Significance of social competency and friendship quality as a predictor to quality of adolescent school life

Ovo istraživanje imalo je za cilj ispitati kako adolescenti (6.- 8. razreda) opažaju vlastite socijalne kompetencije, kvalitetu prijateljstva i kvalitetu školskoga života te u kojoj mjeri socijalne kompetencije i kvaliteta prijateljstva doprinose objašnjenju kvalitete školskoga života. U istraživanju je ukupno sudjelovalo 1009 učenika iz 14 osnovnih škola Grada Zagreba i Zagrebačke županije. Rezultati istraživanja su pokazali kako postoji pozitivna povezanost između nekih specifičnih aspekata kvalitete školskoga života i socijalne kompetencije te s kvalitetom prijateljstva. Analiza podataka pokazala je kako su adolescentice kompetentnije u emocionalnoj regulaciji, samoprocjenjuju prijateljske odnose kvalitetnijima, ali su slabije integrirane, izražavaju više neugodnih emocija vezanih uz školu te svoje prosocijalne komunikacijske vještine procjenjuju slabijima u odnosu na adolescente. Rezultati su također pokazali kako učenici šestog razreda pozitivnije procjenjuju vlastite socijalne kompetencije, kvalitetu prijateljstva i pozitivne aspekte kvalitete školskoga života u odnosu na učenike sedmog i osmog razreda. Uvidom u rezultate istraživanja može se zaključiti kako su učenici boljih zaključnih ocjena iz Hrvatskog i Engleskog jezika te Matematike pozitivnije procijenili vlastite socijalne kompetencije, kvalitetu prijateljstva te su općenito zadovoljniji školom. Također, rezultati istraživanja ukazuju na to kako učenici koji nemaju braće i sestara manifestiraju više neugodnih emocija vezanih uz školu.In the Croatian scientific and research area it is noticible a limited number of researches on the quality of school life. Leonard (2002) defines the phenomenon of the quality of school life as a set of positive and negative affective experiences resulting from all educational school experiences. Researches on the quality of school life is extremely useful for all participants of the educational system because they can improve certain aspects of the educational system. Also, Ferdosipour & Mousavi (2020) point out that the quality of school life affects on general life satisfaction and is reflected in other areas of life. There are numerous factors that influence on the quality of school life, and some of them are: class teaching atmosphere (Mok & Flynn 2002), educational experiences of student during the teaching process in the classroom (Kong, 2008), interpersonal relationships of individuals which make school enviroment (Ferdosipur & Mousavi, 2020) and some individual student characteristics such as the development of social competence (Fejzić, 2017). Modern times social competence presents as one of the most important life competences which is aimed at the personal and professional growth o fan individual. The importance of the development of certain aspects of social competence is even more expressed in the period of adolescence, when interpersonal relationships with peers are extremely important for cognitive, social and emotional development. The aim of this research was to examine how adolescents observe their own social competences, the quality of friendship and the quality of school life, and to what extent social competences and the quality of friendship contribute to the explanation of the quality of school life. Empirical quantitative research method was used in the research and the dana was collected using paper-pencil method. A total of 1009 sixth, seventh and eighth grade students from 14 elementary schools in the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County participated in the research. As the research participants are students from sixth to eight grade of elementary school, all stages of the research took place in accordance with the guidelines of the Ethical Standards for Research with Children (2020) and with the prior consent of parents/guardians. The dana was collected in the period from December 12, 2022 to May 9, 2023, exclusively during Headroom teacher class with prior agreement with Headroom teachers of individual classes. Social demographic characteristics of the participants included gender, grade, age, final grades of the previous school year from Croatian, Mathematics and English and information wheter and how many siblings they have. The research results showed that there is a postive connection between some specific aspects of the quality of school life (Preparation for the future, Social integration, School achievement and Teachers with both dimensions of social competence and with the quality of friendship). Furthermore, the research found that female adolescents achieved higher values on the scale of friendship quality, preparation for the future and skills of emotional regulation compared to male adolescents and a higher score on the factor of negative feelings towards school and a lower score on Social integration and Prosocial communication skills. The results also showed that the students of the sixth grade evaluate their own social competences, the quality of friendship and positive aspects of the qualiry of school life more positively than the students of the seventh and eighth grades. By seeing the results of the research we can conclude that students with better final grades in Croatian, English and Mathematics evaluate more positively their own social competence, quality of friednship, general satisfaction with school and specific domains of the quality of school life. By analyzing the research results it can be determined that students who do not have siblings manifest more unpleasant emotions related to school. The stated knowledge of this research can serve as a kind of foundation to future research on the quality of school life and as a guidelines to Holders of educational policy for building a school culture in which students will feel satisfied, successful and accepted

