Vasile Alecsandri Research Articles

What do Young University Professors (Still) Believe in Nowadays?

Abstract The study aims at identifying the young university professor's values, which support the relationships with students. The method, the questionnaire-based inquiry, was applied to 56 subjects (less than 15 years experience in education) from “ Vasile Alecsandri” University of Bacau and “Petrol si Gaze” University of Ploiesti, Romania. The study helped to identify 3 aspects: 1. the values in which young university professors believe, regarding the relationship with oneself, with colleagues and with their activity; 2. the values that they regard as most important in the current and future society; 3. the values that they hand down to students.

Experimental Stand for the Study of a Three-phase Synchronous Generator with Permanent Super Magnets

This work presents an experimental stand for the study of a three-phase synchronous generator in reverse construction with permanent super magnets. This stand has been built at the Electrical Machinery Laboratory of “Vasile Alecsandri” University of Bacau. Synchronous generators with permanent magnets are used for producing electricity in wind power stations. A synchronous generator of normal construction is composed of two armatures: a fixed armature named stator and a moving one, named rotor; the latter is concentrically located inside the fixed armature. This experiment has used a synchronous generator with permanent super magnets in reverse construction, where the fixed armature named stator is located inside the moving armature, named rotor. With the help of the experimental stand the characteristics of the synchronous generator with permanent super magnets in reverse construction have been determined.

Considerations Regarding the Creative Dimension of the Physical Education and Sports Didactic Process

Abstract Starting from the premise that the students’ opinions can give us an image on the way a modern teaching process should be adopted, as a creative didactic activity, we conducted an inquiry among the senior students from the “Vasile Alecsandri” University of Bacau. The information gathered from the 97 students we questioned has shown important aspects regarding this phenomenon, on the basis of which, an applicative intervention would benefit the harmonization of the process of educating the creativity of the Physical Education and Sports teachers, in compliance with the demands of an European education. The analysis of the answers has shown a coexistence of elements corresponding to a routinized and inflexible behavior, with elements linked with diminishing the authoritarian impact generated by the abusive use of commands, and exaggerated control of the teachers over the students’ performances.

Use of mathematical content sheets

Abstract The method of using differentiated activity sheets in corroboration with collective, individual and general ones increases the efficiency of education. Sheets contribute to: - Activation and acquisition of knowledge; - Formation of habits; - Development of intellectual processes; - Review and assessment of skills taught. Evaluation sheets (acquiring new knowledge, fixing and recovery) are focused on highlighting the progress each student has made relative to their previous results. This information from the evaluation sheets is very useful in planning following activities, taking into account the specificities of each student. Using worksheets and assessment, implementing exciting and attractive activities, and using modern methods of evaluation have led to an increased motivation for learning. Through the experiment carried out with second year math undergraduates at “Vasile Alecsandri” University on an initial test, it was proved that the formation and the development of skills and abilities for assessment in high school are possible if we use various evaluation methods and procedures. This information was very useful in planning subsequent activities, taking into account the specificities of each student.

A Comparative Study on the Creative Conduct of the Future Physical Education and Sports Teacher

Abstract Starting from the premise that the model accompanying the student in his/her own preparation is the teacher's creative conduct, we thought it would be useful to conduct a research that would allow us to know the preoccupation of teachers for stimulating the creative component through their didactic activity with the students, in the PE undergraduate and graduate schools. For this, we conducted an inquiry-based investigation, comparing its results with the ones obtained in a similar study, 4 years ago. The questionnaire was applied on a group of 50 senior students from the PE undergraduate school of the “Vasile Alecsandri” University of Bacau. After analyzing the answers given by the questioned subjects, we could see a decrease in the elements that were specific to a dated and conformist behavior in teachers, and the appearance of elements that are specific to a creative conduct.

