Russian Teachers Research Articles

Methodological conditions of teaching Russian as a foreign language and their implementation at Kazan Innovation University named after V.G. Timiryasov

The article analyzes the implementation by teachers of Kazan Innovative University named after V.G. Timiryasov of methodological conditions for teaching foreign students Russian as a foreign language, evaluates the effectiveness of the implementation of these conditions in terms of students achieving different levels of proficiency in the Russian language. The methodological recommendations of leading experts in the field of RCT on the maximum allowable number of students in a group of 8 people are substantiated. The requirement is being considered that classes in a group should be conducted by two teachers at the same time (in the weekly schedule, both teachers work in a 50%/50% ratio. This helps to overcome the effect of «getting used» to the timbre of a foreign student’s voice, the pace of speech and the phonetic features of a native Russian speaker. Each teacher activates all types of speech activity in each lesson: speaking, writing, listening, reading and learning vocabulary and grammar. The use of various non-academic forms of improving language skills in teaching foreign students allows students to actively train speaking and listening skills, expand their horizons by getting acquainted with the surrounding foreign cultural reality outside the framework of academic classes. A fundamentally important methodological point is the «re-equipment» of study groups after foreign students have passed the test for a certain level of Russian language acquisition, depending on the results demonstrated by the students. An important condition for ensuring the effectiveness of RCT training is interaction with the parents of students. Kazan Innovative University named after V.G. Timiryasov, when organizing the teaching of Russian as a foreign language to foreign citizens in a remote format, focuses in this process on ensuring «live» communication with the teacher.

Internationalization of higher education in times of crisis: from globalist tendencies to the search for national priorities

Introduction. Global socio-political crises of our time, which limit the traditional forms of international cooperation for Russian universities, actualize the problem of searching for the most effective models of internationalization of higher education. At present, the nationally-oriented model corresponds to the goals and conditions of the organization of international activities in higher education to the greatest extent. The aim of the article is to identify the possibilities of implementation of the nationally-oriented model of internationalization of higher education in the assessment of scientific and pedagogical staff. Materials and methods. The study is based on general scientific methods, the principle of additionality of approaches of Russian and foreign researchers. Two-hundred thirty pedagogical profile teachers of Novgorod State University (Russian Federation) took part in the survey. Google Forms service was used to collect statistical information. Data collection was carried out from September 2022 to June 2023. Results of the study. The majority of survey participants who had experience of international cooperation believe that internationalization is important for the development of teacher education. This view is shared by more than half of the respondents who had no international experience. The use of foreign educational practices is considered useful by 32% of respondents. The same number of teachers use educational technologies borrowed from abroad and adapted to the specific realities of the university. The majority of respondents would like to continue international cooperation. Social motives (58%), pragmatic motives (52%), and cognitive motives (75%) dominate among the respondents. A total of 11% of respondents believe that internationalization is harmful to Russian teacher education because it has a pro-Western influence on young people. A significant number of teachers (33%) support the rejection of the Bologna system, as it is, in their opinion, alien to Russian pedagogical traditions. Conclusions. The obtained data suggest that various programs of scientific and educational cooperation with universities of friendly countries are currently in demand and will be able to replace European directions of international activities. The results of the study have shown that at present there is a transition from globalist approaches to internationalization of higher education to models focused on national priorities in Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University, like in other Russian universities.

Analysis of the verbal image of Russia and Russians in the process of teaching RFL

Importance. The development of a positive attitude towards Russia and its inhabitants is a priority task for a teacher of Russian as a foreign language. It seems necessary to carry out purposeful work in creating a system of verbal images of Russia and Russians in the representation of foreign students. The purpose of the study is to explore the theoretical prerequisites for studying the verbal image and describing the components of the verbal image of Russia and Russians among foreign students.Materials and Methods. The results analysis of a survey conducted among international undergraduate students at the Institute of Russian as a Foreign Language of the Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University revealed the components of the verbal image of Russia. The data obtained are taken into account when teaching Russian as a foreign language to form a positive image of the country.Results and Discussion. The results analysis of the first survey of foreign students revealed negative associations in the minds of foreigners, which must be corrected, as they reduce motivation to master the Russian language. The results of the second survey of foreign students after training demonstrate the presence of positive verbal images in their minds, proving the effectiveness of the training.Conclusion. The results obtained in the course of the study have theoretical and practical significance, as they enable a teacher of Russian as a foreign language to predict possible negative verbal images of Russia among foreign students, take them into account when teaching Russian to foreigners and, thereby, make the process more effective.

