Submit to Education Sciences Review for Education Sciences Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Professional Culture in a Changing Environment——Selected Papers from Professional Culture of the Specialist of the Future)

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 June 2019) | Viewed by 66115

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Andrey V. Grinev

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Secondary School of Social Science, Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
Interests: reforms of education; historical development; e-learning; history and ethnology of Russian America; science studies

Prof. Alfred Nordmann

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Philosophy, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
Interests: philosophy of technoscience; conceptions of objectivity; cultures of research

Prof. Anna V. Rubtsova

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Institute of Humanities, Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia
Interests: applied linguistics; professional education; theory and methods of foreign languages and cultures teaching; cross-cultural communication

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue “Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Professional Culture in a Changing Environment” provides a selection of papers from the November 2019 conference “Professional Culture of the Specialist of the Future” at Peter the Great Saint Petersburg Polytechnic University.

The main focus of the conference and of the Special Issue concerns the education, in the sense of Bildung, of professional engineers, medical practitioners, or academic teachers under changing social and technological conditions—which range from new dimensions of multilingualism to new responsibilities of professionals in society. Broadly understood, Bildung concerns the formation both of personal character and of public persona, as well as the relation of these inner and outer aspects of professional culture. As such, it may include but goes well beyond curricular development or the use of technologies in the lecture hall.

For the professional specialist in contemporary society, how important is the attitude of sober detachment as opposed to the development of personality or charisma—and is the charismatic professional an agent of the common good or an entrepeneurial visionary? Depending on how these questions are answered at different times and in different settings, this entails different demands on educational practice.
The question of multilingualism moves far beyond the command of a second language, mostly English. It nowadays requires the cultural competence to navigate situations in which three or more languages are spoken that one does not command.
Current trends in economic dynamic, communication practice, legislation, and legal practices require the formation of a number of soft skills and competencies that a specialist should have to meet the rapidly changing requirements of the global socio-cultural environment.
The issues of the early childhood education or upbringing of a modern specialist are of particular importance, since this area of vital activity of a modern person has a great influence on the development of his or her professional growth and personal socially significant inner qualities.
In nuclear power plants but also in very ordinary factories, hospitals, and logistics companies, questions of safety and security have proliferated to include the failure of components, material fatigue, the qualification and readiness of personnel, threats of terrorism, data protection, the adequacy and enforcement of protocols, the readability and reliability of data outputs, and much more. Accordingly, questions of safety and security cannot be delegated to safety engineers but become part of the professional „safety culture“. This is just one example of how the scope of vision and responsibility is widening for specialists of the present and future. Again, this implies considerable challenges also to the educational process.
There are many other, similary challenging requirements on specialists—having to do, for example, with a technological literacy that prepares for workplace transformations that are yet to come.

Prof. Andrey V. Grinev
Prof. Alfred Nordmann
Prof. Anna V. Rubtsova
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

professional education
professional culture
professional competence
higher education
soft skills
educational technology.

Published Papers (12 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

22 pages, 276 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Self-Regulation as a Basic Element of the Professional Culture of Engineers

by Maria Odinokaya, Tatyana Krepkaia, Irina Karpovich and Tatiana Ivanova

Educ. Sci. 2019, 9(3), 200; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9030200 - 25 Jul 2019

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 5357

Abstract

This paper addresses the problem of the formation of the self-regulation of educational activities of students studying in a technical university. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the problem of the self-regulation of educational activities of students, presenting data from an experimental study of students’ self-regulation. Special attention is paid to the distinction between the terms self-control and self-regulation. This paper presents data on the state of self-regulation among students studying technical specialties. The research methodology is based on the theoretical analysis of the results of scientific works, which present the main provisions on the formation of students’ self-regulation. The research methods include questioning and a methodical experiment. The stages of the formation of students’ self-regulation are highlighted, and the main directions of teachers’ work on the formation of students’ self-regulation are determined. The structure of self-regulation is described and the condition for its formation is justified using the technology of self-regulation formation. Based on the study, students’ self-regulation is linked to the awareness of their professional and personal goals, as well as to the level of regulatory and reflective qualities. Personal and professional self-improvement in the process of vocational education depends on the level of the formation of regulatory and reflexive qualities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Professional Culture in a Changing Environment——Selected Papers from Professional Culture of the Specialist of the Future))

