Specific Professional Competencies Research Articles

Knowledge of women in Poland on the profession and competencies of a midwife.

The profession of a midwife, despite its long tradition in Poland, is still not widely known in the society. Both in terms of the competencies and roles, it is often confused with other medical professions such as nurses or gynecologists. In this study, we assessed the knowledge of women in Poland on the profession of a midwife. The aim of the research project was to obtain detailed data on the knowledge of women regarding the specific professional competencies of midwives. The study used the method of a cross-sectional survey. A survey of 1134 adult Polish women was conducted. A 20-item questionnaire was developed with fourteen of the questions being based on the midwife's professional competencies. The study was conducted in 2019 and the questionnaire was distributed through various social groups for Polish women. Knowledge about the professional competencies of midwives increases proportionally to the level of the education of the respondents, their age and the scope of cooperation with midwives. The most well-known forms of midwifery were those related to lactation education (78.7%) and puerperal care (78.9%). The lowest rates, among other results, were prescribing drugs (23.1%) and collecting samples for cervical cytology (24.4%). The profession of a midwife in Poland is insufficiently popularized. Competencies shared with doctors require more dissemination. It is worth paying particular attention to the promotion of the profession in younger age groups, so that women can use their knowledge at subsequent stages of their lives.

Relevance and effectiveness of primary school teachers’ professional development policy and practices in Oromia regional state, Ethiopia

The study evaluated the relevance and effectiveness of primary school teachers’ professional development policy and practices in Oromia Regional State. The researcher used a mixed method with concurrent triangulation design. The researcher selected a total of 618 samples of the study using different sampling techniques such as purposive, convenience, stratified, and simple random sampling techniques. The data were collected from primary sources of data such as teachers, mentors, principals, supervisors, coordinating committees, and parents using questionnaires, interview, focus group discussion, document examination, and observation. The researcher analyzed the data using mean, standard deviation, one-way ANOVA and post-hoc test, and thematic narration. The findings of study showed that teachers’ professional development practices were powerless to update professional competencies and improve professional and innovative pedagogical practices in classrooms. Primary school teachers were not learning proficiently from continuous professional development practices to ensure basic and specific professional competencies required in classrooms. The implementations of reflective activities such as action researches, classroom observation, differentiated learning, collaborative learning, microteaching, and lesson studies couldn’t contribute to practical changes. The study forecasts the requirement of context specific policy framework and practical toolkit for newly deployed and experienced teachers rather than focusing on the generic policy document.

Aspirant South African accountants’ perceptions of the usefulness of a research project as a learning tool to develop professional competency

The current business climate has been described as being volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA). This new world paradigm requires new skill sets. Professional bodies are responding to changes created by this new-world paradigm that university graduates will enter with revised competency frameworks that focus on business, digital, relational, and decision-making acumen (SAICA 2021b) and include both professional (i.e., non-technical) and technical skills. Historically, accounting departments that trained chartered accountants focused on developing technical competencies in students and did not have a tradition of research. Accounting departments are investigating various teaching initiatives or tools to help develop non-technical skills in response to the changing work environment and to comply with the updated Competency Framework. Research projects, where students must formulate and investigate an unstructured question and present their findings, are used globally as a tool to develop professional competencies; however, there is limited application of research projects in the training of aspirant chartered accountants in South Africa. The 2020 cohort of postgraduate accounting students at a South African university provided a unique opportunity to investigate students’ perceptions of professional skills competency development through a group research project as very few had prior experience in conducting research. This study documents students’ perceptions of the use of the research project as a learning tool to develop specific professional competencies not traditionally taught and assessed. Although students found the research challenging, they believed that it supported the professional competency development required of future graduates that was not previously addressed appropriately.

Educational Policy, Specialised Staff, Innovations and Recreational Industry

Niche tourism in Bulgaria is facing a shortage of specialised staff. The quality of services in the Recreational industry depends on the integration of scientific findings into Wellness & Spa therapies. This study summarises the specifics of the newly accredited Wellness & Spa programs at the National Sports Academy “V. Levski”. The innovations are financially supported by the Bulgarian Heritage BG Centre of Excellence. Under the priority axis 1 “Research and Technological Development”, a scientific bridge was established to implement the European policy “healthy lifestyle for everyone”. Through the education of specialised personnel, our team gained insights on how Bulgarian Niche tourism can improve the quality of services in the Wellness & Spa sector. By identifying the specific professional competencies, the scientific team at NSA “V. Levski” developed innovative educational programs for new jobs to meet the needs of the Niche tourism business. The analysis of the development of professional knowledge and skills led to improved higher quality services and interdisciplinary education. By accrediting new scientific and educational programs in two professional fields, health care and sports, NSA “V. Levski” has become an educational and scientific leader at the National, Balkan, and European level in the field of Niche tourism, specifically in the Wellness & Spa sector.

