International Journal of Cognitive Research in Science, Engineering and Education

9

Authors: Dobrica Vesić, Duško Laković, Slavimir Lj. Vesić

The development of modern information-communication technologies has enabled the development of electronic knowledge distribution channels that expand the effective level of general and specialist education. This trend is also present in higher education because higher education institutions and institutes increasingly rely on the use of modern information-communication technologies in their operations. The effects of the use of personal computers, the Internet and global social networks are multiple in the higher education system as well. In the process of acquiring new knowledge, developing creativity, as well as ensuring greater activity in the process of education, new learning technologies, with the use of multimedia systems, created the prerequisites for the engagement of all individual and collective resources. The most important source of the state’s competitive advantage is the ability to educate and retain highly educated personnel in the field of information technologies. From that aspect, the paper discusses information technologies as a scientific discipline and general conditions for education in the field of information technologies. The impact of technical and pedagogical changes on education in this area is analyzed with particular attention. It is known that information technologies are suitable for vocational education, and the modern environment sets specific requirements regarding the applicability of knowledge acquired in higher education institutions. The dynamic and turbulent market emphasizes the applicability of knowledge as a key requirement in the educational process. These short researches propose new educational modules that should structure teaching in the field of information technologies in accordance with the global demand in this sector. Every society strives for a more efficient and economical system of education, and therefore the issue of the use of new information technologies in education comes down to the problem of creating a theoretically ideal model of the use of these technologies at all levels of education and work.

11

Authors: Tomislava Vidić, Marina Đuranović, Irena Klasnić

In an attempt to examine the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic affected the lives of primary school students, a longitudinal study was conducted focused on students’ school satisfaction and life satisfaction, and their perception of the support provided by their teachers. The study was conducted in two waves, within the period of two years – the first one before the pandemic, and the second one upon its end, that is, when the students returned to classes in school. The study encompassed 548 students in total, attending third to eighth grades of primary school in the Republic of Croatia. 267 students participated in both waves of the study. The quantitative approach was applied. The results revealed statistically significant differences in students’ perception of teacher support, and the level of their school satisfaction and life satisfaction. Students seem to have been more satisfied with school, life and teacher support before the pandemic. An additional analysis of the differences between generations of students (2019 and 2021) was conducted. Although the younger generation seem to give a lower rating to all the examined variables, in comparison to the generation of 2019, the results reveal statistically significant differences only in life satisfaction (grades 4, 5 and 7) and teacher support (grades 5 and 6). The limitations of the study, as well as implications for future research and educational practice are discussed.

12

Authors: Irina Kibalchenko, Tatiana Eksakusto

The analysis is aimed at defining peculiarities of mental representations in homogeneous cluster groups, represented by the students characterized by different (high, average or low) academic progress levels. Deductive and correlation design of the research is defined here as a general method. Statistic design: the research is held taking into account a mixed method, including several qualitative and quantitative techniques of data processing and interpreting; more specifically cluster analysis (used for relatively homogeneous groups defining), multiple regression analysis (used to determine the impact of mental representations characteristics on academic success) as well as Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test. The average value of the regression model significance reflects the veracity of the research results. The attained statistic results prove that mental representations have peculiar impact on students’ academic success and there is an effect of the students’ academic activity progress splitting. On the one hand, the research helps to identify cluster groups of students characterized by success exteriorization indices growth and academic success indices reduction. On the other hand, non-linear impact of mental representations characteristics on students’ academic success was identified (the effect of inversion); i.e. some mental representations indices are highly developed, but the quality of education is low and individual resource is hard to implement in everyday life. Academic progress index, high level of studying and professional competences acquirement orientation as well as the activity factor are defined as measures of academic success mental representations splitting in groups. These results and conclusions prove the scientific fact that mental representations have an influence on the students’ academic success. This influence is multidimensional and vague. These facts offer a challenge of the research in considering highly-effective psychotechnologies for developing mental representations in general and students’ academic success in particular.

13

Authors: Danijela Vasilijević, Žana Bojović , Marina Semiz, Danijela Sudzilovski

The pandemic of the COVID-19 virus initiated a rapid organizational transformation of teaching at all levels of education and its implementation in a virtual environment. In this context, teachers’ perceptions of the predictors of online teaching largely determined the quality of its current implementation, but also the character of its further application in the future. Using the survey method, research was carried out with the aim of examining the attitudes of teachers in Serbia about personal predictors of online teaching and their determinants, in the past two school years. Personal predictors of online teaching are operationalized through the cognitive and affective competence of the teachers, as well as through organizational and technical support. Six hundred and seven teachers, who teach in the first three cycles of education, from all districts of the Republic of Serbia, participated in the research. Regarding all personal predictors considered, teachers evaluate cognitive competence as the most important predictor of the implementation of online teaching, then affective competence and finally, organizational and technical support. As the results of the research suggest, a significant influence of the dominant online experience, of the applied online platform, work experience and educational cycle on teachers’ perceptions of affective competence as a predictor of online teaching were determined, while the perceptions of organizational and technical support were significantly influenced by the place where the school was located and the applied online platforms. The obtained results may have implications for pedagogical practice and professional development of teachers in terms of consideration and awareness of the role of various personal predictors required for the successful use of modern educational technology.

13

Authors: Viktorija Ivleva, Antanas Kairys

The present study examines the links between personality traits, leisure activities, and memory in older adults after controlling for leisure activities and demographic factors. The research sample consisted of 24,930 individuals aged 65 to 101 years from 27 European countries (43.2% men and 56.8% women). Data from the 7th Wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe was analyzed. Memory was assessed using a modified version of Rey’s Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). Personality traits were assessed using the BFI-10 Personality Traits Questionnaire. Data analysis revealed that personality traits such as openness to experience and neuroticism allow for the prediction of memory capacity in older adulthood. These relationships remained significant even after controlling for cognitively stimulating leisure activities and age. These results show that personality traits such as neuroticism and openness to experience might be valuable in predicting memory functioning among older adults.

16

Authors: Igor Ristić, Marija Runić-Ristić, Tijana Savić Tot, Vilmos Tot, Momčilo Bajac

Students acquire learning material in different ways. Some prefer to read, some prefer to listen, others use the third type of sense. Traditional teaching uses only one of these teaching strategies since it is impossible to use all of them in the classroom. However, these days, adaptive e-learning systems enable learning material to be customized to the individual needs of learners. For the purpose of this paper, the researchers designed a model of the adaptive learning management system and implemented it in Moodle. The system was evaluated on 228 students. The incorporation of learning styles in Moodle is based on the VAK learning style model. The authors analysed the effects and effectiveness of an adaptive e-learning system. It was discovered that there are significant differences in learning effectiveness, satisfaction and motivation when students use an adaptive e-learning module in comparison to a standard e-learning module. Moreover, we investigated the durability of knowledge acquired with an adaptive e-learning system by comparing the performance of students not only after the completion of the course but also a month after the course. The results of the research confirmed the authors’ expectations and showed that an adaptive e-learning system can increase students’ learning results. So far, to our knowledge, no study has evaluated the performance between a control and experiment group a few months after the completion of the course, i.e. by analysing the durability of knowledge acquired through an adaptive e-learning system. Moreover, the motivation of students to continue using an adaptive e-learning system hasn’t been analysed until now.