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.

Unabridged Short Stories by 21st-Century Spanish-Speaking Authors in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language

Introduction. The need to include authentic works of fiction in the foreign language teaching process is obvious, but the selection of texts of the appropriate level at the elementary and intermediate stages of Spanish teaching remains a challenge. Since this phenomenon has not been sufficiently explored, the aim of this article is to present a list of unabridged short stories that correspond to the intermediate level (B1 PCIC) and the results of the study on the benefits of using these stories as a means of stimulating communication skills in the Spanish class. Materials and Methods. To study the problem, a Likert scale questionnaire, oral interviews, and a check of the final work were carried out. The study involved 54 students from three Russian universities and one school where Spanish and English are studied in depth. The collected data were processed by methods of mathematical statistics in Microsoft Office Excel. For the study, 36 short stories by contemporary Hispanic authors were selected and pre and post-reading questions were developed to introduce the topic and stimulate oral speech. Results. Based on the results of the study, it was revealed that the selected stories correspond to the B1 level of the Cervantes Instituteʼs curriculum, and the topics presented in the stories stimulate communication in the class, pushing the fear of making a mistake into the background. Many Spanish teachers introduce unabridged fiction starting at B2 level. This experiment demonstrates the successful use of short stories at an intermediate level of language proficiency. Discussion and Conclusion. The results of the study contribute to the development and improvement of the methodology of teaching Spanish with the use of authentic fiction texts. The materials of the article will be useful for practicing teachers and methodologists of the Spanish language.

The Effect of Communication Style on Teaching Motivation, Work Ethics, Emotional Intelligence, Reading Proficiency and Knowledge Sharing

Introduction. The reading proficiency of students across countries varies. Better teaching motivation, workplace ethics, Emotional Intelligence promote one to share their knowledge with others. Therefore this study seeks to investigate the role of communication style, the effect of teaching motivation, workplace ethics, emotional intelligence on reading proficiency and knowledge sharing. Materials and Methods. This study engaged 448 teachers/serviced teachers from various levels of secondary schools. Structural Equation Modeling is utilized in this study to analyze the model. The model reached a satisfactory compliance. Results. The results showed that teaching motivation, workplace ethics, emotional intelligence bear on reading proficiency and knowledge sharing positively. The communication style of teachers mediates the model significantly. Discussion and Conclusion.Teachers with better motivation prepare their class better by increasing their knowledge and insight into their field by the intensity of their effort to increase their reading experience and proficiency. Those sticking to work ethic try to increase their integrity, honesty, discipline, fairness and respect, responsibility, and accountability at work to reach better proficiency of reading and behaviors of sharing activities. Teachers’ Emotional Intelligence boosts their quality in reading by reaching a better quality of their ability on their understanding of reading passages and vocabulary knowledge as well as the level of proficiency in reading. Teachers with better communication styles increase their motivation onto the level of reading proficiency. Communication style strengthens the influence of motivation on reading skills.

A Year after the Outbreak of COVID-19: Applicants’ Perception of Higher Education Quality in the Context of Digitalization and Blended Learning

Introduction. The forced transition of Russian universities to distance learning in 2020 and accelerated digital transformation of educational processes in higher education are the first effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. A key aspect of measuring higher education quality is the perception of its formats by students as university change agents. The aim of the study is to identify the factors that determine the applicants’ positive attitude to learning that includes online elements in the context of the Russian universities’ transition to the blended learning model. Materials and Methods. The empirical base of the research includes the results of an online sociological survey conducted among the applicants for Ural Federal University undergraduate and graduate programmes in 2021. The methods of classification, factor analysis, and coefficients of pair correlations were applied. Additionally, for comparison, data from 2015 for a similar sample (1st year bachelor’s degree students) were used. Results. Positive attitudes towards online and blended learning are gradually increasing. The factor analysis of data from 2021 showed that applicants who support the online and blended learning include: those aspiring for master’s degree upon completing their bachelor’s degree course; those who choose their degree field rationally – men who apply for a state-funded education in any Russian university (including participants of federal contests – ‘Academic Olympics’). The above groups are formed mainly under the influence of external factors. Another group includes those oriented towards self-realization – women who choose their degree field relying on their personal inclinations for a future profession (the influence of internal factors). Discussion and Conclusion. The research results contribute to the development of scientific ideas about the blended learning model and emphasize the value of institutional research based on feedback from university students for making informed management decisions on change. The materials of the paper will be useful when designing the educational process in the Russian universities’ transition to the blended learning model.

