Soft Skills Research in Higher Education: Top 100 Scopus-Indexed Publications

Introduction. At present, employers’ standards for university graduates are scrutinized, obviously stepping up requirements for soft skills. The issue of modernization of university curricula or development of new ones that include soft skills development in the framework of university education is relevant. The importance of the problem makes us turn to the experiences of foreign universities. This article aims to identify the main subject areas, where much attention is paid to the issues of soft skills, as well as directions of research on students’ soft skills development between 2010 and 2020 in the framework of higher education. Materials and Methods. ИThe study was conducted in two phases. During the first phase, we used a search strategy to identify the main subject areas of research on the topic of soft skills development in the period from 2010 to 2020. At the second phase, a study of one hundred most cited articles indexed in the Scopus database on the topic of soft skills in education was carried out. The selection was based on the inclusion and non-inclusion criteria. We used a method of content analysis. The selected articles were divided into several clusters demonstrating the research focus. Results. The analysis of foreign studies provided information on the subject fields that essentially focus on forming soft skills. The main subject areas, where the largest number of studies on soft skills published from 2010 to 2020 were recorded, embrace social sciences, IT, engineering, business and accounting. The areas of research on students’ soft skills in the period between 2010 and 2020 were general pedagogical issues, issues of increasing employability, and different areas of education. Discussion and Conclusion. A selection of the worldʼs best practices described in the leading articles on the formation of soft skills in education enriches the collection of methodological techniques of teachers in various specialized disciplines. The materials of the article can be useful for methodologists and teachers of professional education institutions, engaged in the formation and development of a new type of curricula, taking into account the needs of the modern labor market, and persons interested in the problems of higher education.

The Basic Principles of Training Future Teachers to Work With Younger Students With Experience of Traumatic Effects

The article shows that the unstable situation in the world leads to possible armed conflicts, affecting primarily children, experiencing various traumatic consequences. Such a situation arises in post-conflict regions and creates a need for teachers who possess the necessary competencies when teaching children with experience of traumatic effects. The purpose of the article is to study the state and trends in the development of psychological and pedagogical issues related to the use of collaborative learning technologies to form the psychological culture of future teachers in order to further work with children with experience of traumatic effects. It is shown that the analysis of the formation and development of the problems of group psychological corrective work is grounded on the basic principles identified by representatives of various directions. The authors propose to build the training of future teachers on the basis of a model of joint thinking for the subsequent organization of teachers’ interaction with children who have experience of traumatic effects. The authors analyzed the basic principles of group psychologically corrective work from the point of view of the possibilities of organizing joint thinking. The basic principles of the organization of training of future teachers were highlighted, their meaningful characteristics for the purposes of organizing joint thinking were given. A comparison of the principles of group psychological corrective work and the principles of the organization of joint thinking of future teachers is carried out. Their correlation and the importance of using joint thinking in organizing the training of future teachers and for conducting psychologically corrective work with children are shown.

Grit in Second Language Learning and Teaching: Introduction to the Special Issue

This brief, introductory paper contextualizes the special issue in relevant literatures in psychology, education, and SLA. In addition to describing the rationale for the special issue and providing a preview of the papers included, we identify the major themes and questions raised by the authors. Balanced against the conceptual, measurement, and pedagogical issues is an argument for the applicability of the concept within SLA. Finally, we provide the implications of the special issue which should be considered in future research in L2 grit studies.

Implementace opatření na podporu žáků se sociálním znevýhodněním ve Zlínském kraji

The paper responds to the current topic of school issues by addressing issues of equal opportunity in education. It deals with the presentation of a specific solution to support the education of disadvantaged pupils in the Zlín Region, which is realized within the Implementation of the Regional Action Plan for the Development of Education within the Operational Program: Research, Development and Education. The aim of the paper is to introduce the activities of the Social Pedagogical Counseling Center. The priority areas of the counseling center are the early identification of the problems of pupils at risk of school failure, for socio-economic reasons, and the support of teachers in resolving difficult situations. The implementation is based on a questionnaire survey of school needs. The purpose of the measure is to connect schools with the social aspect of fieldwork and thus contribute to the sharing of good practices in socio-pedagogical issues.

