There is a high demand for teacher vocational training in secondary vocational educational
institutions. The training of such teachers in post-secondary institutions needs to take into account
the factors (determinants) of its quality and the challenges facing modern educational practice.
Building on earlier work by Russian researchers, particular attention is paid to the ideas about the
quality determinism of higher professional and pedagogical education by integration processes in
the society. However, in the works reviewed there is no agreement of the quality determinants with
the tasks of vocational training teachers’ qualifications as well as with their solutions.
The article highlights the determinants of the quality of vocational training teachers’ qualifications
in higher education, based on the analysis of the actual tasks of vocational training teachers’
qualifications. The research used substantive and formalized approaches to investigate the content
and interrelation of the determinants of the quality of the higher professional and pedagogical
education, together with the actual tasks of preparation and their solutions. It shows the
interdependence not only of the tasks facing educational practice, but also their solutions. In order
to ensure the sustainable development of a society and the knowledge economy, decisions on the
implementation of standards and recommendations of quality assurance in the European Higher
Education Area, must take into account:
• the interdependence of the main spheres of society’s life,
• the integration of competence and cultural approaches in the qualifications of future teacher
vocational training,
• and the orientation of higher professional and pedagogical education.
This work has led to further detailed research in the context of the essence of higher professional and
pedagogical educational quality.
Journal Issue Number : 1
Role of the non-formal education’s institutions for the teacher qualification in Bulgaria
This article describes the ongoing changes in the teachers’ qualification system and the role of nonformal
education institutions in Bulgaria. The changes are related to the improvement of the quality
of school education and the new functions and roles of the 21st century teacher. It describes some
basic problems in the implementation of the new model for qualification of Bulgarian teachers
which emerged after the first year of applying the reform in practice. It analyses the main issues of
the normative base, and discusses the problem of the role of the non-governmental sector in the
reform. The findings are based on the opinions of 44 teachers from the country, 14 of whom are
students in the Master’s Program in Educational Management of the Faculty of Education at the
Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”.
The research shows that teachers regard more seriously their needs for additional knowledge and
skills, and relate these to future courses and plans for professional and personal development. The
article recommends that there should be a national survey of the results of the implementation of
the new model of continuous teachers’ qualification and a re-examination of the increase in the
“benefits” (both moral and material) of the qualification for teachers.
Development of competencies of L2 teachers in student teacher internships (competence area: teacher language in the classroom)
This evaluation study on tandem learning among future teachers of Russian in school-based
internships aims at examining the development of teacher language competences for institutional
Russian teaching. The focus is on development of competencies of L2- teachers in student teacher
internships. The article deals with the tandem-method as one of the ways of training teacher language
for educational purposes in the classroom. Teacher language always has didactic implications. The
teacher serves as an educational role model in his foreign verbal actions, but the level of command
of the language for using it professionally as teacher language in university internships is very
heterogeneous. The reasons are manifold and related to worldwide migration and the efforts of
reforming the educational system in Europe. That is why the subject of interest for this research is
the development of teacher language as a part of linguistic competence. The individual perception of
future Russian teachers of the functional logic and quality of tandem language learning and support
is examined on the basis of learning diaries and interviews. The paper concludes with discussion
and results of providing external support – firstly, the autonomous learner, secondly, the partnerorientated
learner and thirdly, the learner who is determined by others. Depending on this typology,
the qualitative research shows that tandem work has a future role in the context of teacher training
and migration.
Significant situations of interaction of children with disabilities
The successful socialization and adaptation to new conditions socialization of children with
disabilities is conditioned by the attitudes they form to key situations of interaction. Understanding
and reflecting on the causes of these situation, contributes to successful forecasting. This article
is aimed at identifying the specifics of the relationship of children with disabilities to significant
situations in their lives and to understanding their causes. The research is based on interviews and
content analysis of the responses of 78 children with disorders (visual, hearing, musculoskeletal
and speech disorders). The study revealed that the causes of traumatic situations in children with
disabilities can be partly categorized and that the specificity of the violation determines the attitude
to different situations of children’s activity.
A framework to improve teaching in multicultural contexts
Teachers in multicultural contexts often have difficulty teaching their diverse students. Multicultural
education theorists have advanced frameworks for reforming classroom teaching; one of the
most widely used is Banks’s (2013) five dimensions of multicultural education. Research supports
the connection between these five dimensions and student learning, particularly integrating knowledge
from students’ cultural backgrounds into academic content, using pedagogy that is culturally
responsive to students, and addressing stereotypes about diverse groups. Research confirms that a
culturally inclusive curriculum, taught to high expectations and through trusting teacher-student
relationships, improves students’ academic achievement. This paper addresses how teachers can
learn to use these dimensions, using a planning framework that has been shown to improve curriculum
planning and teaching (Sleeter & Flores Carmona, 2017). After expanding on this framework
and its research foundations, this paper will illustrate a teacher learning to use it through a case study
of Angela, a second-year elementary teacher.
