Educational Trajectories Research Articles

FROM AFRICA TO EUROPE AND VICE VERSA: THE EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES OF THE YOUTHS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

The educational challenges faced by youths in Sub-Saharan Africa are complex and multifaceted, significantly shaping their socio-economic prospects and development. This article examines the barriers that hinder access to quality education within the region, emphasizing both internal and external factors that contribute to these challenges. It investigates how economic disparities, political instability, gender inequality, inadequate infrastructure, and cultural dynamics interact to limit educational opportunities for young people. Additionally, the paper explores the experiences of Sub-Saharan African youths who migrate to Europe, highlighting the differences in educational opportunities and outcomes between their home countries and host societies. Using a comparative framework, the study analyzes the interplay between migration and education, focusing on how systemic, structural, and socio-economic factors shape the educational trajectories of African youths in both contexts. Particular attention is given to the challenges faced by migrant youths in adapting to new education systems, overcoming language barriers, and navigating social integration in Europe. The research also examines the implications of these challenges for the long-term socio-economic mobility of African youths, both within their home countries and the diaspora. By shedding light on these issues, the paper underscores the need for comprehensive and innovative strategies to address educational disparities. It calls for collaboration between governments, international organizations, and community stakeholders to develop policies and initiatives aimed at improving access to quality education, supporting migrant youth, and fostering equitable learning environments. Ultimately, the study seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of the educational challenges and opportunities for Sub-Saharan African youths and advocates for targeted interventions to bridge existing gaps and promote sustainable development.

New ways of teaching in the face of an old problem; the education of young people at risk of exclusion

Teachers are students’ first contact in the classroom and the ones with whom they experience their relationships most intensely after those with their own classmates. Relationships with teachers and their actions in the classroom are of great relevance in how students develop their careers. Young people at risk of exclusion, which has been recurring in recent years, is an important matter. The aim with the research reported on here was to explore the life events and critical events that make it possible to describe the educational trajectory of young people at risk of exclusion who have dropped out of education and subsequently re-entered it. The aim was to investigate and characterise teacher-related events. We used a biographical narrative approach by elaborating on the educational trajectories of young people at risk through the reconstruction of their life stories. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were used to collect data. The main results indicate that the teachers’ relationship with their students and the teaching methodology differ considerably in the different stages of their trajectory. Teachers in the reinstatement stage are more understanding of the different situations of students and are more supportive, leading to more positive events than in previous stages.

Social Mobility of University Graduates: Which Pathways Lead Upwards?

At the present work using data from the longitudinal study of the National Research University Higher School of Economics “Trajectories in Education and Careers”, authors studied the relationship between the trajectories of university graduates and their chances for social mobility. Authors assessed, which characteristics of the path taken in education and the labor market by the age of 25 are associated with upward mobility. Using Blau and Duncan’s status attainment model, the movement from prescribed family status to attained status was analyzed. Two measures were used to assess status: subjective social status and financial status.Graduates by age 25 were most likely to have reproduced parental status, with the majority reproducing middle status, as measured by both subjective social status and financial status. The chances of upward mobility were significantly higher for university graduates who had had time to accumulate the most work experience by age 25. At the same time, the completion of a Master’s degree and prolonged studies, which do not allow for full-time employment, proved to be a risk factor for maintaining the prescribed status. Socio-economic and gender inequalities were also observed: male graduates and those from more educated families had significantly higher chances of upward social mobility. As a result, it was factors unrelated to education (work and socio-demographic factors), that proved to be significant for the success of graduates.

The Concept Directions of Development 21st Century Vocational Education

Education is believed to be a key factor in enhancing human knowledge, skills, and values essential for improving quality of life. Through literature studies from national and international journals and books, this research analyses the current state and future trajectory of Indonesian vocational education. This study aims to examine the concept and development directions of vocational education in Indonesia within the context of 21stcentury challenges. The findings indicate that Indonesian education is evolving towards developing analytical, creative, and innovative thinking capacities. The business and industrial sectors have high expectations for educational outcomes, particularly regarding graduate competencies that can advance workplace missions. While the government has implemented supportive policies, including Presidential Instruction No. 9 of 2016 and Presidential Regulation No. 68 of 2022, alongside the implementation of the Merdeka Belajar curriculum, there remains a need for better direction and facility support at the regional level for effective program implementation. These reforms aim to strengthen industry collaboration, enhance teaching quality, and develop both technical and entrepreneurial skills among students. The research concludes that while progress has been made in aligning vocational education with industry needs and 21st-century skill requirements, continued focus on infrastructure development, teacher quality, and industry partnerships is essential for achieving optimal outcomes in Indonesian vocational education.

