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This research aimed at investigating, within a focus group, the primary grades teachers' opinions concerning the use of photographs in Natural Sciences lessons. We asked teachers to answer nine questions on: the contents of the used photographs, their sources, the circumstances/reasons they took into account when selecting the photographs, the lesson stages when they used them, the used methods, the context in which they had got information about the manner in which photographs should have been used, the pupils' interest in using photographs during learning activities in Natural Sciences, which are the disadvantages/risks for pupils if photographs were not used, and on the challenges the teachers had to cope with when using photographs during Natural Sciences lessons. At the end of our study, we noticed the diversity of the topics and lesson stages when photographs had been used, teachers' preference for the Internet as a source of photographs although Internet connection in school was poor, and that teachers appreciated photographs as significant for pupils' motivation, to focus their attention, enabling perception and understanding of natural and human induced processes, to form their representations and enable knowledge retention in pupils' memory, to develop thinking, language, imagination, and creativity. They pointed out that in the absence of photographs for learning Natural Sciences, pupils would run the risk of not understanding or less understand the topics, and of making misleading representations.

This paper analyses a part of the results regarding environmental education (EE) and education for sustainable development (ESD) in Romania, obtained by administering a survey in 2017, willingly and anonymously filled out by 335 teachers (preschool teachers, primary school teachers, Geography teachers). It examines: respondents' interest, importance, knowledge and involvement in EE and sustainable development (SD); activity impact on teacher knowledge, attitude and behaviour towards SD and environment in Romania; importance of aims and levels in EE and ESD; EE and SD activities involving preschoolers and pupils as well as their frequency; the efficiency of some activities in preschoolers' and pupils' EE and ESD; problems that may occur due to a subpar EE. In its conclusions, the paper highlights several measures for an increase in EE and ESD levels.

This paper analyses information and university students's opinions, from the Faculty of Geography of Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, regarding the field trips organised during their studies. Information and opinions were collected by means of a questionnaire administered in 2017. There were analysed: the number of field trips students participated at, their duration, sources of funding, types of learning activities and their efficiency, the places where the activities were organised, strengths and opportunities, weaknesses and threats, as well as improvement measures. The compulsory field trips are included and credited in the curriculum and completed with grades at all Bachelor specialisations. In addition, the professors organise short, optional thematic field trips in and around ClujNapoca. The results of the research revealed the professors' expertise in organising field trips, such as duration, places studied, content proposed for learning, didactic and research methodology, devices and tools used. Results showed students' greater involvement into compulsory field trips, compared to their participation at optional and short field trips organised in the local horizon. These results also highlighted the students' desire to benefit of a better field trip activity offer and of a broad range of student-centered learning activities: discussions and debates, problem solving and exercises, individual and group investigations, and so on. Our research will be useful for professors who organise field trips with Geography students.

One of the most complex topics in Geography is linked to cultural landscapes. Although this concept has aroused the interest of scholars from different nations and the bibliography is diverse, among students there are still uncertainties concerning the meaning of cultural landscapes. Thus, at the Faculty of Geography, Babes-Bolyai University, in Cluj-Napoca, Regional Planning and Development M.Sc. programme, the students had in their first semester a discipline named Cultural Landscapes, which provided the theoretical background using international references. For assessment, students were asked to transfer their knowledge into practice by realising a postcard with cultural landscapes of Cluj-Napoca city. This paper analyses the process of learning during solving the task, presenting firstly different views about cultural landscapes in geographical literature. The methodology used comprises the analysis of the process of learning, starting from discussions on the theory and going to the presentation of the task, the evaluation and the actual process of making the postcards undertook by the students. There were eight postcards realised in pairs which were assessed using an especially designed grid. The whole activity carried out by the students was analysed from a didactic point of view. It is demonstrated that, being helped by theoretical discussions during the courses, the students managed to understand the cultural landscape and, moreover, to put into practice what they had learned. Thus, they managed to achieve a different perspective for some familiar landscapes from the city, in which they had lived for about three years. This learning activity actually put the theoretical frame into another light and so the students had become more aware of the meaning of cultural landscapes by experiencing them on their own.

