Problems of Education in the 21st Century

5-6

Authors: Vincentas Lamanauskas

This is the third edition of a new scientific collection Problems of Education in the 21st Century. The articles included in the publication discuss the issues of modern education. It is a great responsibility for writing such an editorial, because it should correspond to the ideas and conclusions expressed by the authors and highlight them from some other points of view of potential readers. On the other hand, it is very important to express the view of editorial board, try to discern certain research trends of modern education and its spheres. The purpose of this publication is unique, that is, try not only to convey, but also synthesize educational experience of East and West. This is a complex and ambitious task, but necessary, trying to perceive similarities as well as differences and also expectable development perspectives. Thus, on behalf of the editorial board I would like to thank all this volume article authors for their contribution to the development of educational research studies, their ambition to get acquainted with very complicated education, teaching and learning phenomena, ability to develop interdisciplinary, methodological thinking and action. Only such thinking and action approach has decisive significance towards education quality.

26-32

Authors: Igors Ivashkins

The present paper deals with application of the Internet network for English teaching as foreign language. The aim of the paper includes two pedagogical aspects. The first is theoretical and traces the role of computers in the approaches to foreign language teaching such as structural, cognitive and sociocognitive. The second – discusses the types of reading by means of information technology and the application of the internet recourses and tools for educational needs: an electronic book, a group’s address and hypertext reading.

40-47

Authors: Oleg Popov

This paper examines current changes in the value-base of science education curricula. One of the theoretical instruments used to describe values in science education is the notion of “curriculum emphases” developed by Roberts (1982). The evolution of values in school subjects goes hand in hand with general value-shifts in society that Bauman (2000) describes as ‘liquid modernity’ and ‘liquid life’. Kress (2000) argues that whereas the previous era required an education for stability, the coming era requires an education for fluidity and instability. Similar arguments for the “appreciation of irreducible uncertainty and multiple perspectives” in science education are also proposed by Gray and Bryce (2006). The present paper suggests a conceptual framework for considering curricular values in science education and describes currently shifting priorities in curricular values towards more ‘light’ and ‘soft’ science education. It is also argued that the democratic science education curriculum should provide space for students to pursue liberal education values as well as humanistic values. This also poses new challenges for science teacher education.

56-78

Authors: Margarita Vilkonienė, Vincentas Lamanauskas, Rytis Vilkonis

The primary purpose of the progressing international scientific project ARiSE – is to test pedagogical effectiveness introducing augmented reality (AR) into the classroom and creating remote collaboration between classes around the AR display systems. ARiSE will develop an AR platform and associated pedagogical use cases, enabling teachers to promote, with a moderate effort, new teaching practices for teaching scientific and cultural content in primary and secondary school. The aim of the project is to offer to the group of students the possibility of ‘playing’ with virtual objects and thereby to perform learning by doing instead of learning by reading. The research was carried out at Siauliai University in Lithuania. 38 respondents - experts assisting students with special educational needs in teaching/learning (psychologists, speech therapy experts, special pedagogues and the specialists from the education department) took part in this research. The focus groups were formed requiring indiscretion i.e. the group members were not allowed to make any specific impact on one another (in terms of work place, competence and social status). Thus, 6 groups of respondents were set up.

87-92

Authors: Volodymyr Boublik, Mariya Gornostay

Personalized support for users becomes very important and integral part of many information systems. It allows proposing to a user courses or news which the user may be interested in. Personalization makes information systems more user-friendly, increases their popularity, users more often come back to such systems and generally users' satisfaction increases. This paper provides comprehensive overview of recommender systems applicable for e-Learning, their architecture. It shows role of personalization for e-Learning and opportunities which can be covered by this technique. The work describes types of recommender systems and the ways they can be used in e-Learning; data-mining algorithms and methods are provided. Ways of their optimization for e-Learning environment which allow decreasing recommendation time and increasing recommendation quality are shown. А hybrid personalization system for e-Learning environment has been proposed.