Sustainable Higher Education via Telecollaboration: Improving Plurilingual and Pluricultural Competence

Introduction. Due to globalisation, the modern workforce is significantly diversified. Therefore, there is a need to modernise and embrace innovation in 21st-century education to prepare international professionals to work in cross-cultural teams via digital platforms. While research in the recent past has primarily focused on the refinement of future expert competences in tertiary education, only a handful of studies have been done to establish how plurilingual and pluricultural competence can be digitally developed at the inter-university level. In this light, this study sought to bridge this gap in the research on the sustainable cooperation model. Materials and Methods. The design for the methodological plan of integrating plurilingualism and pluriculturalism in university teaching was premised on the need to promote networking among students from different universities and countries. Its major stages based on the Collaborative Online International Learning approach included three stages: find a partner, prepare the project and carry out the project. A virtual exchange experiment across two institutions of higher learning in Spain and Finland helped analyse plurilingual and pluricultural competence achievement by means of questionnaires. Results. A special Collaborative Online International Learning approach used to explore plurilingual and pluricultural competence and the effectiveness of online-assisted language interaction, teamwork or intercultural cooperation. The study’s findings confirmed that plurilingual and pluricultural competence among students could also be developed using virtual cooperation, thus supporting cost-effective options of sustainable university training. Discussion and Conclusion. The project had a positive impact on reaching sustainable education goals by highlighting intercultural interaction prospects. Besides, it displays real challenges such as different schedules, grading systems, timing, motivation or virtual interaction among learners and ways of overcoming them. Regardless of the fundamental idea of formative exploration, our study presents some findings that lecturers, language training practitioners and policymakers willing to apply telecollaboration will be deserving of thought.

Russian and International Experience of Working with Personality Developing Inquiry

Introduction. Response to challenges of actual mass demand for personalisation of education is not feasible without specification of idea, models and mechanisms of usage of “learning inquiry”, which are determined by regional, cultural, social, and historical specifics of society. Relevance of the research is based on the necessity to clarify the term “learning inquiry” to facilitate practical implementation of mechanisms of personal educational logistic realised in digital environment. The article’s objective is to present results of analysis of local and international interpretations of the term “learning inquiry” (or its equivalent) as well as practices of its formation and usage. Materials and Methods. Local and global practices (formalised education, family education, “alternative” education) have been analysed with a searching depth of 5-8 years. Searching requests: educational inquiry, personal(sized) learning inquiry, personalized education, personalized learning, student-initiated learning, selflearning, etc. The following concepts have been reviewed: subjectivity, individualisation, personalization, personification, choice theories by D. Leontiev, intermediate action theory by B. Elkonin, theory of complicated systems and personality by K. Rogers, field theory by K. Levin, concept of deep knowledge by K. Duek, etc.; models and practices of active learning based on subjective position of a student. Results. Specifics of terminology related to personalized education are determined and described. A preterm “learning request” has been introduced via system of basic principles of creation of “learning inquiry” model. It has been shown that “learning inquiry” is realized via various educational institutions. In digital environment “learning inquiry” becomes a trigger for transformation towards educational logistic. Discussion and Conclusion. Research results contribute to development of practices of construction of position by participants of educational activity, to practices of work with learning inquiry, to enable to develop mechanisms of transformation towards personal educational logistic and, therefore, to facilitate readiness of educational systems to realisation of personalized education.

The Attitude of Teachers to the Norm-Creating in the Field of School Upbringing (Case of Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan)

Introduction. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, new independent states began to develop their own approaches to education based on national and confessional traditions. It was reflected in new norms, regulating their educational systems. The study of these norms and the process of their creation, the role of teachers and other stakeholders in this process help to evaluate educational activities at secondary schools. Materials and Methods. The expert survey of practicing teachers who work in general education organizations was conducted between December 2020 and May 2021. 268 educators from Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan answered the questions of the survey. The materials of the study were the norms of the Constitutions, laws on education of Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan; methodological recommendations on education issues, developed by national academies of education; codes of pedagogical ethics; regulatory documents of religious organizations. Results. Experts in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan have demonstrated the need for legal norms governing the organization of the upbringing process. The assessment by Russian experts of the existing norms of national legislation showed that they generate excessive bureaucratization of the process, limiting the creative potential of teachers. Most experts in all three countries question the validity of professional codes of ethics. Assessing the norm-making potential of various stakeholders, Russian respondents put the state to the first place along with the pedagogical community, while Kazakh and Kyrgyz experts give priority to the pedagogical community and educational organizations. However, only teachers of Kazakhstan see real opportunities for participation in rule-making processes. Discussion and Conclusion. There are cross-country differences in assessing the quality of specific norms and the norm-making potential of school teachers. The main problems faced by experts in the implementation of educational activities (bureaucratization, limitation of creative potential, absence of time) are outlined.