The aim of our research was analysing the animated interactive multimedia learning activities (IMLA) with a Geography/Sciences contents, within the Mathematics and Environmental Exploration digital textbooks for the 2nd grade, edited by the CD PRESS Publishing House in 2014. We conceived an assessment grid focusing a series of features of the respective Geography/Sciences activities: animation type, clarity and relevance of the included images, unfolding speed of the images, manner of realising the unfolding (e.g. zooming), existence of marking (e.g. arrows) and the accordance between image and orally transmitted information (image-oral text simultaneity), information correctness, information load amount, information accessibility, didactic method used, number of tasks, stimulated cognitive processes, and activity duration.

Due to the introduction in 2013 into the new Framework Plan for the primary education of the integrated Mathematics and Environmental Exploration (MEE) subject, of new textbooks and auxiliaries, we considered it necessary to find the the teachers' opinions regarding the way in which the curriculum documents facilitate the study of the MEE subject. The present article is based on a research performed using a survey carried out voluntarily and anonymously by 131 teachers for primary education. Through the responses to the questionnaire, we identified several important issues. Regarding teachers' sources of documentation, we found out that they prefered online sources (websites, blogs) and specialized forums, which was surprising because these sources did not have the reliability of correct information. Only on the next places were placed the official documents or those elaborated by specialists. Teachers assigned scores of about four (out of a maximum of five) to the clarity of all components of the school curriculum. In terms of textbooks and auxiliaries, respondents scored better auxiliaries across all the indicators considered. The biggest benefit of introducing the MEE subject identified by respondents was that activities were more attractive or motivating for learning. At the opposite end, the smallest benefits related to ensuring the rigour and learning durability of both Mathematics and Environmental Exploration. Regarding the limitations, disadvantages or problems of studying the MEE subject, the lack of support materials was the first reported by the respondents. On the next places were placed the need for specific lessons with mathematical content or the heavy design of thematic units and lessons.

Digital textbooks were introduced in the Romanian education system in the 2014-2015 school year. In order to find out how well prepared were the primary grades teachers and pupils to use the six digital textbooks of Mathematics and Environmental Exploration, for the 2nd grade, we administered a questionnaire. To the questionnaire, with 14 items, 36 primary grades teachers answered on a voluntary basis. We analysed teachers' information and opinions about the following: the context in which they achieved knowledge about the digital textbooks, how adequate the respective technology was, the appropriateness of infrastructure and human resource for using the respective textbooks, the electronic support and the electronic apparatuses used, the context of using them and the forms of organising the activities for their use, the frequency of their use during classes, and the importance of working with those digital textbooks, as well as some of their disadvantages.

This study was conducted due to the fact that in 2016, in Romania, the secondary school curriculum began to change. Two questionnaires were applied to teachers who taught or still teach Geography in secondary schools, in order to come up with a fundamental and operational good quality curricular document for Geography. This paper analyses teachers' opinions on the current Geography curriculum and on its improvement. The authors of this study believe that its results should be taken into account when elaborating a new good quality Geography curriculum.

In the first part of the paper, we present the legislation from Romania and the methodologies related to the continuous training of teachers. In order to know the teachers' opinions about their professional development, about the programmes, courses and other training activities in which they were involved and about their needs for continuous training as geography teachers, a questionnaire was applied, and was completed by 170 teachers. The results were analysed and interpreted. These views are important because, based on them, decisions can be made concerning the teachers' continuous training at both ministry level, as well as at the level of various institutions involved in such activities.

In the first part of the paper, we presented theoretical aspects related to urban identity and to the urban image. In the second part, we presented an exploratory experimental research realised in 2016, at Pomi Middle School, Satu Mare County, Romania. In this activity, students in the 8th grade formed several teams and each team realised a poster, picking as a subject one large city in Romania and presented the characteristic features of that city. Based on our criteria, we analysed those posters by paying attention to what students underlined about the identity of the respective cities.

In the introduction of the paper, we presented theoretical aspects related to rural tourism, equestrian, and horse-drawn carriage tourism. Next, we presented the organisation of the research, and then we presented and analysed results. The research carried out in 2016 had two phases. In the first phase, questionnaires were administered to residents about equestrian and horse-drawn carriage tourism heritage of Mariselu village and its capitalisation. In the second phase, a teaching experiment was held with 22 pupils in the primary grades from Mariselu Middle School, Bistri?a-Nasaud County, Romania. An initial test and a final one were applied, and in between, an experimental activity took place consisting of pupils' completion of a 25 km long route, during 12 hours through six villages of Mariselu Commune, accompanied by teachers and parents in horse-drawn carriages.