102-109

Authors: Irina Moiseenko, Natalya Zamkovaya

These days the mastery of the Internet or at last the proper know-how needed for this sort of work is regarded among the same basic skills of civilized person as an ability for reading or writing. The necessity of developing these skills among the people in the large scale has been realized in Estonia on the state level in the first years of newly regained independence. So it was back in the year of 1995 when there was developed the large-scale project named “Tiger’s jump” / when Estonia joined in the global project with the purpose to provide all municipal schools / all sort of schools and colleges with the means for using the Internet connections or so to speak “to open the way out into world-wide web or Internet”. According to US researchers most of the schools in US / EU countries are connected / have links with the quick-system Internet. In Estonia that quick-system Internet-connections are at the disposal for 90% of schools. Furthermore, that our joining the global project / that above-mentioned project was successful we have the corroborative fact of including Tallinn, the capital of Estonian Republic with the same league as London and Tokio, both the capitals of the most powerful countries and with the best equipment and connections to the Internet. However such technical equipment in the possession of the schools by itself is not a guarantee for any effective using of Internet-provided means and resources in the educational process. Researches into the most popular educational methods described by authors of teacher’s books, for example in the field of Russian language teaching shows, that aforementioned resources are far from fully used. These were the facts that triggered the creation of current research paper with the double kernel-points of considering theoretical aspects and offering practical methods for introduction of contemporary powerful and extensive technical means into the language-educational process. With that purpose in sight, using most direct and picturesque examples we are describing in our research paper several different ways of using Internet in the educational process, then the means for further improvement of teacher’s books and by last but not least we are considering the best ways for introducing these new methods into the real practice of language-teaching. The results of our research may be used for further developing and increasing the effects of an educational process in a whole and the system of foreign language studying in particular.

5-6

Authors: Vincentas Lamanauskas

In the present age, education plays a crucial role. Globalization, challenges of the knowledgeable society and the breakthrough of technological development are the main factors stimulating the diversification of education systems in a number of countries. Society and education become more variable. On the other hand, education may have a significant impact on society i.e. to provoke and promote its alterations. Recently, a strong need for new competencies has shown up. Preparations for changes, modern information management, skills in general science management and strategic planning, the need for permanent learning etc. are accepted as extremely important competencies. New tasks are allocated for all types and levels of schools concentrating on comprehensive school the basic mission of which is to train a personality having a broad academic knowledge, capable of lifelong learning, able to find his/her own place in life and be an active member of the community. First of all, new education goals require rearranging the educational process and content. A few produced ideas will serve as a pretext for everyone interested in discussing the problems of education and thinking of the present education situation. Notwithstanding, this issue of serial publication includes articles dealing with different topics and formats i.e. from works displaying empirical research on methodology (Olga V. Balachevskaya etc.) to those debating the questions of youth intelligence and self-determination (Tatyana V. Masharova, Elena L. Syrtsova). This is a purposeful objective. The geopolitical situation in Lithuania has performed a role of a bridge between East and West. During the recent seventeen years, the one-way direction has predominated and been targeted on the West traditions in Lithuania. It is clear that education encountered a similar situation. The state of education in the region of Eastern Europe has been poorly discussed. Different international conferences held in Russia and Belarus disclose the need of exchanging information, experience, problems etc. The pedagogical traditions of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine considerably differ from those cherished in the West. The fact that only a small number of scientists working in the field of pedagogy in these countries publish their works in English proves that the real problems of communicating with one another exist. Life under similar conditions limits the possibilities of acknowledging the educational theory and practice in these countries.

15-20

Authors: Hana Böhmová, Renata Šulcová

In compliance with the National Programme for Development of Education in the Czech Republic and the draft of the Act of Preschool, Primary, Secondary, Higher Secondary and Other Education, a new system of curricular documents for education of pupils between 3 and 19 years is implemented. On the state level, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport creates the curricular documents called the Framework Educational Programmes. These documents define the standard educational contents for preschool, primary and secondary school. The Framework Educational Programme for General Secondary Education emphasizes an appropriation of critical thinking and scientific method of research in science education. As far as chemistry education is concerned, this requirement is naturally realized by the pupil’s work on chemistry experiments. The information and communication technologies (ICT) development provides an opportunity for utilization also in education. The Department of Teaching and Didactics of Chemistry is preparing new secondary school chemistry teachers. We are concerned with usage of the ICT in chemistry education particularly in relation to the chemistry experiment. Experiment is a vital part of chemistry education, but the science experimental work is not frequently used in distance education or e-learning courses yet. In the contribution presented here we would like to share our experience with extension of distance courses by bringing chemistry experiment to learners. We present interesting examples of experiments used in blended chemistry courses for students at every level of education system as well as in on-line chemistry course for wide population of non-chemists.