Formation of a labor incentive system based on a life cycle model in a pharmaceutical enterprise

A feature of the activities of pharmaceutical enterprises is the high knowledge intensity of production, complex technological process, long–term implementation of projects. Employees with specific professional and personal competencies can work effectively in the industry, the number of which is limited in the labor market, which makes the issue of forming an effective system for stimulating the productivity of personnel in the pharmaceutical industry relevant. The article summarizes and analyzes the methods used to stimulate employees, on the basis of research indicates the existence of an employee’s motivation cycle during his employment in the company, suggests a model of stimulation based on the employee’s life cycle in the organization, which describes his attitude to responsibilities and the employer, motivational aspirations, possible risks to the effectiveness of his work, ways to stimulate each of the stages of the life cycle.

Response to Mass-Casualty Incidents and Outbreaks: A Prehospital Disaster Training Package Developed for the National Emergency Medical Service in Sierra Leone

Introduction:In 2018 Sierra Leone, a country highly prone to disasters, launched its first National Emergency Medical Service (NEMS) aiming to strengthen the provision of essential health services to the population with the long-term goal of creating a resilient health system able to effectively respond to and recover from emergencies. The Center for Research and Training in Disaster Medicine, Humanitarian Aid, and Global Health (CRIMEDIM), together with the Italian NGO Doctors with Africa (CUAMM), under the supervision of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS), developed a prehospital Disaster Training Package (DTP) delivered to all NEMS personnel to boost the prehospital management of mass-casualty incidents (MCIs) and outbreaks.Method:The DTP was designed following the six-step approach to curriculum and training development with the ultimate goal of creating a workforce comprising qualified emergency responders with specific professional competencies to respond to outbreaks and MCIs. The DTP included a first phase in which NEMS local trainers underwent a training-of-trainers (ToT) course, enabling them to deliver cascade trainings to 16 district ambulance supervisors, 441 paramedics, 441 ambulance drivers, and 36 operators working in the NEMS operation center.Results:Starting on July 19, 2021, the ToT course was delivered to the seven national trainers. All trainers successfully passed the final examination and achieved high scores in the practical sessions, demonstrating active participation, commitment to the project, and good awareness. Following the ToT course, the series of cascade trainings started on August 2, 2021, delivered by the just-trained national trainers under the direct supervision of the two training managers.Conclusion:The NEMS’ DTP is the very first Disaster Medicine training course delivered to prehospital healthcare providers in Sierra Leone. The authors believe that the provision of the DTP to all NEMS personnel has the potential to improve Disaster Medicine culture among health professionals in the Country.

Designing a Personal Model for the Development of Professional Resilience of a Specialist in the Field of Social Orphanhood

Introduction. The study is relevant in the presentation of a new approach to the consideration of resilience. Resilience is defined as a professional personal quality of a specialist in the field of social orphanhood. The system of teacher training implies the formation of specific professional competencies. However, their level is checked only during difficult life situation occurrence and a specialist who does not have specific life experience resorts to meta-skills usage, the development of which the educational programme of the designated system does not provide. Based on the principles of purposeful continuous training of a resilient specialist under the conditions of the basic departments of Russian universities, it seems possible to strengthen human potential in the field of social orphanhood.Purpose. Determination of the mechanism of development of professional resilience of a specialist in the field of preventionof social orphanhood.Materials and Methods. Based on the concept of resilience in the field of social orphanhood (E. A. Bayer) a questionnaire was created for teachers and practitioners, consisting of 57 questions. The survey was attended by 72 specialists aged 25 to 60 years with professional experience ranging from 5 to 35 years.Results. Most of the specialists surveyed (76.4 %) started their professional career after graduating and made their choice intentionally. Examples of teacher behaviour that is unacceptable when communicating with students are identified. The ranking of primary professional competencies and special skills, cross-contextual and existential skills, meta-skills, and personality qualities significant for a new format university teacher was carried out.Discussion and Conclusion. The qualitative characteristics proposed by modern researchers confirm the urgent need for the development of resilience among specialists in the field of the prevention of social orphanhood.

