Search

Educational space of a higher education institution constantly and continuously influences student’s personality as well as his / her developing as a competent specialist. The research was aimed at substantiating pedagogical technologies that optimize the process of forming students’ foreign-language professional competence within the educational space of a higher education institution. Theoretical (analysis, synthesis, comparison, systematization, pedagogical modelling), empirical (observation, pedagogical experiment, peer review method, reflexive evaluation method) and statistical methods were applied to achieve the set goal. Educational space of a higher education institution is defined as a purposefully created, methodically provided continuum of students’ foreign-language professional communication under conditions of which the development of their personality and effective formation of their foreign-language professional competence take place. Foreign-language professional competence as an integrative personality trait, determined by the synthesis of knowledge and skills, professional and life experience, values that ensure long-term readiness and ability to pursue professional activity in a foreign language, is developed effectively if the educational space of a higher education institution is multilingual and multicultural in its nature, broad, rich in foreign-language professional content, open, directed outwards. When designing educational space, it is necessary to rationally combine educational and non-educational components, provide in-class and out-of-class / extracurricular foreign-language educational and cognitive activities of students, use facilities of virtual educational environment, apply technics of contextual teaching, implement imitative and playing activities, interactive forms of training (games, project activity, case-study). In-class educational activity influences such components of foreign-language competence as “knowledge” and “skills”, whereas an extracurricular one aims at forming “values” and “experience”.

Teaching aviation translators involves the simultaneous provision of broad branch competence and narrow specialization. This study is aimed to test whether the application of the Content and Language Integrated Learning Method (CLIM) is effective while teaching Aviation English and enhancing translation skills at the aviation university. The experimental study was conducted within the framework of an elective course designed as an English language program with a professional focus on "Translation in the Aviation Industry" for future graduates majoring in Translation. The experiment involved 95 students, with one academic group designated as the experimental group (n = 44) and the second as the control group (n = 51). The study followed a pretest-posttest experimental design. In the pretest stage, the homogeneity of CLIM and non-CLIM groups was statistically proved by the χ² Pearson Correlation Coefficient. The experimental group received the CLIM methodology, while the control group was taught by a traditional approach. The post-test took into account both linguistic and content-related learning outcomes aimed at improving English proficiency in the aviation-oriented and translation direction within the CLIM and non-CLIM research groups. The research findings demonstrated that experimental group had significantly outperformed the control group during the final test. Teaching Aviation English and enhancing translation skills through the application of the CLIM method which encompassed aviation podcasts, subject matter videos, professional literature overview, stakeholders' involvement, and engagement in the aviation environment, are effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article highlights the problem of subjective choice in making strategic life decisions and its correlation with conscience. The study describes the nature of strategic life decision-making, determines types of strategic life decisions, discloses the essence of human experiences associated with strategic life decision-making, and provides results of empirical research. Decision-making, as viewed in scientific psychological practice, is an intense cognitive process for which a human actor should be prepared to perform, drawing upon a full range of knowledge, abilities, skills, and personal qualities. Decisions, though varied by type and degree of difficulty and complexity, are united by choice – that is the individual’s choice as such. Crucial moments of decision-making may affect people in myriad ways. This article analyses the experiences of such human actors while making strategic life decisions, defined by scientists to mean outstanding, fateful, associated with great responsibility, with their leading role in human living space, and formation of a person’s way of living. Emotions and emotional responses occupy a space of paramount importance in this type of decision-making. As strategic life decisions are cognizantly and predominantly made mainly in late adolescence, the authors present summarized results of the empirical research that was carried out for several years among students enrolled in a variety of higher educational institutions within Ukraine.

Almond production in Ukraine is undergoing the process of formation. There is an urgent need to study the almond market in Ukraine, including the formation of production strategies. A content analysis of the scientific literature was used to single out the general approach for enterprise strategy development. With a view toward determining the regions in Ukraine with the most concentrated production of almonds, a cluster analysis was carried out. To maintain the SWOT analysis for the producers of almonds in Ukraine, a factor analysis was conducted. The incoming data for the factor analysis was obtained by surveying 98 domestic almond companies. For the development of product-based conceptual models, frequency analysis and multiple-choice analysis were applied. The main results included a conceptual model of the product portfolio, a generalized product portfolio for nut-producing enterprises in Ukraine, and a strategic approach for an almond-growing enterprise in Ukraine. Given the most promising regions for almond growing in Ukraine, the main SWOT analysis results outlined the broad prospects: lack of competition, high demand, and government support along with weak sector organization and opportunistic strategy. In addition, almond production fell under the investment production category, which was considered to require new employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This mixed methods study assessed a first-year course for international students, entitled the U.S. Education and Culture, at a large Midwestern public institution. The quantitative results indicated that participation in the course improved students' academic skills, psychosocial development, understanding of social diversity in the U.S., use of university resources, and academic and social engagement. The qualitative analysis identified challenges faced by participants, their sources of motivation, the acculturation process, psychosocial development, and strategies for success. (Contains 2 tables.)

This paper discusses the results of a case study exploring perceptions of selected administrators and instructors at a Ukrainian state institution regarding the effectiveness of the Bologna Process at their institution. Data were collected from focus group interviews with five volunteer instructors involved in the implementation process. The findings indicate that the success of the new initiative was hindered by: centralized administration; insufficient training; scarce resources; participants' attachment to the old system; the perceived decreased quality of education; and loss of tradition. Recommendations are presented for other institutions experiencing a similar transition, keeping in mind their individual history, culture, location, financial resources, students and staff.

Copyright of Central European Political Studies / Środkowoeuropejskie Studia Polityczne is the property of Faculty of Political Science & Journalism, Adam Mickiewicz University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Propósitos y Representaciones is the property of Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This mixed methods study assessed a first-year course for international students, entitled the U.S. Education and Culture, at a large Midwestern public institution. The quantitative results indicated that participation in the course improved students' academic skills, psychosocial development, understanding of social diversity in the U.S., use of university resources, and academic and social engagement. The qualitative analysis identified challenges faced by participants, their sources of motivation, the acculturation process, psychosocial development, and strategies for success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the results of a case study exploring perceptions of selected administrators and instructors at a Ukrainian state institution regarding the effectiveness of the Bologna Process at their institution. Data were collected from focus group interviews with five volunteer instructors involved in the implementation process. The findings indicate that the success of the new initiative was hindered by: centralized administration; insufficient training; scarce resources; participants' attachment to the old system; the perceived decreased quality of education; and loss of tradition. Recommendations are presented for other institutions experiencing a similar transition, keeping in mind their individual history, culture, location, financial resources, students and staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]