Defining teachers’ professional knowledge: the interaction of global and national influences
This paper draws on a cross-national study1 of definitions of teachers’ professional knowledge. The
paper seeks to link what has been revealed about international influences and trends to the broader
literature on the processes of globalisation and internationalisation. The concepts of ‘glocalization’
and ‘vernacular globalisation’ are critically reviewed in the light of the emergent findings. Six emergent
themes are identified that form a typology through which teacher education systems may be
categorised. These themes enable us to clarify both global trends and local distinctiveness within the
systems under review.
Reflections: eLearning Colloquia enhance a Community of Practice
In this context specific reflection on an annual eLearning Colloquia hosted by the Centre for Innovative
Education and Communication Technologies (CIECT) at the University of the Western Cape
(UWC), in Cape Town, South Africa; the researchers explore how the colloquia contributed to the
institutional Community of Practice (CoP). Furthermore, it highlights the shifts in the institutional
discourse on blended teaching and learning practices over an eight year period. The paper showcases
CIECT’s efforts in driving the effective use of eTools to increase awareness and understanding of
concepts such as agency, culture and structure. This awareness is critical in a post-modern Higher
Education (HE) setting where the need to create a knowledge-intensive institutional culture exists.
The human agents are central to the formation of a sustainable CoP which contributes to effective
teaching and learning practices. Secondary data was used for the study and non-probability, purposive
sampling resulted in a sample group of 78 individuals comprising of the Instructional Design
team as well as the academic staff members at UWC who utilize the institutional Learning Management
System or a range of Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) in their teaching and learning
practices.
21st century learning, technology and the professional development of teachers
There are two imperatives for transforming K-12 teaching and learning.
The educational imperative. The World Economic Forum concludes that at a time of fast-paced
digital change, countries need innovative places of learning that can provide the next generation
with the skills of the future (Kruchoski, 2016).
The technology imperative. The information technology revolution presents technology-rich
innovative learning environments for improving and extending teaching and learning and the
affordance of customisation of learning to individual learner needs, a concept which is highly
supported by the learning sciences (Groff, 2013).
The first part of this paper examines the competencies learners need for tomorrow’s world and the
innovative technology-based methods of learning needed for the regeneration of education systems.
The later parts of the paper focus on the teachers’ pre-service and in-service training needs in regard
to information and communications technology (ICT) integration in the classroom and how ICT
can be used to provide professional development for teachers and principals.
Using the traditions of the physical development of the Kazakh people in the patriotic education of student teachers
Abstract
The past decade has seen increasing importance in traditional socio-cultural communications. This
has led us to rethink social and cultural reality, and to a qualitative transition in political and social
relations between peoples. In turn there has been a re-examination of the problems of patriotic
education of young people. But this patriotic education is unthinkable without the assimilation of
historical folk traditions. An appeal to the centuries-old traditions of the whole nation – in this
case, the Kazakh – creates a powerful spiritual and patriotic basis which is felt by every individual.
Using ethno-pedagogical and an action-oriented methodology, this research developed methods
and an organization for using the traditions of the human physical development in the Kazakh
folk pedagogy in the patriotic education of student teachers. The authors investigated the nature
and content of patriotism, and the methodological basis of how young people are brought up.
This article discusses the content of the physical development of the patriotic traditions of Kazakh
folk pedagogy and its potential in students’ patriotic education. It identifies and justifies the use of
physical development of traditions of Kazakh folk pedagogy in the patriotic education of student
teachers in the course of their academic and extracurricular activities. These findings allow both for
the patriotic education of the individual as part of a holistic educational process of the university.
Students’ feedback: messages and implications
Abstract
Active learning increases the role of organized and systematic feedback between all the stakeholders
of modern education. Although this factor has been given considerable attention in the literature,
the study of written feedback from students and the subsequent response of the teacher deserves
closer investigation. This research reveals – on the basis of feedback forms analysis – the level of
development of students’ competences of self-regulation, reflection and evaluation. Zimmerman’s
model of self-regulated learning was used as theoretical premises of the paper; qualitative analysis
was employed for data interpretation. The study helped to identify a range of problematic areas in
students’ self-regulatory processes in learning including,
• inconsistencies in the evaluation of performance aspects and the performance in total;
• organisational issues concerning the use of the feedback form;
• underdeveloped reflective skills (difficulty in analysing the educational experience critically and
understanding how to use it in the future performance).
The article discusses ways to address these problems on the part of the teacher. The findings show
the importance of learners’ feedback for the teacher as an indicator of their metacognitive skills
development. Close attention must be paid to students’ responses, their “decoding” and acting upon
them help establish dialogic relations between the participants of the educational process, thus,
increasing the quality of educational experience.
