Primary Education Institutions Research Articles

METHODOLOGICAL FEATURES OF USING IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGIES IN PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER TRAINING

The article discusses the features of using immersive technologies in the educational process of primary school. In the context of distance and blended learning, in addition to the use of various digital technologies, Internet resources and interactive tools in the educational process, it is effective to use special software tools to visualize, demonstrate and reproduce various phenomena. The need to train future teachers to use immersive technologies and the lack of methodological support for teachers proves the relevance of the chosen research topic. In the article, the authors demonstrate the advantages of using immersive technologies (virtual and augmented reality), virtual laboratories and mobile applications in the training of future primary school teachers in the integrated course "Art". The article presents a sample of existing immersive applications that educators most often use in art classes. Based on the analysis of modern online resources, it is proposed to systematize them in terms of their use in the educational process of higher education institutions under martial law for the training of future primary school teachers. In the conditions of the real educational process, the study was conducted on the basis of Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University and during the internship of students in the secondary school of Kyiv. Kyiv, which made it possible to identify the best software tools for use in primary education institutions and during the training of students majoring in 013 "Primary Education": information and reference (electronic encyclopedias, virtual tours, 360° museums), simulation programs (Crayola Art-Studio multimedia graphic editor, Crello online tool, PaperOne training program), laboratories (Chrome Music Lab (Oscillators, Kandinsky, Sound Waves, etc.) Toyteatre). Ensuring that future primary school teachers are properly trained in the use of immersive technologies is a key to successful informatization of education, which will ensure quality and effective education for future generations.

ІНТЕРНАЦІОНАЛІЗАЦІЯ ЄВРОПЕЙСЬКИХ ПРИВАТНИХ ЗАКЛАДІВ СЕРЕДНЬОЇ ОСВІТИ: ДОСВІД ДЛЯ УКРАЇНИ

Since the end of the twentieth century, the intensification of globalization processes has led to the transformation of the global education market, which takes the form of cross-border education. These processes contribute to the intensification of educational competition, which encourages countries to increase their international competitiveness, including by combining national cultural identity and international standards of educational services. Primary and secondary education institutions, one of the main components that form the system of values and beliefs in society, are the first to involve their students in the international environment. Strengthening the involvement of Ukrainian educational institutions in these processes is especially relevant in the context of preserving and developing the demographic potential of our country as one of the critical factors in the strategy of rebuilding the Ukrainian economy in the context of full-scale armed aggression by rf. Given the global experience of comparing the efficiency of educational institutions of different ownership forms, the concentration on private educational institutions is relevant. The analysis of the peculiarities of the transformation of the private segment of educational services in recent years and the study of foreign internationalization practices in general secondary education confirms the growing competition in the market of educational services, which forces institutions to improve the quality of educational services through the implementation of an effective model of internationalization of educational institutions. It is proposed to use foreign experience to address the issue of reducing teacher turnover and increasing the capacity of internationalization of Ukrainian secondary education institutions: transition from a school of knowledge to a school of competencies; personalization of education; facilitating access to national and international scientific infrastructures at the state level; deepening cooperation with the scientific diaspora; development of a mechanism for international mobility of teachers of Ukrainian secondary education institutions by the Ministry of Education and Science.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES OF THE UNION OF THE CHURCHES OF THE EVANGELICAL AUGSBURG AND HELVETIC CONFESSIONS IN INTER-WAR GALICIA

The article covers the activities of the Union of the Churches of the Evangelical Augsburg and Helvetic Confessions in Inter-war Galicia in the 20s–30s of the 20th century, aimed at satisfying the cultural and educational needs of German parishioners. It shows, that in the interwar years, the Polish state pursued such a national-educational and religious policy towards the German minority of the region, the result of which was supposed to be the denationalization and assimilation of the German population, given that Protestant pastors made significant efforts both to preserve the national separateness of the Germans of the region and to support continuous spiritual connection with the German culture. It confirms that education and culture specifically served as the unifying factors that protected the German colonists of Galicia from assimilation processes and strengthened their connection with the population of Germany. Likewise, it has been established that the Protestant clergy focused their activities on the religious upbringing of children and youth of German nationality, the development of private German-language primary and secondary schools, youth religious societies, and charitable organizations, which became the stronghold of German identity in interwar Galicia. The article reveals that primary private German-language educational institutions, which were attended by about 59.1 % of all German students in the region, operated with the help of the union. Those included two gymnasiums in Lviv and Stanislaviv, as well as the German National University. The author of the article asserts that the pastors’ active participation in the development of private national schooling was partly a response to the obstacles that the Polish authorities placed on the way to the development of German-language educational institutions. It was observed that through the organization of private German-language schools, the pastors tried to raise the level of national and religious consciousness of the devotees to some extent. The author suggests that through active pastoral and educational activities of the union’s clergy, the parishioners were closely connected with the German national culture, which contributed to the preservation of their ethnic identity. Keywords Protestantism, religious communities, German population, Galicia, the Polish state, educational institutions.

