The Relevance of Science-Religion Courses in the Educational Field

This chapter looks at the relevance of science-religion courses in the educational field, underlining the necessity of the tools in this domain in order to develop an encompassing consciousness of dialogue, meaning a consciousness of the dialogue structured on the comprehensive dimension, specific to the Ecclesial and Patristic Tradition. From this perspective it is important to avoid the prejudices given by different ideologies which have cultivated reductionist positions. To facilitate the understanding of course content, to diversify the opportunities for concrete educational application, and to offer optimal training of skills to prepare and adapt such knowledge for the different levels this chapter is structured in the synthetic manner.

Students and Teachers in the Digital Society to Debate Important Innovations to Change the Paradigm

The purpose of this study is to show the importance of innovation in classroom management. This chapter contributes to the current debate over the role of higher education in relationship to students and teachers in digital society. Internet and related technologies have already had a significant impact on ways to organize learning and studying. The chapter focuses on the preliminary phase including a written administration of a questionnaire to sample 190 students. The results obtained by analyzing the responses of the subjects have shown that both groups of students have the same opinions regarding the importance of innovation in classroom management. In conclusion, it is necessary to improve professional practice and stimulate collective capacity building, individual and collective reflection processes in solving problematic situations in academic learning to create and maintain an environment of collaboration and interaction in digital society.

The Decisive Factor for a Successful Religion Class

The success of the Religion class depends on a number of factors, some of them related to the students, others to the educators. From the second category, the essential factor is the teacher employed to teach the school subject. This study aims to examine the determining factor involved in teaching religion and to explain the paradigmatic profile of the teacher. His/her strong or weak points are decisive for accomplishing or missing the objectives of the Religion class. In the present study, the authors mainly consider the paradigmatic profile of an educator, in contrast with that of a mere school “employee.”

Knowledge Between Scientific Method and Ritualistic Paradigms

Knowledge is one of most important terms of philosophy and theology, not for its theoretical value but for its ontological value. Often, knowledge is linked by sciences, and this creates a paradigm for modern thinking. Man calls scientific only that things that touch an empirical condition, and he calls knowledge only what science can confirm. But truth is a universal value that exceeds scientific mode of knowledge, and it is not reducible. Because a thing in itself cannot be known, another mode knowledge is that of revelation, where things have no particular values conferred by human mind and subjectivity, such as universal and absolute value conferred by God in rapport with His creation. So, authentic knowledge is that inspired, where things have absolute value, and that is manifested through His Revelation. Man can receive and grasp this absolutely perspective through ritualistic acts, which develop a personal communion between him and God. That knowledge doesn't have scientific rigors, but it is most deeply creating a new ontological paradigm.

Teacher Attitudes Towards the School Integration of Students With Special Educational Needs

In recent decades, the issue of integrating students with SEN in mainstream education has been the focus of both educationalists and teachers from Romania. In this respect, integrated education means the form of schooling in which students with SEN are taught in mainstream education, while inclusive education assumes that schools adjust themselves to the psycho-individual particularities of each student, whether or not they have certain disabilities. Unfortunately, teachers and other educational agents are not always prepared to accept and meet the needs of a student with disabilities. Thus, the aim of this research was to identify the attitude of teachers towards the integration of students with SEN in the mainstream education of Bihor county, Romania. The results show that both society and a large part of the school staff ignore the issue of people with disabilities, preferring a superficial involvement, which restricts itself mainly to the administrative aspect instead of developing quality interpersonal relationships between non-disabled students and those with SEN.

Assessment and Paradigms

This chapter analyzes the assessment literature linked with 21st century paradigms. The study aims to examine the narratives on assessment (How can the metabolism of assessment be illustrated?) and to present the dissonances related to the subject topic (How do you measure educational results?). The qualitative investigation of the rhetoric on assessment is connected to the variety of educational challenges from the real life of schools: it is the shift from the traditional tools to contemporary technology. The shift from atomistic to holistic perspective presses for rethinking paradigms. This implies changing educational paradigms from being taught to learning on your own with guidance, from providing instruction to effective teaching, from teaching to producing learning. To conclude, this chapter argues for a network of paradigms connected to the multiple metrics of success translated into a different learning environment.

The Presence of Religious Symbols in Romanian Public Schools

The presence of religious icons in Romanian public schools is a topic that has been and continues to be intensely discussed and even disputed in the country. The number of people who are against the presence of icons in classrooms is increasing. This paradigm could also be seen in other European countries. This chapter will present the situation of religious icons in public schools in Romania, past and present tendencies, as well as what the future holds for religious symbols as the legislative cover seems to diminish. The situation in Romania will be analyzed as compared to the status of religious icons in other European countries, the purpose being to understand the position of other Christian states on this issue as well.

The Inclusion of Children With Special Education Needs

This chapter represents a literature review of inclusion policies and practices for children with special needs into the mainstream education system of Romania. The authors provide a structured analysis of the main inclusion practices, with an emphasis on the criticism of the current practice. The main criticisms come from teachers, informal caregivers, students with disabilities, and stakeholders. The analysis is backed up by official documents (reports and legislation), empirical research, and other papers of Romanian professionals in the field of special and inclusive education. After approximately two decades of inclusive schooling in Romania, the authors conclude that there is still a lot of room for improvement. Inclusion is an uninterrupted process that requests resources, structure, and scientific evidence, all embodied in technical and material means, diverse teaching strategies, and well-trained professors that are able to face the challenges.

Interaction and Intervention Strategies in Effective Classrooms

In this chapter, the author describes a few interaction and intervention strategies and techniques at the level of the class as ways to create an optimal learning and socializing environment. The class of students is described not only as a learning group, but also as a social group. This conception provides the teacher useful information on how to manage the class so as to enhance positive student performance, whether it refers to behavioral, motivational, or influencing techniques. The chapter presents well-known theoretical models in literature that generate specific intervention strategies. In light of the results of numerous researches in education, the chapter synthesizes the following specific features that individualize class groups. The author presents the two instructional options often used in learning practice with sometimes opposite effects, such as cooperation and competition. Also, at the level of the chosen strategies, there is an emphasis on the moral support and support, so techniques focusing on the positive approach of the students' behavior.

Connections Between Knowledge and Practice in Educational Psychology

The issue of exercising parental roles in families with children with special needs is a study framework that requires customization of measurements and interventions related to types and degrees of deficiencies. From this perspective, there is a configuration of mediating and moderator factors. The transnational, socio-cultural, and socio-economic aspects cannot be ignored from the perspective of adequate assistance and orientation of the children through parents. Support strategies must be related to diagnosis and psycho-individual manifestations. Also, parental cognitive abilities, parental educational and social status, parental physical and mental health, perceived self-efficacy and parental satisfaction, coping strategies, and parental reported well-being are elements that influence the quality of parent-child interrelations.