31-36

Authors: Milan Kubiatko

In our contribution we focused on finding out the information and computer literacy of high school students. This paper presents the results of an information literacy questionnaire. Questions in the information and computer literacy questionnaire (ICLQ) were concerned with the use of computers, internet, frequency of ICT use and the purpose of internet use. Questions were generally open – ended, but we offered possibilities too. The ICLQ was filled by students (n = 283) of secondary grammar school, from different regions and districts of Slovakia. The number of boys (n =127) and girls was similar (n = 156). We used Pearson chi - square test (χ2), for finding of statistically significant difference between genders. In our research we found that nearly all students use computers and the internet. Most students, nearly 70 %, use the internet at school. About half of all students use the internet at home. This is caused by the fact that service for access to the internet is still expensive for the most of people in Slovakia. We found that the main activity of students on the internet is the search for information (e.g. themes on essays, complementary information to the curriculum…). It means that computer literacy of students is improving. Students can use the internet and computers in school most often after lessons. The internet is using at home and at friend by boys in the higher measure in the comparison with girls. Girls use the internet more at school and at library than boys. Boys use the internet more often than girls.

45-53

Authors: Vincentas Lamanauskas

After gaining the independence, well-grounded, qualitatively new and intensive changes took place in the education system of Lithuania. The issues of science education became even more burning and though more complex. One of the directives requires solving the problems of science education on the grounds of a general culture rather than separately as the questions should be treated as a part of culture. A teacher of sciences must fully master different training technologies and have a thorough preparation for teaching sciences. Obviously, science pedagogical education undergoes serious changes. The majority of the recent international studies face an alarming situation in the field of science education. A critical situation has been encountered by the ROSE project (Sjøberg, 2004). It is obvious, that preparation of the qualified science teachers is actual and difficult task.

59-66

Authors: Bohumil Novák, Josef Molnár, Jaroslav Švrček

The results of a broadly-conceived research carried out in the Czech Republic in 2006 have shown that Math and Science do not belong to favorite subjects at secondary schools. The problem does not reside in Math itself, but in the personal reflection of the experiences from Math teaching. Mathematical competitions, unusual problem solving, games, projects and other motivational activities might provide an opportunity to change the attitude toward Math as a school subject. The confidence of what has just been said has brought the scientific team of the Palacký University in Olomouc to solving a grant of the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. Within the grant the team has been seeking and verifying new methods and forms of competitions focusing on creative activities of youth in Math. The research activities can be divided into three areas: New forms of work with mathematically gifted pupils (Jaroslav Švrček) aimed at preparing and implementing mathematical competitions in the Czech secondary schools environment. International mathematical competitions such as “Mathematical Duel” or “Middle European Mathematical Olympiad” present the chances to compare mathematical knowledge of talented pupils of Middle-European countries. “The Tournament of Towns” is even more widely conceived. Students solve the same problems (two times in the year) in their mother tongues of the cities of participating countries (Praha, Brno, Olomouc and Bílovec are the only towns in the Czech Republic – participation will be offered to all Czech cities next year). The experience from organizing and didactic use of problems from the internationally-coordinated competition “Mathematical Kangaroo” is used for preparing, creating and advertising its new modification called “Sciences Kangaroo” (Josef Molnár). The nature of the competition as well as the target group (i.e. the “ordinary” elementary and secondary school pupils) remains the same. The tasks fall into the area of Natural Sciences, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, and Ecology. Their motivational features are stressed as this makes seeing the subject matter more interesting. The third part, called “Playful Mathematics” (Bohumil Novák), focuses on preparing, creating and supporting a research in the educational efficiency of various mathematical activities in the elementary school environment: class, individual or staged competitions, games or integrated school projects which – following the constructivist approaches – aim at getting to know Mathematics. Reflection of the participants’ view is very important in this respect – the participants are welcome to subsequently give their comments on both the content and the form of the event.