Educating the Ability to Use New Strategies of Approaching the Students’ Specialized Education

Abstract This paper is an experimental study conducted in october 2011 to february 2012 with a group of 20 students from Faculty of Movement, Sports, and Health Sciences, „Vasile Alecsandri” University of Bacau. The purpose of this study is to capture the efficiency of using strategies involving students in formative act. The first strategy aimed at the student involvement from the expeimental group in preparation, teaching, testing and assessment the transmission of new information, and the second strategy, for the control group, intended the student involvement in presentation of information in class taught, devising of new ideas and their evaluation.

Do University Professors Still Believe in Values?

Expedited requests and controversial contemporary time flow toward academics. Caught between higher education and specific quantitative and qualitative margins, ever rising research, economic and quality standards, professors are often forced to rebate axiological reflection which should guide all the work. The study, in its preliminary stage, attempts to determine whether academics still believe in values. Under this assumption, as it is a defining quality that trainers should have, we are interested in what they are and especially if there are any significant differences between values that seem to define two distinct categories of teachers. Using a questionnaire survey we have investigated 26 subjects with over 20 years’ teaching experience (half in the socio-human sciences, and half in the real) from “Vasile Alecsandri” University of Bacau. The research was conducted in the university center of Bacău, between March and April 2012, as a qualitative type of research. We have applied a questionnaire that included 8 open-ended items. For the items that required a hierarchization of the respondents’ options, the score of each value has been established as follows: 3 points for the value situated on the first position, 2 points for the value from the second position, 1 point for the value situated on the third position. Our effort was directed at identifying values professors believe in and that they hand down to students precisely because they may influence students’ beliefs, choices, motivations, and attitudes. Following the collection, analysis and interpretation of the results, we have identified a set of common values for the professors in the investigated group. These are: morality; love for people, appreciation of others; work; faith in God; responsibility. For the future, we intend to add other universities and categories of teachers (less than 20 years’ experience) in the research.

Relațiile româno-occitane de-a lungul timpului / The Romanian-Occitan relationships along the time

Abstract This article examines relationships between the poetical movement of southern French youngs felibri and the Romanian poets in the nineteen and twenty century. This relationships begin in the year of 1878 when the Romanian poet Vasile Alecsandri receives an award at the great poetry contest organized by the felibrii. These relationships have continued, with some periods of interruption until the beginning of twenty-one century. In this paper is referred and the support that they offered the Occitans to Romanian in political matters (like difficult situation of the Romanians from Transylvania)

What do University Professors (Still) Believe in?

Nowadays we see that the value of a university professor is given mainly by the amount of money that he is able to bring to the institution's budget and by the financial value of the projects he initiates and coordinates (Vlăsceanu, 2006). In this context, the quality of teaching carried out daily with the students and the human intrinsic value of university professors have taken a background place among the concerns of higher education administrators. We nevertheless consider that in the formation of new generations of intellectuals the values their professors believe in are very important. They influence the choices, aspirations and motivations of students; they provide students with a way to give meaning to their lives (Frankl, 2009, Yalom, 2010).Though in a preliminary stage, the study aims to reveal the values of today's academics: the same values that guide their life, their relationships with students and the ones they want to pass along. The method used is questionnaire survey. It was applied to a group of 56 subjects (over 20 years of teaching experience) from “Petroleum-Gas” University of Ploiesti and “Vasile Alecsandri” University of Bacau. The study led us to identify the following three aspects: 1. the values university professors believe in regarding the relationship with self, peers, and their work, 2. the values we consider most important in our current and future society, 3. the values they pass along to students and that they consider relevant for future generations of intellectuals.University professors are not only a source of knowledge for students and representatives of leading scientific research. They are also a source of values. It is therefore necessary to award special attention to the study of their values. These values influence the beliefs, choices, motivations and attitudes of future generations of intellectuals. It is opportune to develop the research by including other universities and other categories of teachers (less than 20 years experience).

