The F7-Index, a New Suggested Index for Scientific Research Activity Assessment

In our research, the main attention is paid to the peculiarities of scientific research activities organization of students of various creative specialties, both standardized by curricula and educational programs of future specialist professional training, and voluntary during extracurricular time. The characteristic features of students’ mandatory (standardized) scientific research activity, which is related to the performance of coursework and qualification diploma theses, have been determined. We have also revealed a number of methods and means of voluntary, but motivated or interested involvement of student youth in scientific research activities through the performance of scientific, technical and project tasks by students during the period of industrial practices, participation in the work of educational and scientific laboratories, student design bureaus, design workshops associations and creative unions, fulfillment of production orders.
 Carrying out research projects encourages students to study and use innovative solutions, technologies, equipment, etc. In this way, the relationship between students’ scientific research and innovative activity in the process of professional training of future specialists in creative specialties is proven; in particular, examples of future engineers’ experimental scientific research activity and future designers’ project-technological artistic and creative scientific work are given.
 In the process of scientific research, the essence and significance of research and innovation activities of students of creative specialties have been determined for future specialists’ professional self-development and the formation of personal qualities, competencies, knowledge, abilities and skills in certain fields of knowledge.
 Forms of pedagogical guidance of students’ scientific research and innovative activities, methods and means of involving students to participate in scientific and practical conferences, round tables, exhibitions, professional competitions, as well as publication of the results of scientific research work in collections of student scientific works and catalogs of creative works are outlined.

Actuality. The research was based on an extensive study of the literature and methodologies regarding the specifics of training specialists in physical education and sports for scientific research, as well as the hypothesis that assumed that the development of the methodology for a specific purpose, oriented towards the specifics of the scientific research activity of the physical education teacher, which includes acquaintance with its content and practical learning in the integrative pedagogical system of lessons, allowed to improve the level of theoretical knowledge and professional pedagogical skills necessary for students to carry out scientific research at the level of the study programs. Methodological aspects of the research: The purpose of research is to improve the process of training the pedagogical skills specific to the scientific research activity of the of the physical education and sports faculty students. In order to achieve the proposed goal, the following objectives have been established: 1. To study the structure and content of the scientific research activity of physical education teachers within the process of teaching school physical education. 2. To evaluate the initial level of theoretical and practical training of the physical education and sports faculty students for the scientific research activity. 3. To establish in stages the structure and content of the students training program for scientific research. 4. Experimental validation of the methodology for preparation with determined purpose of the students for the scientific research activity within the instructive-educational process. Methods of research. There was used a complex approach in the paper, in order to study the multiple aspects of preparing students of Physical education and sports faculties for scientific research. The analysis of the pedagogical literature, curricula and educational programs allowed us to establish and argue the basic aspects of the content of the scientific research activity of the physical education teacher at the initial stage, as well as the necessary knowledge for it. The difficulties faced by the beginner teachers in the practical activity were established, the system and the level of preparation the Physical education and sports faculty students for the scientific research activity within the integrative lesson system were analyzed. The conditions of the training process, which contributes to the increase of the effectiveness of professional-pedagogical training, were determined. There were also established the criteria for evaluating student training and developed the program of the special course "Methodology of preparing students of Physical education and sports faculties for the scientific research activity", which was implemented in the educational program, the 5th semester. Findings and results. At the final stage of the research, the preparation levels of the students for the scientific research activity were established based on the results demonstrated during the current evaluation of the theoretical knowledge, the practical skills within the "Pedagogical training practices" and, respectively, by the method of quality analysis of the actual theses for the discipline ,,The theory of physical education and sports", including the Theses presented by graduate students upon completion of studies. The results of the pedagogical experiment carried out allowed us to establish three preparation levels of the students for research activity: 1. Reproductive level; 2. The productive level; 3. The productive level with research elements. The results obtained in the research allow us to conclude that the program developed and proposed to prepare students of the physical education and sports faculties for the scientific research activity is effective because it has the potential to form the knowledge and integrative skills specific to scientific research in the field of physical culture. Conclusions and recommendations. The following conclusions can be drawn from the undertaken research: 1. The research materials allow us to state that 72% of teachers encounter difficulties in carrying out scientific research activities, the main reasons being the insufficiencies of the scientific training system of the future physical education teachers within the faculties. 2. The evaluation of the theoretical and practical training level of the students from the faculties of Physical education and sports within the reproduction of the integrative scientific research activity, regarding the realization of the projects of the course works (the 5th sem.), shows us that this activity is realized, first of all, by the skills of the reproductive level - 56%, the productive level - 27% and only -17 % of the works are characterized by the skills of the productive level with elements of integrative research, and the theme of the works is presented in most of them (75%) by subjects, which conditional examination can be performed through the 4th level of the scientific research methods. 3. The instructive-formative pedagogical experiment (in the classroom) and the practical-methodical one (carried out in natural conditions) prove the effectiveness of the methodology developed by different levels of the students' preparation for scientific research activity (based on evaluating the content of the courses and bachelor's theses): * reproductive level (low) - students of the control group - 49.4% - overall grade- 7.9; * productive level (medium) - students of experimental group 2, who passed only the theoretical compartment of the program - 72%, overall grade - 8.1; * the productive level with elements of integrative scientific research for the students of the experimental group 1 - 64%, the general grade - 1 point and 27% of bachelor's theses, compared to both groups - 5.5% with a grade of 9.0. It is also recommended: 1. To include the special course "Methodology of preparing students of physical education and sports faculties for the scientific research activity" as an instructional discipline for the respective faculties, as well as for the requalification faculties of teachers in the field. 2. To use the system of selective objectives with determined purpose for the independent work of the students as a product, which would contribute to the consolidation of the necessary research skills in the process of elaboration of the bachelor theses and scientific publications. 3. The elaborated methodology, regarding the scientific research activity of the specialists in the field of physical education and sports, can be also applied in the work of the Commissions for teachers' attestation for evaluating the research competences.