Гуманное воспитание как основа исправления: о съездах по проблеме детских правонарушений в Российской империи (вторая половина XIX – начало XX века)

By analysing historical sources, the study aims to shed light on the role of congresses of Russian correctional institutions’ representatives in the formation of humane education as the basis for the correction of juvenile offenders in Russian penal colonies in the second half of the 19th and the early 20th century. The paper analyzes the problem of juvenile delinquency in pre-revolutionary Russia, which is relevant to the history of pedagogy. The study is novel in that it is the first to present a detailed analysis of the activities of congresses of Russian correctional institutions’ representatives held to discuss significant issues on the education and correction of juvenile offenders. The authors note that the relevant problems of educational and correctional institutions for juvenile offenders were covered at the congresses. Based on the analysis of materials from the Central State Historical Archive of St. Petersburg, the activities of the Second Congress, held in 1884, are presented in detail. It is important to emphasize that such events provided an opportunity to solve problematic issues, which had a positive impact on the pedagogical process, making it most effective and efficient. As a result of the study, it was found that the material presented in this paper is important for pedagogical science. This is explained by the possibility of extrapolating from the experience of correctional institutions of the past to the practice of modern educational colonies for juvenile offenders. Based on the ideas of Russian teachers of the second half of the 19th and the early 20th century, the authors emphasize the need to apply educational retro-technologies in penitentiary practice at the present time, referring primarily to humane education as the basis for correcting children who have broken the law.

The educational text in integrative teaching of Russian as a native language in schools of Kazakhstan

Relevance. Language teaching in schools of the Republic of Kazakhstan (RK) is implemented considering all current trends and includes the use of innovative methods. Special attention in the process of language education in schools of the Republic of Kazakhstan is paid to the study of Kazakh, English, and Russian languages.Purpose. The purpose is to conduct an investigation on the linguodidactic possibilities of integrated learning among students in educational institutions with Russian as the language of instruction and to assess the effectiveness of the author�s integrated course in teaching the Russian language as a native language.Methodology. To achieve this goal, methods of analysis and synthesis, comparison, observing the educational process, and a specially developed author�s experimental programme of integrative teaching of the Russian language in communication lessons were used.Results. The study describes the linguodidactic possibilities of integrative teaching of the Russian language in the conditions of updating the content of school education in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The possibilities of the educational text in teaching Russian as a native language are described. An attempt is made to identify the educational potential of the educational text as an integrative category. A study was conducted among tenth-grade students of the Municipal State Institution �Secondary School No. 125� of Almaty, which demonstrated the effectiveness of the developed experimental programme of integrative learning. Examples of specific tasks from the tested experimental programme are given and their effectiveness is determined. The views of teachers and schoolchildren on the approved programme and its effectiveness are identified.Conclusions. The results can be used by teachers of the Russian language in schools of the Republic of Kazakhstan to improve the quality of the educational process, by the management of educational institutions when compiling a school educational programme and introducing integrative courses into it.

Организация учителем междисциплинарных исследований для школьников 8-11 классов на внеурочных занятиях по гуманитарным и естественно-математическим предметам

The research aims to reveal the peculiarities of interdisciplinary research organization for pupils in grades 8-11 by a teacher in extracurricular classes in the humanities, mathematics and natural sciences. The paper describes the implementation of an interdisciplinary approach in Russian and foreign school education, highlights the problems of its use in the activities of Russian teachers. The authors present the results of a modeling experiment showing a low level of high school students’ readiness to establish interdisciplinary connections during the study of popular scientific texts in the humanities, mathematics and natural sciences. The scientific novelty of the work lies in determining the pedagogical conditions for organizing interdisciplinary research for pupils in grades 8-11 during extracurricular classes in the humanities, mathematics and natural sciences. As a result of organizing interdisciplinary team research for schoolchildren in the context of the interrelation of curricular and extracurricular cognitive activities, the development of pupils’ motivation to master modern scientific knowledge, creative activity, technological readiness for search activities, scientific style of thinking was noted; the deepening of the content of the academic disciplines (Chemistry, History) was achieved, maintaining its consistency and systematicity.

