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This paper looks at the intercultural sensitivity of teachers in a culturally heterogeneous context in Serbia, defined in accordance with Milton Bennett's Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity. The main objective of this research was to determine the following: a) the average developmental orientation and perceived orientation scores of the teachers; b) the frequency of participants in different stages of developmental orientation; c) whether there are significant differences between the developmental and the perceived orientation of teachers; d) whether the gap between the perceived and the developmental orientation varies across the developmental continuum in line with the supposition of the Dunning-Kruger effect. The sample consisted of 76 primary school teachers from Vojvodina and South Serbia. Furthermore, the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI®), used in this research, is based on the theoretical foundations of the selected model of intercultural sensitivity. The results indicate that the mean developmental orientation of teachers is in the range of minimization, while they perceive themselves as more interculturally sensitive, in alignment with the ethno-relativistic orientation of acceptance. The differences between the perceived and the developmental orientations are significant. The gap between the perceived and the developmental orientations decreases with higher intercultural sensitivity, meaning that those teachers who are interculturally sensitive are more objective in assessing their own intercultural sensitivity in comparison with those who are less interculturally sensitive. The implications of the obtained results, when it comes to the professional roles of teachers and their development as reflexive practitioners, are further discussed in this article.

The largest mountainous lake in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lake Blidinje, is located 1,185 meters above sea level. Polymictic lakes are those in which the entire water column is frequently mixed. Shallow lakes function very differently than deep lakes in many ways because of the strong sediment– water interaction and the possibility for significant water impact on vegetation. In the multiple regression analysis, two models were developed with coefficients of multiple determination (R2 = 0.720 and R2 = 0.497) for the independent variable chlorophyll a. The resulting models are compared with water quality monitoring data from 2017 to 2019.

The timeless relevance of money points to the need, in addition to its economic functions and importance, to refer to its social and institutional aspects. The fact that it is one of the few categories that has survived during the development of civilization, has influenced money to be the subject of interest not only for economists, but also for historians, philosophers, lawyers, and computer scientists. The origin of money is linked to primitive forms of social life, so that the issue of money in modern conditions of life and work would gain a new context. The concept of money and its evolution are inextricably linked to technological progress, although the same, considering that it is not constrained by legal or cultural restrictions, is incomparably faster. In addition to cryptocurrencies, which today are increasingly created by teams of experts in the field of economics, marketing, programming, supported by large investment funds, tokens are experiencing increasing popularity, especially irreplaceable ones. The irreplaceability of tokens comes from their uniqueness, which is confirmed by the record on the blockchain. Their application is possible for any form of computer-generated file. Seen as a digital 'watermark,' a token can establish the authenticity of a digital file-image, video clip, audio file, or cryptocurrency. The ways in which tokens, through the transactions in which they are used, redefine the relationship between value and objects in the market, have found their application in many areas where authorship is valued. The question is whether their enormous popularity is based on real value. The aim of the research in the paper is to point out the importance of money as a historical and sociological category. In addition to the presentation of the historical development of money, the analysis in the paper seeks an answer to the question of whether cryptocurrencies can play the role of money that existed in forms before their appearance. In the analysis of the origin, history and development of money, a historical and content analysis method was used, which includes the analysis of relevant regulations in the field of money functioning, regardless of its form. The comparative-historical approach to money and the relationships created by the establishment of the commodity-money economy are significant for the analysis of money from a sociological point of view. An important socioeconomic issue when it comes to money is the question of the power it provides, the control of its creation and the struggle that takes place in that field among the state, banks, and debtors (Radonjić, 2010, pp. 45-66).