Adoption Complexities of Technology Innovations in Education: Uganda’s Covid-19 Experience

Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to examine the adoption complexities amidst the abrupt emergent shift to technological innovations in education, caused by Covid-19 that led to fundamental transformations (like shock to human life, shattered businesses, feelings of uncertainty, school closures, reduced human contact, adoption of online learning among others). Specifically, this greatly frustrated the education sector more than ever before. The transformation was intended to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 pandemic, but also, as a means to transition into the 4th Industrial Revolution. Design/ Methodology/Approach: A cross sectional qualitative approach was used to collect data purposively selected from primary, secondary, nursing, seminary and higher education institutions that were to undo the varying learning challenges amidst lockdown brought by the government to flatten the infection curve and reduce total fatalities from the contagious pandemic. Thematic, content and narrative analyses were adopted to make sense out of the generated data. Findings: The study revealed that different institutions had been affected in different ways ranging from minimal differentiated teaching, quality observance, skills possession and mastery, competency-based approaches, differentiated approaches, diminished team learning, costly internet connections, questionable infrastructure and students’ inability to comprehend content delivered through technology assisted instruction. Originality/Value: The paper suggests that amidst these challenges, education institutions transitioned into stable blended learning environment. Therefore, it is about time that all education institutions revamped existing curricula to incorporate critical strategies into technology assisted teaching and learning to meet work skills of the future and to mitigate similar adversities.

The principle of cultural relevance in the training of future specialists of primary education institutions

The principle of cultural relevance in the training of future specialists of primary education institutions

The Effects of STEM Education on Mathematics, Science, and English Language Development Skills

As STEM-related occupations and innovations continue to proliferate and expand upon the quality of life, it becomes more relevant than ever to ensure that Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education provides the skills and benefits necessary to maintain growth through future generations. However, STEM education is heavily focused on higher education institutions rather than primary and secondary education institutions, where developmental skills are often trained. This study aims to discuss the intellectual benefits that STEM education provides through the subjects of math and science, where critical thinking and analysis skills are often exercised, as well as the benefits of STEM education in English language development. This study finds that STEM education benefits cognitive skills such as critical thinking, spatial visualization, creating hypotheses, experimentation, and drawing conclusions, as well as language skills such as register, communication, and argumentation. These effects indicate that more attention should be placed on implementing STEM education in non-higher education institutions to maximize the benefits that STEM education can bring.

PRE-PROFESSIONAL CHOREOGRAPHIC TRAINING IN THE STRUCTURE OF PRIMARY SPECIALIZED ART EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS: HISTORICAL AND PEDAGOGICAL ASPECT

The article reveals the peculiarities of the development of choreographic education in Ukraine in primary specialized art educational institutions (PSAEI) in the historical-pedagogical discourse, analyzes the organization, structure, content component of choreographic training of student youth in the specified types of institutions. In the process of holistic consideration of the outlined problem, the methods of system-structural, pedagogical and retrospective analysis, as well as the method of theoretical generalization, were used. Based on the study of a wide range of archival sources, it was found that in terms of their structure, target guidelines, organization of the educational process, art schools had signs of binary nature, combining the characteristics of an extracurricular institution and a professional education institution. The general concept of the development of children's art schools was written down in statutory regulations, where it was noted that the educational process is carried out on the basis of a personal-oriented approach to students, ensuring artistic and creative activity and a personal-value attitude to varieties of art. At various stages of formation and development, children's art schools united common functional characteristics such as early professional orientation of pupils, creation of a favorable educational environment for the upbringing of a creative personality with a special type of education, aimed at continuing artistic training in pre-higher and higher education institutions.
 The educational significance of the phenomenon of children's dance creativity in art schools as a component of pre-professional choreographic education is clarified. It was observed that in the out-of-school structure, primary art education institutions were an effective form of organizing pre-professional choreographic training. By combining general education and professionally oriented choreographic training, they had a great potential for forming dance performing abilities in systemic and multifaceted choreographic work. We define the early professionalization of education and the correlation of narrowly professional and general choreographic training as progressive trends in the development of pre-professional choreographic education in the studied types of schools. In addition to the realization of the tasks of self-realization and general cultural development of pupils, choreographic training provided them with prospects for further specialized training.

