Recent advancements of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and the increased use of ICT related services in the field of online learning offer a range of possibilities, but also pose a challenge for administration in the institutions of higher education. A plethora of official documents dealing with the analysis of how ICT is applied in teaching practice indicate the existing gap in teachers’ digital competencies for its implementation. The paper discusses teachers’ perceptions of various aspects related to the use ICT in teaching at higher education institutions, as well as their needs for professional development in this area. The study included 211 teachers employed in higher education institutions within the Universities of Belgrade, Novi Sad, Kragujevac, Novi Pazar, and Nis. Considering the purpose of this research, the authors designed a measuring instrument comprised of open and closed-ended questions. The study results indicate that teachers recognize the need for integrating ICT in instruction, while their perception of the level of access to ICT learning resources varies depending on the given technology or ICT related services. It is identified that the practical integration of ICT in the classroom still remains at an intermediate or relatively low level. With regard to teacher perception of the intensity of utilizing different software applications in direct instruction, the overall results demonstrate that basic business/productivity application packages such as MS Office are the predominant form of software used in the classroom, followed by Learning Management Systems (LMS). Finally, it is worth noting that teachers’ perception of available professional development opportunities is considerably low, but coupled with a relatively high personal interest in participating in professional development activities.

In the Republic of Serbia, education reforms have been implemented since 2000 with the aim of harmonizing this important field of society with the so-called European Education Area. The whole range of changes lawfully adopted and applied in practice at all levels of institutionalized education is mainly directed towards the standardization and unification of "domestic" education with the educational paradigms of a neoliberal society. Maintaining the continuity of cultural development and the formation of cultural identity are important issues for overall social development, and they are not given proper attention in the education strategy. In addition to that, the institutional preparation of future teachers does not sufficiently focus on this issue.In this paper we consider: (1) the normative framework that regulates the field of primary education and the formation of cultural identity in the Republic of Serbia, (2) the factors influencing the process of training future teachers for the formation of cultural identity and (3) the teachers’ competencies as a support to the formation of the cultural identity of younger school-age children.The importance of the harmonization of the basic guidelines of the normative framework regulating primary education and the formation of cultural identity with the basic intentions of preparing future teachers is emphasized. Especially from the perspective of the role of teachers in the process of establishing and preserving the cultural identity of generations reaching compulsory primary education in the context of intergenerational transmission of culture, cultural patterns and values. At the same time, the paper emphasizes the insufficient presence of content in the education of future teachers that would adequately prepare them for understanding the complex problem of forming a cultural identity.The authors point out the importance of the groundedness of future teachers’ preparation in terms of their academic knowledge of society, history and culture. The aim of the paper is to emphasize the importance of developing teachers’ competencies necessary for understanding identity issues and forming a cultural identity.The paper employs the descriptive-analytical method.

Understanding the factors associated with adolescent risk behaviors is an important research topic in Serbia. The aim of this study was to examine whether peer pressure and academic achievement predict adolescent risk behaviours such as cigarette smoking, drinking alcohol, marijuana use and unprotected sex. The data was collected from 181 (68% female) second-grade students of two secondary schools. The questionnaire for assessing peer pressure, risk behaviors, as well as socio-demographic variables was applied. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the perceived peer pressure and academic achievement both predict various types of risky behaviors among adolescents. The findings of this study can have implications for improving the prevention of risk-taking behaviors in adolescence.

The paper aims to highlight the main difficulties on the monetary path towards the euro zone experienced by Emerging Europe. Emerging European Economies (EEEs), EU members, adopted either double shift or smooth transition monetary approach towards the euro zone. Double shift assumes changes from floating exchange rate regimes (ERRs) to the ERM II target zone and, finally, monetary union as a rigid ERR. The smooth transition is practiced by economies with mainly rigid ERRs before the ERM II entrance and, at the end, again rigid ERR of a monetary union. Despite chosen monetary path towards the euro zone, crucial difficulties or aggravating factors could be identified in the form of real exchange rate appreciation due to productivity growth or capital inflows. A reconciliation of inflation and exchange rate target zone is extremely complex, at the same time striving not to jeopardize the real convergence. What is stressed here is the vicious cycle between real and nominal convergence as the reason why the ERM II target should be regarded as a “waiting room“ not as a “training room“ in the pre-EMU phase.

