Relations between Russia and Africa today are reaching a new qualitative level. The research conducted by pedagogical universities of the Russian Federation under the auspices of the Russian Ministry of Education on scientific and methodological support for the transfer of the best Russian pedagogical technologies to the educational systems of African countries contributes to it. The purpose of this publication is to identify and summarize the significant intentions of studying the Russian language and culture by African students. Methodology. The study covered 170 respondents, which included university students in the Republics of Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, divided into groups studying and not studying Russian. Russian-speaking citizens of these states who had Russian roots or studied at Russian universities were interviewed as a control group. The ethics of the study included voluntary participation, informed consent of respondents in the study, confidentiality and anonymity. The following methods of sociocultural analysis were used: interdisciplinary theoretical and methodological modeling, content analysis, focus group, questionnaire. Results. The study identifies the key cultural reasons for studying the Russian language and Russian culture by African students. Based on the results obtained, the foundational positions for developing a model for organizing educational activities aimed at promoting the goals and values of Russian education and culture on the African continent are substantiated. Novelty and practical significance. The research materials illustrate the possibilities for expanding the access of African university students to the study of Russian language and Russian culture, opening up prospects for them to continue their education in Russia. The identified sociocultural characteristics of the needs, inclinations and interests of students can be used to develop models of educational activities of Russia in Africa in order to form a positive attitude and high aspirations of citizens of African states to study Russian language and Russian culture.
Keyword(s) : accessibility and equality of opportunities
Nomad Education in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug: Problems and Potential
In the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the project “Nomad Education” has been implemented since 2010, aimed at solving the issues of accessibility of education for children of tundra people in the conditions of family, industrial nomadic camps. For 10 years, the attitude towards nomadic education has changed dramatically, in connection with which the paper presents an analysis of the effectiveness of nomadic education in teaching children of indigenous peoples in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug based on a study of the opinions of the nomadic population. This information can be the impetus for the improving the quality of education in nomadic areas. The purpose of the publication is to identify the problematic issues of nomadic education and determine the prospects for the project.
The study involved 622 respondents from the indigenous population in 7 municipalities (districts) of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Statistica 10 and SAS JMP 11 software packages. The results of a survey of the nomadic population on the effectiveness of teaching children in the system of nomadic education are presented. Nomadic education was assessed, risks and potential were identified. The most active supporters of nomadic education were reindeer herders, which is primarily due to the specifics of their nomadic life. Among the main factors affecting the quality of learning of children of the nomadic population, there is a shortage of qualified teachers who speak their native languages and are willing to work in the extreme conditions of nomadic life. Research materials can be useful to methodologists and teachers implementing the project “Nomadic Education” both in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug and in other territories of the Russian Arctic.