The formation of scientific research activity abilities in comprehensive school is undoubtedly, a very important sphere still awaiting of particular attention. Current teaching and learning process has basically changed looking from the paradigmatic point of view. Teaching subjects become the means of realization of learners’ demands and interests. Scientific research activity is not an entertainment but a very responsible, thorough work requiring great self- independence. During this activity children’s analytic thinking becomes stronger, information search and usage abilities are being developed, they can learn to analyze the accumulated material, make presentations, prepare research reports and so on. It is important to make more pupils interested in this activity. This shouldn’t be the privilege of gifted pupils only. However, talking about the developing of scientific research activity at school, several essential questions arise: • Is it possible to teach every child to perform research activity? • What to do if a pupil wants to take up scientific research activity but school can’t provide elementary conditions for this purpose (for example, there is no equipment, no competent leader and so on.)? • How to integrate effectively scientific research elements into teaching content? Research object is training of pupils’ scientific research activity abilities and interest in comprehensive schools. Research purpose is to describe current situation of organizing and performing scientific research, to define essential factors encouraging and disturbing the pupils’ interest in scientific research activity, to determine essential peculiarities of teachers’ competence in the sphere of organizing and performing scientific research activity. Expert inquiry was applied in the research. The kind of expert inquiry is “Delphi research” which foresees expert questioning for several times (stages). The research was carried out from March to May 2008. From the group preliminary formed from 45 experts, 30 took part in the research. Experts were communicated with using e-mail. The first data analysis round was followed by the preparation of the second stage questionnaire, which consisted of closed type questions. Second stage data have been processed employing mathematical statistics. The third stage questionnaire has been prepared according to the second stage generalised results. Generalizing the results, the following conclusion can be made: • Scientific research activity in comprehensive school is undoubtedly a meaningful, integral sphere, however, for developing such kind of activity in Lithuanian comprehensive schools not an adequate attention was paid up to now; • Comprehensive school teachers seeking to form scientific research abilities and to develop such activity in the training process face various difficulties: lack of administration support, lack of pupils’ motivation, shortage of material and financial resources, etc. • According to experts, the majority of pupils are more or less interested in scientific research activity, however in a greater part of schools there are no favourable conditions. More than two thirds of experts have evaluated the current teaching process as not very appropriate for scientific research activity and teachers’ competence in the formation and development of pupils’ scientific research abilities in the training process has been evaluated as average; • It is stated, that factors disturbing pupils’ interest in scientific research activity in the teaching process are: a) lack of teachers’ motivation, b) pupils’ orientation to choose an easier, less effort demanding way, c) poor material basis of schools, d) lack of methodology how to organize pupils’ scientific research work, e) insufficient teachers’ preparation for scientific research work. • It is stated, that essential encouraging factors in the pupils’ interest in scientific research activity are such: a) teacher’s personality and activity, b) pupils’ curiosity, their wish to develop knowledge, to show themselves, c) pupil’s abilities, d) different teaching subjects’ pupils scientific conferences, seminars and other similar arrangements, e) trips, excursions to scientific establishments, meetings with scientists. • It is stated, that for positive development of scientific research activity influence should have: a) giving priorities to young scientist competition winners entering high schools, b) balance and reduction of the amount of teaching material, c) more effective cooperation of schools and scientists, d) the raise of teachers’ qualification, improvement of pedagogical and psychological preparation and so on. The majority of experts think that in the nearest 5 years there won’t occur any essential changes in this sphere: situation in the development of scientific research activity will improve a little, teachers’ competence will slightly rise. Key words: scientific research activity, comprehensive school, science education, career.