73-81

Authors: Jana Safrankova

The objective of this paper “Social Sciences in Education of Engineers“ is to outline possibilities for gaining information about the position of the graduates of the CTU and their opinions on the educational process. The study is based upon the author´ s long-term research (1996, 2003, 2005 – 681, 1357, 828 number of respondents from CTU graduates) and concentrates on three main aspects of this problem: the professional position of the graduates, its feedback for the faculty as to the evaluation of acquired knowledge and impulses for the development of their education during regular and postgraduate study within the process of life-long education. After the introduction paper describes the basic methods of sociological research in the above field, especially inquiry, analysis and comparison that ensure reliable conclusions serving the faculty as a foundation for further decision-taking .The results of researches summarises the most important results of the author´ s research relating above all to the professional position of the graduates on the employment market, inquires into the problem of the application of knowledge acquired at the university. It relates not only to theory but also to practice, knowledge in the field of humanities and social sciences. The results show that the graduates of CTU appreciate the technical way of thought developed during their study that enables them to solve technical problems in the course of decision-taking. In addition, they appreciate theoretical and practical knowledge. On the other hand, communication with colleagues, team-work and so-called soft skills are evaluated as insufficient. The conclusions and discussions summarises the results of research relating to the further development of education during regular and postgraduate study within the process of life-long education, mainly in social sciences. They are based upon the author’s experience and long-term pedagogical practice as well as information gained during the implementation of research projects.

89-94

Authors: Nataliya Vronskaya

The title of the paper is Verification of Students' Knowledges with the Use of the Newest Information Technologies, as one of Way of Improvement of Checking of Knowledges System. Presently in education is practiced the use of informations technologies for the automated verification of students' knowledges, that is testing on a computer. In work is considered Avanesov's classification of tests' tasks, where tests are subdivided into the tasks of the closed and opened form. In work is resulted description of possibilities, are considered advantages and disadvantages of these tests using at verification of students' knowledge. The analysis of comparison of the computerized testing is conducted with the standard writing testing. The methodology of research bases on two researches which purpose was to find out the relation of students to examination with use of information technologies. The main conclusion - verification of students' knowledges with the use of information technologies improves the control of knowledge, if at creation of test tasks are observed the basic criteria of quality of the test and with the maximal feedback are used all the offered opportunities of the computerized test.

101-110

Authors: Lyudmila I. Lomakina, Olga Logashenko

The Modern society presents high requirements to abilities of each member to realize searching for new sense of professional activity and vital activity as a whole i.e. to constitute himself in History, Culture, life, profession. The significant role in realization of these requirements belongs to education and its quality. Changes in political and economic situation, mass unemployment at the beginning of the 90-s have brought to the disintegration of professional guidance in Russia. The system of education has declined the responsibility for professional self-determination of graduates and their training of the professions. New technologies in the Russian professional guidance have revealed the contradictions between multiple methodical works, books, educational methodical seminars in main professional-guiding centers of the country, internet-sites, new efficient methods of professional psychodiagnosis and consultancy, active game professional-guiding methods, which in complex create the modern system of the professional guidance for youth, on the one hand, and the lack of publications, devoted to the professional self-determination of teenagers at school and the correspondence between the choice of a profession and individual particularities, as well as the unsolved problem connected with the quality of education and the adequate professional choice, on the other hand. Above mentioned facts explain the urgency of our study, by the main point of which is the problem of the correspondence of personal particularities to the professional choice. The performed study of individual, characteristic and other personal particularities (organizational and communicational aptitudes and abilities, temperament, self assessment, professional interests, aggressiveness, hostility etc.) of teenager at secondary school № 3 in Cossack village Novotitarovskaya of the Krasnodar region has allowed to reveal the interrelation and correspondence of their individual particularities to the chosen professional sphere of activity. We have prepared some practical recommendations taking into account the correspondence of the professional interests and the individual particularities of teenagers in work of teachers and school psychologists professional-guiding objectives and social adaptation, as well as on the increasing quality of education.