Possibilities of using ChatGPT in university study

U današnjem vremenu u kojemu je umjetna inteligencija (AI) sve više prisutna, novi jezični model ChatGPT, koji razumije prirodni jezik i generira odgovore na upite korisnika, pronalazi sve veću primjenu u različitim granama znanosti i u mnogim područjima, pa tako i u obrazovanju. ChatGPT nudi brojne mogućnosti primjene u svim stupnjevima obrazovanja, a posebno u fakultetskom obrazovanju. Sustav kao takav može služiti kao pomoć pri učenju, pomoć pri pretraživanju i prevođenju literature, pomoć pri oblikovanju teksta, planiranju i osmišljavanju različitih aktivnosti za nastavni proces, i sl. Ipak, informacijama koje ChatGPT generira, studenti trebaju pristupati s oprezom i dodatnom provjerom kako ne bi došlo do pogrešnih ili nedovoljno vjerodostojnih podataka. Također, nameće se etičko pitanje i pitanje očuvanja akademskog integriteta u sklopu korištenja ChatGPT-a tijekom učenja i studiranja zbog pojave plagiranja, krađe i varanja. Upravo se takva primjena ChatGPT-a istražuje u ovom radu gdje se ispituju mišljenja i stavovi studenata o korištenju sustava za pomoć pri učenju u vidu svih navedenih aspekata mogućnosti i opasnosti ChatGPT-a. Rezultati istraživanja pokazuju da većina ispitanih studenata koristi ili je koristila ChatGPT u pojedine fakultetske svrhe, kao što je pretraživanje i prijevod literature, pomoć u učenju i pisanju radova, ali ipak nisu informacije koristili bez dodatne provjere u relevantnim izvorima, što se na kraju pokazalo korisnim i neophodnim. Jedan dio studenata smatra kako je moguće da je akademski integritet narušen korištenjem ChatGPT-a, ali isto tako smatraju da ako korisnici odgovorno koriste sustav da je moguće implementirati ga u obrazovanje i koristiti ga kao alat za pomoć u učenju, a ne kao alat za varanje ili plagiranje.In today's era where artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly present, ChatGPT, the new language model which understands natural language and generates responses to user queries, is finding numerous applications in various branches of science and across many fields, including education. ChatGPT offers many possibilities for application at all levels of education, particularly in higher education. Such a system can serve as a learning aid, assistant in searching and translating literature, help with text composition and aid in planning and designing various activities for educational process. However, students should approach the generated information with caution and should check further in the literature to avoid inaccurate or insufficiently credible data. Additionally, ethical considerations arise, along with concerns about preserving academic integrity, when using ChatGPT for learning and studying, due to the risk of plagiarism, theft, and cheating. This research explores the use of ChatGPT in this context, investigating students' opinions and attitudes towards using the system as a learning aid, considering all the aforementioned aspects of the possibilities and dangers of ChatGPT. The research results indicate that the majority of surveyed students have used or are using ChatGPT for specific purposes in their academic pursuits, such as literature search and translation, assistance in learning, and paper writing. However, they do not rely solely on the information provided by ChatGPT and they ensure additional verification from relevant sources, which has proven to be useful and necessary for the preservation of academic integrity. One part of the students believes that academic integrity may be compromised by using ChatGPT, but they also think that if users responsibly utilize the system, it is possible to implement it in education and use it as a learning aid rather than a tool for cheating or plagiarism

Athletic content in preschool education

U današnjem suvremenom svijetu sve je veća prisutnost sjedilačkog načina života i smanjenog kretanja. Stoga, kako bi dijete pravilno raslo i razvijalo se, važno je poticati ga na kineziološku aktivnost. Motorički razvoj djeteta započinje u majčinom trbuhu prvim pokretima djeteta. Opće je poznato da kineziološka aktivnost čini bitnu ulogu u djetetovom rastu i razvoju. Djeca od najranije dobi kroz sportske igre razvijaju osjećaj kreativnosti, odgovornosti te stvaraju socijalne vještine. Važnu ulogu kod poticanja kineziološke aktivnosti imaju roditelji i odgajatelji. Uloga roditelja je osigurati djetetu dovoljno stimulativnih iskustva i prilika za psihomotorički razvoj. U ovom radu prikazan je prijedlog atletskih sadržaja za djecu predškolske dobi: hodanje, trčanje, skakanje i bacanje. Atletski sadržaji utječu na dječje ponašanje, stavove i na kompetencije. Sposobnosti trčanja predškolske djece, njihove motoričke i ostale sposobnosti ovise o uvjetima u kojima dijete živi i raste. Djeca koja su tjelesno aktivnija imaju bolju kondiciju i zdravstveni status. Važnu ulogu u dječjem rastu i razvoju imaju motoričke sposobnosti, a to su: izdržljivost, snaga, gipkost, brzina i koordinacija.In today's modern world, the presence of a sedentary lifestyle and reduced movement is increasing. Therefore, in order for the child to grow and develop properly, it is important to encourage him to kinesiological activity. A child's motor development begins in the mother's womb with the child's first movements. It is generally known that kinesiological activity plays an important role in a child's growth and development. From an early age, children develop a sense of creativity, responsibility and social skills through sports games. Parents and educators play an important role in encouraging kinesiology activity. The role of parents is to provide the child with enough stimulating experiences and opportunities for psychomotor development. This paper presents a proposal for athletic content for preschool children: walking, running, jumping and throwing. Athletic content affects children's behavior, attitudes and competencies. The running abilities of preschool children, their motor and other abilities depend on the conditions in which the child lives and grows. Children who are more physically active have better fitness and health status. Motor abilities play an important role in children's growth and development, namely: endurance, strength, flexibility, speed and coordination