Children’s Exposure to Radon in Schools and Kindergartens in the Republic of Moldova

This work presents the results from measurements of radon concentrations in primary and high school education institutions—including their gymnasiums—from the Chisinau municipality and various rayons from the central and southern part of the Republic of Moldova. In the research carried out during the years of 2013–2014 and 2021, there were 78 (29 + 49) premises included, respectively, and 149 and 23,805 investigations were performed using RTM-1642 (active measurements) and RadonEye+2 devices (passive measurements). The results show an essential variability for the studied radio-stressogenic factor, depending on the geological conditions of the location of the premises and the age of the building. Thus, during 2013–2014, the minimum concentration of radon detected was 26 Bq m−3, and the maximum detected was 607 Bq m−3. In 2021, the results denote an indicator variability in the range of 17.4–657.9 Bq m−3 for early education institutions, with an average value of 127.6 Bq m−3, and denote a range of 231.8–1129.3 Bq m−3, with an average value of 665.4 Bq m−3), for high school education institutions and their gymnasiums. The effective annual dose for the children in a classroom varies between an interval of 0.21–4.88 mSv y−1 (average 1.19 mSv y−1) and 0.14–9.08 mSv y−1 (average 1.29 mSv y−1) for the 2013–2014 and 2021 surveys, respectively.

Students in the New Normal: Their Experiences in the Pandemic’s Limited Face-to-Face Classes

To better understand how students adjusted to the limited face-to-face learning environment during the Covid-19 pandemic, this study focused on their experiences, challenges, and motivations acquired during that time. The study employed phenomenological research and Collaizi’s seven steps of data analysis. Twenty students were purposively selected and consulted to share their learning experiences during the pandemic’s limited face-to-face classes. The findings showed that students’ main challenges with attending limited face-to-face classes were a lack of instructional time and collaboration, difficulty understanding the lessons and activities, and an adjustment period. Nevertheless, despite these challenges, they are highly motivated to keep learning in class. Thus, emerging themes were also detected, such as completing studies for the future, steadfast commitment to learning, fulfilling their life’s dreams, and appreciating education despite challenges. The findings demonstrated that students must focus on their motivation to learn in adjusting to the limited face-to-face classes. However, because there were only twenty participants in this study, those individuals’ viewpoints do not fairly reflect the student body across the country. In this regard, the researchers recommended including teachers in the later years of the pandemic researching difficulties and motivations. Primary education institutions should strengthen the limited face-to-face classes, reevaluate the curriculum, equip the staff, modernize the facilities, implement a strategic plan, and evaluate every part of the plan to maintain teaching and learning continuity in the new normal of education.

The Role of Interactive Teaching Methods in Shaping the Innovative Competence of Future Teachers of Primary Education Institutions

The article reveals the problematics of forming innovation competence of future primary school teachers in the study of professional subjects. The relevance of the chosen topic is indicated. The aim of the study, which consists in substantiating the role of interactive teaching methods in the formation of innovative competence of future teachers of primary education institutions, is substantiated. A number of theoretical and empirical methods of scientific research, in particular analysis, generalization and systematization, observation, was used in the course of the study to achieve the objectives. The results. It is stated that the requirements for compulsory learning outcomes are defined taking into account the competence-based approach to learning, which is based on key competences. One of the key competences is innovativeness. It implies openness to new ideas, initiation of changes in a close environment, formation of skills, attitudes, which are the basis of competence approach, provide further ability to learn successfully, carry out professional activities, feel themselves as a part of the community and participate in community affairs. It is established that an important role in the formation of innovative competence is played by interactive learning, which is a specific form of organization of cognitive activity, which provides creation of such learning conditions, in which each applicant feels its success, intellectual ability. The focus is on the content of interactive learning methods: design thinking, feedback, decision tree, mind maps, jury, case-method, etc. Examples of the implementation of these methods in the teaching of professional subjects «Didactics», «Theory and Methodology of Educational Work», «Methods of teaching an integrated course «I am exploring the world»» to 2nd and 3rd year students are presented. Topics of classes and methods of implementing interactive methods are indicated. Conclusions. According to the results of the research, the above-mentioned interactive learning methods open up tools for students, using which they will be able to start thinking innovatively and see their hidden possibilities. After all, using the methods described in the article is not only a time requirement, it is a sign of a knowledgeable person with a high degree of organization and thinking. The research results obtained during the experiment have allowed the authors of the article to assert that interactive teaching methods effectively influence the process of forming the innovative competence of future teachers of primary education institutions, because the students who participated in the experiment showed positive results. The authors argue that the formed innovative competence of future primary school teachers is necessary for pedagogical activities in the New Ukrainian School, because it is innovation as a key competence defined in the State Standard of Primary Education.

