Slovak Universities Research Articles

POSSIBILITIES OF IMPROVING READING OF SUBJECT-SPECIFIC TEXTS

In their future professional career the non-philological universities´ graduates will undoubtedly encounter the necessity of reading technical texts in a foreign language. Utilising the basic knowledge in linguistics, they should be able to orient easily in the text and context, use prediction, comprehend the texts without the word-by-word translation as well as be aware of making use of various progressive reading techniques, if necessary and useful. The author carried out a quantitative and qualitative research at three Slovak non-philological universities with the sample of 300 respondents. The research proved our anticipations that the situation regarding the university students´ reading skills level is quite serious as well as it proved that the improvement in this field is possible in a short time period.

СОЦИОКУЛЬТУРНОЕ СОДЕРЖАНИЕ СОВРЕМЕННЫХ УЧЕБНИКОВ РУССКОГО ЯЗЫКА ДЛЯ ШКОЛ И ВУЗОВ СЛОВАКИИ

The article describes the process and results of the study of the socio-cultural content of modern Russian language textbooks for secondary schools and universities in Slovakia. The aim of the study is to find answers to the following questions: what kind of socio-cultural material is presented in these textbooks, does it create the preconditions for intercultural communication, what image of Russia is formed among Slovak students when they study Russian using these textbooks? The research material includes 13 textbooks used in teaching the Russian language in secondary schools and universities in Slovakia. The research methods comprise the following: content-analysis of curricula and textbooks, questioning, interviewing. The study showed that modern Russian language textbooks used in secondary schools and universities in Slovakia contain rich socio-cultural material. It contains facts of artistic culture and scientific achievements of Russia, provides information about events, personalities and situations of modern everyday communication. The realities of Russian life are reflected in textbooks scantily but rether benevolently. It creates a basis for intercultural communication and contributes to the formation of a positive image of Russia and the Russian people. The results of this study may be useful for many specialists (psychologists, political scientists, sociologists, historians, etc.), but are of primary significance for authors and reviewers of Russian language textbooks, as well as for teachers looking for a textbook for practical teaching.

SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTENT OF MODERN RUSSIAN LANGUAGE TEXTBOOKS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES IN SLOVAKIA

The article describes the process and results of the study of the socio-cultural content of modern Russian language textbooks for secondary schools and universities in Slovakia. The aim of the study is to find answers to the following questions: what kind of socio-cultural material is presented in these textbooks, does it create the preconditions for intercultural communication, what image of Russia is formed among Slovak students when they study Russian using these textbooks? The research material includes 13 textbooks used in teaching the Russian language in secondary schools and universities in Slovakia. The research methods comprise the following: content-analysis of curricula and textbooks, questioning, interviewing. The study showed that modern Russian language textbooks used in secondary schools and universities in Slovakia contain rich socio-cultural material. It contains facts of artistic culture and scientific achievements of Russia, provides information about events, personalities and situations of modern everyday communication. The realities of Russian life are reflected in textbooks scantily but rether benevolently. It creates a basis for intercultural communication and contributes to the formation of a positive image of Russia and the Russian people. The results of this study may be useful for many specialists (psychologists, political scientists, sociologists, historians, etc.), but are of primary significance for authors and reviewers of Russian language textbooks, as well as for teachers looking for a textbook for practical teaching.

E-learning in Teaching Basics of Graph Theory

The pandemic situation, caused by COVID-19, has significantly influenced the way of teaching at Slovak universities. Contact lessons have been completely banned and replaced by distance learning or on-line learning. In the paper, we analyze results of teaching basics of graph theory by a combination of video lessons and an e-learning course. Moreover, we compare the results of internal and external students.

TRANSLATOR AND INTERPRETER TRAINING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: PROCEDURAL, TECHNICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS IN REMOTE TRAINING

The main focus of the study lies on the challenges in translation and interpreting university training in the changed environment of the COVID-19 pandemic. It reflects the significant changes in training and learning in Slovakia after shifting from campus-based training to remote training, investigating the key factors influencing the learning process of students from their perspective. Based on the results of a focus group discussion with students, their qualitative analysis and quantitative verification via an online survey at all Slovak universities that provide translation and interpreting study programme, three types of factor were identified. The first category – procedural factors – relates to the training process itself; technical factors relate to technical aspects and limitations influencing the education of students; and psychosocial factors reflect intra- and interpersonal aspects affecting students in either a positive or negative way. Investigation of these factors provides useful findings on the learning experience of students during the current crisis. Key words: university training, translation and interpreting, COVID-19, learning experience, remote training, students’ perspective