Violence against and among children of preschool age

U današnje vrijeme sve je značajniji porast nasilja nad i među djecom. Ovi oblici nasilja u fokusu su brojnih znanstvenika, ali i šire javnosti. Nasilje nad djecom može se definirati kao namjerno ozljeđivanje djeteta, prvenstveno od strane djetetove obitelji koja je najvažniji čimbenik u djetetovom životu. Različiti su oblici nasilja nad djecom, a kao najučestaliji navode se fizičko nasilje, emocionalno nasilje, seksualno nasilje i zanemarivanje. Dijete može biti izloženo i vršnjačkom nasilju. Nasilje među djecom može se opisati kao oblik nasilnog ponašanja u kojem je naglašena razlika moći između počinitelja nasilja i žrtve. Postoje različiti oblici nasilja među djecom, a najčešći su fizičko i verbalno nasilje. Postoje dvije vrste nasilja koja se odnose na djecu, a to su nasilje nad djecom i nasilje među djecom. Nasilje koje dijete doživljava u djetinjstvu najčešće ostavlja teške i dugotrajne posljedice u odrasloj dobi. Na sve oblike nasilja potrebno je djelovati odmah i što učinkovitije riješiti nastale probleme kako u budućnosti ne bi dolazilo do ponavljanja istih i/ili nastajanja novih.Nowadays, there is an increasing increase in violence againts and among children. These forms of violence are the focus of many scientists, but also of the general public. Violence against children can be defined as the intentional injury of a child, primarily by the child’s family which is the most important factor in a child's life. There are various forms of violence against children, and the most common are physical violence, emotional violence, sexual violence and neglect. A child may also be exposed to bullying. Violence among children can be described as a form of violent behavior in which the difference of power between the perpetrator of violence and the victim is emphasized. There are various forms of violence among children, the most common being physical and verbal violence. There are two types of violence that apply to children, namely violence against children and violence among children. The violence that a child experiences in childhood most often leaves severe and long-lasting consequences in adulthood. All forms of violence need to be acted upon immediately and as effectivelly as possible to solve the problems that have arisen so that in the future there is no repetition of the same and/or the emergence of new ones

Kinesiological games of kindergarten children

Cilj ovog završnog rada je osvijestiti činjenicu da su kineziološke igre za djecu od iznimne važnosti jer utječu na djetetov rast i razvoj. Igra je najvažniji dio djetetova odrastanja te osnovni oblik djetetova učenja. Ona potiče razvoj djetetovih intelektualnih, socijalnih, fizičkih i emocionalnih vještina. Razvijanjem navedenih vještina dijete se potiče na razmišljanje, pamćenje, maštu. Kroz igru djeca stječu nova iskustva i znanja. Stoga je bitno djecu poticati na igru jer na taj način unaprjeđujemo njihov razvoj. Postoje mnoge motoričke igre za djecu predškolske dobi koje potiču razvoj osnovnih motoričkih sposobnosti poput agilnosti, brzine, eksplozivne snage ili brzine, koordinacije i spretnosti. Takve igre mogu sadržavati elemente nogometa ili rukometa i one su iznimno poticajne i korisne za djecu jer razvijaju motoriku ruku i nogu te koordinaciju pokreta s različitim pomagalima. Veoma je bitno da sadržaji motoričkih igara budu djeci zanimljivi, te različiti kako bi kod djeteta potaknuli različita iskustva. Također je bitna i okolina u kojoj djeca provode motoričke igre jer ona uvelike utječe na motivaciju i sudjelovanje djeteta u igri. Ako je atmosfera u kojoj djeca provode aktivnosti ugodna i poticajna djeca će moći nesmetano istraživati, uživati u igri što će rezultirati zadovoljstvom djece. Djetetu je potrebno u igri pružiti slobodu kako bi mogli nesmetano uživati i stjecati različita iskustva u interakciji s drugom djecom i razvijati samopouzdanje pri čemu bitnu ulogu ima odgajatelj.The aim of this final work is to raise awareness of the fact that kinesiological games for children are extremely important because they affect the child's growth and development. Play is the most important part of a child's growing up and the basic form of a child's learning. It encourages the development of a child’s intellectual, social, physical and emotional skills. By developing these skills, the child is encouraged to think, remember, imagine. Through play, children gain new experiences, knowledge. Therefore, it is very important that we encourage children to play as much as possible, because in this way we improve their development. There are many motor games for preschool children that encourage the development of basic motor skills and these are agility, speed, explosive power. The goal of these games is to encourage speed, coordination and dexterity in children. Such games can be football, handball, which are extremely stimulating and useful for children because they develop hand and foot motor skills and coordination of movements with various aids. It is very important that the contents of motor games are interesting to children, and different in order to encourage different experiences in the child. The environment in which children play motor games is also important because it greatly affects the child's motivation and participation in play. If the atmosphere in which the children carry out the activities is pleasant and stimulating, the children will be able to explore freely, enjoy the game and this will result in pleasure. There are a lot of motor games for preschool children that they really like and they should be as represented as possible in the child's life because they increase the work of all organs and organic functions. The child also needs to be given freedom in the game so that they can enjoy and gain different experiences in interacting with other children. Different kinesiological games allow children to develop self-confidence, joy, fitness. The role of educators in conducting kinesiological games for preschool children is to encourage children to develop motor skills through various kinesiological games and to create physical exercise habits in children. Within this final paper, examples and divisions of kinesiological games for preschool children are given

The role of classroom climate, constructivist learning and student use of digital media in the quality of elementary school teaching

