Historical Legacies in Eurasian Diaspora and Compatriot Policies

Historical Legacies in Eurasian Diaspora and Compatriot Policies

Author(s): Alexander Osipov / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: Diaspora;Migration;Eurasia

The post-Soviet diaspora and compatriot policies appear to demonstrate that a new phenomenon emerged after the USSR’s dissolution. An examination of the Soviet approaches to the “nationalities question” and pre-Soviet imperial governance patterns shows that the imaginaries of expatriate communities were inherent to both periods’ perceptions and state action. For various reasons, the issues of ethnicity-based subnational statehood and original ethnic territories were not clearly formulated and articulated; as a result, expatriate issues were not on the surface, but nevertheless materialized in pragmatic arrangements. Since the Soviet Union’s dissolution, the newly independent states have pursued diaspora and compatriot policies; generally, they target and favor co-ethnics, but this rationale is often not clearly articulated and is not always consistently followed. The said policies still demonstrate conceptual and terminological ambiguity and eclecticism; the governments avoid a straightforward and strongly worded manifestation of their countries’ ethnic underpinning but employ diaspora issues to display ethnic preferences. The practical approaches to diasporas and compatriots to various degrees demonstrate inconsistencies and gaps; flexibility in “talks” and “action” provide the best opportunities in achieving ad hoc pragmatic goals. One can assume that the major features of expatriate policies (as well as ethnic diversity policies) in most Northern Eurasian countries resemble the patterns of Soviet rule.

Minority Politics and International Relations: The Case of the Ukrainian−Hungarian Joint Commission on National Minorities

Minority Politics and International Relations: The Case of the Ukrainian−Hungarian Joint Commission on National Minorities

Author(s): Csilla Fedinec / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: Minority Politics;Ukrainian;International Relations

There are two levels of international relations: multilateral and bilateral. A specific version of bilateral treaties was the conclusion of the basic treaties in the period following the democratic change in Central and Eastern Europe, which, among other things, laid down mutual recognition of borders and the protection of minorities. On the basis of the Hungarian-Ukrainian Declaration on the rights of national minorities, which is stated in Article 17 of the Hungarian-Ukrainian Basic Treaty was established the Hungarian-Ukrainian Joint Commission for National Minorities, whose activities are analysed in this study.

Neither Ours, nor Foreign: Ukrainians in Moldova

Neither Ours, nor Foreign: Ukrainians in Moldova

Author(s): Anatolij Krugłaszow,Nataliya Nechaieva-Yuriichuk / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: Moldova;Ukrainian

Post-communist transition has challenged the new states and societies within the former Soviet bloc and the USSR with new threats and requirements. Moldova has faced domestic tensions, including the Transdniestrian crisis, that have undermined the country’s unity; thus ethnonational relations and ethnopolitics remain a high priority both for the government and society. This article considers the history and present situation of Ukrainians in Moldova with an overview of the changes of their status and perspectives for their future. The authors also analyze the policy of Ukraine towards its co-ethnics in Moldova, outlining pros and cons of Kyiv’s official stance in regard the local Ukrainian community. Conclusions are made and related suggestions proposed concerning the ways of resolving the remaining problems of Ukrainians in Moldova.

Romania’s Influence on the Romanian Community of Ukraine

Romania’s Influence on the Romanian Community of Ukraine

Author(s): Talas Khalavka / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: Romani;Ukraine;govermental structures

The Romanian Constitution states that the country stands for strengthening the relations with Romanians living abroad and works to preserve, develop, and express ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and religious identities in compliance with the legislation of the states whose citizens they are. The issue of caring for the Romanian community abroad has always been central for the Romanian governmental structures. The article analyzes the influence of Romania on the Romanian community in Ukraine, the state of ensuring the community’s rights on the part of the Ukrainian authorities, and the Ukrainian–Romanian interstate negotiations on ensuring the rights of national communities living on the territory of these states.

Relations of Institutions of the Republic of Croatia with Croats Abroad with Special Emphasis on Diaspora Relations

Relations of Institutions of the Republic of Croatia with Croats Abroad with Special Emphasis on Diaspora Relations

Author(s): Milan Bošnjak / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: Diaspora;Croatia;Migration

This paper provides basic information about the legislative and institutional framework of the Republic of Croatia. This framework enables and encourages the development of systematic, continuous, and effective communication and cooperation with members of the Croatian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Croatian national minority in twelve European countries, and the Croatian diaspora in European and overseas countries. The paper offers an analysis and description of the relationship of Croatian institutions with Croatian diaspora as well as a cross-section of the most important activities, programs, and projects that have been introduced for members of the diaspora. It places special emphasis on the work and activities of the Central State Office for Croats Abroad – the central body of the state administration responsible for developing relations with Croats outside the Republic of Croatia. It designs and implements various programs and supports numerous strategic and identity-related projects. Very important are the activities of the Ministry of Science and Education, especially in the field of learning and teaching Croatian language and culture abroad. The Central State Office for Croats Abroad, the Ministry of Science and Education, the Ministry of Culture and Media, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, the Croatian cultural institution Matica hrvatska (Matrix Croatica), scientific institutes, universities, schools, and other institutions, organisations, and associations implement and/or support many programs and projects. They also develop partnerships with institutions and associations of the Croatian diaspora, thereby contributing to the development of Global Croatian Unity.

