1Today, the construct of knowledge society or learning society is embodied as an ontic need rather than an ideal, while the strategy of lifelong learning makes an aspect of its reification. Social transformation where we live has been launched by a radical change in the meaning of knowledge as a phenomenon. Both in the West and in the East, knowledge has always been perceived as something which is related to being, to existence; today, knowledge implies action, doing. It has become a resource and useful goods, namely public goods. In this respect, the new paradigm in education promotes the soundness of acting, rather than perfection of knowledge. So far, the interaction of the world of work and the world of education has been metaphorically reflected through making the status of schools equal to that of factories (authoritarian hierarchical system, bureaucracy, excessive division of labour, direct operating instructions, control in all segments, etc.). Modern social discourse calls for a new school metaphor -perhaps as a professional learning community.In the first part of the paper, the author considers the assumptions of discourse of knowledge society and their implications for pedagogical reflection from the aspect of interpretative paradigm. The second part highlights the importance of a critical attitude toward neglecting the essential prerequisites of knowledge society for educational reality, as well as the need for redefining the pedagogical responsibility of teachers in the educational practice of the knowledge society.

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.

No abstract

No abstract

The present study examined the metric properties of the Delaware School Climate Survey – Student (DSCS-S) using a sample of 1524 Serbian high school students. Of the total number of participants, 764 were male and 760 were female with age ranging from 16 to 20 years ( M = 17.67, SD = 0.65). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) demonstrated that a seven-factor model of school climate has an adequate fit with the data. Furthermore, measurement invariance of the DSCS-S across gender was supported. Results revealed significant latent mean differences between male and female students on most dimensions of the school climate. Convergent validity of the DSCS-S was established by correlations of its dimensions with students’ academic achievement and attachment to school. Taken together, the findings of the present study indicate that the DSCS-S has the potential to be applied in measuring school climate in the Serbian educational context.