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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.

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.