Individual Benefits of Continuing Higher Education. The Case of a Swiss Business School

This contribution examines individual benefits of continuing higher education courses provided by a business school. Lifelong learning is important when it comes to keeping up with changing professional requirements and conditions. Adult education and training courses in the form of continuing higher education offer an organized and systematic possibility to further develop oneself. However, empirical evidence on the benefits to graduates is sparse. This article aims to expand the state of knowledge through a Swiss case. Using univariate and multivariate analyses of survey data ( n = 1615), benefits contributing to the satisfaction with practice oriented, non-formal education for working professionals are examined. The analyses focus on satisfaction with one of three types of continuing education programs as a measure for the overall benefit to the graduates. The findings provide important indications for the design of continuing education programs in the context of professional higher education. They reveal that subjectively, monetary benefits as well as increases in personal competence are secondary to the overall benefit accrued through the completion of courses. Instead, career development and the enhancement of specific professional competence significantly contribute to the satisfaction of professionals completing continuing higher education.

Students’ Perception of Teachers’ Professional Competence in Working with Pupils with Intellectual Disabilities

The paper presents the results of research on the opinions of students of preschool and early childhood education (PECE) and special education (SE) on the importance of having various specific professional competencies by a teacher of inclusive education. The study used the diagnostic survey method and involved 202 students from both fields of study. Five categories of professional competencies were analysed: evaluative, psychological, innovative, communicative, and substantive-methodical. Both groups state that a high level of professional competence is especially expected when working with a pupil with an intellectual disability (ID).

Defining Elemental Components of Veteran Cultural Competency for Mental Health Professionals

Veterans and Military Service Members are separate and independent cultures. As a principle element, clinicians seek to become culturally competent to develop therapeutic rapport and improve treatment outcomes. Previous research has identified that mental health providers must be culturally competent to treat the Veteran population effectively. There are vital elements that need to be assessed: culturally specific contextual knowledge, professional competence, and confidence in working within the population. This research sought to identify the elemental components of cultural competence by evaluating a Veteran-specific cultural training program called “Healing Our Heroes”. The results concluded that direct military experience was not a significant factor in the ability to work within the population; however, possessing Veteran specific contextual knowledge was critical in obtaining cultural competence.

Teachers’ competencies in education for sustainable development in the context of Vietnam

PurposeThis study aims to investigate specific professional competencies of teachers to implement education for sustainable development (ESD) in the contexts of Vietnam.Design/methodology/approachThe authors carried out a Delphi study with eight ESD experts in Vietnam to collect their expertise viewpoints regarding teachers’ ESD professional competencies.FindingsIn total, 13 competencies related to three dimensions (content knowledge/cognitive, pedagogical and pedagogical content knowledge, motivation and volition) were highlighted by ESD experts.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed teachers’ competencies were based on the ideas of a small group of experts, and the results need to be tested, refined and confirmed by further work. Besides, in this study, we have not defined the levels of achievement for each competency as well as developed assessment tools.Practical implicationsThe specific professional competencies for teachers can be considered as a foundation for developing educational offers focusing on promoting the specific teachers’ professional competencies in basic ESD training.Originality/valueStudies on educators’ professional competencies for ESD mostly were conducted in western countries. However, competencies do not exist independently; instead, they should be considered in specific contexts of teaching, school, culture and society. This research is among one of the first studies that contextualizes teachers’ competencies in a non-western context.

SAP Analytics Cloud: Intellectual service of digital transformation

In the context of digital changes taking place in the world, there is a need to use an end-to-end competency-based approach in the implementation of the Federal State Educational Standards of Higher Education. The use of effective data mining tools as a tool for understanding digital transformation processes is becoming especially relevant. The process of digital transformation of education is one of the most important components of the digitalization of the economy, which is the reason for the need to study the basics of data mining as an essential element of the educational paradigm of the current stage in education. The methodology for teaching the technology of “intelligent search” in SAP Analytics Cloud is relevant. This methodology is divided into several stages, each of which is aimed at the formation of specific professional competencies and their consolidation. The situational task that allows you to form the necessary competencies within the framework of the “Business Informatics” direction is described in the article. Also, two cases are proposed to consolidate the acquired competencies through independent work. Format of the methodology description is presented in the form of the traditional key-by-key technology, which is widely used in obtaining professional competencies in IT sphere.

