Educational research for the benefit of education and society – A Dutch perspective

Educational research for the benefit of education and society – A Dutch perspective

by | VOR (Netherlands)

“Educational research fails to impact practice.”

“Teachers do not feel supported by educational research.”

These are examples of complaints or judgments on the relationship between educational research and educational practice, that can be heard again and again. In this blog, I want to share the activities that the funding organization for educational research in the Netherlands (NRO: The Netherlands Initiative for Education Research) uses to advance the support of research in practice. It is an example of the way EERA’s mission – Educational research for the benefit of education and society – can be concretized. NRO has a fixed yearly budget of about 15 M€ and considerable amounts of money (over 20M€) for specific purposes, e.g., research and innovation scholarships for teachers in higher education. A substantial amount is used to strengthen the relationship between research and practice.

 The most obvious, but perhaps also least effective, practice regards the dissemination of research results from research funded by NRO. To foster dissemination, researchers are encouraged to work together with practitioners, such as teachers, teacher educators, school principals or policy makers during all stages of research. Communication advisors provide support in developing effective dissemination strategies, and help with writing, visualization, and so on. In addition, all kinds of conferences and meetings, where practitioners and researchers jointly participate, are organized. Awards are presented to researchers who significantly connected research and practice.

Another more provocative measure is the participation of practitioners in the assessment for funding of research proposals. Whereas peers evaluate the scientific merit of proposals, practitioners have a say regarding the societal relevance of a proposal.

NRO offers three much more solid and specific ways for supporting practice:

  1. The Educational Knowledge website – which makes knowledge available to practitioners
  2. The Knowledge Roundabout website – which provides answers to practitioners’ questions
  3. The National Education Cohort Study (NCO).

The Educational Knowledge website

The ‘Educational Knowledge‘ website systematically makes knowledge about several topics available for practitioners. For every topic, information is presented in five categories

  • What is known from research?
  • What practical tools does research provide?
  • Examples for practice
  • Answers to questions from practice
  • Further information

I provide an example for “vocabulary”, one of the over 25 topics. The topic starts with some practical guidelines as follows:

A rich language learning environment in which a lot of reading is done is a requirement for developing a good vocabulary.

What is known about vocabulary?

Words are the basis of our language. Developing a good vocabulary is therefore important for functioning both at school and in society. Several things are important when increasing vocabulary through teaching:

  • Offer students a rich language learning environment in which students both read and are read to. In addition, have students talk and write about what they read.
  • Focus on both broad vocabulary (the number of words a student knows) and deep vocabulary (how well students know words).
  • When learning new words, pay attention not only to the meaning but also to the way you write and pronounce the word.
  • In teaching, focus on the words that appear in written texts. Students often learn words that occur in spoken language outside of school.

Where possible, use the dominant home language of multilingual students to increase Dutch vocabulary.

Then, under the tab “What is known from research,” a wealth of information is provided on themes such as:

  • Learning new words
  • Importance of a good vocabulary
  • Word knowledge in memory
  • Classification of words in the vocabulary
  • Vocabulary and multilingualism

 The information is presented in reports, infographics, and so on.

 An example of an answer to a question on the vocabulary topic is as follows:

What is the relationship between passive vocabulary and technical reading? 

Technical reading skills and passive vocabulary, together with comprehension skills, are essential parts of learning to read. That relationship is reciprocal. Both the number of words a student knows and what they know about a word (form, meaning and use) contribute to learning to read words quickly and accurately. In addition, a student can learn new words through technical reading, and space is created in the student’s working memory for the meaning of words and text comprehension.

Some examples of other topics that are on the website are social-emotional development and wellbeing, professional development of teachers, learning in internships, student school careers, digital literacy, tests and evaluations.

The Knowledge Roundabout website

Named after the ubiquitous traffic cirlcle of the Netherlands, the ‘Knowledge Roundabout’ website kennisrotonde.nl takes the approach of the Educational Knowledge website a step further. Practitioners can ask a question for which the answers can be found in research. So far, nearly 800 such questions have been asked and answered over the last eight years. These answers are provided by researchers, and most are based on research that has already been undertaken. Occasionally, a question might prompt a research study. Two examples:

How can students take control of their own learning process, so that their learning performance increases? 

There are strong indications that students can achieve better learning performance if they can take good control of their own learning process. To do this, they must consciously combine different learning strategies, such as relating, analyzing, structuring, orienting, planning and evaluating. Learning to use these strategies requires support from teachers, for example, by continually asking specific questions after modeling (demonstrating or showing).

What is the effect of classroom characteristics on the development of students in secondary education?

Classroom characteristics, such as temperature and light, influence the cognitive development of secondary school students. It seems that these students are less sensitive to certain environmental stimuli than students in primary education. High school classrooms are usually designed for specific subject areas. Students often change classrooms every lesson and therefore experience more variation in their physical learning environment. It is not known whether this is significant for their development.

For the first example, a five-page report with an executive summary provides more information on such issues as: What are important elements in controlling learning? How do you show students that these elements are important? The seven-page report on the second question covers environmental characteristics, such as temperature, color, light, sound, natural environment, air quality and decoration.

National Education Cohort Study

In the Netherlands, a wealth of data on student performance is collected. The National Education Cohort Study (NCO) coordinates this data collection and, more importantly, makes various statistical data available to schools and policy makers. First, the data collected in the context of the NCO is used to provide answers to various educational questions. For example, about the effects of homeschooling on students during the COVID-19 crisis. These answers are clearly published in various fact sheets. Second, the data collected by the NCO is processed into reports that provide schools in primary, secondary and special education with insight into their students’ performance. The purpose of the school reports is to support educational practice by providing input for the direction of educational policy.

 

We cannot say that all these activities solve the problem of the gap between research and practice, but these certainly help diminish this gap. One indication is that several hundred teachers and school principals attend the annual conference of NRO where practitioners and researchers discuss research results and ideas for research.

Key Messages

Dutch Strategies to Enhance Relevance of Educational Research

• Funding of collaboration between researchers and practitioners.
• Practitioners participate in evaluating research proposals to assess societal relevance.
• Awards and events recognize efforts to connect research and practical applications.
• The Educational Knowledge website organizes research findings into practical categories, such as tools, examples, and answers to common questions.
• The Knowledge Roundabout website allows educators to submit specific questions, providing research-based answers or occasionally prompting new research.

Emeritus Professor Theo Wubbels

Emeritus Professor Theo Wubbels

Theo Wubbels is emeritus professor of Educational Sciences at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. His research interests developed in his career from the pedagogy of physics education, via problems and supervision of beginning teachers and teaching and learning in higher education to studies of learning environments and especially interpersonal relationships in education. During his career among others he was a physics teacher in a Montessori High school, and served as Director of Teacher Education, Dean of the Graduate School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Admissions Dean and Vice-rector for Teaching and Learning of Utrecht University. He was treasurer (2009 – 2013) and president of the European Educational Research Association (2014 – 2018). He published over 200 international journal articles and edited several books in Dutch and English. He is fellow of the American Educational Research Association.

Other blog posts on similar topics:

The curriculum as ‘folding’ democratic practice

The curriculum as ‘folding’ democratic practice

by | AARE

In today’s multilingual world, with approximately 7,000 spoken or signed languages, at least half of the global population is bilingual. Reflecting this diversity, Australia’s population is remarkably multicultural, with 29.5% born overseas and nearly 250 languages spoken in homes. This linguistic richness calls for an educational framework that mirrors these realities. In response, the English as an Additional Language (EAL) curriculum in Australia is at a crucial juncture, where it must bridge monolingual norms (e.g., Standard Australian English) with the multilingual realities of classrooms.

Drawing on Deleuze, Dewey, and Bill Green’s “curriculum as practice,” our research introduces the concept of “curriculum as ‘folding’ democratic practice”. This holistic, fluid, and processual approach, premised on the lived experiences of 16 immigrant EAL teachers, underscores the need for a more responsive and democratic educational framework.

Assembling Theory and Practice: A Democratic Approach

In “curriculum as ‘folding’ democratic practice”, John Dewey’s focus on experiential learning complements Deleuze’s concept of the “fold,” shaping a curriculum that is fluid, multifaceted, experimental, and responsive to linguistic and cultural diversity. Teachers use their lived experiences to shape a dynamic, evolving learning environment, akin to origami, where each fold represents collaborative interactions between students and educators.