19 pages, 447 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Culture of Professional Self-Realization as a Fundamental Factor of Students’ Internet Communication in the Modern Educational Environment of Higher Education

by Maria Odinokaya, Tatyana Krepkaia, Oksana Sheredekina and Maya Bernavskaya

Educ. Sci. 2019, 9(3), 187; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9030187 - 17 Jul 2019

Cited by 36 | Viewed by 9151

Abstract

This article deals with the problem of the culture of professional self-realization of Russian students in the process of university education at the present stage. The role of information and communications technologies is revealed, in particular the interactive technology of self-regulation developed by the authors, as a necessary pedagogical condition for the successful professional self-realization of students. The paper describes the interactive technology of self-regulation formation used in teaching a foreign language in order to improve the educational process. The paper provides an analysis of the current state of the classroom educational environment in teaching a foreign language in order to determine the possibilities of improving the educational process. The main goal of the interactive technology of self-regulation formation is to optimize and intensify the activities of students in the classroom and extracurricular activities. The interactive technology of self-regulation formation in a nonlinguistic university was applied in the proposed work. Special attention was paid to the problem of structuring and the algorithmization of independent work. Ways for increasing interactivity are revealed, and an algorithm for teaching and speech actions in interactive mode was developed. It was established that the introduction of structured algorithmization using the interactive technology of self-regulation formation could be effectively used for teaching poorly prepared students. It has been established that the culture of professional self-actualization for modern students is directly dependent on the quality of online interaction with a university teacher. It was revealed that it is the student’s awareness of the objectives of learning interaction and ways for its implementation that allow him to competently perform his academic work, which in turn contributes to the actualization of personal professional qualities that are required by a university graduate for successful implementation in the future. Full article

► Show Figures

Figure 1

24 pages, 1434 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Educational Services for Intellectual Capital Growth or Transmission of Culture for Transfer of Knowledge—Consumer Satisfaction at St. Petersburg Universities

by Nadezhda N. Pokrovskaia, Marianna Yu. Ababkova and Denis A. Fedorov

Educ. Sci. 2019, 9(3), 183; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9030183 - 15 Jul 2019

Cited by 32 | Viewed by 4464

Abstract

Higher education has complex roles in society, the economy, and politics; it helps to transmit culture, transfer knowledge, and develop the personality of citizens. This diversity of roles is confronted with the limited resources that are related to the sources of financing, that is, students and their families, the national government, and local authorities, among others. The discussions related to the role of universities concern the economy of knowledge and the digital tools influencing education. The specific case of St. Petersburg universities simultaneously represents the impact of the deep socio-political transition from Soviet society to the liberal principles of a market economy, including the perception of higher education institutions as service sector companies. The services allowed by universities include research and training; however, from the consumer point of view, universities should create specific value: the increase of the intellectual components of human capital. These complex functions are interconnected. During 2017–2018, a survey in St. Petersburg was organised to ascertain the opinion of students, professors, and employers on the quality of education. The results of the survey demonstrate the impact of the exaggerated implementation of the liberal principles on education, both positive and negative. The positive effect is the renewing of content and innovative training techniques due to competition among universities. The negative impacts include the preference for popular disciplines and the opportunistic behavior of students that lose their passion for acquiring knowledge and choose instead the passive attitude of consumers of a competitive service. They are less interested in the sphere of their studies, in searching for a job, in the interaction with other social and economic actors, and even in the research and education options presented by the universities. Full article

► Show Figures

Figure 1

27 pages, 6088 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Designing Adaptive Online Mathematics Course Based on Individualization Learning

by Larisa Konnova, Larisa Lipagina, Galina Postovalova, Alexander Rylov and Irina Stepanyan

Educ. Sci. 2019, 9(3), 182; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9030182 - 14 Jul 2019

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4566

Abstract

The article provides a possible option of how first-year students of Russian universities adapt to mastering higher mathematics. The purpose of the research is the development of methodological approaches to designing an online course that recaps school math material in a short period. The concept of individualization of educational activities is used as the main design method. Online training is used as the implementation technology. The article provides an overview of scientific papers on the use of an individual approach to learning and online resources in teaching mathematics. The social survey of first-year students confirmed the relevance of the stated purpose. The authors describe the design methodologies of the online training by taking into account age, social and psychological characteristics of students, and the opportunity for developing individual educational trajectories. The authors set the objectives of the course and structuralize each topic. Instructional content is developed in accordance with step-by-step leveling on mastering educational material. Extra attention is given toward presenting educational information in ways that take into account different types of cognitive processes. Foreign students who receive education in Russian universities are also welcomed to the online course to get familiar with the mathematical terminology in the Russian language. Full article