Тhe protection of human rights is one of primary goals of police work in democratic societies. However, no society is immune to the various forms of illegal police work. Some of them, like police torture, are the hardest forms of illegal police activity and the inhuman treatment of citizens as well. The paper focuses on the aspects that appear to be essential, so the paper considers the most important aspects of the phenomenon of "police torture" - the basic meanings, causes, ways and consequences of its manifestation. Our goal is to remove certain doubts in the interpretation of this phenomenon, but also to increase the interest in investigating the appearance of torture in the police. Such a scientific study has not been conducted so far, so there is a need for further comprehensive investigations of the "police torture" phenomenon.

Students’ higher education institution choice has been widely analyzed over the last four decades. As there is an evident gap in the research of this topic in Serbia, the aim of this study is to shed light on high school students’ choice criteria as a part of the decision-making process with regard to enrolling a particular higher education institution. Aiming to identify the main choice criteria, this study also deals with various factors that influence that choice, such as socio-demographic and personal factors. The survey, conducted in various high schools in Belgrade, was the main method for collecting data. Descriptive statistics accompanied by statistical testing were used for data evaluation. As main choice criteria, two groups of criteria were recognized in this study: the criteria linked to employment opportunities and those related to the international position of the HEI. The main differences in the attitudes of the respondents were the result of the demographic and personal characteristics of high school students, seen as academic aspirations and academic achievements. Relevant managerial and policy implications were outlined in the study, from the perspective of higher education institutions in Serbia, which can adjust their marketing strategy to the characteristics of their target segment, and from the perspective of government institutions that develop the educational policy.

A critical and complete estimation and evaluation of educational work is a complex and accountable process, but mostly it is the inevitable task of all participants in this process. The aim of this paper is to point out the significance of extensive social impact on foreign language selection and acquisition by using the method of theoretical analysis. In this paper we will present the importance of learning foreign languages (FL), their presence in the educational system of Republic Serbia, the position of the state language policy, as well as the current situation and the basic attitude of the society in the selection and study of FLs. The results of this analysis should contribute to a better insight into the nature of the factors that influence the acquisition and teaching of foreign languages.

Labor productivity of the manufacturing industry is an important factor of economic growth and compatibility. The aim of the research is to point out the significance of conducting efficient structural and technological changes in the manufacturing industry of the Republic of Serbia and to examine their impact on the growth of labor productivity. Technological structure was examined according to the technological intensity and methodology of OECD. Labor productivity was analyzed by partial productivity measure, value added per employee from the aspect of impact of various factors on its growth, shift-share analysis. The results of the research show that labor productivity growth rates in the manufacturing industry are high and positive, that they are higher than gross value added, which is the result of change in the number of employees. Productivity growth is higher in areas that belong to high and medium-level technology and is based on the inter-sector effect. The results of this research are useful to the creators of industrial politics when initiating structural changes and relocating the factors that impact labor productivity towards more productive areas of the manufacturing industry.

In this paper we deal with the role and importance of communication in increasing the efficiency of the Republic Agency for the Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes. Although communication is ubiquitous, it is often not accessed systematically and its role and place in the functioning of the organization is ignored. Based on the analysis and research in the paper, it is shown that through a systemic approach to communication in the work of one state body, there has been greater efficiency. Communication is analyzed in procedures and methods of peaceful settlement of labor disputes, arbitration and mediation, as well as with users of services of Agency, primarily the civil society. It also points to the basic indicators of the contribution of the improved communicator to the number of procedures and statistical parameters.

In most capitalist countries, business ethics is considered the precondition for long term advancement, growth, development and the maintenance of the high profitability of the organization, which is not the case with post-communist countries. Ethically oriented organizations are considered attractive for investors, employees, managers and other interested stakeholders. Unfortunately, in Serbia, a post-communist country, business ethics is considered to be of second rate significance in most cases. More precisely, organizations insist on legal business based on the code of ethics, but also include all other kinds of improvisation. The main goal of this paper is to show the moderating influence of ownership on the relationship between the ethical climate and unethical behavior in Serbia. The research encompasses 924 respondents from four domestic enterprises and foreign owned enterprises. The results of this research show that the ownership of the enterprise influences the relationship between the ethical climate and unethical behavior. We conclude that foreign owned enterprises pay more attention to the ethical behavior and create better ethical climate for the organizations. The main implication of this research is that one of the ways for better business performance of organizations in Serbia, especially if they want to enter foreign markets, is to accept moral values and the ethical behavior which exists in market economies.