Any scholarly journal undergoes changes at some point of its development. The updates can be large-scale and deal with the journal’s strategy, editorial policy or structure, or they can address technical issues. Whatever transformational processes are taking place, the journal’s activity is never void of them. In this editorial I want to focus on the E&SD transition onto a new platform and the submission process in this system.
Education & Self Development has been using the Editorial Park system for about ten months. Over this course of time, the editors and reviewers have gained first-hand experience of working with the new platform. Similar to OJS, the Editorial Park enables editors to manage all processes from the moment when the journal receives a manuscript to the publication stage. The system’s interface is user-friendly. However, the software is not localized. Thus, authors cannot switch to the Russian language, if necessary. Though the submission process does not pose serious challenges, there are some specifics that I would like to highlight here. The submission process involves five steps or stages that require consistency. Initially, authors are supposed to fill out a checklist. One should realise that the formal completion of the checklist can result in a desk rejection. We strongly encourage authors to check our guidelines before submitting a paper.
Journal Articles
Appreciative Collaborative Reflection to Catalyze Indonesian EFL Teachers’ Identity Configuration in a Teacher Professional Education Program
Collaborative reflection helps teachers make meaning of their professional selves. For this reason, the infusion of appreciative inquiry into collaborative reflection can strengthen the formation of teacher identity. This case study aimed to investigate how appreciative collaborative reflection catalyzed the configuration of EFL teachers’ professional identities during a three-month offline teacher professional education program in Indonesia. Three EFL teachers attending the professional education program and belonging to the same group during the reflection activities took part in the current study. During the activities, the three participants showed an interpersonal bond within the group. Data in the form of narratives were obtained through a semi-structured focus group discussion with the participants. A thematic analysis was conducted to discover the data’s emerging themes regarding the affordance of the reflection in accelerating teachers’ professional identity formation. The findings revealed that appreciative collaborative reflection catalyzed teachers’ professional identity configuration through recollections of professional experiences, equal engagement and interconnectedness, and positivity. The data-led, personal, collaborative, and appreciative reflection fostered the cultivation of positive personal selves. It is necessary that identity-related reflections be incorporated into teacher professional development programs to help teachers cultivate and purify their professional calling.
Teacher Professional Development and Media Education in a Virtual Learning Environment
The digital and media environment has brought new challenges that demand the development of specific skills to face them. Teachers are aware of the importance of using technology and social networks in educating new generation. However, they do not feel prepared to provide media education. The issue of education in values still receives less attention than necessary. The aim of the study is: to develop a Teacher Professional Development (TPD) program that allows participants to be better prepared to work with media education, focused on the Ideology and Values dimension. Research methods: to develop the TPD in the LMS it will be necessary: 1st. definition of educational objectives related to media education, focused on the Ideology and Values dimension; 2nd. To carry out a survey of media products that can promote reflection, analysis, synthesis and discussion that will be transformed into Digital Learning Object-DLO, instructional components that can be reused in different contexts and accessed through the Internet; 3rd. selection of didactic strategies, using the DLO, to be developed to reach the objective. Conclusions and recommendations: The design of the TPD program, in the LMS, with a playful perspective and active participation of teachers, enables the organization of classes and activities online using various resources in the form of a learning object.
The Connection of the Digital Learning Component with the Development of Preschool and School-age Children: A Review of Research and International Educational Practices
The relevance of the research is due to the increasing popularity of online learning and the lack of scientifically based criteria for analysing and designing new programs. The article provides an overview of international research and teaching practices on the following topics: the impact of Internet use on the mental development and academic results of children aged 5-12 years; the relationship between the use of various digital learning tools and the formation of various components of cognitive and communication development; the influence of the digital component of learning on students ‘ academic achievements; teaching children the basics of programming in order to form their computational thinking. In this study, the numbers of paperes related to the digital transformation of preschool and primary education were identified. The number of such articles for Scopus was 1709, and for Web of Science 984. Term maps were visualized in the period 2000–2020. The three clusters for Web of Science relate to the Internet, gaming learning applications, and computational thinking. After that, we analysed 60 sources that most fully represent these three clusters. The paper draws the following conclusions: to date, most studies are based on comparing the significance of the psychological and pedagogical effect of traditional training and education with the active use of digital technologies. There are few studies comparing different types of digital environments and online educational technologies; conflicting data on the impact of digital media and online technology on educational outcomes suggests that development of psycho-pedagogical typology of mechanisms for online learning that would take into account the peculiarities of interaction between child, teacher and digital environments, is urgently relevant; today, we have a fairly large array of data on the positive impact of digital gaming environments on the formation of creative abilities.