In the text of this scientific research we pointed out the natural correlation between the phenomenon of undertaking manipulative actions on financial and accounting reports by corporations, in circumstances of intensification, acceleration, as well as multiplication of fiscal pressure by the representatives of the management at the macroeconomic level. Also, with explications and scientific conclusions, we pointed out the destabilizing moments of consistent implementation of the principles of corporate governance, particularly in the circumstances of actual resorting to the use of different techniques of financial malversations by corporations or microeconomic entities as well as by individual households, because, in the etymological sense, they are also accepted as microeconomic subjects. At the same time, with the technique of optical laser guidance, we marked economic barriers and in the constellation of the subject matter without tendentious finger-pointing at individuals. Exclusively, using the technique of criticizing the contaminated state, the detection of neuralgic points of inhibition of optimal economic flows was performed, analysed through the prism of the need to respect the principles of corporate management.

The disputes arising as a consequence of the violation of subjective civil rights can be resolved through litigation, settlement, alternative dispute resolution, or some other method (compromise, force, etc.). By choosing the method in which they wish to resolve their dispute, the disputing parties also choose the rules that must be followed in the dispute resolution proceedings. If the disputing parties choose to protect their violated or threatened rights in litigation proceedings, they are obliged to comply with the established rules regulating civil procedure. If the decision on dispute resolution proceedings involves impartial third parties (a mediator, an arbitrator, etc.), the disputing parties' relations will be regulated by the rules of particular proceedings. Acting as rational individuals, the disputing parties choose the dispute resolution method that enables them to obtain the highest benefit. The parties' decision on the choice of the dispute resolution method is influenced by a number of factors. Economic analysis has developed models and offered answers for determining the reasons why disputing parties decide to choose a specific dispute resolution option. This paper presents the decision-making factors which influence the parties' choice to resolve their dispute through litigation, settlement, or particular alternative dispute resolution proceedings.

The scarcity of resources and necessity of their efficient application in all spheres of life and work conditioned the need for the application of economy in the sphere of law and economic analyses of legal institutes. The fact that the field of law and judiciary absorbs significant amounts of resources requires the introduction of the criteria of efficiency with the aim of the reduction of expenses incurred by this field. The paper analyzes the civil procedure from the perspective of economy, indicates to factors which influence the decision of the dispute party to look for the solution at court but also private and social expenses which are conditioned by court-based dispute solving and protection of the law. With the aim of the provision of the response to the question of efficiency of legal institutes, economy developed economic models, which, in a simplified manner indicate to the importance of the decisions passed in the judiciary system and their economic aspect. The insisting on fast and efficient solution gives meaning to legal protection, while the length of the procedure takes the meaning away from it. The length and efficiency of the procedure influence the amount of expenses of the procedure but not individual and social wellness.

Social distance has been the subject of numerous research papers; the issue of researching social distance toward Roma is especially important. There are several aims of our study. The basic goal of the research is to determine the existence and intensity of social distance towards Roma held by primary school students. The specific goal of the research is to determine the differences in the presence of social distance held by students who often interact with Roma children, as well as those who rarely interact with them. The research sample consisted of 152 participants (71 fourth-grade students and 81 eighth-grade students; 85 boys and 67 girls). The Bogardus's Scale, modified for children, was used for researching the social distance. Furthermore, the research implied two focus groups for the qualitative data to be obtained. The results showed the existance of social distance toward Roma students. Furthermore, according to this data, the least desirable relationship was sitting in the same school bench with Roma children, whereas the most acceptable relationship was going to the same school with Roma. Moreover, it was established that students having more relationships with Roma had lower social distance toward them as well. Qualitative data analysis shows higher level of negative stereotypes and attitudes toward Roma. It is essential to combine quantitative and qualitative measures for the purpose of getting the unbiased description of social distance toward Roma.