Cilj ovoga istraživanja bio je ispitati ulogu razredne klime, konstruktivističkoga učenja i učeničke upotrebe digitalnih medija u kvaliteti osnovnoškolske nastave, tj. učeničku percepciju o tim konstruktima kojima su se željele ispitati i značajke s obzirom na učenička demografska obilježja utvrđivanjem razlika. Sudjelovalo je 1028 učenika 7. i 8. razreda u Hrvatskoj. Rezultati statističke obrade podataka ukazuju da učenici ispodprosječno procjenjuju kvalitetu nastave i konstruktivističko učenje, a iznadprosječno razrednu klimu i upotrebu digitalnih medija. Uz to, sva tri navedena prediktora statistički su značajni za kvalitetu osnovnoškolske nastave. Također, utvrđene su samo statistički značajne razlike s obzirom na učenički školski uspjeh na faktoru samoučinkovitosti među učenicima dobrog i odličnog te vrlo dobrog i odličnog uspjeha u percepciji kvalitete nastave pri čemu učenici boljeg školskog uspjeha nastavu percipiraju kvalitetnijom te na faktoru učeničkih pregovora među učenicima dobrog i odličnog školskog uspjeha u samoprocjeni konstruktivističkoga učenja u nastavi pri čemu se učenici boljeg školskog uspjeha osjećaju kompetentnijima. Zaključno, istraživane su prediktorske varijable sve zajedno prediktori kvalitete osnovnoškolske nastave u kojoj je razvidna težnja pozitivnoj razrednoj klimi, učeničkoj mogućnosti izbora, uređenju učionica, osvještavanju učenika o neizvjesnosti znanja i učenja te educiranju za upotrebu digitalnih medija. Uputno je unaprjeđenje nastave posebice u vidu većeg zadovoljavanja učeničkih potreba, povećanja privlačnosti nastave, fokusa na učeničke komunikacijske vještine, postavljanja učenika u središte nastave, demokratskog upravljanja razredom, propitivanja upotrebe digitalnih medija u frontalnoj nastavi te težnje k multimedijalnosti.Teaching quality Teaching quality is a complex concept in the field of education. Nevertheless, numerous experts in this field have defined this complex term, which indicates its diverse definition. Some authors define it as the satisfaction degree of needs of the teaching subject, students, learning process, teaching goals, class discipline, etc. (Fabiano, 1999; Funda, 2008; Hammond & Prince, 2007; Meyer, 2005). Among the different viewpoints on teaching quality, Maier et al. (2020) divide it into structural and process, which is the focus of this research, and refers, as the name suggests, to the quality of the teaching process. Naturally, this term was subject to redefinition following social changes, so the transition from the traditional to modern approach of the teaching quality can be observed. Its different models also contribute to the definition of this concept, and for this research, it is very important to highlight the process model whose focus is the course of teaching and the satisfaction model whose center is the quality as the mirror of the user's satisfaction (Cheng & Tam, 1997). More intensive research into this concept started in the 20th century. The teaching quality can be studied from different aspects, so it can be measured based on the perception of participants in the educational process or independent observers, etc. Sallis (2002) emphasizes that the quality in education is a relative concept, and it can be researched based on the satisfaction of the teaching users, i.e. in this context students. There are numerous studies of the quality in education in which the participants were the students themselves, that is, their perception of quality, the beginning of which can be seen at the end of the 19th century (Kratz, 1896). However, students' answers are often disregarded highlighting their immaturity, nonobjectivity, unreliability, etc., which can be refuted by the use of validated instruments, meaningful interpretation of the results, a sufficiently large sample, etc. (Aleamoni, 1999; Feistauer & Richter, 2017). The results of earlier research on the teaching quality indicated that, among others, the classroom climate, problem-based learning, which is a determinant of constructivist learning, and the use of technology in teaching play a role in it (Hattie, 2009). The results of the research are very diverse, and most of them point to positive correlations between the teaching quality and student achievements, as well as differences in the perception of the teaching quality considering the gender, age and residence of the students. Classroom climate Classroom climate is an increasingly popular subject of research, especially because of the class-subject-hour system of Jan Amos Komensky (1592-1670), which still prevails in schools even though it has its beginnings as far back as the 17th century. In the context of Bronfenbrenner's (1979) interpretation, the classroom climate can be interpreted as a microsystem in the student's environment, as a result of which it is possible to generalize numerous definitions of this term as a set of environmental factors that can play a role in the teaching quality and student achievement (Anđić et al., 2010; Koludrović & Kalebić Jakupčević, 2017). Depending on what kind of climate prevails in a particular class, it can be a stimulus or a barrier to the learning process (Lee, 2005). That is why a positive classroom climate must prevail in the class, which then has a positive effect on students and teachers, but also on learning and teaching, as well as on the social and emotional development of students (Anđić et al., 2010; Rijavec, 1997). Of course, all participants in the educational process are co-creators of the classroom climate. In contrast, a negative classroom climate is undesirable and might have a negative role in the psychosocial development of students and student achievements, emotions, behavior, etc. (Montero-Montero et al., 2021; Somersalo, 2002). For this reason, in the context of the classroom climate, social relations between peers and between teachers and students that prevail in a particular class, the teacher's classroom management and communication styles, etc. are most often highlighted. These determinants of the classroom climate are often the essence of certain definitions of this term. However, it is important to point out that social relations in the class should reflect cohesiveness, cooperation and equality in the relationship between students and teachers, a democratic style of classroom management and friendly relations between students (Bognar & Matijević, 2005; Bratanić, 1993; Matijević et al., 2016; Vizek Vidović et al., 2014). There are numerous studies on the classroom climate throughout the world, even though it is difficult to measure, the importance of which is reflected in the fact that it is one of the factors in student achievement (Meyer, 2005). Both in research on teaching quality and in those dealing with the classroom climate, the focus can be on student experience and perception, although it can also be observed from the point of view of the other participants in the educational process or external observers. It is important to point out that students can be considered relevant in their assessment of the classroom climate (Fraser, 1989). The results of the research are diverse, but it can be singled out that many indicate the existence of a connection between student achievements and the classroom climate, and that there is a difference among students in the assessment of the classroom climate considering their gender, age and residence. Constructivism in teaching Constructivism in teaching became increasingly popular with the advancement of ideas about improving the traditional approach to teaching, that is, contrary to the class-subject-hour system by J. A. Komensky. The basic premise of the constructivist approach, which is the most prominent in the literature, implies the construction of the knowledge of each individual based on the experiences he lives through their activity, to which he adds his meanings (Bodner, 1986; Lebow, 1993; Nadrljanski et al., 2008). Although there are many advocates of this approach among experts in education, not all of them support it so there are numerous criticisms of it in the literature, such as numerous interpretations, questioning the existence of objective reality, unpredictability in implementation, etc. The different views that have just been highlighted indicate several different conceptual definitions according to which constructivism is interpreted as a philosophical, psychological and didactic theory, where different types of constructivism are distinguished, among which the most prominent are cognitive, radical, and social. In addition, different proponents of particular approaches to constructivism stand out in the literature - epistemological and educational constructivists but also constructivists who recommend (Null, 2004). Just like about the definition, experts do not even agree on the beginnings of the constructivist idea. While some interpret constructivism as a philosophy that originated in ancient times (Tam, 2000), others see it as a novelty from the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century when the individual is placed in the center and engaged in activities (Pranjić, 2005; Topolovčan et al., 2017) whereby it is important to highlight the reform school whose advocates focused precisely on the child's experience of his environment and various activities (Bognar & Matijević, 2002). Thus, it is evident that the basis of the constructivist paradigm is the student's activity and the construction of his knowledge. The understanding of the learning process in the constructivist interpretation starts from the theories of Jean Piaget (1896-1980) and Lav Semjonovič Vygotsky (1896-1934), from which cognitive and social constructivism developed. Consequently, teaching guided by constructivist ideas is based on numerousactivities and reflection, and the class is a desirable environment for communication with the aim of self-improvement (Richardson, 1997). Previously conducted research on constructivist learning, in which the participants were students, indicates the role of the constructivist approach to learning on student achievement. In addition, the results show different students’ evaluations of constructivist learning considering their gender, age and residence. In addition, it is important to point out that other participants in the educational process can also be relevant for collecting data, that is, valuable information about constructivist learning in classes. Teaching with digital media Digital media are part of everyday life in modern society, especially for children and young people. Driven by the interest that children and young people have in their free time for digital media, the tendency is to implement them in classes, and thus more so because one of their prominent features is multimedia and interactivity which expects students’ active engagement. It