Scientific research activity (SRA) is very important in an early natural science education process. Basically, it comprises primary general education school. Natural science education process construction based on experimental-research activity is acknowledged at an international level as an effective educational approach. However, it is still very little/not enough known about teachers’ position (opinion) concerning research activity aims, research activity organisation and realisation, scientific research competence of the teachers themselves. The main students’ SRA organisation aim is to give an opportunity for the students themselves to try scientific method application, in this way acquiring and broadening natural science knowledge. Such an activity in its turn is undoubtedly practical and requires students’ creativity and proper motivation. The conducted research aim was to analyse primary class teachers’ position in the scientific research activity sphere (personal ability to organise and carry out students’ research activity evaluation, revealing the most important limitations, understanding of SRA importance and ways of improvement). 60 primary class teachers from more than 25 Lithuanian general education schools participated in the research. Data were analysed using a content analysis method. It has been stated, that most of the teachers value their abilities in SRA as satisfactory, though they treat the importance of SRA itself in education process as very significant. The essential factors hindering SRA development in a primary school were ascertained, i.e. supply limitations related to material and financial difficulties and organisational/ human factors.

Modern requirements for competitive specialists of various professional fields determine the formation of research skills, the ability to carry out scientific researches and implement the results into practice. Ukrainian universities pay considerable attention to set the necessary conditions for students scientific research activities with an orientation to the best gains of foreign experience. The article purpose: to study the historical aspects of scientific research activities organization of higher education institutions students of European countries. Research methods: historical method – used to study the researched problem in chronological order to identify certain regularities and contradictions in the process of development of research activities of students of European higher education; comparison – to highlight the peculiarities of research training of future specialists in various European universities at certain stages of the development of society; generalization – for formulating author's conclusions. Four periods can be distinguished in the evolution of the development of scientific research activities of students in European higher education: pre-professional (XI-XIII centuries) – the first universities appear, monastic schools, the formation of their internal structure, the formation of educational system with elements of research education; academic (XIV–XVIII centuries) – gaining independence from the state and the church, the right to conduct scientific researches, scientific consulting and expertise, transfer of knowledge between science and industry; reformation (XIX – first half of XX century) – creation of a centralized system of higher education with an emphasis on scientific and research activities, implementation of a number of educational reforms and transformations determining the main university models, establishment of fundamental foundations of higher education institutions – academic freedom, unity of research and education; modernization (the second half of the ХХ century – the beginning of the ХХІ century) – reforming scientific research activity system of European students in the Bologna process context, popularizing scientific research activities, stimulating and financing scientific researches, connecting universities with business structures for conducting research.