The Influence of Music Classes on the Regulatory Functions and Language Abilities of Children Aged 5-12: The Review of Research Studies
Nowadays, most children attend supplementary classes. This research attempts to review and summarize the results of 14 international studies on the influence of music lessons on children aged 5-12. The paper considers the influence of music lessons on the development of regulatory functions and language abilities. The authors conclude that music lessons have a significant influence on the regulatory functions of children, especially on inhibition and working memory. The relationship between language and music classes highlighted in numerous studies are discussed. With prolonged daily music lessons, children can develop vocabulary and phonological awareness.
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.
Methodical Competence Deficits of Vocational Training Teachers
The labor market today, more than ever, needs effective and highly qualified personnel ready to work in conditions of turbulence and uncertainty, and therefore teachers who are able to provide appropriate training for such personnel. However, the professional competences level of vocational training teachers does not always ensure the required quality. Therefore, it becomes important to organize a continuous monitoring system of the educational sphere and the labor market, which makes it possible to timely diagnose professional deficits of teaching staff and organize educational activities to eliminate them.
The purpose of the article is to determine the reasons for the emergence of teachers’ professional deficits in organizations of the secondary vocational education system, to propose ways to overcome these deficiencies based on the identified educational needs of teachers.
The study of professional deficiencies of vocational training teachers is implemented based on the competence approach, the concept of vocational education and the theory of professional deficits. The main method for collecting primary data was a questionnaire survey (n = 589).
The groups of professional deficiencies of vocational training teachers in the field of methodical competence were identified (the use of modern forms and methods of organizing vocational and pedagogical training; the use of modern pedagogical, including digital technologies; creating conditions for the personal and professional students’ development; control and assessment).
The research materials are an illustration of the experience of organizing monitoring of the educational sphere. The revealed level of vocational training teachers’ professional competence and specific deficiencies in methodical literacy will be useful for state bodies and other organizations of the vocational education system when developing a set of educational measures aimed at improving the professional competences of pedagogical staff for the vocational pedagogical education system.
Shock Innovation: Conceptualisation of Digital Transformation in Education during the Covid-19 Pandemic
The article considers the transition to distance learning in the context of COVID-19 pandemic as innovation. In particular, it shows that the spread of innovation in an extremely fast and compressed way does not fit the classical model of innovation diffusion by Rogers. Based on the results of the analysis, the authors supplement the innovation theory with a model of shock innovation which aims to describe the phenomenon of momentary transformations. For that reason, a comprehensive and extensive description of innovation diffusion was narrowed down to three key characteristics and linked to three levels (micro-, meso- and macro-). The narratives of school principals which have been extracted from the interviews (N=10) were compared with the characteristics of this three-levels model. The analysis revealed that a shock innovation is characterized by the fact that (1) the initial impulse has a source, external to the system, (2) requiring an obligatory response (forced change); (3) manifested by an innovative “breakthrough” due to the extreme mobilization of the resources; and (4) “densification” of traditional innovative processes for the diffusion of innovation at three levels – individual (micro), group (meso-) and systemic (macro-). The discussion highlights the aspects of the identified characteristics that should be taken into account in designing the strategies of schools’ development, as well as bridging the gaps in the educational system caused by the pandemic.
Stereotypes as a Possible Predictor of Women’s Underrepresentation in STEM: STEM Stereotypes Questionnaire Development
Women are underrepresented in STEM. Researchers note that gender stereotypes are the main explanation for gender disparities in STEM. Methods for measuring stereotypes do not take into account the contexts of education and careers in STEM. This study is an attempt to develop a tool for measuring stereotypes, using mix methods approach. At the first stage (qualitative research), the factor structure of the instrument was determined (method interview, sample of 18 women); at the second stage (quantitative research), a questionnaire on stereotypes in STEM was developed and tested (sample of 145 women). The developed questionnaire demonstrates satisfactory psychometric characteristics, correct functioning of statements and confirms the expected two-factor structure. The questionnaire consists of 10 statements and includes two factors: (1) studying STEM and career in STEM are more suitable for men than women; (2) work in STEM is not compatible with the female role model of taking care of the family. The selected factor model correlates with theoretical ideas about stereotypes: stereotypes about girls’ abilities in technical disciplines and stereotypes about female role model. The developed questionnaire “STEM stereotypes” will make it possible to fix them, evaluate their relationship with other psychological constructs (for example, motivation) and academic achievements, correct the educational and career trajectory, thereby possibly contributing to the consolidation women in STEM.
