Biodata
Date and place of birth: February 29, 1972, Sfântu-Gheorghe, Covasna County, Romania;
Contact: email: ahatos@uoradea.ro
Education/degrees: Habilitation in Sociology (September 2014) ; PhD in Sociology (May 2005) from „Babeș Bolyai” University Cluj ; MA in Human Resources Management (1995) from „Babeș Bolyai” University Cluj ; Licence in Sociology (1993) from „Babeș Bolyai” University Cluj;
Current positions: full professor at the University of Oradea, Department of Sociology and Social Work ; PhD supervisor in Sociology, at the Doctoral School in Sociology of the University of Oradea, Head of the Doctoral School ; Member of National Council for the Certification of University Titles, Diplomas and Certificates (CNATDCU), Sociology, Political and Administrative Sciences Committee (since June 2016) – official advisory committee of the Romanian Ministry of Education; member of National Council for Statistics and Prognosis in Higher Education – official advisory committee of the Romanian Ministry of Education (since 2012) (CNSPIS);
Main research interests are in the area of sociology of education, collective action and digital sociology.
He has expertise in a) conducting research in areas of sociology of education, systems of education and training and social stratification, social movements and collective action, program evaluation; b) quantitative research methods, including analysis of international large-scale multilevel data.
Digitalization and education achievement. The digital divides in education
Keywords: digital divides, digitalization in education, digital skills
Abstract
Current research on impact of digitalization in education provides an empirical perspective of multi-layered divisions in which the first and the second levels (or orders) are the most thoroughly researched and theorized while current developments tentatively regard issues of the so-called third, fourth and international digital divisions. As it develops, our knowledge of the relationship of ICT and education makes space for anguish over the possible socially divisive potential of ICT use in education. The digital revolution in education not only does not solves previous issues but apparently creates new ones as differences in access, in skills and in use patterns are able to increase the various offline gaps between people of different socio-economic backgrounds. Consequently, digitalization should not be an agenda in itself but have to be replaced with a thorough reflection on wise digitalization.
Relevant results of the research activities:
Journal articles:
- ‘Serving the New Class: The Dynamics of Educational Transitions for Romanian Adults Born Before 1985 During Communism and Afterwards’Social Indicators Research 119 issue 3 (2014): 1699-1729;
- ‘Family Structure and School Results: Multivariate Analysis of Answers of Teenage Students in a Romanian City’, with Sergiu Bălțătescu, Child Indicators Research Volume 6, Issue 2 (2013), pp. 281-295;
- ‘School Satisfaction Among Adolescents: Testing Different Indicators for its Measurement and its Relationship with Overall Life Satisfaction and Subjective Well-Being in Romania and Spain’, with Ferran Casas, Sergiu Baltatescu, Irma Bertran, Monica Gonzales, Social Indicators Research, vol, 111, issue 3 (2013), pp. 665-681.
Book chapters:
- ‘Education systems’ (2014) in : Michalos AC (Ed.). Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Springer, Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer, pp 1836-1842.
- ‘Public spending in education’ (2014) in: Michalos AC (Ed.). Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Springer, Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer, pp 5225-5229.
Reports
- Provision of Inputs for the Preparation of a Draft National Strategy and Action Plan on Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction (2014-2020). Inputs into Government Strategy. 2014. World Bank. Europe and Central Asia;
Books
- Sociology of education (in Romanian), Polirom, Iaşi, ISBN 973-46-0082-6, 2006, 250 p.;
I have published 74 articles in peer-reviewed journals, 42 chapters in edited books off which 11 in international publications and 14 in conference proceedings. I have authored 5 monographs and havee been editor of 15 edited books. During the last 15 years I have made 68 presentations at international conferences.
Relevant academic research contracts in which I was involved were:
- Social and institutional factors of student dropout in higher education (OTKA, ID: 123847, University of Debrecen, Hungary) – 2017-2020.
- Analyzing educational achievement of 15-Year-Olds in Romania Oct 2016- Martie 2017, Centrul pentru Studiul Democrației, OSF project – UBB Cluj-Napoca.
- Higher Education for Social Cohesion (2011-2012, codul proiectului: HURO 0901/253/2.2.2), Hungary-Romania Cross-border Cooperation Programme 2007-2013, University of Oradea team leader, sociology of education coordonator;
- Class structure and social stratification. Implications for public policies and cultural and political marketing (PNII, Partnerships, contract nr. 92131/01.10.2008), membru
- Leaders, participants and by-standers. Causes of community involvement in Urban Romania CEEX (grant manager ), 2006-2009.
- Teenagers future citizens: longitudinal study of student teenagers’ social exclusion phenomena (CNCSIS 497 2006) – project manager;2006-2008
- Education, internet and democratic values. A longitudinal and comparative investigation of the effects of the involvement of teenagers in real and virtual socialization networks upon civic culture, IDEI project, member 2007-2009
- Democratic Citizenship through education. A longitudinal and comparative research of the relationship between school, social involvement and civic culture tip (A Project, CNCSIS), 2006-2008
- re-ETGACE (replication of Education and Training for Governance and Active Citizenship) FP 5 project, senior researcher, 2002 – februarie 2004.
Recent Relevant reports, policy documents etc:
- Education, good governance and national security for Center for the Study of Democracy, Universitatea „Babeș-Bolyai” Cluj, autor http://democracycenter.ro/download_file/view/163/586
- Provision of Inputs for the Preparation of a Draft National Strategy and Action Plan on Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction (2014-2020). Inputs into Government Strategy. 2014. World Bank. Europe and Central Asia. coautor
- Dimensiuni și indicatori din Rapoartele privind Starea Învățământului Superior din România. Ce lipsește? (with Bogdan Voicu) [Dimensions and indicators in the report on the state of Romanian higher education. What is missing? A report to the National Commission for Statistics and Prognosis in Higher Education (CNSPIS), 2014, Bucureşti: CNSPIS
Other relevant positions
- Instructor of the Doctoral School in Education of the University of Debrecen (Hungary)
- National ESS (European Social Survey) team member (since 2016)
- Educational Policies expert in Didact – Practice learning for the transition from school to work in the domain of Education Sciences POSDRU/189/2.1/G/155930 – July-December 2015
- Evaluation and analysis expert in project: Child protection: from Theory to Practice. European Social Fund, POSDRU/90/2.1/S/61957 – 2009-2013
- Reader (reviewer) of the report of the monitoring study of the program PHARE – Acess to Education for Disadvantaged Groups (2009)
- Expert in integrated data-bases, Socio-GIS: Public-Private Partnership For The Improvement Of Provision Of Social Services In Oradea Through Digital Social Maps And Contracting Of Social Services To NGO-S Through A Voucher System contract nr. RO 0010 IS 55/25 11 2009 (SEE grant)
- Expert in Social exclusion and the risk of social exclusion in rural areas and its links with ITC (Leonardo project) – 2006-2007