Research in computer music at the University of Padua, Italy, began in the early 1970s and was formalized in 1979 by establishing the Centro di Sonologia Computazionale (CSC). Since its foundation, CSC has established itself as a leading research center in the field of computer music. This article describes the scientific and musical research activities of the center and of the composers and members who worked in association with it in its first four decades. The center's historical background with its musical and scientific precursors is also chronicled, as are important events at CSC. An outline of its scientific research activity is then traced, with aspects of the technical details in its different areas of activities, showing the distinctive research ethos and the changing priorities of the center. Research from the 1970s is also included, as it led to the foundation of the CSC. Moreover, selected musical works, representative of CSC works from historical and scientific points of view, are described. Finally, perspectives for future developments are discussed.

In response to the requirements of general education reform, University of Education, Thai Nguyen University must simultaneously perform two tasks of improving the quality of training and developing scientific research activities and technology transfer. Therefore, many tasks for the teaching staff are studying and fostering to improve their professional qualifications, informatics, foreign languages, investing in research, compiling programs, textbooks, and learning materials. In the renewal of training objectives from providing knowledge as the main thing to promoting the capacity and qualities of students, scientific and technological activities play an important role. Students experience through scientific research activities to practice their thinking methods and practical problem-solving skills. At the same time, scientific products will enhance the reputation of the university. In fact, the university's scientific research and technology transfer activities have prospered, but have not been really synchronous and effective.

Type of the research is research development or Research and Development (R&D). The development model used in this study is the Luther development model. The development of LKPD is integrated with a scientific approach to train basic scientific literacy skills as scientific skills that have the orientation of training students to carry out scientific research activities, the process consists of 6 stages of activities, namely: 1) Define, 2) design, 3) Design materials, 4) distribution. The purpose of this research is to produce Student Worksheets Based on Scientific Approach or research activities that are valid, practical and effective. The assessment instrument consists of an assessment instrument for the validity of student worksheets and a practical instrument in the form of an LKPD practicality assessment instrument. Based on the results of data analysis, the average value of the validity of the LKPD obtained from the three expert validators in the valid category and the average value of the validity of the student worksheets (LKPD) obtained from the expert validators is a valid category, and has met the requirements of effectiveness and practicality so that LKPD can be disseminated.

In the practice of teaching school subjects, there is a positive experience of using project and research activities of schoolchildren, but when they are implemented, there is a mix of activities. The relevance of the research is due to the practical need to distinguish project-research activity as a special type of cognitive activity. The issue of convergence of project and research within the same cognitive activity is discussed, which creates the need to allocate a special type of independent cognitive activity of schoolchildren – project-research activity. Theoretical analysis of scientific-methodical literature allows us to generalize the signs, bringing project and research activities: a) independence of students as a condition of activities; b) the requirement of affordability and adaptability of the methods used; c) obtaining a subjectively meaningful and new results; d) the possibility of important personal qualities and teaching skills development; e) community of some stages: detection of relevant problems, determining goals and objectives, design and presentation of results. The author compares project, research and project-research activities based on the following characteristics: predictability of the work result, stages, goal, novelty of the result, performance criteria, implementation – and comes to the conclusion that project-research activity is a special type of educational activity with its inherent differentiating characteristics.