Conducting formative assessment during synchronous online lessons: university teachers’ challenges and pedagogical strategies

ABSTRACT Synchronous online teaching through video-conferencing software (VCS) has become a common mode of instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. This mode brings unique challenges for teachers that require specific professional digital competences. One such challenge is conducting formative assessment. Through the use of in-depth interviews with nine Hong Kong university teachers who had taught synchronously online for one semester, this exploratory study explored the challenges of conducting formative assessment during synchronous online lessons and the strategies teachers deploy to conduct formative assessment. The findings indicate that the key difficulties include gathering information on students’ needs, checking students’ understanding, giving individual feedback, and building relationships with students. To address these challenges, the teachers suggested four pedagogical strategies: (1) Combine synchronous with asynchronous approaches; (2) Utilise breakout rooms; (3) Utilise poll functions of the VCS and combine it with other online platforms; and (4) Provide time before or after lessons for informal conversations. The findings suggest that teachers need to develop specific pedagogical strategies to conduct formative assessment. This provides an initial conceptualisation of one important dimension of Professional Digital Competence, teaching using digital technologies, and one aspect of that dimension, how teachers use digital tools and strategies to conduct formative assessment.

EDUCATIONAL COMPETENCIES OF SPECIALISTS WORKING IN YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS IN RURAL AREAS

Modern problems of work with youth in rural areas determine the necessity of identification of educational competencies of specialists working in youth organizations, which determines the directions in life of young people. The purpose of the article is to study the most important educational competencies of specialists working in youth organizations in rural areas, based on the analysis of the impact of educational competencies of specialists on the directions in life for youth. Educational competencies of youth work include both general ethical competencies and specific professional competencies related to youth work. The study has been conducted in 2016 and 2021 to compare changes in educational competencies. The structural equation modeling to solve the problem of identifying the relationships between ethical and professional competencies, and the directions in life for youth, and sociological survey to identify the specific area of interest of young people living in rural areas was used.

Acquiring Marketing Communication Competences of the Future - Expectations of Polish Students

Abstract Higher education in specific professional competencies is each time a challenge to combine the expectations and capabilities of universities, the expectations of the labor market and the expectations of students. With regard to the competencies of the future, relevant to the marketing communications sector, the situation becomes further complicated due to the dynamically changing digital media and modes of communication. In Polish conditions, numerous research results are available, indicating the expectations of employers of the marketing communications sector. However, there is a lack of research dedicated to the competence offer of universities in this regard, as well as the expectations and interests of students. This article attempts to fill this gap. It presents the results of a survey of 156 students at Polish higher education institutions regarding the assessment of the presence of future competencies in the study plans of the majors they study and their perceived professional usefulness of these competencies. The results of the survey indicate the existence of a competence gap both between the offer of higher education institutions and the expectations of employers, as well as between the expectations of students and employers. This article was written as part of the implementation of the “Media and Communication in Education and Science” project, under the International Partnerships program, funded by the National Agency for Academic Exchange.

Поэтика деконструкции текста Р. Йиргля: переводческий аспект

This article explores Reinhard Jirgl’s concept of literary writing, which uses linguistic and textual deconstruction, alphanumeric encoding, and intra- and intertextual strategies. Semiotic and discursive analyses allow identifying lexical, syntactic, and semantic elements of the structural and functional performativity of Jirgl’s texts. His prose exploits the enor­mous poetic potential of the alphanumeric code, the aesthetics of narrative simultaneity and hypertextuality, and the fragmentedness of the agent. The principle of aberrant text produc­tion helps the author stage the process of sense formation and brings to the fore the concept of hierarchical rule destruction, which applies to language, society, and reality. By deconstruct­ing syntax and orthography, Jirgl’s system of language and script generates new senses. It also compels the recipient to destroy customary mental matrices and analyse processes taking place in society. Narrative staging of Jirgl’s texts is performed to identify the main problems that student translators are faced with when decoding the writer’s prose. Rendering a contemporary fic­tional text into a different language requires paying attention to meaning construction and (de)construction, the extralinguistic context, and links and interactions between linguistic and social meanings. Moreover, it is necessary to explore connections between the performa­tive and narrative characteristics of utterances. New literary contexts and the alarmist forms of narrative peculiar to Jirgl’s writing urge the translator to develop specific professional skills and philological competencies.