Biological models and replicas in Museu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do Porto, Portugal

Biological models and replicas were in their heyday in the nineteenth century when they were common in primary, elementary, secondary and higher education institutions, as they were frequently used to illustrate anatomical structures mentioned in textbooks and scientific papers. Biological models and replicas are part of the heritage of the Museu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do Porto (Natural History and Science Museum, University of Oporto) offering insights into the world of these unique collections. We performed a study on the use of these industrial-made models and replicas of the internal or/and external anatomy of animals and plants that accompanied many of the practical demonstrations in comparative biology and anatomy classes at the Academia Politécnica do Porto and, later on, at the Universidade do Porto, its successor. Artisanal models and replicas were also used in biology and anthropology classes. This research on these special items helps promote their value and contributes to the dissemination of information and may be relevant to other institutions owning identical models.

Penguatan Pendidikan Karakter di Sekolah Dasar: Studi Implementasi di SD Brawijaya Smart School

The 21st-century skills focus on cognitive aspects and various complex aspects, including character-related ones. The emergence of various phenomena, such as catching up with children, bullying, and several cases of moral degradation in the younger generation, reinforces the importance of strengthening character education, especially at the basic education level. To develop the implementation of character education, many primary education institutions have a program strategy to create a school culture that supports the formation of the character of students. SD Brawijaya Smart School is one of the schools that implements character education at the elementary school level. This study aims to strengthen religious character education in schools, supporting and inhibiting factors. The researcher used an approach with a descriptive type. The results show that to build religious character, schools have done several things, including (a) habituation of reading Asmaul Husna, (b) habituation of disciplined attitudes, (c) habituation of responsibility attitudes, and (d)Qur'an literacy habituation. The supporting factors support the character of the school (a) the support from the parents of students, (b) the commitment of the entire school community, and (c) adequate facilities. In addition, there are inhibiting factors that strengthen the character, including (a) the availability of students' internet networks that are not evenly distributed, (b) limited time for courageous learning, and (c) the need for awareness of students

A Comparison of Undergraduate Teacher Training Programs for Islamic Religion Lessons: The Example of Germany

Almanya’nın çeşitli yükseköğretim kurumlarında İslam Din Eğitimi programlarının açıldığı görülmektedir. Genellikle lisans ve lisansüstü düzeylerde eğitim veren bu programların amacı, ilk ve ortaöğretim kurumlarında verilecek İslam Din Dersleri için öğretmen yetiştirmektir. Bu bağlamda araştırmada Münster, Frankfurt-Giessen ve Tübingen üniversiteleri İslam din dersi öğretmenliği lisans programları çeşitli değişkenler açısından karşılaştırılmıştır. Böylece söz konusu üniversitelerin öğrenci kabul şartları, öğrenim süreleri, alan modülleri ve kredileri ile mezuniyet şartlarıyla ilgili benzerlikler ve farklılıklar belirlenmeye çalışılmıştır. Çalışmanın amacı, İslam din dersi öğretmeni yetiştiren lisans programlarının incelenmesi, çeşitli değişkenler açısından karşılaştırılması, imkân ve sınırlarının belirlenmesidir. Çalışmada nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden doküman incelemesi kullanılmıştır. Bunun için karşılaştırması yapılan İslam din dersi öğretmenliği lisans programları ve ilgili dokümanlar temin edilmiş, incelenmiş, aralarındaki benzerlik ve farklılıklar araştırma soruları çerçevesinde tespit edilmeye çalışılmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda söz konusu öğretmen yetiştirme programları arasında öğrenci kabul şartları ile mezuniyet şartlarında benzerlikler varken, ders modülleri ile öğrenim sürelerinde farklılıklar olduğu belirlenmiştir. Elde edilen sonuçlardan hareketle İslam din dersi öğretmeni yetiştirme programlarına öneriler getirilmiştir.