could be said that these media belong to the new ones, although they have been around for many years. Nevertheless, they are considering new because they have been developing since the 1980s of the last century (Lister et al., 2009). The rapid technological development that took place in the last and present century has constantly been introducing novelties into all aspects of life, including education. For this reason, digital media, primarily as transmitters of various information, can be included in classes, for example, to increase effectiveness, encourage active learning and prepare students for future work (Cuban, 2001). The originator of this idea about the potential of computers in educational practice is Burrhus Frederic Skinner (1904-1990), who started the realization of this idea in the first half of the last century and developed the socalled programmed teaching (Topolovčan, 2022). The use of digital media in modern education brings numerous opportunities and removes space and time limitations which we especially witnessed during the time of the coronavirus. It is possible to organize distance education which has its roots in correspondence education. One of the possible forms of distance learning is, for example, e-learning, the name of which refers to the use of electronic media in the learning process based on access to WEB 2.0 and 3D technology (Rodek, 2011). In any case, what is a very prominent characteristic of the use of digital media is multimedia, that is the inclusion of several different media within one unit (Rodek, 2007b). Of course, in addition to digital media, the methodological approach and teaching strategies contribute to this multimedia nature in teaching (Eret, 2017). Such an emphasis on media and multimedia encouraged the development of media pedagogy and didactics, i.e. multimedia didactics, which in a broader sense, deal with the implementation of digital media in teaching. Although the implementation of digital media in teaching brings numerous advantages such as those mentioned earlier, it is important to keep in mind the disadvantages. Research on instructional media intensified in the middle of the last century, and even more with further technological development. Theoretician's lessons about the value of digital media in teaching are divided and they do not necessarily have to be either a positive or a negative experience. Nevertheless, the results of empirical research on this construct in recent times indicate that digital media in teaching by themselves are not a guarantee of the teaching quality or the achievement of teaching goals. In addition, it is important to point out that in recent research, more and more attention is paid to students' attitudes about this construct, which is extremely valuable for teaching practice (Woodrow, 1991). Their attitudes mostly differ from each other considering their gender, age, residence and the role of the implementation of digital media in their achievements can also be noticeable. Research methodology The goal of this research was to examine the role of the classroom climate, constructivist learning and students’ use of digital media in the quality of elementary school teaching from the perspective of 7th and 8th grade elementary school students from all five regions in the Republic of Croatia, i.e. to examine students’ perceptions of the classroom climate, constructivist learning, their use of digital media in teaching and the teaching quality. In addition, it was planned to examine the features of the mentioned variables with regard to thestudents' demographic characteristics by determing the differences between them. Following the goal, the following research problems were set: P.1. To examine students' perception of the elementary school teaching quality considering their gender, age, residence and school performance. P.2. To examine the students' assessment of the classroom climate considering their gender, age, residence and school performance.P.3. To examine students' self-assessment of constructivist learning in class considering their gender, age, residence and school performance. P.4. To examine students' self-assessment of the use of digital media in class considering their gender, age, residence and school performance. P.5. To examine the statistically significant difference in the self-assessment of the use of each digital media in class considering students’ gender, age, residence and school performance. P.6. To examine the statistically significant prediction of classroom climate, constructivist learning and students' use of digital media in the elementary school teaching quality. The independent variables in this research are the students’ gender, age, residence and general school performance at the end of the previous grade, as well as the students’ assessment of the classroom climate, the students’ self-assessment of constructivist learning and the students’ self-assessment of the use of digital media in class. The dependent variable is the students’ perception of the teaching quality. The research was conducted by the Code of Ethics for Research with Children (Ajduković i Keresteš, 2020). Data were collected from October 2022 to March 2023 using a quantitative empirical paper-pencil research method and then statistically analyzed. The research was conducted in the schools attended by participating students. A total of 1,028 students from all five regions of the Republic of Croatia who attend the 7th and 8th grades of elementary school participated. Results and discussion Descriptive statistical data on the researched variables indicate that students evaluate the use of digital media and classroom climate as above average, but the teaching quality and constructivist learning in class are below average. When it comes to the perception of the teaching quality, it is noticeable that the students have the most positive perception of the possibility of their own choice in the class, and the least positive perception of the appeal of the class. This indicates that students have the possibility of independent choice in the activities carried out in class, and it is especially important to draw attention to the need to think about the uninteresting teaching content and materials. In addition, the results indicate that there are no significant differences in the perception of the teaching quality considering the student’s age, gender and residence, but the student's school performance shows a statistically significantdifference when it comes to self-efficacy between the groups of students with good and excellent but also very good and excellent school performance which points to the tendency to experience higher teaching quality by more successful students. Analyzing the results about the classroom climate, it is noticeable that the students evaluate the physical environment the most positively, and the peer relationships in the class the least positively. This points to the satisfactory equipment of the classrooms in terms of decoration and equipment, but it is advisable to pay extra attention to the students' acquisition of additional competencies for successful communication with peers. In addition, no statistically significant difference was found in the perception of the classroom climate among students considering their age, gender, residence and the success of the previously completed grade. The results on constructivist learning indicate that students evaluate the uncertainty of knowledge and learning the most positively, and the shared control between students and teachers the least positively. This points to the developed awareness of students about the changeability of knowledge and its role. It is also important to highlight the clearly neglected division of class management, which may point to the prevailing traditional teaching approach in Croatian schools. Also, according to the results, it is evident that there are no significant differences considering gender, age and residence, but the students’ success at the end of the previously completed grade shows a statistically significant difference when it comes to student negotiation between the groups of students with good and excellent school success whereby more successful students feel more competent. Students’ self-assessment of the use of digital media in class indicates that the students the most positively assess the expected effort they need to make when working with digital media, and the least positive is the frequency of using digital media in class. This points to the students’ awareness of the necessary competencies for successful work with digital media, but it also points to the infrequent implementation of digital media in classes. In addition, the results do not indicate the existence of significant differences in the self-assessment of students considering their gender, age, residence and school success of the previous grade. Additionally, no significant differences were found in student self-assessment of the use of individual digital media considering their age, gender, residence and school success at the end of the previously completed grade. Furthermore, it is particularly important to highlight that the results, through the implementation of a hierarchical regression analysis, i.e. a model in which all the predictor variables of this research were included, proved the predictive role of the classroom climate, constructivist learning and students' use of digital media in the elementary school teaching quality. In addition, it was noticeable that the students’ school success of the previous grade, the students’ residence, classroom climate and constructivist learning have a statistically significant predictive power in the elementary school teaching quality, while students’ gender, age and the use of digital media in teaching do not. Consequently, it is important to emphasize that the media are not the ones that, without relation to other factors, can be the teaching quality assurance. Conclusions Following all of the analyzed collected students’ attitudes and obtained results, it can be concluded as follows: 1. Classroom climate, constructivist learning and students' use of digital media are statistically significant predictors of elementary school teaching quality. 2. The teaching quality is estimated to be below average, and no significant differences were found in the students' perception of the teaching quality considering students’ gender, age and residence, while there is a statistically significant difference when it comes to self-efficacy between students with good and excellent as well as very good and excellent school success, in which teaching is estimated to be of higher quality by more successful students. 3. The classroom climate is estimated to be above average, and no statistically significant differences wer