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 2038 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Innovative Methods’ Effectiveness in Teaching Foreign Languages for Special Purposes Used for the Formation of Future Specialists’ Professional Competencies

by Irina G. Belyaeva, Ekaterina A. Samorodova, Olga V. Voron and Elena S. Zakirova

Educ. Sci. 2019, 9(3), 171; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9030171 - 3 Jul 2019

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5512

Abstract

One of the most important tasks of higher educational institutions is the training of specialists to be able to adapt to changes in their professional life. At the end of the twentieth and the beginning of the 21st centuries, some methods for developing foreign language competence, needed for their future professional activity, were created by teachers. However, the effectiveness of these methods has not been studied. This fact has aroused the authors’ interest and generated the idea about the necessity to conduct scientific research in order to identify the most effective methods of teaching foreign languages for special purposes. Methods: The given research paper is based on the analysis of Russian and foreign scholars’ scientific works covering the problem of teaching foreign languages for special purposes to the students of humanitarian professions, as well as on the basis of the results from questioning students of bachelor degree programs who study foreign languages for special purposes in the field of humanitarian professions, and also of the results from questioning teachers specializing in teaching foreign languages for special purposes. Results: In the students’ opinion, the most effective methods of teaching foreign languages for special purposes in the field of humanitarian professions are the following: discussion, ICT (information and communication technologies), and SCRUM (framework that helps teams work together, encourages team to learn through on a problem). According to the interviewed teachers’ opinion, the most effective methods are discussion, ICT, and round table. The “dilemma” method is the least effective according to the students. As for the teachers, the less effective method is CLIL (content and language integrated learning). Conclusions: The study showed some common views among teachers and students concerning the effectiveness of methods of teaching foreign languages for professional purposes, such as discussion and ICT. The effectiveness of the discussion method is explained by the fact that it allows the integration of students’ knowledge from different areas when solving a problem and provides an opportunity to apply language knowledge and skills into practice. This contributes to forming students’ ability to think clearly, to perceive information critically, to highlight the main idea and find the means and arguments to confirm and substantiate it, and, consequently, to improve the understanding of any theoretical material. The use of ICT in the educational process allows the efficiency of the educational process itself to be improved significantly and leads to new approaches and organizational forms of educational work. In fact, while preparing educational programs and creating didactic materials, special attention should be given to the implementation of ICT methods and discussions in educational activities. Nevertheless, the respondents’ subjective opinion should not reduce the scientific value and effectiveness of other methods of teaching a foreign language for professional purposes. The authors of the paper believe that methods that have not found much support from students and teachers should be studied more thoroughly and carefully. To this end, it could be recommended to organize special training seminars that would allow teachers to be informed of new methods of teaching foreign languages for professional purposes, of their particularities, and to help their active implementation in the learning process. Full article

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 1052 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Results Analysis of Russian Students’ Participation in the Online International Educational Project X-Culture

by Irina Zakharova, Aleksandra Kobicheva and Natalia Rozova

Educ. Sci. 2019, 9(3), 168; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9030168 - 2 Jul 2019

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3464

Abstract

The purpose of the paper is to assess the experience of Russian students in the online project class. The authors studied the impact of the international project “X-Culture” on the level of development of socio-cultural competencies of students and their knowledge of the English language. An additional aspect of the analysis was the question of the connection of students’ perception of the goal of participation in the international project “X-Culture” with their self-motivation and self-assessment of the success of the results achieved. The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods—student testing, database analysis provided by the project “X-culture”, and focus group records. The result of the participation has been inconsistent. As expected, such sociocultural competence as the level of proficiency in English increased among the majority of students, as confirmed by the values of the student’s criterion for the results of language testing, conducted before and after the project. At the same time, average indicators of sociocultural competences such as “interpersonal skills”, “creativity”, “leadership”, and “friendliness” have deteriorated during the project that is confirmed by the trends lines of time series. The focus group revealed differences in terms of participation in the X-Culture project, their connection with self-motivation, and student satisfaction with the results achieved. Students who have achieved high levels of sociocultural competences have set themselves the goals of participation in the project related to the improvement of professional competencies and intercultural communications. At the same time, students were most satisfied with their activities in the project and the results achieved, aimed at obtaining new professional knowledge and skills, and students whose goal was simply to obtain an international certificate of the project participant. Full article