Transforming Brownfields as Tourism Destinations and Their Sustainability on the Example of Slovakia

This study analyzes the issue of mining brownfields (sites abandoned after the extraction of minerals) in terms of their secondary use after revitalization as potential new sites of mining tourism. In the first part of the paper, we deal with the theoretical basis of the study, the conceptualization of mining brownfields, possibilities for their revitalization, and their sustainability for mining tourism. In the second part, we analyze mining brownfields as devastated mining sites using a questionnaire survey conducted among students of geotourism and geography at three Slovak universities in Košice, Banská Bystrica, and Prešov. The result of our several years of field research was a database of mining brownfields in Slovakia. According to our findings and the latest theoretical and methodological literature about other types of brownfields, we compiled a comprehensive definition of mining brownfields. The questionnaire survey confirmed that mining brownfields are interesting destinations for (mining) tourism with long-term sustainability. The equipment of the services did not directly determine the number of visitors, who did not perceive the risk and danger of visiting mining brownfields.

Use of Internet Social Networks in Academic Environment

Numerous national and private Slovak universities and colleges are currently confronted with a state, where the offer of study programmes exceeds its demand - students’ interests. This paper describes reasons for this situation but mainly it points out the fact that the advent of information and communication technologies significantly intervened in different areas of life and all types of communication. The implementation of some tools of internet social networks in the academic environment is, therefore, essential. In addition to the theoretical background, the paper also includes case study related to the creation of a new Facebook profile #MaŠtu, setting up specific online marketing key performance indicators (KPI) and monitoring them using both Facebook analytics metrics and the social networking tool for administration, ZoomSphere.

Health Promotion by Adequate Water Intake and Assessment of Beverages Consumption Among University Students

The behaviour regarding the fluid intake in adolescents and young adults is an important issue, since these data may provide information about the health consciousness of the next generation. Inappropriate daily beverages intake for a long period can have adverse effects on human health. Positive effects of maintenance of good hydration are known in the prevention of chronic diseases like urolithiasis, bladder or colon cancer, hypertension, obesity, or constipation. In the present study, we examine the various factors of beverage intake by university students. Data from 3020 students of the Czech and Slovak universities were collected in 2016–2018 to evaluate their daily fluid intake and the characteristics of beverage consumptions. We found that gender, country, frequency of daily water intake, nutrition literacy, and some other factors influence whether a student reports having a daily water intake of more than 1.5 litres. Our respondents have preferences for beverages, based on taste and health effects primarily, prices and availability were secondary. We present the suggestions for a more balanced beverage intake for the studied age group.

The role of universities in supporting entrepreneurial intentions of students toward sustainable entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship education should develop entrepreneurial people and aspiration by equipping individuals with the appropriate knowledge and skills to initiate and sustain enterprises. The concept of entrepreneurial intention becomes an interesting question when analysing the efficiency of university education in EU countries. The main aim of this paper is to find out whether universities support entrepreneurial intentions toward sustainability by providing necessary knowledge and skills. The conclusions are based on the opinions of students collected by the surveys conducted at Polish, Czech, Hungarian and Slovak universities in 2018/2019. The general conclusion is that in all studied countries the support is expected by students, but it seems to be insufficient in the area of knowledge provided by the university.

Current Situation in Teaching Physical Education at Universities in the Slovak Republic

The aim of the study was to draw an accurate picture of the current situation in teaching physical education at universities in the Slovak Republic. The authors seek further ways of sustaining and developing it as a prerequisite for a healthy lifestyle of the university population. The analysis confirmed that technical universities in Slovakia show a substantially more positive approach towards physical education in their curriculum than social and natural sciences universities. Of the 105 monitored faculties of public universities, physical education is listed as a compulsory subject at 13 out of 27 faculties of technical universities and only at 9 out of 78 faculties with a humanities focus. Physical edu- cation is present at every faculty of technical universities in our research; the situation is much less favorable at all other universities, where as many as 45 faculties do not offer physical education in their curriculum. Among them are faculties that educate future primary and secondary school teachers. We further found that directly affiliated university departments of Physical Education have a better chance of maintaining sport and physical activity at university, whether as compulsory part of the higher education curricula or as extracurricular optional sporting activities.