A lifelong worker in the field of public education: on the 150th birthday anniversary of P. O. Afanasyev

The paper describes the life path of the prominent scholar Pyotr Onisimovich Afanasyev. P. O. Afanasyev developed a methodology for teaching the native language in elementary school originated by F. I. Buslaev and K. D. Ushinsky. In his works, he also gave a detailed description of the basic concepts of methodology as a science froma historical perspective. The scientist designed a course in Russian language teaching methodology for vocational and higher educational institutions, prepared textbooks and study aids of various types which have gone through many editions.P. O. Afanasyev contributed enormously to training teachers taking professional development courses. The paper presents the methodologist’s main works and outlines his pedagogical views and ideas. Among these ideas are adopt ingthe activity approach to learning, using active forms of class organisation, paying attention to students’ oral speech development, and increasing students’ general cultural level through teaching Russian. The study focuses on the issues of students’ speech culture and speaking skills enhancement, which are reflected in almost all methodological writings of P. O. Afanasyev. The article also provides examples of specific assignments and best practices. The research relied on the analysis of scientific, teaching and learning, reference, and popular science materials, as well as the search and descriptive methods. The article concludes that P. O. Afanasyev contributed significantly to the development of Russian language teaching methodology in primary and secondary school. He also promoted the development of the system ofteaching the Russian language to non-Russian students. The paper highlights the enduring value of the scientist’s ideas, his approaches to teaching Russian. Many of them remain in demand under modern conditions as well.

Remuneration of teachers in Russia: problem statement

The subject of the study is two main models according to which the current systems of remuneration of teachers of general education organizations in Russia are built. The analysis of the norms revealed that federal legislation refers the issues of establishing wage systems to the competence of educational organizations. At the same time, there are no mandatory regulatory requirements for the salary amount, as well as for the composition and amount of surcharges and allowances of teachers as such. At the federal level, only a number of guarantees have been established to ensure the minimum wage for teachers, while the choice of specific mechanisms for its implementation is given to the level of subjects of the Russian Federation, local governments, educational organizations. The study of regional and municipal regulatory legal acts has shown that the absence in the salary system of centralized regulatory consolidation of restrictions on the structure of the salary fund at school, if many recommendations on the size and proportion of salaries are not followed, leads to a blurring of the salary structure, a large and unjustified regional differentiation of the base salary and its low level. A large gap in the amount of rates independently set in the subjects of the Russian Federation leads to different pay for work of equal value, which violates one of the basic principles of labor law — equal pay for work of equal value, and puts the material (and, as a consequence, social) position of teachers dependent not on the quality and quantity of their work, it depends on the level of economic development of the region. The article criticizes the idea of introducing a single federal salary as a measure aimed at increasing the total salary of a teacher. Among the possible ways to solve the problems, the authors point to the need to develop a set of federal recommendations: on the minimum share of the salary of teaching staff in the total amount of wages; on the grounds of establishing an increasing coefficient to the salary; on the grounds of establishing compensatory payments for the performance of work that goes beyond the labor function of the teacher; on the grounds of establishing incentive payments, in particular to reflect in the salary indicators the quality and effectiveness of pedagogical work.

Intercultural Communication in China and Russia. Analysis of Historical Development and Interaction in International Education

Intercultural communication is an important component of modern higher education. This article examines the historical background, development status and existing problems of intercultural communication in Chinese education from a historical perspective. The results show that theoretical research on intercultural communication in China is mainly concentrated in the field of language learning, especially English. The analysis of issues of historical development of intercultural communication opens up opportunities for effective interaction in the field of education and ensures the successful integration of higher education systems into global mixed educational environment. Familiarity with issues of intercultural communication helps stimulate and develop the effectiveness of teaching a foreign language and cultural dialogue, and also helps Russian teachers and Chinese students to study more deeply the issues of intercultural communication in the field of education, and it also improves the quality of international education in theoretical and practical aspects.