There are different opinions about the meaning of feedforward: some consider it a response to feedback, while others think it consists of suggestions given to a person in order to help them before learning or starting a task. This study analyzed the professor's and university students' actions during a seminar activity with a group of 60 students from Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania and represented them in a flowchart. It also analyzed the efficiency of several didactic techniques and tools that were used with the role of feedforward (e.g., task, checklists). Students' results in the form of sketch maps were compared with the ones from a control group of another 60 students from the same university; the methods and tools that were used as feedforward were noticed to determine an increase in efficiency and better product quality. The feedforward categories were systemized and described, thus filling a gap in the literature of the field. To increase students' learning efficiency and the quality of their results, professors should use feedforward more than feedback, because this creates and ensures the necessary conditions for students to correctly solve tasks and to prevent them from making mistakes.

In this research was analysed 120 twelfth grade students' behaviour, of "Iulian Pop" Economic High School in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, regarding the use of the Facebook social network for learning and assessment in Geography. Students were organised in five discussion groups on the social network Facebook. To achieve the research objectives, we analysed students' answers at a questionnaire and the contents of the dialogue between teacher and students and also between students. Students perceived positively the learning and assessment activities and they perceived their teacher as their equal. At the cognitive level, the activity was focused on clarifying certain aspects, revision, knowledge learning and assessment. The disadvantages of the learning activity in the Facebook discussion group were that the posted materials cannot be classified and can be found with difficulty.

The study stemmed from the fact that teachers have difficulties in designing lessons. The objective of the study was to identify these difficulties and to analyse how to adapt lesson plans in the context of the paradigm shift in the educational system through its focus on competence training. We analysed 40 lesson plans for themes at the subject "Mathematics and Environmental Exploration" for the preparatory class. These lesson plans were developed by third-year university students who were teachers and educators that completed full time courses and distance learning at the specialization "The Pedagogy of the Primary and Preschool Education", during the 2014-2015 academic year. We analysed the titles of the plans, the introductory part of the plans (class, grade level and date, subject, curriculum area, thematic units, the lesson type, the specific competences, the operational objectives, the organization of work, methods and processes of teaching, means of education), and lesson development. We identified the problems that teachers had in designing the lesson and we made some suggestions for solving them.

The purpose of this study is to analyse from the perspective of a history teacher and of a geography teacher the use of a photo at a history lesson. The task of designing learning activities associated with a photo was given at the discipline "Models and Paradigms of Teaching and Learning" to the first year students of the Curricular Management Master in the Faculty of Psychology and Sciences of Education in the 2013-2014 academic year. The aim was that the MA students develop their competence to analyse and to interpret a photo and the competence to design learning activities based on a photo, using a variety of teaching methods, efficient in forming students' skills. The specific objectives of this research were: the analysis of the learning activities associated to a photo and the analysis of the role of solving tasks in the development of students' skills. At the end of this study, we reached several conclusions: in analysing and interpreting of a photo content together with students, one might use various forms of organization and different teaching methods and procedures; the photo could be used in various moments of the lesson and with different objectives; by using that photo, students developed specific competencies for history and also for geography. By solving the task, MA students developed the competences to design learning activities based on a photo and correlated with specific competences to a school subject matter. Student would be able to use that competence in the pre-university education system.

In this study we analyze the behavior of a sample of 30 third-year students of various majors of the Faculty of Geography, "Babes-Bolyai" University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania, regarding the Internet use. We applied a questionnaire containing 15 items related to: Internet activities performed; length of time students spend on the Internet; devices used to access the Internet; types of materials that students downloaded, read, viewed, forwarded or posted on the Internet; types of applications used. Taking into account the time students spent daily on the Internet and correlated with other responses we concluded that their concerns were closely related to the Internet, whether it was about communication, career, or personal life.

