This study investigates the influence of positive feedback on students’ motivation and engagement in the classroom. It explores teachers’ perspectives on how positive feedback affects students’ learning involvement and motivation. The research focuses on various aspects of feedback delivery, particularly emphasizing the nuances of positive feedback. The main objective is to determine if there is a statistically significant correlation between the provision of positive feedback during educational activities and students’ motivation levels. The study underscores the crucial role of feedback in shaping student motivation and stresses the significance of positive feedback in creating an inclusive and supportive learning environment. The research question revolves around understanding how positive feedback influences students’ motivation and involvement in the classroom. The study employs qualitative methods, including interviews and surveys, to gather teachers’ perceptions and experiences regarding positive feedback practices. The results reveal that teachers perceive positive feedback as a powerful tool for enhancing students’ motivation and engagement in learning activities. In conclusion, this research underscores the importance of incorporating positive feedback strategies in educational settings to foster a supportive and motivating learning environment for students.

This paper conducts a comparative analysis of mentoring and metacognition in education, unveiling their intricate connections. Both concepts, though seemingly disparate, prove to be interdependent within the educational landscape. The analysis showcases the dynamic interplay between mentoring and metacognition, emphasizing their reciprocal influence. Metacognition, often perceived as self-awareness and introspection, is found to complement the relational and supportive nature of mentoring. Within this context, metacognitive education within mentoring emerges as a vital component. Practical recommendations are offered for effective metacognitive training, highlighting its role in enhancing cognitive and metacognitive skills. Moreover, the paper introduces the concept of a “mentoring scaffolding system.” This system emphasizes mentor-led gradual independence for mentees, facilitating their professional and personal growth. The necessity of fostering a metacognition culture in education is a central theme. Such a culture promotes improved performance and lifelong learning. The paper suggests integrating metacognition into curricula and empowering learners as essential steps toward achieving this culture. In conclusion, this paper advocates for the integration of metacognition into mentoring and education, fostering self-awareness, independence, and adaptability. These attributes are deemed crucial for individuals navigating the challenges of the information age.

First-grade students often encounter challenges in understanding and solving arithmetic word problems due to their limited reading comprehension abilities. Despite these difficulties, students may employ arbitrary strategies, such as combining numbers based on specific keywords, even if they lack a full understanding of the problems. Research suggests that effective mathematical reasoning involves the use of visual mental representations during the problem-solving process. To address this, some studies have explored methods to enhance students’ comprehension of word problems. Building on this, the current study explores the impact of first-grade pupils creating visual representations of problem situations on their comprehension and the number of correct solutions. In a typical math class, 45 first graders received a paper-and-pencil task, and, in a visual context, they solved similar problems after reading and illustrating the situation. The findings reveal that while most participants correctly represented the problem situations through drawing, about half struggled to determine the numeric solutions. Nevertheless, the visual context led to an increase in the number of correct problem solutions compared to the normal context, suggesting the potential benefits of incorporating visual representations in enhancing comprehension and problem-solving skills.

The impact of digital environments on academic performance, particularly among students with ADHD, has become a significant area of study, especially in the wake of increased online learning during the pandemic. This study evaluates how ADHD symptoms affect text comprehension -including accuracy, retention of quantitative and qualitative data, and logical and working memory - within multitasking academic settings in Virtual Reality (VR) and Real Life (VIVO). In our pilot experimental study, we have assessed 30 students (20 in VR and 10 in VIVO) from Greece and Romania. Participants were divided into four groups: a Control and an Experimental group for both VR and VIVO settings. The students were tasked with one (text), two (text and audio), or three (text, audio, and content creation) simultaneous activities to simulate multitasking. We utilized the Adult ADHD Self-report Scale (ASRS) and a grid of text comprehension to measure the impacts. The findings, analyzed through descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests, revealed significant differences (p=.000, χ^2=33.036) in text comprehension based on the environment (VR vs. VIVO), and the presence of ADHD symptoms. Notably, two-thirds of the participants scored above average for ADHD symptoms. Additionally, a comparison of ADHD symptoms scores from pre-tests to post-tests showed a decreasing trend, aligning with existing literature that supports managing ADHD symptoms through psychoeducation. These results underscore the varying effects of multitasking in academic settings on students with ADHD, and highlight the distinct challenges and benefits presented by VR and VIVO learning environments.

In the context of current educational challenges, where academic performance often takes precedence, the development of emotional skills in early school-aged children is frequently neglected. However, research consistently highlights the positive impact of emotional intelligence on academic achievement, social adaptation, mental health, and overall well-being. This study investigates the impact of an experiential learning initiative aimed at developing emotional competencies in young students. The research aimed to analyse the impact of structured playful activities on four key dimensions of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. A quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-testing was employed on a sample of 40 urban students, divided equally into experimental and control groups. Emotional skills were measured using an adapted version of the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT). The intervention, spanning 12 weeks, involved didactic games focused on emotional regulation, empathy, and communication. Results indicated a meaningful statistical gain in favour of the experimental group relative to the control group (t = 3.62, p = 0.001, Cohen’s d = 1.04), with notable gains in empathy and self-control. These findings validate the importance of playful learning in promoting emotional development and support the inclusion of such methods in personal development curricula. The study offers practical insights for educators, counsellors, and policymakers in designing preventive and early intervention strategies in primary education.

In the context of the early transition to formal schooling, the development of resilience skills becomes essential for students' emotional and cognitive adaptation. This study investigates the effectiveness of the educational program "I Can Become Strong!" in enhancing school resilience, analysing its impact on three variables: personal resilience, relational resilience, and total resilience score. The study was conducted using a quasi-experimental design, incorporating assessments both before and after the intervention, applied to a sample of 42 primary school students, using the CYRM-R questionnaire to assess resilience. The results of the statistical analyses revealed significant progress across the three measured variables: personal resilience, relational resilience, and total resilience score, with effect sizes ranging from moderate (d ≈ 0.65) to large (d ≈ 1.76). The data highlight the relevance of educational interventions focused on developing children's adaptive skills, which in turn facilitate a smoother transition process throughout different stages of schooling. When interpreted in relation to current theoretical models of resilience, these findings support the importance of an integrated approach to socio-emotional education from a very early age.