Проектный метод как технология создания языковой образовательной среды для овладения русским языком как иностранным: опыт российско-венгерского учебного проекта

The article presents the results of the implementation of a Russian-Hungarian educational project, conducted in the form of a remote Russian conversation club in 2021–2023. The participants of the project were master’s students from Tomsk State University (TSU) and students from Budapest Business University (BBU), who joined the project with their goals and achieved results important to both of the sides. The methodological basis of the study was scientific works on project-based learning. At BBU, Russian is taught as a specialty language. Many students have to start studying Russian at the university; they know very little about Russia, and their knowledge often diverges from reality. This fact makes it difficult to study the language and understand Russian culture. The training should be comprehensive. It is not enough for future economists and partners of Russian business people to learn a set of phrases and expressions used in the field of business communication. They are in need of knowledge about the Russian reality and cultural life of modern Russia. Thus, Hungarian students have a need to communicate with native speakers of the language they study. TSU master’s students studying philology, specializing in Russian as a foreign language, also need contact with their potential students and broaden their information about foreign students from different countries. It was decided to organize a club. The conversation club has become a multicultural space for thematic conversational online meetings using multimedia technologies (presentations, video and audio materials), in which not only representatives of Russia and Hungary, but also TSU undergraduates from other countries participated. They joined the project as part of the course Project and Research Activities in Philology. Creating a favourable atmosphere contributes to more successful learning. In accordance with the curriculum, the first block of this course involves studying the specifics of organizing project activities in education; design technologies; principles of organizing project activities, conditions and results of project activities; features of organizing project activities in the aspect of Russian as a foreign language. The objective of the project was to create optimal conditions for solving the above-mentioned tasks. The authors of the article emphasize that the Russian Club for Hungarian students became an opportunity to practice speaking skills in Russian with native speakers and became a guide to Russian culture. The particular significance of the project for undergraduates from TSU is that the project provides an opportunity to demonstrate both creative and role-based research activities based on interaction with young foreigners studying Russian. The project can be recommended as an effective technology for developing communicative competence among all project participants and professional competencies among future teachers of Russian as a foreign language.

Аршил Горки и художники русской эмиграции в США в 1920-е – 1930-е годы

The relevance of the topic of this article is explained by the under-researched artistic and historical-cultural context; it helps visualize history. The life and work of Arshile Gorky (1901–1944) are considered during the peak of his creativity, after moving to the USA, in the 1920s and 1930s. Notably, Gorky becomes part of the community of Russian artist emigrants. The article analyzes the artist’s personality and his strong connection with Russian culture, as well as the American art scene. It examines the influence on his work of Russian teachers and contemporaries living at that time in the United States, among them Nikolai Fechin, David Burliuk, and Ivan Dombrowski (John Graham). The article also analyzes Arshile Gorky’s role in the formation and development of American abstract expressionism, especially his contribution to the creation of creative methods and artistic approaches that influenced many American artists among his contemporaries and followers. Several methods were used in the research, including cultural-historical and social-historical methods. It is quite evident that Arshile Gorky embodied in his work the spirit of search and experiment: his works were distinguished by boldness, plastic expressiveness, deep emotionality, and technical innovation.

TEACHER'S CONGRESSES IN THE DESIGN OF THE PEDAGOGICAL COMMUNITY OF RUSSIA (SECOND HALF OF THE XIXTH – EARLY XXTH CENTURIES)

In the article, based on the analysis of a complex of historical sources – research materials, newspaper articles and reviews of the pedagogical press of 1860–1900 – and the stated theoretical framework of the study (the theory of the development of professional communities), it is concluded that teachers’ congresses were a condition for the transformation of a professional group into a pedagogical community, which characterizes the signs of the group’s social maturity. Their dynamics and degree of manifestation made it possible to single out three periods in the pre-revolutionary history of the Russian teachers’ congresses.