In this paper, we analyze some aspects related to "Mathematics and Environmental Exploration" subject syllabus for preparatory grade approved by Minister of National Education of Romania. The analysis aim the place of the subject syllabus into the Framework Plan; the syllabus structure and the argumentation of studying this subject; the syllabus general and specific competences; the relationship between competences and contents. Regarding the place into the Framework Plan this subject is part of curricular area "Mathematics and Natural Sciences". The name of the subject integrates two scientific fields Mathematics and Environmental Science for which is allocated 4 hours per week. The analysis of the syllabus, showed that it was developed according to "a new curricular design, focused on competences" (2013, p. 2), model-based on outcomes learning (Spady, 1994 as cited in Catana, 2010) and associated with student-centered approach (Catana, 2010). The analysis of general and specific syllabus competences show several aspects: to be specific to the two integrated disciplines, they require some reformulations; not all specific competences have been correctly derivate from the associated general competence. By analyzing the proposed contents, we observe that there is no information indicating whether themes are chapters' titles, topics for lessons, if they are wider or narrower than a lesson. The paper, along with observations, presents suggestions for improving the "Mathematics and Environmental Exploration" subject syllabus for preparatory grade.

The results of Romanian students at international comparative TIMSS and PISA tests have constantly proven to be unsatisfactory. The present paper aims at analyzing the school syllabi "Mathematics and Environment exploration", "Environmental Education" and "Natural Sciences" studied during primary education in Romania and the Sciences curricula on which the TIMSS inquiry is based. The goal of this comparative analysis has been to provide themes of reflection for the conceivers of school syllabi in Sciences. For analysis the Romanian school curricula of Primary level we identified that knowledge ("content domain") and the abilities involved in building new knowledge (cognitive dimension and scientific inquiry process) are considered necessary to Fourth grade students by TIMSS curriculum. The analysis of school syllabi on which the study of science is carried out demonstrates that Romanian Fourth grade students have developed, based on these curricula, less scientific knowledge and skills than those investigated by the TIMSS inquiry. The main conclusions of this study are that the school syllabi for primary education in Romania require, without exception, re-evaluation and that the study of Sciences needs to rely on the scientific inquiry process to a large extent.

Te aim of this paper is studying ways in which originality of elementary school students can be stimulated through the use of artistic activities. The paper is theoretically grounded in considering originality as the capacity to deliver new ideas, ingenious, unconventional, unusual and shocking solutions (Mihaela Roco, 2004; H. Jaoui, 1975; Al. Rosca, 1981; Margaret A. Boden, 1992) compared to previous existing models. The research hypothesis states that if children are involved in learning situations in which they use different painting and collage techniques, then they are stimulated to deliver original outputs. The empirical research was carried on during the school year 2012-2013. The sample consisted from 12 children enrolled in 2nd grade at a school from Salaj County. 12 topics were proposed. Therefore, children were involved in 12 experimental situations where they used different techniques. In the end, our hypothesis confirms, especially during the experiment, but children have difficulties in transferring the techniques in new contexts.

We started this study after noticing that university students make certain mistakes when elaborating column charts. The objectives of our research were to: 1) analyse the knowledge integrated into the competence of elaborating column charts; 2) analyse the procedure(s) to elaborate these charts; 3) analyse the mistakes that university students make in elaborating these charts; 4) analyse the causes leading to their mistakes; 5) identify ways to improve the educational process and students' performance results. In order to achieve these objectives, we studied the activity for forming students' competence to elaborate column charts and we analysed 704 such charts realised by 410 students at the Faculty of Geography within the University of Bucharest, Romania, during the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 academic years. In this paper, we describe the competence to elaborate column charts and present an analytical assessment grid with a dichotomous scale according to the way of presentation proposed by Maria Eliza Dulama. In the analysis, we assessed charts using this assessment grid that included 20 criteria. We conclude by proposing ways to better the activity that underlies the formation of elaborating column charts (e.g. discussing chart types with students, discussing mistakes and how to correct them, discussing causes of their mistakes and an assessment grid before elaborating charts, creating a check list, etc.).

The aim of this research is two-fold: first, to offer preschool children new learning situations in order to develop their drawing and painting abilities and second, to learn new techniques in a shorter period of time. The paper is grounded in the theory of creativity. Creativity is defined as the ability to propose something new, original and accurate. The research hypothesis states that if preschoolers are offered clear instructions on drawing/painting and are carefully monitored during fulfillment of the task, then they develop new drawing and painting abilities in a shorter period of time. The independent variable is the working task, while the dependent variable for this study is the final output. The sample consisted from 15 children enrolled during 2011-2012 at "Raza de Soare" Kindergarten Cluj-Napoca. The content of the drawings included specific topics related to natural sciences: flowers, leaves etc.. 12 experimental learning contexts were proposed. The research hypothesis is confirmed. We concluded that future research should consider fewer instructions in order to allow children to internalize the working tasks. Also, this will also facilitate the statistic measurement of the progress.

The goal of this paper is to plan working task for preschool children in order to deliver original and creative outputs. The theoretical background of the paper is set in defining creativity as "the capacity to create something new, original, and adequate to reality" (Roco, 2004; Jaoui, 1975; Rosca, 1981; Boden, 1992). The research hypothesis states that "if preschoolers are asked to comply with some predefined working rules in drawing they will deliver original outputs." The independent variable is the working task and the dependent variable is the output. The empirical research involved children enrolled in preparatory group from Floresti Kindergarten (Cluj). The learning content involved elements from Math, Biology, and Decorative Art: circle, square, triangle, leaves, flowers. Children were involved 13 comparative experimental contexts. Therefore, their progress for each output was monitored. Preschoolers delivered original drawings, different from their peers' but similar in using the same decorative element. The research hypothesis confirmed. Results are to be judged with caution as future researches should use fewer tasks as the independent variable.

The paper begins with some issues related to aesthetics, aesthetic education, art and axiological education. The empirical research has the general assumption that secondary school students and youth have difficulties in selecting values. The objective of the research was three fold: to design, to organize and to carry learning activities from which students shall acquire educational values through the study of art objects. The exploratory research was conducted on a sample of 50 students (25 in experimental group and 25 in control group). The content sample included fairy-tales and short stories ("Beauty and the Beast; The money earned" by Alexandru Mitru) and artistic topics on several well-known art objects (The Endless Column, Table of Silence, The Gate of Kiss, Peles castle, Voronet monastery, and St. Michael's Cathedral from Cluj-Napoca). The tested hypothesis stated that "if secondary school students are involved in learning contexts where they perceive, analyze and explain artistic objects then they develop aesthetic and ethic values." The learning context students were exposed to represents the independent variable and the outputs--the educational values themselves--represent the dependent variable. In order to test for the hypothesis we planned a formative didactic experiment. In order to test the hypothesis the pre-test/post-test design was used.

In this study we seek to analyse the ability of students to explain, exemplify and outline geographical processes, as well as to assess their competencies by using an evaluation grid. Therefore, we tested two types of hypotheses. The first one regards the fact that it becomes more difficult for students to represent a previously learned geographical process in writing, than to outline it graphically. The second Hypothesis highlights the fact that the ability to graphically represent a geographical process is more difficult to achieve, than the ability to represent a previously learned geographical process through sketches. We went through several steps such as: the preliminary analysis of students' products; writing the text; setting up the criteria of analysis for products; grouping the products on the specific criteria; organizing the evaluation grid of competencies; inserting data in the tables; and the elaboration of the paper. We chose this type of approach due to the lack in evaluation grids, which we created according to the analysis of products. We used both qualitative and quantitative type of analysis, as well as data collecting, processing and interpretation. What is important to mention is that the students find it easier to represent a geographical phenomenon through a sketch previously learned rather than by using a written discourse. The sample of evaluation grid that resulted from this study can be used by the professionals in didactics, but it can be developed a new one, specific to students. Based on this research study the learning process at the students' level can be improved.

Our purpose is to offer children tasks so they can make drawings as diverse and different from each other whilst trying to avoid imitation. Achieving this goal involves the increase of children's creativity. The paper is theoretically based on the consideration of creativity as the ability to create "something new, original, and in accordance with reality" (Mihaela Roco, 2004; H. Jaoui, 1975; Al. Rosca, 1981; Margaret A. Boden, 1992). The study focuses on expressive creativity, characterized by spontaneity and unconditioned freedom of expression, skills, all highlighted by the children's drawings. "The research hypothesis" is that: If students are given new information on various opportunities for diversification of a model, they will create more original drawings. "The independent variable" is the task preschoolers are given to resolve. "The dependent variable" is represented by the results of preschool children. The research was conducted at high preparatory group. The test included specific contents of several areas, such as: mathematics, decorative drawing, and practical skills. Children were involved in four experimental situations for comparative purposes, so as to assess the progress registered from one activity to another. By analyzing the results obtained from the four tests, we note that all the children progressed. They accomplished original compositions, different from each other and from those of their colleagues, yet keeping certain common features. All children have the entire range of skills with which a person can produce new and original products, so their creativity is developed to a certain level; the experimental group includes more children who proved a certain level of performance in one or more tests, so there is no single child holding maximum creative potential; hence, each child has some "patterns" or models that he/she reproduces in many of his/her drawings, nevertheless accomplishing his/her original drawings; having the fact that, each child achieved both successful and less successful designs, we cannot establish an individual steady progress; the performance of the experimental group can be correlated with the number and quality of representations that they obtained during activities in kindergarten and elsewhere. In conclusion, at the end of the research we note that, if preschoolers are given new information regarding their opportunities to diversify a model, they will create more original drawings. The research is original because it proposes new experimental tests and evaluation grids.

The purpose of our research was to test the following hypothesis: 6 and 7 years old children's representations were strongly influenced by the environment they lived in. Representations are interiorised models of objects, phenomena and events, independent of present use of our senses and of the presence or absence of objects. We realised our research in Gradinita cu Program Normal Floresti/Floresti Kindergarten, Cluj county, during the 2008-2009 school year. The sample was represented by twelve children in their last year of kindergarten, preparing for school. We analysed nine of those children's drawings. We identified the representations that appeared in several of children's drawings and in the same child's drawings for several times, then we identified for each child her or his singular representations and compositions as a reflection of the world they were living in or of an imaginary world. After analysing children's drawings we realised that it confirmed the hypothesis that 6 and 7 years old children's drawings were influenced strongly by their environment. We noticed the following: kindergarten children's representations were very diverse, but they were characterised by a certain peculiarity of the place they inhabited; some objects appeared more often than others, and that meant that kindergarten children knew them better and could represent them graphically more easily; kindergarten children preferred drawing familiar objects that they had drawn before; some drawings included the essential features of the represented objects and that proved that kindergarten children had the respective concept and could represent it in drawings, while one could not identify other objects without writing down what the child said he or she meant.

The purpose of our study was that of analysing, starting from literature, the definitions of the following concepts: capacity, skill, and competency, as well as of analysing the competencies they phrased in school curricula and those that teachers phrased. Moreover, we wanted to give appropriate examples. The hypotheses of our study were the following: they had not phrased correctly competencies in school curricula and teachers undergoing a continuous training course or programme phrased correctly the competencies characteristic of a certain field. This study had as a starting basis the concept of competency as a sum of declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge, and attitudes that were characteristic to an individual and that he or she activated (transformed and integrated) in planning and solving certain tasks (Brien, 1997) in a certain field, in a certain case. Roegiers (1998) underlined that competencies had five essential features: somebody's calling up of a sum of resources (different types of knowledge, experiences, capacities, schemes, automatisms, etc.); finalised character; relation to a sum of situations; frequent subject matter features; it could be assessed. To all these features we added another one, that of the level of competency. In order to reach the above-mentioned purposes and for verifying our hypotheses, we analysed the competencies in the high school curricula and the competencies that 9 Geography teachers phrased, after undergoing a continuous teacher training course on the "Development of Subject Matter Skills and Competencies". We concluded that taking into account the features of the competency that Roegiers identified, they did not phrase correctly those competencies and that hindered high school students' development and assessment. Out of the particular competencies in the curriculum for Geography, in high school, we considered to be phrased correctly or partially correctly only 5 for the 9th grade, 1 for the 10th grade, 4 for the 11th grade, and 8 for the 12th grade. We noticed that: teachers presented lists including different competencies; they included competencies listed in our course, but without inserting all the possible ones and added new competencies; they included both subject matter competencies and non subject matter ones (or general ones); the group of teachers phrased 41 subject matter competencies and 48 general ones and phrased incorrectly 22 competencies, and these demonstrated that this course was an efficient one.