Suchergebnisse

Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is a critical factor for education quality. This study identifies PCK of students' difficulties in learning the basics of Organic chemistry, the sources of difficulties and ways to overcome them. An inquiry was conducted with 53 teachers and interview – with 3 prominent teachers. According to the teachers, the most difficult areas are "Chemical processes" and "Experiment and research". The difficulties are due to: specific subject content (formulae, terminology, logic, representation); curriculum; school settings and students' characteristics (pre-knowledge, motivation, habits, ways of learning and action). The most effective instruction methods are: problem solving, laboratory activities, discourse, demonstration of experiments and models, problem-based learning. PCK of students' difficulties is related to other elements of the PCK (КSC, KIRS, KAs) and to subject content, pedagogy and context knowledge. Our research findings can help improve the curricula and teaching practice, and to supplement research on specific topics in science education.

This article tackles two methodological problems. The first one concerns the definition and age boundaries of the youth population. It is still actively discussed in the literature and ambiguously solved in research and policy actions. The second problem is related to the measures of youth unemployment, which allow for manipulations through skewed usage of only one deliberately chosen measure or through comparisons of multiple measures with no account of their different content. Directions for a detailed empirical analysis of youth unemployment in Bulgaria are inferred. In the concluding part an alternative ranking of EU-28 countries is suggested based on an aggregate handling of three youth unemployment measures in the age interval 15-29 years. It differs decisively from the popular Eurostat ranking, based only on the youth unemployment rate.

А study of the significant investors in the industrial zones in Bulgaria is conducted. The results of already established and functioning industrial zones are analysed in parallel with an evaluation of investor expectations. The study is not strictly analytical but offers solutions and recommendations with potential to improve the functioning of the industrial zones in the country.

Main concept in STEM education is implementing of synergetic potential of connections across different disciplines. It must be based on their results and broaden their comprehension by interpreting in applied context to achieve new meanings. In the report is presented a concept for STEM education on the ground of Bulgarian curriculum for disciplines in secondary school. The concept is described as relationship: learning outcomes-content-sample tasks for implementation.

The given article deals with the issue of mnemonics, their types and their application in the learning process and daily activities. Examples in several languages and for different study subjects and areas are covered. Mnemonic techniques proposed by artificial intelligence are reviewed. The work presents the results of a survey among 301 participants aimed at revealing people's awareness of the possibilities of mnemonics and their propensity to use them. The idea that mnemonics in school should be considered from two sides – as a finished product on the one hand and as an author's realization on the other hand – has been revealed. Creating your own mnemonics involves high cognitive levels and important soft skills.

The topic of children's rights, their understanding and assimilation by children and adults is among the main topics in civic education. It hides an increased emotional charge, therefore requires the application of non-traditional approaches and solutions, so that specific legal information is not simply be assimilated, but a sensitivity and value attitude to children's rights and their realization and protection (in case of violation) be developed. Such an approach (educational tool) is fairy tales. The article offers some answers to methodologically important questions: Why are fairy tales an adequate and effective tool for teaching and educating children's rights? When and where could they be used as such a tool? For what purposes can children's education be used? How can the educational potential of fairy tales be achieved – how fairy tales should be used and on what principles should their choice be done?

The article presents and analyzes the conducted training seminars in the form of shared good pedagogical practices; the criteria for selecting a teacher to share his/her pedagogical experience and ideas with the future pedagogues in order to better prepare them for the performance of their professional duties in terms of distance learning, blended learning, in person learning; the innovative moments in the shared procedural innovations and innovations in the services are highlighted; the results of the survey of students' opinions and evaluation positions on the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed ideas are summarized and analyzed.

This article summarizes the main distinguishing characteristics of the interactions between economic agents in individualistic and collectivist cultures. A brief systematization of the debate in the literature on the relationship between culture and economic development is proposed and the productivity for the economic analysis of a good knowledge of the peculiarities of national cultures is substantiated. The review necessarily includes evidence and arguments for the existence of mechanisms through which deep aspects of culture influence economic performance, e.g., through the formation of beliefs and preferences – as demonstrated by the effects of social capital. Some of the apparent contradictions in the hypotheses presented can be resolved by considering the scope of the group to which the collective identity and perceived shared responsibilities extend. This leads to the main conclusion of the analysis that the kind of collectivism that hinders economic development usually consists in loyalty to a narrow social group.