Groundwater arsenic poisoning in a primary educational institution: health risks to school-going children

This study aimed to estimate arsenic (As) and iron (Fe) content in tubewell water (n = 58) in primary educational institutions and subsequently assess the health risks to school-going children. Results described that the As concentration ranged between 0.002 and 0.994 mg L−1 with an average value of 0.044 mg L−1; which exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) provisional guideline value of 0.01 mg L−1. Similarly, the Fe content varied from 0.05 to 10 mg L−1 averaging to 2.84 mg L−1. Samples of 55.17% contained a greater As concentration than 0.01 mg L−1 and 18.97% greater than Bangladesh drinking water quality (BDWQ) standard of 0.05 mg L−1, respectively. Meanwhile, 75.86% of samples contained a higher Fe concentration than the maximum Bangladesh permissible limit of 1 mg L−1. Health risk assessment indicated that girls are more vulnerable than boys are. The average hazard quotients (HQs) for As intake through drinking water were 6.01 ± 17.85 and 7.41 ± 22.03 for boys and girls, respectively, implying non-carcinogenic health risks to both genders. The HQs for Fe intake were less than threshold value of 1 indicating no health issues may arise from Fe intake alone. However, consumption of As and Fe may trigger health risks to students as indicated by the hazard index (HI), which was higher than 1. The average cancer risk (CR) values for both boys (0.0027 ± 0.008) and girls (0.0033 ± 0.0099) exceeded the threshold limit of 10–6–10–4, suggesting a possibility of lifetime cancer risks to the school-going children. Consequently, school authorities should find alternative ways to ensure safe drinking water for school-going children to avoid possible cancer and non-cancer health risks through consumption of As-poisoning water.

Analisis Kondisi Status Sosial Ekonomi Keluarga Dalam Menunjang Pemenuhan Kebutuhan Pendidikan Anak

Education is an urgent and necessary thing for every individual. As for children, education is a basic need that will support the development of children's mindset, character, and skills. Meeting the educational needs of children is the responsibility of the family, especially parents because the family is the primary and first educational institution for a child. However, in meeting children's educational needs, the condition of the family's socioeconomic status can become a problem in itself. The method used in this research is library research. The study aims to describe the condition of the family's socioeconomic status in supporting the fulfillment of children's education. The results of the study show that the socioeconomic status of the family can have an impact on meeting the educational needs of children.

Teacher Training Policies and Determination Of Inadequacies

Research conducted in this study aims to determine teachers' opinions regarding how the primary school teacher training policies of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) can be improved. For this purpose, 50 teachers working in primary education institutions were selected to determine the study group. Teachers' opinions were collected through semi-structured interviews. Within the framework of the data obtained from the semi-structured interview forums, it has been tried to determine what are the points that are not considered sufficient in the primary school teacher training policies. Based on the results obtained, there were negative or unpopular opinions regarding teacher training, opinions about the training program adopted, opinions on teachers' competence, opinions on which gains should be prioritized in teacher training programs, opinions about which courses and topics should be included in teacher training programs, and opinions on teacher training in general.

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: OPINIONS OF SCHOOL PRINCIPALS IN GREECE

The importance of the present research arises from the value that has been given – at the national, European, and international level – to the work of the teacher and the necessity of his or her professional development but also in the research gap that exists in this field. The aim of the research was to clarify the views of school principals on factors influencing their professional development. A questionnaire was administered through the Google form. The data were analyzed using the SPSS v.25. To reply to the research questions, the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis and the Pearson coefficient were used to assess the statistical significance of the data. The sample consisted of 100 primary school principals in Greece. The results of the study showed differences in attitudes towards professional development between heads of primary education institutions with different specializations. Participants with a specialization in math and computer sciences more often supported the idea that their professional development depends on their basic studies. Those who specialized in humanities, agreed on a higher level that their professional development depends on their first two years of education experience, participation in introductory training programs, participation in training programs organized by the state and on the school culture, and their transition to another school or position. The participants who followed a science field were more positive about their professional development depending on their participation in European mobility programs, the professional support they get from their colleagues, and the way the school leadership is practiced. There were differences in the understanding of the role of the educational institution in supporting the professional development of teachers depending on the professional experience of the participants: its importance was recognized by teachers who had less than five or more than thirty years of professional experience. It was found that the more positive was the attitude of the participants toward their own professional development, the wider range of needs for further training they expressed. Most often, such needs related to improving professional competence in such areas as classroom management, solving problems with complex student behavior and school discipline, counseling, and assessment of students.