Social Injustice Against African Pupils in the Finnish Basic Education System: Deconstructing Institutional Discrimination through the Lenses of Immigrant Twins

This article analyses the perceptions of fourteen African households having fifteen African children attending Finnish system of basic education in the same grade and from the same municipality using ethnographic method. The article is based on a three-year analysis about the pupils’ academic journey from Grade one to three between 2019-2022 and evaluates the parental understanding and perception about 1) the Finnish education system 2) the pupils’ performance and 3) the attitude of teachers towards the pupils. This article uses biographical method from parents. The article uses the theory of race and ethnicity to highlight issues in basic education system, especially through the eyes of the twins. The article uses the concept of social injustice to illuminate the separate and unequal treatment experiences of African pupils in the Finnish basic education and how it may affect their education and career trajectory in the future.

The potential of virtual reality in modelling complex scientific processes for distance education: a scoping review

The contemporary impact of digital technologies is evident in educational transformations, particularly in remote learning. This article aims to investigate the potential of virtual reality in modelling complex scientific processes within the distance education framework. To achieve this objective, scientific methods of comparison and synthesis were employed. The study is based on the PRISMA approach, with 74 literature sources reviewed. The findings indicate that VR is particularly relevant for higher education (in various fields such as technical, social sciences, and medicine) through the application of synchronous collaboration between different technologies (virtual and augmented realities). Special emphasis is placed on the importance of motivation as a key component of distance learning, mainly when using VR technologies. It is suggested that the use of VR technologies holds promise, offering interactive learning environments, creating individual educational trajectories, and reducing financial costs. However, challenges include a lack of realism, socio-pedagogical issues, and the high equipment cost. The conclusions highlight that overcoming these challenges will require implementing comprehensive programmes for funding and mastering new technologies.

РОЗВИТОК НАВИЧОК КРИТИЧНОГО МИСЛЕННЯ УЧНІВ ЗЗСО НА УРОКАХ АНГЛІЙСЬКОЇ МОВИ

The article is devoted to the problem of using technology for the development of students’ critical thinking skills at English lessons. Critical thinking is considered as a student’s ability to reason consistently, substantiate, and establish regular connections between objects and phenomena of the surrounding world, based on the non-contradiction of thinking, on the integrity of the image and the accuracy of the verbal expression of thought at English language classes. The authors of the article listed the signs of critical thinking skills (independence, information, social aspect, asking questions and clarifying problems that need to be solved, striving for convincing arguments), and also described the skills and abilities that a student needs for the development of critical thinking skills, in particular, the following: flexibility, willingness to plan, perseverance, willingness to correct mistakes, awareness, search for compromise solutions. The article characterizes the technology of development of critical thinking skills and describes in detail the stages of its implementation at English lessons. The following aspects are highlighted: goal setting, individualization of the educational trajectory and “fixation” of emerging considerations, familiarization and analysis of researched information in English, axiological activities (self-evaluation, mutual evaluation, discussion group), making a final verdict about the analyzed object or phenomenon. The authors developed a didactic cycle of the technology for the development of students’ critical thinking skills at English lessons, which involves three stages: challenge, comprehension, and reflection; gave examples of methods, techniques and tasks that can be used at each of the selected stages; outlined the requirements for the tasks: the problem in the task that causes intellectual difficulty, does not have one standard solution and requires analysis and synthesis; compliance of the conditions of the task with the set goals; accounting for the didactic principle of strength and accessibility; reliance of the student on the experience; activation of all students’ thinking strategies; student’s acceptance of his position as the subject of educational activity; availability of preliminary training, selection of materials; presence of the result of problematic activity; student’s reflection after solving a problematic task.