117-124

Authors: Tatiana V. Masharova, Tatiana V. Malova

The urgency of the problem of gender self-determination is caused by necessity of development of a person as a subject and an object of the public attitudes. Child's biological and civil gender is defined already in the prenatal period and after his birth. On the basis of it the education of the child is carried out in society. What is gender self-determination? Firstly let's consider concepts "gender" and "self-determination" separately, and then we can find out interrelation between them. Gender is social and psychological sex of a person, the set of his or her psychological characteristics and features of social behaviour shown in dialogue and interaction. Base formation in gender is the psychological sex of the person, i.e. achievement of the certain level of sexual self-consciousness and sexual identification, real acquiring a male or female role. The self-determination of the person is an ability to find own place in the world, to understand own opportunities, to realize the purpose in life, in selected sphere of public and labour activity, in personal life and career, aspiration to change the society positively. The self-determination of the person is a conscious act of revealing and statement of an own position in problem situations. The gender self-determination is a process of comprehension itself as a representative of this or that sex, understanding of own opportunities in a male or female role, finding own place in male and female society, in family, in selected sphere of public and labour activity, in personal life and career. In concept of gender self-determination there are four components which make its substantial nucleus: motives and aspirations to an ideal image of the man/woman ("I want to be"); the self-knowledge as comprehension of the qualities of masculinity/femininity, understanding own real "I" as a representative of a concrete sex ("I am"); a self-rating ("I can"); the requirements of a society, public norms of life, male and female stereotypes ("require"). It is important, that the ideal image of a man or a woman should combine vital and cultural values produced by the mankind during centuries. The gender self-determination is learning an ideal image and transferring it in the internal plan of actions. However ideal of masculinity and femininity in comprehension of modern youth does not coincide with traditional. It derivates a number of problems, which are reflected both in a status of family, and in conditions in a society. Active feminizing of men and masculinizing of women takes place no less than "civil marriages, divorces, decrease of birth rate, increase of quantity of people with nonconventional sexual orientation and distribution of cohabitation, growth of sexual criminality, suicides.

133-140

Authors: Marina V. Morozova

Today nobody argues the fact that engineering education should undergo some changes in the respond of changes going on in different spheres of our society. Among the main factors influencing changes in engineering education investigators make accents on the following: information; modern technologies; market; environment: social responsibility; corporation structures and the demographic situation. Too many efforts at reform attempt to look at single elements of complex interconnected systems. Thus, within the context of professional engineering practice, one must consider a system that includes many elements. Reengineering should be focused not on the enterprise's organizations, but on its products and services – in the present case, what higher education would define as its outcomes. Reengineering involves asking questions: how can we make our process more effective, more quality conscious, more flexible, simpler, and less expensive? The aim of this article is to analyze the factors influencing the engineering education modernization in the USA and the ways American investigators of engineering education suggest to make it more efficient and up – to – date.

155-160

Authors: Anna Torkhova

The barrier in teacher education is looked upon as a crisis point at which the effective functioning and development of the system is hindered but there is a potential opportunity to get over such a predicament. To make a barrier an incentive for further development it must be sensed as such at the level of cognition and evaluation of the complexity and ambiguity of situation. According to the survey conducted by the Centre of teacher education development the problems of a young teacher are those of theoretical and methodological levels. The reasons for such a situation are diverse. The article in question will examine the side-effects of universitization in teacher education resulting in the shift from practical to fundamental preparation. The phenomenon when fundamental disciplines are studied to the detriment of special professional ones is not unprecedented. And the way out consists in recreation of the cultural function of education rather than reduction of fundamental courses. The article proposes the ways to overcome the obstacles in teacher education development with regard to the problem of universitization. This will make the educational system geared to the actual needs of the individual, society and state.

166-174

Authors: Tatiana Shaposhnikova, Olga Logashenko

In the concepts of the national educational policy to Russian Federation mined priority directions of the development and the modernization of the system of education for 2004-2010 years have been determined. Special Emphasis is put on the creation of the conditions for professional training improvement of the trained, and on the formation not only skills and abilities, but also on the creative in use. Problems faced by psychologists are constantly becoming more complicated, that1s why the problem of the shaping for students-psychologists of the creative approach to the decision of research and practical problems is very topical. The Optima decision of this problem is the creation of the unceasing system of psychologo-pedagogical accompaniment of the scientific-practical activity (SPA) of student. Psychologo-pedagogical accompaniment of SPA provides: a) at the starting-up stage: the creation of scientific-methodical base, planning of organizational actions, the making of psycho-pedagogical diagnostics level of the qualification of student; b) at the stage SPA the improvement and personalization of psycho-pedagogical knowledge, skills and abilities; c) at the stage of analysis: the diagnostics of the results of psycho-pedagogical accompaniment, comprehension and comparison of the changes of the substantial base, the statistical processing of the received data; d) at the final stage: the generalization and the efficiency estimation of the offered psycho-pedagogical accompaniment SPA, the development of recommendations for students and teaching staff of Krasnodar Institute of Economics and Management in Medical and Social sphere. Psychologo-pedagogical accompaniment of SPA of students-psychologists, provides the availability of normative-legal, psycho-diagnostic; scientific-methodical, organizational, information-computer provision, as well as phased checking of knowledge. The realization of our designed system of psychologo-pedagogical accompaniment of educational-introductory practice of student-psychologists have shown its influence upon the process of the shaping of the professional, creating readiness for the future professional activity.

