Journals of Rezekne Academy of Technologies
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STUDENT’S ACQUISITION OF INFERENTIAL THINKING IN MATHEMATICS AND ITS TRANSFER TO OTHER SUBJECT AREAS
Get PDFDue to education reform in Latvia, the tendency in education is competence approach with transversal skills as one of its elements. They are included in the state education standard which all the teachers shall carry out in the corresponding education period. All educational establishments face a real challenge of how to implement the planned competences in life. The present research focuses on one of the skills of critical thinking – inferential thinking. By the help of inference students compare information obtained and the results to either confirm or decline their hypothesis, considering the accuracy of the acquisition of the information. The goal of the research is to make and test a system how an educational establishment should organize the study process to teach and develop inferential thinking. The following methods were used in the research: partly structured interviews with the vice-principal in methodological work and teachers of subjects, analysis of methodological materials and analysis of students` written works. The research was carried out to find what the most essential preconditions for students to learn and develop inferential thinking skills are and how to make transfer to various fields to improve learning those skills. A conclusion was made that a purposeful and organized cooperation of teachers plays an important role in teaching transversal skills. The results are better if students can reflect on their achievements using unified description of performance level in all subjects thus implementing the transfer of skills in other subject areas. To teach a skill teacher must plan specific steps to teach and to develop the skill. A model to develop the skill `inferential thinking` has been worked out and tested in the subject of mathematics and is meant to be improved in other subject areas in grade 7.
CORRELATION BETWEEN EMOTION REGULATION AND SOCIAL PROBLEM - SOLVING SKILLS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Get PDFThe research objective was to investigate the relationship between emotion regulation and social problem-solving skills among adults during COVID-19 pandemic. The theoretical basis of the research is the Adaptive Coping with Emotions Model and Social problem-solving model. The participants of the study were 2608 Latvian residents aged 18 to 75 years (M = 46.4, SD = 13.9). Respondents filled in a socio-demographic survey, Emotion Regulation Skills Questionnaire and Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised version. The results revealed the relationship between emotion regulation and social problem-solving skills in adults, the closest relationship between positive problem orientation, rational problem-solving style and total emotion regulation skills. There are differences in total emotion regulation skills and almost all social problem-solving skills subscales between age groups, except for impulsive problem-solving, and differences in total emotion regulation skills and almost all social problem-solving skills subscales between groups with different levels of education, except for avoidant problem-solving. It is concluded that the development of emotion regulation skills can contribute to the improvement of social problem-solving skills, and with changes in age and level of education, the ability to regulate emotions and to cope with various social problems changes.
CHARISMA AND LEADERSHIP IN THE WORKS OF NORBERT ELIAS
Get PDFNorbert Elias has used the concept of charisma to explain the phenomena of rule, leadership and group domination. In developing his interpretation of charisma, he critically analyzed Max Weber’s texts and applied it within his developmental, processual and figurational approach. He derived from the works of Weber the concept of group charisma and interpreted it as a universal social phenomenon. Elias considered charismatic leadership as a social situation, in which a leader’s individual charisma is fused with group charisma. Individual and group charisma are explained partly as social and psychological phenomena of individual and collective identities and partly by historically determined belief systems. Linking charisma to identity brings Elias close to Durkheim’s conception of religion. In Elias’s interpretation, the phenomenon of charisma is related to idealized individual and collective self-images. Manifestations of charismatic claims on the group level, on the one hand, are attributions to one’s group the qualities of special grace and self-praise, and on the other hand, the prejudiced attitudes to other, excluded groups. The phenomena of group charisma and group disgrace are observable in the established-outsiders power relationships. Elias’s interpretation of charisma complements the existing conceptualizations in social psychology and sociology.
PARAMETERS IN FORMULATIONS AND SOLUTIONS OF INTRODUCTORY PROBABILITY PROBLEMS
Get PDFMathematical problems with parameters offer a higher semiotic complexity level of mathematical activities. The topicality of the research is determined by the fact that there are no studies on types of parameters in formulations and solutions of probability problems. The study aims are to analyse the current literature and propose an approach to classify parameters depending on their nature. Methodology - qualitative content analysis of probability problems from published textbooks and research papers. The main result - a parameter classification and interpretation scheme for introductory probability problems. The proposed parameter classification can help differentiate and individualise the study of probability theory and statistics
TEACHERS’ SELF-CARE STRATEGIES AND SUPERVISION AS A SELF-CARE ACTIVITY FOR TEACHERS
Get PDFCovid-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented challenges for teachers and the resources of teachers have been critically exhausted causing fatigue and burn-out. Self-care actualization and practice is one way to strengthen teachers\u27 emotional health and resilience. Self-care is understood as engagement in activities to preserve or improve one’s own health and well-being, in particular during periods of stress. Supervision is one of the activities where teachers can receive professional support, minimize negative emotions and develop stress resilience. The aim of this study was to investigate teachers\u27 self-care strategies and experts’ views on actualization of self-care strategies and supervision as a self-care activity within supervision. The research was executed in two stages - quantitative data analysis and qualitative interviews. In the quantitative part the participants of the research were 245 teachers in Latvia. Self-Care Strategies Questionnaire was used to collect answers and the 14 strategies were measured on a 4-point Likert scale. Self-care strategies were assessed on what is considered important and is attainable. The results showed that there are statistically significant differences between importance and attainability in all 14 self-care strategies. All strategies were assessed higher on importance than the attainability. Experts indicated that supervision should take place during working hours, be publicly funded, regular and carried out as long-term support.