This study was based on the experiences and attitudes of the preschool teachers in the application of digital technologies when teaching environmental contents. 180 preschool teachers from preschool institutions in the Republic of Serbia, with different work experience and different digital skills, participated in the research. The obtained results demonstrated that the preschool teachers’competencies decrease with the increase in the number of years of work experience, indicating that competencies for the application of digital tools were more developed in the preschool teachers with modest work experience. They also exhibited a greater level of experience in using digital technologies regarding environmental education. The results also showed that there was a significant connection between the application of digital technologies in different domains of the preschool teacher’s work (such as: ideas search, research on the grounds and topics that initiate the project, project development, a portfolio design and evidence of one’s own practice, publication of activities in digital format - in scientific publications, at congresses, on a personal blog and/or preschool institution’s website). Thus in the mentioned domains of work, preschool teachers with significant work experience, applied digital technologies less often when compared to the colleagues with shorter employment history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the results of analysis of anisotropy of transverse swelling of the Serbian spruce wood. The analysis included six trees that come from plantations and nine trees from natural stands of Serbian spruce, and a total of 3098 samples were tested. The results show a change in transversal anisotropy at the height of the tree, as well as its change in radius. The dependence of this property on the growth rings width, the participation of late wood and the density of wood was determined by regression analysis.

The aim of this contribution is to identify the elements that are integral parts of a teacherspecific intercultural competence construct. In this paper, we focus on those facets of the construct that are considered to be rather value-laden and affectively tinged. Following the widely used theoretical model of teachers’ professional competencies developed by Baumert and Kunter (2013), we conceptually place these facets within the Beliefs, Values, & Goals dimension, and propose four core elements: (1) appreciation of cultural diversity; (2) ethnorelative worldview; (3) attitudes toward integration; and (4) identification with goals of intercultural education. In order to test the hypothesis that these four aspects represent one single overarching latent construct, we operationalized each with an appropriate scale and then scrutinized the instruments’ internal consistency, and convergent and factorial validity. The results suggest that our four scales have good internal consistencies (Cronbach’s alphas between .82 and .89), adhere to a one-factor structure (as demonstrated by Confirmatory Factor Analysis), and indicate one latent construct (RMSEA = 0.000; TLI = 1.004; CFI = 1.000; SRMR = .007). With these results, this paper presents a valid, contextually relevant new instrument to assess (pre-service) teachers’ beliefs, values and goals regarding intercultural education and contributes to resolving theoretical, methodological, and practical issues of research on intercultural competencies. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 179018]

In the Romanesque opus of David Albachary appeared after the emigration in Canada, the novel the World Traveller somehow takes up a special place. By the emphasising of the importance of nature and natural surrounding for the development of identical characteristics of this novel hero, this novel additionally makes the ways of constructions of narrative identity being realized by the mutual co-operation of thematic and formal characteristics of this oeuvre more complicated. Narrative identity as dynamic construction is the most frequently shaped in the relation toward the Other one. In the novels of David Albachary with the theme of emigration, the Other represents a new culturo-historical space in which heroes of his novel leave, and voluntarily or non-voluntarily, adapt to. In the novel the World Traveller this space besides historical, linguistic and cultural dimension, gets biologico-natural dimension so that narrative identity starts arising from mutual action of history and geography, that is language and story as Albachary himself states it.

This paper presents the results of a dendroclimatological analysis of the growth of fir trees in the Borja mountain area, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The required data were taken in 2 sites, and the sample covered a total of 60 series of radial increment (15 dominant trees per site with two cores). Standard dendrochronological processing and data analyses using the Coffecha and Arstan software were performed. The preliminary 137-years long regional fir chronology for the Borja mountain area was obtained. The obtained results of the correlation analysis between the radial increment index of the defined chronology, on the one hand, and the monthly precipitation and temperature, on the other, showed that higher summer precipitation significantly increased the increment of fir, and that the increase in temperature in these months did not not cause a significant increment reduction. However, the results of the FAI drought index application for the stated purposes have shown that more intense droughts in the summer months can cause a significant reduction in the increment of fir in a given area.