5-6

Authors: Vincentas Lamanauskas

It is so interesting and useful to discuss the issues of modern education. Professor A. Broks clearly defines that ‘scientific and technical literacy for all and high quality science and technologies education for a coming new generation of specialists is the main task for the corresponding development of general as well as professional modern science and technologies education (Broks, 2007)’. The latter statement can be an argument that teaching science faces problems in the majority of countries. The investigations reveal that in comparison with other subjects, those of science (particularly chemistry) are the most complex and boring ones in comprehensive school. In general, European countries have totally different schooling practice and apply a number of specificities in the field of science education. It seems logical to accumulate this experience in order to show links between Western and Eastern traditions in the field of modern science education.

13-24

Authors: Maija Ahtee, Olavi Hakkarainen

In phenomenography the aim is to describe and classify people’s conceptions. Teachers have to be aware of the various alternative conceptions on which pupils are relying in their reasoning when they try to understand a concept or a phenomenon. Marton’s variation theory of learning gives guidance to teachers how to design a successful teaching intervention by taking into account discernment, variation and simultaneity. In this article comprehensive school pupils’ conceptions on the concept of weight in the pulley surrounding have been studied using phenomenographic method. Pupils from 5th, 7th and 9th grades compared the weight of a small standard mass and a big bag hanging in a pulley at different positions in balance. In all the three age groups the majority (about 70%) of the pupils stated that the lower hanging bag is heavier. From the pupils’ justifications five hierarchical categories were found: Motion, Position, Appearance, Material and No reasoning. Only about 5% of the seventh graders and 10% of the ninth graders seem to have an idea about the scientific explanation based on the immobility of the hanging objects. Next, in order to change these conceptions a teaching intervention was planned so that in three successive demonstrations the critical features found in the earlier study about pupils’ conceptions were varied. After the teaching about 40% of the fifth graders and 45% of the ninth graders perceived that they have to pay attention to the immobility of the objects. Finally, it is shown how the cognitive conflicts and the four patterns of variation gradually change the pupils’ ideas toward the scientific explanation. Teachers can help pupils by using successive demonstrations with appropriate variation and taking up in discussion pupils’ misconceptions and the critical features in the demonstration.

31-38

Authors: Mária Bauerová, Soňa Čeretková, Anna Sandanusová, Petra Frantová

Slovak universities have had the chance to gain money from the pre-admission funds as well as from the European social fund (ESF) since 2004. In the framework of the several challenges of the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic all universities out of capital Bratislava region could submit the projects dealing with the educational activities. The article describes the experience connected with the implementation of the ESF´s projects of the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra. It introduces one of the activities of the project A – CENTRUM: Academics training and monitoring centre of human sources which was realized by the faculty during 2004-2005 and following project: A-CENTRUM for 21 century: From present to distance education, which is realized now. Faculty of Natural Sciences in these projects has prepared the educational modules for teachers in practice named: Natural sciences dealing with the further education of teachers of mathematics, computer science and natural sciences´ subjects at the elementary and high schools. The introduced projects and their activities are the example of the real ability of the faculty to communicate with teachers effectively and offered them interesting programme for using at schools. Engagement in these projects reflects also the possibility of an academic space to realize the activities with the positive response in practice. Two examples of activities for teachers in practice are given in the article: • modern didactic computer teaching programmes in biology, • graphics calculators in mathematics education.

44-49

Authors: Oľga Holá

The contribution deals with a short history of the usage of personal computers in teaching of physics at the Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology (FCHFT) of Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava. At first, computers were used in our faculty laboratory, as well as in seminars in special computer rooms where we tested the level of acquirement of the subject matter. Then step by step the miscellaneous multimedia tools were introduced also into physics lectures. What were the goals we wanted to achieve by usage of multimedia didactic tools in teaching-learning process? These aims were - to enliven an interest in physics, to improve the clarity of teaching. The response of students on such kind of teaching process has been studied too. We have prepared student's opinion questionnaire to find out a feedback and monitor if our aims and intentions were fulfilled. The questionnaire was anonymous and was administered at the end of the winter term of the academic year 2006/2007. Results of this survey will be analysed at the end of this article. The new impulses and conclusions of this survey will be implemented in our further pedagogical practice.