Music as a Difficult but Necessary Element in the Process of Remote Education in Times of a Pandemic

Muzyka jako trudny ale niezbędny element w procesie zdalnej edukacji w czasach pandemii

Author(s): Marta Kędzia / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: music; remote education; music education

Music affects many areas of human life, but as an “invisible being”, it is not conducive to remote education. However, due to the multidimensional perception and understanding of music, it becomes a kind of “safety valve” in the difficult reality of pandemic isolation. The article deals with the subject of multi-context understanding and definition of music, and presents the observations resulting from the above narrative about the child’s meetings with music planned by the teacher. The time of the pandemic set a new challenge for music teachers and made them reflect on the purpose of music education in this difficult time. Therefore, an individual approach and understanding of the child’s needs becomes important, especially in conditions of global isolation. Hence, the aim of the article is to draw attention to the broadly understood musicalisation of a child, which is of particular importance in the period of educational and social isolation.

Remote Education in Kindergarten During the Pandemic in Teachers’ Perception

Edukacja zdalna w przedszkolu w czasie pandemii w percepcji nauczycielek

Author(s): Marzena Magda-Adamowicz / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: teacher; preschool education; remote education; pandemic

The subject of this interpretative research is knowledge about the planning, organisation and implementation of remote kindergarten education by kindergarten teachers of the Lubusz and Lower Silesian voivodeships using non-standardised interviews. The need for a sudden transition to remote education highlighted not only shortcomings in institutions preparing online classes, but also the low digital competences of kindergarten teachers, as well as children and their parents. The school managements did not present a position, but simply had talks with the teachers about how to implement remote preschool education. Teachers described how their remote work evolved, from simple transfer of materials, through texts read, experiments, theatres, or films. They pointed out the lack of ability to work remotely, spending more time (than in ordinary work) at the expense of their private life. For teachers, the problem was also the lack of interaction with children. Some of the parents even disregarded cooperation with the teacher at the expense of their children. Generally speaking, teachers had a negative attitude towards remote preschool education.

The Experiences of Parents and Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Doświadczenia rodziców i dzieci podczas pandemii COVID-19

Author(s): Tiziana Schirone,Isabella Quadrelli / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: COVID-19; risk factors; parents’ emotional stability; children’s emotional stability; relational conflicts

The study, which included a total of 1,122 Italian parents (96.5% female; 3.5% male) of children with an average age of 7.56 years (N = 1,461, SD = 2.03), explores how parents with children (5–11 years old) represent changes in their daily habits as well as their own and children’s experiences in relation to the impact caused by the health emergency. The study also investigates how work, family life, contextual factors and media exposure associated with information regarding COVID-19 have contributed to influencing emotional states and behavioural patterns. The research programme was carried out by an online questionnaire in June 2020. The pandemic was experienced in a variety of ways across four clusters. The highest levels of discomfort can be observed among those parents who have experienced isolation and the fear of contagion with higher levels of anxiety, which have been intensified by the perception of change and the deterioration in working conditions. Parents with higher emotional instability have found a low emotional stability and high depressive tones in their children. Results suggest that the capacity of parents to process and mentalise emotions by facing the difficulties and stress caused by the situation can act as a protective factor in contrasting any emotional instability in children.

The Impact of COVID-19 and Trauma on Student Behavior and Considerations for Strategies for Educator to Support Students

Wpływ COVID-19 i traumy na zachowanie uczniów oraz rozważania dotyczące strategii wspierania uczniów przez pedagoga

Author(s): LINDA BETH SHERIFF / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: COVID-19; student mental health; social and emotional learning; trauma

COVID-19 has been difficult on children, and there has been an increase in anxiety, depression, and behavioral problems in schools. This article summarizes the recent literature on the effects of the pandemic on the mental and behavioral health of children and provides an overview of the root causes of the behaviors that may be exhibited by students. The impact of trauma and health on learning are well documented and supported by brain science. Schools are in a position to buffer and support students so that the negative effects of trauma can be mitigated. Recommendations on strategies that schools can take to support students are also included.