Predicting Student Employment in Teacher Education Using Machine Learning Algorithms
One of the solutions to the problem, when not the best graduates enter the pedagogical profiles and after graduation are employed in the education system, is the prediction of professional orientation even at the stage of the student choosing their further professional trajectory. To solve this problem, the purpose of the study is to develop and experimentally prove the effectiveness of using a program for predicting the employment of students of a pedagogical university based on the introduction of various machine learning algorithms. Using a random selection of students, the collection and processing of their questionnaires (n=205) in 2011-2016 were carried out. Various machine learning algorithms were used to create the program: decision trees, logistic regression, and catboost. In the course of the experiment, the data of the questionnaires were loaded into the program for its training according to various algorithms, in order to ultimately obtain a finished intellectual product with the ability to predict the employment of graduates. In the final comparison, the program developed on the “decision trees” algorithm made only 2 out 19 questionnaires and 7 out 61, which was the best result – 89%. The implementation of this algorithm makes it possible to most accurately, with the least percentage of errors, identify students who will not be employed in the future according to their profile of study or not employed at all. Thus, the study developed an intelligent program that allows one to instantly process data and get an accurate forecast of employment with only a small probability of error.
E-learning Issues in Online Marathon Application for Teaching a Foreign Language to Hard of Hearing Students
Nowadays, the need to improve Internet accessibility brings the assessment of e-learning formats effectiveness to immediate attention of researches in inclusive higher education. This project aim was to understand the specifics of implementation of an online marathon for deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students who learn a foreign language. The authors noticed some differences in the dynamics and activity of DHH students doing online courses in different formats. There was no statistically significant difference in the amount of homework submitted on time between the two formats. However, when students participated in the online marathon, the number of students who completed most of the assignments on time, and the frequency of the submitted assignments increased. The number of completed assignments increased steadily during the online marathon, while the number of submitted assignments decreased in the middle part of the electronic learning course. The microcourse which was designed and implemented in the online marathon format for DHH students at the M.T. Kalashnikov IzhSTU was included in the list of the “Marathon of Best Practices for Applying New Technologies for Education, Training, and Socialization of Students with Limited Health Abilities and with Disabilities in the Universities of the Russian Federation.”
Students’ Creativity: Possibilities of a Mixed Consortium Model
In the modern world almost any professional field requires specialists who possess innovative thinking skills, who can solve non-standard tasks, who can take a fresh look at their usual activities and offer breakthrough solutions. Such specialists are especially important in the face of serious challenges of globalization, such as a pandemic. Thus, one of the important tasks of education is development of a creative, active, independent personality, ready to new forms of social life, capable of transforming reality, aimed at self-development.
The purpose of the study is to develop and test a mixed model of a consortium for development of students’ creative activity.
The main method of study was the formative experiment. We have also used diagnostic tools taking into account the components, criteria and indicators of development of students’ creativity.
One hundred sixty-seven people took part in the experiment, of which 87 were students of Kazan Federal University, 80 people were students of Vyatka State University.
The result of the article is the mixed consortium model for development of students’ creative activity, which allows teachers to use active learning strategies and include students in progressively more complex educational online activities that ensure development of learning motivation, creativity and creative skills.