BASIC INTERPRETATIONS OF THE CONCEPT TECHNOLOGIES OF SOCIAL ADAPTATION AND THEIR ANALYSIS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE DISABILITY PROBLEM

The article examines the main interpretations of the concept of technology of social adaptation and their analysis in the context of the problem of disability. The author highlights that only the joint activities of social workers, teachers and parents will solve the problem of social adaptation of children, their socialization, and rehabilitation. The viewpoints, of various scientists, on the problem of social adaptation in the context of the problem of disability, were analysed. The content of social work with children with special educational needs is highlighted in the present paper. It is aimed at indicating a social problem, identifying the cause and finding ways to solve them. Finally, the article emphasizes the content of the work: – studying of the socio-psychological state of people with limited capacity; – carrying out of social-pedagogical investigations of peculiarities of socialization of children with special educational needs and different types of diseases; – everyday rehabilitation of children with SEN; – conducting of psychological counselling for children with SEN having personal problems; – implementation of psychological and pedagogical correctional work; – organization of consultations for relatives on legal, psychological and pedagogical issues; – development of potential creative opportunities for children with SEN; – organization of cultural events and entertainment for children with SEN; – coordination of work with various social institutions that deal with the problems of children with SEN in the society. Further works needs to be done to study the issues of social adaptation of children with SEN to the conditions of specific educational establishments. Keywords: social work; social adaptation; disability; children with special educational needs; social protection; social rehabilitation; content of social work; forms of social work; branches of social work; social-work technologies.

Investigating the Correlation Among Chinese EFL Teachers' Self-efficacy, Work Engagement, and Reflection

As the forerunners of education, teachers and their psycho-affective variables have been the focus of numerous studies in the past decades. To add to this line of inquiry, the present study aimed to scrutinize the correlation among English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers' self-efficacy, work engagement, and reflection in the context of China. To do so, three previously validated questionnaires related to each of the variables were distributed among Chinese EFL teachers with various experiences and academic degrees, and a sample of 614 completed the questionnaires. The results of Pearson's Product-moment correlation revealed that the participants' self-efficacy, work engagement, and reflection were positively correlated. Moreover, the results of regression analysis and ANOVA demonstrated that Chinese EFL teachers' self-efficacy and work engagement significantly predicted their reflection. The findings have viable takeaways for EFL teachers and teacher education programs in that they can invest more time and energy in promoting psychological factors in teaching the English language along with pedagogical issues.

Online college English education in Wuhan against the COVID-19 pandemic: Student and teacher readiness, challenges and implications

Online education, including college English education, has been developing rapidly in the recent decade in China. Such aspects as e-readiness, benefits and challenges of online education were well-researched under normal situations, but fully online language teaching on a large-scale in emergencies may tell a different story. A survey of 2310 non-English-major college students and 149 English teachers from three types of twelve higher education institutions in Wuhan was conducted to evaluate their readiness for online English education during the COVID-19 pandemic, to figure out challenges encountered by them and to draw implications for future online college English education. Quantitative statistics gathered using two readiness scales adapted from previous studies showed that both cohorts were slightly below the ready level for the unexpected online transition of college English education. The overall level of readiness for students was 3.68 out of a score of 5, and that for teachers was 3.70. Individual differences were explored and reported. An analysis of qualitative results summarized six categories of challenges encountered by the students, i.e. technical challenges, challenges concerning learning process, learning environment, self-control, efficiency and effectiveness, and health concern. Though the students reported the highest level of readiness in technology access, they were most troubled by technical problems during online study. For teachers, among three types of challenges, they were most frustrated by pedagogical ones, especially students’ disengagement in online class. The survey brought insights for online college English education development. Institutions should take the initiative and continue promoting the development of online college English education, because a majority of the respondents reported their willingness and intention to continue learning/teaching English in online or blended courses in the post-pandemic period. They are supposed to remove technical barriers for teachers and students, and assess the readiness levels of both cohorts before launching English courses online. Institutions should also arrange proper training for instructors involved, especially about pedagogical issues. Language teachers are suggested to pay special attention to students’ engagement and communication in online courses.

