The sensitivity to meaning as an aspect of profession reflection of future teachers

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The sensitivity to meaning as an aspect of profession reflexion of future teachers

Vlasova Yu. A., ORCID: 0000-0002-6306-5413, PhD in Psychology, National Research Tomsk State University

Abstract

The sensitivity to meaning as an aspect of profession reflection of future teachers.

Vlasova Yu. A., ORCID: 0000-0002-6306-5413, PhD in Psychology, National Research Tomsk State University

The article describes a psychological phenomena that is able to be traced in the implementation of reflexive seminars with students of Pedagogical College. When students work with texts that describe various professional positions, a «sensitivity to meaning of the text», as a phenomenon of understanding logic of author's argumentation, as well as the absence of such sensitivity has been detected. Interconnection between the sensitivity to the meaning of the text and the modality of reflexive activity was discovered.

Keywords: reflexive activity, modality of reflexive activity, sensitivity to meaning of the text.

Аннотация

Чувствительность к смыслу текста как аспект профессиональной рефлексии будущих учителей.

Власова Ю.А., ORCID: 0000-0002-6306-5413, Кандидат психологических наук, Национальный исследовательский Томский государственный университет

Introduction

Modern educational standards require new methods of future experts trainings in teacher`s training colleges and pedagogical universities. Further to currently familiar essential attributes as creativity, occupational mobility, etc. future teachers are assumed to organize their own professional activities in a qualitative way and be able to reveal and develop all their capabilities. Educational context should enable future teachers to think critical and evaluate properly their own contribute to its design as participants of educational process [1; 4; 5; 6]. In context of teacher`s activities that means not only recognition and transformation of their own actions reasons, but also the awareness and changing the very way of being, revealing subjectivity in relationships with others. All listed above cause transformations of professional identity. That is, a professional consciousness in addition to the ability to think reflexively «is characterized by human being`s capacity determinate themselves in value-meaning ways and think reflexively about their lifestyles» [2, P. 61-62].

A reflexive workshop is considered to be one of the most efficient forms of psychological and educational support [3].

Material and methods.

In the end of spring (April and May) 2011 program of psychological and educational support of the formation of professional identity pedagogical college students of was implemented. At the time of this activity the cycle of reflexive workshops with sophomore was held. Developed evaluation scheme of reflexive activity [3], which includes such characteristics as «readiness for understanding», «the nature of the argument», «dialogicness», «emotional background», makes possible to identify three types of reflexive activity modalities: 1. Positive - active comprehension, productivity of intellectual activity, perception of the educational situation as an opportunity to learn something about yourself, etc. 2. Conflicting - inconsistent and illogical statements, negative emotions during discussion, and the categorical rejection of other's points of view. 3. Poorly differentiated - difficulties in the analysis, the lack of desire to reflect, formal, superficial analysis, protective emotional reactions.

The research has identified several forms of student's professional identification of the students which have differences in semantic range. It also revealed modality of reflexive activity. During reflexive workshops the main part of respondents demonstrated a positive change of modalities of reflexive activity and an increase of semantic range in professions they have chosen. One of the key points was reasons of differentiation of reflexive promotion for different respondents with equal opportunities for reflection.

As a result of this research in April 2012 a new phase of the study was launched. 50 first-year students who study «primary grades teaching» took part in it. The purpose was to explore the characteristics of professional identity through understanding texts connected with their profession. Young people were asked to read four texts written by primary school teachers, choose the one that reflects their own position best and prove their opinion. In so doing, two of the texts show points of subject-knowledge approach of orientation, but the other two described the valuable aspects of a student-centered approach. Workshops was filmed, material was shorthand. The analyzed subject was the content of reflection by using evaluation criteria of reflexive activity.

psychological seminar sensitivity student

Results

Arguments of young people were different and they perform different degree of depth and logical construction trying to support both approaches. It was found that a significant part of respondents reasoning of their point of view mix concepts of subject-knowledge- and student-centered- approaches even turning author's point of view into the opposite one. In such cases, there was a contradiction between the educational setting chosen by the respondent and the text they have chosen. Another striking feature there was to pay attention on peripheral details of the essay and not to understand the whole text. Accordingly, the great amount of respondents demonstrated a lack of sensitivity to the author's arguments and to the main idea of the text. Here it is an abstract of one of the texts demonstrated to students to illustrate all listed above.

«Teacher is required to be an expert. It's not enough to have deep knowledge in subject you teach but it's necessary to know how you can transfer this knowledge to students. As a teacher I understand my own purpose as to be sure that students leave my class full of new information they understand properly and correctly and that they still love my subject and want to study it. But I suppose, it's unnecessary to think about personal development of each student during the educational process. It is impossible to achieve good results in studying and also so-called personal development. School education doesn't have such purpose. Only the student who has learned all he or she has to learn during school years has a chance to have better life in the future, and that is how school education purposes should be explained to children. If children do not face the strict system of rules at school, do not learn to be self-disciplined, then what personal development is all about? What will happen to these children when they grow up? My own experience tells me that my students need to be strictly estimated with all their successes and failures. Children study when all their mistakes are explained to them and when they are told about their uncompleted tasks when they are too lazy or do not realize something».

