The parenting styles adopted by parents have a particularly important role in creating and maintaining a child’s wellbeing. Psychological and educational research has been consistently concerned with the relationship between parenting practices and child wellbeing. Multiple factors, including cultural, economic, societal and demographic, can influence this relationship. This study aims to examine the association between the wellbeing of rural children and authoritarian, democratic, and permissive parenting styles. The study was conducted between February and March 2024 and those who werw involved were 115 pupils between the ages of 13 and 14 (M = 13.13, SD = 0.33) together with their respective parents. In order to measure parenting styles, Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire in short form (PSDQ) was used, whereas The Stirling Children's Wellbeing Scale (SCWBS) was used to gauge children's wellbeing. The results of the Pearson analysis have shown that the democratic parenting style positively correlates with the manifestations of wellbeing (positive emotional state, positive outlook on the future). Conversely, the authoritarian parenting style correlates negatively with the wellbeing dimensions, while the permissive parenting style does not correlate with any of the aforementioned dimensions.

The transition stage to pre-primary school represents a key event, in which the support received from family and teachers is essential in facilitating the transition and in ensuring an effective adjustment to the school environment. Our study aimed to investigate the impact of mathematical prerequisites on cognitive development, compared to the impact of reading and writing prerequisites, from the perspective of parents and early childhood educators. Thus, we quantified the impact of reading–writing and math prerequisites on children’s transition from kindergarten to school, analyzing the challenges, opportunities, and possibilities that arise. The sample consisted of 685 parents and 188 teachers, using the preschool prerequisites screening standardized questionnaire developed by the company Cognitrom, a questionnaire-survey, and the focus group method. Initially, the fidelity of the research instrument was assessed by calculating Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The data distribution was tested using the skewness and kurtosis coefficients. Subsequently, descriptive analyses were carried out in order to provide an overview of the data collected by performing a multiple linear regression analysis. In addition, the Phi coefficient and V Cramer’s V coefficient were used to analyze the association between the research variables. By corroborating the obtained results, we can state that, from the parents’ and early childhood teachers’ perspective, math prerequisites have a greater influence on children’s cognitive development in the transition process from kindergarten to school compared to reading–writing prerequisites, confirming the general hypothesis.

Early education leaders need to embrace transformational leadership styles that promote growth and achievement to contribute to the success of the entire community. Research in this area is necessary because, according to conversations with school inspectors, the leaders of early education institutions in Romania need an adequate understanding of leadership styles, as seen by the lack of professional development courses available. Our research aimed to assess the impact of transformational leadership style on early education leaders' success as measured by operational indicators such as effectiveness, satisfaction, and extra effort. In this study, we employed the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQX5) and focus group method. To determine the dominating style of the leaders in the study, correlations, regressions, and the Chi-square test were used to analyze the data. The findings indicate a connection between transformative leadership and a growth mindset that characterizes leaders. These aspects lead to high effectiveness and stimulate the individual towards continuous personal and professional development. We can conclude from the investigation that the outcomes of the leader's behavior are closely related to their leadership style and growth mindset.

Introduction: Free play represents an essential context for development and learning in early childhood education. The present study aimed to develop and psychometrically validate the Free Play and Childhood Engagement Scale (FPCE-S). Methods: The preliminary version of the FPCE-S was tested on a sample of 3,577 children aged 3–5 years (target age range: 37–60 months) from early childhood education settings in 14 Romanian counties, assessed by 156 teachers in natural free-play contexts. Statistical procedures comprised item analysis, internal consistency evaluation, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on distinct subsamples, construct validity and internal-structure evidence, and an exploratory comparison across age groups. Results: Results demonstrated high internal consistency, a unidimensional factor structure, and statistically significant, though minor, age-group differences. The final version of the instrument included 14 items with adequate psychometric properties. Discussion: The study empirically supports the utility of the FPCE-S for assessing child engagement in the context of free play in early childhood education, with relevance for educational research and practice.

Grit, defined by perseverance and passion in achieving long-term goals, can be considered a predictor of students' academic engagement and success. The present study investigates the relationship between students’ level of Grit and the engagement they demonstrate in their educational path. Student engagement can be characterized by active participation in learning activities, increased motivation for achieving performance, and self-study related discipline. The study has made use of the questionnaire-based survey as a quantitative data collection method and the focus group method as a qualitative method. The level of engagement was assessed through the Academic Engagement Scale (Academic Engagement Scale), developed by D. Rovan and collaborators (2016), having 15 items, structured across three dimensions: behavioral, emotional and cognitive. To measure the level of Grit, the Grit Scale has been used which has been developed by A. Duckworth and consists of 10 items. The sample of participants consisted of 76 students, enrolled in the specialization Primary and Preschool Educational Pedagogy. The results showed that a high level of Grit can enhance student involvement in learning activities, thus leading to better results and implicitly to increased performance. In order to be able to improve both the level of Grit and academic engagement, it is important to provide students with attractive, personalized learning experiences according to their individual needs. Keywords: Grit, academic engagement, academic success, students

Teachers' occupational stress is an important topic in educational research, with implications for their well-being and performance. This study analysed the relationship between grit, defined as passion and perseverance for long-term goals, and the perception of occupational stress among primary school teachers in Romania, in the context of school year reorganisation from 2 semesters to 5 modules. This exploratory cross-sectional study included a sample of 158 primary education teachers from the northwestern region of Romania. Work-related stress was assessed through a questionnaire adapted from "School Teachers Job Stressor Scale" (Naono-Nagatomo et al., 2019), and the grit level was measured using the scale developed by Duckworth (2016). The results revealed differentiated levels of occupational stress, the highest being associated with the reorganisation of the academic year. The correlation analysis indicated significant negative relationships between grit levels and certain stress dimensions, particularly self-assessment of professional skills and peer relations, while the relationship with the overall stress was not significant. The qualitative data supported these findings, suggesting that grit facilitates stress management in specific contexts without equally influencing all dimensions of work-related stress. These preliminary findings emphasise the multidimensional nature of occupational stress and highlight the need for future research with larger, more representative samples to replicate and extend these associations.