Increasing Independence versus Increasing Collaboration with ICT Support

Over the last decade, information and communication technologies have enabled significant changes in the way people live, work, interact and learn. Some of these changes have been quite rapid in time, which is the reason why we believe that more research is needed for finding evidence on how new technologies can enhance learning. Does the use of ICT tools lead to significant improvement in independent thinking? Are motivation and enthusiasm growing when setting cooperative learning groups? Does collaboration generate new forms of communication outside the classroom, is it extended beyond school? How do we learn to learn with ICT? The paper intends to give some answers to these questions.We approached the above issues on students of Vasile Alecsandri University of Bacau, that graduate and become teachers. We looked for significant facts related to the effects of using ICT tools both on independence increase and on collaboration increase of the subjects. We defined indicators in order to measure the two categories and we compared the results of our test with student's perception on their ICT competencies.In order to run the research, questionaires and interviews have been applied and work samples of students (projects, portofolios) have been studied. As well, psycho-pedagogical observation and some statistical methods have been used.The study reveals the necessity to carrefully complement the tasks that lead to an improvement of independent thinking with group activities and collaboration strategies. It appears that the major factor with impact on future teachers’ ICT competencies is a creative practical approach. ICT tools need to be used in a manner which responds to their needs to personalize the learning process in a mutual environment.The findings of the study will be applied in an operational model designated to improve the professional competencies of the beginning teachers.

Statistical analysis of the structure and dynamics of the number of students in public education over the past two academic years from Bacau

Bacau public university, represented by the “Vasile Alecsandri”University from Bacau, is the third such center in the region. With more than 7400 students, it represents 7.5% of North-East Region and 1.1% of the total country. The number of students registered in the academic year 2009/2010 a positive dynamic in total (11.9%, 792 students) than the previous year. For the university studies, the number of students increased by 5%, dynamics above average recording the Faculty of Sciences (58.3%), Faculty of Movement, Sports and Health (15.1%), Faculty of Economics (+ 13.3%). The students in the academic program stand for 73.5% of the total, from the masters programs 15.2%, from the postgraduate masters 9.2%, other postgraduate courses 1.5% and 0.6% doctoral school. In the last two years, over 3200 graduate students have completed the university.

Statistical analysis of the structure and dynamics of material and human resources in public education over the past two academic years in Bacau

The public university education in Bacau, represented by “Vasile Alecsandri” University from Bacau has developed over the past two years not only in terms of student numbers, but as human and material resources available to them. After the number of students per teacher, public higher education from Bacau is situated on the second place after Iasi, the number of teachers representing 1% of the country. The structure by scientific degrees of teachers has improved in the last year, reaching over 36% professors and lecturers and 144 PhDs. Over 55% of the teachers are younger than 40 years. The material basis has improved both quantitatively and qualitatively by putting into use a new building, bringing an additional 27 classrooms and 11 seminar rooms and providing the conditions of modern higher education.

History - Folklore - Literature: the Example of Romania

The beginnings of modern Romanian culture coincide with the discovery of folk literature. The first to benefit from this true “revelation,” around the middle of the last century, were two of the most authentic representatives of Romanian romanticism: Vasile Alecsandri and Alecu Russo. However, the earliest manifesto of Romanian romanticism was not very explicit in its treatment of the subject, because others who participated in the current—especially Mihail Kogălniceanu and Nicolae Bălcescu— were primarily historians. In 1840 the contensts of Dacia literară, a magazine edited by them, gave literary status to heroic events that had entered into Romanian history; second place was reserved for the beauty of the Romanian countryside; the picturesque and the poetic content of the traditions held by the people who had lived this history and animated this countryside were only third in importance. Now, the term “traditions” could be applied in the same way to different artistic expressions: dance, music or literature.

Vasile Alecsandri. By Alexandre Cioranescu. Translated by Maria Golescu and revised by E. D. Tappe. Twayne's World Authors Series, no. 204. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1973. 179 pp. $5.95.

Vasile Alecsandri. By Alexandre Cioranescu. Translated by Maria Golescu and revised by E. D. Tappe. Twayne's World Authors Series, no. 204. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1973. 179 pp. $5.95.