Yardımcı Ders Materyali Olarak Posta Pulları

Pullar, parasal değerlerinin yanı sıra, bir takım işlevsel özellikleriyle (tanıtım, propaganda, sanat, görsel öğrenme vb.) iletişim sürecine katkıda bulunurlar. Bu çalışmanın amacı; ilköğretim kurumlarında etkili bir öğrenme ortamı oluşturmak için, veri toplama araçlarından doküman analizi yöntemiyle ulaşılan posta pullarının göstergebilim analiziyle belirlenen bilim dallarında belirlenen yaş grubundaki öğrencilere sağlayacağı katkıyı ortaya koyarak, posta pullarının ilköğretim kurumlarında yardımcı ders materyali olarak konumlandırılması gerekliliğine yönelik farkındalık sağlamaktır. Araştırma kapsamında; Pulun tanımı yapılmış ve öğrenme kuramlarıyla ilişkisine değinilmiştir. Bu bağlamda filatelinin (pul bilimi); astronomi, biyoloji, coğrafya, fizik, kimya, matematik, müzik, tarih ve tıp gibi disiplinlerle ilişkisi anlatılmıştır. 9 farklı bilim alanı ve kişisel pul uygulaması üzerinden oluşturulan bu çalışmada toplam 24 posta pulu kullanılmıştır. Bu görsellerin 14’ü yerli, 7’si yabancı, 3’ü ise kişisel pullardan oluşmaktadır. Araştırma sonunda, akademinin desteğiyle yapılacak bir etüt çalışmasıyla pulların, ilköğretim kurumlarında yardımcı ders materyali olarak kullanılabileceği çıkarımında bulunulmuştur.

Жизненные перспективы, ценности и цели молодежи Сибири (по данным исследования в Сибирском федеральном округе)

The article presents the results of a sociological study of the problems of professional and life self-determination of young people in the context of digitalization, one of the goals of which was to identify the ideas of modern youth about life prospects, goals and values. In the course of the study, a survey of young people aged 14–35 years was conducted in ten subjects of the Siberian Federal District. The survey was conducted in October-November 2021.The sample totaled 5,092 males and females representing various social groups: schoolchildren, students of primary vocational education institutions, secondary vocational education institutions, higher educational institutions and working youth. The article provides a comparative analysis of the views of various groups of young people regarding future prospects, goals and values. In the course of studying the issue of future planning horizons, the authors came to the conclusion that modern youth, regardless of which group they belong to, for the most part plan their future from several days to 5 years away. As a result of the study, it was found that the achievement of material well-being and the creation of a family are the most important life goals of students and working youth, while schoolchildren chose education and future professional success as priority goals. Respondents of almost all groups of young people named a high level of intelligence and moral support of relatives as the main factors contributing to the achievement of their goals. The availability of start-up capital is noted as an important success factor by representatives of working youth. The results of the study allow us to conclude that for different social groups of young people, meaningful life values are formed on the basis of different semantic structures, which are based on different combinations of patriotism, nepotism, economic well-being and creative, spiritual realization. The article analyzes the degree of satisfaction with various aspects of the life of modern youth. A high degree of dissatisfaction with certain aspects of life among the category of working youth was noted. A positive trend marked the growing importance of patriotic values and a growing understanding of the importance of developing intellectual abilities, education, and continuous self-development. The study of life prospects in the context of values, goals and meanings is important, as it allows one to assess the direction, motivation and trends of the choices of modern youth.

Anthropometric perspective to classroom furniture ergonomics and the need for standards in Nigerian schools.

Classroom furniture designs have been implicated in musculoskeletal disorders among school age persons due to high level mismatches between the furniture dimensions and users' anthropometrics. The objective of the study was to analyze classroom furniture ergonomics at selected primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions in Nigeria and to understand if there are noticeable patterns in the match/mismatch. Anthropometric measures relevant to furniture design were obtained from primary and secondary school children as well as from university undergraduates. The dimensions of classroom furniture available to the participants were also taken and an assessment of the suitability of the furniture was completed. The ergonomic evaluation of the classroom furniture available to the study participants revealed enormous discrepancies between the furniture dimensions and the anthropometric measures of the users. In addition, a pattern was observed in the way the matches/mismatches occurred. The furniture dimensions that matched majority of the users tend to match across the three categories and those that did not match majority of the students, also followed the same pattern. The study presents remarkably high levels of mismatches between classroom furniture and users' anthropometrics and therefore calls for a review of the policies for classroom furniture design in Nigeria, if at all any policy exists.