Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal

Editorial - VARIA Issue

2026-06-16T15:21:09+02:00

Student-Centred Approaches in Higher Education From the Student Perspective

2026-06-16T15:21:09+02:00

Teaching approaches in higher education have been the subject of considerable research, which has resulted in a paradigm shift from teacher-centred to student-centred approaches. The present study investigates this shift, focusing on student eagerness to participate in various aspects of education and their expectations of teachers’ roles. It includes 218 students enrolled in the Primary Education programme at the Faculty of Education, University of Maribor, in the 2023‒2024 academic year. Through a questionnaire, diverse student attitudes towards student-centred approaches were revealed. Students expressed a desire to participate in decision-making about their education, particularly in choosing types of assessment and, to a lesser extent, in designing the curriculum. They also expect teachers to transcend traditional roles, emphasising the need for sound pedagogical skills and a supportive learning environment. Based on their attitudes towards student-centred approaches, two distinct groups of students were identified. These groups exhibited statistically significant differences in their academic behaviour. The study underscores the need for ongoing professional development for teachers in order to meet students’ preferences.

Contradictions and Challenges: University Teachers’ Views on Performance Evaluation Models in Portugal and Spain

2026-06-16T15:21:09+02:00

Teacher performance evaluation is a key component of high performing quality assurance education systems. The main focus of the present paper is to examine how international trends in teacher evaluation policies determine teachers’ working conditions in different higher education contexts. A comparative study was implemented at two public universities of Southern Europe (Portugal and Spain), with the aim of elucidating university teachers’ perceptions regarding the current teacher evaluation model. To achieve this, we conducted 28 semi-structured interviews, employing a comparative approach in their design. The findings suggest that participants encounter discrepancies within the stated objectives of teacher performance evaluation in higher education. Such evaluation is perceived as an external imposition with a very poor democratic process, focusing mostly on the quantitative perspective and with uncertain consequences.

The Effect of STEM Activities on the Academic Performance of Students With Reading Problems

2026-06-16T15:21:09+02:00

This research aimed to increase the academic performance of fifth-grade secondary school students (aged 10 years) with reading problems in science classes. Using the single-subject ABA research model, the study was conducted one-on-one with three fifth-grade students with reading problems who were studying at a secondary school in a city centre in the western region of Turkey. The research was carried out over a four-week period, with two lesson hours per week. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with science teachers to develop the activities in the research and activity sheets were subsequently developed based on the interview findings. To determine academic performance in the science course, three group monitoring tests consisting of ten questions were prepared for the Sun, Earth and Moon unit outcomes and checklists added to the activity booklets were used. In addition, a STEM continuity survey was used to determine whether students with reading problems would like to receive education with STEM activities. The results obtained in the research showed that there was an increase in the academic performance of the students. In addition, all three students participating in the study stated that they would like to continue receiving education through STEM activities.

Food Safety Knowledge Among Tourism Faculty Undergraduates in Slovenia: Can Social Media Leverage Educational Gaps?

2026-06-16T15:21:10+02:00

Education on food safety is vital, especially for future tourism managers undergoing training at universities. This study aims to assess the food safety knowledge of student seniors in the two Slovenian public tourism faculties, compare it with previous European and Southeast European studies, and explore the impact of social media use on food safety knowledge among tourism students. The research method utilised a questionnaire-based approach that surveyed three academic years of students until 2023/2024 from the two Slovenian public tourism faculties. Data analysis involved descriptive and bivariate statistics. The research reveals a notable scarcity of studies investigating students’ food safety knowledge within the EU. The results indicate that the average food safety knowledge score among Slovenian tourism undergraduates was 52.6%, raising serious concerns as it is lower than such scores reported in similar studies outside the EU, in Serbia and in Turkey. Slovenian tourism undergraduates demonstrated low elementary knowledge about personal hygiene and the spread of foodborne diseases. Curricula analysis showed the absence of mandatory hygiene and food safety courses at Slovenian tourism faculties, and most students (64%) recognised the need for food safety knowledge education. The findings suggest that neither students’ work experience in the hospitality industry during their studies (compulsory education at the workplace should be provided for all persons involved in food processing) nor following the food safety information on social media could compensate for the lack of formal education. This study underscores the urgency of introducing a comprehensive food safety curriculum in Slovenian tourism faculties to ensure future managers are equipped with essential food safety knowledge.

Teaching English as a Foreign Language to Students With Disabilities in the Republic of Croatia

2026-06-16T15:21:10+02:00

Since teaching English as a foreign language to students with disabilities has so far received little attention in national scientific discourse, which has mostly dealt just with specific subcategories of disabilities, the paper presents research conducted among Croatian primary and secondary teachers of English as a foreign language regarding their inclusive practice. Three research questions were formulated: What kind of education do teachers of English as a foreign language have about inclusion and students with disabilities? What are the experiences of these teachers in teaching students with disabilities? What kind of support do these teachers receive in the schools where they work? A descriptive research design was used, i.e., a qualitative study that included an in-depth interpretation of open-ended questions in a self-constructed and piloted questionnaire. The results show that 69.4% of the 98 participants did not have any formal education about inclusion or students with disabilities during their university studies, although 67.4% had attended a professional development programme on this topic. Most of the participants had experience in teaching students with specific learning difficulties (90.8%), and just 12.2% perceived themselves unready to work with students with disabilities. When they needed advice, the participants consulted school support team members, principals, class masters and experts or colleagues outside their school. However, only 15.3% of the teachers perceived the support they received as sufficient. The paper represents a solid starting point for further national research, e.g., on a specific category of students with disabilities or on English as a foreign language teachers working in schools with incomplete school support teams without education-rehabilitation experts.