РУССКИЙ УЧИТЕЛЬ В КАРЕЛЬСКОЙ ДЕРЕВНЕ В КОНЦЕ XIX — НАЧАЛЕ XX ВЕКА: ПРОБЛЕМЫ ИНКУЛЬТУРАЦИИ И АДАПТАЦИИ

The aim of the article is to show the spheres in which the enculturation of Russian teachers took place in the Karelian rural society of the late 19th — early 20th centuries, during the period of rapid growth of this professional group. Teachers, along with other representatives of the emerging rural intelligentsia — priests, feldshers, agronomists, as well as rural administration workers — constituted an ethno-dispersed group of Russians in the territory of Karelia. The novice teacher, carrying out the “Kulturtrager mission”, had to fit into the local society, to gain the understanding and trust of the Karelian peasants in order for the school to solve the problem of strengthening the position of Orthodoxy, role of the Russian language and enlightenment of the Karelian population, to win their loyalty through “soft power” as opposed to forced Russification. To that effect different personal strategies were implemented, the poles of which can be considered to be, on the one hand, acceptance of Karelian cultural peculiarities and enculturation, which became the basis of the adaptation process, and, on the other hand, distancing from the locals, maladaptation and social deformation. Adopting local taboos and behavioral rules, mastering the Karelian language, adjusting school pedagogy to the basic folk ideas of child rearing are typical components of social and professional adaptation of the Karelian village teacher. Based on the reports of teachers and school inspectors, teachers’ publications in the press, travelers’ notes and other sources, it is shown that in everyday life there was a spontaneous, largely situational borrowing of elements of ethnic culture, while in the professional sphere advanced teachers consciously took account of local cultural specifics, which resulted, in particular, in the adjustment of the school calendar and disciplinary practices at school.

Psychology and education in the 21st century: Analysis of the Russian teachers’ beliefs regarding the use of modern psychological knowledge in practice

The article proposes an approach to assessing the psychological knowledge of teachers through the analysis of their beliefs regarding the evidence-based principles formulated in the sciences of education in recent years. The study was conducted in 2021/2022 on a sample of Russian school teachers (N = 344, 93.3 % women, 41.7 % from Moscow). The authors’ questionnaire for the study of school teachers’ beliefs was used, based on the 20 evidence-based psychological principles important for teaching and learning, assessing the possession of principles in six areas: the role of the teacher in the effectiveness of learning; lack of faith in myths about teaching and learning; psychologically safe environment; student motivation; classroom management; assessment. The level of teachers’ conviction in the truth of evidence-based psychological principles ranges from 27.9 to 87.9%, while the higher the teacher’s experience, the less likely he believes in such principles and the more often he relies on unsubstantiated statements about teaching and learning. The highest levels of possession of evidence-based psychological knowledge by teachers are demonstrated in blocks related to student assessment and the creation of a psychologically safe environment compared to blocks describing the principles of classroom management, student motivation and the role of the teacher in learning effectiveness. It is also shown that teachers consider psychological knowledge necessary rather in non-standard, difficult practice situations (children with low educational motivation, low level of educational skills, conflicts, strong emotional reactions of students) than in standard situations (preparing and conducting lessons, interacting with students and their parents). The study showed the need for further development of such an approach to the study of psychological knowledge of teachers, which would be based on an assessment of their beliefs in the use of evidence-based psychological principles to resolve specific situations of school practice. The data obtained indicate the need to improve the psychological competence of teachers in general.

Active mentoring and empathy of Russian teachers

Active mentoring and empathy of Russian teachers

Teachers’ beliefs and characteristics predictive of their willingness to cultivate a safe, ethnically inclusive school environment

This study fills an important gap in our understanding of how teachers’ beliefs and characteristics influence their willingness to engage in classroom practices that promote ethnic inclusivity and prevent ethnicity-based exclusion and conflicts among students. A sample of 454 in-service Russian teachers completed an online survey that included questions asking about teachers’ own ethnic background, the ethnic diversity of their school, their beliefs about multiculturalism, empathic anger experienced in response to witnessing ethnicity-based mistreatment, and job satisfaction. The results revealed that positive multicultural beliefs, empathic anger, and job satisfaction were positively predictive of teachers’ willingness to promote ethnic inclusivity in the classroom.