Transcending Traditional Boundaries: Teachers’ Narratives

Incorporating the lived experiences of teachers from diverse backgrounds, our study highlights the transformative potential of a curriculum that transcends traditional, rigid frameworks. These educators, through their critical reflections and navigation of the complexities of language learning and teaching in various cultural contexts, offer invaluable insights into creating a responsive and inclusive educational environment. Their perspectives underscore the importance of embracing flexibility and cultural diversity to enhance the democratic educational experience for all students.

Jasha – bringing text to life with visualisation

For instance, Jasha’s early encounters with the English language were far from inspiring. Growing up in the USSR, she described her lessons as “boring texts to read, boring lessons on grammar, no listening and no speaking”. However, a transformative moment came when she volunteered to accompany a teacher to a bookshop when she was in year VIII and discovered Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”. This book ignited her passion for English, leading her to adopt a more student-centred philosophy in her teaching in a transnational context.

Today, Jasha emphasizes fairness, equality, mutual respect and cultural responsivity in her classroom, recognizing the global diversity inherent in the English language onshore and offshore. She uses a method called visualisation, encouraging students to see a text and be part of the story. This makes English more relatable and memorable. For example, with the “boring, Eurocentric lesson on railway journeys” in “Language Leader”, she asks students to imagine being on a train, recalling scenes from “Harry Potter”, and enjoying the “view”:

And suddenly the most boring reading (and it is really really boring!!!) comes alive.  (Jasha)   

This approach brings the text to life and fosters lively class discussions about cultural concepts of a “journey” and “destination”.   

Janaki – including cultural elements in student engagement

Janaki transformed a curriculum-mandated employment project into a charity event that raised over $1,000 for the Save the Children Foundation through activities like a garage sale and morning tea. While these are common in Australia, Janaki encouraged her refugee students to incorporate cultural elements from their home countries into the event’s planning and execution. Reflecting on this, she remarked, “This experience showed me how capable the student cohort is when it comes to collaborating across cultural differences to achieve impactful results”. The initiative not only fostered student deep engagement but also promoted intercultural identity development through profound experiential learning.

The Fold of English Learning and Professional Becoming

Frida and Natalie – learning through playful interactions The journey of English language learning for these teachers often began with playful, informal interactions. Frida, from the Philippines, fondly recalled playing language games like “Pictionary” and “Scrabble” with her grandmother, which nurtured her love for English. She also immersed herself in reading borrowed books from “a neighbour” and “the local library”. Similarly, Natalie from Bangladesh was captivated by her father’s translanguaging storytelling, particularly his renditions of “Paradise Lost” by John Milton, especially the line, “জাগো, ওঠো না হলে চিরতরে পড়তে থাকো”, (“Awake, arise or be for ever fall’n”). These affective familial and cultural contexts served as rich, informal educational platforms, aligning with Deleuzian concepts of becoming and multiplicity, where learning evolves through diverse, non-linear pathways both within and beyond the learner.

Mahati –

In Australia, the personal and professional education of these teachers further shaped their understanding and practice of the curriculum. Mahati, originally from India, experienced a stark contrast between the rigid educational frameworks overseas what Australian curriculum and the more communicative, student-centred approach in Australia. During her TESOL teaching practice rounds at the Western English Language School, she embraced innovative teaching techniques that significantly differed from her experiences in India and Uganda, as well as from the monologic curricula in Australia. This exposure enabled her to critically reflect and further  adapt her methods to better meet the multilingual and intercultural needs of her students, thereby developing her own hybrid professional becoming (identity). In this context, Mahati also intertwined her knowledge of English literature and grammar into her teaching practice. For instance, she often incorporated insights from T.S. Eliot, particularly his idea about the importance of recursive interpretation, to deepen students’ understanding of texts and their meanings.

“He said, every time I read something again and again, I find new meaning and new beauty in that.” (Mahati)

To enhance understanding, she connected this to the Urdu terms “ شاعر” (shayar/shaa’ir: poet) and “ “شاعری (shayari: poetry). This approach not only leveraged the full linguistic repertoire of the multilingual learners but also amplified their affective connection with the material.

Ling Ling and Becca –

Ling Ling, influenced by her Chinese, Japanese, and English background, emphasizes teaching both culture and language, stating, “I am teaching the ‘culture’ as well as the language”. Similarly, Becca interweaves grammar into communicative, student-centered methods, explaining, “Grammar is a tool for effective communication, not the main goal,” transforming traditional exercises into interactive, engaging and affective activities that enrich the learning process.

Summary

The personal journeys of these English teachers highlight the transformative power of a responsive EAL curriculum. By leveraging their lived experiences and adopting culturally responsive strategies, they have enhanced both the enjoyment and effectiveness of language learning, shifting from traditional to learner-centered practices. This underscores the role of ethical, dialogic teaching in enriching education.

Looking ahead, the concept of “curriculum as ‘folding’ democratic practice” provides a framework for fostering intercultural and cosmopolitan development – an ongoing, evolving process of shaping education through inclusive, differentiated and dynamic methods that interlace diverse perspectives and experiences, fostering democratic learning environments. By adapting to the diverse experiences of teachers and students, the curriculum can transcend traditional boundaries and create an inclusive, democratically engaged learning environment.

At its core, teachers’ narratives point to the potential for reform in Australia’s educational landscape. Drawing on Dewey’s democratic education and Deleuze’s philosophy, a non-linear, decentred curriculum can celebrate linguistic and cultural diversity, preparing students for global participation. This study offers transformative EAL approaches with broader implications, suggesting that curricula rooted in multilingual and intercultural principles can promote inclusivity and enrich education across disciplines.

Key Messages

  • Curriculum as ‘Folding’ Democratic Practice: The blog presents a flexible, evolving approach to EAL education that incorporates diverse linguistic and cultural experiences.
  • Teacher Experiences as Catalysts for Transformation: Multilingual immigrant EAL teachers’ lived experiences are central to shaping a more responsive and inclusive curriculum.
  • Bridging Monolingual Norms with Multilingual Realities: The blog advocates for moving beyond monolingual norms to reflect Australia’s multilingual classroom realities.
  • Combining Deleuzian and Deweyan Philosophies: Entwining Deleuze’s ‘fold’ and Dewey’s experiential learning fosters a democratic, fluid, non-linear, and culturally inclusive approach to curriculum design.
  • Promoting Cosmopolitanism and Intercultural Learning: The blog emphasizes EAL education’s role in fostering intercultural understanding and world outlook among students.
Dr Nashid Nigar

Dr Nashid Nigar

Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne, Australia

Dr Nashid Nigar teaches at the Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne, and has diverse experience in English language and literacy teaching, academic writing, and teacher education. Her recently completed Ph.D. thesis, focusing on language teacher professional identity at Monash University, was graded as Exceptional—Of the highest merit, placing within the top 0.1% to fewer than 5% of international doctorates. Her ongoing research interests include language teacher professional identity and language/literacy learning and teaching.

Professor Alex Kostogriz

Professor Alex Kostogriz

Faculty of Education, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

Professor Alex Kostogriz holds the esteemed position of Professor in Languages and TESOL Education within the Faculty of Education at Monash University. He currently serves as the Associate Dean (International) within the faculty. Alex’s ongoing research endeavors are centered around the professional practice and ethics of language teachers, as well as the realms of teacher education and the early experiences of novice educators.

Other blog posts on similar topics:

References and Further Reading

  1. Nigar, N., Kostogriz, A., & Mhilli, O. (2024). Curriculum as ‘folding’ democratic practice: Integrating Deleuzian and Deweyan philosophies with the lived experiences of English teachers. Curriculum Perspectives. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41297-024-00258-7

  2. Nigar, N., Kostogriz, A., & Gurney, L. (2024). Becoming an English language teacher over lines of desire: Stories of lived experiences. Australian Educational Researcher, 51, 1749–1770. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-023-00662-4

  3. Green, B. (2022). Understanding curriculum as practice, or on the practice turn(s) in curriculum inquiry. Curriculum Perspectives, 42(1), 77–83. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41297-022-00160-0

  4. Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and education. The Macmillan Company.