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 985 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Correlation between the Practical Aspect of the Course and the E-Learning Progress

by Daria Bylieva, Victoria Lobatyuk, Alla Safonova and Anna Rubtsova

Educ. Sci. 2019, 9(3), 167; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9030167 - 30 Jun 2019

Cited by 50 | Viewed by 6546

Abstract

The aim of the study was to analyze the correlation between the students’ involvement and their progress within the online component of the blended learning model during the theoretical and practical courses. The authors have applied data mining Moodle from learning portfolios of 1500 students (N = 1500). Comparative analysis of the courses under review showed significant differences in the behavior of the same students. For the theoretical course students spent less time than for a practice-oriented one. Students’ progress in the form of points and demand for non-binding elements of the course differed significantly in favor of the practical course. Based on the data obtained, the authors concluded that an important parameter that influences the behavior of students and their educational progress in general is precisely the focus on practice. Thus, the predominance of the online component in blended learning is appropriate for practical courses. Within the theoretical and general education courses, the predominance of face-to-face learning can positively affect the educational process and results of learning. Full article

► Show Figures

Figure 1

10 pages, 1216 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Factors of the Readiness for Information Exchange in Pre-School Education Establishments

by Valentina Dolgova, Yulia Batenova, Irina Emelyanova, Irina Ivanova, Lyudmila Pikuleva and Oksana Filippova

Educ. Sci. 2019, 9(3), 166; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9030166 - 29 Jun 2019

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3352

Abstract

The development of an interactive environment that allows for a significant enhancement in interaction opportunities with information resources for a child is one of the primary tasks of the pre-school educational process organisation today. This study involved 50 establishments for children in Chelyabinsk (N = 1280: 230 children, 350 teachers, 700 parents). We used two techniques to collect data: a questionnaire for teachers on the use of Information Exchange in the educational process, their attitude towards ICTs, and the available resources (resources included technological aspects, such as infrastructure, equipment, and software, as well as educational aspects, such as further training and the availability of a qualified methodologist); and a conversation with children on their experience in using and operating digital devices for various tasks. The questions were divided into four groups that provided us with data on the following topics: the degree of inclusion of parents in the interaction (a triad of a child, a digital device, and a parent), the awareness of the child of the capacity and resources of ICTs, motivation and interests that can be realized through digital technologies, and self-reflection as the capacity of the child to predict and analyse their activities. The Hypothesis that the level of readiness for information exchange in subjects of the educational process can be increased through further training of pre-school teachers and the establishment of a single information space in a kindergarten group has been proven right. The findings the study proved such an influence and proposed directions for further studying. Full article

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 264 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Socio-Linguistic Adaptation of Migrants: The Case of Oralman Students’ Studying in Kazakhstan

by Fatima Valieva, Jannat Sagimbayeva, Dina Kurmanayeva and Gulzhakhan Tazhitova

Educ. Sci. 2019, 9(3), 164; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9030164 - 28 Jun 2019

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4860

Abstract

This article examines different aspects of the oralman students’ socio-linguistic adaptation. Scientific research has identified various obstacles oralmen face when studying at Universities in Kazakhstan, especially in the context of the English language studying process. The data used in this paper explores certain peculiarities of oralman students’ adaptation to new educational environments, their attitude towards English, and their difficulties in advancing in foreign language learning. The electronic questionnaires, which included the Likert scale, multiple choice and open-ended questions, were offered to 600 students, while interviews were conducted with 90 students in the last stage of the research. Descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance were used to analyze the data. The scientific findings indicated some unexpected difficulties in the oralman students’ socio-linguistic adaptation, which decreased their motivation for learning the foreign language and reduced effectiveness of the teaching. However, certain noticeable discrepancies between the anticipated and real educational context were revealed. The interview and data analysis made it possible to uncover cultural, linguistic, social, and psychological problems. The scientific research suggests that the incorporation of some integrative effective methods and techniques into English classes would be useful for improvement of the oralman students’ English language skills. Full article