The article focuses on Methodology and Literature education of pedagogy students - the most expected future primary school teachers, as a prerequisite for the effective formation of the reading comprehension skills of primary school students. The necessity of deep knowledge of contemporary child literature as well as the classic works for children is underlined.

In the article, through the prism of the analysis of the founding documents, policies and practices of the EU for the development of higher education, formulates and argues the author's position regarding the strategic perspectives and prerequisites for internalization of higher education against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some major challenges have been formulated that hinder the natural connections between universities around the world. Some expected long-term benefits from the development of full internalization in the conditions of digitalization of higher education are substantiated on the example of the activity of Sofia University and the conducted research. In conclusion, the author argues that the mission of universities to stay connected is a priority, even in the pandemic situation.

The present paper evaluates the way the digital age has changed how we teach at higher educational institutions and how that has helped us to adapt quickly to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus is on the way digital literacy has been re-defined in the last few years deeply marked by the pandemic and the way on-line resources and digital environment have been used at the Faculty of Classical and Modern Philology of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" to ensure the continuation of the educational process in the conditions of a complete lock-down and pandemic restrictions. On the basis of the feedback by both students and university teaching staff, the paper analyzes the creation of new digital skills necessary for teaching the "digital natives" of today. The theoretical framework within which this analysis is carried out is closely connected to the study of the cognitive processes responsible for learning a foreign language and acquiring skills that are part of the new digital literacy of the twenty-first century. The conclusions can serve as a basis for suggested changes in the curriculum of teaching at the Faculty of Classical and Modern Philology at Sofia University.

The purpose of this article is to trace the emergence and development of pedology as a complex science for the child and to clarify the reasons why it is ufulfilled. Both available literary sources and documents from the archival funds in Bulgaria (the State Archives and the Scientific Archives of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences) have been studied. A picture of the state of pedological science in the USA, Europe, Russia / USSR and Bulgaria is presented. Based on these studies, it can be seen that while in the West in the 1930s this science was in decline, and in Russia it was banned in 1936, in Bulgaria it continues to be taught at Sofia University and teacher training institutes in the country for which there are also textbooks. Its existence came to an end with the full establishment of the ideological domination of the new communist government.

The article presents a case study of digital transformation at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", Bulgaria, catalyzed by COVID-19 pandemic. First, it summarizes challenges related to education and research, administrative processes, regulations, and culture from different perspectives – management of the university, professors and students. Next, the paper presents solutions, implemented as the answers of the challenges in order for transformation to happen in technological and non-technological directions. In the discussion section, we discuss the choices made to realize the digital transformation at Sofia University and the reasons behind them. In the final part of the paper, we conclude summarizing the main point of our case study and present expectations and perspectives for the future.

The article addresses the issue of parenting training related to improving parenting skills and reducing ineffective parenting practices. Based on a study of parenting styles leading to emotional and behavioral disorders in children and adolescents, recommendations are made for educating parents based on the age of their children. For children, the results show that emotional neglect, overt rejection, authoritarianism, and punishment are important for the onset of emotional and behavioral disorders. This determines the need for parents to apply supportive and guiding strategies in their behavior towards their children. For adolescence, the results show that authoritarianism, punishment, lack of empathy, and lack of cooperation are important for the emergence of emotional and behavioral problems. This determines the need for the parent to effectively implement not only the supportive and guiding strategy, but also the cooperation strategy. The article also addresses the issue of individual counseling of the parent, which aims to activate his reflexive ego and develop a meta-position regarding the deep roots of his own behavior.

Learned helplessness and self-handicapping are considered self-defenses in situations of perceived lack of control аnd insecurity. The research purpose was to study their effect on well-being. 325 respondents of the convenient sample completed seven scales: on learned helplessness, self-handicapping, self-esteem, life meaning, mindfulness, optimism, and flourishing. Results reveal that flourishing decreases in result of self-handicapping, but this effect is fully mediated by the lack of perceived control and self-esteem and partially mediated by life meaning and the mindfulness. Learned helplessness also reduces experienced well-being, but this effect is fully mediated by self-esteem and partially mediated by and optimism, life meaning, and mindfulness. This suggests that learned helplessness and self-handicapping can be considered reactive or preventive situational responses, mediated by self-esteem, optimism and active reflection of situations and opportunities, and life meaning, being pathways, counter-balancing self-defenses.