  5. Deleuze, G. (1993). The fold: Leibniz and the baroque. University of Minnesota Press.

 

Towards reconnecting within and beyond the educational research community in Serbia

Towards reconnecting within and beyond the educational research community in Serbia

by | ERAS

Serbia is a country nestled in the Balkans, Southeast Europe, which evokes a multitude of associations depending on one’s generational perspective. From Ottoman rule and the Battle of Kosovo, legendary scientist Nikola Tesla, historical figures like Gavrilo Princip, Nobel Prize winner Ivo Andrić, to the memories of Yugoslavia, the 1990s wars, the NATO bombing in 1999, the country’s prowess in collective sports such as basketball, and the tennis player Novak Đoković – Serbia’s narrative always provokes dilemmas.

But why delve into this historical labyrinth when discussing educational research in Serbia?

Serbia has always been a place where different cultures mix, leading to both understanding and conflict, requiring multiperspective approaches and fine interweaving of the joint narratives. The role of education and educational research’ in interpreting socio-cultural events, building collective narratives and bridging diverse perspectives is irreplaceable.

Due to the fragmentation of this region and the division of a multinational state into smaller, ethnically homogeneous entities, the term “balkanisation” itself was coined. The fragmentation of this geographical and political area corresponded with a divide within the research community. Moreover, international sanctions imposed on Serbia led to its educational research community being isolated from the global scientific network. However, this adversity paradoxically served as a unifying force within the local research community and its cohesive influence was reflected in the mobilization of existing resources in researching how education adapts and how education could help citizens to adapt to the uninterrupted crisis. The challenge of this task becomes even more noticeable when we take into account the limited resources and resistance on the side of decision-makers, often resulting in educational research being perceived as a form of quiet activism, encompassing ‘little acts’ that are both collectively and politically significant.

To overcome these hurdles, the Educational Research Association of Serbia (ERAS) was created in 2013, aiming to affiliate with the European Educational Research Association (EERA). ERAS stands out for its advocacy of interdisciplinary collaboration, welcoming experts from diverse fields interested in educational research. We wonder whether, together with EERA, we can rewrite the narrative of ‘balkanisation’, turning it from a tale of fragmentation into one of collaboration and reconnection. Hence, the theme of the ECER 2025 is Charting the Way Forward. We are looking forward to welcoming you in Belgrade!

Image of the University of Belgrade and the information: 08 - 09 September 2025 - Emerging Researchers' Conference 09 - 12 September 2025 - European Conference on Educational Research

ECER 2025 goes to Belgrade, Serbia.

Find out more about ECER 2025 in Belgrade, the keynote speakers, and how to submit a proposal, and the deadlines for submission and registration on the EERA website. 

Olja Jovanović

Olja Jovanović

Assistant Professor, University of Belgrade

Olja Jovanović is an Assistant Professor at the University of Belgrade’s Center for Teacher Education and Department of Psychology, specializing in inclusive education. With a diverse background spanning schools, NGOs, international organizations, and higher education, her research focuses on how education systems affect marginalized children and youth. She has expertise in developing frameworks to monitor inclusive education and exploring the connection between integrity and inclusive education in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Olja is a member of convener group of the European Educational Research Association’s network on inclusive education and serves on the editorial team of the European Journal of Inclusive Education.

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Dr Dragica Pavlović Babić

Dr Dragica Pavlović Babić

Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Belgrade

Dragica Pavlović Babić, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology, University of Belgrade and Faculty of Mathematics University of Belgrade, teaching courses on educational psychology, educational policy and assessment. She coordinated OECD/PISA study in Serbia for 5 cycles. She has worked in developing assessment systems in Serbia, Montenegro and Central Asia (Tajikistan). Member of several scientific organizations and bodies:  EERA Council;  Board for Psychology in Education of European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations (EFPA); Educational Research Assosiation of Serbia – president; Petnica Science Centre’ Council – president; ISCAR – International Society for Cultural and Activity Research.

Dejana Mutavdžin

Dejana Mutavdžin

PhD candidate, University of Belgrade

Dejana Mutavdžin is a PhD psychology candidate at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, where she has completed her BA and MA studies. She is affiliated as a Teaching Assistant of Psychology at the Faculty of Music, University of Arts in Belgrade. Her research interest is the relationship between different types of abilities, emotional inteligence, giftedness in non-academic domains, and opportunities for their acknowledgement in the educational process.

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Twenty years of participating in EERA’s 30 years

Twenty years of participating in EERA’s 30 years

by | 30 Years of EERA, VOR (Netherlands)

EERA is celebrating 30 years in 2024, and as part of our anniversary celebrations, we have invited people who have been at the heart of the association to share their memories and reflections. In a series of blog posts, which will run throughout 2024, we will share those precious memories, from the people who helped foster the global EERA community.

In this blog post, Professor Emeritus of Educational Sciences at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, and previous EERA president, Dr Theo Wubbels reflects on his involvement in EERA over the years, and where the organisation’s future lies.

Memories

Thinking about what to write in an EERA 30th anniversary blog, many memories of interesting, sometimes enjoyable and sometimes tricky, events pop up.

  • Mediating between rival associations.
  • Watching the recording of a popular television soap and then inspecting the grounds where our conference would have to take place in ten months while it was now a meadow.
  • Negotiating a text on fugitives being locked out, or demonstrators being shot at, in the country that hosted ECER.
  • Collaborating with many European organizations in the social sciences and humanities (SSH) to ensure the status of SSH research within the EC.
  • Sitting in the office with the ever active and cheerful staff (executives come and executives go, but fortunately the office always remains).
  • Meeting fruitfully with EERA Council in a far-too-small room; and meeting fruitfully with the Network Convenors in a nice large room.
  • Opening and closing ceremonies and panel discussions with keynote speakers in ECER.
  • Assisting national associations in statu nascendi.
  • Representing EERA in WERA council.
  • And many more.

And all these memories are embedded in friendships all over Europe, from Kazakhstan to Ireland and from Helsinki to Cadiz.

 

My first five years

My involvement in EERA started before it was founded, with my participation in the first ECER held in 1992 at the University of Twente in the Netherlands, organized in conjunction with the national Dutch educational conference; and I was co-organizer of the Dutch conference. As a rather novice educational researcher, I felt it was a kind of requirement of the profession to participate in such a European conference. It soon became evident that for ECER to become a regular event, an association was needed. Happily, several national European organizations, including the Dutch educational research association, invested in creating a European association; EERA in 1994, followed by the second ECER in 1995 in Bath.

I visited the following ECERs and these were a boost for my understanding of educational research and networking. As long as this was possible, I was an individual member of EERA. Meanwhile I became a loyal visitor of EARLI conferences where topics were closer than in EERA to the social psychological perspective of my research. I also frequented the ISATT conferences, that were well-aligned with my work on teaching and teacher education. The annual conference of the American Educational Research Association helped cater for my network in the USA. In my opinion, the quality of all these events outperformed ECERs and I felt that some of the following ECERs were rather badly organized. Therefore, after five years of participation, in 1998 I promised myself never to go to ECER again.

How things can change!

My further 15 years

Despite this promise, ten years later I got involved in EERA again, when I became president of the Dutch educational research association in 2008. This made me an ex officio member of the EERA council, and so a second period of involvement in EERA started. I visited ECERs again, and with much more joy and interest than in the nineties. At that time there was a saying; “the EERA treasurer can be of any nationality as long as it is Dutch”, and thus I started my four-year term as EERA treasurer in 2009. After being a treasurer, I became president-elect and president, completing together almost 10 years of executive roles. During my presidency, my involvement in AERA and EARLI helped to smoothen the relationships with these associations but unfortunately still EARLI and EERA were living too far apart.

Being deeply involved in EERA’s governance and scholarly activities, EERA broadened my perspective again toward more sociological, philosophical and policy aspects of educational research. This helped tremendously in the work I was involved in for research evaluation committees in several countries. Broadening my network through EERA was also very fruitful for my publication record. I became involved in writing papers on EERA with other former and present EERA Executives. I also got the opportunity to contribute chapters in books edited by EERA colleagues, in which I represented the Netherlands with my Dutch colleagues, for example on educational innovation and policy issues.

In addition to the scholarly benefits of participating in EERA, making lifelong friends was an essential and satisfying outcome of my time in EERA. Enjoying the council and executive dinners, coping together with the cold in Vienna and Helsinki and enjoying the warmth of Cadiz, Istanbul and Porto. It all was an enormous pleasure.

What about the future?

There are not many nations missing in EERA, but there are a few to be won over. I cannot wish more than that all European nations have a national educational research association or participate in a regional association. All these associations then hopefully are gathered around the EERA tree. For the European-wide collaboration, it might be needed to further reduce the North-Western dominance in EERA, without losing the strong points the North-Western associations bring to EERA.

EARLI and EERA both have broadened their perspectives, although in EERA the educational psychological perspective is still a bit weak. The broadened perspectives have led to considerable overlap in the activities of the two associations and sometimes even to unfruitful competition. So, I would be very pleased if the two associations in the near future were not so separate from each other. I hope the associations will join forces to help improve the quality and the impact of European education research.

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Emeritus Professor Theo Wubbels

Emeritus Professor Theo Wubbels

Theo Wubbels is emeritus professor of Educational Sciences at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. His research interests developed in his career from the pedagogy of physics education, via problems and supervision of beginning teachers and teaching and learning in higher education to studies of learning environments and especially interpersonal relationships in education. During his career among others he was a physics teacher in a Montessori High school, and served as Director of Teacher Education, Dean of the Graduate School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Admissions Dean and Vice-rector for Teaching and Learning of Utrecht University. He was treasurer (2009 – 2013) and president of the European Educational Research Association (2014 – 2018). He published over 200 international journal articles and edited several books in Dutch and English. He is fellow of the American Educational Research Association.

COVID-19 pandemic and the mental health and well-being of secondary school children

COVID-19 pandemic and the mental health and well-being of secondary school children

by | BERA, NW 14 Communities, Families, and Schooling in Educational Research

This blog piece discusses the main findings from a research project funded and supported by York St John University and Liverpool Hope University into the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on young people’s mental health and wellbeing. Our research suggests that the pandemic and associated restrictions and disruptions exacerbated an already serious situation for children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing (Wood, Su and Pennington, 2024)

The study

To gain an understanding of young people’s wellbeing, it is essential to access the views of young people themselves (The Children’s Society, 2022).

A National Health Service (NHS) study in the UK shows that before the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing numbers of children and young people were experiencing poor mental health and wellbeing (Newlove-Delgado et al., 2022). Our research drew on the views of young people about the development of factors conducive to their wellbeing and mental health in school and the sorts of factors that enable this.

A qualitative multi-method research design was used, consisting of an online questionnaire survey (n=605) and follow-up focus group interviews (n=16). The research took place in three secondary schools in one local authority area in England. Year 9 and Year 10 students aged between 14 and 15 years from these schools participated in the study.

The study addressed the following questions: to what extent has the Covid-19 pandemic affected secondary school students’ mental health and wellbeing in England? What do students value most for their mental health and wellbeing in a secondary school context during the pandemic? What are the implications for the post-pandemic future?

Findings

The analysis evidenced the social and emotional impacts of a number of other factors too including anxieties about family members’ employment security, health and circumstances at home during the pandemic on young people’s mental health.

Significantly, transition back to in-person schooling brought its own challenges. One particular message that emerges from this study is that in the return to in-person schooling, the dominant emphasis on ‘catching-up’ to make good the learning loss, appears to have been too restricted and narrow and in need of an accompanying focus on: the restoration and regeneration of friendships and social bonds that lie at the heart of schools as communities and human flourishing; and sports/physical activity, arts and cultural pursuits .

The findings of the study show that the pandemic and associated restrictions had a detrimental effect on the lives of a very large proportion of the young people in our study, with a greater impact on girls than boys. From the analysis, the resilience and ability of the participants to ‘bounce back’ from the upheavals caused by the restrictions was apparent. However, for a significant minority, the adverse impacts on their mental health and wellbeing continue to affect their lives.

Findings suggest the Covid-19 pandemic had a bigger impact on girls than boys, for example:

  • The reported impact on daily life was greater for girls ( 85%) than for boys (71%)
  • The continuing impact was greater for girls (37%) than boys (24%)
  • Friendships were more adversely affected for girls (54%) than boys (34%)
  • More girls reported an adverse effect on mental health and wellbeing (55%) than boys (25%)
  • Fewer girls felt supported by school (64%) than boys (79%)

Due to the scope of our study, specific reasons for the gender differences were not established. However, our study does suggest that there is a need for a holistic response to young people’s mental health and wellbeing issues, which gives prominence to addressing the gendered impact and recognises the importance of friendships, social bonds, arts, cultural and sports activities as well as the more academic domains of schooling.

Wider implications – insights from experts in the field

Findings and implications from the research have been widely shared at a number of briefings with school senior leaders, children’s services agencies, youth work organisations, and other partners from the local authority area in which the research took place.

In addition, the findings are being used to inform the annual report of the local Director of Public Health. The principal dissemination event to discuss our study findings with national and regional stakeholder groups was the ‘Symposium on Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing’, which took place in York on 19th March 2024. At the Symposium event, important insights were shared by the following expert panel members.

Anne Longfield, Chair of the Commission on Young Lives, UK, argued there is a need for joined up services and cross agency working to support children’s education and mental health and an extended role for schools in their communities. She stated that ‘I, for a long time, have been a big proponent of schools being fully open to their communities and making their precious resources more accessible to children and families’.

Alison O’Sullivan, Chair of the National Children’s Bureau, UK, suggested that the social contract between schools, parents and children has broken down and stressed the importance of renegotiating the relationships between children and families, communities and schools. She also expressed that ‘evidence increasingly demonstrates that children and young people’s sense of belonging plays a decisive role in shaping their social, emotional and mental health outcomes’.

Charlotte Rainer, Coalition Manager at The Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition, UK, suggested two possible solutions – firstly, to increase early intervention support with dedicated funding; secondly, to create children’s mental health and well-being drop-in hubs in the community.

Dan Bodey, Inclusion Adviser, City of York Council, UK, observed that ‘school attendance has been significantly low since the Covid-19 pandemic particularly for children who have special education needs (SEN) and those who are on free school meals. In addition, the school exclusion rate has increased noticeably’. He also highlighted the importance of cross agency working to address these issues as part of post-pandemic recovery.

Conclusion

This study shows that the pandemic and associated restrictions had a detrimental effect on the lives of a very large proportion of the young people in our study, with greater impact on girls than boys. These effects have significant implications for the ways in which school and services develop their responses to the question of children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

Key Messages

Overall, the principal insights affirmed the importance of:

·   responding to the continuing adverse effects on mental health and wellbeing for a significant minority of young people, taking account of the gendered nature of these impacts

·   ensuring young people’s voices are brought into decision making and policy formulation

·   easily accessible early help and support

·   inclusive educational practices to strengthen a sense of belonging for all children and placing children’s mental health at the heart of education provision.

·   an inclusive curriculum which focuses on the whole person rather than an overemphasis on academic achievement and high stakes assessment and testing.

Dr Margaret Wood

Senior Lecturer in Education at York St John University, UK

Dr Margaret Wood is a Senior Lecturer in Education at York St John University, UK. Her recent research and publications have explored the centralizing tendencies of much current education policy and its relation to community and democracy at the local level, and the development of academic practice in higher education.

Dr Feng Su

Associate Professor and Head of the School of Education at Liverpool Hope University, UK

Dr Feng Su is an Associate Professor and Head of the School of Education at Liverpool Hope University, UK. His main research interests and writings are located within the following areas: education policy, the development of the learner in higher education settings, academic practice and professional learning.

Dr Andrew Pennington

Post-doctoral researcher at York St John University, UK

Dr Andrew Pennington was a senior officer in two local authority education and children’s services departments. He is now a post-doctoral researcher at York St John University, UK. His main research interests are concerned with democracy, power and community engagement in the governance of schools.

Other blog posts on similar topics:

References and Further Reading

The Children’s Society (2022). The Good Childhood Report 2022. The Children’s Society. https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-09/GCR-2022-Full-Report.pdf

Newlove-Delgado, T., Marcheselli, F., Williams, T., Mandalia, D., Davis, J., McManus, S., Savic, M., Treloar, W. & Ford, T. (2022). Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2022. NHS Digital. https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-of-children-and-young-people-in-england/2022-follow-up-to-the-2017-survey

Su, F., Wood, M. and Pennington, A. (2024). ‘The new normal isn’t normal’: to what extent has the Covid-19 pandemic affected secondary school children’s mental health and wellbeing in the North of England? Educational Review. DOI: 10.1080/00131911.2024.2371836

Developing the resilience of first-year students under martial law in Ukraine

Developing the resilience of first-year students under martial law in Ukraine

by | NW 10 Teacher Education Research, NW 5 Children and Youth at Risk and Urban Education, UERA

War traumatises everyone it touches, especially children and young people. The World Health Organisation has noted that at least 10% of people who have experienced traumaticevents as a result of armed conflict have had serious mental health problems (and 10% of them will have behaviours that interfere with their ability to function effectively). The aggravation of the military conflict in Ukraine has made it important to implement the project “Development of Resilience of First-Level Higher Education Students in the Context of the Military Conflict in Ukraine”, which was made possible by the Ukrainian Educational Researchers Association with the support of the European Educational Research Association.

This study was conducted at the Faculty of Special and Inclusive Education of the Dragomanov Ukrainian State University (Kyiv) at the beginning of the academic year 2022-2023. Students had started studying from a distance, not only in different regions of Ukraine, but also in other countries as refugees.

Why focus on first-year students in Ukraine?

In the current realities of Ukraine, first-year students at Ukrainian universities are at risk of deteriorating mental health. Former school leavers had not yet fully adapted to the challenges and restrictions of receiving educational services in the COVID-19 pandemic  [8; 15; 17], and the start of professional training again required a change in lifestyle, way of thinking, attitude towards themselves and others, in accordance with the requirements of the newly developing social situation [6; 9; 10; 11; 14]. And all this was happening against the backdrop of escalating military aggression by the Russian Federation, which was accompanied not only by a risk to life and health, but could also cause mental trauma or damage to basic structures of personality, starting with physiological reactions to stress, and ending with the general picture of the world and self-image [18].

After the first week of studying at the university under martial law, Ukrainian first-year students reported a deterioration in their mental health: symptoms of distress (asthenia, increased anxiety, lowmood, restless sleep, tension) and somatisation (headaches) prevailed. In some cases, this was combined with certain manifestations of anxiety (anxiety/panic attacks, fear of public embarrassment). More than half of the surveyed first-year students associated the deterioration of their mental health with their studies and the situation in Ukraine (52.1% and 66.2%, respectively) [2].

Why focus on resilience?

Adaptation to a difficult life situation, and overcoming and preventing negative consequences, is significantly influenced by the availability of certain personal resources. In this context, it is worth talking about resilience as a systemic element in the structure of a well-being personality, a positive mental state that leads to adequate adaptation in adverse circumstances. At the same time, resilience should be viewed as a resource that allows a person to choose the appropriate type of coping [13].

Resilience as a factor in maintaining mental health under martial law can be defined as an individual’s ability to return to normal functioning and to restore the previous state after a certain period of maladjustment due to stressful experiences[7]. It is also about the individual’s ability to prevent the emergence and exacerbation of psychological problems and dysfunctional disorders by “mitigating” the impact of the socio-psychological consequences of emergencies by actualising their own internal resources[3]. In other words, resilience should be viewed as a continuous, active process of emergence or development of new forces and resources for adaptation and recovery, which has uneven dynamics in the face of new risks [12].

According to the results of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), 38% ofUkrainian first-year students do not have the skills to maintain and support mental health, which is confirmed by their low levels of resilience [5]. Accordingly, these students have a reduced ability to influence a complex or atypical situation, lose their own resources, have difficulties in solving new challenges and issues of life, and have difficulties adapting.[16].

What contributes to preserving and restoring Ukrainian students mental health?

The structure of resilience includes three components:

  • cognitive – represented by such components as openness to experience, tolerance to uncertainty and positive thinking
  • emotional – involves emotional stability, emotional intelligence and extraversion
  • behavioural – search activity, prosocial behaviour [3].

In other words, if a person does not lose the ability to think flexibly in an objectively or subjectively difficult life situation, he or she is more likely to be able to regulate his or her emotional state and prevent a physiological stress response. Given an adequate emotional response, they will seek a constructive solution to the problem, including by seeking social support.

 The level of resilience of Ukrainian first-year students is closely related to the following components:

  • extraversion – orientation towards other people, connections with them, support
  • prosocial behaviour – orientation towards socially useful actions
  • emotional stability – orientation towards emotional self-regulation
  • openness to experience – orientation towards learning new experiences and skills

The level of resilience also depends on the complexity of the problems faced by the student [4].

How to develop first-year students’ mental health under martial law

The innate ability of a person to be more or less resistant to stress should not be underestimated. However, without either a spontaneous (by imitating the stress-resistant response of significant others and identifying with them) or specially–organised process of acquiring resilience skills, this may not be enough when the traumatic nature of the situation exceeds the individual’s inborn reserves to withstand its negative impact.

Therefore, a training programme on developing resilience in first-year students was developed to familiarise participants with a set of psychological tools that will help harmonise their self-image, self-concept and attitude to themselves; actualise and activate self-knowledge processes; and form emotional and behavioural self-regulation skills that will strengthen their psychological stability (resilience).

This training programme consists of six modules, each of which contributes to forming and developing important mental health competencies:

  • The ability to communicate, develop relationships with other people, and to seek social support
  • The ability to express their thoughts and feelings, focus their attention, and be empathetic to themselves
  • The ability to identify and build on their value orientations, understand the meaning of their lives
  • Positive thinking skills to strengthen self-confidence and increase their self-esteem
  • The ability to build mutual support and effective cooperation and nurture life-giving relationships
  • The building of skills for effective regulation of energy and emotions [1].

The programme was attended by 18 first-year students. 7 students took part in a one-day offline course, while the remaining 11 students were involved in two online psychological support groups and received training over a six-week period.

After participating in the scheme, 75% of the participants showed positive changes in their resilience, especially among the participants of the online psychological support groups. However, given the small number of students who had an objective opportunity to take the training in the harsh realities of Ukraine, it is worth talking about the need for further testing.

Activities to preserve and restore students’ mental health are ongoing. Elements of the training programme are used in the educational process in such disciplines as Psychological Counselling, Psychological Rehabilitation, Psychological Correction, etc. The training programme is also being actively implemented in the work of the Centre for Psychological Support and Social Adaptation at the Faculty of Special and Inclusive Education of Dragomanov Ukrainian State University.

Key Messages

  • At least 10% of people who experience traumatic events, such as the war in Ukraine have serious mental health problems
  • A project by the Ukrainian Educational Researchers Association and EERA was launched to support Ukrainian first-year students
  • The project focused on first-year students, as they were coping with the after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the transition from school to professional training
  • Ukrainian students reported a deterioration in their mental health after the first week of studying at the university 
  • The EERA and UERA programme focused on building the resilience of Ukrainian students, to help them cope with the stress of studying during martial law
  • 75% of participants showed positive changes in their resilience after taking part in the programme
  • Futher activities to preserve and restore students’ mental health in Ukraine are ongoing
Dr Hanna Afuzova

Dr Hanna Afuzova

Associate Professor of the Department of Special Psychology and Medicine, Faculty of Special and Inclusive Education, Drahomanov University, Ukraine

Hanna Afuzova holds a PhD in Psychology and is an Associate Professor of the Department of Special Psychology and Medicine, Faculty of Special and Inclusive Education, Ukrainian State Drahomanov University (Kyiv, Ukraine)

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8112-8943

Researcher ID: HZI-0197-2023

Other blog posts on similar topics:

References and Further Reading

  1. Afuzova, H. (Eds.). (2023). Rozvytok rezylientnosti zdobuvachiv pershoho rivnia vyshchoi osvity v umovakh voiennoho konfliktu na terytorii Ukrainy [Development of resilience of first-level higher education students in the context of military conflict in Ukraine]. Retrieved from URL Методичні рекомендації з розвитку резильєнтності – Google Диск [in Ukrainian].
  2. Afuzova, H. V., Naydonova, G. O., & Krotenko, V. I. (2022). Osoblyvosti psykhichnoho zdorovia pershokursnykiv na etapi adaptatsii do profesiinoho navchannia v umovakh voiennoho stanu [Features of The Mental Health of First-Year Students at the Stage of Adaptation to Professional Education Under Martial Law]. Habitus, 41, 278–273. https://doi.org/10.32782/2663-5208.2022.41.49 [in Ukrainian].
  3. Afuzova, H. , Naydonova, G. O., & Krotenko, V. I. (2023). Rezylientnist yak chynnyk zberezhennia psykhichnoho zdorovia v umovakh voiennoho stanu [Resilience as a factor in maintaining mental health under martial law]. Habitus, 53, 100–104. http://habitus.od.ua/journals/2023/53-2023/16.pdf [in Ukrainian].
  4. Afuzova, H., Krotenko, V., & Naydonova, G. (2023). Rozvytok rezylientnosti pershokursnykiv na etapi adaptatsii do profeisinoho navchannia v umovakh voiennoho stanu [Development of first-year students’ resilience at the stage of adaptation to professional training under martial law], Psykhichne zdorovia v umovakh viiny: shliakhy zberezhennia ta vidnovlennia: zbirnyk materialiv I Vseukrainskoi naukovo-praktychnoi konferentsii (z mizhnarodnoiu uchastiu) [Mental health in the conditions of war: ways of preservation and restoration: collection of materials of the First All-Ukrainian Scientific and Practical Conference (with international participation)]. Kyiv, 5–8. [in Ukrainian].
  5. Afuzova, H., Naydonova, G., & Krotenko, V. (2023). A study of Ukrainian first-year students’ resilience at the stage of adaptation to training and professional activities under martial law. Studies in Comparative Education, (1), 4–13. https://doi.org/10.31499/2306-5532.1.2023.288413

  6. Androsovych, K. A. (2015). Psykholohichni chynnyky sotsialnoi adaptatsii pershokursnykiv v umovakh osvitnoho seredovyshcha profesiino-tekhnichnoho navchalnoho zakladu [Psychological Factors of Social Adaptation of Freshmen in the Educational Environment of a Vocational School]. (Candidate`s thesis). Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University. Severodonetsk. [in Ukrainian].
  7. Assonov, D., & Khaustova, O. (2019). Rozvytok kontseptsii rezyliiensu v naukovii literaturi protiahom ostannikh rokiv [Development of the concept of resistance in the scientific literature in recent years]. Psykhosomatychna medytsyna ta zahalna praktyka, 4(4), e0404219. https://doi.org/10.26766/pmgp.v4i3-4.219 https://uk.e-medjournal.com/index.php/psp/article/view/219 [in Ukrainian].
  8. Education and COVID-19: challenges and opportunities (2020). Retrieved from URLhttps://en.ccunesco.ca/idealab/education-and-covid-19-challenges-and-opportunities 

  9. Enes, R., & Tahsin, I. (2016). Coping styles, social support, relational self-construal, and resilience in predicting students’ adjustment to university life, educational sciences. Theory and Practice, 16(1), 187– https://doi.org/10.12738/estp.2016.1.0058

  10. Fryer, L. K. (2017). (Latent) transitions to learning at university: A latent profile transition analysis of first-year Japanese students. Higher Education, 73(3), 519– https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-016-0094-9 
  11. Gonta, I., & Bulgac, A. (2019). The Adaptation of Students to the Academic Environment in University. Revista Romaneasca Pentru Educatie Multidimensionala, 11(3), 34-44. https://doi.org/10.18662/rrem/137

  12. Grygorenko, Z., & Naydonova, G. (2023). The concept of “resilience”: history of formation and approaches to definition. Public administration and law review, (2), 76–88. https://doi.org/10.36690/2674-5216-2023-2-76-88

  13. Kireieva, Z. O., Odnostalko, O. S., & Biron, B. V. (2020). Psykhometrychnyi analiz adaptovanoi versii shkaly rezylientnosti (CD-RISC-10) [Psychometric Analysis of the Adapted Version of the Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10)]. Habitus, 14, 110-116. https://doi.org/10.32843/2663- 5208.2020.14.17 [in Ukrainian].
  14. Nelson, K. J., Smith, J. E., & Clarke, J. A. (2012). Enhancing the transition of commencing students into university: an institution-wide approach. Higher Education Research & Development, 31(2), 185-199. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2011.556108
  15. Nestorenko, Т., & Pokusa, Т. (Eds.). (2020). Education during a pandemic crisis: problems and prospects. Opole: The Academy of Management and Administration in Opole.
  16. Odnostalko, O. S. (2020). Resursy stiikosti osobystosti v umovakh skladnykh ta netypovykh sytuatsii zhyttia [Resources of Personality Stability in the Conditions of Difficult and Atypical Situations of Life]. (Candidate`s thesis). Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University. Lutsk. [in Ukrainian].
  17. Özüdoğru, G. (2021). Problems faced in distance education during Covid-19 Pandemic. Participatory Educational Research, 8(4), 321-333. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.21.92.8.4
  18. Ulko, N. M. (2016). Psykhoeduktsiia yak chynnyk sotsialno-psykholohichnoi reabilitatsii [Psychoeduction as a Factor of Socio-Psychological Rehabilitation], Sotsialno-profesiina mobilnist v umovakh suchasnoi osvity: materialy Mizhnarodnoi naukovo-praktychnoi konferentsii [Social and Professional Mobility in The Conditions of Modern Education: International Conference Proceedings]. Kyiv, р. 16. [in Ukrainian].
  19. World Health Organization. World health report 2001 – Mental health: new understanding, new hope. Geneva: Switzerland; 2001. [Google Scholar]

    Silent heroes – Celebrating Peru’s Early Childhood Educators in times of crisis

    Silent heroes – Celebrating Peru’s Early Childhood Educators in times of crisis

    by | BERA, NW 10 Teacher Education Research, NW 14 Communities, Families, and Schooling in Educational Research

    We are counsellors, we are nurses, we are legal helpers, even parish priests, we are multifaceted.

    Maria

    Leader/Teacher, Peruvian public school

    These are the words of a Peruvian public-school early childhood educator/leader, as she described how her role morphed into one of holistic accompaniment, not just to her young students, but to their families as well during the extended period of school closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. They highlight one of the many challenges thrust upon a previously maligned and disenfranchised workforce in a moment of crisis, but much more than this, they offer us a glimpse into the lives of early childhood education(ECE) stakeholders in Peru during this period. 

    The Peruvian Context

    Life in Peru was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent social distancing requirements, which meant that education institutions were closed to in-person teaching for more than 18 months. Educational outcomes, whilst seeing an upward trend in the years leading up to the pandemic in terms of PISA scores, were still below the OECD average (OECD, 2018). The system was still considered to be struggling in terms of providing equal access to quality teaching and learning experiences as ‘poor, rural, indigenous girls are 91% more likely to be left behind in quality education than their wealthier, urban, non-indigenous peers’ (Alcázar et al., 2020, p12).

    Public school teachers are historically perceived as having low prestige and relatively low pay in comparison to other professions (Saavedra & Gutierrez,2020), a significant contextual consideration when we ponder the critical role they not only played in ensuring educational opportunities for children, but also in support and guidance for families.

    The challenges faced by early childhood educators

    Within this complex context, initial findings from my multiple case study doctorate research project, where semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents, leaders and teachers at four early childhood settings, suggest that early childhood educators across private, public, rural, and urban areas faced several significant challenges. These included increased workload burdens, adaptation to the use of technology, their own emotional well-being, connecting in meaningful ways with children, and dealing with the day-to-day uncertainty. And from the outset of the strict social distancing measures put in place, they were bombarded with the demands of work.

    If, for example, they did not have their child’s next call scheduled, or they didn’t know the questions to ask them, or they had a problem sending their evidence, there would be messages at midnight or at one in the morning… even at four in the morning, the phone rang. It didn’t matter if it was Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, the same. 

    Catalina

    Teacher, Peruvian public school

    Significantly, access to high-quality internet and devices in Peruvian homes is limited, so online lessons were not an option for many families. Instead, they relied on sending and receiving messages, usually via WhatsApp or SMS texts, which resulted in early childhood educators being the first point of call for parents, reframing their role in society.
    And our role was more emotional accompaniment for the families, not only with children, with families too
    Almudena

    Teacher, Peruvian public school

    If educators were able to connect virtually with children, they were faced with the challenges of adapting their pedagogical approach to foster relationships and engage young children through screens. A task that was initially faced by just the educators working in the private sector but soon by many in the public sector too.

    It has been a very difficult time. For me, as a professional, no? Because in spite of having made every effort to bond with my students, it’s a dehumanising process, you are in front of a computer and have no contact with them.

    Rosario

    Teacher, Peruvian private school

    Implications and conclusions

    This blog post, rather than endlessly listing the challenging circumstances faced by early childhood educators in Peru during the pandemic, seeks to draw attention to their resilience and achievements, providing a voice to those often overlooked in vulnerable communities.

    Resilience in educators was evident in the mere fact that ECE was able to be adapted and continued regardless of the extreme and unprecedented challenges faced. However, as Gu (2014) states, resilience in educators is not merely coping in the face of adversity; it encompasses a moral and vocational-like commitment to make a difference and support learning. Critical to this dedication was their ability to develop positive interactions with parents and foster supportive relationships with peers, as they shared online teaching practices and provided emotional accompaniment. These coping strategies are underpinned by collaboration, which was key in bringing the ECE community together, and ensuring the best outcomes for children.

    This has significant implications for the future as the relationships forged between parents and teachers, alongside the new professional and personal skills developed by teachers, can be vital in addressing learning gaps and bridging inequalities. In highlighting these issues, there is the potential for the profession’s low prestige in Peruvian society to be changed or at least challenged.

    Key Messages

    • Celebrating the efforts and dedication of early childhood educators during the pandemic provides a voice to those often overlooked in vulnerable communities
    • Resilience in educators includes a moral and vocational-like commitment to make a difference and support learning
    • The development of positive interactions with parents was critical, as was the fostering of supportive relationships with peers
    • The relationships forged, and the professional and personal skills developed by teachers during the pandemic, can be vital in addressing learing gaps and bridging inequalities.
    Tom Chalmers

    Tom Chalmers

    PhD Student at the University of Greenwich, UK

    Tom Chambers is an early career researcher studying a part-time PhD at the University of Greenwich, London. His research is focused on exploring the impact of the pandemic on the key stakeholders associated with early childhood education (ECE) in Peru. The research will not only have implications for educational policy and practice but also highlight the inequalities in accessing high-quality ECE in countries in the Global South.

    He has recently completed a two-year period of part-time volunteer work as a desk researcher with La Fundación Baltazar y Nicolás, a Peruvian NGO involved with supporting parents of young children in Peru. Tom is an experienced early years/primary educator and holds a Master’s in Education also from the University of Greenwich

    Twitter/X: @TomChambers1984 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tom-chambers1984 ORCID: 0009-0000-4439-9592

    Other blog posts on similar topics:

    References and Further Reading

    Alcázar, L., Bullard, M., &Balarin, M. (2020). Poor education and precarious jobs in Peru: Understanding who is left behind and why. Southern Voice, 64. https://southernvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Education-Jobs-Peru-Alcazar-Bullard-and-Ballarin-2020.pdf

    Gu, Q. (2014). The role of relational resilience in teachers career-long commitment and effectiveness. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 20(5), 502–529. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2014.937961

    OECD. (2018). Programme For International Student Assessment (PISA) Results From PISA 2018. In OECD COUNTRY NOTE. https://www.oecd.org/pisa/publications/PISA2018_CN_PER.pdf

    Saavedra, J., & Gutierrez, M. (2020). Peru: A Wholesale Reform Fueled by an Obsession with Learning and Equity. In F. M. Reimers (Ed.), Audacious Education Purposes: How Governments Transform the Goals of Education Systems. Springer.

    Peru: A Wholesale Reform Fueled by an Obsession with Learning and Equity | SpringerLink

    The ERIKA Project to explore Ukrainian scholars’ digital mastery

    The ERIKA Project to explore Ukrainian scholars’ digital mastery

    by | NW 1 Professional Learning and Development, NW 9 Assessment, Evaluation, Testing and Measurement, UERA

    In the ever-evolving landscape of academia, the intersection of the digital realm with traditional research methodologies underscores the pressing need for scholars to embrace evolving competencies. This blog post navigates the digital horizon, emphasizing the imperative integration of open science principles, data literacy, and research competencies for researchers to thrive in the dynamic academic ecosystem. Focusing on the insights gleaned from the 2022-2023Enhancing Empirical Academic Research in Ukraine (ERIKA) project, this exploration sheds light on a critical digital skills gap among Ukrainian academics.

    The need for digital competency among researchers

    As society transitions into an era where data shapes an intangible reality, the transformative role of science and innovation becomes evident (Lagoudakis et al., 2022; Tavares et al., 2022). Acknowledging that the very entities driving digital transformations must undergo significant changes (Ayris et al., 2018; European Commission, 2020a, 2020b), the expert community underscores the core competencies of a modern “Digital Scholar,” including Open Science practices, adherence to FAIR principles, and proficiency in data management (Van Petegem et al., 2021; Weller, 2018).

    International studies further reveal a global lack of digital competencies among researchers, emphasizing the need for enhanced professional training programs and continuous education to meet the demands of the digital age (Cabero-Almenara et al., 2021; Dias-Trindade & Albuquerque, 2022; EU DGRI, 2017, 2020; Suyo-Vega et al., 2022; EU DGRI & EOSC EB, 2021).

    Regrettably, the situation in Ukraine mirrors this global trend. Compared to many other countries, comprehensive studies assessing the digital competencies of researchers in Ukraine are notably limited (Hladchenko et al., 2018; Hladchenko, 2022). The absence of such research poses a significant challenge, as it inhibits our ability to identify specific areas of weakness and design targeted interventions to uplift the digital skills of Ukrainian academics.

    The ERIKA project

    The ERIKA project, conducted in 2023, provides a noteworthy snapshot of the digital competencies among Ukrainian scholars. This initiative, supported by the Ukrainian Educational Research Association and the European Educational Research Association, aimed to enhance empirical academic research capabilities in Ukraine.

    The ERIKA project engaged over 50 participants from 13 Ukrainian regions, representing 29 higher education institutions. The participants, ranging from senior lecturers to professors, covered diverse disciplines and career levels, providing a comprehensive view of the academic landscape.

     The training sessions, held in March and October 2023, facilitated in-depth discussions and insights into the digital competencies of Ukrainian academics. The multifaceted and nuanced responses of participants shed light on the challenges and opportunities within the country’s academic community.

    The competency gap revealed by the ERIKA survey

    It was found that 80% of surveyed respondents demonstrated only superficial awareness of open science principles. A further 40% needed to be made aware of the FAIR guidelines, underlining the urgent need for initiatives that promote open science literacy.

    In a world dominated by vast datasets and interconnected information, only 19% of Ukrainian academics exhibited proficiency in working with common data file formats like CSV and JSON. The need for more understanding regarding metadata, reported by 71% of respondents, raises concerns about the effectiveness of data-sharing practices.

    A significant gap exists in the awareness of available national open data resources, hindering the potential for impactful research studies that utilise real-world data. This knowledge gap is detrimental to the nation’s academic community, limiting their ability to engage in cutting-edge research.

    The survey uncovered deficiencies in basic research skills, such as crafting focused search queries, applying Boolean operators, and locating relevant datasets. These fundamental skills are the building blocks of impactful, evidence-based research.

    While most respondents demonstrated awareness of the risks associated with predatory publishing, only 15% could independently assign Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) to enhance the discoverability of their research outputs. This finding is concerning, especially considering the increasing requirement for DOIs in academic publishing after 2022 (due to National regulations).

    The survey revealed a need for more utilisation of reference management tools, with 63% of respondents admitting to never using platforms like Zotero, Mendeley, and EndNote. Additionally, 71% had minimal legal and ethical understanding regarding use of personal data in research studies.

     Encouragingly, despite these challenges, nearly half of the surveyed researchers who had yet to gain prior grant application experience expressed eagerness to build expertise in this area. This enthusiasm bodes well for the future, as acquiring grant-writing skills opens avenues for accessing national and international funding opportunities.

    The development of a training program on data skills for academics

    The ERIKA project highlights the pressing need for tailored programs to build digital competencies among Ukrainian academics. Bridging the identified gaps in open science, data handling, and research fundamentals is crucial to unlocking the nation’s scientific potential and integrating it into the global and European research ecosystem. In this context, the importance and urgency of creating well-designed professional training programs at educational institutions is evident, and a more centralized approach under the Ministry of Education and Science Leadership could be the best choice.

    The “ERIKA” case is a successful example of a professional training program. The final assessment results demonstrated that the topics proposed in the “ERIKA” course (Koblianska & Kostetska, 2023), their content, and the training organization help address the outlined problems and improve researchers’ competencies.

     The project entails developing and teaching an integrated educational course with two modules:

    1) “Data Collection for Academic Research” (3 ECTS)

    2) “Academic Research in EU Countries: Institutional, Organizational and Motivational Dimensions” (3 ECTS)

    The first module covers open science principles and its role in modern research; data collection, analysis, and management in academic research, including legal and ethical components; skills for finding scientific information and formulating search queries; and practical data work aspects.

    The second module examines organizing academic research in EU countries, particularly the scientific personnel training system, graduate and doctoral program structures, establishing academic communication, publishing research results, review procedures, and motivational factors affecting researcher productivity. The “ERIKA” experience could be scalable.

    Conclusion

    As we navigate the increasingly digital and data-intensive academic world, sustained monitoring and responsive training programs are pivotal for ensuring researchers’ success in Ukraine. The collaboration between the Ukrainian Educational Research Association and the European Educational Research Association exemplifies the importance of such initiatives in enhancing research capabilities and quality. By addressing the digital skills gap, Ukraine can position itself as a formidable force in the global academic arena, contributing substantively to advancing knowledge and innovation. Bridging the digital divide is not just a necessity; it is a pathway to unlocking the full potential of Ukrainian scholarship on the world stage.

    The post image was generated via Dream Studio AI

    Key Messages

    • Digital Competency Urgency. In the evolving landscape of academia, there is a pressing need for scholars to embrace evolving digital competencies, emphasizing the integral role of skills like open science principles and data literacy.
    • Global Digital Competency Trends. International studies reveal a pervasive lack of digital competencies among researchers globally, sparking discussions on the necessity of enhanced professional training programs and continuous education.
    • Ukraine’s Digital Skills Gap. We shed light on the concerning trend in Ukraine, mirroring the global situation, where comprehensive studies assessing the digital competencies of researchers are notably limited, posing a significant challenge.
    • ERIKA Project Results. The ERIKA project in 2023 provides a snapshot of digital competencies among Ukrainian scholars, engaging participants from diverse disciplines and career levels, offering insights into challenges and opportunities within the academic community.
    • Survey Insights and Concerns. Surprising survey findings indicate gaps in open science principles awareness, proficiency in working with data file formats, and deficiencies in basic research skills, emphasizing the need for tailored programs.
    • Call to Action. The need for tailored programs to bridge identified gaps in open science, data handling, and research fundamentals, is urgent, positioning Ukraine as a formidable force in the global academic arena.
    Dr Inna Koblianska

    Dr Inna Koblianska

    Associate Professor of the Department of Economics, Entrepreneurship, and Business Administration of Sumy State University

    Dr Koblianska is an Associate Professor of the Department of Economics, Entrepreneurship, and Business Administration of Sumy State University. Her scientific interests include sustainable development, regional development, spatial economy, and logistics management. She is the laureate of the award of the President of Ukraine for young scientists (2019).

    She is ERIKA Project Executor, responsible for the development and teaching of the Data Collection for Academic Research module.

    Internship: Sustainable Farming Assessment (2017, Bern University of Applied Sciences); School of Agricultural Economics (IAMO, Halle (Saale), 2019); Educational training session on data collection (Statistics Germany and University of Applied Sciences Weinstein-Triesdorf, 2019); DAAD projects (University of Applied Sciences Weienstefan-Triesdorf, 2018-2022); Applied econometric analysis using R (German-Ukrainian Agricultural Policy Dialogue and IAMO, 2021).

    She is the author of numerous scientific works.

    https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7844-9786 https://econ.biem.sumdu.edu.ua/en/inna-koblianska

    Dr Iryna Kostetska

    Dr Iryna Kostetska

    Senior Lecturer, Department of Economic Theory, Management and Marketing, National University of Ostroh Academy

    Dr Kostetska is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Economic Theory, Management and Marketing, National University of Ostroh Academy. Her scientific interests include business planning in agricultural enterprises and strategic planning of the development of rural areas.

    She is ERIKA’s project manager, responsible for the development and teaching of the educational module Academic research in EU: institutional, organizational and motivational dimensions.

    Internship under the programs of the French Agricultural Institute (SevrEurope de Bressuire, l’IREO de Bressuire, France 2009, 2010), the Polish-American Freedom Foundation (Lane Kirkland Program, Poland 2018-2019), the Polish UNESCO Committee (Poland 2019), the Visegrad Foundation (2021-2022). She worked on economic and regional development projects with the support of USAID, the British Council in Ukraine, and the Czech Republic.

    She is the author of numerous scientific works.

    https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5340-0145

    Other blog posts on similar topics:

    References and Further Reading

    Ayris, P., Lopez de San Roman, A., Maes, K., & Labastida, I. (2018). Open Science and its role in universities: A roadmap for cultural change. LERU. https://www.leru.org/publications/open-science-and-its-role-in-universities-a-roadmap-for-cultural-change (access date: 10.09.2023)

    Cabero-Almenara, J., Guillén-Gámez, F. D., Ruiz-Palmero, J., & Palacios-Rodríguez, A. (2021). Digital competence of higher education professor according to DigCompEdu. Statistical research methods with ANOVA between fields of knowledge in different age ranges. Education and Information Technologies, 26(4), 4691–4708. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10476-5

    Dias-Trindade, S., & Albuquerque, C. (2022). University Teachers’ Digital Competence: A Case Study from Portugal. Social Sciences, 11(10), 481. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11100481

    EU DGRI & EOSC EB. (2021). Digital skills for FAIR and Open Science: Report from the EOSC Executive Board Skills and Training Working Group. European Commission. Directorate General for Research and Innovation. EOSC Executive Board. Publications Office. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/59065

    EU DGRI. (2020). Country sheets analysis: Report from the EOSC Executive Board Working Group (WG) Landscape. Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (European Commission). Publications Office of the European Union. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/568900

    EU DGRI. (2017). Providing researchers with the skills and competencies they need to practise Open Science.European Commission. Directorate General for Research and Innovation. Publications Office. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/121253

    European Comission. (2020a). Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027). European Education Area. https://education.ec.europa.eu/node/1518 (access date: 10.09.2023)

    European Comission. (2020b). Research and innovation strategy 2020-2024. https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/strategy/strategy-2020-2024_en (access date: 10.09.2023)

    Hladchenko, M. (2022). Implications of Publication Requirements for the Research Output of Ukrainian Academics in Scopus in 1999–2019. Journal of Data and Information Science, 7(3), 71–93. https://doi.org/10.2478/jdis-2022-0016

    Hladchenko, M., Dobbins, M., &Jungblut, J. (2018). Exploring Change and Stability in Ukrainian Higher Education and Research: A Historical Analysis Through Multiple Critical Junctures. Higher Education Policy, 33. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41307-018-0105-9

    Lagoudakis, M. G., Gkizeli, M., Fotiou, A., Fragkedaki, D., &Kollnig, S. (2022). Teaching and Research in the Digital World. BHM Berg- Und HüttenmännischeMonatshefte, 167(10), 489–494. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00501-022-01283-7

    Koblianska I., Kostetska I. (2023). Enhancing Empirical Academic Research in Ukraine: training materials. Zenodo. 124 p. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7817137

    Suyo-Vega, J. A., Meneses-La-Riva, M. E., Fernández-Bedoya, V. H., Ocupa-Cabrera, H. G., Alvarado-Suyo, S. A., da Costa Polonia, A., Miotto, A. I., & Gago-Chávez, J. de J. S. (2022). University teachers’ self-perception of digital research competencies. A qualitative study conducted in Peru. Frontiers in Education, 7. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2022.1004967 (access date: 10.09.2023)

    Tavares, M. C., Azevedo, G., & Marques, R. P. (2022). The Challenges and Opportunities of Era 5.0 for a More Humanistic and Sustainable Society—A Literature Review. Societies, 12(6), Article 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc12060149

    Van Petegem, W., Bosman, J., De Klerk, M., & Strydom, S. (2021). Evolving as a Digital Scholar: Teaching and Researching in a Digital World. Leuven University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv20zbkk0

    Weller, M. (2018). The Digital Scholar Revisited: The Digital Scholar: Philosopher’s Lab, 1(2), 52–71. https://doi.org/10.5840/dspl20181218