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A B S T R AC TThis paper presents the findings of a study that looked at social workers' perspectives on parental engagement in making the difficult choice of either taking the child into care or keeping the family together. The paper first explores the specific context of children at risk in Romanian society and explains that in this middle-income nation there is an absence of evidence-based risk assessment tools, which prompts social workers to use their own 'common sense' risk assessment indicators. The findings of this small-scale, nonrepresentative study on several public non-voluntary child protection services in Romania suggest that social workers' perceptions of specific dimensions of parental engagement in non-voluntary child protection may influence service delivery decisions and outcomes.

The goal of this study was to assist instructors and leadership of a hybrid weekend pre-service teacher education program at the University of Oradea to improve their effectiveness with students. Specifically, this study sought to gather and analyze data from three program constituents: students, instructors, and program leadership. The preschool and primary weekend education program at the University of Oradea was developed to be suitable for students who for various reasons cannot attend the traditional day classes. In 2011, the weekend program was changed into a hybrid program in an effort to more directly meet the needs of the student population. In order to more effectively meet the needs of the students, it became obvious that the pedagogy and structure of the program needed refinement. The data gathered in this study allowed the research team to develop recommendations for program, pedagogical, and textbook improvements.

The goal of this study was to assist instructors and leadership of a hybrid weekend pre-service teacher education program at the University of Oradea to improve their effectiveness with students. Specifically, this study sought to gather and analyze data from three program constituents: students, instructors, and program leadership. The preschool and primary weekend education program at the University of Oradea was developed to be suitable for students who for various reasons cannot attend the traditional day classes. In 2011, the weekend program was changed into a hybrid program in an effort to more directly meet the needs of the student population. In order to more effectively meet the needs of the students, it became obvious that the pedagogy and structure of the program needed refinement. The data gathered in this study allowed the research team to develop recommendations for program, pedagogical, and textbook improvements.

The chapter explores whether the educational policies introduced by the Romanian Government during the last twenty years are examples of good practice for other European countries facing the issue of Roma integration. The authors raise the question of whether the voices of Roma intellectual élites, who represent the “products” of those educational policies, are strong enough to drive the Roma minority towards common and sustained efforts for their social integration. What are the cross products of these educational policies? Additionally, they consider the case of Roma students within the University of Oradea in Romania and examine their attitudes towards academic learning, motivational factors, academic self-efficacy, faced difficulties, and potential ways to achieve higher rates of student retention. For a more in-depth analysis of the role and impact of those policies and the possible challenges/difficulties encountered, the authors interviewed several decision makers, such as academic staff, NGO representatives, and current/former Roma students. The chapter concludes with suggested solutions for detected difficulties.