Таксономическая модель подготовки будущих педагогов в системе социального партнерства «Педагогический вуз – Дошкольная образовательная организация»

According to the Concept of the State Program of the Russian Federation “Education Development” until 2030, in order to create advanced professional training of specialists, it is necessary to more fully use the mechanisms of social partnership, which allows to coordinate the diverse needs of the labor market and the academic community. However, for a more reasoned inclusion of social partners in the process of professional training, a multidimensional model specifying the goals and functions of all partnership participants at each stage of students' education in higher education is needed. The aim of the work is to substantiate the taxonomic model of professional training of future teachers in social partnership of pedagogical university and preschool educational organization. The methodology and methods of the research are based on the system, competence and qualimetric approaches, which allow to determine the agreed with social partners competence-oriented goals of professional training of future teachers in the system of social partnership of pedagogical university and preschool educational organization using the method of group expert evaluations. The structure and content of the taxonomic model of students' training in social partnership between a pedagogical university and a preschool educational organization are determined by the method of group expert evaluations. The proposed taxonomic model can be useful for the university administration and academic staff in designing the educational process within the framework of individual educational trajectories of students, taking into account the needs of the regional labor market and the resources of social partners.

Дополнительное образование детей на примере Республики Казахстан

<p>This article discusses the possibilities of additional education for children in Kazakhstan to fully realize their potential. The work reflects the advantages and effects of additional education for children in the individualization of the educational trajectory. Methods for optimizing additional education for children are considered and proposed, which will allow for a greater development of abilities, the development of giftedness and talents of the younger generation, which actualizes further, more in-depth study of the issues of optimal organization of additional education for children.</p>

Effectiveness of training Doctors of Philosophy for the research and innovative activities in agronomy

Purpose. To develop the ways of increasing the effectiveness of training future Doctors of Philosophy for research and innovation activities in agronomy. Methods. General scientific methods (systemic approach, monographic, system-structural, abstract-logical). Results. The state of training the future Doctors of Philosophy in the postgraduate program of the Institute of Feed Research and Agriculture of Podillia of NAAS for research and innovation activities was analyzed. It was established that the choice of topics for doctoral dissertation research by postgraduate students is related to the priority areas of development of science and production, the professionalism of scientific supervisors, which largely determines the readiness of postgraduate students for innovative activity. It was determined that future Doctors of Philosophy have the opportunity to implement individual educational trajectories, but, on the other hand, more assistance is needed for their academic mobility, the opportunity to get acquainted with modern research practices abroad. It has been established that the results of scientific research activities in agronomy of future PhDs are scientific publications, patents for plant varieties or technologies, dissertations, and scientific projects. Conclusions. To increase the effectiveness of training future doctors of philosophy for scientific and research and innovative activity in agronomy, it is necessary to: include the educational component “Fundamentals of research and innovative activity in agronomy” to the educational scientific program “Agronomy”; to promote the involvement of young researchers in participation in international scientific conferences, grant projects, scientific competitions, international internships abroad; to introduce annual ratings, the competition “Best Young Scientist of the Year”, etc.

ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ЦИФРОВОЇ ТРАНСФОРМАЦІЇ ПРОФЕСІЙНОЇ ПІДГОТОВКИ МАЙБУТНІХ УЧИТЕЛІВ В УМОВАХ ЗМІШАНОГО НАВЧАННЯ

