This study comprehensively analyzes the alignment of the Technique and Technology curriculum for grades 5–8 in Serbia’s primary education system with key competencies for lifelong learning, following the 2018 Council of the European Union Recommendation. Using a mixed-method approach, specifically a convergent design as outlined by Creswell, this study combines qualitative content analysis with descriptive statistics to assess the distribution of competencies across grades. The integration of qualitative and quantitative data provides a more comprehensive understanding of the curriculum’s alignment with key competencies. Findings reveal an imbalance between theoretical and practical outcomes, particularly in digital literacy, where practical skills are prioritized over theoretical understanding. Similarly, entrepreneurial modules lack activities promoting critical thinking and initiative. The curriculum emphasizes practical skills but needs to improve its theoretical framework, especially in programming and entrepreneurial finance. It also lacks activities that develop positive attitudes, such as innovation and teamwork, which are crucial for lifelong learning. Recommendations include increasing practical Science, Technology, and Engineering (STE) projects, enhancing theoretical content in digital and entrepreneurial modules, and fostering activities that build positive attitudes. Further research is needed to track students’ attitudes towards technology and entrepreneurship across grades and to assess the impact of continuous professional development for educators on effectively integrating these competencies.

This study examines the key factors influencing the quality of distance learning in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period when online learning became the dominant mode of education. Using a descriptive method and a 26-item questionnaire, data were collected from a representative sample of 360 students in Vojvodina, Serbia. The factors analyzed include computer literacy and technology access (Ph1), students’ ability to balance life obligations with study demands (Ph2), and their motivation for distance learning (Ph3). The results show that 89% of students had adequate IT access, 47% were able to reconcile study and personal obligations, and 70% reported strong motivation. Correlation analysis confirmed a statistically significant positive relationship between all three factors and students’ perceptions of well-organized distance learning, thus supporting the main research hypothesis. Beyond these findings, this study interprets digital literacy as adaptability, time management as resilience, and motivation as value orientation and future thinking—core dimensions of sustainability competences outlined in the European GreenComp framework. Distance learning is therefore positioned not only as an emergency response but also as a transformative pedagogy that integrates brain (knowledge), hands (skills), heart (values), and spirit (purpose), contributing to sustainable and resilient higher education.

Visual–spatial abilities (VSAs) are increasingly recognized as essential for acquiring 21st-century competencies, such as digital literacy, creative problem-solving, and the ability to interact with virtual and 3D environments. This study explores whether participation in a Computer Animation (CA) course can effectively enhance VSA, thus supporting the broader development of these key skills. A total of 346 students participated, divided into an experimental group (231 students attending CA) and a control group (115 students). The Purdue Spatial Visualization Test (PSVT) was used to assess VSA before and after the course. The analysis considered three aspects: the impact of CA course participation, test–retest effects, and the role of prior 3D software experience. Results showed a significant VSA improvement in the experimental group (+7.08 points), particularly among students without prior 3D experience. The control group showed minimal gains (+1.76 points), confirming that course participation—not test repetition—drove the improvements. More intensive course attendance (full-time students) led to greater progress. These findings suggest that Computer Animation courses can effectively support the development of visual–spatial abilities, which in previous research, have been associated with competencies relevant to digital and creative domains.

The aim of this exploratory quantitative study was to examine young people's perceptions of the role of artificial intelligence in spiritual and moral development. The research included 121 students from the Technical Faculty "Mihajlo Pupin" in Zrenjanin and The Serbian Orthodox Church Academy for Arts and Conservation in Belgrade, thus the study relied on a convenience sample. The study analyzed how students assess the role of AI in their spiritual and moral development. Data were collected through an online Likert-type questionnaire encompassing eight domains: AI use and perception, digital literacy, emotional attitudes toward AI, spirituality, values, empathic concern, and moral attitudes. The instrument demonstrated high reliability (Cronbach's α = .950). Descriptive, correlational, and regression methods and techniques, as well as exploratory factor analysis, were used in the analysis. The results indicate that respondents perceive AI as only slightly to moderately stimulating for their spiritual and moral development. It may be concluded that AI plays a limited and secondary role in the spiritual and moral development of young people, while this process is more strongly shaped by religious practice, family influence, and traditional sources of spirituality. Limitations relate to the sample size and structure, as well as the use of self-report measures, while future research may include broader samples and combined methodological approaches.

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is increasingly available to schools, but evidence on GenAI acceptance and intention to use it among subject teachers in rural primary education remains limited. This study examined behavioral intention to use GenAI among 202 subject teachers teaching Grades 5–8 in rural Serbian primary schools through an extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) framework and semi-structured interviews with 20 survey participants. The initial composite-score regression explained 10.5% of Behavioral Intention variance (R² = 0.105). Performance Expectancy was marginally positive (β = 0.136, p = 0.049) and Facilitating Conditions showed a nominal, unadjusted negative association (β = −0.187, p = 0.009); however, the Performance Expectancy coefficient was no longer nominally significant with HC3 robust standard errors (p = 0.054), and neither coefficient survived Holm correction applied to the HC3 hypothesis-test p-values. Prior GenAI use (83.7%) did not materially change the model. A post hoc PLS-SEM sensitivity analysis, using theory-guided indicator refinement and 10,000 bootstrap resamples, showed composite reliability and convergent-validity indices of CR = 0.820–0.928 and AVE = 0.560–0.865, with low HTMT values (maximum = 0.482). Unadjusted bootstrap intervals suggested a positive Effort Expectancy path and a negative Facilitating Conditions path, but none of the eight hypothesized paths survived family-wise multiplicity correction. Facilitating Conditions also showed severe floor restriction (M = 1.34, maximum = 2.50/5; 52.0% at the minimum), while interviews described infrastructure as a barrier—a qualitative pattern that diverged from the negative coefficient. The findings therefore indicate limited and measurement-sensitive support for transferring an extended UTAUT model to this context and emphasize the need for stronger prospective measurement validation, context-specific constructs, and longitudinal research.

This study examines the key factors influencing the quality of distance learning in higher education during the Covid-19 pandemic, when online learning became the dominant mode of education. Using a descriptive method and a 26-item questionnaire, data were collected from a representative sample of 360 students in Vojvodina, Serbia. The factors analysed include computer literacy and technology access (Ph1), students’ ability to balance life obligations with study demands (Ph2), and their motivation for distance learning (Ph3). The results show that 89% of students had adequate IT access, 47% were able to reconcile study and personal obligations, and 70% reported strong motivation. Correlation analysis confirmed a statistically significant positive relation-ship between all three factors and students’ perceptions of well-organized distance learning, thus supporting the main research hypothesis. Beyond these findings, the study interprets digital literacy as adaptability, time management as resilience, and motivation as values orientation and futures thinking—core dimensions of sustainability competences outlined in the European Green Comp framework. Distance learning is therefore positioned not only as an emergency response but also as a transformative pedagogy that integrates brain (knowledge), hands (skills), heart (values), and spirit (purpose), contributing to sustainable and resilient higher education.