СПЕЦИФИКА ПРОФЕССИОНАЛЬНЫХ КОМПЕТЕНЦИЙ ХУДОЖНИКОВ, РАБОТАЮЩИХ В ПАБЛИК-АРТЕ

The article deals with the phenomenon of public art as a contemporary art movement, which is beginning to play a significant role in the construction of urban imagery. Modern sculpture and urban art projects are replacing monuments and other traditional forms of decorative monumental art due to changes in contemporary spatial and cultural discourse, understanding of the urban environment and human requirements for it. The inclusion of public art projects in the Russian cultural landscape is still non-systemic, but in recent years it has become more and more discussed and has the potential to increase. Working with street space implies specific professional competencies at the intersection of contemporary art, architecture, and urban design. At the moment, there is no specialization in public art in Russian universities. In order to integrate into professional environment and find contact with the audience, artists have to acquire many of the necessary skills on their own from disparate sources or in non-state educational institutions. The purpose of the article is to formulate the essence and distinctive features of public art as an artistic practice, competencies and skills necessary to implement contemporary art projects in urban environment.

Кейс-завдання як засіб оцінки сформованості професійних компетентностей майбутніх учителів

The article presents the theoretical and methodological principles of developing and using case tasks as a means of assessing the formation of professional competencies of future teachers. The essence of case technology in higher education, types of pedagogical cases in the context of professional training of future teachers have been characterized. Modern scientific approaches to the essence of case testing as a form of control and self-monitoring of educational achievements of students have been defined. Considering the provisions of the competence approach in higher education institutions, the professional standard, the essential features, components of the professional competencies of a modern teacher have been revealed, in particular, considering the requirements of the «specialist» qualification category. Features of case tasks as a means of assessing the formation of professional competences of future teachers (competence, contextual character, technological ability, etc.), stages of construction of case tasks (preparatory, pilot, expert), considering the type of pedagogical case, features of specific professional competence, level of general and professional training of future teachers have been presented. Examples of case tasks for assessing the formation of linguistic and communicative competence of future teachers have been given.

Formation of professional competence of the specialists in the sphere of food production and processing industries under conditions of distance learning

The article is devoted to the study of the role of the professional competence which is to be mastered by the specialists of food production and processing industries under modern socio-economic conditions as well as to identify promising ways to increase the efficiency of the process of competence development by means of distance learning. The relevance of the study related to professional competence of the specialists in the sphere of food production and processing industries is explained by the fact that the production of quality food that does not pose a threat to human health and life (to health and life of future generations either) and does not cause negative consequences for the environment depends more on responsible and professional actions of personnel in the process of technological production. Some approaches to the definition of professional competence have been analysed. The key components of the professional competence of the specialists in the sphere of food production and processing industries have been identified. The phenomenon of social responsibility as a specific professional competence of the specialists in the sphere of food production and processing industries is highlighted. The characteristics of the competence-based approach to the training of the future specialists in the sphere of food production and processing industries are given. The principles facilitating the development of innovative professional competence of a specialist in the sphere of food production and processing industries in a modern educational institution have been investigated. The phenomenon of distance learning and its main advantages in the educational process have been described. The positive influence of distance learning tools on the formation of professional competence which is to be mastered by specialists in chemical and processing industries has been proved. Some recommendations for improving the efficiency of the process aimed at developing the competence under study in terms of distance learning have been given.

SCIENTIFIC REFLECTION ON SCIENTIFIC COMPETENCIES SPECTRUM OF GRADUATES IN SPECIALTY 231 "SOCIAL WORK"

The article considers the peculiarities of professional competencies formation in future social workers through the consideration of specific professional competencies of a social worker to perform specific operational actions in the implementation of professional activities according to the job descriptions of this profession. The author determined peculiarities of the concept of professional competence for the future social worker depending on the sphere of his/her future professional activity within the system of social assistance and social services of different groups of clients in institutions of all forms of ownership. Peculiarities of professional competence of a social worker based on educational standards in the specialty «231 – Social Work» were studied. The author analyzes the views of modern Ukrainian and foreign scientists on the issue of professional competencies of social workers. The techniques of formation of professional competence of future social workers in the specialty «231 – Social work» were offered. The peculiarities of the relevance of certain professional competencies of a social worker based on the relevant educational standards for Bachelor's and Master's degrees were specified. The structure of separate professional competencies of future social workers was detailed and differentiated. The article clarifies the specifics of different professional competencies of a social worker depending on the specifics of the work of social service and the clients on whom the direct activity of the social worker is focused. The article examines the competencies of future social workers as an integrated system of professionally significant (cognitive), motivational and personal components of a particular social worker in terms of the activities of the institution where his/her professional activity is carried out. The article outlines the relevance of the development of certain professional competencies in the activities of a practical social worker in accordance with the Ukrainian legislation and trends in modern Ukrainian society.