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This study explores an experimental approach to developing and assessing the STEAM-type behaviors in kindergarten children through extracurricular activities. STEAM education, encompassing the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, is increasingly recognized for its potential to foster creativity, problem-solving and critical thinking, specific to preschool stage. The research was conducted with a middle group of 5-6-year-olds from a kindergarten in Arad, Romania. The experimental group consisting of 24 preschoolers and the control group of 24 preschoolers were evaluated. A STEAM behavior assessment grid was developed, encompassing five dimensions, each with five items. Twenty-four students used this evaluation grid to assess two children each, one from experimental class and one from control class, during both pretest and posttest stages. The STEAM behavior assessment grid focused on key areas such as curiosity, creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving. The study's methodology ensured a comprehensive evaluation by involving pre-service teachers in the assessment process, thereby also contributing to their professional development. The innovative activities were structured to encourage active engagement and foster a deeper understanding of STEAM concepts. The results of the experimental research reveal that children in the experimental group exhibited a notable enhancement in STEAM-related behaviors compared to those in the control group. More specific, the experimental class showed increased abilities in creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration. These findings suggest that the integration of STEAM-focused extracurricular activities can significantly impact the developmental trajectories of young children.

This study focuses on the perspective of fourth grade students concerning the specific experiences of starting lower secondary school. We chose an inductive approach, the study relying on a qualitative analysis of the written answers of 94 fourth grade students from a school in Cluj county. Participants answered a questionnaire with 5 open-ended questions about their expectations and needs regarding the future school transition, as well as the sources of information they generally refer to. The aim of the investigation was to identify the actual educational needs of the students during the transition from one educational cycle to another, directly starting from their perspective, opinions and expectations. After classifying the responses according to the positive or negative nature of the expectations, as well as the aspects referred to by the pupils, we observed that the same features of the transition to lower secondary school were considered by some as positive and desirable, and by others as negative and undesirable, fears. For example, changing classmates is perceived by some as an opportunity to make new friends (positive emotions), while for others it causes negative emotions because of separation from old classmates or fear of being rejected by new classmates. Therefore, the challenge felt by students is not the change itself, but is the meaning the student attaches to the changes they perceive during their transition to lower secondary school, thus the influence of older peers becomes more significant.

This study investigates the implications of learning styles on the academic performance of second graders in the subject Mathematics and Environmental Exploration. The research was conducted on a sample of 97 students from four classes (2nd grades A, C, D and F) at the \"Avram Iancu\" Theoretical High School in Cluj-Napoca, aged 8-9 years old. The classes were randomly selected according to the availability of the students and teachers to participate in the study. We aimed to determine the dominant learning style of students, by class, by completing a free online questionnaire, available on www.twinkl.ro; to measure students' performance in Mathematics and Environmental Exploration, at the beginning of the study (through an initial written test) and at the end (through a final written test); to adapt the teaching activities carried out in the mentioned classes, in order to respond to the dominant learning styles in each class, namely the visual style (classes II A and II F) and the kinesthetic style (classes II C and II D); to plan and support lessons that promote visual learning (with the help of images, educational videos) - in classes II A and II F and motor learning (through movement and practical activities, puzzles) - in classes II C and II D. The results of the research, analyzed with the Chi-square test, showed that the visual and kinesthetic styles have positive effects on the performance of students in the subject of Mathematics and Environmental Exploration, through the activities carried out in the lessons, this test indicating a significant difference between the final and initial test (p 0.05). In conclusion, learning styles influence the academic performance of second grade students in the subject of Mathematics and Environmental Exploration.

It is unanimously accepted that reading activities have positive effects on children's development. Recent research has shown that pupils’ interest in reading activities could be enhanced by providing interesting and age-appropriate books. The purpose of the research is to determine whether it is beneficial to organize didactic activities in which pupils use their creativity to establish titles of attractive books for them. At the same time, we were interested in finding out whether pupils want to frequently participate in creative lessons based on story writing. All 54 second-grade pupils who have participated in our research mentioned that they enjoyed participating in the creation lessons, and would like to cooperate with other older peers in the process of writing the stories. The research revealed that could be beneficial to organize lessons based on stimulating students' creativity with the purpose of understanding the reading preferences of the primary school pupils.

Embodied cognition activities involve active interactions that train the motor system, the perceptual system and physical interactions with the proximal environment. In the language education of young preschoolers, these types of activities train young preschoolers in the process of learning new words, their comprehension and correct pronunciation. The article presents the influence exerted by the „Integrated exploitation of sensory-motor stimuli” educational program with an emphasis on capitalizing on embodied cognition activities, in the early language education approaches of small preschoolers. Early language education through this type of activity proves effective because it encourages children to make connections between words and concepts using tactile, visual and motor experiences. This approach helps to develop strong connections between words and their meanings. The methods used were the observation of the language behavior of the preschooler and the psychopedagogical experiment method, and the applied research tools, the observation grid of the language behavior of the preschooler and the educational program „Integrated exploitation of sensory-motor stimuli”. The study involved 98 small preschoolers, aged between 3 and 4 years, from 3 state preschool education units, from the urban and rural areas of Hunedoara County. The three educational units involved in the research are: „Mircea Sântimbreanu” Secondary School Brad, „Flore de Colț” Extended Program Kindergarten Brad and „Crișcior Extended Program Kindergarten”.