16 pages, 424 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A University Foreign Language Curriculum for Pre-Service Non-Language Subject Teacher Education

by Elena Borzova and Maria Shemanaeva

Educ. Sci. 2019, 9(3), 163; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9030163 - 28 Jun 2019

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3726

Abstract

The article focuses on the problems of teaching foreign languages (FL) to pre-service subject (other than foreign languages) teachers and highlights their possible solutions. A sustained discontent of both university teachers and students with the outcomes of FL classes gave impetus for a systematic, detailed study of the university FL education of the target group of learners. There was an acute need to develop well-grounded guidelines for the related course objectives, its content and adequate techniques intended for the target group of learners. The authors claim that the generally accepted English for Specific Purposes (ESP) or Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) models of university FL education cannot be applied in this context for a number of reasons. A limited amount of classroom time, lack of updated teaching materials, mixed-ability classrooms, and unclear perspectives of the future application of the FL skills made the study urgent. Therefore, the teachers of the English Language Department of the Petrozavodsk State University (Russia) developed a project that is described in the article; 152 students and six teachers participated in its implementation. The objective of the project was to introduce reasonable changes into the approaches, the aims, the content, and the techniques for rational and effective FL teaching and learning in this context. The authors identified priorities of the university FL education in line with the context and the target learner characteristics. The article presents arguments in favor of the introduced changes, describes the phases of the project work, and gives details of all the constituents of the proposed curriculum. Based on the outcomes of the project, the authors conclude that it is necessary to undertake further research steps in this direction. Full article

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 1086 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Students’ Engagement in Integrated Learning Model in A Blended Environment

by Tatiana Baranova, Liudmila Khalyapina, Aleksandra Kobicheva and Elena Tokareva

Educ. Sci. 2019, 9(2), 138; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9020138 - 17 Jun 2019

Cited by 38 | Viewed by 8234

Abstract

As new informational conditions contribute to the discovery of new ways to improve the quality of the educational process, a new integrated learning model was elaborated. The purpose of the paper is to evaluate the students’ engagement in a newly-introduced integrated learning model, identify the impact of such a model on students’ learning outcomes, and to determine if students’ engagement levels influence their learning outcomes. For our research we used qualitative and quantitative data of students’ records of professional discipline and English testing, surveys and interviews on behavioral engagement, emotional engagement, and cognitive engagement (N = 63). Results on students’ engagement showed that online activity, especially the online international project, involved students more than face-to-face classes, but at the same time some of them noted that without lectures it would be difficult, or even impossible, to participate in a project. Thus the overall engagement level was quite high. Additionally, an integrated approach positively impacted learners’ outcomes. The correlation analysis showed that learners’ engagement played an influential role and highly impacted students’ learning results. In this case we can conclude that our integrated learning model contributes to students’ involvement in the educational process and, as a consequence, allows them to achieve greater results. Full article

► Show Figures

Figure 1

25 pages, 337 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation into the Professional Culture of a Foreign Language Teacher in a Multicultural Classroom from Faculty and International Students’ Perspectives

by Olga Stroganova, Svyatoslava Bozhik, Larisa Voronova and Natalia Antoshkova

Educ. Sci. 2019, 9(2), 137; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9020137 - 16 Jun 2019

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 5776

Abstract

Recent studies have shown that the number of international students, who are academically mobile, is growing. As a result, higher education institutions aim at competitiveness in the world market. Therefore, the core issue of the following work is a process of adaptation of international students to a new educational environment, especially to the process of English teaching and learning in new frameworks. Thus, the purpose of the study is to understand the role of a language teacher in the process of international students’ foreign language learning by comparing faculty’s and students’ views on certain aspects of the educational process. For the following study, quantitative and qualitative methods to collect data using questionnaires with closed-ended and open-ended questions were applied, and the data analysis was carried out. The data obtained from the conducted survey reveals the importance of studying English for international students, their motivation and difficulties that they have to face. Moreover, the obtained data show the great complexity of the English syllabus and ways of its adaptation to the needs of international students. Furthermore, the results of the survey determine an important role of the professional culture of the second language teacher in the context of integrating students into the Russian academic environment. Full article

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Professional Culture in a Changing Environment——Selected Papers from Professional Culture of the Specialist of the Future)

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (12 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI