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.

Other blog posts on similar topics:

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].
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  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].
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  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].
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    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

    How interdependent national and EU-level policies for apprenticeship training are spreading through Europe

    How interdependent national and EU-level policies for apprenticeship training are spreading through Europe

    by | DFG, NW 2 Vocational Education and Training (VETNET), NW 23 Policy Studies and Politics of Education

    Education policy was being approached at a European level as early as the treaty of Rome in 1957, and its importance has been reaffirmed, again and again, through various monumental summits (e.g. Council of Lisbon), programmes (such as Erasmus), and processes (e.g. Bologna Process) ever since. The curious thing about education policy at a European level is that education is traditionally a mainly national policy field (Leibfried et al., 2007). Understanding how and by whom EU education policy is shaped, and how, in turn, it shapes and influences policy within the different member states, is a puzzle still to be deeper explored – and the puzzle is growing evermore relevant. Recently, the European-level policy suite for education has expanded even further. In vocational education and training (VET), a field typically bound to national borders, the European Alliance for Apprenticeships (EAfA) was launched in 2013.

    EAfA brings together governments and key stakeholders in an effort to enhance the quality, availability, and perception of apprenticeships throughout Europe. In doing so, it promotes apprenticeship training that is collectively governed by multiple public and private actors (Graf and Marques, 2023). The extent of cooperation between these actors, the distribution of power amongst them, and the structures that bind them together can vary between different national contexts. However, more generally, in this collective approach, apprenticeship training is coordinated through regular, decentralised collective action and deliberation by the social partners (firms and unions) and the state, at national, regional, and local policy levels.

    The EAfA, with its collective approach, was followed only one year later by the founding of the German Alliance for Initial and Further Training, a structure often referred to as a national equivalent to the European Alliance (European Commission, 2017). Both alliances create new platforms for VET stakeholders at local and national levels to jointly develop innovative training policies, foster apprenticeships, and exchange knowledge of ‘best practices’. Following the renewals of these programmes in 2020 and 2019, respectively, we have studied them in juxtaposition and found that the two alliances are interdependent, being shaped by each other through their evolution, and shaping other EU states’ policies in the process (Rohde-Liebenau and Graf, 2023).

    Parallel and interdependent development of the European and German alliances for apprenticeships

    Soft coordination in the EU regarding VET development is an arena for the exchange of experiences and insights rather than for the establishment of laws. This soft coordination can, for instance, be accomplished through experimentalist forms of governance. One of the mechanisms of such coordination is Working Groups of relevant stakeholders, which often pursue the tools of comparisons (Nóvoa, 2013; Tveit and Lundahl, 2018) and learning (Lange and Alexiadou, 2010) to foster policy development at both EU and national levels. This soft coordination, therefore, allows for mutual interchange of EU policy, with the European Commission having the greatest role as the driver of such coordination.

    Since the German VET system has gained the reputation of being effective in securing a competent workforce, along with its support for a stable labour market, German policymakers are in the position to partly “upload” their successes to the broader EU system, which we observed in the case of the EAfA. To some extent, aspects of the German approach are adopted at the EU level, in the form of ‘best practices’ for developing a VET system. At the same time, the EAfA offers inspiration for the German Alliance for Apprenticeships, providing a synergetic European context (Rohde-Liebenau and Graf, 2023). In light of the continuing trend of such parallel and interdependent developments, and in the context of increasing EU involvement in educational policy, it is possible that these policy systems will, to some extent, arc towards convergence, supported by the mutual learning of both systems, such that each system in some way and to some extent becomes part of the other.

    Collective skill formation in statist and liberal systems?

    Such convergence can be seen beyond the almost parallel development of the Alliances in Germany and at the EU level. Furthermore, the EU as the driver of soft coordination across Europe, can also be seen as having an influence on other states. For example, both France and Ireland, despite following traditionally different models for their skill formation systems (statist and liberal, respectively), have both shown indications of progressing towards a collectively governed skills training model which bears striking resemblance to the one envisioned and professed by the EAfA (Graf and Marques, 2023).

    Certainly, a partly collectivised French system will look different than an Irish one, given the different starting points they have been built upon (this is the key concept of path dependency). Indeed, the traditional French statist apprenticeship system is based more heavily around the role of the state. Yet, since the onset of the EAfA, several measures have been undertaken to decentralise the VET system. In 2014, regional power was enlarged through a funding increase; in 2016 public institutions gained autonomy in determining contracts; and in 2018 the system had a major reform to simplify the system for users. In the Irish case, despite having built some collective organizing in 1987 and 1993 for the regulation and standardisation of apprenticeships and job training, the VET model is conventionally based around the importance of employers and free market dynamics (liberal). However, following a fulsome review in 2013, the system underwent major reforms, pointing towards the influence which the EAfA had on it. Thus, the reforms of both the French and German models largely follow the model laid out in the EAfA, especially considering newer institutions for collective cooperation.

    Outlook: New directions for European skill formation?

    Ultimately, there is a noticeable trend of mutual influence between the German and European cases of apprenticeship systems. In the context of the EU’s increasing involvement in educational policy, as well as the almost parallel introduction of the European and German alliances for apprenticeships within one year of each other, it is unsurprising to observe that they have a mutual influence on each other.

    Looking forward, it can be expected that this parallel development will progress into further interdependence and possibly convergence. Using the cases of the French and Irish apprenticeship systems, we can reinforce this prediction with our finding of some indicators of convergence, as both countries are increasingly showing signs of European-level influence, despite having previously-existing structures which do not lend themselves to such an outcome.

    Key Messages

    • The European Alliance for Apprenticeships (EAfA), launched in 2013, brings together governments and key stakeholders to enhance apprenticeships throughout Europe.
    • The EAfA with its collective governance approach was followed only one year later by the founding of the German Alliance for Initial and Further Training.
    • Both alliances create new platforms for public and private VET stakeholders at local and national levels to jointly develop innovative training policies and exchange knowledge of ‘best practices’.
    • Following recent renewals of these programmes, we find that the two alliances are partly interdependent, being shaped by each other through their evolution, and shaping other EU states’ policies in the process.
    • For instance, both France and Ireland both show indications of progressing towards a collectively governed skills training model which bears resemblance to the one envisioned by the EAfA.
    Prof. Dr. Lukas Graf

    Prof. Dr. Lukas Graf

    Swiss University for Vocational Education and Training, Switzerland

    Lukas Graf is a Professor at the Swiss Federal University of Vocational Education and Training and Head of the Swiss Observatory for Vocational Education and Training. Previously, he was Assistant Professor of Educational Governance and Head of the Educational Governance Team at the Hertie School, Berlin. Lukas was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of St.Gallen, the University of Luxembourg, and the WZB Berlin Social Science Center. He gained his PhD from Freie Universität Berlin.

    ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1447-4165

    ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lukas-Graf-2

    Website: https://www.sfuvet.swiss/person/graf-lukas

    Dr. Marcelo Marques

    Dr. Marcelo Marques

    University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg

    Marcelo Marques is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Luxembourg. He holds degrees from the University of Lisbon (BA and MA), the University of Luxembourg (PhD), and the University of Essex (Bachelor of Laws). He was also a postdoctoral researcher at Hertie School in Berlin, Germany, and a visiting researcher at École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, France, and Brunel University, England. Marcelo works on transnational governance and Europeanisation processes.

    ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4833-1488

    ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marcelo-Marques-14

     

    Dr. Judith Rohde-Liebenau

    Dr. Judith Rohde-Liebenau

    Hertie School – The University of Governance in Berlin, Germany

    Judith Rohde-Liebenau works as a public sector strategy consultant. She is a research fellow at the Jacques Delors Centre at the Hertie School – The University of Governance in Berlin. Her research interests include (transnational) education, identity and socialisation, European integration and policy learning, and qualitative methods. She completed her DPhil in Sociology at the University of Oxford and holds degrees in Political Science from UCL London, Humboldt University Berlin, Sciences Po Paris, and Free University Berlin.

    ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8692-6696

    Other blog posts on similar topics:

    References and Further Reading

    Further reading

    Graf, L, Marques, M(2023) Towards a European model of collective skill formation? Analysing the European Alliance for Apprenticeships. Journal of Education Policy38(4): 665-685, https://doi.org/10.1080/02680939.2022.2097317

    Rohde-Liebenau, J, Graf, L (2023) Two instruments, one melody: The parallel evolvement of European and German alliances for apprenticeships. European Educational Research Journal, Online first access: https://doi.org/10.1177/14749041221148282

     

    References

    European Commission (2017b) European Alliance for Apprenticeships – Assessment of Progress and Planning the Future. Brussels: DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1147&langId=en

    Graf, L, Marques, M (2023) Towards a European model of collective skill formation? Analysing the European Alliance for Apprenticeships. Journal of Education Policy38(4): 665-685, https://doi.org/10.1080/02680939.2022.2097317

    Lange B, Alexiadou N (2007) New forms of European Union governance in the education sector? A preliminary analysis of the Open Method of Coordination. European Educational Research Journal 6(4): 321–335. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.2304/eerj.2007.6.4.321

    Leibried, S, Rusconi A., Leuze K. (2007) New Arenas of Education Governance. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Nóvoa A (2013) Numbers do not replace thinking. European Educational Research Journal 12(1): 139–148. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.2304/eerj.2013.12.1.139

    Rohde-Liebenau, J, Graf, L (2023) Two instruments, one melody: The parallel evolvement of European and German alliances for apprenticeships. European Educational Research Journal, Online first access: https://doi.org/10.1177/14749041221148282

    Tveit S, Lundahl C (2018) New modes of policy legitimation in education: (Mis)using comparative data to effectuate assessment reform. European Educational Research Journal 17(5): 631–655. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1474904117728846

    Sustainable university: A model of development in post-war Ukraine

    Sustainable university: A model of development in post-war Ukraine

    by | UERA

    Sustainable development is one of the most topical concepts of our time. Established corporations, small businesses, NGOs, universities, and governments of leading countries strive to adhere to the principles of this concept. Being sustainable creates additional competitive advantages, and positively impacts the organisation’s reputation and recognition (perception) in society.

    Sustainable development is often associated only with environmental measures and initiatives (environmental protection: clean water and sanitation; climate action; life below water; life on land). However, this is an incomplete vision that limits the nature of sustainability. Although the environmental component is extremely important in ensuring sustainable development, it is wrong to reduce the idea of sustainability exclusively to ecological aspects. The comprehensive sustainable development includes also economic (decent work and economic growth; industry, innovation and infrastructure; reduced inequality; responsible consumption and production) and social (zero hunger and poverty; good health and well-being; quality education; gender equality; peace, justice and strong institutions) aspects.

    Since 2022 Ukraine has been facing terrible challenges of war. Higher education institutions have been subjected to enemy attacks by Russian troops and heavy shelling, as a result of which they are wholly or partially destroyed. Educational and research infrastructure, dormitory buildings and administrative structures were damaged. But the main and most painful thing for Ukrainian universities is the loss of intellectual capital due to the death or migration abroad of Ukrainian colleagues because of military operations in Ukraine. In the post-war period, much attention should be paid to the restoration of educational institutions in the country.

    We support the idea that the post-war recovery of Ukrainian higher education should be made in the framework of sustainable development. Thus, we decided to study the situation in world-leading universities and build our own sustainable development model for Ukrainian universities in the post-war period.

    Sustainable development of Higher Education Institutions worldwide

    Fig. 1. Conceptual scheme of the Model of the University Sustainable Development

    Source: developed by the authors

    This study employs the analytical method of cognition.  To achieve the most objective results of the research, we studied the HEIs included in the international rating – Times Higher Education Impact Rankings (THE Impact Rankings). The study covered HEIs from all over the world, which were ranked top 50.  This enabled us to eliminate subjectivity in the assessment of the progress of world universities in terms of sustainable development.

    The analysis of cases of leading higher education institutions allowed us to identify key aspects and components of ensuring sustainable development. The results of the conceptualization of our model of sustainable development of HEIs are shown in Fig. 1.

    The ‘core’ of the model is the institution of higher education itself, represented by the synergy of the interaction of:

    – students through their unconventional, creative thinking;

    – researchers through their innovative developments and inventions;

    – teachers through their initiative and innovative approaches to working with young people;

    – management and administrative personnel through their ability to motivate, encourage and support.

    Successful implementation of sustainable development models for HEIs requires coordinated interaction among all participants in the educational process, both by themselves and with stakeholders (public, local and central authorities, business, developing relevant regulatory support, and strengthening of the institutional capacity of universities. The key factor for the success of this model is the availability of stable support for sustainable initiatives both from the management of the HEI and from partners. Such support can be material and technical, financial, organizational, consulting, expert, methodological, informational, and so on.

    The main blocks of the model of sustainable development of higher education institutions are:

    I – Sustainable teaching – introducing the principles of sustainability in all educational programmes, mandatory inclusion of its aspects in final qualification papers of students of various majors, as well as in the teaching methods in the framework of different academic disciplines at universities;

    II – Sustainable research – orientation of fundamental and applied research, research projects of universities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), identification of ways and tools to overcome obstacles to the transition of higher education institutions to functioning based on sustainability;

    III – Sustainable campus – implementation of a set of measures to improve the energy efficiency of university buildings, rational use of water resources, greening the territory, introducing environmentally friendly transport within the campus,  cultivating a culture of waste management, etc.;

    IV – Sustainable partnership – the widest possible involvement of various groups of stakeholders in the implementing initiatives to achieve the SDGs (not only as beneficiaries of the results and effects obtained, but also as members of project teams for developing relevant projects, planning a system of measures for their implementation, monitoring the effectiveness of achieving the goals set).

    The introduction of the current model of sustainable development of higher education institutions proposed in the project will allow HEIs in Ukraine to strengthen their contribution to achieving the SDGs; increase the level of competitiveness; integrate into the world research and academic community; and attract more international students. In fact, sustainable development can be defined to a certain extent as a competitive advantage of the HEI, a way to improve its recognition in society, strengthen its brand and image, and deepen social responsibility.

    Sustainable university development for post-war reconstruction

    The proposed model of sustainable university development can be used as the basis for post-war reconstruction. This will lead not to a simple restoration of HEIs to their pre-war level, but beyond that a transformation of their educational, research, economic and international activities in accordance with the best international practices and European values. The authors see prospects for further research in the testing of the authors’ conceptual model of sustainable university development proposed in the project.

    Acknowledgement. The research is carried out within the framework of the project “Sustainable University: a model of development in the post-war period”, implemented with the support of the European Educational Research Association (EERA) and the Ukrainian Educational Research Association (UERA).

    Key Messages

    1. Higher education institutions are more than a place for obtaining knowledge and competencies; they are the centres for accumulating the country’s intellectual capital, they are the research and training hubs, and they are the agents of sustainable changes in society. 
    2. The world’s leading universities are demonstrating how to progressively transform their activities in line with sustainable principles. They are investing heavily in the implementation of the latest technologies for energy saving, water conservation, campus landscaping and waste recycling.
    3. The main directions of sustainable development in higher education institutions are sustainable development of the campus, sustainable educational programmes and courses, sustainable research, and management.
    4. The authors’ conceptual model of sustainable university development consists of the following blocks:  sustainable teaching,  sustainable research,  sustainable campus, and sustainable partnership.
    Dr Iryna Didenko

    Dr Iryna Didenko

    Associate Professor of the Department of Foreign Languages of the Faculty of Economics of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine

    British Council teacher and teacher trainer in the following projects: English for Universities, English for Civil Servants, English in a New Context: Grades 5 – 9, Teaching English in Difficult Times, SWITLO: Skills and Well-being in Teacher Learning Opportunities.

    Research fields: higher education, quality assurance in HEIs, sustainable development in HEIs, assessment and motivation in HEIs.

    Dr Nataliia Kholiavko

    Dr Nataliia Kholiavko

    Professor of the Department of Finance, Banking and Insurance of Chernihiv Polytechnic National University, Ukraine

    In 2012, Nataliia Kholiavko defended her PhD thesis on the topic “Management of Scientific and Educational International Projects in the Systems of State Innovation Policy”. In 2019, Nataliia defended her doctoral dissertation on the topic “Strategy for Ensuring the Adaptability of the Higher Education System to the Information Economy Conditions”.

    Since 2017, Nataliia Kholiavko is the scientific leader and/or executor of educational projects: “Integrated Model of Competitive Higher Education In Ukraine under The Quadruple Helix Concept”; “Improving the Organization of Training for Personnel with Higher Education for the Development of High-Tech Industries in Ukraine”; “Sustainable University: a Model of Development in the Post-War Period”; “Promoting Professional Education and Active Participation of Students through the Establishment of a Comprehensive System of Mentoring and Tutoring in Higher Education Institutions”, “Distance Education for Future: best EU practices in Response to the Requests of Modern Higher Education Seekers and Labor Market”.

    Other blog posts on similar topics:

    References and Further Reading

    Kholiavko, N., & Didenko, I. (2023). World Experience of University Sustainable Development. Economics & Education, 8(1), 89-104. https://doi.org/10.30525/2500-946X/2023-1-12

    Kholiavko, N., & Didenko, I. (2023). Conceptual Model of Tthe University Sustainable Development. Studies in Comparative Education, (1), 40–54. https://doi.org/10.31499/2306-5532.1.2023.288421