limited. The long-term impact on learning retention and tool adaptability across contexts also requires further investigation. This study concludes that interactive teaching aids significantly enhance science education for students with ASD. Addressing barriers through targeted training, better resource allocation, and regular maintenance is crucial. Future research should explore long-term effects and optimize strategies for integrating these tools in diverse educational settings.
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The Influencing Factors of Dropout and Persistence of Central European Hungarian Minorities in Higher Educational Institutions
90-98Views:334The statistics show that minority Hungarians’ education and participation in higher education, lags far behind the majority of society in Central Europe. Furthermore, we also know that the smaller the community, the more educated they are. The explanation for this could be, those who are less educated are more prone to assimilate. As a result, the existential question from these minority groups comes down to the growth of their level of education, a condition of which is university students’ acquisition of diplomas. Those factors deserve more scrutiny, in their identification, that increase the chances of getting a diploma. The goal of our study is (1) to identify the students who are persistent and at risk of dropping out, (2) to define the risk factors, and (3) at the same time to uncover the protective/ supporting factors as well. The theoretical background for our research was constituted by the institutional integrational model. The database used for this study contains data collected during a survey of Hungarian students from four different countries in Central Europe (IESA 2015, N= 2017). We found from our research that though the effect of intergenerational connections among students at Central European minority schools proved significant, the effect of place of residence, of settlement type, and of relationships within the family was even stronger.