A Qualitative Inquiry of a Three-Month Virtual Practicum Program on Youth with Visual Impairments and Their Coaches

Research has shown that the practicum experience for professional preparation students in physical education teacher education programs related to teaching youth with disabilities can improve self-efficacy. It is not currently known if a virtual program can be effective for the professional preparation students or the participants. The objective of this study was to determine the experiences of the participants of a three-month virtual practicum program. In this phenomenological study, thirty youth with visual impairments and 1:1 professional preparation students (coaches) took part in a three-month virtual physical activity program. A total of 11 coaches took part in 2 focus groups, and 10 of the participants were interviewed about their experiences in this unique practicum. Findings in this three-month program revealed four themes: (1) friendship, (2) self-determination, (3) goal setting, and (4) barriers. The results of the qualitative inquiry indicate that a virtual practicum program can have a positive effect on both the participants and the professional preparation students. Virtual programs should also be aware of barriers to implementing an effective program to benefit all parties.

Activity aspect of professional training of future choreographers in the classical university

The purpose of the article is to scientifically substantiate the expediency of the activity approach in the professional training of future choreographers at the classical university. Methodology. The research methodology is based on: scientific and theoretical concepts of activity and activity approach in professional training of students; methods of analysis, systematization, and generalization. The article reveals the program requirements for professional training of student-choreographers at the university. The scientific bases of pedagogical and artistic-creative activity of the choreographer are investigated. The main types of activity of the leader of the choreographic team, which students must master during their studies at the university - theoretical (projective, analytical) and practical (organizational-pedagogical, artistic-creative, concert-stage) are characterized. The principles of educational activity of students in choreographic classes are formulated. The scientific novelty: scientifically substantiated and proved the expediency of applying the activity approach in the professional training of future choreographers; the basic forms and types of professional activity which students-choreographers should master in the course of professional preparation are systematized; the principles of educational activity of students in choreographic classes are determined. Conclusions are formulated that the activity approach is an effective means of forming in future choreographers the experience of professional activity in the process of professional training at the university. Keywords: future choreographers; professional training of students-choreographers; activity approach; leader of the choreographic team; forms and types of activity; principles of educational activity of students.

Psychologist’s professional preparation in a career of education in the digital age

Introduction. The article discusses the necessary changes in the professional activities of psychologists in the field of education and the peculiarities of their training caused by the processes taking place in society (digitalization, the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic). The purpose of the article is to study the features of professional activity and training of psychologists in the field of education in the modern period. Research methodology and methods. The article was written using a descriptive method through the collection, generalization and analysis of scientific, educational and methodological literature, federal and regulatory documents on research issues. The material for the work was the results of research by domestic and foreign authors describing the problem of professional training of psychologists in the field of education. Research results and conclusion. The analysis of theoretical sources and practical activities of educational psychologists made it possible to formulate changes that need to be made in the requirements for their training, caused by the current situation. Such preparation is seen as a multifaceted and urgent problem, which is accompanied by a number of contradictions and requires further detailed research.

Wheelchair Skills Test Outcomes across Multiple Wheelchair Skills Training Bootcamp Cohorts

User training is a critical component of wheelchair service delivery to ensure individuals with a mobility impairment can negotiate environmental barriers and promote their social participation. A wheelchair “bootcamp”, delivered during professional preparation education, is one strategy to better prepare occupational therapists for clinical rehabilitation practice by developing their own wheelchair skills. The purpose of this study was a retrospective review of a large dataset of student cohorts from a single site and delineate bootcamp effects on the Wheelchair Skills Test-Questionnaire (WST-Q) scores. Participant data from eight cohorts was consolidated (n = 307). Comparison of two WST-Q scoring formats revealed significantly lower scores for cohorts using the 4-point version, which was subsequently standardized to the other 3-point version. WST-Q change scores were similar between cohorts, and differences were more reflective of variability in skill level prior to bootcamp than post-bootcamp scores. Students were able to master most basic and intermediate level skills, while advanced skill acquisition was much more variable. This study provides more precise point estimates of wheelchair skill acquisition among occupational therapy students than previous studies. While confirming the benefits of bootcamp education, recommendations for further investigation were identified.

A Joint Assessment of Reasoning about General Statements in Mathematics and Biology

This contribution belongs to a larger empirical study that focuses on issues related to the implementation of inquiry-based learning and formative assessment in science and mathematics education, while it also refers to the issue of STEM education. Here, we discuss the two topics from the perspective of professional preparation of primary school teachers. We employ an educational tool called Concept Cartoons and perceive it as a common diagnostic tool for investigating modes of reasoning about general statements in arithmetic, geometry and biology. The presented qualitative exploratory empirical study maps and codes various kinds of reasoning that can be identified with the tool and investigates possibilities of a joint coding procedure. As a result, it provides a conversion table between various modes of reasoning in the three subject domains. The arisen code categories cover the field of generic examples, including the initial stages so that they can be used for scaffolding the process of learning the foundations of deductive reasoning. The joint approach to reasoning in mathematics and biology shows how argumentation and formative assessment can be understood equally and developed simultaneously in both school subjects. It helps us to see how the two school subjects can be integrated didactically.