Duolingo e-learning platform as means to intensify foreign language teaching at technical universities
Abstract
The article examines the use of Duolingo foreign languages e-learning platform as a resource to
intensify teaching foreign languages at engineering universities. The reduction of guided training
hours, allocated for the teaching of foreign languages at technical universities, and the uneven level
of students’ language proficiency has created an urgent problem. To solve this problem, we proposed
a program that combined modular learning technology, didactic units consolidation, a point-rating
system, a thesaurus and competence approach. For the compilation of the modular program was
based on the Federal State Educational Standard of Higher Education of the Third Generation
(FSES) for the program “Civil Engineering” (FSES code: 08.03.01). The competencies, formed within
this modular program are also considered. The research indicated that the average level of foreign
language proficiency in the experimental sample significantly increased, while in the control sample,
the resulting change was within the range of statistical error.
Personality correlates of the regulation of mental States of students
Abstract
Representations of an individual’s mental states are dynamic, and possesses both structure and form.
Building a clear image (mental impressions) of the desired mental state allows you to develop an
effective strategy of self-regulation. The study identified possible mechanisms of control of mental
States through their representation in the mind (mental representation) and the relationship with
personal characteristics of the subjects. Various techniques were used including: the five-factor
personality test McCrae – Costa «Magnificent five», the technique of self-identity (Budassi), and
the «The mental state Relief» questionnaire (Prokhorov). The article explores the mechanisms of
regulation of mental conditions, and personal characteristics which determine the specificity of
mental representations of mental States using various indicators of the States (mental processes,
physiological reactions, feelings and behavior). It identifies the structure of relationships formed by
divergent and coherent relationships, and their organization and connectedness. Diverging signs
form the structure of mental representations of negative mental state. It shows that self-esteem is
a major cause of the formation of mental representations of actual and positive mental States. The
results can be used for developing techniques of regulation and self-regulation of mental States.
Comparative analysis of mathematics teachers’ content knowledge in USA and Russia through the lens of TIMSS results
Abstract
The quantitative study focused on comparative analysis of middle school mathematics teachers’
content knowledge in two countries. The sample consisted of lower secondary mathematics teachers
from the US (grades 6-9, N=102) and Russia (grades 5-9, N=97). The instrument was designed
to assess teacher content knowledge based on the cognitive domains of knowing, applying, and
reasoning, as well as addressing the lower secondary mathematics topics of Number, Algebra,
Geometry, Data and Chance. The results suggest that there are significant differences in teacher
knowledge between the countries in content as well as in cognitive domains. The study results may
inform the field on priorities placed on lower secondary mathematics teachers’ knowledge in USA
and Russia.
The challenge of Dissernet
Abstract:
In March 2016 the E&SD editorial team started a project to secure inclusion in the
Scopus and WoS databases for Education & Self Development. This has developed into a
programme which also intends to turn the Journal into an international publication for
researchers worldwide wanting to access Russian educational research, and for Russian
scholars wanting an accessible window on educational research in other countries
(Rushby, 2016). Part of this project was to ensure that the Journal conformed to the highest
editorial ethical standards and this meant that we were at least partially prepared for the
impact of the Dissernet report which identified that a number of articles published in the
Journal showed evidence of plagiarism and raised questions of editorial malpractice.
Although these problems occurred before the start of the transformation process, it
became clear that urgent action was needed to repair the reputation of the Journal and
ensure that processes were in place to ensure that such malpractice could not take place
in the future. This editorial describes the action plan, developed by the Editorial Team to
address the problem.
E&SD Volume 12 Issue 1 contents
This is the English language contents page for E&SD Volume 12 (1) (Issue 50)
Nick Rushby.
Editorial: The challenge of Dissernet 6
Mourat Tchoshanov, Maria Cruz Quinones, Kadriya Shakirova, Elena Ibrgimova and Liliana Shakirova.
Comparative analysis of mathematics teachers’ content knowledge in USA and Russia through
the lens of TIMSS results 23
Lira V. Artishcheva.
Personality correlates of the regulation of mental States of students 34
Ruslan N. Abitov.
Duolingo e-learning platform as means to intensify foreign language teaching at technical universities 45
M.L. Kuryan.
Students’ feedback: messages and implications 56
Zyamil G. Nigmatov, Gasangusein I. Ibragimov, Talent D. Bimahanov, Ildar T. Khairullin.
Using the traditions of the physical development of the Kazakh people in the patriotic education
of student teachers 64
Retractions and notices 74
Our Authors 88
Notes for authors 100
Multiparadigmatic character principles in the context of the self-development of competitive personality
In recent years, we are witnessing the emergence of more and more new pedagogical theories or, as it is now called, new pedagogical paradigms. This raises the need for understanding of how to originate, develop and abandon pedagogical theories, ie, paradigms. If we look at this process in evolutionary terms, the origin and development of any theory, including the new pedagogical theories, three stages can be traced quite clearly.
Education and Self Development Issue 1
This is the complete Journal Issue 1 with all of the articles and contents pages.