Introduction. The modern development of high technologies and digital tools significantly changes the economy and education, requiring the renewal of professional training of specialists. The digitalization of higher education ensures the availability of knowledge, competitiveness in the international labor market, and innovative learning. Particular attention is paid to the training of teachers of the New Ukrainian School who are able to adapt the educational process to modern challenges, in particular war and social instability. The modernization of teacher education, the introduction of blended learning and the development of health-saving activities are the key to the intellectual health of the nation and national security. The purpose of the study is to theoretically substantiate and identify areas of digital transformation of future teachers' professional training in blended learning as a regularity of higher education system informatisation. Methods. Analysis and synthesis of scientific sources – in order to study the problem of digitalization of higher education; generalization of empirical data; systematization of pedagogical experience in order to identify directions of digital transformation of professional education of future teachers in the context of blended learning Results. The analysis and generalization of scientific research and practical experience of the leading universities of Ukraine allows us to determine the features of the digital transformation of the professional training of future teachers in the conditions of blended learning at the level of goals, content, forms, methods and means, technological support, effectiveness. Originality. The digital transformation of the professional training of future teachers in blended learning involves the integration of traditional and digital methods, the creation of flexible educational environments and the development of individual educational trajectories. This requires new approaches to teaching, the use of modern technologies and ensuring the interaction of teachers and students in a digital format to increase the effectiveness of learning. Conclusion. The modernization of modern universities is taking place in the direction of forming an innovative model of the "digital university", which involves not only the introduction of the latest technologies in the process of vocational training, but also strategic transformations of the organization of the educational process, which include blended learning. Blended learning is an effective, but at the same time complex model of professional training of future teachers, since the formation of practical skills and abilities requires the use of active teaching methods, compliance with a methodologically grounded balance between the face-to-face and online components of educational interaction, which is effectively and without reducing the quality achieved by digital means. Thus, digitalization is a factor in the emergence of innovative forms of organizing the educational process in higher education, which include blended learning. In turn, the active introduction of blended learning leads to digital transformations in the system of professional training of future subject teachers at the level of goals, content of technologies, forms, methods and means, planned results

Exploring Transfer: A Liberal Arts Program for Community College Students

Objective: Although most community college students intend to transfer to a 4-year college, few ultimately do. We sought to assess how student experiences of the Exploring Transfer (ET) program influenced transfer rates. The ET program was offered by a private, 4-year liberal arts college. Methods: We used data from a cross-sectional survey of students who completed the ET program between 2008 and 2021 and could be reached by email (87% or N = 318 had valid email addresses). We collected data on sociodemographic characteristics, educational outcomes, and perceptions of the value of ET, as well as an open-ended item asking respondents how ET influenced their subsequent educational, employment, and life trajectory. We employed logistic regression to explore factors associated with 4-year completion rates. We used the constant comparative method to identify recurrent themes from the open-ended responses. Results: About 70% of the respondents ( N = 146, response rate of 46%) had completed their baccalaureate degree, and an additional 15% were either currently enrolled or accepted and planning to enroll in 4-year college. We found most graduates strongly valued their experience, and students of color were more likely to have completed their 4-year degree. Emergent themes pertained to instrumental and logistical support, critical thinking and writing skills, and psychosocial factors that enabled subsequent 4-year degree completion. Conclusion: Four-year degree completion rates were substantial among ET graduates. Scaling up the use of ET-like programs in additional institutions—perhaps as part of a national strategy to increase community college student transfer rates—could help students realize the benefits of a 4-year degree.

Gen Z's gendered divergences in the U.S. 2024 election: Digital engagement, education, and politics

On the eve of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the media was abuzz with Gen Z’s historic divergence at the ballot box. To understand Gen Z’s political fracturing, the research reveals how this election is at the nexus of larger gendered polarization in terms of digital activities and educational trajectories. In doing so, the research brings together these foci and puts them into dialogue with one another regarding Gen Z: the first digital generation. Focusing on a revelatory population, this study illuminates the voices of Gen Z socialized in a community marked by long term economic insecurity in an agricultural belt of California. Taking inspiration from Hochschild’s examination of the “crisis of men” vis-à-vis the 2024 election in the U.S., the analysis draws on her concepts of the “pride paradox” and the “pride economy.” Findings reveal linkages between gender, social media versus gaming, and going to college or “going to the trades.” All of these are driving gendered divergences within Gen Z’s media prosumption with important consequences for postsecondary educational trajectories which have implications for political stances. The research closes with a discussion of the impact of digital activities on identity projects that can translate into political stances, as well as the far-reaching implications of these processes for Gen Z globally in light of recent European elections.

INTEGRATION OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY KNOWLEDGE INTO INDUSTRIAL DESIGN CURRICULA

This article explores integrating multidisciplinary approaches into industrial designcurricula, explicitly focusing on using biomimicry, cognitive science, and engineering disciplines. Theaim of this study is to propose an educational model that incorporates these approaches to preparestudents for solving complex design challenges in a rapidly evolving technological environment.The authors analyze the importance of creating an educational paradigm that fosters systemsthinking, adaptability, and self-organization skills in students, which are crucial in rapid technologicaladvancements. The research methodology includes a systematic analysis of curricula, a comparativeanalysis of teaching methods, and an evaluation of student projects. The results indicate thatinterdisciplinary learning can enhance student engagement and improve their preparedness forprofessional practice. Examples of biomimicry implementation illustrate how sustainable design canbecome the basis for creating environmentally responsible solutions. Cognitive approaches allow forthe development of educational trajectories tailored to individual student characteristics. The authorsconclude that implementing these approaches requires flexibility from educational institutions andfurther research to assess their long-term effectiveness more accurately.

