The present study compares problem-specific coping strategies and coping styles of European adolescents from seven nations. The sample consisted of 3031 adolescent participants, aged 11 to 20, from Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, and Switzerland. The adolescents completed the Coping Across Situations Questionnaire (CASQ) by indicating which coping strategies (from 20 alternatives) they usually employed in dealing with age-specific problems (covering 8 different domains). The strategies can be collapsed to three coping styles: active coping, internal coping, and withdrawal. Results show that adolescents from all seven nations predominantly employed functional forms of coping, i.e., active coping and internal coping. In addition, the pattern of frequently and rarely applied coping strategies was similar across cultures. Differences in coping style were revealed for some, but not all problem domains, suggesting that cross-cultural similarity in coping exists for specific stressors. Problem-specific analyses helped to clarify where cultural influence is most distinct. Whereas cultural diversity was highest for coping with job-related problems, coping with self- and future-related problems was highly similar among adolescents from all the nations. Despite the considerable traditional, educational, and economic differences among the cultures investigated, the similarities in coping behaviour were impressive. Explanations for cultural universals and differences in adolescent coping are discussed.

This study investigated how N = 5,126 adolescents (mean age of 15 years) from 18 countries perceive and cope with future- and school-related stress. The adolescents completed the Problem Questionnaire (PQ), which assesses stress, and the Coping Across Situations Questionnaire (CASQ), which assesses three coping styles (reflection/support-seeking, emotional outlet, and withdrawal/denial). Across countries, adolescents reported considerably higher levels of future-related stress than school-related stress. The adolescents actively coped with stressors in both domains and seldom relied on emotional outlet or withdrawal/denial. A clustering of the countries according to socioeconomic criteria and geographical proximity demonstrated that adolescents from the continental group of countries showed low stress and high coping. Adolescents in the east/Asia group showed medium stress and low coping and those in the south group showed high stress and low coping. Developmental context was more strongly associated with stress perception and coping, style than age or gender, a finding relevant for prevention approaches aiming to endorse positive orientation to the future and improve coping competence.

The present study focuses on romantic stress and coping styles in the context of identity and future-related stressors in 8,654 adolescents with a mean age of M = 15.3; SD = 1.84. The adolescents from 17 countries were grouped into seven regions, i.e., Mid-Europe, Northern Europe, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, South Africa, South America, and the Middle East. Future-related stressors were perceived as being more stressful than romantic stressors by all adolescents, irrespective of the region in which they lived. Identity-related stressors were of greater concern to adolescents from South Africa, South America, and the Middle East. Romantic stress was much higher in adolescents from Mid-Europe and Southern Europe compared to adolescents from other regions. Roughly 80% of all adolescents employed adaptive coping styles in that they negotiated with the romantic partner, sought support from friends and others, and shared an overall positive outlook. Adolescents from Mid-, Northern, and Eastern Europe were the most active in negotiating and support-seeking when dealing with romantic stressors.

The aim of this paper is to provide guidelines for reflection and improvement of transversal competences of teachers in the field of self-regulation, education for sustainable development and inclusion in the context of their continuing professional development. Also, the moderatory effect of personality based on literature analysis and insight into empirical results will be demonstrated. Teachers’ reputation determines the framework of their professional development and is strongly influenced by social challenges, globalization, integration, sustainability, technological development, etc. In addition, a strongly biologically determined teacher’s personality significantly moderates the relationship of their professional development and transversal competences. Transversal competences are recognized as the teachers’ important skills in their organization of the teaching and learning process and their professional development, as well as in the process of them teaching these competences to their students. “Learning to learn” is recognized as the key lifelong learning competence in the European policy documents and the environmental and sustainability issues are some of the most common transversal themes of the general education curricula. The focus on the transversal competences is relatively new in education policies and has emerged as a reaction to the increased professional demands for a response to current educational needs of all students in inclusive environments. Analysis of transversal competences in the aforementioned three fields and their connection to personality traits will contribute to new knowledge regarding the teachers’ professional education. Therefore, this paper will present the theoretical frameworks of the complex relationship between the teachers’ reputation, personality and transversal competences in the light of the contemporary educational contexts.

The study aims to understand the relationship between predictors of student teachers’ intention to implement education for sustainable development (ESD). It proposes and evaluates the intention to implement the ESD model, which identifies the following predictors of student teachers’ intention to implement ESD: (I) teacher self-efficacy, (II) teacher beliefs (about learning and teaching), (III) the assessment of the ESD value and (IV) attitudes towards sustainable development (SD). Using structural equation modeling, 706 student teachers’ data have been analyzed. Teacher self-efficacy and ESD value assessment have a direct positive effect on the intention to implement ESD. Furthermore, the assessment of ESD values and constructivist teacher beliefs has an indirect positive effect on the intention to implement ESD mediated by teacher self-efficacy. The more student teachers assess themselves as capable of ESD implementation, nurturing constructivist beliefs about the nature of knowledge, learning, and teaching, as well as value education as a tool for advancing society toward SD, the higher their intention to implement ESD in the future.