<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Jiří Škoda</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Pavel Doulík</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Martin  Bílek</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Zuzana Procházková</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ SOFT SKILLS IN INQUIRY-BASED LOWER SECONDARY SCIENCE EDUCATION</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">inquiry-based lower secondary science education (IBSE)</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">school environment</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">science literacy</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">self-assessment</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">soft skills</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2025</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">December/2025</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://journals.indexcopernicus.com/search/article?articleId=4714179</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">83</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Inquiry-based science education (IBSE) is a student learning management strategy focusing not only on the active construction of knowledge in the natural sciences. Through the used educational procedures, it also develops students' soft skills. The impact of IBSE on the development of soft skills was monitored in a group of 14- to 15-year-old students in Czech basic schools. The main aim of the study was to determine whether IBSE contributes to greater development of students' self-assessment of the achievement level of selected soft skills compared to the transmissive model of managing their learning activities. The study employed an educational experiment as its validation method. The experimental group (N = 232) received IBSE teaching over a five-month period, delivered by teachers who had received prior IBSE training and were regularly supervised by the research team. The control group (N = 207) was taught using the transmission model for the same duration. Soft skill self-assessment was conducted using an 80-questions questionnaire based on interval scales. For each skill, the level of self-assessment was calculated as the arithmetic average of respondents’ ratings across 10 items. The collected data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The results show that students taught using IBSE reported significantly higher self-assessed levels in communication, teamwork, problem-solving, creativity, and the ability to learn new things compared to the control group. IBSE appears to be an effective educational model that not only supports science literacy but also fosters the development of key soft skills applicable in real-life and out-of-school contexts.</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">6</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">840-859</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Mare Tuisk</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">SUBJECTIVITY BEGINS WITH INDEPENDENT THINKING</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">independent thinking</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">school environment</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2008</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">May/2008</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1392234339.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">6</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The interest of Estonian society has been focused on Estonian education with its various contradictory messages. On the one hand, the PISA study indicated that we can be proud of the results of the cooperation between our teachers and students. On the other hand, however, we must admit that our drop-out rates are high and the students’ health is deteriorating. Has the price for success been too high?
 At the time when the entire world has come to an understanding of the importance of life-long learning and the necessity to develop as a self-guiding subject, an unacceptable proportion of Estonian students have negative attitude towards school and studying, or are either exhausted or overworked due to their positive attitude towards studying. Studies claim the same about teachers.
 The general context of this article is the contradiction between the needs of a dynamically developing society and an old-fashioned and comparatively authoritative school environment.
 This paper focuses on how to encourage the students’ and teachers’ independent thinking and subjective choices in order to create the best possible environment for development at school.
 The study is based on 48 narrative essays. The processing of data was based on the grounded theory methodology. The author has interpreted the outcomes relying on the works of P. Sartre, V. Fränkl, V. Peavy, R. Fischer and M. Fullan.
 The most significant conclusion is that innovative teachers value their own, as well as the students’ independent thinking, which is the most promising strategy in the circumstances of fast changes and strenuous explorations. </style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">217-225</style></section></record></records></xml>