Empirical Research of a Creatively Oriented Personality’s Formation of a Child of Senior Preschool Age

The purpose is a theoretical substantiation and empirical research of creatively oriented personality’s formation of a child of senior preschool age. Five components of the structure of a creatively oriented personality are outlined: emotional-volitional, intellectual-creative, motivational, social-communicative and operational. It is noted that the respondents have the highest research and exploration activity. High and medium levels of cognitive interest were recorded in n = 71 (59.1%). It is established that a significant part of children do not properly form the experience of creative activity. The profile of creatively directed personality’s formation of senior preschool age’s child on key psychological semantic parameters of the researched components which relevantly reflected a subject of research is built. It is established that the most significant correlations are observed for such indicators as creative potential, creative thinking, emotional potential (P ≤ .05; P ≤ .01) and (C ≤ .05; C ≤ .01). A significant part of children do not have a properly formed experience of creative activity. These children have difficulties in solving new, atypical, non-standard situations, which are characteristic of creative activity, which negatively affects the formation of creative personality. It is generalized that the received results of research it is expedient to operationalize in educational and professional preparation of applicants of pedagogical specialties.

ON THE QUESTION OF ECOLOGIZATION OF THE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT IN INCLUSIVE INSTITUTIONS

The article defines the role of pedagogical ecology in the system of educational practice in the conditions of inclusion. The term "inclusion", the concept of "greening", the definition of universal design in education and reasonable adaptation of school space are revealed. Problems and prospects of greening of the educational environment in the context of inclusive education are considered. Comparing the inclusive culture of our country and the Scandinavian countries, it is noted that the approach of Scandinavian cultures is more to ensure inclusiveness, inclusion in society. The conditions for the implementation of the principles of pedagogical ecology in inclusive education are determined. It is proved that the success of inclusive education largely depends on the professional competence of teachers, the reorganization of the system of professional training of future professionals. The features and level of readiness (according to the results of self-assessment in the interview) of future teachers for professional activity with children with special educational needs in the conditions of inclusion are studied. The positive attitude of students to the need for purposefully organized process of their professional preparation for work in inclusive educational institutions is recorded.

Pre-service Teachers’ Perceptions of Professional Standards and their Integration into Pre-service Training: A Comparative Study of Australia and Pakistan

This paper critically analyses 52 Australian and 68 Pakistani pre-service teachers’ (PST) perceptions of professional standards for teachers enabling the comparison of teacher preparation in the two countries. A multivariate analysis of variance tested the hypothesis that an integrated standards-based teacher preparation program was more effective for professional skills and competencies development than a non-integrated one. While the Australian PSTs undertaking a standards-integrated curriculum reported significantly higher levels of professional preparation in ten areas of professional Standards, their Pakistani counterparts - who were not exposed to such curriculum - reported inadequate preparation. The findings have implications for teacher educators and policy makers involved in the development of pre-service teacher programs.

Why should an ethics of care matter in education?

When a black 2nd-year student educator gets chased away from a school whilst doing his teaching practice for hair ‘not setting an appropriate example to learners’, the incident elicits questions about the rights of student educators during teaching practice, as well as the extent to which universities and schools care for, support and prepare student educators for the realities of schooling in South Africa. I situate the article in Transformation in Higher Education and the discourses of moral education concerning universities’ preparation of student educators in conjunction with schools in South Africa. The purpose in this article is to critically evaluate the neoliberal regulatory environment that frames education in general and how this has led to ‘uncaring’ environments in which student educators must operate during the execution of their teaching practice. I applied an ethics-of-care- approach to conceptually discuss the central role that care should play in the professional development of student educators. A decline in the level of care for student educators during teaching practice by universities and schools has an increasingly negative impact on their professional preparation which might lead to increased teacher attrition and discourage new entrants to the profession. To achieve the kind of care among teachers we envisage through education, universities and schools will have to re-examine the role of care for student educators during teaching practice.

A disciplina de dança na formação profissional do professor de educação física: Um relato de experiencia

Os problemas da preparação profissional do professor de Educação Física para ministrar a disciplina de Dança nos cursos de graduação são: tratar a disciplina apenas como atividade; estar ausente do objetivo de Universidade, que é formar professores investigadores e o maior de todos é o machismo imperante nos homens que entram a estudar a carreira para ser desportistas ou treinadores da modalidade de que eles praticam. Para mitigar este problema focalizamos a disciplina como fonte de investigação das manifestações da cultura corporal Dança, formando grupos de pesquisa e utilizando um analises histórico-crítico superador para as análises, discussão e vivencia de cada uma das danças investigadas, conseguindo reverter os problemas supra citados. The problems in the professional preparation of the Physical Education teacher to teach the Dance discipline in undergraduate courses are: treating the discipline only as an activity; to be absent from the University's objective, which is to train research professors and the greatest of all is the machismo prevailing in men who enter to study their careers to be sportsmen or coaches in the sport they practice. To mitigate this problem, we focus on the discipline as a source of investigation of the manifestations of dance body culture, forming research groups and using a critical historical analysis that overcomes the analysis, discussion and experience of each of the dances investigated, managing to reverse the aforementioned problems.