Research has shown that the beliefs about cultural, ethnic or racial diversities among students are vital for the effective work of teachers. Hence, in this paper, we aim at determining: (1) in what ways the teachers perceive and interpret the school situation that includes the students from a minority cultural group (Roma and Hungarian), i.e. what kinds of beliefs they express in the given situation; (2) whether there are any differences in the way in which teachers, within the same stadium of development of intercultural sensitivity, perceive the given situation. The sample included class teachers whose score on the Intercultural Development Inventory pointed to intercultural sensitivity in accordance with the stadium of minimisation (seventeen teachers) and polarisation (six teachers). The Critical Incident Technique (CI) was applied in the study, in two parallel forms: with a Hungarian and a Roma student. Thematic analysis yielded seven topics, four of which occurred only in the CI with a Roma student: Disrespecting school as an institution, Abuse of minority status, Separation from the class and Typical children’s motives. The comparison of teachers’ statements depending on the CI version and the developmental phase indicate that the specificity of a cultural group in question affects the expressed beliefs about this group, regardless of teachers’ intercultural sensitivity.

This paper presents the results of testing the compression of Serbian spruce wood from plantations and natural stands. Compression perpendicular to grain in radial and tangential direction was tested. A dilatation of 1% was taken for a conditional boundary dilatation, and the appropriate strength for the conditional limit strength was taken. Six trees from plantations and nine trees from natural stands were analyzed. In total, 309 samples were tested. The regression analysis examined the dependence of these mechanical properties on the width of the annual rings, the percentage of late wood and wood density.

The paper discusses the contribution that family upbringing has on the development of ethnocentrism among adolescents. This study included 345 respondents from Kosovo and Metohija of Serbian nationality. The following instruments were used for data collection: a scale for assessing educational attitudes of parents (Kodžopeljić, 2009) and the Scale for the assessment of ethnocentrism (SRAM, 2010). The research results show that adolescents exhibiting the highest level of national homogenization, and that according to their procenidominantan educational attitude of their parents cold-limiting. Correlation analysis is utvrđena najveća association (r = is 0. 35) between the confining upbringing father and national superiority or bias and ethnic exclusion and prejudice. On the other hand, the highest correlation (r = is 0. 37) was found between mothers and cold upbringing national homogenization, as well as between confining education of mothers and ethnic exclusion and prejudice. Also, the correlation of medium intensity (r = is 0. 30 = r is 0. 49) exist between a cold upbringing mothers and ethnic exclusion and prejudice (r = is 0. 30); mothers and permissive upbringing national homogenization (r = is 0. 35); confining education of mothers and national superiority or bias (r = is 0. 35). In addition, regression analysis showed that parental attitudes mother significant predictors of all four aspects of ethnocentrism, while the educational attitude father a significant predictor only one aspect of ethnocentrism and national superiority or bias.

This paper deals with the development of three scales for the assessment of motivational aspects of teachers’ intercultural competence - Teacher Cultural Diversity Enthusiasm Scale (TCDES), Teacher Cultural Diversity Self-Efficacy Scale (TCDSES) and Teacher Commitment to Social Justice Scale (TCSJS). The second goal of the study was to test the assumption that these three scales were indicators of a single latent concept - Motivational orientation related to diversity. The results have demonstrated strong reliability (αs> .80), one-factor structure (cross-validated with EFA and CFA) and satisfactory content and concurrent validity for each scale. Additionally, EFA has shown that three distinct factors explain item level variations. These results suggest that the three scales are reliable measures of three different motivational aspects. In the next step, CFA has confirmed the model of Motivational orientation, where a single latent construct explains variations at the level of the scales. The assessment of motivational orientation may better inform training and pedagogical interventions aiming to develop teachers’ competence to deal with diversity and measure the outcomes and efficacy of educational efforts such as preservice and in-service intercultural training programs for teachers. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 179018]

Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS) is the main assessment tool for measuring intercultural sensitivity as an affective component of intercultural communication competence. The ISS has been developed based on an American sample and therefore there is a need to check possibilities for its application in another cultural context. In this study, we tested whether the factor structure of the original scale is confirmed in a Serbian sample as well. The results show that the compatibility of factor structure is not satisfactory (c2/df = 3.38; CFI = .78; RMSEA = .07) and the application of the scale requires modification. A proposal for a modified version of the ISS is presented together with evidence for its usage. The main advantages of the modified version are: (a) a corresponding factor structure, (b) higher internal consistency and (c) better prediction of relevant criteria. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 179018]

