IntroductionAn academic environment with continuously more demanding tasks requires students to capitalize on their strengths to meet the challenges and engage in learning experiences. Engaged students are deeply involved in their work, are strongly connected with their studies, and are more successful in academic tasks. The present study aimed to test a model in that core self-evaluations (CSE) predicts academic engagement (AE) directly and indirectly by increasing personal resources (i.e., psychological capital; PsyCap) in the case of two different samples, Romanian and Serbian.MethodsData were collected through three online questionnaires from 672 undergraduate students (Romania – 458; Serbia – 214).ResultsThe findings confirmed that CSE was positively related to PsyCap, which was positively associated with AE, and PsyCap mediates the relationship between the two variables in both samples. A positive evaluation of one’s characteristics (high CSE) mainly affects the cognitive and emotional mechanism of appraising the academic-related tasks one encounters (high PsyCap), ultimately shaping their motivation and engagement.DiscussionThese results pointed out the importance of the CSE and PsyCap that support each other and increase students’ AE, explaining the mediating mechanism of PsyCap. Also, they provide insight into the students’ engagement from two different cultural and educational contexts, being helpful to universities in their effort to increase students’ engagement.

Revolutionary development of the global communication network has also been reflected on the electronic book as the most important product of digitalization, and a significant educational resource in the function of providing a stimulating learning environment. The authors examine teachers' experiences (N=1117) (a) in relation to the justification of using electronic books and the attitudes of teachers and students of teacher education and pedagogy faculties (N=214) in relation to (b) the perspective of using different formats of books and (c) the universal values of the book, regardless of the format in which it was published. The research results show that teachers' motivation for using electronic books in teaching is mostly intrinsic; that teachers and future teachers agree in their attitudes regarding the use of electronic and printed books in the context of text media future development, as well as in their attitudes related to the universal values of the book in general, regardless of advantages and disadvantages of the format in which it was designed. The developed critical attitude of teachers and future teachers towards the potential of technological development of the book in the function of active knowledge building is significant from the aspect of the functionality of modern media in the educational context, bearing in mind that the key role in designing the learning process with the use of modern technology actually belongs to the teacher.

The authors examine attitudes of students of teacher-training faculties and faculties of education (N = 394) from four countries of the Western Balkans on (a) advantages and (b) limitations of using e-books and (c) on the perspective of using different forms of books in changed social context. Results of the research show that students value practical aspect of using an e-book the most, including among its most significant advantages the availability and the possiblity to store a large number of books on one device, while the most important limitations are lack of smell and sound when turning pages as well as reader fatigue. Future teachers and nursery teachers agree that printed book will always have its place among readers, regardless of the progress of modern technology, and that after the pandemic, most people will return to printed book. On the other hand, their views are not harmonized when assessing the complete dominance of e-book over the printed one, sometime in the future. Although today’s students grew up in a digital information environment, their attitudes regarding the use of e-books imply that they can critically assess place and role of different forms of books in the process of creating a productive learning environment.

Универзитет у Крагујевцу, Учитељски факултет у Ужицу Оригинални научни рад Настава српског језика у функцији подстицања читалачких интересовања ученика млађег школског узраста Резиме: Препознавање и развијање читалачких интересовања у периоду млађег школског узраста важни су ради утемељења афинитета према књижевности као уметности. Пажња аутора у раду усмерена је на вредновање наставе српског језика као једног од чинилаца који доприносе мотивисању, вођењу и подстицању ученика да унапреде читалачке компетенције. Настава књижевности као значајан фактор, како мотивисања за читање, тако и развијања вештине читања, увек изнова отвара питање начина којима ће се ученици поступно приближити књизи, учити и васпитавати за књигу. Значај наставе српског језика у функцији подстицања читалачких интересовања ученика млађег школског узраста испитиван је анкетирањем учитеља (N = 312) из тридесет три школе из Београда и десет управних округа у Републици Србији. Истраживачки задаци односили су се на: испитивање ставова учитеља (а) о утицају наставе књижевности на читалачка интересовања ученика; (б) о доприносу локализације одређених типова текста подстицању интересовања за читање; (в) о доприносу разматрања жанровских особености текста подстицању читалачких интересовања ученика. Резултати истраживања показују: (а) да настава књижевности, према мишљењу учитеља, у мањој мери утиче на читалачка интересовања ученика; (б) да локализација текста доприноси у већој мери подстицању читалачких интересовања ученика; (в) да разматрање жанровских особености текста у мањој мери доприноси подстицању интересовања за читање. Имајући у виду да се ефикасност васпитнообразовног рада процењује и по нивоу развоја читалачких интересовања, потребно је да сви учесници у наставном процесу нарочиту пажњу посвете дизајнирању креативног и изазовног окружења, које ће упознавањем, подстицањем и развијањем читалачких интересовања ученика задовољити њихове потребе за развојем при читању и кроз читање.

The closure of educational and cultural institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to changes in the traditional teaching model and the transition to online teaching. Since access to textbooks and professional literature was significantly difficult in completely new conditions, the resources of information and communication technologies were included in the teaching process, among which the e-book took an important place. The authors examine the experiences of students of teacher training faculties and faculties of education (N = 394) in relation to (a) the use of e-book for study purposes; (b) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the use of e-book for study purposes and (c) the factors that initiated the use of e-book. Research results show that two thirds of the respond- ents use this book format. According to the experience of more than a third of students, the current health crisis has contributed to the use of e-books to a greater extent than before, while a quarter of the respondents were motivated to start using it. The use of e-books was initiated mostly under the influence of professors and by independent internet search. Future class teachers and preschool teachers from the Western Balkans are open to the use of modern technologies, and the current pandemic has intensified the use of e-books for the purpose of their education, which has contributed to overcoming the dif- ficulties caused by the health crisis, as well as to gaining competence in efficient work with future generations of readers of various forms of text.