Innovative Research on Highly Interactive Chinese Contemporary Design Education Spaces

The transformation of instructional philosophy in design education has given rise to new interactive characteristics in the teaching models and learning approaches within design majors, subsequently posing new demands on teaching spaces tailored to modern design educational needs. This study, focusing on the design education system within the context of contemporary interdisciplinary attributes, derives spatial design solutions that effectively enhance teaching interaction and stimulate students' creative thinking. The article first outlines the developmental trajectory of design education in China, elucidating its evolution from "art" to "technique" and ultimately to "thinking." Secondly, it integrates literature to demonstrate the pressing need for high interaction in current design educational processes. Finally, it analyzes the accessibility of interaction dimensions among "space-teacher-student" based on the existing types of teaching spaces in China, and maps out the interaction pathways. By summarizing and categorizing issues such as low interaction levels between teachers and students (T-S) and among students themselves (S-S), as well as weak accessibility in interaction pathways, this study proposes corresponding design strategies. These strategies encompass balancing the "physical" and "psychological" interaction radii between teachers and students, enhancing the accessibility of student collaboration and interaction, transcending the four-dimensional sensory perception of space for interaction, and integrating technological diversity into interaction. By implementing these strategies, this research aims to refine the design practice of innovative teaching spaces under a highly interactive model in design education, fundamentally propelling the traditional design education system towards a more integrated and interdisciplinary future.

APPROACHES TO FINANCING THE SYSTEM OF EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

At the modern post-industrial stage of economic development, the transformation of social systems in developed countries is carried out in the direction of individualization of the educational trajectory of each person. In the presented study, significant attention is paid to ensuring of getting education by children with special needs, the percentage of such children tends to increase throughout the world. One of the difficulties in organizing work with special children is collecting information on the characteristics of the required educational environment, according to W. Oates’s decentralization theory, the provision and financing of public goods should be carried out at the level of the budget system that is closest to the consumer, while minimizing territorial differentiation in the availability of services. The purpose of the article is to systematize existing approaches to organizing the financing of the system of obtaining education for children with special educational needs. The conducted analysis of the current regulatory framework from the point of view of the implementation of the practice of financial equalization in the system of budgetary federalism allowed the research to determine the feasibility of centralizing psychological and pedagogical assistance for children with disabilities at the regional level. The analysis of the practice of implementing the reform of budgetary institutions in the framework of the transition to financing of the state and municipal assignment allowed the research to identify the discrepancy between the planned indicators and the actual volume of services; centralization at the regional level can help to redistribute services between territorial divisions. Using the example of the data analysis from the work of the institutions of psychological and medical pedagogical commissions (PMPC) of the city of Chelyabinsk, disproportions in funding sources and the volumes of the municipal assignment were revealed. As a result of the study, proposals are presented for the centralization of services provided by organizations of psychological and pedagogical, medical and social assistance. The transfer of funding for these services to the regional level can help to take into account the specific needs of children with disabilities and reduce the degree of territorial differentiation in the availability of educational services.

Institutional confidence, underreporting and academic consequences of gender-based violence among university staff and students in Europe

ABSTRACT This article examines the relationship between reporting incidents of gender-based violence, adverse academic consequences, and confidence in institutional responses within academic institutions based on an online survey conducted in 46 research organisations located in 15 European countries. By ‘academic consequences’, we refer specifically to the effects on an individual's educational pursuits, including but not limited to changes in academic performance, disruptions in coursework, and alterations in educational trajectories. Our results show that reporting gender-based violence is associated with increased severity of academic consequences, but that confidence in institutional responses has a negative association with adverse academic consequences. The level of confidence in institutional responses is identified as a moderator, intensifying the protective effect against adverse academic consequences, but interestingly only among staff. A multilevel intersectional analysis is used, considering various identity characteristics and accounting for structural inequalities. The article concludes with a discussion of the critical role of confidence in institutional responses and suggests that institutions must move beyond procedural adjustments to foster a holistic change in culture, norms, and power structures. Recommendations for institutions include developing safe and confidential reporting mechanisms, building trust in responses, and fostering a culture of respect and zero tolerance for violence to effectively address this critical issue in academic settings.