The connection between physical activity and participation in extracurricular activities of primary education students

Cilj ovog rada je istražiti povezanost tjelesne aktivnosti i sudjelovanja u izvannastavnim aktivnostima učenika primarnog obrazovanja te dobiti odgovor na pitanje koliko se učenika bavi izvannastavnim aktivnostima i jesu li izvan škole tjelesno aktivni. Istraživanje je provedeno u Osnovnoj školi Mokošica u Dubrovniku. Uzorak obuhvaća 70 učenika: 36 dječaka i 34 djevojčice od čega je samo šestero učenika iz trećega razreda. Istraživanje se provelo uz potpisanu suglasnost roditelja. Učenici su rješavali anketni upitnik za procjenu razine tjelesne aktivnosti u proteklih 7 dana. Pod tjelesnim aktivnostima se misli isključivo na sportske ili plesne aktivnosti koje rezultiraju pojavom umora, ali i igre koje obuhvaćaju kretnje kao što su puzanje, preskakanje, trčanje, penjanje. Upitnik se sastoji od 10 pitanja, a svako pitanje ima ponuđene odgovore. Učenici su dobili jasne upute prije rješavanja da upitnik nema točnih i netočnih odgovara te da na sva ponuđena pitanja odgovaraju iskreno i točno. Za sve istraživane varijable izračunati su osnovni deskriptivni parametri: aritmetička sredina (AS), standardna devijacija (SD), medijan (MED), koeficijent asimetrije (SKEW) i koeficijent zakrivljenosti (KURT). Normalnost distribucije testirana je Kolmogorov-Smirnovljevim testom. Iz rezultata Spearmanovog rank koeficijenta korelacije vidljivo je da postoji statistički značajna pozitivna povezanost u gotovo svim varijablama kojima se procjenjuje tjelesna aktivnost učenika i njihovo sudjelovanje u izvannastavnim kineziološkim aktivnostima. Najveća povezanost očituje se u varijabli tjelesna aktivnost po danima gdje postoji visoka pozitivna korelacija. Mann-Whitney U Testom utvrđeno je postojanje statistički značajnih razlika u tjelesnoj aktivnosti.The aim of this paper is to investigate the connection between physical activity and participation in extracurricular activities of primary education students and to get an answer to the question of how many students engage in extracurricular activities and whether they are physically active outside of school. The research was conducted at the Mokošica Elementary School in Dubrovnik. The sample includes 70 students: 36 boys and 34 girls, of which only six students are from the third grade. The research was conducted with the signed consent of the parents. Students completed a questionnaire to assess the level of physical activity in the past 7 days. By physical activities, we mean only sports or dance activities that result in fatigue, but also games that include movements such as crawling, jumping, running, climbing... The questionnaire consists of 10 questions, and each question has answers provided. The students were given clear instructions before solving the questionnaire that there are no right or wrong answers and that they answer all the questions offered honestly and accurately. Basic descriptive parameters were calculated for all investigated variables: arithmetic mean (AS), standard deviation (SD), median (MED), coefficient of asymmetry (SKEW) and coefficient of curvature (KURT). The normality of the distribution was tested with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. From the results of the Sperman's rank correlation coefficient, it is evident that there is a statistically significant positive correlation in almost all variables used to assess students' physical activity and their participation in extracurricular kinesiology activities. The greatest connection is manifested in the variable physical activity per day, where there is a high positive correlation. Mann-Whitney U Test established the existence of statistically significant differences in physical activity