O PROGRAMA ESCOLAR E A EXPERIÊNCIA EDUCATIVA SOB A PERSPECTIVA DE JOHN DEWEY

Esse artigo trata dos métodos de ensino propostos por Dewey entre os séculos XIX e XX. Suas reflexões teóricas decorrem das experiências dos professores da Escola Laboratório da Universidade de Chicago. O objetivo consiste em mostrar que as ponderações do autor sobre tais experimentos pedagógicos foram elaboradas considerando a conexão entre o conhecimento prático, relacionado as atividades familiares a vida infantil, com o conhecimento historicamente acumulado pela humanidade. Para atingi-lo foram selecionados excertos em que Dewey analisa as experiências realizadas na Escola Laboratório e que consistem no que ele entendia como experiência educativa. Fundamentando-se em Bloch (2001), foi lançado um olhar histórico sobre o pensamento e ações de Dewey entendendo-o como um intelectual que pensava sobre as questões educacionais e pedagógicas de seu tempo. Considerando as transformações econômicas, políticas e sociais dos Estados Unidos, o autor repensava as formas de ensino e em favorecer a apropriação ativa do conhecimento cientifico. Para Dewey democratizar a sociedade passava pela democratização da ciência. Para esse trabalho foram priorizadas como fontes as obras A escola e a Sociedade (1899) e Democracia e Educação (1916), que registram experiências pedagógicas realizadas pela equipe de professores dirigida por Dewey. Constatou-se que, a experiência prática e a experiência histórica interagem e se completam. A experiência prática existe devido à possibilidade de recorrer à experiência histórica, e a experiência histórica só existe por que o homem se desafiou a produzir novos conhecimentos por meio da observação e de experimentos, concretizando uma experiência educativa.Palavras-chave: John Dewey; educação; programa escolar.The school program and educational experience from John Dewey's perspectiveAbstractThis article deals with the teaching methods proposed by Dewey between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. His theoretical reflections stem from the teachers experiences at the University of Chicago Laboratory School. The objective is to show that the author's considerations about such pedagogical experiments were elaborated considering the connection between practical knowledge, related to familiar activities to children' s life, with the knowledge historically accumulated by humanity. To achieve this were selected excerpts in which Dewey analyzes the experiments carried out in the Laboratory School and consisting of what he understood as an educational experience. Founding in Bloch (2001), a historical look at Dewey's thinking and actions was taken. He is understood as an intellectual who thought about the educational and pedagogical issues of his time. Considering the economic, political and social transformations of the United States, the author rethought the forms of teaching and favored the active appropriation of scientific knowledge. For Dewey to democratize the society went through the democratization of science. For this work, the works School and Society (1899) and Democracy and Education (1916), which record pedagogical experiences carried out by the team of teachers directed by Dewey, were prioritized as sources. It has been found that practical experience and historical experience interact and complement each other. Practical experience exists because of the possibility of resorting to historical experience, and historical experience exists only because man has challenged himself to produce new knowledge through observation and experimentation, thus materializing an educational experience.Keywords: John Dewey; education; school program.El programa escolar y la experiencia educativa desde la perspectiva de John DeweyResumen Este artículo discute los métodos de enseñanza propuestos por Dewey entre los siglos XIX y XX. Sus reflexiones teóricas se derivan de las experiencias de la Escuela Laboratorio de la Universidad de Chicago. El objetivo consiste en mostrar que las ponderaciones del autor sobre tales experimentos pedagógicos fueron elaboradas considerando la conexión entre el conocimiento práctico, sobre las actividades familiares a la infancia, con el conocimiento humano históricamente acumulado. Para alcanzarlo se seleccionaron extractos en que Dewey analiza las experiencias realizadas en la escuela y que consisten en lo que él entendía como experiencia educativa. Fundamentándose en Bloch (2001), se lanzó una mirada histórica sobre el pensamiento y acciones de Dewey entendiéndolo como un intelectual que pensaba sobre las cuestiones educativas y pedagógicas de su tiempo. Considerando las transformaciones económicas, políticas y sociales de su país, el autor repensaba las formas de enseñanza y en favorecer la apropiación activa del conocimiento científico. Para Dewey democratizar la sociedad pasaba por la democratización de la ciencia. Fueron priorizadas como fuentes de trabajo las obras La escuela y la Sociedad (1899) y Democracia y Educación (1916), que registran experiencias pedagógicas de los profesores dirigidos por Dewey. Se constató que la experiencia práctica y la experiencia histórica interactúan y se complementan. La experiencia práctica existe debido a la posibilidad de recurrir a la experiencia histórica, y la experiencia histórica sólo existe porque el hombre se ha desafiado a producir nuevos conocimientos por medio de la observación y de los experimentos, concretando una experiencia educativa.Palabras clave: John Dewey; educación; programa escolar.