E&SD 18(1) March 2023
Contents
Dinara Bisimbaeva
The Structure Again! Common Mistakes in Writing the Discussion 6
Christabel Odame, Mrinalini Pandey
Emotional Intelligence Levels of IIT Students in India 10
Javad Boyer Hassani, Azizeh Chalak, Hossein Heidari Tabrizi
Investigating the Effect of Synchronous and Asynchronous Computer-Mediated Peer Feedback on IELTS Candidates’ Writing Development and Interactions 26
Oksana Polyakova, Shona O’Callaghan
Post-graduate Training in the Competence Development of CLIL Teachers 43
Simona Borisova, Gabor Pintes
The Philosophical Literary Story as a Model of Critical Thinking 60
Galina Chemodanova
Conditions for the “Easy” Entry of Novice Teachers into the Professional Activity 72
Vera Vlasova, Venera Zakirova, Lera Kamalova, Leysan Kayumova, Elvira Sabirova, Irina Khairova
Mechanisms for Optimizing and Updating the Content and Methodological Training of Future Primary School Teachers 87
Kristina Gileva
The Role Structure of the Professional Activity of a Higher School Teacher in the Context of Digitalization of the Educational Environment 106
Rafina Zakieva, Alexander Leontiev, Vladislav Serikov
Technology for Assessing the Level of Competence Formation of a Graduate of Technical University 121
Natalya Kalatskaya, Alexander Prokhorov, Mark Yusupov
Features of Self-regulated Learning of Male and Female Students 135
Ekaterina Koval, Andrey Sychev, Nataliya Zhadunova
Assessment of the Quality of Norm-Setting in the Educational System in a Modern School 151
Svetlana Pankova, Margarita Koske, Inna Voyutskaya, Yuliya Mishuchkova
Professional Competencies of Specialists in Economic Security Degree Programme 168
Tatyana Grebenyuk, Svetlana Nesyna, Nadezhda Ermakova, Olga Kaygorodova
Research the Future Teachers’ Digital Competence in the Context of Personality Pedagogy 186
Natalya Spiridonova
Speech Portrait of Children of the Indigenous People of the North in the Process of Teaching Mathematics 201
The Structure Again! Common Mistakes in Writing the Discussion
One of the most frequent comments that the editors of Education and Self Development make at the stage of preliminary assessment relates to the Discussion chapter. This section is either not discursive or written superficially. In this editorial I want to delve deeper into this issue.
To begin with the structure of a scholarly paper, we recommend using the IMRaD format. This is an acronym made up of the first letters of the following chapters: introduction, methods, results and discussion. There are variations within this format depending on the scope of a journal. For instance, the introduction can contain the analysis of prior studies, discussion can be integrated into the results chapter or the discursive aspect of a paper can be combined with conclusion. Though this practice is acceptable, we do not recommend authors to use integration. The rationale behind this recommendation is that it is difficult to achieve a balance in case of incorporation. When authors combine the results with the discussion, the focus is often shifted towards the findings, and the discussion usually gets lost in a huge flow of information or is not even presented. Therefore, separate sections eliminate such shortcomings.
Emotional Intelligence Levels of IIT Students in India
Emotional Intelligence (EI) has been identified as a key competence that helps people to relate
with one another easily. As such, EI coupled with IQ makes one a star performer at the workplace.
Therefore, students need to possess both EI and IQ. For this reason, a descriptive study was
conducted to assess the EI levels of IIT students at IIT (ISM)-Dhanbad, India. The analysis was
done in two folds; first, to assess the EI levels of the participants. Secondly, to compare the EI
levels of the participants using demographic variables. The purposive sampling technique was
used to sample 200 engineering students from various engineering departments. The study
results unveiled that students from IIT (ISM) Dhanbad were somewhat emotionally intelligent.
Also, when the demographic variables were assessed, it was revealed that gender and age were
not statistically significant on EI which means that gender and age does not affect a person’s EI.
Albeit, in this study, work experience and family income were statistically significant on EI which
implied that a person’s work experience and family income could affect their EI. When the EI
levels of these participants are developed and improved, they will thrive and succeed both at the
workplace, college and in life as a whole as their EI levels are significantly high.
Investigating the Effect of Synchronous and Asynchronous Computer-Mediated Peer Feedback on IELTS Candidates’ Writing Development and Interactions
The present study investigated the effect of synchronous and asynchronous computer-mediated
peer feedback on IELTS candidates’ writing improvement and interactions. In so doing, 132 IELTS
candidates from an English language center in six writing classes were chosen based on the
convenience sampling procedure. They were split into three equal groups: two experimental groups
that were instructed through synchronous peer feedback and asynchronous computer-mediated
feedback and one control group. The data were collected using a sample English language proficiency
test and synchronous and asynchronous media writing scoring rubric. One-way ANOVA and
Chi-square test were applied for the statistical analysis of the data. It was revealed that L2 learners
benefited more from the computer-mediated peer feedback than conventional paper and pencil
peer feedback. Further, the participants in the asynchronous group noticeably exceeded the IELTS
candidates in the synchronous group. The results also showed that the most frequent feedback in
both experimental groups was directive feedback. However, there were some discrepancies in the
frequency of various directive subcategories. Suggestion was the most frequent directive subcategory
reported by the synchronous group and instruction feedback was the most repeated one in the
asynchronous group. On the basis of the findings of the study, instructors were advised to employ
asynchronous feedback whenever possible to maximize their learners’ writing accuracy.