Remote Education from the Perspective of Students, Parents, and Teachers of Elementary School in Grades I–III

Edukacja zdalna z perspektywy uczniów, rodziców i nauczycieli klas I–III szkoły podstawowej

Author(s): Katarzyna Nadachewicz / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: remote education; early childhood education student; teacher; parent

This paper presents a summary of the results from a study that was conducted in the context of distance learning and implemented by schools from March 25, 2020. The study was carried out twice on the same group of students, teachers, and parents of classes I–III. These studies used a qualitative method for collecting data. The first survey was conducted at the end of June 2020 and the second one – in February 2021. An original questionnaire was used to collect data. Sixty parents responded to the questions. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 students and 6 teachers. The purpose of the survey was to find out opinions about distance learning and the challenges that were posed to teachers, parents, and students. These studies are trying to answer the following questions: 1. How was remote education implemented during the first and second waves of the pandemic?; 2. What difficulties were encountered by teachers, parents, and students in the implementation of distance education?; 3. What positive sides of remote education could be identified? The results demonstrated that despite many difficulties and fears, teachers managed to maintain continuity of teaching to the best of their ability by moving education to the digital world. Their digital competencies have increased, and their workbench has been enriched with new, previously unknown programs and educational portals. Remote education has shown how demanding the educational aspect of teachers’ work is. Parents have learned the multidimensional nature of pedagogical work. They were able to learn the level of independence, and resourcefulness, verify the level of interest and concentration on the task and observe their own children’s strategies of problem-solving when encountering difficulties. The students felt the importance of direct contact with their peers. They experienced fatigue resulting from constant computer use.

Observation in Teacher Performance During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Obserwacja w pracy nauczyciela w czasie pandemii COVID-19

Author(s): Małgorzata Kabat / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: observation; observation tools; teacher; COVID-19

The purpose of this paper is to present issues related to the application of observation in the work of the teacher during the COVID-19 pandemic, and beyond. It was assumed that the efficiency, offensiveness and initiative of the teacher operating in dynamic conditions will influence its selection making it an efficient, necessary and effective tool supporting the profession. The use of observation and its various techniques and tools will prove the teacher to be an informed and responsible observer to those observed. Through the advantages and shortcomings of observation discussed, issues relating to planning instrumental and conceptualizing activities will be shown. Gathering and interpreting data will bring about workshop improvement and development by providing a hint of teacher’s modifications and attitudes towards the transforming environment.

Research, Internationalization and Training of Teachers in Pandemic Times – Microethnographic Studies

Badania, internacjonalizacja i kształcenie nauczycieli w czasach pandemii – mikroetnograficzne badania

Author(s): Ana Paula Alves / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: research; internationalisation; teacher training; microethnography

The need to reformulate teaching practices in the face of the methodological change related to COVID-19 forced educational researchers to shift the primary field of their research – the school and its actors – to a field still unknown to most, the virtual ground. The importance of listening to the subjects involved in the processes of learning of the teaching profession, with all the artefacts related to it – students, school space, principals, peers, families, and communities – forced the paradigm shift. Due to the pandemic, the ethnographic studies in education, rich in their interaction with the subjects, due to the pandemic, placed the researcher (participant observer) and the participant (subject involved and able to redirect the investigation) in a hybrid relationship in which physical presence began to be mediated and conditioned by the rules of the Ministries of Health of each country involved in the research. The physical presence of the researcher with the subjects, allows an understanding of their position in the space (classroom choreography) and their interaction/performance concerning the other (teacher, student, family, managers, community). This dynamic was altered by the impossibility of being present and by introducing the third interlocutor – a webcam used for online communications. Facing this challenge and bearing in mind the need to maintain the researcher’s relationship with the participants of the study, we share the research narrative provided so far. The aim of this paper is to observe/understand the influence of the pandemic on teaching practices, using different lenses to explore the hybrid interconnections. There were used microethnographic strategies in order to find out the opinions of the subjects involved in the research.

Mothers’ Perceptions of the Role of the COVID-19 Pandemic for Minority Language Maintenance in Their Bilingual Children (Speaking English and Polish) Living in the United Kingdom

Postrzeganie przez matki roli pandemii COVID-19 w utrzymywaniu języka dziedziczonego u ich dwujęzycznych dzieci (mówiących po angielsku i po polsku) mieszkających w Wielkiej Brytanii

Author(s): Natalia Banasik-Jemielniak,Aleksandra Lazar,Aleksandra Siemieniuk,Julia Kondratowicz,Olga Szczepankowska / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: heritage language; bilingualism; language development during the pandemic; Polish language in the UK

To answer the question of various forms that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected family language practices in HL families, we qualitatively analyzed 27 interviews with Polish mothers living in the UK and raising their children bilingually. We found that the world health crisis had both negative and positive impacts on each of the language acquired by the children, and we identified themes that recurred throughout the material. The factors included: limited possibilities of traveling – either to Poland or back to the UK, school closures resulting in shift in childcare constellations, new language and social practices.

