Applied Research Paradigms

This chapter discusses the research paradigms underpinning this study––i.e. dialectical pluralism (DP) (mixed methods research) and a complex thinking perspective. The chapter also explains the researcher’s scientific and personal paradigm biases and details some strategies utilised for objective data treatment.

Religious Conversion and Loss of Faith: Cases of Personal Paradigm Shift?

Is Thomas Kuhn’s model of scientific revolutions in terms of paradigm shifts appropriately applied to cases of radical changes in religious outlook, and in particular conversion to faith, or loss of faith? Since this question cannot be addressed in purely a priori terms, three case studies of philosophers who have described significant changes in their own perspectives are examined. Part of the justification for such an approach is to see how changes in view seem from the first-person perspective. Although what is offered here is a very limited group of studies, each of them perforce brief, a key theme emerges: that the incommensurability between paradigms which is part of the Kuhnian model is mirrored by the shift away from atheist or humanistic perspectives, though not necessarily by loss of faith.

The mystery of revelation and apocalypse: the content of symbolics

The philosophical, psychological and sociological analysis of the Christian symbol of the Revelation is for the first time in the Ukrainian humanities carried out in the study. Understanding Revelation based on scientific concepts is a very complex problem, however, it is clear that its cause is the lack of the necessary methodology, ignoring the leading trend of world history and spirit i.e. the struggle of impersonal and personal principles of social being. It is proposed to base the study on the concept of four stages of human spiritual development: dependent personality, mediocre personality, mature personality, genius. With the help of Revelation, Christianity rethought the philosophical meaning of the concept of “truth”, which concerned not the material world, but the inner qualities of man. Christianity has come to the conclusion that the question “Who is the truth” is more important to man than the question “What is the truth?” Lack of a philosophical answer to the question “Who is the truth”? led to the dominance of the value judgment “every person is an individual”, which became the philosophical basis of the depersonalized paradigm of human being. Revelation appears as a way out of impersonal being into personal (transcendent), overcoming the fear of personal being, the birth of a spiritual principle in man and as a symbolic beginning of a new – personal – paradigm of being, when the highest values are self-actualization, self-realization and related work. Revelation is not only the birth of a person from an egocentric person, but it is a recognition of the significance of a person in another person. The reasons that prevent the scholars from revealing the meaning of Revelation are analyzed – the mechanisms of psychological protection and fear of personal being. Ignoring the leading trend of the world spirit (the struggle of the impersonal and the personal) and the concept of the four stages of spiritual development of man has led to a decrease in the critical mass of individuals in the human community. Failure to recognize the importance of the idea of personal existence is a crucial ideological cause of the existential vacuum, mental epidemics in the form of hybrid wars, global terrorism and violence against both human nature and nature in general. The modern apocalypse – an anthropological-global catastrophe – is the result of a crisis of impersonal existence and the priority of the material over the spiritual, which is realized by the mediocre person. It is proved that the proposed metaphysical theory of personality meets modern global challenges, opens opportunities for philosophical, psychological and sociological understanding of the causes of the crisis in Ukrainian society and in the human community. It is substantiated that the ideological basis for overcoming the crisis of impersonal existence is the assertion of the priority of the spiritual over the material, the adoption of the ideological law “Personality is the basis of being” and changing the form of determination. Determination of the present must be replaced by determination of the future.