Personal Practical Knowledge and Effective Teaching: A Study of Turkish Teachers of English as a Foreign Language

2026-06-16T15:21:10+02:00

The main aim of this study was to investigate English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ personal practical knowledge concerning their perceptions of effective teaching. The qualitative descriptive study employed semi-structured interviews and observations to investigate the impact of personal practical knowledge on the perceptions of teaching effectiveness among English as a foreign language teachers in Turkey. Seven English as a foreign language teachers currently teaching in three public education institutions participated in the study. Inductive content analysis was used to analyse the findings, which revealed that the characteristics of effective teaching, as practised by teachers in their settings, included classroom dynamics, students’ motivation, teacher engagement, assessment and engagement strategies in education, and an empowering environment for active learning.

Attitudes of Slovenian School Teachers Towards Smart Educational Humanoid Robots in the Classroom

2026-06-16T15:21:10+02:00

Robots are becoming an increasingly important part of our everyday lives and, consequently, of the education landscape. They can take many forms in education, from simple robots that students assemble and program to more complex (humanoid) robots that can, for example, travel distances when working remotely. The attitude of Slovenian teachers towards the introduction of smart educational humanoid robots into everyday school life was explored. A questionnaire was designed, and the current state of teachers’ attitudes was analysed based on the responses of participating teachers. The results show that negative attitudes towards the use of robots in the classroom prevail and that teachers do not feel qualified to integrate smart educational humanoid robots in education. Statistically significant differences between male and female teachers also emerge in some of the statements. However, teachers expressed positive attitudes towards concrete examples of robot use.

Preparing Teachers for Inclusive Education: Pre-Service Teachers’ Knowledge, Perceptions and Experiences of Inclusive Pedagogy From Teaching Practice

2026-06-16T15:21:10+02:00

Various scholars have questioned the effectiveness of teacher education programmes in preparing teachers for inclusive education. This study examines how teacher education programmes prepare pre-service teachers for inclusive education in terms of perceptions, knowledge and pedagogy. The study uses focus group discussions to examine pre-service teachers’ knowledge of inclusive education and their experiences of inclusive pedagogy from teaching practice. The SACIE-R questionnaire tool assesses the perceptions of 187 pre-service teachers with regard to inclusive education. The findings indicate that pre-service teachers acquire theoretical knowledge with gaps in field-based knowledge that hinder their ability to link theory and practice, and to develop inclusive pedagogy. Moreover, pre-service teachers have a low level of sentiments and harbour many concerns and negative attitudes towards inclusive education. The findings of the study contribute insights that can inform the design and structuring of inclusive education courses in teacher education programmes.

Rethinking Pedagogy in Higher Education Amid Turbulent Times

2026-06-16T15:21:10+02:00

Global challenges (labour market expectations, digital technology, the massing of higher education) are constantly changing the way higher education is managed. Responses to change can be planned. Responses from higher education stakeholders can be interesting and instructive for other institutions, as these examples can be incorporated into their own responses. The purpose of the study is to present the top-down ped- agogical reform process that started in 2019 at the University of Public Service in Budapest. Although initiated by the university’s educational strategy, its implementation depends on the teachers who have actively created innovative pedagogical spaces that ensure sustainability. These innovative spaces include training sessions for teachers, workshops, thematic discussions on teaching methodology, methodological publications, research and the annual Innovative Department Award. The stages of the process and the results and challenges of each stage were documented using a case study method. The description helps to illustrate how a process of pedagogical reform, with which the university leadership’s goal is rapid, systemic change affecting the work of hundreds of teachers, can be developed and sustained on the basis of commitment from teachers and institutional determination.

The Relationship Between Chronotype and Academic Achievement Among Slovenian University Students: The Mediating Role of Trait Self-Control and Sleep Quality

2026-06-16T15:21:10+02:00

Several studies have identified a relationship between an individual’s chronotype and academic performance. Specifically, individuals with a morning preference often outperform those with an evening preference. Our research explored whether trait self-control and sleep quality mediate this association. We conducted an online survey completed by Slovenian university students. Chronotype, trait self-control, and sleep quality were measured using the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire, the Brief Self-Control Scale, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Additionally, the participants’ academic achievement was assessed using an objective measure (the average grade for the winter 2022/2023 exam period) and a subjective measure (students’ own assessment of their performance compared to their peers). The results show that all researched concepts are positively correlated. Additionally, mediation analyses revealed that trait self-control significantly mediated the relationship between chronotype and both measures of academic achievement. Conversely, while sleep quality did not mediate the relationship between chronotype and objective academic achievement, it did partially mediate the relationship between chronotype and the subjective achievement measure. These insights provide a novel comprehension of the intrinsic modalities that might link chronotype and academic performance.

Melita Lemut Bajec, Karmen Pižorn, Jasna Fakin Bajec, Classrooms of Many Voices: Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Pedagogy, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education Press, 2026; 111 pp.: ISBN: 978-961-253-362-5

2026-06-16T15:21:10+02:00