Post-graduate Training in the Competence Development of CLIL Teachers
Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach has become one of the bilingual
education pillars worldwide. Its application often relies on quality instruction; therefore, careful
preparation of future CLIL educators will guarantee adequate CLIL implementation.
Despite the extensive research on the method used since the 1990s, little is known about the
competence-based training process of content and language teachers. Through a multi-dimensional
perspective of the current research, including qualitative and quantitative methods, the study
authors attempt to demonstrate that CLIL competences can be adequately developed. In our project,
we taught a postgraduate course on Delivering the curriculum through English to 26 educators
and analysed the development of their professional skills. Pilot study results show that competence
development is highly correlated with linguistic awareness, in-depth theoretical and applied
knowledge of the CLIL approach and mutual support within teaching community.
Regardless of the fundamental idea of formative exploration, our study presents some findings
deserving of thought by teacher trainers and policymakers currently applying CLIL methodology.
The Philosophical Literary Story as a Model of Critical Thinking
This article focuses on a detailed review of philosophical literary stories which represent specific area
of the Philosophy for children programme primarily aimed at independent thinking development
in education process. The benefits of the programme are characterised within the theoretical basis
on the level of critical, creative and caring thinking. The philosophical literary story is a part of
fiction. It covers philosophical categories, but it is characterised with simplicity in its theme, as
well as content and language part. The role of this type of text lies mainly in motivation toward
consequent philosophical discussion in a group called community of inquiry. Through the literary
text interpretation method, we demonstrate presence and interconnection among critical thinking
categories. At the same time, we discuss the subject type of texts as a specific model for critical
thinking level development.
Conditions for the “Easy” Entry of Novice Teachers into the Professional Activity
In recent of years, Kazakhstan has been taking systemic measures to improve the status of the teacher
and the attractiveness of the teaching profession, and to create certain conditions for retaining young
teachers in the profession. However, the taken actions do not tackle the problem of ‘youthification’
of Kazakhstani schools. The paper explores the conditions for “easy” entry of novice teachers into
the profession. The potential of non-formal education is described and justified.
The research aims to develop a model of “easy entry” into the teaching profession based on the
analysis of difficulties that novice teachers encounter. The obtained data enabled the author to
identify the difficulties faced by young teachers in their professional activity, as well as the reasons
for these challenges and possible ways of dealing with the problems. Based on the research findings,
the role and potential of non-formal education in the “easy” entry into the teaching professional
were explained. The significance of the study lies in changing the options in relation to the forms
for improving professional competencies, creating conditions for creative self-expression and self-realization as a factor of successful entry into the professional activity.
Mechanisms for Optimizing and Updating the Content and Methodological Training of Future Primary School Teachers
The article presents a structural practice-oriented model of preparing a future teacher for an active
professional activity, taking into account the educational standards of primary general education,
based on practical forms of educational activity, provided with a high level of theoretical knowledge
and possession of the methodology and technologies of self-knowledge. The model embodies the
original scientific and methodological support for the process of professional training of future
teachers at Kazan University, the system priority of which was the realization of the student’s
personal capabilities through interactive methods of his cognitive, communicative and axiological
activities. Scientific and methodological support is considered as an applied empirical mechanism
for optimizing and updating the content and methodological training of future teachers who are
capable of creative organization of the process of teaching younger students, of effective adjustment
and development of basic educational programs in elementary school.
The information-logistical approach has become the leading one in the study of the problem,
which is important in conditions when the content of education is shifting from memorization to
the search, selection and comprehension of information, and teacher training is carried out in an
environment that provides an integrated perception of experience, allowing him to be included in
the advanced design of the content of education.
The article describes a system of interrelated practice-oriented activities, determined by the dynamics
of content modules, the conditions for their implementation and evaluation criteria, aimed at
developing the professional competencies of future teachers, improving their qualifications and
professional skills in obtaining personal, meta-subject and subject results. The original scientific and
methodological support for the process of professional training of future teachers offers interactive
methods that represent innovative and unique tools for designing the learning process and predicting
its effectiveness, allowing you to most accurately determine the advantages and problems of the real
educational process of teacher training when testing new technologies and teaching methods. The
implementation of the proposed scientific and methodological support expands and actualizes the
resource content of the educational process through empirical research based on the study, analysis
and generalization of real innovative pedagogical experience.