Primary Professionalization of Foreign Students: Barriers, Stigmatization, Adaptation

Introduction. In the context of the export of educational services, it is of particular importance to design an efficient system of foreign students’ psychological adaptation. Owing to the ethnocultural background, foreign students feel that they are stigmatized minorities in the host society. Negative images and stereotypes are often internalized, resulting in stable low self-esteem in the stigmatized. Since self-esteem acts as a key parameter of the professional self-concept, social stigma and the experience of social identity threat activate the stigmatization of primary professionalization, thereby drastically reducing the efficiency of the received vocational education at the university. The purpose of the study is: to outline the phenomenon of primary professionalization, to reveal the nature of the relationship between the social stigma of foreign students and their self-esteem, and to describe the levels of primary professionalization. Materials and Methods. The study involved 124 foreign students. Participants were asked to answer questions of the Short Form of the Stigmatization Scale and Rosenbergʼs Self-Esteem Scale in order to track the relationship between social stigma and self-esteem. Further, in order to identify the basic barriers to primary professionalization and the participants’ perception of their stigmatized status, the respondents answered the questions of a semi-structured interview supported with the critical incident technique in a focus group format. Results. There is a correlation between the degree of obviousness of social stigma and self-esteem of foreign students. The categorization of the data obtained allowed the authors to substantiate the phenomenon of stigma of primary professionalization, to systematize the determining factors, and to describe its levels. Discussion and Conclusion. Despite the fact that social stigma has attracted active attention of world science for decades, we have not been able to find focused studies into primary professionalization in the format of education export. Studying the factors that lead to the development of stigma of primary professionalization, understanding its levels will help to design a system for its prevention, optimize the system of adaptation of foreign students to the realities of the educational system of the host university.

Personal Strengths of Russian Teachers in VIA Model: Approbation of the Russian-Language Version of the Questionnaire “Values in Action Inventory of Strengths” (VIA – IS120)

Introduction. Positive psychology is one of the most rapidly developing directions of psychological science in the world. Over the past two decades, a large number of empirical researches confirm effectiveness and validity of theoretical studies and practical methods used in the framework of positive psychology. Unfortunately, there is a lack of research in this area in the Russian-speaking scientific community, despite of the presence of high-level scientific teams and individual researchers working in the framework of positive psychology. Probably an important factor in the “low popularity” of positive psychology among Russian authors is the lack of large-scale studies on wide samples of Russian respondents. The purpose of this article is to empirically confirm, the legitimacy of the practical application of the “VIA” model. As well as perform approbation, validation and publication of the Russian-language version of the questionnaire by K. Peterson and M. Seligman “Values in Action Inventory of Strengths” in Russian we suggest more reflecting the essence of the questionnaire name – “24 strengths of the personality”. Materials and Methods. The approbation was carried out on a wide sample of respondents from the professional sphere of education (N = 7 946), using statistical methods for checking the reliability of the questionnaire, including convergent validity and confirmatory factor analysis. Results. The reliability tests showed significant validity results, indicating the reliability of the psychometric tool. The scales of the Russian-language version of the VIA-IS questionnaire show more than sufficient internal consistency, The convergent validity test showed significant correlations with the following scales: Life Satisfaction Scale, Self-Esteem Scale, General Self-Efficiency Scale, and Professional Burnout (Maslach’s). Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the factorial structure of the questionnaire. We manage to meet the desirable “cut-off” model fit parameters of Confirmatory factor analysis. Discussion and Conclusion. Hopefully, publication of this Russian-language questionnaire will lead to an increase interest for research in the field of positive psychology in the Russian scientific community. The conclusions made by the authors contribute to the development of theoretical concepts of positive psychology, confirming the general structural integrity and practical validity of the model “VIA”. Moreover, this article provides for open use in the Russian scientific psychological community a universal psychometric technique in form of questionnaire with empirically proven reliability on a wide sample of respondents.

Online Educational Activities of Students: Readiness and Self-Efficacy

Introduction. The widespread use of telelearning raises the issue of ensuring its effectiveness. Researchers consider various factors, but student readiness for such learning has not yet become the subject of systemic research in domestic science. The objectives of the article are: to reveal personality predictors of online learning success, to identify the components of student readiness for such learning (on the basis of foreign works); to characterize the readiness and self-efficacy of students’ online educational activities drawing on empirical data. Materials and Methods The researchers utilized the methods of theoretical analysis of the problem and the survey method. The author’s questionnaire was used to collect the data on the online activity of the students, self-assessment of readiness and effectiveness of online learning. 252 first- and second-year IT-students participated in the survey. Results. Five components of students’ readiness for online learning have been identified: attitude towards online learning, self-directed learning, time management, communicative competence, and technical competence. The students’ attitudes towards online learning are ambivalent. The students understand the importance of such training, but they are not willing to invest enough time and effort into it. Two interrelated components (self-directed learning and time management) contribute most to the overall online learning readiness. Online learning self-efficacy is related to technical competence and attitudes towards online learning. Discussion and Conclusion. The results will be useful for further research of the factors and ways improving online learning effectiveness. The research prospects are the development of psychodiagnostic tools for assessing the online learning experience and readiness of students and the diversification of the sampling by adding students from different programme tracks and with different experiences in online educational activities.