The importance of parenting styles for the necessary fulfilment of the developmental needs of children and eventually improving their quality of life is frequently treated in the literature. Despite there being many studies that examined the relationship of parenting styles and academic performance, there is a lack of measurement of the relationship in the Romanian sample. This study analyzed the relationship between parenting styles and academic performance, along with cognitive test anxiety as a mediating variable. In order to identify how assessment anxiety influences the relationship between parenting styles and academic performance, we conducted a study on a sample of 231 students from rural and urban backgrounds. A questionnaire-based survey (to measure anxiety and parenting style) and assessment tests were used. The undertaken study highlighted the existence of a negative correlation between the level of assessment anxiety and the level of academic performance of students. At the same time, we found that poor supervision on behalf of parents negatively correlates with students’ performances in Romanian Language and Literature and in Mathematics. On the other hand, the results of the mediation analysis show that assessment anxiety partially mediates only the negative relationship between poor supervision and school performance.

We are preoccupied with early childhood education policies at the international level in general, but in particular with early childhood education in Romania. Therefore, the research direction of our study focuses on how early education teachers can integrate the principles of slow education into the development of child-centered competence. The formation and development of the child’s early ontogeny personality occur at the natural pace of development and learning rather than in an accelerated manner. While preparing for the research, we reviewed relevant articles circumscribed to the same topic: slow, child-centered education, deep learning, constructivism, and the enthusiasm of children and teachers. Most of them conclude that the use of child-centered competence in early childhood significantly contributes to slow education principles and characteristics. At the same time, the research aims to provide quantitatively and qualitatively validated arguments for verifying the incidence of child-centered competence from the perspective of sustainable education, in connection with the constructivist orientation of the teachers. Our research included a group of 376 teachers selected from early childhood education institutions in the North-West of Romania, all of them with initial preparation in the field. Using the focus group method, we identified differences in the perception of the two paradigms (child-centeredness and slow pedagogy), the link between these two, and the connection with the constructivist orientation. At the same time, we intended to identify the degree of continuous professional development training according to these paradigms that are not studied and practiced together in early education in Romania, because only the child-centeredness principle is mentioned in the initial teacher training. Therefore, in-service training activities were conducted and they were focused on facilitating and raising awareness of the value of using child-centered competence and the principles of slow education among training participants. At the end of the program, through the quantitative method—the survey—we concluded that the activities included in the training program led to a significant increase in the teachers’ capacity to appreciate the natural pace of development and learning of children to such an extent that the participants themselves adopted the promotion of sustainable slow education in a dynamic society. The methods used helped us deduce that all teachers with a constructivist orientation improved their child-centered competence, and teachers who gave children the freedom to choose activities from the proposed educational offers, according to their needs, interests, and potential, identified the development of the ability to consider children’s natural pace of development and learning as a result of the training. In conclusion, our research complements the literature, proposing a new and useful perspective to approach early childhood education practices by respecting the child’s natural pace of development and learning, which provides a suitable context for promoting international sustainable educational policies. We encourage teachers around the world to reflect on an important issue in the holistic development of the child—if faster means better—in the race to performance.

Inclusive leadership has become a key paradigm in contemporary educational management, promoting equity, collaboration, and responsiveness to diversity. This study investigates how inclusive leadership is perceived and applied by educational leaders in the Romanian K-12 education system, while focusing on both operational leaders (teachers) and strategic leaders (principals and school inspectors). Based on a cross-sectional, non-probabilistic sample of 296 respondents, the research employed a quantitative methodology, including descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, multiple linear regression, and k-means cluster analysis. These methods were used to examine differences in perceptions, the influence of managerial experience and training, and the level of acceptance of inclusive leadership practices. The findings reveal significant perceptual gaps between teachers and strategic leaders, especially regarding the importance of concrete actions associated with inclusive leadership. While formal training and managerial seniority had no significant effect on acceptance levels, a critical relationship has been identified between awareness of implementation challenges and a reduced enthusiasm for the model. The study proposes a typology of three leadership profiles, specifically, practical, strategic, and adaptive, and emphasizes the need for differentiated professional development strategies tailored to each profile. These results contribute to a better understanding of how inclusive leadership can be more effectively embedded in diverse educational contexts through systemic support, reflective practice, and policy alignment.

This study explores the complex field of assessment and evaluation in higher education, emphasizing the student’s viewpoints and experiences. Considering several elements that impact students' learning and skill development, such as the changing dynamics of professionalization within the educational system, this study attempts to clarify the complex relationship between assessment procedures and student performance. Data was gathered from 273 students enrolled in the bachelor’s degree, from two separate Universities in Romania from different fields and study levels. The method for gathering information was a survey that included demographic information as well as Likert-scale questions to learn about students' happiness with their academic achievement, assessment technique preferences, self-perception, study habits, and assessment-related stress issues. Students were also asked about their performance objectives, assessment preferences, and recommendations for strengthening academic support services. A descriptive analysis was performed to examine the perception of university students regarding the survey items. By investigating these factors, this study adds to a thorough understanding of the constraints and possibilities inherent in assessment processes in higher education settings. The findings can have important implications for curriculum design, teaching techniques, and support services aimed at creating a positive learning environment and promoting students' overall development.

Focusing on time management is essential to making student learning worthwhile. Rigorous time management allows students to discover more controlled than task and activities or activities or daily. Our study aims to investigate teachers' perceptions of managing students' learning time, both in and out of the classroom. Knowing that time management is based on three pillars, namely: planning, organization, and the results of the study highlight the need for students to learn time management with an emphasis on: learning to set priorities, self-monitoring/self-responsibility. management according to a set schedule, the daily distribution of learning times and free time according to one's own needs. At the same time, it is necessary to involve teachers in the formation of effective time management skills and abilities in their students, in order to avoid procrastination. At the same time, the counseling of parents by teachers on the proper management of their children's learning and leisure time is a necessity to make learning more efficient for school-age children.

The purpose of ethical education is to develop critical thinking skills and cognitive capacities that allow individuals to identify the ethical dimensions of problems and to reflect on these problems by minimizing any negative effects. The school, as the main institution in the education of children, develops sustainable environments for character formation and ethical development. The study highlighted the quality of these environments in the sense that there are no significant differences between the ethical values promoted by students from rural areas compared to those from urban areas. Furthermore, no statistically significant differences were identified in the ethical values promoted by boys and girls, nor between students in the 7th and 8th grades. This finding suggests a degree of consistency in the educational environment experienced by the participants. Nevertheless, the results do not permit a clear distinction between the influence of the school environment and that of the family environment on the development of students' moral conduct. The role and strong influence of non-formal activities is underlined by the results of the study, in the sense that significant differences were observed in the level of ethical values between students who participated in extracurricular activities organized by the school and those who did not. Non-formal educational contexts that provide opportunities for reflection, dialogue and emotional involvement play a vital role in supporting the internalization of moral values. A preliminary analysis of ethical values among Romanian middle-school students using the EVA framework was previously reported by Albulescu et al. (2025). The present study extends these findings by examining gender and residential differences, the influence of extracurricular participation, psychometric characteristics of the instrument, and broader educational implications for moral development in adolescence.