Why Students Don't Study and Employers Don't Pay High Salaries?

The article examines the behavior of students and employers as a bimatrix game. With the tools of game theory, it is generally proven that the optimal strategy for employers is to pay low wages, and for students – not to study or to study too little. These two strategies form the Nash’s equilibrium in pure strategies. No specific numbers were used in the evidence, but only plausible assumptions about the relationships between the used parameters. This generalizes the conclusions made in the general case of higher education. Such a study of the question using game theory has not been done yet.

Bulgarian Parents’ Attitudes to Literacy Activities Through Digital Devices and Relevant Sociodemographic Factors at The Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study aims to establish correlations between the use of digital devices for literacy activities and the demographic and socio-cultural characteristics of parents, children and the family during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria. Thе study includes parents of 172 children aged 2 to 8 who completed online questionnaires related to home learning activities and the use of digital devices by families and children. The findings show that parents have a positive attitude towards engaging in literacy and reading activities through digital devices with their children, but do not support the excessive use of digital devices by children. We found that older children, girls, and children who use digital devices to communicate with family members and friends are more likely to engage in literacy activities through digital devices. Our findings corroborate other recent studies in underscoring the importance of partnership between children and their parents for children's development in today's environment.

Kiva: The Finland Alternative Against School Aggression in Bulgaria]

The writing of this article was provoked by another case of aggression against a teacher in a Bulgarian school. For the purposes of the analysis, a “case study” method was used to “dissect” the school situation that took place. The latter facilitates the derivation of the specific factors for the registered event. Through the code of linguistic communication, inductive generalizations stood out, which were related to deductive ones, generated by secondary analysis of data from the sociological research conducted in our country. The considered situation focuses on the Finnish school bullying intervention program KiVa, developed by the University of Turku, understood as an alternative to reducing school aggression and victimization. Besides, it also builds a safe and secure school environment.

Distance Learning in “Ivan Vazov” Secondary School in Stara Zagora during 2019/2020 Academic Year

The results of a survey are presented in order to support the management of the leadership of “Ivan Vazov” Secondary School in Stara Zagora to create conditions for distance learning. The results are analyzed from surveys to determine the degree of satisfaction and fatigue of teachers, students and parents associated with this school, from distance learning in the school year 2019/2020. Distance learning was introduced on March 16, 2020 by the Ministry of Education in connection with the emergency situation, announced by a decision of the National Assembly of Bulgaria and related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Transformation in the Management Models of Higher Education Institutions in Bulgaria – Challenges and Opportunities in the Digital Age

The article explores the trends and challenges facing higher education institutions in Bulgaria arising from digitalization, internationalization, dynamic regulatory framework and students' attitudes towards the educational process. The possibilities for modification in their governance models are characterized by taking into accounts the policies and strategies for the development of higher education at the European and national levels. The study aims to outline the possibilities for transformation in the management models of the Bulgarian higher schools, focusing on the development of digital competencies and the use of modern technologies in research and teaching processes, as well as funding opportunities through EC programs promoting the role of universities in creating regional innovation ecosystems.

Empirical Research on the Relationship between Students’ Lecture Attendance and Exam Results: Digital Learning in MS Teams

This research aims to investigate the relationship between lecture attendance and the achieved grades on the final exams for a sample of 485 students from the professional field of Economics at a Bulgarian university. The observed average lecture attendance is 30%, the correlation coefficient between the variables is 0.62. When using a regression model up to 38.79% of the variation in the grades obtained by students is explained by the factor attendance. The increase in attendance by 1% leads to an elevation in the exam result by 0.0306 units. All results are statistically significant at a significance level even below 1%. This study examines the problem for the first time in the context of online learning, where contact can only be achieved through electronic channels (students and the teacher have never been in live contact) and attendance data is observed by calculating the time in hours and minutes of participation in the MS Teams sessions.

The Management of Teaching in Online and Blended Learning Applied in the Project “Modern Competences of Academic Teachers – the Key to Modern Higher Education Institutions” – Acronym MOCAT

The management of teaching is connected and could be increased by using a wide range of different methods especially when we refer to Online and Blended learning. In the first part, the paper is aiming at reviewing the literature regarding the concepts and benefits of Online and Blended learning. Based on this considerations, 8 partner universities from 8 countries jointly developed the Project “Modern competences of academic teachers – the key to modern Higher Education Institutions (HEI)” – Acronym MOCAT. The paper underlines the goals and achievements of the MOCAT project that proposes a conceptual process to increase the management performance in teaching. The paper shows in an organized manner the main deficiencies that are altering the teaching competencies of academic teachers and in connection with this, the project offers solutions to improve the methodological competency of the teachers regarding the development and use of modern approaches. The outcomes of the project consist in the development and implementation of a Multicultural Model of an Academic Teacher Competencies and in 10 online courses that represent modern training materials in the field of teaching methodology. In the end are exposed the way the results of the project can be evaluated in time as well as the anticipated effects of the project implementation.

Application of the Inquiry-based Approach for the Development of Scientific Literacy in the Study of Chemical Processes in Chemistry and Environmental Protection in the 10th Grade

For the future life of young people their scientific education will allow them to live and act adequately in a society influenced by the ideas and values of science. Therefore, in the center of many educational systems an emphasis is placed on forming and developing scientific literacy in students. Inquiry-based approach in education is one of the important means for its formation and development as it puts the students in a situation where they carry out research activity, describe and analyze its results. In this article is presented an attempt to use inquiry-based approach in the study of chemical processes in Chemistry and environmental protection in the 10th. class. For its implementation a methodical model for application of scientific approach based on constructivist theories in education is developed. The results of a conducted experimental training for the determination of the expediency of the model are presented. A test is developed for establishing the training of students with an emphasis on scientific literacy. Testing results show that the developed methodical model creates good conditions for the development of scientific literacy.