Changes in the educational process caused by different social changes require teachers to continue to reassess their role in the educational and teaching processes. According with that, literature increasingly discusses the essence of teachers’ roles, their methods in the teaching process, and as well as the degree of achievement of the professional role of teachers as one of the key factors in the quality education process. Different approaches of the authors, insisting on a clear differentiation of teacher’s roles, different criteria for differentiation, includes a large number of divisions and classifications of teachers’ roles in pedagogical literature. These often include a great number of teaching roles. In this paper, based on the analysis of the different categorisations of teachers’ roles and didactic theories, the emphasis is placed on the essence of the teaching role seen in the context of the processes and work of teachers in the educational process, whose quality is reflected in the degree of student achievement. In this regard, what is pointed out here is the significance of the teacher’s role in planning and preparing classes, motivating students, developing their interest in learning the content, as well as in the realization of quality communication and interaction between teachers and students.

This paper presents the results of a research aimed at determining the motivational actions of teachers in the subject teaching of mathematics. The aim of the research was to determine the quality of teachers' motivational actions in teaching mathematics in the higher grades of elementary school. The research sample included 570 seventh-grade students. It was established that students evaluate the teachers' motivational actions in different ways. In addition, the results of the research revealed a statistically significant connection between students' evaluations of the teachers' motivational actions and the level of student achievement in mathematics. A higher degree of achievement was observed among the students who said that their mathematics teachers motivated them in different ways and developed their interest in learning mathematical content. On the other hand, a lower degree of achievement expressed in numerical grades was found among the students who stated that quality motivational models were not often represented in their mathematics classes.

It is generally accepted that the quality of teaching significantly contributes to the quality of the entire educational process. One of the key factors in the quality of teaching is the teacher, whose characteristics, roles, teaching style, and also professional development are always the subject of research, not only in pedagogy but also in other social and humanistic sciences. This paper presents the characteristics and problems of the professional development of teachers in several Balkan countries. The comparative-critical analysis was performed on the programs of professional development of teachers in our country and the programs in Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, BiH, Croatia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Albania. The aim of the analysis was to determine the characteristics of the mentioned programs, their similarities and differences, as well as possible problems in their organization and implementation, which would help improve the professional development of teachers in our country. The comparative analysis determined that the professional development of teachers in the Balkan countries is prescribed by appropriate laws and regulations. Numerous opportunities for professional development of teachers were identified in various educational programs, which led to conclusion that the mentioned programs follow the reform processes in the field of education. Considering that the professional development of teachers is directed towards the future development of society, it is necessary to mention the need for continuous empirical research in this area, the results of which would be helpful in a more complete understanding of the problems in educational practice.