IMPLEMENTATION OF SYSTEM- AND ACTIVITY-BASED APPROACH IN SECONDARY SCHOOL

В статье раскрыта актуальность применения деятельностного подхода в отечественной педагогике и история его развития в системе образования. Определено понятие «деятельности» и деятельностного подхода, рассмотрены этапы претворения в жизнь «развивающего обучения» в педагогической деятельности с точки зрения теории Л. С. Выготского. Рассмотрен переход от знаниевой к личностной парадигме обучения. Определены ведущие роли учителя и ученика в процессе использования деятельностного подхода. Проанализировано развитие психологической, социологической и методологической теорий деятельностного подхода. Обозначены особенности реализации деятельностного подхода от 80-х гг. XX века до наших дней. Выделены проблемные зоны деятельстного подхода в условиях его реализации в общеобразовательной школе.На сегодняшний день установлена необходимость разработки методики реализации деятельностного подхода в условиях ФГОС нового поколения и созданияучебных пособий, а также актуальность применения проблемного урока в учебной деятельности педагога. Также сделаны выводы о необходимости данного подхода в современной педагогике, проведен анализ научной литературы по данному вопросу, сформированы выводы о необходимости дополнить системно-деятельностный подход в условиях современного мира и необходимости внедрения новых путей решения проблемы. ФГОС начального образования предопределяет развитие творческих способностей и духовно-нравственного развития обучающихся, в том числе и на уроках изобразительного искусства при изучении декоративно-прикладного искусства. Сложность заключается в том, что успешное воплощение в жизнь системно-деятельностного подхода в последующем встречает трудности на своем пути. Формирование универсальных учебных действий требует реализации нескольких взаимодополняющих подходов. The article reveals the relevance of using the activity approach in Russian pedagogy and the history of its development in the education system. The authors define the concept of activity and an activity-based approach, consider the stages of implementation of “developmental teaching” in the activity of pedagogical society according to L. S. Vygotsky's theoretical research. They also consider the transition from knowledge to personal paradigm of education; determine the leading role of teacher and student in the process of using the activity-based approach; analyze the development of psychological, sociological and methodological theories of the activity-based approach; determine the features of the implementation of the activity-based approach from the 80s of the 20th century to the present day; reveals the problem areas of the activity-based approach in the conditions of its implementation in a general education school.Today, there has been established the need for the development of methods for the implementation of the activity-based approach in the context of the new generation FSES and the creation of teaching aids, as well as the relevance of using a problem lesson in the educational activities of a teacher. The authors concluded that the need for this approach in modern pedagogy, carried out the analysis of scientific literature on this issue, drew the conclusions about the need to supplement the system- and activity-based approach in the modern world and the need to introduce new ways to solve the problem. The FSES of primary education predetermines the development of creative abilities and spiritual and moral development of pupils, including the lessons of Fine Arts when studying decorative and applied arts. The difficulty is in the fact that successful implementation of the system- and activity-based approach in primary school subsequently encounters some difficulties. The formation of universal educational actions requires the implementation of several complementary approaches.

The development of youth spirituality in the modern realities of Russian society

This paper discusses the problems that inhibit the development of spirituality in the youth, shows the role of educational institutions for young peoples moral stability development, reveals a personal paradigm that initiates self-actualization and improvement of students for socialization in modern Russian society. The paper analyzes the problems of spirituality and intelligence development in Russian universities. It is argued that the presence of spirituality creates a barrier to destructive social phenomena, while intelligence represents the internal and external culture, dignity and morality of the individual. The paper emphasizes that spirituality and intelligence should be protected by the individual from the destructive influence of the criminal environment and dubious offers. Students relying on the theory of reactance must learn to say no. It is noted that according to students the significant components of spirituality are the desire to develop their country, national virtues, the less significant ones are the willingness to sacrifice personal interests for the interests of the fatherland. The role of a comfortable psychological environment in the development of self-education, self-criticism, self-actualization of student youth is shown. It is postulated that an educated person respects other people, recognizes their intrinsic value, originality, meaning and dignity.

Children’s Play—The Educator’s Opinion

The educator’s personal role in understanding children’s play is a key factor in planning organization of educational process in kindergarten. An educator´s personal paradigm is assumed to be an experiential and educational construct. This research examines the possible correlation of educators’ personal paradigms (N = 291) and contextual factors in the region of Dalmatia (Croatia). A questionnaire Q-EOCP (α = 0.78) was designed for this research. Research findings suggest that most educators are reluctant to introduce information and communication technology /ICT into the educational process (M = 2.25; SD = 1.02) or work with children with disabilities (M = 2.03; SD = 1.33). There was a slightly positive correlation between the educator’s professional work experience and the view that children with disabilities /CWD should be taught how to play (r = 0.35; p ≤ 0.05). Work experience is slightly negatively correlated with the opinion that natural materials encourage creative play in children more than the didactic toys (r = −0.29; p ≤ 0.05) and with the assessment of daily play in nature (r = −0.21; p ≤ 0.05). The research measured the correlation of assessments of daily play in nature and the educators’ level of education (F = 3.47; p ≤ 0.05). Findings suggest that early childhood and preschool educators need additional education on children’s play and the possibilities of augmentative technology.

University: Toward “Beyond the Horizon” Strategy

The article shows that the entrenched orientation of higher education towards the demands of the labor market requires rethinking and adjustment, since in modern conditions it does not guarantee the effectiveness of university’s activities and the ability to meet the challenges of the future. The real basis and guarantee of the university’s success is now the “synchronization” of its development strategy with the historical and epistemological trends in the development of knowledge, its functions and forms of being. In this context, the role and place of techno-science at university and university processes – research, design, and educational – is becoming especially important. It is argued that the current trends in the development of knowledge and science bring to life (and have already provoked) a new “projective-personal” paradigm of education. It is not focused on mastering the maximum academic knowledge (as it has been so far), but on individualizing the trainee’s educational trajectory and mastering the methods of synthesizing knowledge and project activities.