63-72

Authors: Vincentas Lamanauskas, Rytis Vilkonis

A vision of a modern world can be hardly conveyed without Information and Communication Technology ICT) recently having a powerful impact on all areas of life. The application of the latest ICT in the educational process raises new possibilities for both a teacher and a learner, enhances the quality of provided education and makes the educational process more adjustable. Effective source of the information nowadays is the Internet. It has to be stated that the Internet possibilities in the teaching process are insufficiently used. On the other hand, in principal there are no reliable studies, which would reveal the actual situation in this field. Therefore, the object of our study is the usage of the Internet for teaching physics. The main aim of the study is to analyse the situation of the usage of the Internet for teaching physics and highlight the hindering/encouraging factors of its usage in the teaching process. The study employed expert inquiry. The type of expert inquiry – “Delphi study”, containing several experts’ inquiries (stages). Research has shown, that the Internet in teaching physics is not used in due volume. The majority of problems are connected with material(including information) resources (lack of websites, computers, etc.) and the competence (methodical, information, etc.) teachers of physics.

80-84

Authors: Irina Matskevich

This article studies two levels of continuous education: primarily, for technical colleges providing “general secondary education” and further for the college-university integrated system, as related to mathematical disciplines. For research purposes we apply system analysis and competence-related approach, as we consider the education process to be focused on compulsory vocational streaming. The study provides a brief analysis of definitions “professional competence”, “vocational streaming” and “continuity in education”. It involves more detailed analysis of the education contents being applied within the methods system. The studies are mainly based on the leading engineering college in Belarus – Minsk State Higher Radio-Engineering College. Author proposes a complex of innovative reforms in the educational process to improve the education quality.

95-105

Authors: Steffen Schaal, Christoph Randler, Stefanie Krall

In this study, two short-term educational treatments for secondary school dealing with ecology and conservation of European owl species were compared under realistic field-conditions. Both motivating learning environments, a play-like activity (quartet) and a hypermedia website tool for two lessons (90 min), are known to provide a strong “Hawthorne effect”, which might useful for achievement in a short-term learning unit in Science Education. Information units were similar, only the structure of presentation differed within both treatments. Objectives of the study were (i) a comparison of both teaching methods concerning the cognitive learning outcome and (ii) motivational variables in a pre-/ post- and retention-test design with control group. Pupils were randomly assigned one treatment (Hypermedia: N = 34, quartet: N = 30, control: N = 28). As result of multivariate statistics, a significant higher achievement in the computer-aided group was assessed immediately after the lesson, while the retention test did not produce significant differences between the treatments. Pupils performed significantly better in the retention-test compared to the post-test, which might be due to a short teaching sequence of ten minutes after the post-test. The motivational variables measured with the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (Ryan, Connell & Plant, 1990) didn’t show any difference between the two treatments, suggesting that both treatments are motivating and that the Hawthorne effect might be similar. Pooling both experimental groups, a significant positive relationship between interest/enjoyment and post-test scores and between effort and retention and a negative correlation between retention test and the perceived pressure can be reported. A consequence for Science Education practice is the usefulness of both treatments for successful and motivating achievement as well as the fact, that the hypermedia approach can be used for self-determined learning as out-of-school-preparation. Furthermore, research concerning the short concluding teaching sequences is necessary.

113-119

Authors: Lyudmila Gorbunova

Social and economic changes which have taken place in Russia at the end of XX century, have caused necessity of revising the whole system of the higher vocational training with the purpose of increasing its quality and strengthening of attention on the development of practical - effective spheres of the trainee’s personality. Today it is impossible to speak about the higher vocational training, not mentioning questions of its quality. If to be based on the technological approach to interpretation of the term of "education quality” the practical technique is necessary for measuring its level. Discussing the "education quality” term as a system category, we share N.A. Selezneva’s, A.I. Subetto's opinion on the structure of education quality as a uniform set of subsystems of education quality system, quality of educational processes and quality of results of education (a level of competence). The system, process and result should meet social demands the requirements of concrete consumers. In our opinion, the subsystem of quality of education results (quality of students’ subject knowledge and professional skills) is he ordered complete set of components, integration and interaction of which causes and effectively promotes development of preparation quality of pedagogical HIGH SCHOOL a graduates which is expressed in his professional - pedagogical competence. As a methodological reference point of system construction of an estimation of quality of students’ subject knowledge of acts as system, of active, personal, competent, qualimetrical approaches. The full characteristic of system essence of quality an estimation of students’ knowledge of assumes the description of its characteristic features, an inner structure, relations with the environment and the stages of development. To the properties and attributes of the system of estimation students’ knowledge quality one should refer the general and specific. Among the general properties of the system we single out such as sociality (on substantiality indication), a reality (by origin), complexity (on a level of complexity), an openness (on character of interaction with an environment), dynamism (on the basis of variability), purposefulness (on presence of the purposes), external and self-guidance (on the guidance feature). Besides by the way of determination of the system is probable. To specific properties of the estimation system of students’ knowledge of quality we referred a value-guided and pedagogical orientation. The complex quality estimation system of students’ subject knowledge in the subjects of special training of chemistry teachers of in a pedagogical higher school is developed.