Assessment practices in Romanian primary education remain largely recall-based, despite curriculum expectations that prioritize reasoning, metacognition, and inclusive learning processes. This conceptual–analytical study examines the structural misalignments between curriculum goals, classroom assessment cultures, and national evaluation systems, highlighting their impact on learning equity and cognitive development. Drawing on international frameworks (OECD, UNESCO), national assessment data, and Romanian pedagogical literature, the analysis identifies three systemic gaps: curriculum–assessment misalignment, assessment–instruction misalignment, and a mismatch between equity-oriented policies and classroom practice. To address these challenges, the article proposes the ECEI Framework, an integrated developmental model that combines principles of cognitive education, metacognitive strategy development, inclusive pedagogy, and formative assessment. The framework introduces four categories of indicators—cognitive, metacognitive, inclusive, and assessment—designed to support teachers in observing and evaluating learning processes more effectively in diverse classrooms. Discipline-based illustrations in mathematics, reading, and science demonstrate how innovative assessment practices can make students’ thinking visible through authentic tasks, learning progressions, and multimodal response pathways. The findings suggest that developmental and inclusive assessment is essential for improving learning outcomes and reducing socio-economic disparities in primary education. Implementing the ECEI Framework requires targeted teacher training, coherent curriculum–assessment alignment, and system-level support to ensure sustainable changes in instructional practice.

S.T.E.A.M educational model is a new educational concept and reduced implemented in kindergartens in our country, Romania, but the examples of good practices developed within the eTwinning action carried out under the umbrella of the Erasmus+ program from different European countries, brought to our attention the fact, this educational model stimulates the growth of S.T.E.A.M skills (observation skills, communication skills, cooperation skills, mathematical and digital skills) at preschoolers. The article presents the eTwinning/Erasmus+ project \"S-TEAM in kindergarten\", a project carried out in collaboration with six European kindergartens participating in the program (Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Turkey, Slovakia), the activities conducted in project, the research methods and tools used within the project to measure the level of development of S.T.E.A.M skills, the results obtained within the project. The project was realized on the ESEP digital platform in eTwinning section, collaboration digital tools offered by the platform, a learning space for the participating kindergarten teachers and for preschoolers. The research methods within the project were the observation method through the Evaluation Scale, and Observation Grid of S.T.E.A.M activities and psycho-pedagogical experiment method, applied in ,,S.T.E.A.M in kindergarten”, educational program. The study included 255 preschoolers from six European kindergartens (Arabella Kindergarten Vidin, Bulgaria, Zespol Skol Publicznych v Szewnie, Szewna, Poland, Kindergarten No.2, Bistrita, Romania, Vocational School ,,Tiberiu Morariu” Salva, Romania, Huseyn Ak Anaokulu, Antalya,Turkey, Základná škola s materskou školou, Pod Vinbargom 1, Bardejov, Slovakia) and 22 teaching staff.

\"Currently, in contemporary cognitive science, embodied cognition is a controversial research topic. This article draws a parallel between how early childhood teachers conduct early languageeducation activities involving embodied cognition and how they conduct traditional language education activities. Language education activities involving embodied cognition are empirically supported, engage the motor system, the perceptual system and make use of elements of the proximal environment. Traditional language teaching activities are purely theoretical and do not lead preschoolers to deepen and extend connections so that they can make connections between sound perception and word meaning. Our interest in the current approach was to collect descriptive data from preschool teachers in Romania in order to identify strengths and weaknesses of language education activities involving embodied cognition and traditional language education activities. It also aimed to identify, for the teachers involved in the research, the difficulties that young preschoolers encounter in the process of comprehension of new words and pronunciation. We believe that understanding word meaning and pronunciation are processes that underpin effective language teaching. The method used was the survey and the research instrument applied, the questionnaire. The study involved 224 pre-school teachers from eight counties in the country, namely Alba, Arad, Bihor, Caraș-Severin, Cluj, Gorj, Hunedoara and Timiș.\"

Conduct, the systematic way a person behaves, has profound and varied consequences on our lives, influencing personal, professional and social aspects. These consequences can be both positive and negative, depending on the person's reactions to different endogenous and exogenous variables. Appropriate behaviour enhances empathic communication, facilitates the development of healthy interpersonal relationships and can contribute to creating a harmonious environment where individuals feel respected, valued and safe to express themselves freely and unhindered. This is essential not only for the emotional well-being of individuals but also for the cohesion of (micro)communities and social cohesion in society.Through this study, we explored primary school teachers' perceptions and interest in teaching the optional subject Education for Society in the context of developing personal, social and learning to learn key competence. In the micro research, we used a nonexperimental design and the research method was a questionnaire survey. Sampling was non-probability, voluntarily, the only criterion considered for the selection of teachers participating in the micro-survey was their willingness to answer the questionnaire questions. The questionnaire was distributed and disseminated online on discussion forums and social networks.

The educational environment, in its entirety (ethos, environment, educational offer, teacher-pupil relations, pedagogical actions) is oriented towards meeting formally established quality standards in line with the educational needs of the direct and indirect educational beneficiaries. Ensuring the quality of teaching is a concern of teachers, and they are therefore interested in increasing the degree of professional efficiency and, implicitly, their perception and self-perception. This paper, based on qualitative educational research, presents a comparative analysis of ten case studies, based on specific teaching actions undertaken and self-monitored by primary school teachers in Romania, through the practice of self-analysis of teaching activity. In this paper we aimed to explore the triggers of teachers' higher-quality professional performance generated by the practice of self-analysis of teaching activity. As relevant aspects of teaching effectiveness, perceived by the participants in a focus group, following the practice of self-analysis of the teaching activity, we mention the following formative valences of it: use of critical thinking, knowledge of personal and professional identity, identification of answers to self-reflective questions, teaching self-regulation and awareness of dysfunctions in the educational process.