The paper discusses different approaches and strategies for educating teachers in the United States of America for work in multicultural schools, bearing in mind teacher efficiency. The first part of the paper contains theoretical considerations on the basic competences of teachers for multicultural education, provides an overview of the key questions that need to be answered in the process of developing multicultural teacher education and presents the effects of multicultural education programmes aimed at eliminating prejudice and establishing the pedagogy of equality. The second part of the paper lists strategies for the multicultural education of teachers who are members of the majority population and discusses the educational effects of these strategies. The third part of the paper discusses the approaches based on the model of crosscultural teacher development that facilitate the understanding of teacher behaviour and their resistance to change, as well as the adapting and sequencing of courses for future teachers. The concluding part of the paper offers recommendations for enhancing multicultural teacher education. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 179018]

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Constructive conflict resolution programmes are based on the idea that children and youth do no have sufficient knowledge of the procedures and skills for conflict resolution, which is why the conflicts they take part in soon become destructive. Notwithstanding the indubitable practical significance of the constructive conflict resolution programmes, it can be objected that they are not sufficiently based on empirical findings about the characteristics of conflicts in childhood and adolescence. Hence, this paper explores different types of conflict with peers and friends with the aim of determining the preferred conflict resolution strategies and using the obtained results to consider the implications for the improvement of constructive conflict resolution programmes. The research was conducted on the sample of 286 adolescents. The method of hypothetical conflict situations was used for studying the preferred conflict resolution strategies. The key results, which should be taken into account when developing constructive conflict resolution programmes, indicate that the preference for a conflict resolution strategy varies depending on conflict type (problem solving is mostly used in conflicts occurring due to opinion differences and disrespect of agreement, unlike the conflicts arising due to provocations, stubbornness and dishonesty) and relationship types (in conflicts with friends, adolescents prefer problem solving, while in peer conflicts they more frequently opt for competition). [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 179018: Identifikacija, merenje i razvoj kognitivnih i emocionalnih kompetencija važnih društvu orijentisanom na evropske integracije]

Roland Bart, one of the most important French thinkers of the twentieth century, commenced his critical activity in the period of the rule of structuralism. Structural method, originally appeared in linguistics, acted as flexible and scientific tool which had been borrowed and used by numerous humanistic sciences such as antropology, psychology, and history during their own studies. Bart intended in his early oeuvres to adapt and implement this method during the literature study. Nevertheless, such way of literature comprehension seemed to be a rigid and violent one regarding the study subject itself. Very soon, faced with numerous aporias woven into the fundaments of structuralism themselves, and inability to give an appropriate response to some important questions such as the ones of the importance and value of the oeuvre from the position of structuralism, Bart leaves structural method by turning increasingly to the one known in the science of literature as post-structuralism. The inability to settle numerous problems this author faced with during the attempt at comprehension of literature as autonomous system conditioned only by mutual relationships of elements led to the urgent redefinition of initial positions. By throwing out the scientific method Bart will endeavour to affirm one more liberal approach to literature in his latter oeuvres whose main principle is the pleasure appearing in the relation toward to Text. The moving from structuralism toward post-structuralism present in the thinking system of Bart is almost given the value of paradigm. A wider moving which will lead to the dominance of post-structuralism in social sciences is being reflected in it.

This paper deals with age and sex differences in preferred strategies of conflict resolution in friendship and peer relationships. The study was conducted on the sample of 286 adolescents. Conflict resolution strategies have been investigated by the method of hypothetical conflict situations. For the purposes of this research, we have created an instrument consisting of 20 hypothetical situations, with the following subjects of conflict: breaking the agreement, non-compliance with opinion differences, provocations, dishonesty and stubbornness. Conflict resolution strategies we examined were giving in, withdrawal, competition and problem solving. The results have shown that problem solving is the dominant strategy of adolescents in conflict with friends, while in peer conflicts they more often opt for competition. Age differences are reflected in the fact that older adolescents are more likely to choose problem solving than younger, whereas younger adolescents are more likely to choose a retreat (withdrawal) strategy than older. Girls are more prone to choosing problem solving than boys, who, on the other hand, tend to withdraw more than girls. Also, gender of the other person in the conflict is proved to be important - in conflict with male peers, adolescents choose competition to a greater extent and withdraw to a minor extent, compared to when they are in conflict with female peers. The results have practical implications as well. In programs for teaching constructive conflict resolution that are designed for younger adolescents there should be more emphasis on empowerment and training for assertive behaviour. In addition, when teaching about constructive conflict resolution strategies, it is important to consider the gender of adolescents as well as the gender of the person with whom they are in conflict.