Objective: The need to develop methods of management of scientific – research activity using the case method is obvious in the framework of special education. Background: The relevance of the studied problem is caused by the need to develop methods of management of students' scientific- research activity by means of cases. Method: The leading method of the research of the given problem is the modeling allowing considering this problem as a process of purposeful and conscious mastering future expert's abilities to carry out monitoring of the quality of education. Results: assessment criteria of results efficiency of vocational education, determination of the essence, and classifications of methods of scientific research are presented in the article. The empirical methods of the research, methods of the organization, and assessment of students' research activity are considered. The developed cases are directed for the successful management of scientific-research activity of students. Conclusion: This research allows us to focus on the scientific-methodical provision of quality monitoring of education. Results can be used as an expansion of educational potential in the management process of students' scientific- research activity.

The article investigates the lack of a generally accepted term for the concept of “educational research activity”, in particular, in the documents of the GEF NGO. It is suggested that formulating a structural model of the abstract concept of “educational research activity” will help to specify the appropriate term in order to provide the necessary guidelines for all participants of the educational process. In this study, 32 definitions of “educational research activity” belonging to 19 authors and 12 definitions of “scientific research activity” given by nine authors were analyzed. All definitions were divided into structure-related and content-related. To identify the features of the educational research activity as a specific activity, a projection of the General model was built. For this purpose, the structural elements of the activity model, as a generic concept, necessary for this study were identified. Such elements included: aim, object, subject, conditions, means and result. The article deliberately does not consider the content or composition of the actions that make up the activity, as this issue has been extensively covered in other pedagogical publications. Features of similarity and difference of the concepts of educational and scientific research activity were investigated. The composition of the subjects of the activity is considered to be substantially different. The phenomenon of the presence of two subjects in educational research activity forms the basis of the proposed model. This phenomenon determines the duality of goals and results of the studied activity. An important element of similarity between scientific and educational research is the same means of activity - the scientific method. Knowledge of the facts of similarity and difference facilitates the specification of tasks and the role of participants in the educational process. Built on the basis of the General model, the structural model of educational research activity contributed to the clarification of the structure-related definition of the concept.

Background: One of the most important activities at universities among students is scientific research, especially with the development of science and technology nowadays. Objectives: To conduct a survey on the rate and readiness level to participate in scientific research activities of the students of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City and point out some related factors. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study on students of various majors at University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City in the 2024-2025 academic year. We conducted a survey through an online questionnaire. Results: The study recorded 5.312 students taking the survey, showing that 31,08% of students “strongly agree” and 49,83% “agree” with the importance of scientific research activities among students. 90,05% of students had already known about scientific research activities, of which 22,2% of students had participated or were participating in a scientific research activity. Among the group of students who have known and have participated or are participating in scientific research activities, the most popular form of participation is "essays, topics for specialized subjects" with 23,10% of students participating, followed by “graduation thesis, Faculty-level research topics” accounting for 22,34%. Conclusions: Students highly agree with the importance of scientific research (80,91%), over 90% of students know about scientific research activities, but only 22,2% of students have participated or are participating in a scientific research activity, this rate varies between faculties.