CULTIVATING IMAGINATION IN EDUCATION PROCESS: CONTEXT OF PRIMARY TEACHERS’ OPINIONS
Get PDFThe importance of imagination in the process of education is unquestionable - by developing the ability to create and retain images, sounds, feelings as a reflection of one’s thoughts, the basis of thinking is constructed. All this helps students to discover and create something completely new, solve problems, move to other spaces, understand others.The article theoretically substantiates the importance of developing children’s imagination and empirically reveals the opinion of primary school teachers about the aspects of developing imagination and visualization skills in the educational process.The written questionnaire study was carried out in January – July of 2020. The study involved 390 primary school teachers which shows the validity of the data and reflects the opinion of the majority of Lithuanian primary school teachers in the context of the analysed object. The data were processed using descriptive statistics (frequency) and analytical statistics (Mann Whitney U Test).The results of the research reveal that the imagination of primary school students is usually developed through fairy tales, character role plays, and in language teaching subjects, images are usually conveyed through verbal codes. In Maths, language teaching and Science lessons, students usually depict fantastic objects, diagrams, tables and charts, draw folk symbols, and produce visual instruments.
THE IMPACT OF INTERACTIVE METHODS ON ONLINE DIDACTIC ACTIVITIES
Get PDFThe period of online didactic activities, caused by Sars-CoV-2 pandemic, offered teachers and students the opportunity to focus more on what is essential, on the elements with qualitative impact, on abilities and skills, rather than on content and peripheral elements (Botnariuc & Cucoș, 2020). From this perspective, the use of interactive methods in teaching and in solving cooperative learning assignments was one of the strategies used by teachers to maintain interest in learning, to strengthen the teaching process and to promote intellectual, verbal, social and emotional exchanges among students.Our study focuses on the opinions of teachers from primary and lower secondary schools regarding the impact, the effectiveness of interactive methods in online didactic activities. The study involved focus group discussions and the selection of the most often used interactive methods (clustering technique, quadrants, conceptual maps, starbursting, brainstorming, quintet, think-pair-share, lotus blossom technique etc.) to be transposed into items in the questionnaire used in the research. The information gathered was interpreted using the SPSS analysis. The results of the study provide a data base and a possible framework to facilitate eLearning and a possible working strategy for primary and lower secondary school teachers to ensure students effective interactive learning experiences.
AUTISM AND CREATIVITY: A SOCIAL ROBOTICS APPLICATION
Get PDFThis paper focuses on the relationship of genius with certain forms of autism. It synthesizes some results of two ongoing research activities. The first one concerns the investigation of creativity and the arts in the digital age, while the second an educational experience to support the socialization of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder.The educational experience was based on storytelling, drama, and programmable toy robots.Our research emerged that low functioning autistic people may exhibit creative attitudes, but the creativity of educators has a crucial role in stimulating their creativity.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE OF SOCIAL INCLUSION IN THE TRAINING OF SPECIALISTS OF A SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE (UKRAINIAN CONTEXT)
Get PDFIn the presented research we briefly outlined the issues of training specialists of socio-economic profile in higher educational institutions of Ukraine. We addressed certain aspects of social inclusion and the key indicators of social inclusion in accordance with the priorities of social policy development in Europe. In particular, the indicators and goals of social inclusion, such as inclusion and/or exclusion of some groups of population, the impact of the level of «poverty» on these processes. And also, the influence of these factors on the educational process in higher education institutions, the formation of empathy, stress resistance, social adaptation, professional and inclusive competence.As a part of our research, we diagnosed the level of empathy (Yusupov, 2002), stress resistance and social adaptation (Holmes & Rage, 2009), social frustration (Wasserman, 2009) of student youth who are included in project activities and studying in basic educational programs. Comparison of statistical data of EU countries and Ukraine on the indicators of inclusion of persons in need of inclusive education in active social processes has been carried out.The analysis briefly presents pedagogical technologies with high efficiency in the formation of competencies of future specialists of socio-economic profile and presents the main trends in the formation of the environment of social inclusion, which are proposed and implemented in the framework of project activities and cooperation with EU countries on the territory of Ukraine.
OPERATIONAL ASPECTS OF LATVIAN START-UPS REFERRED TO IN STRATEGIC POLICY DOCUMENTS
Get PDFThe paper is entitled Operational Aspects of Latvian Start-Ups Referred to in Strategic Policy Documents. The present research aims to analyse the operational aspects of start-ups based on the information available in various policy documents. The research examined national, regional and global-scale policy documents. Long-term strategic policy documents, which help to identify obstacles to start-up development, play an important role in the development of start-ups in Latvia. An examination of obstacles to the development of start-ups would help to contribute to the achievement of the goals set by the policy documents analysed. The research examined various kinds of policy documents. The policy documents analysed reveal trends in start-ups and public support mechanisms as well as give recommendations; therefore, the main conclusion is that the documents play an important role in the growth of start-ups because, based on empirical research findings, relevant problems could be easily identified and solved in the long term. The literature review revealed that there were relatively few policy documents specifically for start-ups; therefore, prospects for the development of policy documents in future are wide. The following specific research tasks were set: to analyse long-term policy documents in relation to start-ups; to identify the main operational aspects of start-ups; and to put forward conclusions and proposals. The research employed the monographic and descriptive methods. The author concluded that the research studies conducted in Latvia indicated a high administrative burden, whereas international research studies identified a low administrative burden in Latvia. Because of the different opinions, a repeat research study should be conducted. The further research could examine administrative procedures and their impact on the establishment of companies