125-134

Authors: Uladzimir Zuyeu

The peculiarities of the ecological education in the conditions of a specialized secondary educational institution of the economic specialty are under research in this work. The statement assumed as the hypothesis of the research is that it’s possible to form ecological culture in the education of economists if it is viewed as a necessary and most important function of a specialist, if the diagnostics of the development of ecological culture is implemented in accordance with the notions of its structure, criteria and levels of its development reflecting the integral model of the ecologically-oriented lifestyle of a human being, the specially created system of continuous ecological education will serve as the source of formation of ecological culture, the pedagogical tools and methods of formation of ecological culture will be based on ecologically oriented activity of students during which they receive many-sided knowledge about the environment. Ecological culture of a student represents a whole of motives and understanding of values and morals, scientific notions and experience of the practical environmental activities, a system of views and beliefs which determine ecological orientation of the whole life activity of the personality of a future specialist, his attitude to the environment and himself. Self-determination of the student in the system “biosphere – society – personality” and transfer of the ideal model of this relationship to the sphere of his own life activity constitute the essence of the ecological culture. Formation of the ecological culture represents a process of consistent acquisition by a student of ecological knowledge, skills, habits, evelopment of his personal views and beliefs on the environmental problems, critical perception, emotional experience, awareness of the role of his personality in the solution of the ecological problems, the necessity in the ecologically appropriate behavior in the environment. The levels of the development of ecological culture are characterized by such criteria as responsibility for the behavior in nature, presence of the system of ecological knowledge, skills, habits, need for active ecologically appropriate activity in any living conditions. According to these criteria different levels of the development of ecological culture of the student are distinguished: low, medium, high.

139-144

Authors: Dmitry A. Cherepovsky, Tatyana P. Hlopova

The problems of quality management of professional training, and also the analysis of the pedagogical, philosophical and special literature on management confirm existence of contradictions between the theory of quality management of professional training and practice requirements. One of the cores, in our opinion, is the contradiction between traditional kinds of educational methodical maintenance and need of practice for other forms of representation and processing of information materials. In particular, it is a question of introduction in educational process of information-computer technologies (ICT). Today, ICT is a main part in all spheres of human activity and, first of all, an education. In educational institutions the amount of computer techniques, the size of telecommunication networks constantly increases, the systems of remote training appears. It causes the application of computer lecture demonstrations, virtual laboratory works, multimedia textbooks, etc. which compete to traditional types of training. The results of the pedagogical experiment lead by authors show, that the use of the various innovative technologies increases efficiency of educational process. At the Kuban state technological university on faculty of physics the works on creation of a telecommunication educational system on physics are heled. The major problem at designing a telecommunication educational system was a selection of the contents of a teaching material according to programs, plans, specificity of professional training, with the offered purpose and a technique of its subsequent use. At that the contents of a telecommunication educational system should satisfy to training principles: systems, availability and the presentation. Except for educational methodical materials the system includes an opportunity of distance interactive interaction between participants of educational process (e-mail, forums, chats). Training with the use of system are applying in all forms of training (internal, correspondence, distance learning). Upon the whole the telecommunication system should provide all traditional kinds of study in high school (lecture, seminars, laboratory works), scientific research work, self-preparation, course and degree designing, tests and examinations, etc. On the didactic purposes the it should provide the formation of knowledge and skills, offering of the educational information, fixing of the received knowledge, quality control of their digestion, perfection of skills. At the Kuban state technological university it has been carried out psychological and pedagogical research by authors. Experiment has shown, that students of experimental group demonstrate more favorable mental conditions after educational studies in comparison with students of control group. Thus the main distinction consists in mental activation, that is the students involved in management by educational process, in essentially smaller degree feel weariness and listlessness after study.