For 21% of students this text was significant because its main idea is «to develop teacher's professionalism». This statement is not correct, but apart from all the text does not clarify how the author define development of professionalism. Here is an excerpt from a discussion with students:

«Host: Why have you chosen the fourth one? Here M. calls it the most authoritarian.

A: I liked the first sentence. «It is not enough to have deep knowledge in tough subject but it's necessary to know how you can transfer this knowledge to students».

Host: And what about the following part of the text?

A: Well, this phrase and the first paragraph are very good. That teachers should not only know the subject … Well, they should know the approach, how to transfer knowledge … It is necessary to use individual approach for each pupil.

B: But in the same text below it is said that attention to each personality during educational process is unnecessary. It is said in the beginning of the text that it is not enough to have deep knowledge and love your subject, but «it is necessary to know how you can transfer these knowledge to students». That is all about The Knowledge. Generally, the first text says nothing about children.

A: Everyone has the own point of view!

Q: Well, thing I just do not like here is that individual approach to every child is impossible…».

The example above illustrates two different levels of the main idea interpretation and their own attitude to it: 1. First student demonstrates no sensitivity to the basic idea; she concentrates only on the first phrase and explain all text trough it. Her arguments are contradictory. 2. Second student demonstrates sensitivity to the basic idea and has a clear line of argument relying on the text.

Also the choice of subject-specific text did not specify the nature of reflexive activity and a lack of sensitivity to the meaning of the text. So, students who chose the certain text divided into two groups because of different reasons for choosing. Among students who chose not student-centered approach was those who defined its teaching style accurately. These students have chosen the text consciously, because of their own certain attitudes. They have a strong belief that the position expressed in the text is efficient, and they also often can logically explain all disadvantages of texts with the opposite point of view. Young people were actively involved in discussion and make it livelier. They also stimulated reflexive activity among other students. In our opinion, in these cases the respondents have positive reflexive activity and also sensitivity to the meaning of the text and the author's arguments:

«S: I would like to argue with K. I like the second text. I agree with it, I really enjoyed it. Firstly, at the very beginning it says: «When you are a teacher you are always searching for something». That means that teachers should advance themselves and always search for something new and think about development. They are required not only to teach children but also themselves.

Furthermore, taking into consideration independence and freedom of students, we are now able to declare that school nowadays tries to give «individual freedom for personality». According to last researches, it is not a correct way. Children can not choose by themselves, because they do not have enough experience. And if they make a choice, that means the teacher has no authority and how he or she can teach in this class? Children would not listen to the teacher with no authority. So, teachers need obedient pupils, not the ones who will argue. If one student argues, the whole class will. That will cause a revolt. And younger students should believe in teacher's authority.

K.: Well, but I cannot understand how teacher can make a choice instead of a child!

S.: No, teachers do not make choices, they just give DIRECTION (highlighting intonation), they give pieces of advice, because students do not have enough experience yet, they do not know what to choose.

K.: What do you mean? Did you choose any jobs when you were a child? Were you asked in your childhood what you want to do in the future?

S.: Yes. I was! And I said I would like to be a housewife, - laughing, -- That is great that I haven't chosen the job I wanted!

K.: Well. Imagine that you are said: «No! You are not going to become a housewife, and it really does not matter who you would like to become. You are going to be an engineer»?

S.: No, teachers should not give any orders, they are seemed to guide students. For example, my teacher said to me when I was in my six year at school: «You have a humanitarian mindset, You had better become a philologist». Then I did not listen to her… and now I'm going to study philology at university».

The results show that 41% of the students have sensitivity to logic of author's reasoning and to meaning of the text. The main part of the students noted in the texts only insignificant moments and could not identify the knowledge-oriented style of teaching without their future colleague's tips.

Conclusion

Sensitivity to meaning of the text and the author's arguments correlates with the positive nature of reflexive activity. By this line of reasoning, the percent of cases of «sensitivity» as a part of undifferentiated reflexive activity is 0%, with contradictory reflexive activity - 56% (18% of common other reflexive activities), with positive reflexive activity - 61%.

We are inclined to assume that a subject which showed itself as sensitivity to meaning of the text (to the author's argument) in this research is a more general phenomenon, characterized by specific features of thinking and defining solutions and the result of the thinking process. For us it is important that sensitivity to meaning of the text is an attribute of a positive reflection that we do not count earlier.

References

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