Contemporary curricular changes in the class science and society

Zbog sve većih tehnoloških, ali i političkih promjena koje su zahvatile svijet od kraja 20. stoljeća, javlja se potreba za promjenama u društvu, a time i u obrazovnom procesu. Temeljna značajka suvremenih kurikulskih promjena je pozicioniranje učenika u središte odgojno-obrazovnog procesa. Primjenom ovakvih suvremenih metoda poučavanja, odgojno-obrazovni proces odmiče se od tradicionalnih obrazovnih sustava gdje je učitelj samo prenositelj informacija. Novim kurikulskim dokumentima učenika se potiče na izgradnju kompetencija koje će mu biti potrebne u dinamičnom suvremenom okružju. To se nastoji postići poticanjem istraživanja, kreativnosti i metakognicije. Navedeno zahtijeva posjedovanje i proširenje kompetencije učitelja, stoga se prati i profesionalni razvoj učitelja kroz različite oblike profesionalnog obrazovanja i stručnog usavršavanja. Cilj je ovoga rada istražiti suvremene kurikulske promjene u nastavi Prirode i društva u Republici Hrvatskoj. U tu je svrhu provedena analiza i komparacija nastavnih programa Prirode i društva iz 1995. i 2006. godine te suvremenog kurikula za nastavni predmet Priroda i društvo iz 2019. godine. Prema novom Kurikulumu za nastavni predmet Priroda i društvo (2019.) naglasak je stavljen na istraţivački pristup u provođenju nastave, a temeljni je cilj da učenici istraživanjem pojava dolaze do vlastitih zaključaka. U nastavu Prirode i društva integrirane su i međupredmetne teme, čime se izbjegava uvođenje novih predmeta u odgojno-obrazovni proces. Kroz međupredmetne teme učenike se osposobljava za samostalno učenje, preuzimanje brige o vlastitom zdravlju te za odgovornu upotrebu suvremenih tehnoloških dostignuća.Due to the increasing technological and political changes that have swept the world since the end of the 20th century, there is a need for changes in society, and thus in the educational process. A fundamental feature of contemporary curricular changes is the positioning of students at the center of the educational process. By applying such modern teaching methods, the educational process moves away from traditional educational systems where the teacher is only a transmitter of information. With the new curriculum documents, students are encouraged to build the competencies they will need in a dynamic modern environment. This is achieved by encouraging research, creativity and metacognition. The aforementioned requires the possession and expansion of the teacher's competence, therefore the professional development of the teacher is monitored through various forms of professional education and professional training. The aim of this paper is to investigate contemporary curricular changes in the teaching of Science and Society in the Republic of Croatia. For this purpose, an analysis and comparison of the Science and Society teaching programs from 1995 and 2006 and the modern curriculum for the Science and Society subject from 2019 was carried out. According to the new Curriculum for the subject Science and Society (2019), emphasis is placed on a research approach in teaching, and the fundamental goal is for students to come to their own conclusions by investigating phenomena. Cross-curricular topics are also integrated into the teaching of Science and Society, which avoids the introduction of new subjects into the educational process. Through cross-curricular topics, students are trained for independent learning, taking care of their own health and responsible use of modern technological achievements

