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This paper presents the findings of a study aimed at exploring teachers' perspectives on environmental education for students in the first to fourth grades of primary school. The issue of environmental education for primary school students has gained significant attention in recent decades and is now seen as an educational necessity. The study's objectives focus on understanding teachers' views on the importance of teaching environmental topics in the first cycle of primary education and evaluating the school's ability to support such teaching. The research was conducted through a survey involving 455 teachers from thirty-five primary schools across eight cities in the Republic of Serbia, using a questionnaire designed specifically for this study. The questionnaire featured a series of questions and rating scales based on a five-point Likert scale. Although there are some differences in respondents' opinions based on factors such as work experience, school location, and the number of environmental seminars attended, the data suggest that teachers generally have positive views on the importance of including environmental topics in the first cycle of primary education. They also express favorable opinions about the conditions necessary to achieve the goals of environmental education in their schools. Teachers recognize the importance of studying environmental topics, not only for gaining knowledge, skills, and experiences but also for fostering students' environmental awareness. The capacity of schools to support environmental education is most strongly influenced by extracurricular activities and various educational programs. This research highlights the crucial role of primary schools in meeting the goals of environmental education and lays the groundwork for further studies in this area, particularly focusing on teachers' professional development and the acquisition of environmental competencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research analyzed the opinions of primary school teachers and students regarding the benefits of outdoor education, using the example of School in Nature, for the organization of educational activities within the instruction process. It explored educational, social, recreational, and ecological aspects, as well as the existing differences in their opinions. The research was conducted on a sample of elementary school teachers and fourth-grade students in the Bor District in the Republic of Serbia. The research involved 223 participants (elementary school teachers N=73, and fourth-grade students N=150). A questionnaire was designed for the purposes of this research to assess the opinions of teachers and students towards the learning environment and the effectiveness of implementing outdoor education in the context of School in Nature. The research results indicate a compliance between teachers’ opinions about the significance of outdoor education, especially through School in Nature, and its benefits to the educational aspect of the teaching process. Students displayed positive attitudes related to social interaction in learning, emphasizing the development of positive social relationships and skills. Differences in opinions between teachers and students regarding the learning environment and the effectiveness of outdoor education in meeting learning objectives represent a significant starting point for better understanding the quality of the teaching process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of the research which was aimed to examine the connection between the collaboration between family and school, and parental involvement in education. The sample included 198 parents of senior primary school students in South-Eastern Serbia. For the purposes of the research, a Questionnaire was designed which consisted of 30 items, grouped into two parts: the first part deals with forms of family and school cooperation, and the second focuses on parents’ perception of educational techniques. Chi-square test shows that the most common form of parental cooperation with school is parent meeting, and that mothers are more engaged than fathers when it comes to parent meetings and lectures for parents. Based on parents’ assessments of education techniques, understanding and support is the education technique that dominates parental involvement in children’s education, while high level of control had a lower score. There were differences observed in parents’ assessments of education techniques analysed by t-test, where more withdrawal from children, as well as less control in are shown more by fathers than by mothers. Examination of the predictive properties of independent variables was tested using linear regression. The obtained research results on the impact of certain forms of cooperation with school on parental involvement in education have shown that lectures for parents and conversations at the initiative of the class teacher are predictors in creating desirable patterns of parental behaviour by granting children the right to their opinion. Gaining empirical insight into the mentioned relations benefits future research and practice of education efforts of the family and school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]