Personalised and differentiated learning: The role of information environments in universities

The article deals with the problem of differentiation and individualisation of the educational process of students. The article is a research study, as it proves the effectiveness of individualised learning based on a pedagogical experiment involving the implementation of individual educational trajectories in learning English. It also analyses students' trends and challenges in implementing individual educational trajectories while pursuing higher education. The study aimed to identify and substantiate the organisational and technical capabilities of differentiated and individualised learning as a resource for the student's personal growth and to ensure the quality of this education on the part of the educational institution. It is established that a student's transition to studying according to an individual educational trajectory is due to the development of the status of the student's subjectivity, which is characterised by their attitude to the educational process, motivation, and readiness to implement this trajectory. The possibilities of individualisation of learning are not limited to studying at a higher education institution but also to extracurricular activities, one of which may be competitive (Olympiad) or research activities. The experimental evaluation confirmed the effectiveness of the developed model of individualised foreign language learning, as evidenced by positive dynamics: 72% of students in the experimental groups improved their performance using the model proposed in the article. This is the average indicator for both the primary and corrective pathways. However, it is worth noting that the improvement rate was 7% higher in the group following the corrective individual pathway. The study's results substantiate the need to further develop this problem as an essential resource for students' self-development and self-improvement, enhancing the quality of modern higher education in Ukraine.

Preparation of Schoolchildren for the Olympiad on Artificial Intelligence

The article presents a small part of the research results devoted to the development of scientific and methodological support of variant teaching of the basics of artificial intelligence in the course of computer science of basic general and secondary general education, concerning the preparation of schoolchildren for the Olympiad on artificial intelligence. The aim of the article is to actualize the problem of developing or selecting the necessary task material for purposeful preparation for school Olympiads on artificial intelligence. The content of theoretical and practical modules of the basics of artificial intelligence developed as a result of the research includes olympiad training in artificial intelligence for basic and high school students studying computer science at an advanced level. The research methodology consists of: integrative approach to the development of the methodology of variant teaching of the basics of artificial intelligence and the implementation of possible educational trajectories in the basic educational programs of basic general and secondary general education; experience in the development of the concept and content of the first All-Russian Olympiad of schoolchildren of grades 8-11 on artificial intelligence; expert activity in the Russian Union of Schoolchildren’s Olympiads and the results of surveys of teachers. General theoretical and empirical research methods were used. The conclusion about possible solution of the problem of development of training tasks for purposeful preparation of schoolchildren for the Olympiad on artificial intelligence and realization of the course on choice of participants of educational relations with the use of standard tasks of three stages of the Olympiad on artificial intelligence is made in the conclusion.

Survivors of Complex Trauma as Adult Online Learners

Complex trauma is both a product and a source of significant multidimensional inequality, including profound disruption to survivors’ educational trajectories. Nonetheless, educational researchers have not previously engaged with adult survivors who study online, contradicting the key principle of collaboration within a trauma-informed approach. This qualitative instrumental collective case study explored how adults with a history of complex trauma experience postsecondary open/online learning. Findings included participants’ struggles with executive functioning, challenges regulating emotion and dealing with a heightened perception of threat, re-experiencing trauma, negative beliefs about the self, and difficulties navigating relationships. These trauma impacts affected not only participants’ learning and course experience, but also their experience of applying, registering, and accessing financial aid. Nonetheless, participants are demonstrably skilled in managing the impacts of their trauma and are driven to learn, placing the highest intrinsic value on education. Top priorities for the implementation of trauma-informed educational practices identified by participants included establishing safety; trust and transparency; and empowerment, voice, and choice. Implications include enhancing equity and inclusion for survivors of complex trauma through the implementation of trauma-informed educational practices in open/online postsecondary contexts.