The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) provides internationally comparable data on students’ mathematics and science outcomes. The present study examines whether school bullying moderates gender differences in outcomes on the TIMSS mathematics test among fourth-grade students in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The sample consisted of 3,324 fourth-grade students (1,654 girls and 1,670 boys). Mathematics achievement was assessed using TIMSS plausible values, and analyses accounted for the complex survey design using the student sampling weights. Results showed a significant negative association between school bullying and mathematics achievement for both genders, as well as a significant gender × bullying interaction. Boys achieved higher scores at low and moderate levels of bullying, whereas girls outperformed boys under high bullying exposure. This pattern was consistent across all plausible mathematics values. The results suggest that efforts aimed at improving school social climate and reducing bullying may play an important role in promoting both students’ academic achievement and their well-being. Keywords: TIMSS, mathematics, gender, school bullying, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Listening comprehension and retelling are essential skills for academic success. However, students with learning disabilities experience difficulties in both areas, which can negatively affect their academic achievement. It is noteworthy that the relevant literature includes only a limited number of studies examining the correlation between these two skills in students with learning disabilities. This study aimed to examine the correlation between listening comprehension and retelling skills in students with learning disabilities. The study was conducted using a relational research design, with a sample of 181 fourth-grade primary school students diagnosed with learning disabilities. Data were collected through the Informal Reading Inventory and analyzed using multiple linear regression analysis. The findings indicated that both the listening comprehension and retelling skills of students with learning disabilities are at a moderate level. Furthermore, their listening comprehension scores were found to be lower than their retelling scores. Among the components of retelling, only the ability to convey details significantly predicted listening comprehension skills. These results highlight the importance of fostering listening and retelling skills in both future research and classroom practices, and suggest that educational activities should be designed specifically to strengthen these interrelated skills. Keywords: learning disabilities, listening comprehension, retelling skills, relational research design

This study examined the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in supporting the mathematics education of students with special educational needs (SEN). Thirty peer-reviewed articles were analysed to examine (i) the types of AI technologies implemented in mathematics education, (ii) evidence on the effectiveness of AI interventions in improving learning, (iii) the benefits and limitations of AI in special education, (iv) comparisons of AI applications with traditional methods in terms of personalisation, engagement, and accessibility, and (v) applications of AI in supporting specific disabilities. The findings indicated that intelligent games, chatbots, personalised learning systems, and intelligent tutoring systems were the most frequently utilised AI-powered tools. All studies assessing effectiveness reported positive impacts on mathematical achievement, as well as benefits such as reduced mathematics anxiety, increased motivation, and enhanced independence among learners. Reported challenges included high costs, ethical concerns, teacher preparedness, and a digital divide limiting equitable access. Compared to traditional methods, AI offers more accurate diagnosis of learning difficulties, greater opportunities for personalised learning, and increased accessibility. AI showed promise in addressing specific disabilities such as dyscalculia and autism through adaptive and diagnostic tools. The review concluded that AI should be viewed as a complementary tool that extends teachers’ capacity to individualise mathematics instruction for students with SEN. Keywords: artificial intelligence, conceptual knowledge, mathematics, special education, special needs, disabilities, learning disabilities

Goal setting (GS) is regarded as a key component of the forethought phase of self-regulation. Given that self-regulation has been widely recognised as an important contributor to academic outcomes, the present study sought to further explore how GS influences English learning performance (ELP), with learning engagement (LE) considered as a mediating factor in the context of English as a Second Language (ESL). 295 English major students from a college in China were invited to complete three instruments: the Goal Setting Scale, the School Engagement Measure, and the English Self-ratings Measure, which measure students’ GS, LE, and ELP, respectively. The descriptive and correlation analysis was done, and the mediation model was tested. The results showed: (1) The GS, LE and ELP of the ESL Chinese college students were all at a relatively moderate level; (2) GS, LE, and ELP were significantly interconnected; (3) LE served as a partial mediator between GS and ELP, indicating that students’ goal-setting behaviors contribute to better English learning by fostering greater engagement. Chinese ESL students and English teachers are suggested to place emphasis on both setting goals and engagement for students’ English study. Keywords: goal setting, learning engagement, English learning performance, mediation model, ESL students

This study was conducted to determine the effect of teachers’ perceptions of organizational justice on organizational silence. A causal-comparative and correlational survey model was used in the research. The sample of the study consisted of 446 teachers working in İstanbul, selected through simple random sampling. The research data were collected using the “Organizational Justice Scale” and the “Organizational Silence Scale”. Descriptive statistics, along with independent sample t-tests, correlation, and regression analyses, were employed to examine the collected data. As a result of the study, it was determined that teachers held moderate perceptions regarding organizational justice as well as organizational silence. The study revealed that teachers’ perceptions of organizational justice differed according to gender and school type, while their perceptions of organizational silence differed according to subject branch. The findings indicated a significant negative correlation between organizational justice and organizational silence. Moreover, teachers’ perceptions of justice within their institutions were found to be significant predictors of how they perceived organizational silence. This study underscores the decisive role of organizational justice in shaping teachers’ silence behaviors. Implementing transparent, fair, and participatory practices in educational institutions can foster teachers’ sense of value and empowerment, thereby enhancing organizational effectiveness and the overall quality of education. Such practices reduce silence while fostering communication, collaboration, and innovation among teachers. Keywords: organizational justice, organizational silence, correlational survey model, teachers

Gifted education has traditionally prioritised cognitive development, while character education has addressed socioemotional and moral formation. Yet, the intersection of these areas is increasingly recognised as essential for nurturing gifted learners capable of both intellectual excellence and ethical responsibility. Building on this growing recognition, this review examines how existing research conceptualises priorities in character education for the gifted across varying educational stages and cultural contexts. Following the PRISMA framework, this study systematically reviewed journal articles published between 2004 and 2025 across three databases (Web of Science, Scopus, and Sage Journals). Sixty articles met the inclusion criteria, comprising 36 empirical and 24 theoretical/conceptual studies. They were analysed according to study type and research design, educational stage, and cultural context, using a combined coding system. The synthesis was organised around three key categories: group characteristics (character strengths), encountered challenges, and proposed solutions and priorities. The synthesis revealed that empirical studies, whether qualitative, mixed‐methods or quantitative, consistently foregrounded performance and intellectual virtues, whereas theoretical/conceptual studies distributed attention more evenly and gave comparatively greater weight to moral and integrative virtues. Gifted learners were found to face recurring challenges, including social and emotional difficulties, perfectionism, curriculum mismatch, and inadequate support systems. Proposed solutions clustered around differentiated instruction, social-emotional learning, mindfulness and well-being practices, external and internal support and the training of supporters. Priorities varied across educational stages and cultural contexts, yet a consistent need emerged for holistic frameworks that integrate cognitive, affective, and behavioural aspects. The review underscores the need for integrative, developmentally sensitive, and culturally responsive models of character education for the gifted. Keywords: character education, character strengths; cultural context, educational stage, gifted and talented education, systematic review.

The foundation for the successful work of pre-service teachers in the education of students lies in their professional and pedagogical knowledge and skills, reinforced by self-confidence in applying them when addressing more demanding situations in classrooms. This study aimed to examine the perceived efficacy of pre-service teachers. The research was conducted on a sample of 141 pre-service teachers from Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice. Exploratory factor analysis was employed to validate the research instrument (the shortened, revalidated version of the Ohio State Teacher Efficacy Scale), indicating the existence of three factors (perceived efficacy in adapting teaching to students, managing the classroom, and providing students with learning challenges), as the original model tested by confirmatory factor analysis did not sufficiently fit the data obtained from respondents. The research assessed factors influencing the self-efficacy of pre-service teachers. These factors included gender, field of study, motivation for choosing teacher education, types of teaching practice completed, and courses/subjects related to inclusive education. Significant differences were observed in adapting teaching to students in terms of motivation for teaching, and in adapting teaching and providing students with learning challenges in terms of completed teaching practice. The results in the context of a specifically focused study suggest that, to strengthen these components of pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy, it would be beneficial for university instructors to understand pre-service teachers’ motivation to pursue a teaching career, support the development of their professional identity, and foster more reflective teaching practice through mentors in schools. Keywords: exploratory factor analysis, pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy, pre-service teacher training, university education

The development of axiological culture among students at European universities should become one of the central themes in contemporary educational discourse. Having long worked on the practical application of conceptual ideas from value theory in educational processes, we argue that there remains a significant lack of scholarly research investigating the level of axiological culture within the academic environment in Europe and worldwide. At the macro level, axiological culture becomes a practical component in addressing one of the most significant challenges of European education: to remain simultaneously competitive and democratic, globalized (while preserving its identity and balancing between deep traditions and global pressures), and locally effective.

The subject of Home Economics aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to meet the diverse challenges of everyday life and achieve a high quality of life. This study explored sixth-grade students’ perceptions of the role of Home Economics in the following aspects of life: (1) cooperation, tolerance, and belonging (CTB); (2) work and time management (WTM); (3) environmental aspects of sustainable development (EASD); (4) prudent consumerism and finances (PCF) and (5) healthy nutrition (HN). A total of 120 sixth-grade students from four Slovenian primary schools participated in the survey. The results showed that students considered the role of Home Economics important for all five areas of life, with the highest ratings for environmental aspects of sustainable development (EASD) and the lowest for cooperation, tolerance, and belonging (CTB). There were no statistically significant gender differences, but male students rated the role of Home Economics slightly higher in relation to work and time management (WTM). The results provide deeper insight into how students perceive the role of Home Economics in developing everyday life skills and sustainable habits. These findings highlight that students particularly associate the role of Home Economics with environmental responsibility and practical life management, offering a valuable basis for further refining content and teaching strategies to better align Home Economics education with sustainable development goals. Keywords: home economics education, exploratory factor analysis, healthy life skills, primary school students, survey data

Inquiry-based science education (IBSE) is a student learning management strategy focusing not only on the active construction of knowledge in the natural sciences. Through the used educational procedures, it also develops students' soft skills. The impact of IBSE on the development of soft skills was monitored in a group of 14- to 15-year-old students in Czech basic schools. The main aim of the study was to determine whether IBSE contributes to greater development of students' self-assessment of the achievement level of selected soft skills compared to the transmissive model of managing their learning activities. The study employed an educational experiment as its validation method. The experimental group (N = 232) received IBSE teaching over a five-month period, delivered by teachers who had received prior IBSE training and were regularly supervised by the research team. The control group (N = 207) was taught using the transmission model for the same duration. Soft skill self-assessment was conducted using an 80-questions questionnaire based on interval scales. For each skill, the level of self-assessment was calculated as the arithmetic average of respondents’ ratings across 10 items. The collected data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The results show that students taught using IBSE reported significantly higher self-assessed levels in communication, teamwork, problem-solving, creativity, and the ability to learn new things compared to the control group. IBSE appears to be an effective educational model that not only supports science literacy but also fosters the development of key soft skills applicable in real-life and out-of-school contexts. Keywords: soft skills, inquiry-based lower secondary science education (IBSE), science literacy, self-assessment, school environment