EMPIRICAL RESEARCH OF COLLOCATIONS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING

This scientific paper presents a corpus-based investigative research of German collocations; in text comprehension, a new method for identification of collocations is presented, as well as a scientific discussion of the types of collocations for which this new analysis method is suitable. The article further explores the consequences of using collocations and their translation into other languages on communication in foreign language teaching. It was examined how the students of foreign languages in Slovak universities (non-philological courses of studies) can deal with the collocations in their future profession (as translators or experts in a professional language) after their linguistic studies and whether they are able to actually implement this foreign language competence in the future. Although vocabulary work is developed as a primary competence among foreign language learners, some areas of studies lack current, creative and innovative teaching materials, especially in the didactic field of comparative collocation research. The results of our research projects promote the acquisition of foreign language skills and help teachers develop and use new methods in their work.

Security of Chemical Laboratories in Schools and Universities in Slovakia

Schools in Slovakia lack a deeper education and training in chemical security. It is not mandatory to educate students about chemical security during their studies at any educational level. An increasing number of terrorist attacks involving chemicals have highlighted a big gap in this area of education. Slovakia, as part of Central and Eastern Europe, can play an important role in chemical security. This paper presents the results of the current situation of chemical security in Slovak schools. There are 167 middle schools, high schools, and universities that comprise a representative sample of schools in the entire Slovakia. The situation is comparable to other countries but requires several improvements in this field. This paper also presents recommendations to the schools and the government. On the basis of the results achieved in the framework of the statistical research provided within this paper, the results will be implemented in Slovak study programs as well as future scientific and research work.

Can HRM Utilize Hero Analyses in Identifying Employees’ Profiles? The Case of the Slovak and Czech Republics

Finding feasible ways to predict the behaviour of organizations’ current and future employees is one of the most crucial HRM roles. The identification of heroes is a potential and innovative technique. The objective of the study is to identify heroes recognized by university students (to-be employees) and the values the students attach to them, as the grounds for establishing an employee profile useful in recruitment and selection processes. Simultaneously, the study pays attention to the respondents’ cultural context, namely the one of national culture (students of Slovak and Czech universities). The sample employee profiles open new opportunities for further exploration of the approach on the academic level as well as in the HRM practice. The differences identified in applicants’ hero categories significantly enhance understanding of their behavioural tendencies. The findings open several questions about the role of companies as well as educational systems in future employees’ value system evolution.

ПРЕПОДАВАТЕЛИ ВУЗОВ СЛОВАКИИ КАК ОСОБАЯ КАТЕГОРИЯ РАБОТНИКОВ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОГО УПРАВЛЕНИЯ: СОЦИАЛЬНАЯ СТАБИЛЬНОСТЬ ЗАНЯТОСТИ?

The main role of public administration is to administrate public affairs. All of the functions in this field are realised by employees carrying out the dependent work. Public administration, as an employer, has to fulfil the demand of stability and attractiveness of public sector employment. For the purposes of the study our attention focuses on a large group of public employees, namely teachers in public universities in Slovakia. Legislative regulation of the employment of university teachers is alarming. The paper analyses Slovak legislation of time-terminated employment contracts with university teachers and its unlimited repetition. The authors, supported by settled case law of the Court of Justice of the EU, assess the legislation in substance and critically, but also point to its potential impact on the private life, social security and health of these employees, i.e. psychological aspects. Descriptive analysis aimed at assessing quantitative changes in individual groups of university teachers according to the highest level of qualification was used to express trends in the development of quantitative indicators characterizing selected aspects of employment of university teachers (assistant, assistant professor, associate professor, professor). Legislation on the employment of university teachers under the conditions of the Slovak Republic raises considerations of unequal treatment of two categories of university teachers (associate professors and professors) when compared to the category of assistants and assistant professors. For this reason, an analysis of the age structure of university teachers according to the highest qualifi cations was carried out. The analyses were carried out using data from the Center of Scientific and Technical Information of the Slovak Republic (CVTI SR) and the Register of University Employees maintained by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic. The study was conducted for the reference term of 2011–2019. Through our analysis, we have identified a downward trend in the number of university teachers qualified as assistant professors in the 40–49 age category, and this change does not reflect the increase in the number of associate professors in the same age category. The group of university teachers in this age category then becomes vulnerable/disadvantaged in the labor market, which has serious social consequences for the employees themselves and provides a picture of the university environment in terms of legislation.