A picture book as an incentive for vocabulary development

Slikovnica je prva knjiga u životu djeteta i stoga ima neprocjenjivu vrijednost. Važna je za dijete u poticanju njegovog govornog i komunikacijskog, spoznajnog, socijalnog i emocionalnog razvoja. U prvom dijelu rada teoretski se obrađuje slikovnica, njene vrste i funkcija u procesu odgoja i obrazovanja. Nadalje u radu razmatramo slikovnicu kao jedan od poticaja za razvoj govora djece vrtićke i predškolske dobi, ulogu odgojitelja u procesu čitanja te važnost poticajnog okruženja na cjelokupni razvoj djeteta. Okosnica ovog rada je razvoj govora kod djeteta i slikovnica u aktivnosti, tj. slikovnica kao poticaj za razvoj govora i bogaćenje rječnika. Drugi dio rada predstavlja istraživanje koje je provedeno u DV Didi, u ožujku 2023. godine, u predškolskoj skupini, gdje je dob djece od 5 do 7 godina. Istraživali smo tri najčešće čitane slikovnice (Crvenkapica, Ježeva kućica, Zlatne basne 2) u pedagoškoj godini 2022./2023, koje su služile kao poticaj za razvoj rječnika kod djece. Cilj istraživanja bio je ispitati leksička obilježja triju najčešće čitanih slikovnica u pedagoškoj godini 2022./2023., ispitati leksičku raznolikost i leksičku gustoću odabranih slikovnica te ispitati razlikuju li se značajno po leksičkim obilježjima odabrane slikovnice. Rezultati istraživanja pokazuju da slikovnica Zlatne basne sadrži gotovo trostruko više riječi od slikovnice Crvenkapica te skoro dvostruko više od Ježeve kućice. Osim duljine slikovnice, analizom smo utvrdili da je slikovnica Ježeva kućica leksički najzahtjevnija dok leksička gustoća kod svih slikovnica je približno slična. Analizom smo utvrdili deset najčešćih riječi u svakoj slikovnici kao i deset najčešćih pridjeva, glagola i imenica iz navedenih slikovnica, a podatke smo prikazali u tablicama.A picture book is the first book in a child's life and therefore has an inestimable value. It is important for the child in stimulating his speech and communication, cognitive, social and emotional development. In the first part of the paper, the picture book, its types and functions in the process of upbringing and education are theoretically treated. Furthermore, in the paper, we consider the picture book as one of the incentives for the speech development of kindergarten and preschool children, the role of educators in the reading process, and the importance of a stimulating environment for the overall development of the child. The backbone of this work is the development of children's speech and picture books in activities, i.e. picture books as an incentive for speech development and vocabulary enrichment. The second part of the paper presents the research that was carried out in DV Didi, in March 2023, in the preschool group, where the children are 5 to 7 years old. We researched the three most frequently read picture books (Little Red Riding Hood, Little Red Riding Hood, Golden Tales 2) in the 2022/2023 pedagogical year, which served as an incentive for children's vocabulary development. The goal of the research was to examine the lexical characteristics of the three most frequently read picture books in the pedagogic year 2022/2023, to examine the lexical diversity and lexical density of the selected picture books, and to examine whether they differ significantly in terms of the lexical characteristics of the selected picture books. The research results show that the Golden Fables picture book contains almost three times more words than the Red Riding Hood picture book and almost twice as many as the Hedgehog's House. In addition to the length of the picture book, we determined through analysis that the picture book Hedgehog's House is the most lexically demanding, while the lexical density of all picture books is approximately similar. Through analysis, we determined the ten most common words in each picture book as well as the ten most common adjectives, verbs and nouns from the said picture books, and we presented the data in tables

Encouraging environment in preschool

U današnje vrijeme svakodnevno čitamo rezultate novih istraživanja o tome kako i na koji način odgajati dijete, što je potrebno za pravilan razvoj, kakav je utjecaj okoline na razvoj djece. Nijedno dijete nije isto, svako je individua za sebe, sa svojim načinom i brzinom razvoja, s vlastitim mogućnostima, interesima, kompetencijama i osobnosti. Nekadašnje tradicionalno gledanje na dijete kao objekt danas se više ne uvažava, naprotiv, dogodio se konstruktivistički obrat te se dijete danas tretira kao subjekt. Nova suvremena slika djeteta mijenja način odnošenja odgojitelja prema djetetu, a u suvremenoj pedagogiji dominira slika djeteta kao aktivnog i kompetentnog djeteta koje je samostalno i socijalno aktivno. Nesigurnosti odgojitelja i stručnog osoblja u dnevnom ophođenju s djecom dovele su do pojačanog interesa za istraživanja poticajnog okruženja u kojem djeca obitavaju. U ovome radu prikazat će se što je i kako se organizira poticajno okruženje u vrtiću za djecu rane i predškolske dobi. U radu bit će iznesena dva pedagoška koncepta: Montessori i Reggio koji se često koriste u radu s djecom. Spomenut će se značajni sudionici u tome procesu (djeca, odgojitelji, stručno osoblje) i opisati neke njihove uloge u stvaranju okoline prikladne dječjem uzrastu. Objasnit će se veza između planiranja odgojnog rada, praćenja razvoja djeteta i njegovih postignuća, osobna odgojiteljska procjena mogućnosti djece s organizacijom okruženja. Znanja koja odgojitelji steknu na praktičan način i znanja kojima raspolažu od fakultetskih dana omogućavaju im gradnju nove razine osobnog razvoja. Takav način učenja jest osnovna bit refleksije koju odgojitelji prakticiraju s drugim kolegama i stručnim osobljem. Sve navedeno su ključni faktori u organiziranju poticajnog okruženja djece u ranom i predškolskom odgoju.Nowadays, every day we read the results of new research on how and in what way to raise a child, what is needed for proper development, what is the influence of the environment on children's development. No child is the same, each is an individual for himself, with his own way and speed of development, with his own possibilities, interests, competences and personality. The former traditional view of the child as an object is no longer respected today, on the contrary, a constructivist turn has taken place and the child is now treated as a subject. The new modern image of the child changes the way educators treat the child, and in modern pedagogy the image of the child as an active and competent child, who is independent and socially active, dominates. The insecurities of educators and professional staff in daily dealings with children have led to increased interest in research into the stimulating environment in which children live. This paper will show what it is and how to organize a stimulating environment in kindergarten for children of early and preschool age. Two pedagogical concepts will be presented in the paper: Montessori and Reggio, which are often used in working with children. Significant participants in this process (children, educators, professional staff) will be mentioned and some of their roles in creating an environment suitable for children will be described. The connection between the planning of educational work, monitoring the development of the child and his achievements, personal educator's assessment of the possibilities of children with the organization of the environment. The knowledge that educators acquire in a practical way, and the knowledge they have at their disposal since college days, enable the construction of a new level of personal development. Such a way of learning is the basic essence of reflection that educators practice with other colleagues and professional staff. All of the above are key factors in organizing the stimulating environment of children in early and preschool education