The results of the survey conducted on the sample of 530 adolescents are presented in this paper. The sample included two age groups (13 and 16 years). The research was realized in 11 town and 26 schools. The method of the retrospection of the conflict contents, with one week retrospection interval, was used to research the perception of the conflict characteristics. The distinctive characteristics and the effects of the peer conflicts in adolescence have been identified by comparing them to the conflicts with friends, romantic partners, siblings and teachers. According to the results peer conflicts have certain specificity. Although less frequent than conflicts with parents and siblings, the peer conflicts in adolescence are widen phenomenon - on average, the adolescents get in conflict with their peers more than 13 times in a week, almost twice in a day. The most frequent causes are teasing and inappropriate jokes, deliberate provoking, gossips, insults and not respecting the differences in opinion. Peers follow the teachers as the least important persons in the conflict. Compared to the conflicts in other types of the social relations, the conflicts with peers are the least uncomfortable. Yielding is the least, competition the most present resolution strategy in peer conflicts. As well as the most conflicts in this age conflicts with peers are short time episode.

The basic physical properties of spruce wood from plantations in the surroundings of Banja Luka were researched. The dependence of growth ring diameter and wood density, density, volume porosity, shrinkage, fibre saturation point and absorption of moisture were analysed on three trees average age about 16 years. The data for breast height and for all specimens from breast height to 9.3 m were statistically processed. The research and analysis of the basic physical properties of plantation-grown spruce wood shows that the effect of growth ring diameter on the density is negative and that the dependence is logarithmic, which confirms the previous results. Average value of wood density is lower than the usual value reported in references. Average value of radial shrinkage is 3.90%, and tangential 8.10%. This research confirms the linear dependence between the nominal density and volumetric shrinkage of spruce wood and that density has a negative effect on the coefficient of surface anisotropy. At breast height, average value of the coefficient of surface anisotropy is 2.16, volume porosity 72%, and fibre saturation point 32.6%. Average rate of absorption is 3.42% per day, for the first 7 days, and 0.12% per day for the last 30 days. The study results were compared to the results reported by other authors.

Self-regulation is a key issue for teachers. Self-regulatory competencies help teachers maintain both their well-being and professional commitment. This is of particular importance when it comes to teaching in culturally diverse classrooms. However, this facet is generally neglected when Teacher Education supports pre- and inservice teachers in the development of their intercultural competencies. Against this background, the current paper deals with the development of three scales for the assessment of self-regulatory aspects of teachers' intercultural competence - the Teacher Cultural Diversity Flexibility Scale (TCDFS), the Teacher Cultural Diversity Emotional Regulation Scale (TCDERS), and the Teacher Cultural Diversity Tolerance for Ambiguity Scale (TCDTAS). Each scale was developed and validated in two forms: one referring to minority students in general, and one referring specifically to Roma students. The results indicate generally good reliabilities (αs from .74 to .91) and a unifactorial structure for each of the proposed scales. Both forms (general and the one for the Roma) of the TCDFS and the TCDERS also demonstrated concurrent validity. An assessment based on these scales may better inform training interventions aiming to develop self-regulatory aspect of teachers' intercultural competence and to measure the outcomes and efficacy of such interventions. However, correlation analyses have also revealed some weaknesses of the TCDTAS. In the light of these results, further efforts should be directed at reanalysing the construct of self-regulation in dealing with diversity.