Russian language teaching in Ruzomberok, Slovakia: culturological approach

Teaching Russian at the universities in Slovakia has its own history. For decades, the Russian language has occupied a worthy place in the country’s universities, including Ruzomberok. A new educational reform (since September, 2019) implies freedom of choice when learning foreign languages. Consequently, interest in studying the Russian language in Slovakia is forecasted, which indicates the relevance of our chosen topic. The purpose of the article is to analyze the system of teaching the Russian language at Catholic University in Slovakia from the perspective of a young teacher with little pedagogical experience. The theoretical significance of the article lies in the pointing out the problem of forming and developing interest to the Russian language in Ruzomberok through the culturological approach outlined by the famous Slovak specialist in Russian philology Eva Kollarova. The practical significance of the work consists in using educational disciplines being worked out, their analysis and further adjustment aimed at developing the students’ personality, their individuality through the Russian language. As a result of the study, it was proved that the curriculum based on the culturological approach to teaching a foreign language helps to build trust between the teacher and students. Also, university students are motivated, and in the university environment, they do not only receive facts through language, but are also brought up. We see the prospects of the study in a more detailed study of the impact of teaching the Russian language according to the principle of “language through culture, culture through language.” Due to the growing interest to the Russian language in Slovakia and a free choice in learning a foreign language, the willingness of teachers and students for the dialogue of cultures is becoming very important.

"Demokratizačná akcia". Študentské čistky na slovenských vysokých školách na prelome rokov 1948 a 1949

Autorka v této studii sleduje jeden ze způsobů, jímž se nově etablovaný komunistický režim v Československu po únoru 1948 snažil vybudovat si nové loajální elity a zabránit vzniku elit nekonformních. Tématem je studijní a politická prověrka posluchačů slovenských vysokých škol, která se odehrála na přelomu let 1948 a 1949 pod eufemistickým názvem "demokratizační akce" či "demokratizace". Autorka tuto akci zasazuje do širšího politického rámce a dobového ideologického diskurzu. Přitom ji jednak porovnává s paralelní takzvanou studijní prověrkou v českých zemích, jednak ji vřazuje do několika vln "očisty" vysokých škol na Slovensku v letech 1948 až 1960 a ukazuje její propojení s následující čistkou uskutečněnou v roce 1950 v rámci kampaně proti takzvanému slovenskému buržoaznímu nacionalismu. Na základě výzkumu ve slovenských archivech popisuje a shrnuje organizaci, cíle, průběh a výsledky "demokratizační akce". V prověrce se uplatňovala jak studijní kritéria (sloužící primárně k jejímu zdůvodnění), tak politická kritéria (vystihující její skutečný záměr), a jejich kombinací vzniklo několik kategorií studujících. Každý posluchač pak podle svého zařazení byl buď prověřen, anebo vyloučen - dočasně na dva až tři semestry, během nichž měl pracovat ve výrobě, nebo natrvalo. Mezi jednotlivými školami a fakultami přitom byly značné rozdíly v podílu vyloučených studentů a studentek, pro které se autorka snaží najít možná vysvětlení. Nápadné je celkově mírnější vyznění "demokratizační akce" na Slovensku oproti "studijní prověrce" v českých zemích, které mnohdy nenaplnilo radikálnější představy organizátorů. Podle autorky se v tomto výsledku promítly především tři faktory: citelný nedostatek a potřeba kvalifikovaných odborníků z různých oborů ve srovnání s českými zeměmi, slabá pozice komunistické strany mezi studentstvem i učitelským sborem na některých slovenských školách a konečně činnost odvolací komise zřízené při pověřenectvu školství a osvěty, která řadu verdiktů o vyloučení studujících změnila. Vedoucí komise Ernest Otto i pověřenec školství, komunistický literát Ladislav Novomeský (1904-1976) se tím dostali do konfliktu s vedením Vysokoškolského výboru Komunistické strany Slovenska a tento liberálnější postup přispěl také k jejich politické i trestní perzekuci v padesátých letech.