The Importance of Teacher Training and the Creation of an Appropriate School Infrastructure for the Implementation of Digital Platforms in Pre-University Education

Znaczenie szkolenia nauczycieli i tworzenia odpowiedniej infrastruktury w szkole dla wdrażania platform cyfrowych w edukacji przeduniwersyteckiej

Author(s): Flutura Dervishi,Asllan Vrapi / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: SMIP; digital platform; implementation; training; digital infrastructure

The study explores the importance of creating the appropriate infrastructure, with digital tools, in schools, as well as the appropriate training in the field of information technology, to efficiently implement modern digital platforms in the pre-university system. The study focuses on the importance of creating a proper digital infrastructure in the school and the efficiency of teachers training in the field of digital technology, as two key factors that enable the efficiency of the implementation of digital platforms in school for the development of online, hybrid or even remote education, as was the case with the use of these scenarios during the COVID-19 pandemic, or while implementing modern digital platforms for quality management of pre-university education, referring to the SMIP platform. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role that these two key factors have in the effectiveness of digital reforms in pre-university education.

“Education Towards Freedom” – an Introduction to Waldorf Perspectives on Learning and Development

„Edukacja ku wolności” – wprowadzenie do waldorfskiej perspektywy uczenia się i rozwoju

Author(s): Frode Barkved / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: Waldorf education; imitation; imagination; independent thinking; development; learning

In the following paper, the author mainly describes what could be called the Waldorf education’s development didactics. This didactical approach is based on Rudolf Steiner’s idea of human development through seven-year periods. In Steiner’s time, this idea, which dates back to the ancient division of human life into heptomade, was, to some extent, still in use. In today’s developmental psychological discourse, the idea of the seven-year periods is virtually absent. One finds the term in the Waldorf pedagogical curricula and literature, but otherwise not. Steiner’s interpretation of the child’s development through the first three seven-year periods had a clear influence on the curricula and the didactics of the Waldorf school. There are given some examples of this below. In the first part, the author focuses on the concepts of imitation, rhythm, and play. In the second part, there are considered the life processes, imagination, and the arts. In the third part, the focus is on cognitive development, the development of complex emotions such as shame and guilt, and the development of autonomy. The author will also take a closer look at the ways in which the ideas on learning and development, emphasized by Steiner over a hundred years ago, could be seen in the light of recent research, especially in neuroscience.

“The Art of Teaching” – a Presentation of the Waldorf Teacher Education Study Programme at Rudolf Steiner University College in Oslo, Norway

„Sztuka nauczania” – prezentacja programu kształcenia nauczycieli Waldorf w Rudolf Steiner University College w Oslo, Norwegia

Author(s): Vilde Stabel / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Study Visit to Rudolf Steiner University College in Oslo

Wizyta studyjna w Rudolf Steiner University College w Oslo

Author(s): Krystyna Kusiak / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Report on the Implementation of the Project “Multiculturalism as a Challenge for Education”

Raport z realizacji projektu „Wielokulturowość wyzwaniem dla edukacji”

Author(s): Ewa SOSNOWSKA-BIELICZ / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Report on the Polish Montessori Days. Organizers: The Polish Montessori Association and the Institute of Pedagogy, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin. “Childhood Phenomenon. From Maria Montessori Till the Present Day”. The Jubilee of 30 Year

Sprawozdanie z Polskich Dni Montessori. Organizatorzy: Polskie Stowarzyszenie Montessori i Instytut Pedagogiki UMCS w Lublinie. „Fenomen dzieciństwa. Od Marii Montessori po współczesność”. Jubileusz 30-lecia edukacji montessoriańskiej na Lubelszczyźn

Author(s): Beata Bednarczuk / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Report on Participation in an Intensive Training Entitled: “Rudolf Steiner’s Pedagogy in the Norwegian Model of Academic Teacher Education” in the Institute of Pedagogy of Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin as Part of the EDUCATION PROGRAM,

Sprawozdanie z udziału w intensywnym szkoleniu pt.: „Pedagogika Rudolfa Steinera w norweskim modelu kształcenia nauczycieli akademickich” Instytutu Pedagogiki Uniwersytetu Marii Curie- -Skłodowskiej w Lublinie w ramach projektu: KOMPONENT I PROGRAM E

Author(s): Teresa Parczewska / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022