МЕТОДОЛОГИЧЕСКОЕ ОБОСНОВАНИЕ ОРГАНИЗАЦИИ НЕФОРМАЛЬНОГО ОНЛАЙН-ОБУЧЕНИЯ ВЗРОСЛЫХ РУССКОМУ ЯЗЫКУ КАК ИНОСТРАННОМУ (РКИ)

Individual non-formal online language learning format is becoming more popular around the world. However, it is observed that the theoretical and methodological foundations are currently not fully developed. The article considers the advantages of non-formal individual online teaching Russian as a foreign language to adult learners under the teacher’s guidance, as well as a set of organizational patterns, approaches, and principles of functioning of this educational phenomenon. We have found out that individual non-formal online language learning is based on the following pedagogical organizational patterns: the management of the pedagogical process, the unity of teacher and learner’s activities, the dynamics of the pedagogical process. Effective organization of learning process is one of the current problems of modern didactics; therefore, it is important to consider the theoretical and methodological justifications of popular educational trends.

The Potential of Formal Education in the Non-Formal Education of Russian Language Teachers in Estonia

This article describes the method of educating Russian teachers in Tallinn University. The respective curriculum is presented, and its structure and components analysed. The authors review the aims of the subject-specific didactics courses, their content and the forms of the classes, as well as the role and place of teaching internships in the process of teaching training. Most of the attention is paid to the adaptation of the existing curricula to the needs of informal Russian teacher training within the campaign “Noored Kooli” (Young People to Schools), open learning and microgrades. Also, the handbook How to Prepare and Give a Lesson in Russian as a Foreign Language is looked at, as well as at some e-platforms and resources for videoconferences and lectures. This article reveals the potential of the resources referred to in classwork and in independent work by students within both formal and informal Russian teacher training. The authors elaborate on the idea that informal training can be more effective within some special terms, for example, if the training is based on general, cross-functional, but flexible, curricula, which have been evaluated during the long period of training specialists for schools.

From Turning Points to Teacher Identity Learning Environments: Late-Career Language Teachers Speak Up

Although learning is usually associated with some regulatory bodies, external education, programmes or experts, there is another kind of learning which can be gained from reflection on a language teacher’s biography and their teacher identity learning in a professional environment. The present article focuses on the analysis of four veteran Polish late-career language teachers of English, French, German and Russian who share their language-teacher lives in in-depth narrative inquiry interviews with the author of this text. The article aims to find out how various language-related critical incidents, or turning points, that took place in these teachers’ lives have affected their succeeding professional lives, and their individual perception of the language-teacher identity learning environments available to them. From the analysis of the data, four teacher identity constructions have been distinguished: “the constructive problem solver”, “the comfort minder”, “the perceiver of language-related social injustice” and “the language learner”, and it transpires that the teachers’ previous experiences are likely to affect how and why other things happen. This finding may have vital pedagogical implications for language-teacher educators, as the construction of teacher identities that are related to the participants’ meaningful and unique past experiences may question the sense of developing one universal language-teacher identity.

FACTORS OF PROFESSIONAL BURNOUT OF TEACHERS AS A SYSTEM MANAGEMENT PROBLEM IN THE SPHERE OF EDUCATION

The article examines the factors of professional burnout of teachers in Russia and Bashkortostan, including on the basis of a survey conducted by the working group of the Institute for Strategic Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Belarus to discuss the optimization of the load on teachers of general education organizations at the Parliamentary hearings of the State Assembly - Kurultai of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Burnout factors are considered: features of the teaching profession, uncontrollable and increased workload, quality of feedback (support from the administration, relations with parents), lack of clarity of roles (changes in requirements) and freedom in decision-making, work experience, age, gender factor. It is concluded the problem of professional burnout is associated with the management system in the field of education, the level of wages, non-standardized and uncontrolled workload, lack of prevention and timely assistance, as well as, to a small extent, the gender factor. This means that the solution of the issue should be systemic and complex.