Sustainable Academic Motivation

The article examines motivation in higher education and relates it to the concept of sustainability. It consists of a theoretical examination of the terms ‘sustainable motivation’ and ‘academic motivation’, and specifically postulates and explains the concept of ‘sustainable academic motivation’. Sustainable academic motivation is defined as proactive interconnection of basic ideas of sustainability and basic characteristics of academic motivation. With primary attention on disclosing appropriate measures for building sustainable academic motivation, an empirical part presents the results of sociological questioning carried out on n = 181 teachers, administrators, and managers of Slovak and Polish universities. Higher financial evaluation and creating good relationships were found to be the most desirable motivation measures. Results also emphasized a discrepancy between opinions of university managers versus opinions of scientists and teachers regarding effective motivation. Based on the results, and with the support of other opinions, sustainable academic motivation is subsequently defined from five perspectives: (a) As the most important component of conscious behavior; (b) as the starting point of behavior; (c) as the accelerator of behavior and development; (d) as the process; and (e) as the resultative level of all motivational efforts and powers at higher-education institutions. The final part of the article contains recommendations for university management, when affecting and building sustainable academic motivation.

CIVIL AND MILITARY AVIATION EDUCATION AS INTERDISCIPLINARY DIDACTIC SYSTEM: UPDATED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND COMPETENCES

On the basis of a national analysis and the expert discussion, this article presents a methodological approach to the realization of professional education and the creation of the required competencies for civilian and military aviation personnel, based on a system approach platform, with the application in the specific aviation education environment of future employees in the Transport sector. This article presents the third part of a study. The article used analysis and synthesis tools, the method “per partes” (integration in parts) and an expert method. The authors solved the following praxeological questions: How to identify the Interdisciplinary Didactic System for creating the required competencies of aviation personnel in the conditions of the Slovak Republic? What are the core themes of aviation knowledge in the Transport sector, the skills and competencies of our graduates? The strategic framework for the solutions is the implementation of a state education policy, the transport policy, the defence policy of the state and the relevant international and the European agenda, in the conditions of universities in Slovakia, in cooperation with their partners. The core outputs of this article are the framework knowledge, the skills and competences of graduates identified in the new field of study “Transport” in the Slovak Republic.

Evolution of University Third Mission Activities in Slovakia: What Role for a Public Policy?

Purpose: Universities are an important component of regional innovation systems. There have been a number of studies during recent years in developed countries which analysed activities of universities aiming to increase their contribution in regional innovation. The aim of this article is to explore the evolution of third mission activities of universities in Slovakia and explore the role of public policy in this process.Methodology/Approach: We used a document analysis of annual reports of all public universities in Slovakia to see which third mission activities universities claim to perform and how the situation has changed over the years. We also compared universities according to their focus and location. Several personal and telephone interviews were conducted to verify or supplement the information.Findings: We found that among all third mission activities, the greatest change was observed in research and cooperation activities with businesses. This mainly resulted from a change in government policy but mostly due to very strong support from EU structural funds.Research Limitation/implication: The study is based on annual reports of universities which do not necessarily cover all activities that universities actually perform.Originality/Value of paper: The paper provides the first complete overview of the third mission activities performed by universities in Slovakia with a focus on their development over time. Also, it identifies the role which governmental policy plays in these processes.

University-Industry Links in Slovakia: What are the Factors Underlying the Number of Interactions with Industry?

Purpose: The main aim of the paper is to investigate the determinants of university-industry links, considering the number of contracts with industry as an output variable. Also, the spatial dimension of contracts is examined, explaining to what extent U-I cooperation is anchored regionally or nationally.Methodology/Approach: The paper uses a unique dataset comprising 1,158 contracts with industry at the 25 faculties belonging to five technical universities in Slovakia. Negative binomial regression analysis is used to evaluate the determinants for academic engagement in contract research.Findings: Empirical findings reveal the impact of the factors such as age, personnel structure, the intensity of supervising and experience in research projects financed by public authorities, mattering more than patenting or teaching intensity in the propensity of researchers to engage with industry.Research Limitation/implication: The outcomes only concern technical universities in Slovakia, and there is still room for analysis of other faculties comprising other subject areas. Since there is no longer time series data, the 2014-2016 timeframe did not permit to explore additional contexts in the model.Originality/Value of paper: Foremost, this is the first attempt to investigate the relationship between different factors and the level of contract research in Slovakia, making several contributions to the existing literature.