The analysis of social-economic phenomena that characterizes the education system in Romania must take into consideration a multitude of factors, primary and secondary, essential and nonessential, quantifiable factors and unquantifiable or approximately quantifiable, found in a relationship of mutual interdependence. We aimed to identify the main methods and analysis of the educational system in order to study the concrete manifestation of the correlations and the intensity with which they occur. Simultaneously, we presents ways of checking the presence and significance of outcome indicators in order to make sure future decisions and measures regarding the field are sustained.
This open access book explores the most recent trends in the EU in terms of development, progress, and performance. Ten years after the 2008 economic crisis, and amidst a digital revolution that is intensifying the development race, the European Union, and especially Central and Eastern Europe, are ardently searching for their development priorities. Against this background, by relying on a cross-national perspective, the authors reflect upon the developmental challenges of the moment, such as sustainable development, reducing inequality, ensuring social cohesion, and driving the digital revolution. They particularly focus on the relation between the less-developed Eastern part of the EU and its more developed Western counterpart, and discuss the consequences of this development gap in detail. Lastly, the book presents a range of case studies from different areas of governance, such as economy and commerce, health services, education, migration and public opinion in order to investigate the trends most likely to impact the European Union's medium and long-term development.
Regardless of the field or discipline, technology is rapidly advancing, and individuals are faced with the challenge of adapting to these new innovations. To remain up-to-date on the current practices, teachers and administrators alike must constantly stay informed of the latest advances in their fields. Teacher Training and Professional Development: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications contains a compendium of the latest academic material on the methods, skills, and techniques that are essential to lifelong learning and professional advancement. Including innovative studies on teaching quality, pre-service teacher preparation, and faculty enrichment, this multi-volume book is an ideal source for academics, professionals, students, practitioners, and researchers.
Romania is an active player in various international higher education areas, while undergoing a series of higher education reforms within its national framework. The Higher Education Evidence Based Policy Making: a necessary premise for progress in Romania project was implemented by the Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding (UEFISCDI) in the timeframe February 2012 – February 2014, being co-financed by the European Social Fund through the Operational Programme “Administrative Capacity Development”. The project aimed to increase the capacity of public administration for evidence-based policy making in the field of higher education, while focusing on good practices at international level and impact assessment. With the contribution of the national and international experts, the project has generated a number of analysis and studies on the existing higher education public policies (quality assurance, internationalisation, equity, data collection, the Bologna Process, financing of higher education). Based on the results of the project, the book will reunite a number of policy research articles which would tap into the innovative aspects of the project's activities and provide a concise overview of what good practices can be drawn from the empirical research conducted in this project. The book will therefore aim to improve the information on Romanian higher education reforms, as well as on the concrete evidence-based policy proposals which could be transformed into future policy solutions in the Romanian higher education system.
Bridging the gap between higher education research and policy making was always a challenge, but the recent calls for more evidence-based policies have opened a window of unprecedented opportunity for researchers to bring more contributions to shaping the future of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). Encouraged by the success of the 2011 first edition, Romania and Armenia have organised a 2nd edition of the Future of Higher Education – Bologna Process Researchers’ Conference (FOHE-BPRC) in November 2014, with the support of the Italian Presidency of the European Union and as part of the official EHEA agenda. Reuniting over 170 researchers from more than 30 countries, the event was a forum to debate the trends and challenges faced by higher education today and look at the future of European cooperation in higher education. The research volumes offer unique insights regarding the state of affairs of European higher education and research, as well as forward-looking policy proposals. More than 50 articles focus on essential themes in higher education: Internationalization of higher education; Financing and governance; Excellence and the diversification of missions; Teaching, learning and student engagement; Equity and the social dimension of higher education; Education, research and innovation; Quality assurance, The impacts of the Bologna Process on the EHEA and beyond and Evidence-based policies in higher education. "The Bologna process was launched at a time of great optimism about the future of the European project – to which, of course, the reform of higher education across the continent has made a major contribution. Today, for the present, that optimism has faded as economic troubles have accumulated in the Euro-zone, political tensions have been increased on issues such as immigration and armed conflict has broken out in Ukraine. There is clearly a risk that, against this troubled background, the Bologna process itself may falter. There are already signs that it has been downgraded in some countries with evidence of political withdrawal. All the more reason for the voice of higher education researchers to be heard. Since the first conference they have established themselves as powerful stakeholders in the development of the EHEA, who are helping to maintain the momentum of the Bologna process. Their pivotal role has been strengthened by the second Bucharest conference." Peter Scott, Institute of Education, London (General Rapporteur of the FOHE-BPRC first edition)
This case study presents some of the practical aspects of focus-group interviews used in the frame of a broader research accomplished through Erasmus+ Project Lets make it better! Raising the awareness of the triad nutrition-health-food safety in school education (EDU FOR HEALTH). The interviews were conducted within the activity project titled "Critical analysis of the national curricula related to nutrition, health, and food safety." The analysis was needed in order to design the most suitable training process for teachers in preschool, primary, and secondary education regarding the relation among nutrition, eating habits, and health status. The knowledge teachers acquired through the trainings constitutes the basis for an innovative approach to the integration of food science education and related subjects within the curricula. In this case study, we discuss the issues that researchers face in preparing and conducting a focus-group interview and reveal some methodological problems we faced, including the following: why this research method rather than another, how to establish focus groups that will work, how to mitigate any possible animosity between participants, how to overcome the silences during the interviewing, how to assure a comfortable ambiance for discussions, and how to make sure that all the information needed is obtained before ending the interview. This case study also shows the importance of thorough preparation before conducting the interview, the need for spontaneity and good discussion management skills, and the advantages of this research method.
The pandemic crisis generated by the corona virus affected all the world and its social systems. They had to rapidly adapt and take drastic measures, in order to answer in an effective and efficient way to the virus dispersal. The most common answer was the lock down of many of the economic and social activities. One of the most affected social systems by the COVID-19 crisis was the educational system, which had to eliminate all the face to face interaction teaching and learning methods and move all in online, transforming them in e-learning activities. As the system theory states, many systems have the property of adapting itself to changes in the environment. The aim of this work is to make an analysis on how the Romanian educational system was able to adapt in a short period of time, by reviewing the administrative and legal measures taken. Also, we will try to see if this crisis is a real treat or an opportunity to rethink how we educate future generations and which should be the new skills needed for the future, for both students and teachers.
Eugenics movements gained momentum throughout Eastern Europe between World Wars I and II. Maria Bucur demonstrates that the importance of the eugenics movement in Romania rests not so much in the contributions made to the study of science as in the realm of nationalist ideology and social policy making.The notion that the quality and quantity of the human species could and should be controlled manifested itself through social engineering projects ranging from reshaping gender roles and isolating ethnic undesirables to introducing broad public health measures and educational reform. Romanian eugenicists sought to control such modernization processes as urbanization and industrialization without curbing them, yet they also embraced attitudes more typically identified with anti-modernists in Romanian politics and culture. Bucur is the first historian to explore the role of eugenics as a response to the challenges of nation- and state-building in Eastern Europe. She presents a balanced assessment of the interwar eugenics movement's success and failures and identifies connections and discontinuities between the movement and the post-war communist regime.