The formation of scientific research activity abilities in comprehensive school is undoubtedly, a very important sphere still awaiting of particular attention. Current teaching and learning process has basically changed looking from the paradigmatic point of view. Teaching subjects become the means of realization of learners’ demands and interests. Scientific research activity is not an entertainment, but a very responsible, thorough work requiring great self-independence. During this activity children’s analytic thinking becomes stronger, information search and usage abilities are being developed, they can learn to analyze the accumulated material, make presentations, prepare research reports and so on. By doing scientific research, learners approach new knowledge and new methods to solve problems of daily life. The main question is how to combine scientific research and science education. First of all we should elaborate specific policies how to encourage our learners to do scientific research. According to E.Šapokienė (1994), exploration is „a form of the organization of the educational process, when pupils become familiar with the basic methods of research, learn easily comprehensible elements of research methodology, obtain knowledge and skills to individually investigate phenomena of natural and environmental life“. This is also very important from political point of view. After qualitative analysis of the scientific information sources it is possible to separate some categories of importance of the scientific research activity of learners, for example, careers counselling, development of cognitive abilities and skills, formation of values system, development of intelligence, creativity etc. Scientific research activity in comprehensive school is undoubtedly a meaningful, integral sphere, however, for developing such kind of activity in Lithuanian comprehensive schools not an adequate attention was paid up to now. Insufficient attention devoted to scientific research activities is one of the reasons why the classes of ‘Science’ are not popular among students in different countries. We can safely assert that especially in primary school practically not an appropriate attention is paid to formation of scientific-research abilities. It is obvious, that modern teaching process is not favorable orientating pupils for scientist (researcher) career. In the given article the basic documents regulating education in Lithuania are analysed. The conclusion is drawn that the attention to scientific research activity of students is given ever less attention. Key words: scientific research activity, career, comprehensive school, science education.

Scientific research activity is an essential component of the professional activities of a higher education pedagogue. Exploring the world around, future pedagogues not only organize their knowledge about pedagogy and the profession but also form a pedagogical style, professional and personal worldview. Students' scientific research activity is an important form of professional training, characterized by meaningful and organizational diversity, involves the formation of future pedagogues' knowledge and ability to use it in practice; the methods of scientific and pedagogical research, development of abilities to the analysis, synthesis, generalization of information obtained from literature sources and in the process of studying pedagogical process. Students' scientific research activities contribute to the development of professionalism of future lecturers of pedagogy, in particular skills and experience of carrying out scientific research activities. The methods we have used in the research process included, in particular, observation, expert evaluation, modelling and forecasting. The level of professionalism of the future lecturer of pedagogy is determined in particular by the development of one’s abilities and skills to organize scientific research activities. The scientific research activity itself is an important condition for the professional growth of the future pedagogue-professional. Scientific research activities of the future pedagogue involve one’s participation in the study of a particular pedagogical situation, observation of a particular pedagogical process, the study of students’ personality development. The generalized result of such activity is the work of the future pedagogue on the implementation of qualification work, which involves advanced study of theoretical aspects, systematization of previously acquired knowledge and supplementing them in the process of practical solution of a defined problem. Here the skills of research organization, organization of the experiment and independent activity are realized.

Transformational processes in the modern society, the market approach to training of specialists, increasing of competition in the field of employment determine the relevance of the development of professional mobility of the individual. In general, professional mobility characterizes the readiness and ability of the specialist to socio-psychological and functional-status changes, innovative transformations of themselves and the environment. Obviously, the development of this quality is one of the most important tasks of the vocational school. The most intensive formation of professional mobility is facilitated by various factors, one of which is scientific research activity. The purpose of the article is to characterize the phenomenon of scientific research activity of a modern specialist as a factor of the formation of his professional mobility. Research methods: analysis and synthesis of scientific literature (to clarify the key concepts of the study), systematization (in order to identify existing scientific approaches to solving this problem), theoretical generalization (to formulate the final provisions and conclusions). The phenomenon of scientific research activity is considered on the example of the specialty «Social work». Scientific research activity is an integral component of social work, which is formed through the separation of the scientific research subsystem in its system. This interpretation of scientific research activity allows us to identify its most important features: it is an empirical scientific research activity; it is purposeful and characterized by the relationship of certain elements, procedures and methods; it is built within the framework of logical and constructive schemes, methods and means of cognition inherent in research activities; it is performed in accordance with the research algorithm; relies on the facts that require empirical verification; the result is new knowledge about the objects of social activity; is a methodological regulation that sets the logical direction of choice of methods and means of activity. In the process of scientific research activity there is the development of professional, systematic, logical, reflective, creative and innovative thinking, the ability to predict the results of work depending on the conditions of activity.